Hi all, wondering if anyone can give me advice for saving money on weekly groceries. There’s only two of us, but we are very much ‘protein with every meal’ people, so I’m trying to find ways to cut back on the cost of meats. Is buying in bulk at the beginning of the month better than buying little by little each week? Is buying frozen cheaper than fresh (like frozen chicken breast)? Same question for fruit; is buying frozen fruit more cost-effective than buying fresh? My thought with that is to just thaw out fruit if we want to eat it with yogurt or something. Any tips or advice are greatly appreciated, thank you.
Buying in bulk and frozen is generally more cost effective, but it’s really specific to your store and area. I would look at the prices and do a cost breakdown. Also wondering if you’ve considered meatless proteins? Tofu, beans, edamame, etc., tend to be much more affordable. Even swapping out for meatless one or two meals a week could cut down on the bill.
I started using AI to help me make meals with things I have on hand and need to use. ‘What are some recipes or meal ideas that use X and Y and standard pantry items’ is a good starting prompt.
How much are you spending today per month (on average) for groceries, excluding eating out, and how often do you prepare your own meals?
Right now our weekly budget is $100, with a monthly budget of $450 ($50 extra for protein shakes and supplements), but we average about $120-$150 per week. We try to cook every night, usually making enough for leftovers to take for our lunches the next day. Breakfasts are quite easy; we make eggs, yogurt, or oatmeal. We don’t cook every night though; sometimes it ends up being takeout (which we have a budget for) or we just find random things to eat at the house. I would like to be more consistent though.
That’s a really good budget for two people right there. Start keeping a log of meals you like to prepare and eat (and that are good for leftovers). Then search for variations on those themes and make grocery lists in advance. That should help you shave off the bits you are going over budget on. When you encounter a pantry ingredient you don’t have, first search the Internet or use Gen AI to see if there’s a viable substitute you already have. If there’s no substitute, then search for other recipes that use that ingredient. If those recipes look good to you, go ahead and add to your pantry. But if it’s really a one-off, skip it.
@Dane
I like to buy on sales, particularly meat, and then individually wrap and freeze. I keep pork chops, chicken thighs, and chicken breasts in my freezer. I brine them immediately after buying, then wrap in parchment paper and foil to freeze.
Is that US dollars?
Yes, it is, sorry.
I’m the Canadian, I’m supposed to be the one apologizing, lol.
That’s right in line with my budget for two people. A few things that bring down our costs include pork (chops, ribs, loin) and the $4.99 rotisserie chicken. I also noticed the last couple times I shopped, it was on a weekday. A good selection of pork and beef with a ‘last date of sale’ of tomorrow or the following day were marked down by 50%. My recent haul at 50% off was lamb chops and ribeye steaks. Those items go right into the freezer until we’re ready to eat them.
Look at local butchers that may have freezer bundles. They give you a lot of variety for usually a pretty decent price and great quality. Also, look into whole meats that you can cut down. For example, a whole chicken that can be cut down and the bones used for broth. There are lots of videos that show you how.
I live in Canada, so numbers could be a tad different, but my husband and I spend $500 a month on groceries. Usually, we do two big hauls for around $180-200 each and then $50 in between twice for a total of $100 (restock throughout the month). I don’t eat much meat; however, my husband does, and I often will buy meat every time I go to the grocery store to stock up. I only buy 30% or 40% off meat unless meat is a good price, which I shop around. Weekly, I go through our pantry and fridge, see what is about to go bad, and make a plan to use the items or freeze them.
Where in Canada? I live in the Toronto area; you’re right, we spend far more than that per person.
Near Ottawa.
If you have access, I would recommend Costco for frozen salmon fillets, meatballs, frozen chicken breasts, and meat-stuffed dumplings. Of course, you’d have to consider the cost of the membership. But between frozen meat, paper products, and carbonated water (guilty pleasure), it’s worth it for us.
Three things that help me: veg protein options like tofu, lentils, black or pinto beans, and peanut butter; bulk purchases for non-perishables; and I personally don’t do frozen fruit even though that can be cheaper and only get fresh and what is in season. For protein powder or supplements, sometimes an annual subscription or a recurring purchase can be a little cheaper.
I have a similar budget for two in a high cost of living area. I only buy meat on sale, and if there’s a good deal on chicken or ground turkey or something I know we’ll eat and that freezes decently, I’ll stock up. Also, I cut meat with beans to keep the flavor but get more volume.
We bought from a farm last January. We spent about CAD $5000, and that included a huge chest freezer. We still have half of it left, and we eat protein every meal. I highly recommend looking for a local butcher or farm co-op. They will often let you finance for free.
Buy entire meats like whole turkey, chicken, etc., when they’re on sale and freeze. Parcel them up if you have to, to fit in the freezer.