That can be good and bad. I always go in and browse on the prices. One morning in the seafood aisle they accidentally marked the wild salmon filets for just $3 and should have been $18 each. I swooped in and was able to buy a lot of them.
I too stay out of the stores because I have e no self control!. I either have it shipped or pickup curbside. I have saved a good amount of time and money this way.
I find cooking from scratch for almost everything and buying the sales that my food budget hasn't changed as drastically as most. I only plan my meals around sales and what I have grown from my garden.
We have found the same. While we have to be so much more aware about how we are spending, the budget for our groceries has not gone up. We are a family of four (5 at dinners when my father joins us) and we spend $400/month. Man - I’d love to get down to $200!
I just bought 20 pounds of potatoes for (5.96 cad $4.42 usd ) 8 large pork chops in which I can get 10 servings for 6.98 cad 5.18 usd and 200 spring roll wraps for $1.50 cad or $1.10 usd. 12 cans of sockeye salmon for 1.10 usd each. I have enough food for the next 3 weeks
@@max11een yes I stocked up on that last week when it was on sale. Avocados, cabbage, spinach, corn, cheese, pears and yogurt etc. I already have beans, lentils, chickpeas, barley, rice etc in pantry. I try to get the most nutrient dense stuff like bok choy, spaghetti squash when it’s on sale
I did a family of three very nicely on $200 a month. Our main protein was the Costco roast chicken. I would buy two per week at a cost of $10 total. We don’t do white potato so our starch was any type of starchy bean when beans were on sale, I would buy a flat there are about 30 types of canned beans. You never get tired, and of course lentils were always thrown in. They were a dollar a bag at dollar tree. Our dollar tree often had overstock fancy bread and whole-grain English muffins. so that was nice I found that at our local Kroger almost every day there was a salad on sale. If not, I made salad out of celery and cucumbers. When eggs were on sale I would buy six boxes at a time with very inexpensive herbs and spices from the local ethnic grocery stores and a 20 pound bag of long grain brown basmati, rice, and a small rice cooker. We ate just fine every third month I would buy the 5 pound box of bacon ends and individually bag it and freeze it. We had bacon and egg fried rice at least once a week and cereal for dinner at least once a week seasonal fresh vegetables are always the cheapest and ready to eat. Fruit was always in the clearance bin cheese, of course was bought on bulk on sale along with nuts
That's what I always liked about bacon. When we used to eat bacon if I found it on sale and bought a lot of it, it just didn't take very much bacon to give some flavor to meals. So a pound of bacon with a really long way.
@UndertheMedian I take my frozen bacon and slice it width-wise. Put it in a container. When I want bacon, I take out the amount I want, putting the rest back in the freezer. No mess, no hassle.
Have you ever thought about tackling the subject of one spouse being frugal while the other is a spender. Their goals don’t align. I think you guys could tackle this subject with much insight. I lived this lifestyle for 36 years with utilities being turned off and two surprised foreclosure notices! It even caused me PRSD from her behavior and me, being a frugal miser. You both are fortunate as you both agree a 100% to frugal living. Greatest regards!
1. Take all credit cards of her, and cut them up. 2. Create a new bank account in a different credit union, and set this up in your name only. 3. Only put into the original account her allowance. 4. Change all bills to come out of the new account. 5. Get her into treatment for being loosy goosy with the money, especially if she tends to collect the same out in many different colors, collect shoes, and so on. 6. You may need to move on too, because she might be purposefully wrecking you. Foreclosure twice, is a red flag for me! I want to know what else she is doing. 7. Do not give her access to the bills paying account, the credit cards, and so on, ever again! Just say no!
I have to say, having and using a sourdough starter has helped my grocery budget. It’s simply flour and water and I make our English muffins, pancakes, tortillas, naan, loaves of bread each week etc. for the cost of the bag of flour basically! I highly recommend learning this skill if your on a tight budget
I really appreciate your nonjudgmental attitude to your frugal living message. Sometimes I have felt guilt and shame when listening to others share their rules, but you two extend grace to your audience. I am inspired to challenge myself to lowering my grocery budget. Thank you
I agree so much on this. One channel has a lady who lectures. I like frugal channels, but immediately move elsewhere when the lecturing starts. Hope and Larry gracefully engage their audience and share advice warmly. Love it.
I have let my co workers know about the "red mesh bags" at our local Kroger. Just today a young co worker told me she was so happy because she got a .99 cent mesh bag of apples yesterday. She was planning originally to buy a more expensive bag of apples until she noticed the mark down ones.😊
@@suzannebinsley5940some days are hit or miss. I check every time I go. Sometimes the bananas are in a different place too. But they always have the bananas. 😂
@@GretaMyers sometimes kroger has really good deals in that section. A few days ago I found for massive honeycrisp apples for 99 cents. One had a small bruise on it. And back in the summer I found a 2lb bag of cherry tomatoes for the same price. I Asiago live in a very low income area so a lot of expensive produce gets marked down often, simply because it doesn't sell. I can't tell you the lady time I paid full price for salad kits/ mixes or pre sliced vegetables. I rarely buy pre sliced but sometimes it's cheaper if you can find it marked down.
Our grocery budget was $500 a month, family of 4, including non food items. My goal is to cut back $100 a month. If we didn't have food allergies and sensitivities, I could cut back even more. I use almost all of your tips and tricks. I'm lost without a menu plan and inventory list!
I recommend learning the skill of making a gluten free sourdough starter then baking your own bread items! I bet you could easily knock $100 off with that! Don’t be intimidated by it
As I said,buy the family packs of meats,and split each,say,pork chop into two.same with chicken breast.get a digital food scale and weigh out eight ounces burger patties wrap, label and freeze. Make individual portions, rather than toss the whole big pack of meats in the fridge
This is what I did to get started with meal planning and still do. Recently I've gone one step further and have been putting the whole tray into the slow cooker to make a meaty saucy base which I then freeze into portions. Those then become different meals over the month by adding different veg, carb and spices etc. I choose a different meat each week until I have a good variety in the freezer. A mix of cooked up and raw portions depending on the time I have available to make a dinner.
Great visual comparison. People like to shop convenience as a treat. I think the treat mentality has overcome the population . Shopping used to be a means of getting what you needed to survive. Now it is seen as entertainment. It is seen as something to bring you a pleasure in life. Feel good about buying yourself healthier foods.
I mostly bulk cook. I made enough entries for a full family of 4 and freeze the leftovers. This week I went through my freezer and pantry... I have eggs to use up and fruit... so I am bulk baking. Like 2 x 24 batches of muffins 3 pumpkin spice loafs and 1 double batch of brownies. I will take extra care in freezing... but I am single. BTW, I have done plant based. If you keep it real and avoid fake meats... it really works. I found I would eat oatmeal for breakfast, oven fries for lunch, lots of soups... as much fruit and veg snacks as I wanted in between. I live close to a discount produce store. I didn't worry about going over budget. I would buy a case of fruit and veg when it was 10 a case and eat some, process and freeze the rest. In the mid winter I would shop way less and use my frozen foods.
