Groceries! Dish it out...

[BrokenRecord]

Since we all have to make our money stretch--either on loans or stipends....how often do you all go grocery shopping? Approximately how much do you spend for a week? Do you shop at local stores (Trader Joes or for the independently wealthy Whole Foods...lol), farmers markets or big box stores? What do you usually buy and prepare meals with? Any favorite quick, easy, healthy and filling recipes?

This is basically the first time in my life where I will be doing my own grocery shopping and sticking to a budget. I've been reading up on some quick recipes to make in bulk (pasta and rice dishes) and either eating leftovers for lunch or dinner the next few days. I'm a relatively healthy eater so I know I will have to incorporate some fresh fruits and veggies, so that will stretch the dollar a bit. I'm also going to school in an area where groceries are about 10-20% higher than the national average but is still cheaper and a lot healthier than takeout. My grad student handbook says to get a membership at Costco, but I'm not sure how much shelling out $50 for the membership is going to pay itself in the long run being a single student with limited space in a shared apartment.

Love to hear your suggestions!

[ktel]

My boyfriend and I certainly don't scrimp in the food department, we spend about $600-700 per month on groceries/eating out between the two of us. Certainly doing a lot more eating out right now in the summer. My boyfriend is an AMAZING cook so he does a lot of cooking and then we have leftovers for lunch (we usually spend our eating out money on dinners, not lunches). I'm a pretty competitive athlete and eat a lot of food for my body size when I'm training.

We used to have a Costco membership when we lived in a house, but now that we're in an apartment we don't have room to buy food in such bulk quantities. We try to buy meat only when it's on sale. There's a great farmers market near my rugby games, but unless we have a game we don't go there because it's pretty far away. It is quite cheap though. The farmers markets in town are definitely more expensive.

[BrokenRecord]

ktel,

Thanks for the response. I also don't think I can skimp on food--especially good food that is nourishing, so I'm trying to accommodate and lessen the load so to say as much as possible.

Athlete + Grad student? Impressive btw.

[waitinginvain?]

I posted on the "Bank" forum that I shop at the 99 cent stores. Some of the meals you can make from foods purchased from there include fruit, salads, burritos, bean and rice dishes and spaghetti.You'll have to get creative. I typically spend about $6 on dinner for a family of four. I would also suggest watching the grocery ads and stocking up on food when it is on sale--especially meat. Mexican markets are great for meat and produce sales. You might also try a flea market for produce. Good luck!

[Eigen]

I look at weekly sales flyers for the 4 grocery stores closest, and shop accordingly. I frequently pay about 2/3rds of normal market price for my food.

Also, while generally more expensive, there are things better bought at speciality stores like Whole Foods. Especially spices, and by weight/volume grains, etc.

I'm also of the opinion that eating craopy, cheap food is a false economy. Take the time to get and cook fresh, healthy food, and it will pay off in the long run.

[GreenePony]

We're adjusting from having no option (HEB had an monopoly) in where we shopped in one of the cheapest cities in the US (5-600/month for the two of us) to have 4-5 options (usually go to Giant and Trader Joe's, but sometimes Harris Teeter depending on where we are and what we need) and spending maybe 650/month, including dog food. Thankfully her kibble works out to $1/day for high quality food and her treats are dried sweet potato so still pretty cheap.

We decided a big box membership wasn't worth it, my parents have one so if we really need something in bulk, we can drive 2.5 hours and go with them. All of the groceries around here use discount/member cards anyway.

[TakeruK]

I agree with the above posters. In the last two years, I have had a car, so I can also do what Eigen suggested -- look at the flyers and pick the cheap things from each store. In general, each grocery store will have a few items on sale and everything else at a slightly higher price than "market value", so that overall, they still make a good profit (the cheap things entice people to come in and shop). So, if you pay attention to what are the "real" prices for things you commonly buy, stock up when it's cheap and try to stick to buying just the things on sale at each store (within reason), then you can maximize the amount of time you are buying things below "market value".

