@@kerina_perry9694 thank the gods I'm single live by myself no kids just 3 cats...Sydney must be hellaexpensive to ĺive in I shudder to think what amount you pay for rent...3 people and $800 a month for FOOD ??? YIKES....
I watch delish’s budget eat series. The person who does the series, June, lives in New York and she shows how you can make meals for really cheap. She also explains which areas she gets her ingredients. Hopefully this will help someone 😊
My food philosophy: Buy less processed food and stick to the produce that is on sale. Also, buy less meat and dairy products. Overall, be flexible when it comes to food.
@@nancyfarkas3592 As a vegetarian family, we receive the bulk of our protein from beans, lentils, tofu, grains (oatmeal, barley, and quinoa), nuts and seeds. Peas have about 8 g of protein per cup. Veggies such as spinach and brussel sprouts have decent protein. It is surprisingly easy to get all our protein from non animal sources.
LOVE this video! While your videos are always really down to earth, this one in particular feels like you're taking me through the grocery store 1-on-1 and dropping sage wisdom. You're the best!
I also love that she doesn't villanise shortcuts like a lot of frugal content creators do. I'm pregnant with twins and ADHD 😅 can't always do everything the cheapest from scratch way
I really enjoyed this video too, it was very honest & truthful/to the point. We need get back to the basics- i was watching someone spend $12 or 15 on pillsbury buscuits , why is easy & cheap to make!! Prepkg’d + processed are way to pricey not to mention unhealthy!!
Christine you would fall over at the prices in Australia 😂 Your grocery’s are sooooo cheap in comparison and the variety you have is amazing compared to what we have. We really have nothing compared to what you have available, but love your videos even if I can’t get majority of the ingredients.
Comparing food prices to countries isn't really relevant. Everybody is paying more then what they used to while the wages aren't going up with the inflation
I was going to come and say the same thing. It's crazy expensive here in Australia! Wages here for the average person are not that high either so it doesn't make up for it.
Chloe Klinger I live in a NSW regional country town; I agree grocery prices are soo expensive compared with USA (Lived in CA & Utah USA 15 years in 1990's early 2000's). Australia really could use a Walmart type of store and a lot more Costco's
So I've been binge watching your videos for a while now and when you grabbed the container of oats I laughed. In my dream last night I was leaving a grocery store and there was a large box truck that was FILLED with all discounted foods. I won't ask why there were refrigerated items mixed in there but I jumped into the pile like it was a ball pit and grabbed the oat container and said "It does exist!!" I have the strangest dreams, just had to share. 😂😂
I was in shock today!! Eggs 18 count at Kroger on Monday were regular price $1.99 and today $3.99. I couldn’t believe they doubled the price in a week. I’m so glad we have been making a stock pile the last two years.
Beans and rice rules!! I live in NYC, check out the ethnic grocery stores, look for discount produce stores (there's one in midtown) and I know there's a couple aldis in queens and brooklyn. Also trader Joe's while not quite as cheap is way more affordable than whole foods. And stay away from the packaged stuff! It's more expensive and its not good for you!
Cooking from scratch is HUGE when it comes to saving money. I just made a large homemade pizza from scratch for about $3. It was super quick and easy. To buy a pre-made pizza from ALDI it would cost me $6. A frozen pizza would cost $9 and takeout pizza would cost $20. I saved anywhere between $3 to $17 with minimal effort.
I LOVE making homemade pizza! I use Bobby Flays pizza dough recipe and get the crust started in a large cast iron skillet with a bit of oil in the bottom. It partially cooks while I add the topping, then takes about 10-12 minutes at 450° in the oven. The bottom cooks perfect and gets nice and crispy!
As someone from Europe (Austria) lots of food prices in cheaper US stores are shockingly low. How can it even get that cheap? How are producers, farmers, distributors, stores, workers, etc. making enough money is what I'm curious to know. I really envy US food prices at the moment. Here a standard boxed cereal (store brand in higher priced stores, name brand in lower priced stores) is roughly 3 € - 4 €. A 10 piece carton of eggs (organic or free range +) is somewhere between 3,50 € and 4,50 €. A liter of somewhat better milk (from alpine farmers or grass-fed cows) is roughly 1,30 €.
