Reducing expenses

[tortoise]

I am trying to figure out how to save money. I don't pay the bills and I really couldn't guess what our expenses add up to. My fiance takes care of that and he is always comaring to the prior year, graphing out expenses. I just have a credit card. Almost all of my buying is groceries and gas.

I'm a stay at home mom. I'm thinking setting a mileage limit. I don't know what is reasonable. I think 500 miles per month will take care of necessary trips? That conveniently works out to $50/month. (30 mpg, $3/gallon gas)

I am keeping a price book to find the lowest prices for the things we buy and learning to shop sales and stock up. I saved 26% on my last shopping trip. Yah... I know the best food sales of the year are this week. I wonder if I can maintain that sort of savings? Reducing grocery budget by a 3rd would be sweet.

Our grocery expenses might be lower because of getting 2 deer this year, my rabbits (yummy!) and fish. But my rabbits won't breed (I hope this is a temporary problem!) and we don't ice fish so I'm relying on freezer stores for 4 - 6 months.

How much would you expect to pay for groceries for 2 adults and 1 3-yr-old? We've averaged $400/month over the last year.

 

[abifae]

I spend 80/week on groceries just for me. And food prices are rising. But I eat really well LOL. I try to balance quality and cheap and quality tends to win often. I only buy Tilamook or locally made cheese, for example.

Almost all the stores have their ads online. So you can pull up and see what's on sale and plan your menu around that. That's what I tend to do

I budget two large meals a week and live on leftovers. So 30/meal and then 20 on my extra fats. Fat bombs, milk, etc. If I buy coffee it comes out of that, too.

 

[FarmerChick]

you must know the bills to know what to cut

unless you know those basics where to start---cutting isn't really going to happen to the maximum


I pay all bills. I know what I can cut and where. I know my DirectTv is $69. I know I can call and cancel a few things or ask them for a price break cause of economy...which they will do for people now.

but unless you can talk "price and services provided" from a real bill with any company, then you can't truly reduce those prices.


grocery...sure you can reduce. Anything you purchase physically with cash or credit can be changed instantly. #1 don't buy it. saves alot of money. #2 bargin for something, reduce the cost you save.
grocery......buy less, generic, grow more your own, cut those costs.

so you are kinda caught lol

you want that control of "controlling costs and cutting costs" yet you don't have that right now. Many costs you can control and that is how much you personally drive, how much you personally eat, how much you spend at any store at any time...............so hang in there and spend less in cash etc. any savings is a good savings lol

 

[Wannabefree]

Groceries is the most expensive monthly household bill other than mortgage and fuel. When I cut bills now, I cut groceries first. We already cut out cable. We cut down phone. Can't cut internet, mortgage, utilities etc. Though we have bought a wood stove on the cheap and started heating with it which will cut utilities in the long run. Stove should pay for itself by next month On the groceries, I have figured up the costs for certain meals that we are used to eating, per serving estimates, and plan meals around costs of those things. For example, a roast will last us 2 meals maximum and a few leftovers, so that would equate to about 7 meals total. 2 full meals and one for leftovers. I take the cost of the meat and divide by 7. I add a bit for the cost of potatoes/carrots etc. that will go with the meal. That gives me an ammount per person, per meal. If we have say....breakfast for supper, same with the meat/sides and get the cost of the meal per person, per meal. Then I plan a weeks meals with maybe 2 more expensive meals and 5 cheaper meals to balance things out, so we aren't eating rice and beans EVERY meal and won't get sick of it. We also go fishing more often when we are doing cutbacks, or slaughter some chickens for meat(which cost gets factored in for as well) or go hunting or accept meat from other hunters etc. Really and truly groceries is the thing I can cut down on the easiest. We accept free firewood now as well, and anything free we get is used, usually rather quickly. I also barter and trade for things. I trade eggs for fruit in the Fall, or chickens for fish, or whatever. I need to find someone with some extra deer meat to trade some laying hens for Anyway...rambling now Hope this is in some way helpful

 

[patandchickens]

IMO one of the best ways to save money on grocery bills is to stop buying things that coupons are even *offered* for

(Yeah yeah, I know that *occasionally* you will encounter a coupon for flour or butter or cans of tomato sauce or such.... but about 99% of the stuff coupons are offered for is either pricey processed packaged not-good-for-you-anyhow food, or unnecessary cleaning products )

Pat

 

[Wannabefree]

IMO one of the best ways to save money on grocery bills is to stop buying things that coupons are even *offered* for

(Yeah yeah, I know that *occasionally* you will encounter a coupon for flour or butter or cans of tomato sauce or such.... but about 99% of the stuff coupons are offered for is either pricey processed packaged not-good-for-you-anyhow food, or unnecessary cleaning products )

Pat

Glad someone else noticed that too I generally buy the store brands because after looking at labels....they tend to be HIGHER QUALITY anyway...less preservatives and junk. I use coupons when I have a good one, but most never make the cut.

 

[TanksHill]

I agree with that one Pat!! For cutting back on regular stuff, I guess like FC said it depends on what your regular stuff is.

Tortoise, why do you shop with a credit card for everyday stuff? Could you set yourself a weekly amount of cash and that's it. When the moneys gone, no more spending.

Sounds like your doing great on your grocery spending. But I think 400 sounds high for two adults and a little one. I know when things were really tight for us I had a month or two where I spent half that for 5 people. BUT I had a full freezer, and dry goods pantry. So I see the possibility.

I think you should just keep doing what your doing. Sounds like it's working. Slow and steady wins the race.

g

 

[savingdogs]

This is a very interesting thread and useful for me at this point in time as well.
I also don't use coupons because I just don't find them for products that I have on my list. I do, however, shop the "loss leaders" or specials offered by stores, especially if it is a good price for something we use all the time that stores well, like toilet paper or whatever. We try to only buy products on sale if we can help it, of course that is just a goal but we try.
We spend a lot more time at the grocery store comparing prices than we used to and I think it pays off.

 

[freemotion]

The best way to save on groceries and be healthy is to rattle those pots and pans! Buy almost NOTHING that is ready to eat, and cook everything from scratch. Do not buy anything to drink, with rare exceptions, like milk. Get at least 2-3 meals from each session of cooking, preferably more.

For example, boneless chicken breast is not the best buy. Buy the whole chickens for less per pound, and use every bit. Bone the breast yourself if that is what you need for a recipe, then use the rest, which will then be basically free.

 

[tamlynn]

I also think you need to see all the bills in order to effectively make saving choices. You need to get familiar with those charts and graphs and see where the money is going. How much is rent/mortgage? Utilities? Phone/internet/tv etc?