As a one person household, when I get too much of a fresh fruit or vegetable, I will prep and freeze the extra. I lot of fresh veggies can be cleaned, chopped, blanched, and frozen. Berries are spread on a cookie sheet and frozen. Bananas, peeled, cut in half, frozen. ( yes, they’ll turn brown, but are fine for banana bread or cooked in my oatmeal. I’ve even peeled, chopped, and frozen white and sweet potatoes - the texture changes, but are fine when a handful are added to soups and stews. This year I am trying a new budget: a “big” shopping once a month for non-food/pet food/pantry staples - $100, and $20 a week for perishables/necessities. So far it is working ok.
I do the same thing too but one large shopping trip a month to a discount grocery store and one trip to either the farmstand or year round farmers market. I also process most of my fresh veg into jars with tight fitting lids and they last 3 to 4 weeks on average (see the cross legacy site...she's great! ) I've done this for about 6 months...works really well.
I don’t eat a plant based diet. But, reducing my meat intake has reduced my food budget significantly. I started with “meatless Monday “. Now we have meat in meal about twice a week. I do use eggs.
You two are such an inspiration! I am always trying to save on groceries. For five years I was a single mom to my one daughter. I had $100/mo. for groceries. I did go to food pantries. My favorites were the little pantries set up on the side of the road lile the little libraries one sees. I also received a one time donation of condiments from my church at the time. We ate a lot of brown rice and beans, along with any vegetables (fresh or frozen) that were on sale. We did not eat meat, but did I did often make eggs for us. Now that my daughter is grown and on her own, I am still trying to save on groceries. I'm shooting for $150/mo this year which should be doable since you all were able to do $200/mo for 4 people last year. Thank you so much for your videos. They are a tremendous blessing in my life!
My family reversed cancer and diabetes last year so our diet has to be very low carb. A lot of cheeseburgers and omelets in my house. Food is one budget item that I won't skimp on. I do lament the price of meats, but it hasn't gone up as much as processed foods we all grew up on.
I just used zucchini I froze from my summer garden to make zucchini muffins. I've been working to use the food in my fridge, freezer and pantry before I buy anything else. It's saved me a lot of money and I'm eating way better.
I have seen that here in Northern Michigan our grocery store doesn't clearance out very much, and their loss leaders, have not been a very good deal. But Aldi has had some good deals,but it is an hour away, so we only go when we have other appointments in the area. We can go 2-3 months between trips there. We are able to save money by reducing our trips, and maintaining our pantry with items purchased on sale, as loss leaders, or clearance. We manage to do 3 months a year at zero spend grocery shopping. Great ideas as always Hope and Larry.
That's about where my grocery budget is, usually 200 to 275 for two adults for a month. Most months it is an average of 220. Aldi or Ruler Foods is where I do most of our shopping
Go early to Aldi. They mark discounts in the morning usually. Get friendly with staff and ask when they usually discount items. Can freeze meats and breads.❤
Our monthly budget for groceries is 170€, which is more than enough, on average we are at 130-150€, including toiletries and cleaning products. But cleaning products are only soda, vinegar, baking soda and savon de Marseille, not more than 20€ a year and the toiletries are toothpaste, a bar of soap or solid shampoo and a all purpose cream for face and body. We're vegan and are able to eat cheap vegetables from the market all year round but I could never manage with 100€ per month for the two of us here in Italy. Okay pasta and tomatosauce..... I"m baking our bread, a cake once a week, preparing our own herb teas. We have our own aromatic herbs, fruit from may to december and some vegetables, our own oil, but your 100/2p is a dream. Fun fact: I'm budgeting since 2012 and my budget sank from 280€/m to our 170€/m now and I was holding it during covid and inflation. Btw it helps a lot to let the husband waiting at home. 🤭
I absolutely love the visual example of the rice and beans compared to the prepared item size. I feel a lot of people benefitted from that example! I pressure canned black beans which my daughter and I have been using in all kinds of dishes and love it! I am planning on pressure canning a lot more beans and all different kinds making them so convenient but still on a budget! I love your channel. I learn so much. I grew up on "The Tightwad Gazette" and "Mother Earth News."
We are a whole food, plant-based family, and for financial purposes, as well as health purposes, we avoid processed foods. A couple of times a week I do a large tray of roasted whole sweet potatoes, and Yukon Gold, potatoes that we incorporate into our meals or eat as is as snacks. We also have a pot of rice or/quinoa, giant bags of frozen vegetables and fruit as well as large quantities of fresh broccoli each week and we add in and mix and match any other vegetables that are on sale. Also lots of beans and tofu! We grocery store hop for loss leaders and major sales including flash foods. And fun fact, locally (WNY) broccoli has been on sale frequently for $1.28 a pound! Great topic!!
I live alone and I batch cook and give half to my son. I make 3 entrees a week which lasts 2 days each. also I went to zAldi this week and got a huge pack of chicken leg quarters for ,6, and a pack of large pork chops, 3 for 4,50. Love Aldi.
Hi Hope and Larry. We eat meat, fish, dairy, fresh fruit and vegetables . our supermarket budget for all food, drink, milk, toiletries, cleaning, laundry and bathroom products for 300€ for two adults. We cut our budget this year as other costs have risen and our income hasn't.
@@dudanunesbleff true, the cost of living in Portugal has risen a lot since the pandemic. In 2020, you could get a 5kg sack of potatoes from Lidl for E270 ish and now it's about E5,40
Our grocery budget is $200 per month for our family of three including all grocery and household goods. We eat all our meals homemade and home cooked and we are not vegetarian. I include meat and everything else that our house needs in that budget. I think it is totally possible to cut the grocery bills low but it takes lots of work to make it happen and I am not sure everyone is willing to put in the work it takes. I try to spend most of it on sales but there are obviously things we need monthly but I choose what items those are monthly.
@@mizzmiami3242I don’t shop weekly. I take an inventory of the fridge, freezer and pantry and make a monthly meal plan for the coming month. I stock up on whatever is on sale to get ready for the next month. I bought 6 family packs of chicken and cut them into different sizes and froze them so I have chicken ready for many months. With the meal plan I know exactly what I will use and what I won’t.
You didn't eat meat, but so many people don't realize you can get sooo much protein from plant foods!!! Love the perishable food inventory. I loathe throwing away food I forgot to use! I feel ashamed of myself for being wasteful and upset I worked so hard...only to throw out the results.😢 I like bulk prepping your lentil burgers for myself, doubling my bean and vegetable chili recipe and freezing half, soaking and cooking a bag of black beans then freezing half and using the other half for black beans and rice. It's so filling to have oatmeal cooked with raisins and half a chopped apple along with some cinnamon. You don't even need sugar. I've started bulking up our meals with added frozen vegetables (nuked in the microwave). It's not much more money, but feels so much more satisfying with added vegetables with dinner. Plus I really feel like I'm taking better care of my family. Thank you!!
Omg i do this every month also! I take my months food budget and instead of dividing it into four equal amounts for the week's food budget, i divided the whole budget into five instead, using four of the five for each week..then using the fifth part for stock up purposes. I am trying to build my pantry and freezer stock little by little. Now i have a set budget that i can not go over per week, finding clever ways to use what i can afford wisely!
