I am here in California family of four two teen boys, I was shopping every two weeks for food , we were spending over $1,000 a month. In May I started planning 3 meals a day for a month and shopping at winco. No cereal, junk food, frozen potato's, frozen breakfast or lunches. Now I am only spending $600 a month on food.
I shop on Azure, I started cutting things out and not buying those same items you mentioned. I started buying bulk items a little at a time, and not shopping at the stores around here in Socal. Making things from scratch. After a few months of switching things out, I had everything on hand to make things we usually eat. Basic meals, we eat maybe five different meals throughout the week. We eat leftovers.
. I do this too, i have a teenage boy at home and a boyfriend that is 6'4 and likes to eat. I cook from scratch most of the time and i work. About 45 hours per week, meal prep. Ive got meals prepped for dinner for my 4 day work week before the work week starts, right now ive got chicken and rice casserole in a pyrex uncooked in the fridge, ive got lamb chops marinating, i made a big batch of chicken drumsticks, mac and cheese, and broccoli cheese casserole cooked for my sons and boyfriends lunches over the weekend, ive got a huge freezer bag full of homemade waffles that i made from scratch a couple weeks ago in the freezer for the boys to grab whenever they want a quick breakfast, it does help my son os old enough to throw a casserole in the oven and cook his own bacon, i also keep leftover meat in the fridge/freezer for sandwiches. I put half the christmas turkey sliced up in small sandwich size bags and threw them in the freezer, were still eating on that. Ive got leftover chicken pot pie soup from a couple weeks ago in the freezer. If i cook something that will freeze well i make a big batch and freeze it, doesnt take any more time to cook a larger batch of soup, or to cook a turkey at a holiday that is twice as big as you need and freeze it. Ive also got homemade lasagna in small freezer bags in the freezer. It reheats fine
As we have moved to making more from scratch, one of the best tips I have learned from other moms is to prep for dinner while you are doing breakfast. Today that meant I made a meatloaf at 8am and cut up carrots, then stuck it all in the fridge for later. That way at dinner time all you have to do is put the pot in the oven to bake. Some days it means throwing something in the crock pot before you leave the house. Some days it means browning ground beef for dinner at the same time you are making eggs for the kids’ breakfast. If the oven is on already, throw some potatoes in to bake too so you’ll have baked potatoes for later and can just heat up some frozen broccoli and cover them with cheese. It totally eliminates the need for grabbing fast food at the end of the day because the work is already done, and it’s so much better for your body and your budget.
I’ve recently started doing my cooking in the mornings too and find I like it much better that way. That way when I’m exhausted and don’t feel like cooking, the food is almost done!
My kids were healthy, just naturally petite in stature and the littlest premie ate like a lumber jack ! I did make adjustments for the health needs, which meant extra time and money for lactose free milk and learning GF baking before there were many GF products that didn't taste like sand. No one liked to eat school lunches except for our littlest lumber jack, so we packed many lunches even through high school. I knew then what they ate and that it was healthy. All but one loves to cook now as adults and they all pitch in for family dinners cooking and sharing new recipes and helping make our traditional family favorites. They all accommodate GF and lactose free food at gatherings and pitch in with the more tedious GF scratch items like GF mandu dough or by scratch GF cinnamon rolls that actually are delicious but very time consuming and so finnicky. Cooking is often a family affair now and it's so fun. And now we have two vegetarians in the group ( one is the cook whose food is absolutely loved even by anti green food eaters ) ! But we still always fall back to simple meals when there isn't time. Protein, veggies, and a fruit and we have a meal . I feel like I'm talking to my Mom when these two beautiful women share! My Mom totally believed in non processed food way before others and fed her family in that manner. We did not have chips, ketchup, pop, koolaid, rarely jello, and sugared cereal just wasn't in our house. She spent so many hours freezing and canning and baking delicious food on a budget. Such a great role model. She also supported each of her 4 children whether we worked outside the home or were full time homemakers. Excuse punctuation and grammar errors- new phone and very small keyboard! Great show !
“Being aware of the value of your money, and living below your means.” Such a powerful statement for anyone listening. Lisa, thanks for a great podcast with Christine! 💵❤
Not gonna lie though we eat lots of meat, veggies, buy no snacks and out grocery bill is still astronomical for a family of four. $200 of groceries today is not the same as $200 of groceries a couple years ago but our income hasn’t increased like food has 😅
Same here! I've always cooked from scratch and don't buy junk food but I'm struggling. I try to make things at home to save money but it often ends up costing the same or more in ingredients!
