What are some good ways to stretch a $100.00 a week in Groceries?

Answer 1

Lower your grocery costs
There are a few secrets that we all could use to know about supermarkets and the best way to save money. The very first thing you should remember is to never, ever go grocery shopping when you are hungry. You will spend a small fortune. Always eat before going grocery shopping this will eliminate the urges to buy the extra junk foods.


When you enter the grocery store begin shopping right away; complete your grocery shopping in less than thirty minutes. Researchers have stated that consumers spend fifty cents per minute after they have been in a supermarket longer than thirty minutes. A trick to finishing your shopping within thirty minutes is to have a well-prepared shopping list. Do your research for sales before you get to the store, this will help you from being detoured by sale signs. If you use coupons have them sorted by the aisles the products are on, this way you want have to search to find the coupon for the product you are buying. If you have children try to get a babysitter for an hour, this will eliminate chasing the children and saying no every five minutes.



There are several other ways to save money at the supermarket on products that are just as good as the next guy. Some supermarkets push the higher priced paper towels, the off brand paper towels are just as good at picking up small spills and wiping hands as the more expensive brands. Another trick item at the supermarket is bottled water; there is sparkling mineral water, seltzer water and club soda. Each of these is carbonated water, and the least expensive is usually the one with the better taste. Generic products are available for almost any product in a supermarket. These products are holding up against the major brands in taste, appearance and much more important cost.


Produce in supermarkets are a big let down, but with today’s processing of fruit and vegetables there is little that can be done about it, you must try to get the best for your money. When you are in the produce aisle think about when you are going to use this product. If you will use the produce within a day or two look for items that are almost ripe, if you will use produce within a week, look for items that have not yet completely ripened. This will allow the fruit or vegetable the extra time to ripen and you will have food that taste well.


When you are in the dairy department of your local supermarket, look for milk products that are sold in box cartons instead on plastic jugs. For Juices do the same, because the fluorescent lighting in the supermarket oxidizes milk and juices, leaving a flat taste and removes the vitamin C content.


If you have made it to the check out in less than thirty minutes, then you will save a bundle. This next big obstacle is the check out aisle itself. This is where you have your impulsive buys like magazines and candies and the really convenient items. These you want to avoid, these are usually marked up and they are targeted just for impulsive buying.
Groceries with Children
Many young couples, when first beginning a family, feel the pinch of a dwindling budget. Diapers, medical bills, and children’s clothing can tremendously challenge cash-flow. Add the continual need to EAT and for many families with children, controlling the food bill becomes a challenge. There are several steps that can be taken to help keep the food costs under control:


· Buy food in bulk. Warehouse stores such as Sams or Costco offer large sized kid popular foods such as candy, drink boxes, cereal, and peanut butter. Most times, the per-ounce cost is less than purchasing at a grocery store.

· Buy family pack meats. Most food stores offer large packs of meat at lower prices per pound. Buy these large family packs then divide them at home, freezing into portions that fit your family.


· Snack on fresh fruit and vegetables. Not only are they better for you, but they also tend to be less expensive than other snacks during the summer months.

· Eat at home. A restaurant bill for a family with children can be quite pricey. Multiple at-home meals can be prepared for the cost of one eat-out meal.

· When eating out, take home the leftovers and eat them the next day. Most American restaurants serve too much for one meal. Instead of over eating, save half of the adult meals for lunch the next day.

· Mix your own fruit drinks. Bottled fruit drinks are very expensive compared to the powdered variety that you mix at home.

· Shop at box or discount grocery stores. The choice is often more limited than a full service grocery, but there is a big difference in cost.

· Use coupons and rebates. The Sunday paper has free standing inserts of coupons almost every week. Also, many manufacturers run rebates. The internet is also a source for coupons. Many grocery stores participate in the Value Page program. For purchasing certain items (it changes weekly), you will get cash coupons good to use on your next visit to the same store.


Raising children can be a challenge. Feeding them does not have to be a big one.