This is the first of your videos I've seen. The timing is amazing. Thank you for sharing. I recently reworked my budget, lowering it from $2000 to $800/month for my family of 9. Focusing on reducing waste and using what we have on hand. Quite a few of your tips, I already implement. Some are new to me and I'll be incorporating them in my grocery strategy. This month is the first on the reduced budget and so far I have $6 left in my budget! I could see clearer where the waste was happening. Next month will be even better; less waste and under budget! I made a big leap with this iniital lowering of my grocery budget. The coming months will be baby steps to reduce it further but I'm excited to see how it goes.
We are so incredibly excited for you! Congratulations on this big leap forward on lowering your grocery budget. We cannot wait to hear how it goes next month. Welcome to Under the Median. We hope you'll stick around and we look forward to getting to know you.
Oh my, that red mesh bag is a new discovery for me. Found an entire little sack of tomatoes at their peak for 99 cents. Tomatoes had gotten so pricey I quit buying even for salad. Now a delicious pasta salad loaded with tomatoes and pasta I got for cheap months ago…still within best by date. Love you both.
Good morning! I'm watching before work this morning. My grocery budget is way out of hand! I spent 200 this weekend on groceries ( this was cause I went to several stores with no list and tired) I almost feel like I've been on a weekend drinking binge and I don't drink! I think I have a spending problem! Thank y'all for this ❤❤
Great job Hope and Larry!! We knew you could do it! I also love those red mesh bags. One of my favorite things to do is roast all of the red bag vegetables for dinner that night. Then I take the leftovers and put them in my food processor to make a roasted vegetable sauce for pasta or whatever. Sometimes I have to add in some more tomatoes, spices, etc. when I blend it up. It’s so delicious!
@@cometasporelcielo Hey don't be rude how you know they don't need the food? Anyone can use the food banks and pantries. Some like government run are based on income but most of the church and community ones dint care about your income. They just want you to eat
I have a family of 9, 2 adults and 7 children ages 13 down to 2. I spend $500 a month on groceries. We do eat meet. We eat a lot of the 10lb chicken leg quarters that are 77 cents a pound at Walmart. Ground turkey occasionally.
I am plant based also. 2 of us here, I try for $100 a month. My husband eats meat, but he hunts, and we also have a large garden, can/freeze/ dehydrate.
We grow a lot do our own vegetables and preserve them. We grow and dehydrate a lot of our seasoning to save as well. We started a TH-cam channel showing how we cook, can, garden and live on a budget. With inflation so high we need to be persistent in trying to save. ❤lifeatthenutthouse
I'm in Ireland, i budget €30 a week. Thats to include food, toiletries & cleaning products. So far this year i have only spent €73, €34 of that was spent on items for stockpile. I'm a vegetarian so no spend on meat, though i do eat dairy and eggs. Its just me so i can manage it fairly well. I do look for mark downs and special offers. Any savings get added to my medical/Dental fund.
I love your Amish store hauls! There are so many ways to find unconventional ways to save money: liquidation stores, factory outlets, grocery outlets, many stores and online comoanies now sell "imperfect" produce for steep discounts. So many options! As you say, it is possible 💪 Hope, love to see you up and looking healthy 💕
I paused and immediately went to thaw out some leftover beef that I froze with shredded beef tacos in mind. Rather than forget about it I took it out to have for dinner tonite. I’m going to keep a list of my made-ahead items and start using them up and adding fresher ones and keeping track of them. I’m hit-or-miss with this but I’m setting up a system to use them starting today. I’ve been inspired! Thank you!❤
I did the same last week, finally made a list of all the items in the freezer. Now it's easier to decide what to eat/make because the food that has been sitting there the longest needs to go out first. Good luck with your plan!
I’m dropping it starting this month. An exception is this weekend. We entered the chili cook off at church and I need to make a big crockpot of it. I’m not going to include that in our $200.
I bought a BJs membership for 20 bucks because of bacon. It was 4.98 a lb. At Bjs was 9.99 now is 10 49, for 3 lbs of thick cut bacon. So good too. I have been using it for a year and save on gas with 50 cent off promos. It seems everything i buy 2 get one free. I get coupons clipping through the easy to use app. Cheap staples. Bananas are 1.50 flat rate. Cabbage and carrots are 2 lbs and 2.00 flat rate. Onions are 2.29. We buy beef from them at a good price and the clearance beef was 3.50lb instead of 4 69 for round steak.
Wow! The best price in our area for 3# of thick sliced bacon is $15. Our household goes through 2-3 pkgs a week! No BJs here. Cheaper bacon from Aldi gave two of our family members digestion issues.
I might be able to catch him and get him on camera during the semester break. He is super busy with working a lot of hours every week to save money and being a full-time student at the same time.
ONE THING I HAVE BEEN DOING IS ADDING IN BRUSSEL SPROUTS, CABBAGE, TURNIP GREENS, AND KALE. AMAZING HOW MUCH THIS REDUCED MY EXPENSES AND REDUCED THE COST AND THE CALORIES. THAT IS GREAT AS I WANT TO LOOSE WEIGHT.
I would love to hear more about how they meal plan too. Instead of planning specific meals for each day, plan more generally meals for the week. I'll plan for 2-3 dinners a week, and the rest I get creative with reusing left overs and basic pantry items.
I loved hearing that your plant based because that has been one of the best things I’ve done for my budget! (As well as my health!) I use a lot of frozen fruit and vegetables and some fresh produce each week. Lots of dried goods. With some meal prep, and just a little thought, for two people I only shop twice a month and spend about $125 per month. This is mainly because I am stocked up on dried goods, frozen food, canned goods, etc. These things are so inexpensive and last a very long time. They are very versatile as well!
Brilliant, a great achievement, especially with all the practical challenges you have faced this year. Thanks for sharing both the positive and negative aspects of the process. I think my favourite video is your undercover supermarket trip where you kept saying “don’t bother with this or that” so hilarious. Looking forward to your next challenge 🙂
An interesting way to look at "treats" is instead of using your grocery budget for stuff like soda and chips, file that stuff under "entertainment". Make it a choice between going out to a movie or buying some packaged food with very little nutrition.
That is a great idea! Sometimes Larry and I do that with our "fun money". Can you take $15 of date night money and go to Aldi to buy some vegan processed food and, like burgers, which we hardly ever buy. It's cheaper than going out to a restaurant, but it is a real splurge for us.
I love all the tips, advice, and guidance you both share. I think this episode is especially timely because we are dealing with economic conditions where the prices of groceries has increased significantly over the past few years. Excellent insights. Thank you!
And my third - because it makes me so happy to eat "Buddha bowls" is that you can put ANYTHING in them. You can make your own healthy sauce (such as with a peanut butter, tahini or tofu base rather than oil/sugar base!) and different sauces make different meals! You can also just use your favorite salad dressing. Today's had some rice and salmon from last night, lentils, lettuce, cucumber, leftover apples and cucumbers that didn't fit my child's lunchbox, and leftover peas. And a sauce I made in 30 seconds on the weekend. Tomorrow's might have leftover chicken or more lentils, or eggs. Shredded carrots/beets/daikon. Whatever you want. It's a great leftover buster and also very nutritious and tasty.
I definitely do want to drop my grocery bill! I haven't been able to get under $200 for just one person! I am debt free and make a good living, so it's not as motivating as it should be. But my goals this year are to declutter as much as possible and lower my grocery bill. Step 1 stop eat out only once a week. Since my bf and I broke up in Nov, I have been eating out way too much! and I've gained 10 lbs back of the 57 Iost.