I have a small family owned grocery store near me that marks down produce,meats,bakery and deli items. So I shop there first,(EVERYTHING that is scanned has the red REDUCED sticker on it)🤭then I go to ALDI.
Jam caught my attention, just throw some frozen berries in a pot with a touch of water and maybe a tablespoon of your preferred sugar and simmer for awhile until it reduces and thickens a bit. So good and it’s great for toast and pancakes etc. Freezes really well
I do this to make chia seed jam, works great for oatmeal and yogurt for workday breakfasts. I use honey and a little lemon juice with the frozen berries and chia seeds. Simple, cheap, and delicious!
I had a friend once try to chastise me for making my home warmer than he thought I should be making it. I pay my bills, how I want to spend my money is my business and I didn't think I needed to justify that. I just looked at him and told him, "I don't pay for cold or heat. I pay for comfort." Maybe that's my splurge, but I'm okay with that. I know that's a blessing. I skimp in a lot of other ways.
I tried it. It saved me a ton but our local Walmart people suck. They gave me all produce that went bad within 2-3 days. The dairy was about to expire. Etc. I cannot possibly look at every single item as I pick it up to check all dates. So for me it was a waste because I had to go back in half the time.
I started by making bread but have since expanded to a few convenience foods like English muffins and bagels. Do not buy sweets, I make pie, cookies, muffins, etc if we need a treat. Next on my list is making tortilla shells and chips for when we want a snack. I have done crackers, and that went well with the family 😊
I loved this podcast. I watch both your channels so it was awesome to see you both interact. I love Frugal Fit Mom so much. She always has such great advice and is not condescending or judgmental.
Frugal and cheap difference... nailed it. That's been my argument for almost 20 years of marriage. I paid yesterday for butter that doubled in price. Now its $9.99.
Lisa, I also cook and bake everything from scratch. After moving from Europe to America , even more so. I love that you say, “if I make it from scratch, it’s good!” Amen to that - and just for a reminder, it’s gone into my Commonplace Notebook! 🥰
This is us. We moved from Europe to the USA and upped our game on cooking from scratch, mainly so we could have those 'home comfort' foods we were used to. It was a shock how expensive food is in the US compared to what we were used to so we saved a ton of money by cooking from scratch too.
People just don't want to be frugal. They want what they want and don't want to say "NO" to themselves, family, or others. It is all about the choices you make in life.
People don't know how to budget and be patient for the things they want. I am putting away a little bit at a time for a freeze dryer. Will I save enough within a year? probably not but I will get there eventually.
I think most needs are actually wants. Too many people change their language, which changes their mindset, turning a want into a need in order to justify a purchase. Life is full of choices and deciding to spend more wisely is one choice of many ... groceries being one of them. We aren't cheapskates but we are frugal. Many people in a DR grocery fb group that I'm in are strong advocates of meal planning for the month and I am not. If I meal planned for the month, and bought every item to fill that plan, I wouldn't be able to take advantage of weekly ads and unadvertised in-store discounted groceries. We keep a running list each month and I check ads and pop in the store to see if any are discounted, in-store. It helps that I don't like to shop for anything and when I do I want to stretch the dollars as much as I can. In my head I'm the queen of using leftovers. We eat them as is or I use them in another dish. I've rinsed dressing off a dish of coleslaw that was 2 days "old", to add it to brown rice and then cook the rice ... delish! We actually enjoy saving money on groceries, household and personal items so that we can save, spend and occassionally donate.
Yes - we will all spend time or money one way or the other. If you want to "save" time by buying convenience food, it is more expensive so you will "spend" time earning the money to buy it. If you want to "save" money, you will "spend" time on the researching and planning and cooking etc. Yes family needs to help, my Mum cooked, my sister and I had to wash up - and hated it, because my Mum cooked every night and used a lot of pots and pressure cookers with all their bits in. The draining board was always piled high by the time we had washed it all up.
Excited to hear this... You described other frugal tips perfectly.. LIKE GIVE ME SOMETHING I DONT KNOW. I too am frugal out of necessity in the past and now, we are getting stretched again as I stay home, one kid becomes a teen and food prices in Canada are absolutely through the roof, as well as every bill went up
Not that it’s particularly cheap, but I buy raw milk for $8/gallon, make my own butter, buttermilk, and yogurt. I would like to start buying more but I still struggle to get it all done. The yogurt I usually buy (whole milk) is like $5.00/ container!
