[Jacqui]

Do we have a list of Choose FI subgroups? And is there one for food tips/recipes? I’m at a loss for how to reduce our food bill and also allow us to have healthy-ish food that I can put together quickly.

I see health choices (like food) as an investment in my health, obviously, but the groceries for a family of four are just insane.

Am I doing something wrong? It’s the only part of my budget I can’t get control over. I’m doing everything the podcast suggested but we’re nowhere near $2 a serving.

Is that really possible nowadays? With kids…?!

[Lacey]

Food is one of our biggest costs too — but like you, it’s very important to me to eat organic veggies, pasture raised eggs, local meat without antibiotics, etc. Plus, I like to cook and I really like to eat tasty shit.

So, I’ll never be able to be one of those $2/serving people… and I don’t strive to be.

I’ll pay more to not eat the poison or the processed garbage in a box in the center aisles, and never think twice about it.

That being said, here’s how I keep my grocery bill under control by my standards: meal planning. You don’t have to go insane, just plan for the next 3-5 days at a time.

Make your list for what you need for just those things, and ONLY shop the list.

My grocery bill creeps up when I start free-styling or guessing the list, and when I make impulse purchases.

[Jill]

We are whole food plant based. Groceries are so much cheaper. Initial investment to stock up but after that it’s so much cheaper when you can skip meat and dairy.

[Liz]

Same here- curious to know what others do. We started shopping more regularly at the local discount grocery store and I place a once a month delivery order for Costco items like cleaning solutions, detergents, paper goods, diapers, etc.

instead of Target runs.

[Elena]

$2/serving was a pre-pandemic thing. Cut yourself some slack — you’re doing the best you can!

[Sarah]

We are only a couple with no kids and the amount we spend feels insane. We do Aldi and coupon and sales etc but I don’t know how people keep it cheap these days!

[Marianna]

Totally get it. When I hear people who spend 100 on a family of 4 a week I’m like ‘huh!?’ I go to Aldi’s when I can and that really helps.

We’re also mostly vegetarian so that’s cheap too.

But still groceries have really skyrocketed lately it seems.

[Reva]

I just recently found Too Good To Go app. Have tried a few places- Equator Coffee and While Foods. Today tried 2 from Whole Foods- $10 got me 10 shrimp dumplings, tabuleh salad, quinoa salad, and Cajun stew.

Will supplement with some cooked rice, but expect it to be 1.5-2 dinners for 2. For $7 I got 2 packs of 12 mini muffins, baked donut muffins (look like donut holes) and 4 earl grey scones.

I wouldn’t do it all the time, but a really affordable way to get a grab bag of prepared food.

Will try a few more places soon.

[Sadie]

Our food bill is astronomical… I’m not going to eat great value beans to get to fi a year faster.

[Sarah]

Costco + 2 days/week of no meat meals. Beans, lentils and leftovers. We eat very well but don’t spend a ton.

Mostly organic.

[Carrie]

Do you own a deep freezer and can? I buy my meat directly from the farmer and freeze it. Last beef I bought was $3.85 a pound for what I put in the freezer.

I also can easy things like tomatoes and Jam when in season.

I enjoy baking so I buy my flour by the 10-20 lb bag and make a loaf of sourdough once a week.

If I’m really ambitions I’ll make some pasta too but I generally just buy whole wheat for $1.00 a box on sale.

I do shop sales flyers via apps and try to keep my groceries to what we truly need for the week plus one or 2 deep sale items that will keep for another.

I have recently invested in super cubes and am going to try and freeze some things like soup ahead because my teens schedule makes it so we seem to be grabbing and going lately.

[Laura]

Even Lidl is expensive now. I try to do online ordering for pickup from where ever I am shopping so I don’t get sucked into a bunch of impulse buys.

If I take the kids into the store with me, I always regret it.

[Author]

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