I would like to cut mine. I am in Scotland and am running on £180 a month just for me. It does include cat litter, toiletries, toilet paper and laundry products.
I found having separate lines in my budget for pet needs and our toiletries really helped me work out what was really going on with our grocery budget. Sounds like £180 is pretty good though. If you eat meat, buy the large trays and chop and freeze into single portions, literally weight out a single portion, you'll be surprised at how little is one portion and how far that tray will go.
So very happy to see a article on line for a British newspaper today about your channel published in The sun newspaper dated 25th Jan I’ve been watching your channel for a while now and love all you do and hope this article will help more people here in Britain I know people may say your not living in Britain but the advice you give can be used worldwide and is extremely helpful and has made me think about my shopping and a lot more things you have covered on your channel A big 👍from me Hope and Larry
Thank you so much for your kind words. We were super excited to see the article in the Sun newspaper, too. They have done two articles on us in the past couple of months.
Love your advice! Unfortunately here in Canada some of the largest owners of a couple major chain grocery stores like loblaws, announced recently they are no longer giving discounts for close to or past due date foods. In walmart in Canada eggs are about 7 to 9 dollars a carton. So we are going to try this but you are lucky your food is so cheap also a lot of people don't even have bus fare to go to more than one grocery store but your videos help look at groceries and budgeting in a better light.
No Frills still has 50% markdown produce carts. Walmart in Toronto has a markdown produce section, too. And I find 50% off yogurt and cottage cheese at Freshco all the time.
I love stocking up on flour tortillas (I make burritos and freeze them to have quick meals on hand) never thought about using them to make pizzas before! Great idea.
Hi Hope and Larry! Thanks for all this info! If i go to grocery first thing when they open, i get good markdowns, especially on deli meats and cheeses. At walmart, the deli meats are discounted right before close.
Plant based diet is a great diet, I enjoy soya milk instead of dairy, could never get on with almond milk. Keeping receipts and doing a digital spreadsheet is great too to monitor costs and real time information on spending. Plant based diets are so healthy as well for everyone 🙂
Plant-based diets are terrible if you are diabetic or have IBS or are sensitive to oxalates or have histamine intolerance. The best sources of proteins are meats and eggs and dairy. Animal fats are essential for a healthy diet because they contain cholesterol which is imperative for hormone health and proper brain function particularly for children
There isn't a one size diet fits everyone Each individual has different body types and different dietary needs wants and restrictions Your diet would nit be very good for someone like me I have to have extra milk calcium vitamin d iron protein reduced carbs reduced sugar extra frsh fruits meat and vegetables
I am the Comlex Carb King. Potatoes, beans, rice, lentils, bananas, and quinoa. Everything from scratch and everything else purchased in bulk when it's on sale.
If you can get your hands on a big freezer it helps a lot. We bought one for $100 from someone who had to move, and it's made food prep so much simpler.
We "plan" for a "planned over" meal. We do wait 2 days for the planned over meal, because 2 nights in a row is not appealing. But a big pot pie can feed us on Sunday, then again on Tuesday or Wednesday.
I just came back from the store with my daughters. My oldest wanted chocolate covered pretzels with the nonpareils on them. I told her that we can make them much cheaper than buying them premade. I have lots of chocolate at home, I bought a bag of pretzels for $2 and a small bottle of sprinkles for about $2. She'll have a good time making them too.
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One of the ways I save money is by not going in the grocery store at all. Curb pickup is free and helps you avoid temptation to buy other things.
been going to Aldi since in came and my grocery bill is lower. Without so many choices I tend to just get what I need and get out.
It's a shame they usually give out the spoiled fruit and “forget” items.
That can be good and bad. I always go in and browse on the prices. One morning in the seafood aisle they accidentally marked the wild salmon filets for just $3 and should have been $18 each. I swooped in and was able to buy a lot of them.
I too stay out of the stores because I have e no self control!. I either have it shipped or pickup curbside. I have saved a good amount of time and money this way.
@@loydacoulombe1397 Most of the stores I go to, like Sprouts and Target, advertise their discounts online.
Remember it's not a good deal if you don't use it
or its lo grade 'food'.
Absolutely! If the item is on sale, but we're not going to use it... that defeats the whole purpose.
I think what I'd like to do is figure out an affordable menu that everyone is happy with and then stock up on those items. Thanks for the tips!
I find cooking from scratch for almost everything and buying the sales that my food budget hasn't changed as drastically as most. I only plan my meals around sales and what I have grown from my garden.
We have found the same. While we have to be so much more aware about how we are spending, the budget for our groceries has not gone up. We are a family of four (5 at dinners when my father joins us) and we spend $400/month. Man - I’d love to get down to $200!
I just bought 20 pounds of potatoes for (5.96 cad $4.42 usd ) 8 large pork chops in which I can get 10 servings for 6.98 cad 5.18 usd and 200 spring roll wraps for $1.50 cad or $1.10 usd. 12 cans of sockeye salmon for 1.10 usd each. I have enough food for the next 3 weeks
That's amazing! Do you also add in frozen or tinned vegetables?
Amazing! 🎉
@@max11een yes I stocked up on that last week when it was on sale. Avocados, cabbage, spinach, corn, cheese, pears and yogurt etc. I already have beans, lentils, chickpeas, barley, rice etc in pantry. I try to get the most nutrient dense stuff like bok choy, spaghetti squash when it’s on sale
@sandrabryan9106 Wow! I'm inspired, to say the least! Thank you for sharing! I'm going to try this next month!
Where are you?sounds too good to be true
Every year I have a large garden, I freeze and can my garden, plus’s we eat the fresh produce 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
I did a family of three very nicely on $200 a month. Our main protein was the Costco roast chicken. I would buy two per week at a cost of $10 total. We don’t do white potato so our starch was any type of starchy bean when beans were on sale, I would buy a flat there are about 30 types of canned beans. You never get tired, and of course lentils were always thrown in. They were a dollar a bag at dollar tree. Our dollar tree often had overstock fancy bread and whole-grain English muffins. so that was nice I found that at our local Kroger almost every day there was a salad on sale. If not, I made salad out of celery and cucumbers. When eggs were on sale I would buy six boxes at a time with very inexpensive herbs and spices from the local ethnic grocery stores and a 20 pound bag of long grain brown basmati, rice, and a small rice cooker. We ate just fine every third month I would buy the 5 pound box of bacon ends and individually bag it and freeze it. We had bacon and egg fried rice at least once a week and cereal for dinner at least once a week seasonal fresh vegetables are always the cheapest and ready to eat. Fruit was always in the clearance bin cheese, of course was bought on bulk on sale along with nuts
That's what I always liked about bacon. When we used to eat bacon if I found it on sale and bought a lot of it, it just didn't take very much bacon to give some flavor to meals. So a pound of bacon with a really long way.
@UndertheMedian I take my frozen bacon and slice it width-wise. Put it in a container. When I want bacon, I take out the amount I want, putting the rest back in the freezer. No mess, no hassle.
70 eash gosh...me 300-400. for one guy.