If you buy Smithfield Pork Loin it actually has a little picture to show you how to cut your own chops and roast from 1 loin. I can buy a $5 loin and get roughly 12 chops from it.
When I make Mayo, I add whey and have used a very high quality freshly pressed sunflower oil or avocado oil. So easy. And like Lisa said, adding the whey makes it last longer. Mine lasts 2-3 weeks, if we don’t use it up. I learned to make it from Lisa! ❤️
At my grocery store I shop mostly, winco foods. I needed dried beans just comparing prices on bulk and a bag bean was 38 cents different per pound. By pressure cooking your own beans you get 3 times as much compared to buying already canned ones.
I use apple cider vinegar (with the mother) in my avocado oil mayo. It's so easy with an immersion blender! I turn it into ranch dressing once we've used about half of it. 😁
My method: Batch cooking of several dinner meals during one afternoon a week. Ready made meals all week. We love leftovers or freeze. No waste. End of the week is smorgasbord day-remainders of food served buffet-style. So fun!
I live in NY and i keep kosher so as a family of 5 my grocery bills are astronomical. Thanks to your tips, they've gotten slightly better over time. Theres something for everyone!
I love to make frozen berries and apples in an instant pot. Makes great jams but I don’t store it I make just a few days worth to use it and you can either add in sugar or not. Maple syrup too. Great video thanks!!!
When you said, cranking the heat to 67, made me laugh, my heat was on 63 until December 21, now it’s on 64 & I also have a fleece on. I live in Pennsylvania. Todays high was 42.
I live in Georgia, and we keep ours at 59. It’s rarely THAT cold here, but it does get down into the teens and 20s sometimes. We have electric blankets and mattress pads and a little space heater for the bathroom. It’s fine. Now the summers. Those are absolutely miserable. $400 to keep this old house at 79 degrees. 😭
Love the disclaimer conversation. As we have added each kid, 8 now, we have made more money. But I still live very frugally, I just have more money to spend and save, or be generous with.
I saw the picture for this podcast and literally yelled, “it’s frugal fit mom!!!!” I’m so excited for this one lol. Her channel was a huge part of helping me navigate the grocery store inflation
GFS - Gordon Foods Service is a great place to watch for deals. Normal pricing is high but every 8 weeks chicken and burger are on sale in bulk. 83/17% hamburger $2.19 lb. 10 lb rolls. Best burger I've used in years. Chicken wings excellent price in bulk on sale. No membership fees. They're located more near larger cities.
Firstly I so appreciate these podcast. I have learned so much from them and found some really awesome people to follow to learn from too. I want to mention a couple of things about Azure Standard and Thrive Market. I’m a newly diagnosed celiac. I’ve suffered for years and in August my health went downhill very quickly. My grandson also a has a ton of allergies. I just pulled the trigger and joined Thrive because…. It is seriously hard to find food that is completely gluten free. By far Thrive is the best at taking the guest work out of allergy friendly food and it’s all in one place. I’m also lucky enough to have an azure drop point close by so I’ll be trying them out soon. I like that azure has so many things I need that are affordable and are Whole Foods. We have a family of 11 and I need my grocery budget to be kept in check. Changing things at first is more expensive but in the long run it will be much more affordable.
I love the podcasts you do and how you incorporate like-minded people into these. I have a question regarding this podcast: what about those people who live in food deserts and are on tight budgets. It would be great to see you - and Frugal Fit Mom - address this growing issue in the US and how your knowledge can help families who live in such areas.
@@lauramitchell6725 food desert is an area that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food.[1][2][3] In contrast, an area with greater access to supermarkets and vegetable shops with fresh foods may be called a food oasis.[4] The designation considers the type and the quality of food available to the population, in addition to the accessibility of the food through the size and the proximity of the food stores.[5]
@@lauramitchell6725 it means living in an area where there is no fresh produce available. Sometimes just a gas station with unhealthy snacks, hotdogs. Sometimes it’s an area where there used to be stores, Walmart came in, smaller businesses closed, and then Walmart decides to leave leaving nothing for the locals including little-to-no jobs. Therefore food desert.
