Grocery budget

[girlsmiley]

For the last year or so, I've been doing the bulk of our grocery shopping online. Mainly Woolies, but sometimes Coles.

I spend around $200 a week online, and then maybe another $50 or so at the butcher etc.

I shop for 3, plus our cat. Am I spending too much?

I mean, obviously I could look around and go to the market instead, but we're busy. I get tired. I don't wanna go out after work. Any ideas?

 

[LesDesirable]

Diet. Lose the cat.


You spend about twice what we spend to feed 4, and we eat quite well.

 

[pointless]

that's about $170 in real money a week, so maybe a bit. try buying generic every once in awhile. i don't know about australia, but over here generics are often the name brand shit in a different box.

 

[juttjaw]

For the last year or so, I've been doing the bulk of our grocery shopping online. Mainly Woolies, but sometimes Coles.

I spend around $200 a week online, and then maybe another $50 or so at the butcher etc.

I shop for 3, plus our cat. Am I spending too much?

I mean, obviously I could look around and go to the market instead, but we're busy. I get tired. I don't wanna go out after work. Any ideas?

I am a firm believer in spending a little extra to get good products. I save where I can, but I'm a label shopper. I will go for the best ingredients on anything everytime. I don't care about brands, I have to like what's in it, or what has the least amount of crappy crap in it. I also shop for 3, a cat, and dog. Some months are more than others, but on average, about $150 to 200 a week. That's including the little trips to the store for shit you forgot. I freeze a lot of things and have invested in a cryovac machine. Helps with meat and over stock vegetables. I cook 6 out of 7 nights a week and cook good, diverse meals. I don't think you're out of line at all. I assume you aren't buy processed shit. I hope not at least.

 

[girlsmiley]

Diet. Lose the cat.


You spend about twice what we spend to feed 4, and we eat quite well.

It's not all food obviously, it's face cream or a hair brush or whatever else. I'm on a low carb/sugar diet. We will not be losing the cat. We eat very well, I'm thinking perhaps I should buy all of the meat from the butcher. Go to the market for vegetables, and then get the rest from Woolies.

 

[girlsmiley]

that's about $170 in real money a week, so maybe a bit. try buying generic every once in awhile. i don't know about australia, but over here generics are often the name brand shit in a different box.

Real money LOL.

Good tip.

 

[girlsmiley]

I am a firm believer in spending a little extra to get good products. I save where I can, but I'm a label shopper. I will go for the best ingredients on anything everytime. I don't care about brands, I have to like what's in it, or what has the least amount of crappy crap in it. I also shop for 3, a cat, and dog. Some months are more than others, but on average, about $150 to 200 a week. That's including the little trips to the store for shit you forgot. I freeze a lot of things and have invested in a cryovac machine. Helps with meat and over stock vegetables. I cook 6 out of 7 nights a week and cook good, diverse meals. I don't think you're out of line at all. I assume you aren't buy processed shit. I hope not at least.

I used to be so tight, and now I spend money like it's nothing. From one extreme to the other. I just don't want to waste money anymore.

People have been telling me to cancel my pet insurance. It's only like $11 a fortnight. I'm sure I can cut costs somewhere else. I'm not that desperate

 

[RobDownSouth]

Real money LOL.

Good tip.

Good question...$200USD? or local currency? You live in New Zealand, no? Bulgaria?

 

[juttjaw]

I used to be so tight, and now I spend money like it's nothing. From one extreme to the other. I just don't want to waste money anymore.

People have been telling me to cancel my pet insurance. It's only like $11 a fortnight. I'm sure I can cut costs somewhere else. I'm not that desperate

Cutting costs by cutting quality of food ends only one way. Fuck that, keep what makes you sleep better at night. Of course, I'm no financial wizard, but I know money is money, use it for what you need now and what you want when you can. I suppose that comes down to the age old question. Do I NEED this, or do I just want it? Either way, wasting money is always a choice and what you are willing to live without.

This post is filled with cliches...

It is what it is...

 

[beezzz]

get yourself a REAL MAN who will pay for all you stuff.....will save you alot

 

[silver gurl]

It depends where you live.
For some things I pay double the price in Quebec vs the United States.
$200 sounds reasonable, especially if you are going to a butcher.

 

[girlsmiley]

Good question...$200USD? or local currency? You live in New Zealand, no? Bulgaria?

Bulgaria. You live in fucking Bulgaria.

No, 200-250 AUD

As Pointless pointed out earlier, my $250 is worth around $170 of real money.

 

[girlsmiley]

Cutting costs by cutting quality of food ends only one way. Fuck that, keep what makes you sleep better at night. Of course, I'm no financial wizard, but I know money is money, use it for what you need now and what you want when you can. I suppose that comes down to the age old question. Do I NEED this, or do I just want it? Either way, wasting money is always a choice and what you are willing to live without.

This post is filled with cliches...

It is what it is...

Your post is full of something. I'm not sure about clichés

It's not so much cutting quality. It doesn't really matter where I go, the quality is mostly good.

Say for example I buy online and get my cabbage for $6, but I know at the market, it's $3.

I need to come up with a plan. I work most Saturdays. Perhaps the missus will go market on Saturdays

 

[juttjaw]

Your post is full of something. I'm not sure about clichés

It's not so much cutting quality. It doesn't really matter where I go, the quality is mostly good.

Say for example I buy online and get my cabbage for $6, but I know at the market, it's $3.