Have you ever thought about tackling the subject of one spouse being frugal while the other is a spender. Their goals don’t align. I think you guys could tackle this subject with much insight. I lived this lifestyle for 36 years with utilities being turned off and two surprised foreclosure notices! It even caused me PRSD from her behavior and me, being a frugal miser. You both are fortunate as you both agree a 100% to frugal living. Greatest regards!
same here, may be beyond youtube, though...it's psychology for sure
Oh this would be an amazing topic!!!! I’d love to see/hear about this!
1. Take all credit cards of her, and cut them up.
2. Create a new bank account in a different credit union, and set this up in your name only.
3. Only put into the original account her allowance.
4. Change all bills to come out of the new account.
5. Get her into treatment for being loosy goosy with the money, especially if she tends to collect the same out in many different colors, collect shoes, and so on.
6. You may need to move on too, because she might be purposefully wrecking you. Foreclosure twice, is a red flag for me! I want to know what else she is doing.
7. Do not give her access to the bills paying account, the credit cards, and so on, ever again! Just say no!
I have to say, having and using a sourdough starter has helped my grocery budget. It’s simply flour and water and I make our English muffins, pancakes, tortillas, naan, loaves of bread each week etc. for the cost of the bag of flour basically! I highly recommend learning this skill if your on a tight budget
The comparison of the rice & beans to the small frozen bowl was great to see. So glad you showed that Hope & Larry.
Glad it was helpful for you. Plus, we got to eat rice and beans for the next two nights. L O L!
I really appreciate your nonjudgmental attitude to your frugal living message. Sometimes I have felt guilt and shame when listening to others share their rules, but you two extend grace to your audience. I am inspired to challenge myself to lowering my grocery budget. Thank you
I agree so much on this. One channel has a lady who lectures. I like frugal channels, but immediately move elsewhere when the lecturing starts. Hope and Larry gracefully engage their audience and share advice warmly. Love it.
I have let my co workers know about the "red mesh bags" at our local Kroger. Just today a young co worker told me she was so happy because she got a .99 cent mesh bag of apples yesterday. She was planning originally to buy a more expensive bag of apples until she noticed the mark down ones.😊
I tried that but they only had really ripe bananas.
They don't have any "red mesh bags" at any of my local Kroger stores.
@@suzannebinsley5940some days are hit or miss. I check every time I go. Sometimes the bananas are in a different place too. But they always have the bananas. 😂
I recently discovered something similar at a local Schnucks. It is usually apples. I have been going there for years and had no idea.
@@GretaMyers sometimes kroger has really good deals in that section. A few days ago I found for massive honeycrisp apples for 99 cents. One had a small bruise on it. And back in the summer I found a 2lb bag of cherry tomatoes for the same price. I Asiago live in a very low income area so a lot of expensive produce gets marked down often, simply because it doesn't sell. I can't tell you the lady time I paid full price for salad kits/ mixes or pre sliced vegetables. I rarely buy pre sliced but sometimes it's cheaper if you can find it marked down.
Our grocery budget was $500 a month, family of 4, including non food items. My goal is to cut back $100 a month. If we didn't have food allergies and sensitivities, I could cut back even more. I use almost all of your tips and tricks. I'm lost without a menu plan and inventory list!
Protein restricted diets will make your children short, don’t cut back on fresh protein for kids especially
We have nine children and our monthly food budget is $300.I love menu planning.
They get enough fresh animal protein with $300 a month? Without it they will be short. Look at N Korea. @@melissavazquez2953
I recommend learning the skill of making a gluten free sourdough starter then baking your own bread items! I bet you could easily knock $100 off with that! Don’t be intimidated by it
be vegetarian n eat eggs starches n beans.
I’m a single person…I often quadruple or more of recipes I make. Works great!!❤😊
We are a family and yes this is great idea for us all to do. Have a great day!
Same here. I usually multi meals on weekends to have throughout the week.
As I said,buy the family packs of meats,and split each,say,pork chop into two.same with chicken breast.get a digital food scale and weigh out eight ounces burger patties wrap, label and freeze.
Make individual portions, rather than toss the whole big pack of meats in the fridge
This is what I did to get started with meal planning and still do. Recently I've gone one step further and have been putting the whole tray into the slow cooker to make a meaty saucy base which I then freeze into portions. Those then become different meals over the month by adding different veg, carb and spices etc. I choose a different meat each week until I have a good variety in the freezer. A mix of cooked up and raw portions depending on the time I have available to make a dinner.
Great visual comparison. People like to shop convenience as a treat. I think the treat mentality has overcome the population . Shopping used to be a means of getting what you needed to survive. Now it is seen as entertainment. It is seen as something to bring you a pleasure in life. Feel good about buying yourself healthier foods.
Dry beans go a long way. And it’s not expensive. Plus it’s protein.
Yes! And my kids love tofu scramble with hashbrowns for breakfast.
I mostly bulk cook. I made enough entries for a full family of 4 and freeze the leftovers. This week I went through my freezer and pantry... I have eggs to use up and fruit... so I am bulk baking. Like 2 x 24 batches of muffins 3 pumpkin spice loafs and 1 double batch of brownies. I will take extra care in freezing... but I am single.
BTW, I have done plant based. If you keep it real and avoid fake meats... it really works. I found I would eat oatmeal for breakfast, oven fries for lunch, lots of soups... as much fruit and veg snacks as I wanted in between. I live close to a discount produce store. I didn't worry about going over budget. I would buy a case of fruit and veg when it was 10 a case and eat some, process and freeze the rest. In the mid winter I would shop way less and use my frozen foods.
Also, with bulk cooking,you can portion it out into single portion containers for lunches
As a one person household, when I get too much of a fresh fruit or vegetable, I will prep and freeze the extra. I lot of fresh veggies can be cleaned, chopped, blanched, and frozen. Berries are spread on a cookie sheet and frozen. Bananas, peeled, cut in half, frozen. ( yes, they’ll turn brown, but are fine for banana bread or cooked in my oatmeal. I’ve even peeled, chopped, and frozen white and sweet potatoes - the texture changes, but are fine when a handful are added to soups and stews. This year I am trying a new budget: a “big” shopping once a month for non-food/pet food/pantry staples - $100, and $20 a week for perishables/necessities. So far it is working ok.
I do something similar. One large trip to the store per month. Small trip weekly.
I do the same thing too but one large shopping trip a month to a discount grocery store and one trip to either the farmstand or year round farmers market. I also process most of my fresh veg into jars with tight fitting lids and they last 3 to 4 weeks on average (see the cross legacy site...she's great! ) I've done this for about 6 months...works really well.
I don’t eat a plant based diet. But, reducing my meat intake has reduced my food budget significantly. I started with “meatless Monday “. Now we have meat in meal about twice a week. I do use eggs.
You two are such an inspiration! I am always trying to save on groceries. For five years I was a single mom to my one daughter. I had $100/mo. for groceries. I did go to food pantries. My favorites were the little pantries set up on the side of the road lile the little libraries one sees. I also received a one time donation of condiments from my church at the time. We ate a lot of brown rice and beans, along with any vegetables (fresh or frozen) that were on sale. We did not eat meat, but did I did often make eggs for us. Now that my daughter is grown and on her own, I am still trying to save on groceries. I'm shooting for $150/mo this year which should be doable since you all were able to do $200/mo for 4 people last year. Thank you so much for your videos. They are a tremendous blessing in my life!
