I need to lower our budget significantly..help! - Page 2

[Juvysen]

Maybe someone mentioned this but we buy our almond flour on amazon.com - it's cheaper than the grocery store and if we do subscribe we save 20%.  That said, I try not to do a lot of baking.  We do do some grains occasionally - for instance, we do popcorn as a snack sometimes.  It's very cheap and that's mostly why (though it's also delicious).  We don't seem to have serious issues with corn, though. 

Ok, here's my other thoughts, though I haven't gotten through this thread yet.

My kids like to snack on frozen peas, which is fairly cheap - they eat them like popcorn.

I also started throwing liver in whenever we do something with ground beef to make it go farther.  Healthier AND cheaper... we were surprised how unnoticeable it was in things like taco meat because of the seasoning on it.

We also keep hard boiled eggs in the fridge constantly to snack on, though my kids have gotten bored with it.

We also have sardines for lunches, sometimes...

Actually, I'm really looking forward to fall/winter because most of the stuff we eat that time of year is soups and stews which I can make for much cheaper than our summer meals - we try to eat seasonally, but fresh summer veggies, fruit, etc. are so expensive!  A typical summer meal is grilled meat + veggie + veggie or grilled meat + salad.    Winter is more like we'll roast a chicken one day and then the next day we have soup from the carcass and leftovers.  Two meals in one, basically...

[A&A]

The most important thing to me on milk is making sure I get it RBST-free.  (Sometimes called RBGH-free.)  But now my supermarket has started carrying that for under $3.00 a gallon.  I know there are  some benefits to raw, but I just don't think the price difference is worth it.

  Also, if you have any land on which to have a garden, that can make a huge difference in your summer produce bill.  I haven't bought hardly any produce since mid-June since we have so much in our garden.  

[ilovemygirl]

I second that eating vegetarian and using rice and potatoes as your grains helps a lot. Drinks are SOOOOO expensive. I only drink water (occasionally coffee & tea) and dd has water also with one serving of green juice a day. If you really feel like your kids need to drink milk I would suggest switching to an alternative like almond or hemp. Even the organic and sugar free versions I buy prepackaged at Whole Foods are waaaaaay cheaper than getting raw dairy milk.

We aren't soy free but I do try to have it in moderation and since we are vegetarians I like to have it for food like tofu instead of as milk. I've never had a problem baking with almond or rice or hemp milk. 

I agree with a pp too that just eliminating grain and flour type foods might help. I'm not gluten free but I know from being vegetarian that it's almost always true that when I try to make a meal that's replacing meat it becomes more expensive and complicated. It's always easier when I plan something that stands on it's own and isn't trying to replace something else.

Also -please don't flame me- while I'm not suggesting being irresponsible with your money, is it possible and/or preferable at this point to pay for the foods you want? If you have been fiscally responsible everywhere else and are now debt free spending a little extra to have food that you feel is healthy and best for your family might not be such a bad thing as long as your budget allows it. 

[pek64]

I question liver being 'healthy'. Part of it's function is to take out and hold any toxins in the bloodstream that are not being removed otherwise (by the kidneys, for example). That's why alcoholics get liver diseases. Just something to think about.

[SweetSilver]

Originally Posted by A&A 

  Also, if you have any land on which to have a garden, that can make a huge difference in your summer produce bill.  I haven't bought hardly any produce since mid-June since we have so much in our garden.  

....especially if you can split the cost of seeds with a friend or a few.  You can also share the work +the water (and the harvest!)

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by pek64 

I question liver being 'healthy'. Part of it's function is to take out and hold any toxins in the bloodstream that are not being removed otherwise (by the kidneys, for example). That's why alcoholics get liver diseases. Just something to think about.

The only liver I eat comes from grassfed cows or pastured chickens... and it's a great source of vitamins.  This has a good explanation on why: http://nourishedkitchen.com/chicken-liver-pate/ 

I wouldn't recommend eating your typical factory farmed liver.

[crunchy_mommy]

I struggle with organ meat for the same reason as pek64. I can't get past it, I always throw out the organs (even though I hate to waste even the tiniest bit of any other food!!) I don't doubt there are nutrients in liver but I also feel like it must be filled with toxins. Kind of like conventionally-grown produce still has pesticide residue even though it's nutrient-dense...

It is really, really hard to pare down the budget when you need to rely heavily on meat and produce! If you can give your kids some grains etc. it might give you more leeway in the budget. I can't tolerate grains or legumes right now but I still buy them for DS & DH -- we do still end up all eating a lot of grain-free meals anyway but it does save some money when they choose to fill in with rice/pasta/beans.

[doulawoman]

Love his thread we are trying to go paleo due to major digestive issues in the kids, and myself and the kids can't tolerate most beans/lentils except green/yellow string beans occasional and hummus. So we're finding our bill getting high too! As a former vegetarian I am used to pasta, lentils etc. rounding out meals

[Thystle]

1. Ok so you are at $650 a month... what are you wanting to get it down to?

2. I don't think cutting out your 2 gallons of raw milk for a total of $18.00 a month is going to have a drastic effect on your budget so in my mind I would skip dropping that. The adults should give up junkfood before dropping the kids milk.

3. How many energy drinks and how much cereal does DH go through a month?

4. Have you tried making your own chips and salsa? Maybe a lactofermented salsa?

5. Can you garden or raise any animals?

[EmsMom]

Rice Kugel recipe:  adapted from a cookbook from the late 1800s

nice for dessert or a brunch

2 cups cooked rice (i always use brown rice)

1/4 cup butter (I never tried coconut oil, but I think it would be fine, the old recipe also suggest chicken fat)

2 - 4 eggs

1/3 to 1/2 sugar, depending on how sweet you want it

1/2 tsp vanilla or other flavoring

1/2 cup raisins

optional: 1 cup of fruit (i typically use apples)

  Melt fat and add to rice.

  Beat eggs and sugar until thick.  Add vanilla, raisins, fruit and rice mixture.

  Put in greased pan (i usually use a pie plate)

  Sprinkle with a mix of 1 tsp milk (dairy or non-dairy) and 1 tsp cinnamon (other other spice)

bake 50 - 60 minutes at 350 degrees F.

I have also added citrus peel, a variety of fruits, changed up the spices, etc. 

Great when you have leftover rice.

[olien]

Originally Posted by SweetSilver 

$650 for a family of 4?  If only I could get mine anywhere near that low!  

I just started reading this thread & that is exactly what I thought. That is low compared to ours. I just heard the other day on the radio the 'average' family of 4 spends $946 per month on food. They didnt say if that included eating out or not. So I would say you are doing quite well by that number. I came here to find some tips to cut our bill down (825 Aug, 665 Sept + about 250/mo DH spends at Costco). Good Luck!