I grew up poor for the most part of my childhood. I am frugal . My sister who is older had more years of living poor than I did and has debt, spends, is socially conscious of how thi gs looked. When she worked she would clear put her closet every 3 months and buy all new clothes. Me, I have a few things, that are still nice but are many years old or purchased from thriftstores. Great distinction between frugal vs cheap, Christine
I know that’s right. We weren’t allowed to be picky back then. We had to eat it ( those home cooked meals). Went off to college and thought I would love the food there. You should have seen me making an hour drive back home just to get that Sunday meal and leftovers for the week. I’m 50 now and my kids are the same way.😂
Agreed. Obviously there are exceptions for autism, sensory issues, arfid, etc. but these used to be RARE. Now it seems every single parent believes their kid is special and therefore can only eat chicken nuggets and fruit snacks.
My great niece is highly allergic - some of the things are eggs and milk/ dairy- but, she can have Oreos. I said now, how is it possible that there is no eggs nor dairy in those??😳
I am a SAHM of 4 and make 80% or so of our food from scratch. Snacks are what jumps up our grocery budget. We are going into full time ministry and will be on the road a lot. What are some healthy, frugal travel/car snack ideas? I’d love some that I can make at home, but haven’t been able to think of any that are not messy for kids in the car. Thanks!
Apples, bananas, string or cubed cheese, carrots, pickles, pepperoni or deli meat sandwiches or use crackers or a tortilla to make a wrap, Boiled eggs, yogurt.
BUDGET IDEAS: Shop the clearance aisles/racks before anywhere else online/stores and think seasons ahead. I love pulling out the bins from the attic for clothing changes due to weather/seasons finding items with tags on still because I shopped smart thinking ahead. Pasta and rice stretch meals for growing children, add water to juice/milk to dilute/stretch, and save $ you might spend on short term activities (movies, eating out, etc.) by putting it into a savings account for a bigger purchase over time (furniture, car, vacation, etc.).
Oh I love making granola!! My kids love it too!! Super easy. We just eat it too fast, but now I'm curious what your favorite granola is, because I know you can make granola 😊 thanks for all the great advice! I'm very frugal. I don't buy sweets, I make any sweets. We eat, and make as much as I can from scratch, it really saves money and it's so much healthier! Ypu don't have to worry about reading ingredients when you buy whole foods and cook from scratch.
I"m sure you don't mean oatmeal when you mention cereal! It's amazing how cheap it is when you buy 50 pounds at a time. We have it with a little fruit and am not hungry until lunch.
I love these budget videos. However, for those of us that have the budget to choose farm fresh and organic… I know that there are ways to save even buying organic and a video on occasion about this would help people also. 😊
Last winter we basically didnt turn the heat on until it got below 60° cause we love the cold 😂 i will pay the extra money in the summers to have the AC on.
Check ingredients in supermarket brand bread or even tortilla or bagels. I had bagels that I forgot about it. After 2 or 3 weeks they still soft and looks ok to eat What's is in it? Scary
She said Jersey and NYC is a lot of money. . yes. Very. I live in NJ 30 mins from NYC. I live in the 3rd most expensive state to live in. Everything used to cost WAY less and now everything is so much more. I would spend $75 on 3-4 bags of food that now cost me $150. Also, houses that were 125k here are now 425k here.
I'm in NJ, about 45 minutes from NYC. It is super expensive here for sure. There are still ways to save but I've said for years that Dave Ramsey needs a NJ edition because everything is very expensive here.
Tbh, I was thinking the same as you did, mentioning that “I’m already frugal, what else is there for me to learn” type of thing.. this podcast was awesome and definitely helpful as a fellow, already frugal person!! Searching for your guest to sub to her!
Azure is waaaay cheaper if you buy in serious bulk. I buy 50lbs of an item at a time and azure saves me more than walmart, Costco, or anyone else. But if i only bought a small normal bag of that item from azure it is not typically cheaper. She likely only price compared normal sized packages of items.
But, Costco or Wal Mart are all in bed with BIG PHARMA so if I do not want apeel on my food, I will continue to shop at Azure even if I am spending a bit more.
@NataliaWalth....you sound like a nutter. Not every business is a conspiracy. You're odd. Walmart and Costco have nothing to do with pharma. Stop repeating what other nutters say.
I LOVE Michael Pollan! Have read several of his books. Highly reccommend! I'm surprised that neither of you mentioned food deserts; they are a thing that a lot of folks struggle with.
@@gemmapetersen4027 A food desert is an urban area where a shopper can only find processed foods, but no fresh fruits or vegetables. For example: Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Walgreens, CVS.
I believe it's areas where reasonably priced and healthy foods are available. Technically we probably live in one since we have to drive about 40-50 miles for any options. We deal with this by buying in bulk and shopping every 2 weeks.
YES the housing in Idaho and Utah 🤯 I’ve lived in Utah my whole life… it’s wild how it’s changing. I feel for the young married couples trying to start out right now. My cousins who have gotten married in the last year or two have acquired land from family in the country and remodeled double wide trailers. Because a “normal” house in a decent area is upwards of half a million dollars.
Double teacher income is not super poor. Teachers don’t get paid very well but they make more than many people do. They’re not poverty poor. Yes, your comments make it seem as if you diss blue collar workers.
I'm talking about my personal experience with family members who are currently 70 (and grandparents who are no longer living) who worked blue collar jobs and were poor. Those same jobs pay SO MUCH MORE now, it's truly amazing to watch the change in jobs over the years.
Wings are like how people used to look at lobster or crab they thought it was garbage and would throw it away or give it to their hired help or slaves to eat Then someone came round and made lobster famous and crab either became popular because of Maryland crab cakes. Both have seasons where its more readily available and cheaper if you live close to the shores. Eat and buy local in season food not only is it cheaper its good for you and supports the agricultural growers farmers fishermen and any other thing raised sourced locally
Oh my word, Lisa..you would choke paying SL taxes at Costco. I used to have a separate line budget just for the tax when I went to Costco in St. Louis.
Primal Kitchen avocado mayo here in SC WalMart is $9.78 for a 12 oz. jar or $11.48 for the 17 oz. squeeze bottle. I tried the Veganese brand made with avocado oil one time and didn't like it, but since I rarely use mayo anymore, maybe I could justify paying the $9.78. I've used Hellman's for years and the jar in my fridge has lasted a long time, but I just saw that the company is owned by China, so looking for an alternative. I guess making my own could be an option for as little as I use it. Years ago when I moved from Jersey to SC, I noticed that WalMart prices were the same in both States. Don't know if that's still the case. I can't drive anymore and found Instacart expensive and one time I got 4 out of 11 items (don't know who got the rest of my order for free!)
We can even make cottage cheese at home, yougurt and even teabags at home for much less... When you see milks on sale buy them and make your own yougurt!!! If u made some jams with just sugar and some bunch of extra cheap fruit on sale, you can have your perfect fruit flavored yogurt!!!
Is this with buying organic foods? I find that’s what is most expensive for us, we do it anyway. My budget is $400/wk for a family of 8 (well 7 since one birdie has left the coop 😝)
I have to completely disagree with Christine's answer regarding ground turkey being more expensive. It is NOT. I have been purchasing it for years because it is always cheaper per lb than ground beef. I usually buy meat at Sams when I can't find sales at my grocery store. Per lb price of Ground Turkey is $3.18 or $4.25 per lb for 93% lean. Ground Beef 90/10 10lb log is $3.98/lb, 93/7 is $4.78/lb, and 88/12 is $4.18/lb. Ground turkey for the win.
I'm diabetic and don't have much choice for drinks, so also carry my coke light around with me. It's amazing how many people find fault with this habit, but I don't drink or smoke so think coke light is good if it's your only vice!
Teachers in Western NY make $100,000++ …. I do know that is not the case across the country, it’s amazing to me the vast difference… my sister in law has now taught in at least three states now, so she definitely knows how the salary is not equal across the board.
The fact that her mother was a dietitian for 40 yrs and still drank diet soda like that says a ton about the garbage lies out there about food and diet! We have been sold so many lies in order for these big companies to make profit, that is has left us all confused about what is actually good for us.
I live in Northern California, I have to inch my way into savings. I'm on my phone looking at my grocery apps. all the time. I've had to go back to making homemade bread and tortillas to save money. Also thinking outside the box. For example I bought taco shells for one dollar with a coupon and used them for chips. Tomato paste for pizza and spaghetti sauce. The year 2024 is going to be an interesting year.
This was a wonderful conversation. Love Frugal fit mom too! Have I missed the visit with the lady from More than Farmers? I love their channel as well.
I'm over here chuckling about Lisa's comment on keeping the house at 60°. We live in Western New York where it's very cold a good portion of the year. We set the heat on 60° during the day, and 50° anytime we're asleep or out of the house. In the summer we use fans, but no AC.
My nephew lives in NYC. He says it is expensive there. He goes to the farmers market and buys just what is on sale. He and his wife cook from scratch. He has doubled his grocery budget, but says he doesn’t use it all so when sales are good, he stocks up.
Hi, I made my own potatoe chips in the airfyer yesterday, and wow, they were definitely a healthier version. Also, the time + effort required I won't do that every day.