Doesn’t just about everyone’s budget need a little help in the grocery shopping department? In this article I am going to give you some tips on saving money at the grocery store, but still get the delicious tasting food that you and your family want. Of course, there is always coupon clipping, but if you do not have the time to spend on clipping, these tips should give you some money saving ideas. If you do clip coupons, combine these ideas with your coupons for extra savings.


Shopping at discount stores will most definitely save you some money. In my part of the country these are called Save A Lot and Aldies, along with Family Dollar, Dollar General and Dollar Tree. No matter what they are called where you live, they are basically the same store. This is the type of store that I will be dealing with here.



Try purchasing your name brand cleaning products at these stores. While they do carry store brands of these cleaning products for just a dollar or two, you can purchase the name brands that you know and trust for a great savings over full priced grocery stores. For example a bottle of Dawn dish soap at a regular grocery store will cost over $3.00, if purchased at a discount store the same bottle will cost $1.50. If you happen to use one bottle of dish soap a month, this will give you a yearly savings of $18.00. While that does not seem like an enormous amount of money, if you purchase all of your cleaning items at this type of savings, it will add up.


Beauty supplies, such as soap, shampoo, lotions, razors or deodorants can be purchased at the same savings. Other necessities such as toilet paper, paper towels and napkins can be purchased in bulk for the same cost as single packaged items at a full priced store.


Items for babies such as diapers, food and juice can be purchased at a great savings. Most of these stores, while not carrying name brand diapers, will carry name brand foods.


Boxes of crackers and cereal that will be very similar to name brand items can be purchased for a little more than half off at a discount store. In most cases these off brand items are made at the same plant as the name brand items, just packaged differently. They will taste exactly the same as the name brand, they just have different packaging. Experiment a little to see what items that your family will find to be the same.


Canned fruits and vegetables can be purchased for pennies per serving at a discount store. Does your family enjoy baked beans? This recipe will cost about $3.58 to make from a discount store, you can double the price for a full priced store.



Pasta is always fairly popular with everyone, and dry pasta can be purchased for less than $.50 per box at a discount store. If available in your area, frozen imitation crab meat can be purchased at a discount store for $1.99 per package. Baking items are much cheaper in a discount store also. Look for speciality items just before Christmas baking season. Cake mixes can be purchased at a discount store for about $.59. If you follow the directions on the box for a moister cake, I really can’t tell the difference between these and a more expensive mix that will cost over $1.00.


My family particularly likes fried chicken from a very high priced take out place. A meal from this restaurant would cost over $20.00, but at the discount store I can make this same dinner for much less. Most of the time my family cannot tell the difference between what I am fixing and the take out.


Does your family like pizza? Take out pizza can be very expensive, particularly if you have it delivered. You can purchase either a pizza mix or a frozen pizza at a discount store. While the topping selections can leave a bit to be desired on a frozen pizza, just add some of your own. A large frozen pizza will cost about $1.99, with a bit more cheese, some pepperoni, mushrooms and what ever other toppings you desire, you will still have less than $5.00 in a pizza. Try having a pizza delivered for that price.


While you will not find a lot of “gourmet” items at these discount shops, there is no reason without a little work and imagination that you cannot make your own from items purchased at a discount store. While my discount store does sell Cornish Game Hens for $1.99 each, a full sized store will sell basically the same item for at least $3.00 each.


While this is just a slight sampling of what a discount store has to offer, you really should check out what is available at these places in your area. While the prices that I quoted are what I pay, depending on where you live in the country, they may vary just a bit. But it is almost guaranteed that you will save money!

Food costs can be a drain on any budget. Careful planning strategies, however, can make this necessary expenditure less expensive. Here are ten ways to significantly reduce food costs and get more out of a grocery budget.


(1) Planning menus for a week in advance will help to save money by giving an exact picture of what items are needed. This list of items can be compared against weekly grocery circulars for the best buys on food items. Center menu ideas around items that are on special for the week.