A lot of staple crops are subsidized by the government which makes the price lower than other countries. The US government subsidizes corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and rice.
Yep, government subsidies are a thing. Also, sometimes it’s the store that’s losing money. They do so intentionally. At a “weekly sale” store, they’ll have a few cover items that are very inexpensive to get people into the store to hopefully buy more expensive items too.
@@melinaliebtpaul That goes state by state. In Massachusetts, we only pay tax on “prepared food,” like fish and chips, rotisserie chicken or steamed lobsters. And other groceries are taxed like toiletries and household items. But regular food is not.
Having lived in the US it's cheap because most of it is full of chemicals, fat, and sugar. The average American supermarket is full of literally junk food. Unless you shop at higher end market, most foods would never pass an EU food inspection.
As an Aussie, I too have the opposite problem. Looking at some of the prices you pay for fresh produce, meat, eggs and dairy, I can't understand how American farmers can make a living from such low prices. The last time I bought a dozen eggs, I paid $3.80 AUD. A half dozen sells for around $2 and we don't have 18 counts here. The rock bottom cheapest chicken thighs I can find are $14 per kilo, so that's around $7 a pound. I showed my butcher some of the prices you've listed and she couldn't figure out how anyone in the supply chain was many any money off it. Milk is around $1.20 a litre, so roughly $4 - $4.50 a gallon. Last time I bought cereal, $7 for a 750g box and that was on sale.
Unfortunately right now many stores in my area are completely out of fresh chicken. They have no idea when more will come in. There is a huge supply chain issue. I used to be able to get chicken breast for $1.69/pound near Chicago. Now those same stores sell it for $4/pound minimum when they actually have it in
I'm in Ontario. One dozen regular large eggs is usually around $4.00 . The cost of everything you show are much more expensive here. We don't have the discount stores you do. Gas is about $1.70 a litter ( about $7.00 a gallon).,
The way to get prices lowered is refusing to buy things when they cost too much. Vote with your wallet. Give up convenience just for a little while, otherwise you'll be giving it up altogether when prices get even worse. That's the case at a certain theme park right now, bc not enough of us have decided "not worth going into debt to afford." Always remember you have a choice, and sometimes if you want something done right you just have to do it yourself, which includes putting affordable dinner on the table, and giving your kids affordable vacations, despite their not being as glamorous as you might've hoped.
Right now that’s not what I would suggest , don’t like price go to a smaller store, but get stocked ! Waiting wouldn’t be prudent . Remember at voting time who put us in this situation!
It's really interesting looking at US prices compared to the UK. Your prices seem vastly more expensive than here in the UK (eg a 2.5kg bag of potatoes is still less than £1) and yet we have price rises here too. I would say a lot of the regular things I would buy at full price are up about 10p each now. I scratch cook almost everything and live off clearance stickers and never buy branded products unless I get them free with cashback apps. My food bill is £30 a month these days. I'm still amazed how much food gets discounted because they overstock the shelves. Every day is a bargain buy day here if you get the right store.
I think to be fair too, the dollar is worth less so it would appear more expensive- but they also are expensive 😅 Totally depends on what you buy and where too. If this person is in NYC, the prices are def higher than upstate NY where I live
The Indian Crepes are called dosas and they are budget friendly delicious and nutritious. Making the batter and dosa needs a little trick but once you get the hang of it, it’s really cheap and very delicious. The batter requires fermentation and doubles itself in the process and you can make so many items out of it. Idlis, Dosas and Uttapams. Idlis are freezer friendly too. Batter made out of 3 cups of rice and 1 cup of lentils runs for an entire week for my family of four if we eat once a day out of the batter. I buy idli rice only once a year. Both my kids eat upto 3 dosas at a time and still it stretches for an entire week and the bag stretches for an entire year. You can also research different types of dosas like neer dosa and there are many more. The ingredients are so simple and cheap, they come out delicious and very healthy too.
