For those of you who cook

Thank you for sharing!

That sounds about right. I'm really trying to be more strategic. Its hard for me to gage because I buy cleaning/home supplies from the supermarket but we are going to join BJs wholesale for that kinda stuff from now on.

Any money-savvy grocery tips / tricks?

---

Posted by Byrne2Be

Thank you for sharing!

That sounds about right. I'm really trying to be more strategic. Its hard for me to gage because I buy cleaning/home supplies from the supermarket but we are going to join BJs wholesale for that kinda stuff from now on.

Any money-savvy grocery tips / tricks?

---

I buy most cleaning supplies from Walmart/Target (i find they are cheaper there than the supermarket). Certain things I get in bulk: paper towels, dish detergent, laundry detergent ((these will last me weeks without even thinking about them).

For food at Bjs I have to be careful because we only have so much freezer/fridge space. If we eat a certain food alot, I'll buy it in bulk b/c I know it will go. I get my chicken there. I don't buy fruits/veggies at BJs- I found they are more expensive there. Aactually if you go to a local farmer's market you will find the cheapest price.

I buy alot of Stop&Shop name brands and thet taste the same (the pasta for example).

It really bothers me when we buy too much fruit/veggies and let them spoil...total waste of money!

Totally going to follow your plan of buying cleaning supplies and papertowels in bulk.

Okay, another question or two (sorry if I'm being a pest but it sounds like you're in a really efficient rhythm and I could def afford to improve).....do you make a clear cut menu/shopping list before you get to the store or do you wing it?

We try to make a menu/shopping list but we usually end up winging it and I feel like that jacks up the bill.

I mean there are weeks where my husband will drop 150 FOR A WEEK.

Between that and his dry cleaning habit we're never gonna get out of jersey!!!!

---

Posted by Byrne2Be

Thank you for sharing!

That sounds about right. I'm really trying to be more strategic. Its hard for me to gage because I buy cleaning/home supplies from the supermarket but we are going to join BJs wholesale for that kinda stuff from now on.

Any money-savvy grocery tips / tricks?

---

We go with a list, but it's a flexible list. I usually write like '7 dinners' 'breakfast foods' and then list ideas. I find when I itemize to the tee, I drive myself nuts...but when I don't have a list, I drive myself nuts too.

I buy no name brands for a lot of things...and I look on the lower shelves. I've found that most of these items taste exactly the same as the pricier brands. I buy name brand for certain things though--milk, eggs, butter--to name a couple.

I like the idea of a 'flexible list' and I also like your categories.

Def gonna apply these tips asap!

THANK YOU SO MUCH

I dont make a list because I'm boring and buy pretty much the same things every week.

I will go through the circulars and right down things that are on sale that I think might be nice to try.

Usually around $60; if we were in LI, it would probably be around $80. We go once a month and get meat in bulk from Sam's Club, and it saves us a LOT of money. We then separate it and freeze it. It works great for us.

Groceries used to be a lot more expensive until I started reading the deals of what is on sale. Also, a lot of recipes require random spices, and it took awhile to build up a collection of ones that don't come in a spice rack (I remember being very unhappy on spending $11 on cardamom...but it really makes recipes sooo much better, and you only need a pinch at a time).

I've also gotten WAY better at proportions. I used to overbuy like crazy!

It depends on the week but we def cook minimum about 4-5 nights a week. We go to my parents for dinner once during the week, then we go out once or twice (fri and sat) with friends or the two of us..........we go to his parents once every 2 weeks also

It is hard to say because we don't do our shopping at just one place.

We just went to BJ's and stocked up on napkins, papertowels, toilet paper, granola (breakfast) bars (which DH eats 2 of a day), fruit cups for snacks, fig newtons, dryer sheets, detergent, etc and spent $250 but that will probably last us well over a month.........those are things he takes daily for lunch/breakfast and its cheaper to buy it in bulk.

If you can, do NOT buy fruits or veggies at the supermarkets - the prices are so much more expensive than buying them at the fruit stands...........DH goes once a week and usually brings home apples, grapes, tomatos, lemons, bananas, 3 or 4 veggies (asparagus, brocoli, cauliflower, etc) which we always have as a side dish to any meal. He gets fruits and veggies from the fruit stores in Brooklyn which are 1/4th the price of buying them at the supermarket...

Other than that, at the grocery store, I usually spend about $100 a week (aside from the fruit/veggie stand) - I also stock up if something is on sale that we always use, like peanut butter, corn, sauce cans, etc..........We also bring lunch every day but Friday so we spend some money on cold cuts, rolls, bagels, etc.

I think if you make a list in the beginning of the week with the foods that you guys may want to eat each night, it is def easier than just roaming around the supermarket looking for things to buy, especially when it comes to meats, etc.......make a list of meals for Mon - Fri and things that go along with it (carrots, celery, etc)........

DEF do a bj's run and stock up on things that you constantly use (papertowels, toilet paper, dish soap, etc). This way, you will have a huge stock and you will pay half the price than buying it individually at the market.