Lower food budget , I definitely need
My family reversed cancer and diabetes last year so our diet has to be very low carb. A lot of cheeseburgers and omelets in my house. Food is one budget item that I won't skimp on. I do lament the price of meats, but it hasn't gone up as much as processed foods we all grew up on.
I have to use up what's ready in the garden.
Been eating lotsa beans & zucchinis recently
Get your protein or you’ll lose muscle
I just used zucchini I froze from my summer garden to make zucchini muffins. I've been working to use the food in my fridge, freezer and pantry before I buy anything else. It's saved me a lot of money and I'm eating way better.
I have seen that here in Northern Michigan our grocery store doesn't clearance out very much, and their loss leaders, have not been a very good deal. But Aldi has had some good deals,but it is an hour away, so we only go when we have other appointments in the area. We can go 2-3 months between trips there. We are able to save money by reducing our trips, and maintaining our pantry with items purchased on sale, as loss leaders, or clearance. We manage to do 3 months a year at zero spend grocery shopping. Great ideas as always Hope and Larry.
That's about where my grocery budget is, usually 200 to 275 for two adults for a month. Most months it is an average of 220. Aldi or Ruler Foods is where I do most of our shopping
Go early to Aldi. They mark discounts in the morning usually. Get friendly with staff and ask when they usually discount items. Can freeze meats and breads.❤
Our monthly budget for groceries is 170€, which is more than enough, on average we are at 130-150€, including toiletries and cleaning products. But cleaning products are only soda, vinegar, baking soda and savon de Marseille, not more than 20€ a year and the toiletries are toothpaste, a bar of soap or solid shampoo and a all purpose cream for face and body.
We're vegan and are able to eat cheap vegetables from the market all year round but I could never manage with 100€ per month for the two of us here in Italy. Okay pasta and tomatosauce.....
I"m baking our bread, a cake once a week, preparing our own herb teas. We have our own aromatic herbs, fruit from may to december and some vegetables, our own oil, but your 100/2p is a dream.
Fun fact: I'm budgeting since 2012 and my budget sank from 280€/m to our 170€/m now and I was holding it during covid and inflation.
Btw it helps a lot to let the husband waiting at home. 🤭
We spend 270€ a month/4p in Spain in supermarket and market. Food and cleaning.
I absolutely love the visual example of the rice and beans compared to the prepared item size. I feel a lot of people benefitted from that example! I pressure canned black beans which my daughter and I have been using in all kinds of dishes and love it! I am planning on pressure canning a lot more beans and all different kinds making them so convenient but still on a budget! I love your channel. I learn so much. I grew up on "The Tightwad Gazette" and "Mother Earth News."
We are a whole food, plant-based family, and for financial purposes, as well as health purposes, we avoid processed foods. A couple of times a week I do a large tray of roasted whole sweet potatoes, and Yukon Gold, potatoes that we incorporate into our meals or eat as is as snacks. We also have a pot of rice or/quinoa, giant bags of frozen vegetables and fruit as well as large quantities of fresh broccoli each week and we add in and mix and match any other vegetables that are on sale. Also lots of beans and tofu! We grocery store hop for loss leaders and major sales including flash foods. And fun fact, locally (WNY) broccoli has been on sale frequently for $1.28 a pound! Great topic!!
I live alone and I batch cook and give half to my son. I make 3 entrees a week which lasts 2 days each. also I went to zAldi this week and got a huge pack of chicken leg quarters for ,6, and a pack of large pork chops, 3 for 4,50. Love Aldi.
Hi Hope and Larry. We eat meat, fish, dairy, fresh fruit and vegetables . our supermarket budget for all food, drink, milk, toiletries, cleaning, laundry and bathroom products for 300€ for two adults. We cut our budget this year as other costs have risen and our income hasn't.
That budget is quite good. In Portugal, we itsy more for things. I spend around 400€ per month at the supermarket (two adults).
You and your husband eat really well FrugalQueeninFrance!!! I watch your channel...yummy!!!
Love your channel! Long time viewer 👸 🇫🇷!
@@dudanunesbleff true, the cost of living in Portugal has risen a lot since the pandemic. In 2020, you could get a 5kg sack of potatoes from Lidl for E270 ish and now it's about E5,40
I plan to cut my grocery bill to $200/month. This includes stocking up on pantry essentials. I'm looking forward to the challenge.
Our grocery budget is $200 per month for our family of three including all grocery and household goods. We eat all our meals homemade and home cooked and we are not vegetarian. I include meat and everything else that our house needs in that budget. I think it is totally possible to cut the grocery bills low but it takes lots of work to make it happen and I am not sure everyone is willing to put in the work it takes. I try to spend most of it on sales but there are obviously things we need monthly but I choose what items those are monthly.
How do you do it? If something is on sale , do you stock up and not shop the next week?
@@mizzmiami3242I don’t shop weekly. I take an inventory of the fridge, freezer and pantry and make a monthly meal plan for the coming month. I stock up on whatever is on sale to get ready for the next month. I bought 6 family packs of chicken and cut them into different sizes and froze them so I have chicken ready for many months. With the meal plan I know exactly what I will use and what I won’t.
@@NOVAFrugalFamily ahh! Got it! Thank you i
@@NOVAFrugalFamilyI'm assuming you have a stand alone freezer. Correct me if I'm wrong.
@@lovealwaysmomI do have a stand alone freezer which we got as a housewarming present over 20 years ago from all of our family members.
You didn't eat meat, but so many people don't realize you can get sooo much protein from plant foods!!!
Love the perishable food inventory. I loathe throwing away food I forgot to use! I feel ashamed of myself for being wasteful and upset I worked so hard...only to throw out the results.😢
I like bulk prepping your lentil burgers for myself, doubling my bean and vegetable chili recipe and freezing half, soaking and cooking a bag of black beans then freezing half and using the other half for black beans and rice. It's so filling to have oatmeal cooked with raisins and half a chopped apple along with some cinnamon. You don't even need sugar. I've started bulking up our meals with added frozen vegetables (nuked in the microwave). It's not much more money, but feels so much more satisfying with added vegetables with dinner. Plus I really feel like I'm taking better care of my family.
Thank you!!
Omg i do this every month also! I take my months food budget and instead of dividing it into four equal amounts for the week's food budget, i divided the whole budget into five instead, using four of the five for each week..then using the fifth part for stock up purposes. I am trying to build my pantry and freezer stock little by little. Now i have a set budget that i can not go over per week, finding clever ways to use what i can afford wisely!
That is very smart! I hadn't considered dividing in this way but it is very logical.
Great plan!
We are a plantbased family of 4 and I am so excited to find your channel for inspiration
This is the first of your videos I've seen. The timing is amazing. Thank you for sharing.
I recently reworked my budget, lowering it from $2000 to $800/month for my family of 9. Focusing on reducing waste and using what we have on hand. Quite a few of your tips, I already implement. Some are new to me and I'll be incorporating them in my grocery strategy.
This month is the first on the reduced budget and so far I have $6 left in my budget! I could see clearer where the waste was happening. Next month will be even better; less waste and under budget!