This sounds very good. Since my family likes Indian cuisine my husband bought me a cookbook. I’ve not made anything from it…yet. 😆 I did make naan with yogurt when yeast was unavailable, which I thought was a good.
@@heathersmeather On UA-cam I love Manjula cooks. Her Indian recipes are tasty and I get good results. I used to live and work in India. Spices are much cheaper in Indian grocery stores in the USA than at Kroger, etc.
I agree about the meal plan. Unless you have a well stocked freezer and pantry, plan your meals for the week based on what is on sale. Especially meats. Hugh savings.💞
Because we don’t grow food ourselves! I started planting things this year and looking at getting chickens for eggs. I don’t want to sound like a crazy prepper person, I am so far from that but I’m excited to see what I can grow and can this year
I'm in South Africa and I am amazed at how cheap food seems in the US. When I convert from $ to R, things like eggs are dirt cheap. For example, we pay around $5 for 30 eggs. Our food is very expensive here. I think its all about making from scratch as much as possible and eating fresh, sale veggies and fruits. Discount stores are amazing too
I remember reading that a long time ago ...to just shop the perimeter, that's usually where the fresh produce and protein are. The inner aisles are usually the processed foods, not very healthy anyway.
Wow. I haven’t bought boxed cereal in ages, so I had no idea how expensive it had gotten. Working from home has made me discover how much I actually enjoy cooking from home. I get exactly what I want and it’s always healthier than what I could get at any restaurant. Your videos have been so helpful, too!!
Yes! Make it yourself! Cheaper and healthier! Yes! Eat leftovers, including cook or freeze your produce before it goes bad! Yes! Meal plan! Start by shopping your own pantry so you only buy what you need! Yes! Once you have some basics, you will primarily shop sales! And I will add, watch what non-food items you are buying that are making your "grocery bill" high.
I'm in the Toronto, Canada area and I nearly fell out of my chair to see butter, regular not fancy butter, for $7.99 last week which I would never pay. Butter should be around $3.50 - $5 here, or less on sale. It was an eye opener. I feel that even with the exchange that we pay more for food here than in the U.S but there seems to be a lot more variety and cool products in the U.S.
Absolutely agree - butter and eggs especially have been ridiculous recently in the GTA. I’m at the point where the only butter I buy is on some sort of a deep discount, and then I’ll buy multiple and freeze them because it feels like a ripoff otherwise!
I'm in the Montreal area and, sadly, 7.99$ has been the "regular" price for butter around here for the past few years. The best sale price is 3.33$ and at that point, I'm usually piling my cart with however many pounds of butter the store will allow me to buy haha! But I totally agree that, looking at these prices even with the exchange, we seem to pay a lot more for food here in Canada than they do in the U.S.
Yes!! Every time I see the price of eggs in these videos, I'm shocked, lol. Most food prices have gone up recently, so I'm always looking for sales on staples and stocking up when I can.
Food prices have definitely gone up extremely high, in the United States and in Canada, the last few years. Having a list/meal planning for the week (and sticking to it), then cooking when you get home will definitely make you a winner! ❤ this video! ...and welcome to the West, to her viewer 👍🏻
My Mom taught me to cook and to shop the "outside" of the grocery store--produce, meat, dairy. Skip lunch meat. Skip convenience food. Buy canned/frozen veg (she grew and canned our veggies) Fresh fruit & veg in season. Heresy maybe, but skip touristy Farmer's Market and scout out the local ones--much cheaper. Always know the unit price. I have never formed the convenience food habit. I don't eat out except once in a while when I forget my lunch at work! The food is crap and expensive.