For me, the major stores make a nice loop so it doesn't cost too much gas to stop at several different stores (the cheapest store is furthest away so I have to travel that far anyways). I look through the flyers and make a list of things that are well priced and we could stock up on. Then I make a plan for meals that week and add to the list the items required to make these meals, and I add them to whatever store I know from past experience has the best prices (e.g. canned stuff is cheap at Walmart, cheese is cheap at Costco, etc.). I also have a default store where I buy whatever we need but isn't on sale -- it's not a discount grocery store because we also don't like to scrimp on food quality! (I always buy produce from my favourite store). Overall, my wife and I spend about $600-$700 a month on groceries, supplies (e.g. toothpaste, toilet paper), and eating out.

[toasterazzi]

Since we've been trying to eat healthier recently, we've been spending more on food. In the past, especially during undergrad, I bought a lot of food that was cheap/easy to prepare. However, I'm putting a bit more effort into things now. I scour the web for recipes that catch my attention, bookmark them, and then go shopping for necessary items on roughly a weekly basis. I would say I spend anywhere from $200-$500 per month on groceries for two people now. The variation depends on what we have in stock already. For example, I recently had to spend a lot of money on spices we needed, but they'll last quite a while. Generally, we shop at Kroger because they have good stuff, decent prices and we get gas points. Depending on our monetary situation, we also go to walmart sometimes. And when we have some extra to kick around, there's a really nice local store that has fantastic fresh produce, high quality meat, and all sorts of really interesting items. If I can, I try to make dinners big enough so that I can have leftovers for lunch the next day.

[Chasely]

My partner and I spend a lot on groceries, almost $700/month (how did that happen?). Since my income is about to go down by 40%, we need to start spending less money, and groceries are an easy target. Since we eat well (grass fed meat a majority of the time, organic when it matters, etc) and don't want to compromise that, we're trying to go vegetarian ~3 times a week. Another problem is that my partner is hypoglycemic, so cheap foods like rice/pasta can't be eaten in large portions.

Our garden is starting to kick in now, which really decreases the amount of produce that we need to buy. It's amazing how much food $3 in seeds can provide.

A Costco recently opened up near us. We're debating getting a membership. We'll likely go in there one day to compare the prices on what we usually buy to our other options. We have a house with plenty of storage though, I imagine things would get pretty cramped if we tried storing all that stuff in our old apartment.

[Dal PhDer]

I normally spend $70 a week on groceries for me. But sometimes if I want something special, I can easily spend more!

I have a Costco membership, but what I do is my friends and I go in on it together and split things. Costco does have REALLY good deals! A box of Spiniach is $2.39!!!! Produce and meat are also great buys! I like to buy their roasted chicken for snacking and sammies...then I will free the bones and make soup.

I find I spend the most money on food when I don't take time to prepare for lunches and dinners. Buying lunch is so costly, so I always make sure I take my own. I normally try and make a pot of turkey chili, squash soup, veggie lasagna, etc. I make it on a Sunday evening, and normally can have my lunches out of it for a week (freeze some too!).

I also like going to a speciality store we have here, and getting a giant personalized salad. I leave it in the fridge and will throw on some protein and gains for a quick meal.

Smoothies are another great brekkie meal that are cheap and easy. Frozen fruit at Costco is a great buy!! And it lasts forever! Bananas at Costco are also an amazing deal!! I got 8 bananas yesterday for $1.69!!!!

Also, you should check out if any of your stores have a student discount day. Tuesdays here is 10% off for students, so you can really save!

EDIT: This is also another good food thread!!

Edited August 16, 2012 by Dal PhDer

[socscholar]

It seems like grad students eat a lot of chili...

[Eigen]

Chili is just one of those fantastic, hearty, healthy and low-prep meals that you can make a ton of and freeze.

Being a Cajun, I also do a lot of gumbo's, which have similar properties.

You can also do pasta sauces, baked pastas, and any variety of other hearty soup/stew dish.

Things like Lasagna or Enchiladas are great, but they take so much more assembly time. I enjoy making them when I have the energy, but a one-pot meal often comes first.

Additionally, one-pot meals like pot-roasts, roasted chicken/turkey, or briskets with sides of roasted vegetables are great in the winter, or even for cold-snacking in the summer.

I also like to fire up the grill every few weeks, and do a couple of large batches of meat and veggies to dole out for the rest of the week.

