Hi kathsgarden,

Do you think some at other times, as well ...

... or just when you go grocery shopping?

jes' wonderin'.

o j

I was thinking of her the other day...we went into Walmart for orange juice and bread, and came out with a $127 poorer.

That's the main reason I didn't even go to Wal-Mart, Monica. Never get out of there with just what's on my list. There's always something else I forgot I needed.

I did forget to to a pocket folder for Lauren, for school. So, now I have to run to the Dollar Store. I know better than to run into Wal-Mart.

I think I've been spending less. I don't shop at Wal-Mart very often anymore. I've found that the local grocery store chain has much better quality produce. I still have a lot of leftover ham and turkey in my freezer from Christmas. I have bacon, sausage, and chicken strips left over from a fundraiser. I stocked up on a lot of canned goods last summer when prices were lower. I think we probably need to go through a spring cleaning and use up what we have so we can stock up again.

I was thinking of Liz too. We rode 30 miles to the nearest Walmart to buy just what was on my list. We did pick up a few extras and we had time getting it all put on the bike! Then we went to the nursery to get seed potatoes, onion sets, lettuce and carrot seeds to be planted nest weekend.

I would not be able to get all of Liz's stuff in to my tiny car. :)

Moni

I just sent my Beloved to Albertsons to buy the weekly loss leaders...assorted pork chops for 10 for 10...a pound and milk for 10 for 10...

I do most of my shopping at Wal-Mart but I take advantage of the loss leaders at Albertsons....love to stock up on the 10 for 10 sale.

Well I just spent $94 at Walmart on Friday, but I don't think there was a single food item in the cart..LOL

The only food I buy at Walmart is Buttermilk, sour cream and bread. But we only have a "regular" Walmart with a few food aisles.

Most of my grocery shopping money goes to (in order of most spent) Costco, Health Food Co op Grocery~tied with my local Buying co op group, Albertsons, Safeway and a tiny bit at a local chain that I can buy specialty dry good organics at.

I think the only "packaged" foods I buy now are Organic Pop Tarts and Annie's snack bag crackers/cookies. Both at Costco. Everything else is homemade.

My husband plans and shps for all our meals. I occasionally run out for stuff like milk or cold cuts, but he does most of the big shopping. Just last week he bought 2 giant packs of Bounty paper towels and 3 of Charmin toilet paper, or should I say toilet tissue? We never go to WalMart. I hate that chain.

That's funny! I was thinking of Liz while I grocery shopped today too. My total was $160, and I go weekly. DH went with me and got $30 of stuff to paint a few rooms in the house. We were also low on meat in the freezer, so I stocked up some. Definitely went over my $100 weekly goal. But it was a full cart, and we stuck to the list.

Our grocery store is only about 3 blocks from our house, so we go all the time. Actually, we really go frequently because we hate it and then we never have so much to put away. We budget for $150 a week, and we spend all of it. When it's gone, we hold off until the next day that the money is due (DH and I take turns).

I try to shop for groceries every two weeks. I may go back for milk or some small thing in between. But I try to plan and get 95% of what we need for two weeks. That's food as well as household items, cat food, detergent, etc. So I buy some things in bulk, I have some cabinets in the garage very handy for the extra. Next weekend, I'll be getting into the extra and moving it to the pantry. Yesterday was my day. First stop is always BJ's wholesale club. I will typically spend about $225 there. I take a 50 qt cooler for frozen things, b/c I don't come straight home. Then I go to Kroger, where I get another full cart and spend another $225 (gotta love that discount shopper card, also saves me on gas, BTW). So we're in about $550 every two weeks, and it takes me about 3 hours whole trip. With the back seat folded down, it fills the back of the van. It's the unloading and putting it all away that wears me out. Usually, the boys are home and I just back up to the garage and say "If you wanna eat, do your job!" LOL. That's one reason I go on a weekend, not when they're at school! But it does take a while to get it all situated in frig/pantry/garge. Heck, by then I'm too tired to cook dinner! ;o)

I am feeding a family of 6, pack 3 kids' lunches and snacks every day (and often my own, too), and two of those kids are teen boys. So we go through the food. People are always asking me about our grocery bill/habits. It's about the only household duty I am organized about. School supplies I stock up on in August and keep a shelf of extras. So if a kid needed a folder, new box of crayons... there is stock already here.

Oh my goodness - $1100 a month for food - I'd be fixin' some beans & cornbread! :)

I know, missindia. It's as much as our mortgage. ;o) We don't eat out much, and like I said, 2 adults and 4 kids, of the age when they are always hungry. (I did the math, though, it's $183/month per person, or $6/day per person... that doesn't sound as bad.) Days when they are out of school, I feel like I never leave the kitchen! On those days, I'm torn between using paper plates or running the dishwasher twice a day. Then their friends show up and DH wants to make a cover charge. ;o) I tell him it's just food, small price to know your kids' friends.

You're so right, Stephanie, it is a small price to pay! I remember those days - 3 boys and 3 girls, and they (and their friends!) all ate an awful lot.

Keep smiling, keep cooking, keep packing those lunches. It pays off in the end, and when you retire you may find that cooking for two is an unexpected joy.

Sherry

I agree Steph. It is a small price too pay...well I will post tomorrow sometime what I spend payday is today and I am going to plan a menu like I do when we are in the 5th wheel (I do it their because of limited refrig. space and cabinet space) but I am more organized and I think that I spend less if I plan meals instead of just going and buying what I think I might cook....Stacy