frugal foodie

Over the years, I’ve written here and there about our grocery habits. I have this magic number under which I attempt to stay when I shop each week. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. People often hear this number and stare at me incredulously. How on earth do we shop for such a large family on such a modest budget? Like I said, it doesn’t always work. I’ve been trying to keep my weekly total under a hundred bucks since before the twins were born, so I figure I should re-evaluate the system at some point. Also, we make it a goal to eat out of the house once per week or so. Nevertheless, there are a few shopping rules that help us keep  costs down.

For example, we buy a lot of the same stuff over and over. We know what works, and we stick with it. My kids rotate between two or three breakfast options and about as many choices for lunches, but nobody complains. Also, produce! We start off the week with around twenty pounds of apples and a dozen bananas. I’m also a huge fan of carrots and grapes – world’s greatest snack, meal addition, even dessert.

And my most recent experiment? Eliminating morning snack for my toddlers. Chris isn’t totally on board yet, but I took Bringing Up Bébé seriously. Apparently, American kids are eating out of boredom?! Imagine that. Lately, I’ve been serving lunch a tad earlier and sticking to just an afternoon snack, after the three little pigs wake from their naps. My granola bars and animal crackers are suddenly lasting a heck of a lot longer!

I can’t commit the time and energy required to coupon, and sale-hopping isn’t ideal since I typically only have a few hours to shop. I stick to our favorite spots, our favorite foods, and I make it work. What are some of your frugal grocery tips?