The Brass Tacks of Doing It Cheaper

February 25, 2009 | Category: On The Job

I never really got the hang of food shopping.

It's not rocket science, OK? But with the best of intentions, I would carefully make a list and go to the store. Then I would still be running back to the store a few times a week to get things I "needed".

By the time I left the Big Gig we were spending up to $400 a week on food! Part of that was just the cost of living in Chicago. But there was also so much waste - food that would go bad, and cans in my pantry that I could swear have been there since the 90's.

It's become my mission to change the way I budget and prepare food. without sacrificing our standards or giving up our indulgences.

These days, I usually spend less than $100 a week on groceries.

[[PDF download (Free) of our actual budget and meal plan after the jump]]

Much of this has happened over time, in little choices and habits that I cultivated. But the key - the "trick" of it - is that I buy only what I need for this week.

Getting over the panic of not having a dozen choices for food at any given moment was the absolute moment of success.

I commit to a menu and I've learned the tips of savvy shopping. (Cardinal tip - one shop a week, no "pick up a thing or two" trips!) This combination has cut our budget by 66%. Plus? We still eat the same kinds of meals we've always loved, with all our favorites and even restaurant meals.

I spend, out of pocket: about $85 a week for food we'll eat for the week, $15 a week on "staples" like flour and spices, and $20 loose for Dunkin's coffee, last-minute items, and lunch out for my husband at work once a week.

Disclaimer, sorta: Cash spend is about $120 a week, but I also have our milk delivered, do stock-up trips a couple of times a year like to a Costco, have dinners out for special occasions, turkey for Thanksgiving, order food from Iceland, birthday cakes, etc. With all that added back in, our true average in '08 was closer to $148/week for the 3 of us + the dog.

To illustrate, here is a .PDF of my week's actual menus, recipes, budget (last page), shopping, with some pictures and links. If it's helpful, please let me know. [[Download file]].

If you have any tips, recipes, or stories about your own budget-crunching food efforts - I would love to reach about it!

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