I have followed your videos for A Loooong time like the eclipse video time so for awhile! You are one of my absolute favorites! The greatest tips ever are finding discount grocery stores in your area. I didn’t know they even existed until you went to one and made the video. I found one here in my area of Florida OmG game changer!!! It’s called Sacks and it was just like the one you did the video in! Thank you for all your fun videos! I know they take a lot of work but you ROCK! I like seeing Dave and the kids from time to time too. He’s so funny. He always seems to have this “look” on his face like “I have no idea what she’s talking about but I need to act supportive” Lol 😂
What I have found being in Canada is that the American prices are very similar for processed foods but WAY cheaper for "ingredients". That 10 lb bag of potatoes would be at least $8 and eggs are on average $4 a dozen. :(
I visited the US from the UK two months ago. It's the first time we have been back for 2 years. I could not believe how expensive the fruit and veg is now. Prices in the UK have risen highly but not as much as the US. Still love and miss the US. Beautiful peoplex
Love it. Just listed with my husband to make sure he is on board. My daddy always said if you want to know where your money is going check you trash can. Sound advice.
Taking the time to make a meal plan for the work is the absolute key! It’s kind of a pain but I can’t imagine not having a plan both before stepping in the store and before starting to make dinner every night.
So I really want to push back on this entire concept, because food in America is actually incredibly cheap. Yes there’s some artificial inflation happening, but actually we subsidize our farming industry in order to make food incredibly cheap to buy. On average and American spins lesson 20% of their monthly budget on food, where in other countries and in the past food would account for closer to 40+ percent of a budget. Food is incredibly labor intensive to make, which is why Whole Foods that haven’t been highly processed with che products are expensive. I think part of what we’re seeing is some of the true cost of food, and that we’re not used to it. The idea that a hamburger can cost a single dollar, shows you how heavily subsidized food is. So I don’t want to undermine the fact that the prices are going up and many of us have budgets built on the idea of cheap and easily assessable food commodities, I think it’s important for us to realize that as a nation we have incredibly cheap access to food.
If you stick to the basics food is very cheap. Oatmeal, potatoes, rice ,beans, chicken, noodles, fresh produce. Once I cut out the processed foods my grocery bill cut in half. Real food fills you up processed makes you hungry.
You make good points but it’s not really about the percentage that’s spent on food. I think they were comparing the dollar price of the food to what that same food costs in their local currency. I moved to the US from Nigeria and had a similar issue. Processed foods cost more here than what I paid for the same items (imported) back home. Edit: I say processed foods because that’s what I was buying as a kid, but converting the cost of most of not all grocery items to my local currency makes me sad, and that’s even with inflation and crazy fx rates.
I am just like the friend without the list. I get so distracted while shopping and come home with a brilliant plan... but then half of the things or more dont work together. So then Domino's or fast food is implemented. I also get lazy with my plans and have so much of lack of follow through even when all the pieces are purchased!! I also have the motivation/dedication to home cooking for about about 2 to 3 week time span. ADHD living. But your videos are inspiring to stick with it!!! Thanks so much for the content.
Here in Middle TN our Kroger's does the $0.99 bags of fresh misfit fruits and veggies. I was shocked I was able to get 4 decent avocados for basically $0.25 a piece, same with onions, Anaheim peppers, orange bell peppers, cucumbers and jazz apples. Usually there's 4 or 5 of whatever fruit etc. for less than a dollar for the whole bag and I came up with tons of snacks and creative meals last week on less than $6 which would've probably cost close to $20 when I estimated it in the Kroger app normally. Worth some bruises, mishapes, etc. Edit: saw the red mesh bags in her cart towards the end, those might be the sales bags thats exactly what they look like! Glad most Kroger's do this!
I taught myself to become frugal, but I seriously cannot meal-plan. Ive tried and failed. I am capable, but I can't say I want to eat "xyz" on Monday, or "abc" on Tuesday etc, so the food sometimes went to waste with good intentions. My babies are grown now so it's just me. Doing much better about just buying fresh items I know I'll use in short order. Absolutely love your videos and humor 😊
Compared to Australia I find food prices in America are cheap . Food is astronomical here . A dozen eggs in Aldi $3.99 . Cauliflower in another supermarket $ 5.99 and truss tomatoes $7.99 for one kilo ( 2.2 lb) . We do not have coupons either . What I notice from other videos you have everything in cans or packages . Such a variety but we tend to eat more fresh or frozen .
