oh - one more tip.

I find that the worst thing I can do is plan a meal and then go shopping. If I decide I am serving chicken breast and broccoli I can guarentee you the chicken breast will be $4.89 a lb and the broccoli $1.69. However, once at the store you might find that a frozen bag of chicken quarter is only $3 for a 10 lb bag, and maybe the broccoli is expensive but cucumbers are 2 for $1. So you cook something completly different than you planned, but it is still good.

If I get an idea in my head of what I want to serve before going to the store, I have ended up spending $60+ for one meal when friends are coming over.

Also, I never buy lunch meat. The processed stuff is gross and the deli stuff costs too much. (Maybe growing up on bologna sandwhiches turned me off for life). I slice up whatever we have left from dinner and make DH sandwiches out of that. When chicken breasts are on sale (right now our Safeway has a 5 lbs bag for $5.59) I grill a whole bag full and use them for lunches and snacks all week. Sliced up grilled chicken is way better than deli meat, and at about $1.10 a lb it is only about 1/6 of the cost of deli meat.

Of course, what this is really about is time. If you don't have time to cook, then you end up spending more on the stuff someone else has fully or partially prepared for you.

morrigan, you gave some really great tips and I am going to take some (maybe modify them a bit for me) and use them too. I always look for good tips.

Me too: I could still use to cut quite a bit out of my budget. I have been trying to do little things, like cheaper laundry soap, shampoo, etc...

Food shopping is my thing! I actually get excited to go to see how much I have saved. I *always* save at least 33% of my total.

How?

First of all, I use the saving card at my food store. They help a LOT.

Second, I always look through their sales fliers. I see what meals I can make from what they have on sale. 95% of what I buy is stuff that is on sale, and I often stock up!! For instance, Lean Cuisine TV dinners were on sale for 50% off last week, so I bought tons of them! I never buy them when they aren't on sale because they're just too expensive otherwise!

Third, I CLIP COUPONS! You'll find that the coupons often reflect the sales for that week. My food store always doubles coupons when you use your savings card, and some weeks they even tripple them!

I buy meats and fish in bulk, seperate them into ziplock bags and freeze them.

For things we use a lot of (bottled water, diapers, toilet paper, etc) I shop at a savings club like BJs, Costco, or Sam's Club. I love my Deer Park water... I get I think 36 bottles there for around $5... whereas the food store charges around $7 for 24 bottles. BJs (unlike most other savings clubs) also accepts coupons - so I save even more that way, also.

I don't think my food budget has changed much at all since starting weight watchers. The money I used to spend on chips, cookies, bad frozen food ect... is now spent on fruits, veggies and other healthy alternatives. I stay away from the low fat pringles, low fat icecream ect... I have been on weight watchers for 5 weeks and my cravings for sugar and salt have finally went away. I can walk right past the candy isle without even stopping! Has you husband thought about finding another job that doesn't involve pizza and then you wouldn't be as tempted? I am currently looking for another job and I have steered very clear of anything to do with unhealthy food, I wouldn't be able to have that much self control. Good luck!

I hear ya on the grill outdoors...I don't know how, but I am determined to learn because of the the way the oven heats up the house. I figured if I get my chicken and other stuff..grill for the week, then freeze that would be better. I just need to learn to grill outdoor.

Oh, its a little of both..rotting and just not useing the leftovers...its crazy! For the longest time they had no refrigeration at my job, we moved into a new building so I may start taking the leftovers that way there not anything extra spent on lunches.

Everyone has given some good tips here. I guess my thinking is a big part of it. I don't think thrifty. But I tell ya' what, I sure am sick of spending money at that grocery store!!

It's the simplest way to cook and you don't have to be really smart either. That is if you use a gas grill and you can get a gas grill for about $15-20 at WallyWorld and you buy the camping gas that just screws on. Let heat and grill to your favorite doneness. Now if you are talking charcol then yeah it takes bit to know how to wait for the coals to get just right.

The key is to finding out how much you need to buy at a time. For example I used to by 10 pound bags of potatoes but 1/2 would rot. Now I just buy a few potatoes here and there to cover me from the open bulk area. Same with onions.

Like I said left overs even if you didn't have a refrige (small coolers my dear) would have worked .... well as long as you had a microwave avail.

Thinking thrifty shouldn't just be because of this..I've always thought trifty. I even have a cookbook that is based on being frugal.

