I read an article the other day that told how much money
Michelle Dugger (19 Kids and Counting) spends each month on groceries for the
21 of them*. Once you break down the the rather large number of $3000, it turns out she spends $35 per person per week. That is $5 per person per
day. The article then went on to describe how she is able to do it. (I don’t really remember the rest of the
article because my thoughts started going in a different direction).
This got me thinking, if I break down our budget into weeks
by person, how much money am I spending on food for my family of 5? The answer is (drum roll please) an amazing
$24 a week per person, that equates to $3.43 a day. Yeah I couldn't believe it either (it is amazing what you can get on a food budget of $480 a month), and we do
this while eating gluten free. So I
started thinking about how I am able to do it. This is what I do:
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| The view inside my 5 gallon rice bucket |
- I buy in bulk, a lot. In fact Sam’s Club has this really handy service called “click and pull” where I can shop online for exactly what I need (without the spur of the moment splurges) and pick it up and pay for it in store. This service is free to all members and it saved me a whole lot of time and money (because I could pass up those people selling caramel popcorn and those really good sausages that temp me to buy).
- I buy my grains and sugar in 25 lb bags and I store them in large 5 gallon buckets that I got from the bakery of my local grocery store for almost free (all I had to do was ask).
- After I buy in bulk, I separate everything for throughout the month. This often means grating cheese and freezing it in 8 oz packages (and this is why I love my food processor) or separating my own pork loin into chops, roasts, and for grinding (which yes I do on my own). It also means separating or “breaking down” whole chickens into parts, using the bones to make some stock or “bone broth” in my Crock pot or slow cooker.
- Instead of buying ham, sausages, or precooked meatballs I make them myself using my fresh meat and a bunch of seasonings, then portion them and freeze for later.
- I grind my own flours: rice, brown rice, oat… The only ones I don’t mess with is tapioca flour (it is less expensive to just buy the flour) and potato starch. Then I use these to mix my own flour all purpose gluten free flour blends.
- I
don’t buy my gluten free snacks. I make
my own crackers, cookies, and cakes. This
saves me SO much money.
mmm, Cookies - Since my food money comes at the beginning of the month, I shop all at once. This means I will buy frozen vegetables for the second part of the month when all my fresh is gone. Now I know you are thinking, why do I only shop once a month? Well that is because if I shop for only what I need for the week, my son will go through it in a few days. Then I am at the store spending more money, and more money. Suddenly I have 20 days left of the month and no money for food. By buying it at the beginning of the month, portioning it, and placing it in the freezer I have now guaranteed myself food later in the month. Sure it is a lot of work for two or three days, but not only do I have meal size portions for 5, I have already done much of my prep so dinner is actually faster.
- I buy all my produce fresh from a local produce stand. The quality is good and the cost is less then my local supermarket. Don’t get me wrong I would love to buy fresh produce every couple of days. If I had the extra $11 per person a week I would get my produce often, but I don’t, so I make do with what I have without arguing.
- As
much as I wish I could use coupons, I don’t (or at least not very often).
I do not buy enough items at the regular store to really justify the
amount of money saved with the time I would spend cutting coupons. I do, however, pay much attention to store
ads. That is where I get quite a bit of
savings. (Oh and buying store brands).
- I have detailed lists of what I am going to buy and where. When I go shopping it is all about the lists. I go through my stores weekly ads and write a list of sale items and where to find them. Then I write a list of all the food I will need for the month, especially all my staple pantry items. After that I divide it by store (I even try to put the list in order of store) and give each store a budget based on what is on each stores list. Is this a little extreme, perhaps (and yes I hand write all my lists). However, I find that if I have a detailed list with a set amount that I am allowed to spend per store, I am more likely to not go over or buy impulsively. And I am then very aware of my budget.
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| the lists that I use monthly for shopping |
Now I know this system does not work for everyone. And I know that most people do not go to the amount
of trouble I go to, but that is what I do so I do not have to feed my children
Hamburger Helper (not that there is anything wrong with that, I just cannot eat
it). That is why I am a nerd of food and I do what I do, for my family.
*If you would like to read the article that started it all, here it is: http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/172192/michelle_duggars_monthly_grocery_bill
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