An idea I think would be really cool for you to do is shop for a months allotment of wic items, what a mother would get for one child and then go through what you would add to it to make it stretch and spin ideas for meal plans made with the items.
@@leannewith3 Wages not always. Our average wage is very similar to US. Some earn less, some more. Many casual workers here can't get enough shifts to make a living, which I'm sure is similar in the US. Our rents and housing also take a huge chunk of pay for low income workers.
@@jemmainthegym minimum wage (rate per hour) in the US is $7.25 while in Australia it is $21.35. This will obviously influence the cost of everything. Low income earners everywhere struggle with similar issues.
@@leannewith3 Yes, however many are not making full time hours as I mentioned, then you have self employed. My family live on a very low income, it is less than full time at minimum wage (and we don't claim any CL), and now just one income. Some states in the US do have a higher minimum too. Also, in the cities where the minimum wage is that, they are not paying $400+ a week for rent.
@@jemmainthegym unfortunately that is not unique to Australia. People in the US also struggle with these things. But the cost of labour is one of the contributing factors to the prices of goods and services.
I used to make my own fancy rice dish by using spaghetti noodles. I’d break the noodles into half inch pieces and, without boiling them, Brown them in a bit of butter in a pan. It added a nice toasted flavor and crunch to our rice dish. It was a very cheap version of expensive rice pilaf packets at the store.
@@starlenearnold5303 I just used the spaghetti noodles toasted, then any rice (I preferred brown rice). Cook the rice to the directions listed. Then season with whatever you like. Then would add it all back in the pan I had toasted the spaghetti noodles in. And toss it with butter.
I live in NY state and everything in NYC is expensive! I saw someone from the city went to a Walmart just outside the city and she was shocked at the difference in prices. Even taking transportation into account, she saved a lot on groceries.
This is so great! Very informative video, and so adaptable to Norwegian food cuisine, and probably a lot (most? 🤔) of other cuisines too. What is a good deal can depend some, but the basic is the same: do the work yourself and save money, and/or know your prices and use the sales. 🤑 We have more crepes here. Thin pancakes. We don’t use a blender or a mixer for it, we use a wisp, and that’s that. That is the normal at least when I grow up, it was that way in was taught both in both sides of the family and in school too. Probably nice to use a blender, but don’t let not having some electric help discourage you from making some yummy crepes or even American banana pancakes 😋 Thanks for sharing! Johanne, Norway 🇳🇴
Potatoes are much less expensive in Idaho than they are in Louisiana. Still a good deal though and I definitely buy them. Almost any food in its natural state is a better deal than a processed or boxed version, and a ton healthier.
To answer that cereal question, I'm in Arizona. Cheapest for where I'm at for cold cereal is typically 3 for $6, while I can get 10 lbs of minute oats for about $10 at a smart and final that's a 20 minute drive to Cali. I go there specifically for my bread flour because 25 lbs for less than $10 for bread works for a family of 5.
Meh, I don't necessarily agree about making a list and meal plan and sticking to it. I find that people get set on certain meals and that opens them up to purchasing the ingredients they need even if they are way too pricey. I'm more a fan of going in and seeing what is on sale and making the meal plan from that. If chicken is $3.99 a pound and ground hamburger is on sale for $1.99 a pound you can bet I'm going to go with a hamburger based option as opposed to the chicken tika masala I had my heart set on.
I agree with what you’re saying but by meal plan, Christine is usually referring to planning around what you already have in your pantry, freezer and fridge. I’m sure she would agree with you!
I am a New Zealand viewer and I always absolutely buzz out how cheap American food is, compared to what we pay but i guess the whole US vs nz dollar exchange rates and min wage etc all play apart of it, I still love following and I still love to watch as I get so many amazing ideas and tips 💙love your channel
Thank you so much for taking the time to make videos like this!! Not all of us had mom’s who passed on this wisdom on grocery shopping. I’m one of those ppl who spends too much at the grocery store and then comes home and doesn’t have “food”. Or groceries go bad in the fridge. And then I end up eating out. God bless you!!