(2) Cut food waste. Buying food in volume only to have to throw out part of it saves no money. Consider investing in a freezer to store food until it is needed. When storing food in a freezer, divide into individual servings. This will save when having to prepare a meal for only a few family members or one person. Also invest in proper storage containers for foods to cut waste when buying in large quantities.


(3) Always take a list when shopping for groceries. Impulse buying can destroy a budget. Post a list where other family members can add items as they are needed. This will eliminate running out of items. If frequently-used items are on sale and can be stored easily, consider buying several at the low price. This way the item will likely last until it is on special again.


(4) Never assume that an item is a great buy just because it is listed in a weekly circular. Many advertised prices have actually been increased and mixed-in with lower priced items. Comparison shop to make sure.


(5) Use coupons. These little pieces of paper are real money and can significantly reduce the total cost of groceries by 50% or more. Learn to collect and organize coupons so that they can be matched to on-sale items for even more savings. Coupon shopping allows families to buy more expensive and better quality items at a lower price than generics.


(6) If possible, shop without children in tow and at hours when stores are not crowded. This helps to eliminate rushed shopping and possible impulse buying. Never shop when hungry for the same reasons.


(7) If you find a great buy on some item in bulk but find that it is more than you can use or store, consider joining with a friend to make the purchase. You will still get the bargain price without the waste.


(8) Forget about store loyalty. Shop where you can find the best bargains for what you need. Traveling a little further or to more than one store will not deplete your food savings. No store runs everything on sale at one time. When Store A runs a special on meat, Store B might be running a sale on canned foods or some other items. Making all purchases at one store could cost you more than you think.


(9) Keep purchases of packaged foods like tv dinners and frozen pizza at a minimum. It takes more time to prepare foods yourself but it is healthier and more economical. Use more fresh fruits and vegetables in daily menus. Try using fruit drinks and fresh juices more often as an alternative to soft drinks. Over time, this will save a great many budget dollars.


(10) Be sure to check your cash register receipt before leaving the store or on the parking lot. Cashiers often make honest mistakes that can cost you money. If you find that you have been overcharged for an item, you are more likely to return for a refund (and more likely to receive it) if you are still at the store or closeby.

Answer 2

Wow - I must be doing something right already, I wish I had $100 to spend a week on food.

Here is what we do. It is just my husband & I, they kids are grown and out. We buy a half side of beef a year, price ranges between $500 - $800 a year. (that's between $50 & $65 a month on beef, good beef, not the tasteless stuff you buy in the grocery store).

I clip some serious coupons and save a lot of money using them. We get paid every two weeks so I only go for food after getting paid. I spend about $100 when I go and I always save between 20% - 35% on my bill with the coupons, bonus coupons and store discounts!!

Oh, my store does electronic rebates (which I have to sign up for online) and, they also print out $1 & $2 gas bucks for use at the gas pump so I save there too!!

I also get my chicken for under $1 a pound. I buy it in bulk, 40 pound boxes of whole breast. I split it, take the skin off and debone it as soon as I get it home. (this takes 2-3 hours!!!) I freeze it flat on a cookie sheet and then bag it in gallons size Ziploks so I can pull out as many as I need!

Good luck and don't eat out, you can't afford it!

Answer 3

Try buying your meat with the intention of using it for two meals. For example, use a pork roast for Sunday dinner, use the leftover pork, sliced thin for hot pork sandwiches on Tuesday. For hamburger, fry 2 pounds, take a third to make chili, another third to season with taco seasoning for tacos and use the other third for a spaghetti with meat sauce or make a pot of chili, package the cooked hamburger in freezer bags, marked with what is in there. Pasta is relatively cheap and is very filling not to mention very versatile, so I would purchase plenty of that to have on hand. Buy paper and health products once a month, stock up on meats once a month and freeze, this is the most expensive part of grocery shopping. Buy bulk when you can, it's cheaper. I buy a whole pork loin at Sam's for 1.68 a pound and cut it into chops, I cube some for recipes and I usually get two roasts out of it, too. I'm all for the coupons too. I went last week and saved 44.00 off in coupons. It's a double bonus if I have a coupon AND the item is on sale.