I made a big leap with this iniital lowering of my grocery budget. The coming months will be baby steps to reduce it further but I'm excited to see how it goes.
We are so incredibly excited for you! Congratulations on this big leap forward on lowering your grocery budget. We cannot wait to hear how it goes next month. Welcome to Under the Median. We hope you'll stick around and we look forward to getting to know you.
I'm trying to keep it less than $200 for one person a month! Thank you for sharing!
Me too!!
Ways to serve broccoli
Pasta primavera
Buffalo broccoli wings
Cheddar broccoli soup
Broccoli crisps
Stew
Salads
Broccoli cornbread, Impossible Broccoli pie, scrambled eggs and Broccoli in flour tortillas
I have a broccoli crisp probkem. Seriously. They barely get a chance to cool down and then I snack on them all day and by the evening they are gone.
i got to the local food pantry and pop up produce to help with grocery savings!
Me too!!
Oh my, that red mesh bag is a new discovery for me. Found an entire little sack of tomatoes at their peak for 99 cents. Tomatoes had gotten so pricey I quit buying even for salad. Now a delicious pasta salad loaded with tomatoes and pasta I got for cheap months ago…still within best by date. Love you both.
Good morning! I'm watching before work this morning. My grocery budget is way out of hand! I spent 200 this weekend on groceries ( this was cause I went to several stores with no list and tired) I almost feel like I've been on a weekend drinking binge and I don't drink! I think I have a spending problem!
Thank y'all for this ❤❤
There are two of us. We have at least two nights with leftovers from meals I prepare. I do a menu and try to only shop for perishables as needed.
Great job Hope and Larry!! We knew you could do it! I also love those red mesh bags. One of my favorite things to do is roast all of the red bag vegetables for dinner that night. Then I take the leftovers and put them in my food processor to make a roasted vegetable sauce for pasta or whatever. Sometimes I have to add in some more tomatoes, spices, etc. when I blend it up. It’s so delicious!
I use local food pantries as needed to supplement my grocery budget
those are really supposed to be for the folks who have run out of money, not to reduce your own bills
That's very wise.
@@cometasporelcielowhy do you think she’s in the one category and not the other? Are you psychic?
@@cometasporelcielo
Hey don't be rude how you know they don't need the food?
Anyone can use the food banks and pantries.
Some like government run are based on income but most of the church and community ones dint care about your income.
They just want you to eat
That is for the needy not to extend your food budget
Not good
I have a family of 9, 2 adults and 7 children ages 13 down to 2. I spend $500 a month on groceries.
We do eat meet. We eat a lot of the 10lb chicken leg quarters that are 77 cents a pound at Walmart. Ground turkey occasionally.
I appreciate how honest you are about the struggles you faced doing this. Thanks for doing this.
I am plant based also. 2 of us here, I try for $100 a month. My husband eats meat, but he hunts, and we also have a large garden, can/freeze/ dehydrate.
We grow a lot do our own vegetables and preserve them. We grow and dehydrate a lot of our seasoning to save as well. We started a TH-cam channel showing how we cook, can, garden and live on a budget. With inflation so high we need to be persistent in trying to save.
❤lifeatthenutthouse
I have a budget category for stocking up (could be food or something else). So far this year have not used it; it is there for those good deals.
Yes to radically saving!
rice freezes so well! good job for the year!
Cooked beans freeze really well too. I freeze in portions to use in my favorite recipes.
I just think that as long as we cook from fresh and ditch fast food we end up saving a huge amount of money each month.
I'm in Ireland, i budget €30 a week. Thats to include food, toiletries & cleaning products. So far this year i have only spent €73, €34 of that was spent on items for stockpile. I'm a vegetarian so no spend on meat, though i do eat dairy and eggs. Its just me so i can manage it fairly well. I do look for mark downs and special offers. Any savings get added to my medical/Dental fund.
You two have really honed your skills, good for you. I really enjoy doing this with my partner. I can tell you do too😊
I love your Amish store hauls! There are so many ways to find unconventional ways to save money: liquidation stores, factory outlets, grocery outlets, many stores and online comoanies now sell "imperfect" produce for steep discounts. So many options! As you say, it is possible 💪
Hope, love to see you up and looking healthy 💕
I paused and immediately went to thaw out some leftover beef that I froze with shredded beef tacos in mind. Rather than forget about it I took it out to have for dinner tonite. I’m going to keep a list of my made-ahead items and start using them up and adding fresher ones and keeping track of them. I’m hit-or-miss with this but I’m setting up a system to use them starting today. I’ve been inspired! Thank you!❤
I did the same last week, finally made a list of all the items in the freezer. Now it's easier to decide what to eat/make because the food that has been sitting there the longest needs to go out first. Good luck with your plan!
I’m dropping it starting this month. An exception is this weekend. We entered the chili cook off at church and I need to make a big crockpot of it. I’m not going to include that in our $200.
I bought a BJs membership for 20 bucks because of bacon. It was 4.98 a lb. At Bjs was 9.99 now is 10 49, for 3 lbs of thick cut bacon. So good too. I have been using it for a year and save on gas with 50 cent off promos. It seems everything i buy 2 get one free. I get coupons clipping through the easy to use app. Cheap staples. Bananas are 1.50 flat rate. Cabbage and carrots are 2 lbs and 2.00 flat rate. Onions are 2.29. We buy beef from them at a good price and the clearance beef was 3.50lb instead of 4 69 for round steak.
Wow! The best price in our area for 3# of thick sliced bacon is $15. Our household goes through 2-3 pkgs a week! No BJs here. Cheaper bacon from Aldi gave two of our family members digestion issues.
My store isn't Kroger but we have those red mesh bags. I get multi colored peppers, apples, avocados, limes, etc. for a song - love it!
I always wondered what a bag of beans would amount to. Good to see. Rice too.
Larry your new hair style looks nice.
Thanks! He told his barber he was ready for something new and different.
Yes Larry your hair looks great
Always good to change it up a bit
A very well thought out plan to trim the grocery budget. Hope you do a freezer meal video soon
Hope you are amazing, your family is so fortunate to have you as a mom and wife. Love all your hints.
I would love to see hope and Dan do some more batch cooking I truly enjoy those videos
I might be able to catch him and get him on camera during the semester break. He is super busy with working a lot of hours every week to save money and being a full-time student at the same time.
Yes I want to drop my grocery budget
I spend about 120 or less a month for just me
ONE THING I HAVE BEEN DOING IS ADDING IN BRUSSEL SPROUTS, CABBAGE, TURNIP GREENS, AND KALE. AMAZING HOW MUCH THIS REDUCED MY EXPENSES AND REDUCED THE COST AND THE CALORIES. THAT IS GREAT AS I WANT TO LOOSE WEIGHT.
Definitely want to lower my grocery bill!!
I don't know what you mean by "topical" cooking. Will you explain a bit more, please?
I would love to hear more about how they meal plan too.
Instead of planning specific meals for each day, plan more generally meals for the week. I'll plan for 2-3 dinners a week, and the rest I get creative with reusing left overs and basic pantry items.
Great budgeting! ❤
Broccoli dehydrates well.
I loved hearing that your plant based because that has been one of the best things I’ve done for my budget! (As well as my health!)
I use a lot of frozen fruit and vegetables and some fresh produce each week. Lots of dried goods. With some meal prep, and just a little thought, for two people I only shop twice a month and spend about $125 per month.
This is mainly because I am stocked up on dried goods, frozen food, canned goods, etc. These things are so inexpensive and last a very long time. They are very versatile as well!
Brilliant, a great achievement, especially with all the practical challenges you have faced this year. Thanks for sharing both the positive and negative aspects of the process. I think my favourite video is your undercover supermarket trip where you kept saying “don’t bother with this or that” so hilarious. Looking forward to your next challenge 🙂
Loved your visual with the bean bowls and black beans and rice! Wow! ❤
Just started following your channel. Plant based but turning 70 and must find ways to live in less. Thank you.
An interesting way to look at "treats" is instead of using your grocery budget for stuff like soda and chips, file that stuff under "entertainment". Make it a choice between going out to a movie or buying some packaged food with very little nutrition.
That is a great idea! Sometimes Larry and I do that with our "fun money". Can you take $15 of date night money and go to Aldi to buy some vegan processed food and, like burgers, which we hardly ever buy. It's cheaper than going out to a restaurant, but it is a real splurge for us.
I love all the tips, advice, and guidance you both share. I think this episode is especially timely because we are dealing with economic conditions where the prices of groceries has increased significantly over the past few years. Excellent insights. Thank you!
And my third - because it makes me so happy to eat "Buddha bowls" is that you can put ANYTHING in them. You can make your own healthy sauce (such as with a peanut butter, tahini or tofu base rather than oil/sugar base!) and different sauces make different meals! You can also just use your favorite salad dressing. Today's had some rice and salmon from last night, lentils, lettuce, cucumber, leftover apples and cucumbers that didn't fit my child's lunchbox, and leftover peas. And a sauce I made in 30 seconds on the weekend. Tomorrow's might have leftover chicken or more lentils, or eggs. Shredded carrots/beets/daikon. Whatever you want. It's a great leftover buster and also very nutritious and tasty.
Very helpful video - thank you 😊 new subscriber ❤🎉
I definitely do want to drop my grocery bill! I haven't been able to get under $200 for just one person! I am debt free and make a good living, so it's not as motivating as it should be. But my goals this year are to declutter as much as possible and lower my grocery bill. Step 1 stop eat out only once a week. Since my bf and I broke up in Nov, I have been eating out way too much! and I've gained 10 lbs back of the 57 Iost.
Hang in there Debbie, you can do this!!!
I would like to cut mine. I am in Scotland and am running on £180 a month just for me. It does include cat litter, toiletries, toilet paper and laundry products.
Hello fellow Scot!
I reckon you are doing well if you are feeding a cat as well as yourself
I found having separate lines in my budget for pet needs and our toiletries really helped me work out what was really going on with our grocery budget.
Sounds like £180 is pretty good though. If you eat meat, buy the large trays and chop and freeze into single portions, literally weight out a single portion, you'll be surprised at how little is one portion and how far that tray will go.
Very nice thank you.❤❤❤
So very happy to see a article on line for a British newspaper today about your channel published in The sun newspaper dated 25th Jan I’ve been watching your channel for a while now and love all you do and hope this article will help more people here in Britain
I know people may say your not living in Britain but the advice you give can be used worldwide and is extremely helpful and has made me think about my shopping and a lot more things you have covered on your channel
A big 👍from me Hope and Larry
Thank you so much for your kind words. We were super excited to see the article in the Sun newspaper, too. They have done two articles on us in the past couple of months.
Love your advice! Unfortunately here in Canada some of the largest owners of a couple major chain grocery stores like loblaws, announced recently they are no longer giving discounts for close to or past due date foods. In walmart in Canada eggs are about 7 to 9 dollars a carton. So we are going to try this but you are lucky your food is so cheap also a lot of people don't even have bus fare to go to more than one grocery store but your videos help look at groceries and budgeting in a better light.
No Frills still has 50% markdown produce carts. Walmart in Toronto has a markdown produce section, too. And I find 50% off yogurt and cottage cheese at Freshco all the time.
@dabneydee9109 that's great to know because loblaws just stated they are going to stop they get bigger tax break for spoilage !!!
I buy flour tortillas, cheese, sauce, and pepperoni. They make great lil pizzas, are better, and cost very little.
We have the same but with Naan.
I love stocking up on flour tortillas (I make burritos and freeze them to have quick meals on hand) never thought about using them to make pizzas before! Great idea.
@@littlesongbird1 I learned from my mom. If you want a sturdier bottom (crust) use 2. But I usually use one.
@@suecook8379 I bet just one is a great think crust pizza.
@@littlesongbird1 Nah, 1 is thin, 2 is thick. 3 is deep dish. lol
Hi Hope and Larry! Thanks for all this info! If i go to grocery first thing when they open, i get good markdowns, especially on deli meats and cheeses. At walmart, the deli meats are discounted right before close.
Plant based diet is a great diet, I enjoy soya milk instead of dairy, could never get on with almond milk.
Keeping receipts and doing a digital spreadsheet is great too to monitor costs and real time information on spending.
Plant based diets are so healthy as well for everyone 🙂
Plant based diets are not good for diabetics. I can’t keep my blood sugar low enough without some animal protein.
@@gingermcintosh6545 Yes that is true for some people not the best.
Plant-based diets are terrible if you are diabetic or have IBS or are sensitive to oxalates or have histamine intolerance. The best sources of proteins are meats and eggs and dairy. Animal fats are essential for a healthy diet because they contain cholesterol which is imperative for hormone health and proper brain function particularly for children
@@sparklemotion86 There are different foods you can get that are vegan that support health
There isn't a one size diet fits everyone
Each individual has different body types and different dietary needs wants and restrictions
Your diet would nit be very good for someone like me I have to have extra milk calcium vitamin d iron protein reduced carbs reduced sugar extra frsh fruits meat and vegetables
This is so incredibly helpful!
I am the Comlex Carb King. Potatoes, beans, rice, lentils, bananas, and quinoa. Everything from scratch and everything else purchased in bulk when it's on sale.
If you can get your hands on a big freezer it helps a lot. We bought one for $100 from someone who had to move, and it's made food prep so much simpler.
Nice work!
We "plan" for a "planned over" meal. We do wait 2 days for the planned over meal, because 2 nights in a row is not appealing. But a big pot pie can feed us on Sunday, then again on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Hope… I was really encouraged when you said your family was plant based. I would really love to see some of the meals and recipes that you use.
Here's a link to the $50 weekly menu plans that I have on our website.underthemedian.com/category/50-menu/
I just came back from the store with my daughters. My oldest wanted chocolate covered pretzels with the nonpareils on them. I told her that we can make them much cheaper than buying them premade. I have lots of chocolate at home, I bought a bag of pretzels for $2 and a small bottle of sprinkles for about $2. She'll have a good time making them too.
I love to get bulk items and use it to ferment foods. Great healthy addition that we can eat on all year and add to so many dishes
I would love if you guys could do a cookbook on your meals.
Yes I'm working on reducing my grocery budget
Wow you did it!!! Congratulations!!!! You all are soooo inspiring!
I buy yellow sticker tags and that helps me a lot. I also buy in bulk.