American food is so much cheaper than Australian. I came from Ireland where it was cheaper than Australia. Food has got very expensive here too. Maybe it's stuck at the Mexican border that will put price up.
Our food is more expensive but wages are also higher so I feel it’s pretty similar once you factor that in. Some of our local stuff is also better quality. I just hate how we have such less variety lol… we have like 4 flavours of Oreos instead of 24 lol (real world problems right hehe). I agree though, we are seeing inflation popping up more and more. I have stocked up my freezer and I’m now just rotating my food when it’s on sale.
Cornbread to go with everything - you are right! Especially Chili! We no longer buy boxed cereal - bad carbs and lots of sugar - I would say 99% of them - plus, they are extremely expensive! If you don’t like oatmeal or grits for breakfast, you’re out of luck at my house! 😁 Yeah - you can tell I’m from the south - I eat grits!
Very interesting, I don't live in the USA but I think that your tips are valid for any country. I very seldom buy prepackaged anything, I bought a lasagne yesterday as I had a doctor's appointment and was not going to have time to cook dinner, it was nice, but my husband and daughter both said that mine is much better 😁.
Your tips are always great! I’m really bad at just going to the store and buying what sounds good, these types of videos help a ton in convincing me to meal plan!
I love your vibe. Watching you is just like listening to an old friend. Thank you for all the tips, I’m here not just for the tips, but more like hanging out with an old friend & 10 mins is just not enough..!🥹 Love from Melbourne Australia. X
My parents are from Sri Lanka, which neighbors India, and we share similar breakfast dishes. I think the crepes you mentioned are actually called thosai or dosa made from fermented, soaked ground rice, a soaked ground type of lentil and water and thats it. You do cook then in a little butter but just a bit. You can get that special lentil at an Indian grocery pretty cheap. So that's a super cheap breakfast!
If you have not already been stocking up you have to start NOW ! Prices at least for a while are only going to rise and we need to be able to save money for those expenses we are not able to control such as increased rent.
My rent just increased by $900/year. That's over 10% which is higher than inflation. I'm so effed and have nowhere to go. Gonna be another homeless person before long. "stocking up" only works if you have room and the money, and by doing that you are helping to drive up prices.
I am so sorry Jae Lynn my rent has also increased. Then the landlord said he was thinking of tacking on another amount to the rent to cover the FREE laundry he wants to provide us with. That is not free ! However like you , I do not have money to move or a less expensive place to go to.
Hi Christine! I'm playing your playlist like a radio, a fun way to reiterate to me when I put my "sale hauls" away, that I'm doing the right thing. We rarely do takeout pizzas anymore and we've got our budget down even thru inflation! Thanks for the inspiration.. On a side note, do you still do videos about trying snacks and such? I would love to send you some and want to know your thoughts!
Shop sales, in season, coupons for items only you use, look at sales ads, meal plan, shop your pantry for pantry staple meals, how to expand and preserve items or help them to last longer! 🤗❤️ love the video as always!
There are also a lot of ethnic food stores that actually sell products way cheaper than the typical grocery store because they know it’s ridiculous to pay such high prices
@Amy Aydt Yes I shop at our local Mexican food stores here in Las Vegas Nevada and their meat prices and a few other things are way cheaper than the grocery stores
Eggs in the uk are a lot more expensive though. I've never seen 18 eggs for around £1 but she showed it for $1.47 (on sale i think but still that's like £1).
I love your videos. I live in Europe so your tips are not always applicable, but I like that you are also learning principles, so that it is easy to customize your tips for my country as well.
Check specials, buy animal proteins when well priced only. Whole chickens usually cheaper and are easy to quarter. Whole boneless pork loin cheaper than chops, sharpen your chefs knife & slice it up as thick or thin as you prefer. Lots of veggies either fresh or frozen but meal plan alot if buying fresh. A well stocked/stuffed pantry & chest freezer always.