My husband and I make a date every Saturday for the Farmer's Market. Keep in mind that I live in Southern California (year-round springtime) so just about everything is in season all the time. We save a bundle of money though. We usually spend $20 - 30 on all our friuits and veggies (that includes my "splurge veggies" like blueberries, raspberries, and entire flat of strawberries). I usually get about 5 pounds of fresh string beans, a few crowns of broccoli and cauliflour, 3-4 different types of squashes, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a handful of exotic veggies (perfect for indian food), 5 pounds of carrots, and the basic staple fruits for lunchbags apples, oranges, and bananas. I have a family of 4 - Myself, My heathy hubby and 2 veggie loving daughters. I'd go broke trying to buy all that stuff in the supermarket

Oh the 'food bill' has always been a problem for me and my hubby, we gripe about it all the time!

No on the gas grill...charcoal all the way! I have had food made on gas grills and they taste funny to me, definately not the same.....I am reading up on it though.

I know exactly what you are saying. I live in Anchorage, Alaska and the prices here for fresh fruits and veggies are insane! Except for the 3 months of summer, everything has to be shipped/trucked in, and we definitely pay for that. I keep telling myself that I'm not spending any more money, really, because we're not doing take-out and eating out so much - sometimes I believe it.

Even the Weight Watcher's foods cost more here and we can't get half of the stuff you guys get in the States!

Sorry, I was just trying to keep perspective for myself. I don't have a store here that has "buy one get one free" on things like lean beef or chicken breast. The cheapest I have ever seen chicken here is $1.00 per pound and that was on whole chicken, not chicken breast. I would kill for $1.59 a pound boneless skinless chicken breast. Heck, I'd buy a freezer just to store it.

I also think it odd that people think I'm buying 100 calorie snack packs or eating in more just because my grocery bill has increased instead of decreasing. I don't actually eat Ramen Noodles, it was just an example, sorry I even mentioned it really. I don't eat highly processed carbs anymore because I have Chron's disease, and haven't for a long time. Something I discovered the hard way. I used to be able to eat pasta on occassion, but alas no more. Milk is also starting to become a problem, sigh. . .

Flour and super high fiber foods like beans and legumes cause physical damage to my intestines. Cheaper options for certain, but not an option if it lands you in the hospital. I've resigned myself to the fact that I will have to have part of my intestine removed, I'm just in no real hurry to do so.

We also eat out only once a week, the same place, and I order the same thing everytime. It is sort of like an anniversary meal every week. I budget the points for it and wouldn't give it up for anything.

My bill has increased because the leaner meats simply cost more. I had been buying cheaper cuts/ground meats because they actually go on "sale". $1.50 for hamburger or $3.39 for the 94% lean stuff, even with the wastage from grease I was still getting more meat in the long run. I tried boiling the beef to remove the grease, but it tasted like cardboard and not acceptable to the SO.

Sorry to rant, but I don't think most prople remember that not everyone has the same opportunities and availability of resources.

Thus, the Alaska comment. . . I'm trying to remember that things could be much more expensive than they are. I've got the options I do because I have a good job, but I have no idea how I'd manage my disease if I didn't.

Get a smoker box! What you taste is not a funny taste but no 'smoky' taste. A smoker box will take care of that. Believe me I used to think the same thing.

No need to be sorry. And yes you have some limitations because of your medical condition. But use the resources you have use them.

so buy a whole chicken and skin and bone it yourself. Even skinless boned dark meat is point friendly.

The reasons this is mentioned is because 99% of the time that is why people complain about food costs things like the 100 cal packs, (beleive someone even mentioned this) fatfree chips, diet foods, etc.

Yes some areas have higher costs but those who live there know those costs and plan and work around them or with them.

Never be sorry for stating your opinion or feelings though.

Part of this is learning to use spices and you need not boil it ... blot and rinse it.

This thread may help you with the rinsing/blotting stuff:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...ht=ground+beef

alethea...I don't know if you have one near you, but I find that meat from a butcher, instead of the grocery store is cheaper and not as greasy. Then I can get exactly what I need and not just whats packaged up at the store. I don't eat the 100 cal. paks either...yck! I had a friend that had chrons <<<hugs>>> it is difficult to deal with, bless your heart <<hugs>>..cyber hugs from me....