I need to come up with a plan. I work most Saturdays. Perhaps the missus will go market on Saturdays

It wasn't that bad in my head!!

I don't like buying my produce or meat on line. Of course, I love going to a good grocery store. I can walk and look and find new things and get inspired. It's relaxing for me any day of the week. It's all about the touch, smell and taste of the produce and meats. What's a good cabbage to most is a terrible cabbage to me. Or it doesn't fit what I need it to be. I am all for getting out and finding the best meats and veggies at a good price. We pay for convince. I am strangely very tactile for some reason, but I get it can be a chore. My SO would much rather shop on line and stay as far away from the grocer as possible. Maybe the missus wouldn't mind going. I know I don't.

 

[jaF0]

First thing to stop doing is buying food, especially produce on the web. You pay far more and you have no control over what you get.

Brand names mean nothing, Avoid them when possible. Generic/store brands are the same stuff with different labels and lower prices.

Buy in larger quantities when possible. I get whole pork loins for $1.30/lb or so when roasts are closer to $2.00/lb. Buy potatoes by the sack instead of the pound. Fruits and vegetables, you may need to look over each piece. I can't buy a lot of fresh produce because it doesn't keep well and I don't process/can/freeze it (too lazy). I buy canned or frozen and I've never noticed much of a difference overall.

SHOP, don't just go to the store. Watch for sales, discounts, closeouts and markdowns.

 

[RobDownSouth]

First thing to stop doing is buying food, especially produce on the web. You pay far more and you have no control over what you get.

Brand names mean nothing, Avoid them when possible. Generic/store brands are the same stuff with different labels and lower prices.

Disagree with you most vehemently vis-a-vis paper towels. I opted once to buy store brand "Dissolvo" paper towels instead of name-brand Scott paper towels. Store brand evaporated upon contact with liquid.

#WeCanStillBeFriendsRight

 

[RobDownSouth]

Bulgaria. You live in fucking Bulgaria.

No, 200-250 AUD

As Pointless pointed out earlier, my $250 is worth around $170 of real money.

Okay, no harm meant. I honestly couldn't recall where you said you lived so that's why I asked. I'll be down in Oz at the end of the month, it'll be interesting to see the price differences in the shops down there.

 

[juttjaw]

Disagree with you most vehemently vis-a-vis paper towels. I opted once to buy store brand "Dissolvo" paper towels instead of name-brand Scott paper towels. Store brand evaporated upon contact with liquid.

#WeCanStillBeFriendsRight

I whole heartedly concur! Or toilet paper, if I want to wipe my ass with my fingers maybe, but I don't. Sometimes cheaper is not better or as good. However, we buy all our paper products on Amazon. Also, dish soap, paper plates, hand soap, laundry soap, cat litter, dog treats anything. It's much cheaper to buy that in some bulk than picking it up every week.

 

[juttjaw]

I buy canned or frozen and I've never noticed much of a difference overall.

I buy IQF vegetables and fruit when it's not in season. Canned corn or anything other than beans and tomatoes? That's stretching it.

 

[silver gurl]

I definitely can tell the difference between canned veggies vs frozen. Canned green beans are nasty.

 

[girlsmiley]

First thing to stop doing is buying food, especially produce on the web. You pay far more and you have no control over what you get.

Brand names mean nothing, Avoid them when possible. Generic/store brands are the same stuff with different labels and lower prices.

Buy in larger quantities when possible. I get whole pork loins for $1.30/lb or so when roasts are closer to $2.00/lb. Buy potatoes by the sack instead of the pound. Fruits and vegetables, you may need to look over each piece. I can't buy a lot of fresh produce because it doesn't keep well and I don't process/can/freeze it (too lazy). I buy canned or frozen and I've never noticed much of a difference overall.

SHOP, don't just go to the store. Watch for sales, discounts, closeouts and markdowns.

That's incorrect.

It's the same price instore and online. It's just that their prices are mostly higher than the fruit and veg shops.

It's more of a convinience thing for me. The last thing I want to do after work is go grocery shopping. I'll plan it better.

Off for my eye test.

 

[nowisthetime]

Australia is expensive as hell.

Food is much cheaper in certain regions of the United States.

 

[butters]

Australia is expensive as hell.

Food is much cheaper in certain regions of the United States.

where i am, being as it's countryside, i was shocked at how expensive fresh fruit and veggies were when compared to the uk... mushrooms are twice the price! and that's allowing for the different currencies, too. i thought bacon was expensive in the uk, but (and it's hard to buy any other than is termed 'streaky' bacon - the cheapest kind) it's WELL expensive here for what it is, mostly fat. good bread is at least twice if not 3or4 times as expensive as the same in the uk, and good bread may be 5 times dearer than the sugary, cheap bread usa side.

smiley: if you're not shopping around in person to get great bargains, checking out individual freshness of items, that sort of thing, i think you're almost always going to pay extra for the privilege of having someone else pick and pack for you. maybe get stuff that isn't going to need quality-checking (canned foods, pet food, paper towels, laundry detergent whatever) online, and just you or the missus make time to visit the shops for the fresh produce.

 

[pointless]

I definitely can tell the difference between canned veggies vs frozen. Canned green beans are nasty.

agreed. once i went frozen i never went back.

though canned is okay for some things like green bean casserole.

 

[thør]

I definitely can tell the difference between canned veggies vs frozen. Canned green beans are nasty.

If you have difficulty, try canned asparagus.

:gack: