There’s a show on cable that I enjoy watching. It’s called Big Spender. This guy named Larry Winget, a self-professed lost-it-all-and-earned-it-back millionaire and convention speaker, ambushes people (mostly women) horribly in debt and makes them watch videos of their friends and family wringing their hands about the financial fate of the ambushee. Then he teaches them some financial skills, makes them sign a contract asking the ambushee to stop acting like an idiot with his/her (mostly her) money, and comes back after a month o see how things are going.
Some people are able to set themselves on a debt-free path, while some people blow him off and still spend almost TWICE their monthly income.
Dimitri and I have worked hard to get and remain debt free, but I still like saving a buck here and there. After all, I was the girl who made a side living renting clean socks to my mother and sister who were too disorganized, lazy, or busy (you pick) to do their own laundry regularly.
And? And I married the man who in high school ironed and starched every hundred dollar bill that passed through his wallet. We aren’t miserly, but we are frugal.
One element of the show, however, puzzles me. He has, on several episodes, completely cut out spending on eating out at restaurants. Fine. That’s money that could go to pay off credit cards. Cool. But he also cuts back the family grocery bill to $100 a week. For four people.
My grocery bill (and I meticulously track this. It’s the sock girl in me) is regularly half again or double that per week, and we also eat out a lot.
I buy things at the grocery store that are proportionately more expensive, like diapers and formula, but I almost always buy store brands, I use coupons, (although I find that most times the store brand product is cheaper than the name brand product even after the coupon) and shop at Costco for shelf-stable things like toothpaste, shampoo, diapers, and formula. (Costco doesn’t make its own toothpaste, but I buy the Kirkland brand of everything else)
The only thing that I’m brand conscious about it our toilet paper, since the FOURTH plumber in two years we called to the house told us that Quilted Northern wouldn’t clog up the works. (He was from Maine, so he told us to stop using Chaahhhmin and use Quilted Naaahhhthern instead) I’m pretty sure that the Costco toilet paper is the same stuff as the Quilted Northern, but we haven’t had a clog since we switched the good ol’ Quilted Northern, and I don’t want to tempt fate.
My question is this: what super grocery secret (other than living off Ramen, rice, and beans) am I missing out on that a family of four can not eat out at all and still manage to live off a $400 monthly grocery bill?
What are your super saver grocery tips? I’m really curious, please share!
Here's what I do:
1)I never shop without a list. Items not on the list better have a damn good reason for being in my cart.
2)I eat before I shop. If I'm hungry I'll buy a lot of stupid shit.
3)I try to stick to the outside edges of the store as much as possible, The center aisles are filled with processed convenience foods that I shouldn't be eating anyway.
My weakness, I think, is diet soda. I probably spend $10 a week on soda. That's $40 a month right there.
Posted by: Jen Rodis at December 23, 2006 10:06 AMI only ever ironed 1 100 dollar bill just to see how well it worked.
Posted by: Dimitri at December 23, 2006 10:44 AMWhen I was home with the baby, we saved a lot of money by shopping for the perishables about every other day. We could seriously cut down on our grocery bill if we just didn't have to pay for all the well-intentioned fresh fruits and veggies and meat that goes bad in our fridge.
What channel is that show on?
Posted by: sweetcoalminer at December 23, 2006 4:10 PMIt's on A&E. Here's the guy's website: http://www.larrywinget.com/main.html
Posted by: Jen Rodis at December 23, 2006 5:04 PMI have no idea how much I spend on groceries per month. I put my savings aside and spend the rest. If the money runs out I guess I don't eat.
When I had no money, I ate lots of casserole type food and used a lot of ground beef.
1. i try to avoid unnecessary extras that add up, like soda and pre-packaged snack foods.
2. i try to cook from staples i have on hand - it's less expensive than buying groceries per meal.
3. i shop for my household cleaners, personal grooming products and paper products at target because it's cheaper.
4. when it comes to semi-pricey items like cheese and lunchmeats, i buy whatever is on sale.
5. something i learned from my mother: when it's on sale, don't just buy one - stock up AND use a coupon.
Seriously? $100 per week on groceries and that's not just food but TP and diapers and such. For 4? No way.
We used to budget better - we still look for bargains, sales and coupons, but I splurge more than we used to or make a more expensive choice because it tastes better.
I guess I didn't give you any good advice.