Answer 4

Well the first thing you do is plan the meals for the week. Then you,ll know exactly what to buy and you can get coupons for it.Second the left over that you have assuming there is any like a vegetable or meat you can use that with one of the new dishes later in the week .(Ex- Hamburgers and fries on Mon. then on wed. turn the left over ground meat into spaghetti sauce.)( Or my favorite fried chicken breasts on Tues.-now you can take the chicken off the bone peel the skin off and with a little taco seasoning's shredder the chicken into tacos for Fri.) Check it out . Try as much as you can to buy things on sale in bulk is an OK idea but it just depends on how many people are in your household! Also please don't be afraid to tell your family tonight is sandwich night nuke some turkey and cheese cold cuts in the microwave hot meal for them easy night for you . or even cold cuts of roast beef again seasoning isle in the grocery store with a little bit of brown gravy hot sandwiches all-night or bake a potatoes with it 2hrs @350 degrees wrapped and stabbed with a fork in Reynolds wrap a.k.a (foil) nice din din . well good luck ) Also check differnt stores some tend to be a little bit higher than a other like the big chain names , may be higher than chain thats only in your area!

Answer 5

Get coupons and look for things on sale, like buy one get one free. Also go with generic brands, but there are some things you just can't substitute. Its also a good idea to get the preferred cards at grocery stores, they can save you money. I had to live this way when I first moved out my parents home. I still do, but I can splurge a little bit more now.

Answer 6

Buy the generic versions of everything.

Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables, which stay fresh longer and are not as expensive as out of season veggies.

Buy in bulk when possible, which is more expensive at first but will save you money in the long run.

Avoid heavily processed foods like lunch meats. Pound for pound, it's cheaper to buy a raw chicken and cook it than to buy thinly sliced turkey bologne. And avoid overly packaged foods which are also more expensive. Those 100 calorie packs of crackers, and those little baggies of chips, are a lot more expensive than big boxes of crackers and big bags of chips.

Try to avoid unnecessary food items like candy, cookies, and soda. Some now and then for a treat is ok.

Compare the prices at different stores in your area. Big chains like Albertson's and Safeway tend to be more expensive, while smaller local chains are sometimes a lot cheaper.

Answer 7

Don't always buy the best. But, don't deprive yourself either. Find a bread store and stock up, get a freezer if necessary, then when things are on sale you can stock up, you can freeze, butter, orange juice, milk and lots of other things. We have a grocery outlet called Aldi's they have great canned vegetables (most store brands are the same and packaged at the same place as the higher brand names) Don't buy junk. Period. It really adds up. Find a butcher shop that sells meat and stock up. Stocking up is really the most important thing to do. Then all you need to do is add a few things to fix a meal. Go back to the basics, oatmeal, cocoa wheats,mmmm. Always take a calculator and shoot for $75.00 worth and put the other $25 in savings. If you need more, it's there. Gosh, I could go on and on. We haven't spent $400.00 a month in years, but, we don't have kids anymore.

Answer 8

It's a lot of ways to spend a reasonable amount on groceries.One way is that you can print out coupons on-line or even cut them out from the a newspaper. Also you can buy the unbranded food they cost less then the most popular brand but taste the same way. You can also buy them from stores that gives you bigger portion such as Sam's so you don't have to keeping the same products and it cost way less.

Answer 9

go to discount food retail stores. not walmart not dillons or Smiths or safeway. Go to like a grocery outlet, or a food for less sometimes they have good 10 for 10 deals and you can get ALOT more food for your money Thats what we do and we get all kinds of food :)

Answer 10

Kraft Dinner yummy

Answer 11

Make soup or casseroles and freeze the uneaten portions for another night.