[BassAZ]

Have to chime in. My wife and I eat for ~$330/month with a $65 eating-out budget. Buying food such as cheese or butter in somewhat bulk and freezing it is a way to go - take note of what the food costs on sale per pound (or whatever unit it is sold in) and save the non-perishables. One needn't cut meat out of their diet, just supplement with veggies/fruits/rice. Avoid getting the morning Starbucks and make your own coffee (or don't drink it at all). If you do pasta, grab some onions and perhaps zucchini, cook that and add that to the sauce. Baking your own bread is also very cheap and not all that labor intensive (and can be WONDERFUL - adding rosemary, parmesan and garlic to a french bread recipe is my favorite).

I think the biggest thing about keeping costs down is making a list of meals you want to have for the week/month and try to stick to those (along with a couple other snacks to supplement). You'd be amazed how making multiple trips starts to add up.

[Eigen]

Not that multiple trips are always a good thing, and planning in advance can be great- but for us, it worked out exactly the opposite.

Our lab schedules can be so all over the place, that we kept planning out menus and then ending up with weeks where we had no time to cook, and were just eating sandwiches, cottage cheese and applesauce.

It helped us cut down a lot to go more regularly (for instance, stop by on our bikes on the way home) for almost all of our perishables. They all get eaten while they're fresh, and almost nothing goes bad.

For the non-perishables, we definitely stock up. And that includes meat in the freezer.

[rising_star]

Whoa, that's a lot of questions, so I'll just answer what I can. First, I have no concept of how much I spend monthly on groceries nor do I care to look back and see. My guess is that I spend about $250-$300/month but, I live alone, I buy certain produce only when it's organic, and I shop the sales. Oh, and I have a thing for good cheese and quality ice cream, which I also try to buy on sale.

Given these splurges, I do make certain economies, like trying not to eat out (I bring my lunch to campus every single day that I'm there), not buying lots of coffee and snacks at coffee shops, etc. And I cook for myself. A lot. Often using my slow cooker so that I can make 4-6 meals worth of food, eat some for lunch the next day, and freeze the rest. I also periodically make casseroles, which I freeze in serving sizes that I thaw out. It's cheaper than buying frozen meals (which, for the record, I do keep on hand to keep me from eating out as often when I'm tired/sick/lazy) and healthier. Or, I'll make small, quick healthy things, like one pot meals or a salad with couscous. Meat gets expensive so I try not to eat it more than once per day, and use vegetables and fruit to fill up on instead. I also buy dried beans instead of canned for the most part, and use those in recipes (salads, soups, casseroles, etc) to save on money. Never underestimate the variety one can get out of beans and rice depending on the seasoning used.

As for the where, I shop at a variety of local grocery stores, including the major chains, a regional Whole Foods-like store (but with cheaper prices!), and a discount grocery store. Oh, and I share a CostCo membership with my mom (you can get two cards for the same household and technically we share an address), but I'll also note that Sam's Club has discounted memberships for students (I looked about 18 months ago and it was $25/year for a student membership). CostCo sells these packages of wild salmon burger patties that are frozen but can be cooked in 8 minutes. An easy and quick lunch for about $1.

How often I go to the grocery store depends on how busy I am, how much cooking I'm doing/want to do, and how fast I'm eating what I already bought. I try to make one big grocery trip (as in, one that requires driving) no more often than every 10 days. The rest of the time, I bike to the grocery store, which range from .6-3 miles away, depending on which store I want to go to. Usually, I'll combine that with another errand or two to make for a more efficient ride.

[Dal PhDer]

Things like Lasagna or Enchiladas are great, but they take so much more assembly time. I enjoy making them when I have the energy, but a one-pot meal often comes first.

This is the lasagna I make, and it's sooo quick and easy! It seriously takes NO time at all and is super yummy! It's actually not that expensive, and can provide you with a lot of good left overs!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/artichoke-spinach-lasagna/

Ingredients

• cooking spray
  
• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (I just use Italian seasoning)
  
• 1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (I cut into quarters and use 2 cans)
  
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
  
• 1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce (I use hot and spicy!)
  
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (I normally half this and use old cheddar)
  
• 1 (4 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled (I half this too and then top with black olives)
  
  
  
  Directions
  
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
    
  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
    
  • Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.
    
  • Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.
    
  • Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
    

  Nutritional Information

  Amount Per Serving Calories: 396 | Total Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 42mg

[BrokenRecord]

I posted on the "Bank" forum that I shop at the 99 cent stores. Some of the meals you can make from foods purchased from there include fruit, salads, burritos, bean and rice dishes and spaghetti.You'll have to get creative. I typically spend about $6 on dinner for a family of four. I would also suggest watching the grocery ads and stocking up on food when it is on sale--especially meat. Mexican markets are great for meat and produce sales. You might also try a flea market for produce. Good luck!

Wow! I commend you for making that last with a big family. I don't know what it is---the times I did buy groceries I would spend way more than my mother would when she bought food for the entire family. I'll have to look into the 99cent store, I didn't know they sold food

[BrokenRecord]

I'm also of the opinion that eating craopy, cheap food is a false economy. Take the time to get and cook fresh, healthy food, and it will pay off in the long run.

I completely concur! Didn't think so in undergrad, but I am very aware of that now.

[BrokenRecord]

We're adjusting from having no option (HEB had an monopoly) in where we shopped in one of the cheapest cities in the US (5-600/month for the two of us) to have 4-5 options (usually go to Giant and Trader Joe's, but sometimes Harris Teeter depending on where we are and what we need) and spending maybe 650/month, including dog food. Thankfully her kibble works out to $1/day for high quality food and her treats are dried sweet potato so still pretty cheap.

We decided a big box membership wasn't worth it, my parents have one so if we really need something in bulk, we can drive 2.5 hours and go with them. All of the groceries around here use discount/member cards anyway.

That's very good for two people, especially as far as good dog food is concerned. I think I may also mooch off of someone else's Costco card!

[booksnlooks]

I spend $40-$50 per week on groceries; budgeting for $50 but always aiming for $40. I grocery shop once a week and make weekly meal plans. Having meals planned out in advance makes it easier for me to use up everything so none of my lovely produce goes to waste. I go vegetarian one dinner a week and never eat meat with breakfast anyway.

My best advice for dining on a budget is doing your research. Check out flyers for stores (especially the loss leaders on the front page), use Pinterest to find recipes, and look for coupons only for products you'll actually eat.

[wildviolet]

It seems like grad students eat a lot of chili...

That's my plan!

Seriously, though. Chili is one of the things I've perfected (to my liking, at least), so I'll make a huge batch with my enamel cast iron pot and freeze for later. Other things that I make that way are Indian mixed vegetable curry and tomato soup. To save money, homemade is the way to go.

[Gamarino]

Ahhh I really need to start cooking more. I eat a lot of pastas and Mexican food. I don't spend too much on groceries (approx. $50 for a week and a half) since I'm a strict vegetarian. No eggs, meat, or fish. I've even started cutting back on other animal products, which REALLY cuts costs. However, I do eat out a lot, and I enjoy getting wine/cocktails with girlfriends. I also drink A LOT of coffee during the school year, so we'll see...This is my first year of my graduate program so it will be interesting (and scary) to see how much money I spend on New Haven-style pizza and late-night coffee runs.

[Chasely]

Other things that I make that way are Indian mixed vegetable curry and tomato soup. To save money, homemade is the way to go.

+1 for this tomato soup recipe, it's fantastic: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/homemade-tomato-soup-recipe/index.html

[process chemist]

I am a vegetarian so I don't get hit by the cost for meats anymore. But with that being said, I still need to shop at Whole Foods for Tofurkey "meats" (was skeptical, but they are good), tofu, etc. I usally buy the store brand tofu which last a good bit, and cost ~3.50 for a pack. To handle produce, I know a farmer who rents out "shares" of land on her farm for $350/year. I get more than enough produce year round, seriously I give/donate 75% of it. For the other things (paper towels, bathroom tissue) I hit the Dollar General. They have name brands that won't break the bank, I use their brand of paper towels, and they accept coupons. I used to laugh at the people on Extreme Couponing, but I clip coupons, I buy store brands for nearly everything. I usually don't shop at the Kroger/Walmart. If I go into any store, I go to Meijer (Midwest Walmart), and I only get 1-2 items.

[Dal PhDer]

For the other things (paper towels, bathroom tissue) I hit the Dollar General.

I don't know if this is the same as "The Dollar Store" which we have here- where everything is either $1 or $2...but this is great advice!!! I realized this year how much stuff you can get at these places which cut down on the price! Tooth paste, cleaning supplies, paper towel! It's amazing!!!