I envy your prices. I live in central MN and food here is ridiculously expensive. Especially with the inflation happening right now. Our grocery stores are the worst. Even ad items are not that great of a discount. I very rarely if ever see discounted stuff like you get.
I moved to States 7 years ago. My tip is to pick a staple food (like milk or bread) and compere its price per unit to price in your homeland. If you do that you can compere the other items. For example: 1kg of rice cost about 1l of milk and in your country cost the same or more = it is not to expensive, but 1kg of some fruits cost 8l of milk and in your country it costs significant less = its expensive. Be aware that most of "international" food is crazy expensive in regular grocery store and the selection is very limited. Find your country (or region) specialty deli or store if you feel homesick. It is not always cheaper, but you have better selection and stuff that is totally exotic to most of Americans.
Here is Australia we have a grocery store called NQR (Not Quite Right). You need to keep an eye on the expiry date because some are very close. But you can also get things that have crumpled boxes or dented cans. I do advise that dented cans should be used fairly quickly, however, as the integrity of the seal may have been compromised.
We haven't bought cereal in over a year when the article came out that General Mills cereals had fertilizer in it. We don't miss it. Cereal has too much sugar & the for the cost it is not a healthy or cost effective item. I remember when I was a child cereal was just a little over $2. We buy the same big size oatmeal tug you showed & we make healthy oatmeal on the stove & we add fruit in it.
I’ve always shopped like this and I’ve had real sticker shock on my pantry basics. I was buying whole hens to make my own cat food and last I went to the store they weren’t even available! Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they don’t even include the innards in a whole hen anymore. The dry beans have doubled here. The meat prices doubled or more. When you look up what the percentage of rise in prices are it’s laughable. 16%. 10%. No! It’s 100%. I buy my meat after holidays for the lowest price and this Easter it looked like a disaster. Only hams for $4 a pound. So happy my pantry and freezer is mostly already full but it’s going to get really creative from here on out. Growing another garden this year!
EGGS for $1.47 😱. My local supermarket a dozen eggs are $3 USD for cheapest and $6 USD for free-range. Regional Western Australia (think Alaska without the snow, for $ comparison).
For the most part, I now only buy things that are on sale and are a great deal. Its really added some variety to what I buy, haha! It has really helped us stock up, too.
Amazing tips! Don’t forget to eat before you go to the store. I’m sure that’s in one of your other videos but I didn’t hear that in this one. Maybe I missed it
Mygreat grandmother owned a boarding house in Kentucky. Her mottoa when it came to feeding her boarders was "Potatoes is cheap!" Truer words were never spoken Mamaw.
NYC groceries are INSANELY expensive and hard to find. If you live in Manhattan the best prices are at Trader Joe’s or ALDI; North Brooklyn there are some Trader Joe’s but for the outer areas you want to look for Stop & Shop or C Town grocery stores, same for the Bronx and Queens. Our Chinatowns have some of the best prices for fresh meat and produce; lower Manhattan, Sunset Park Brooklyn, and Flushing Queens. Good Luck!
I am a follower who lives in Ontario Canada. I love your videos and have been following the tips you offer. I have a family of 2 children 2 adults. We've managed to reduce our food budget from 1200$ per month to around 700$/ month. We have dietary restrictions though and don't eat tomato sauces or pasta and this is essentially the cost of fresh foods meats, and pantry staples ( rice beans flour) Food where we live is very expensive we end up buying flats of 30 eggs for 7$ which works out to being the most affordable option. We stock pile meat on sale, and freeze, and I make all but 2 meals a month at home. Recently we went to florida for 2 weeks, and I was amazed at the food prices there. Meat we couldn't even think about getting at home was 5$. Butter very cheap like 2$ a brick at home the cheapest option is 4.99 unless it goes on sale for 3.99 which is only 2 times per year, ( yes I stock up when its sale time) I've been trying to reduce our grocery budget more but it's very difficult without losing the nutrition of our meals :(
I would love to see a gluten free low cost meal video from you. I am sadly also allergic to oats. I feel like inflation has really impacted our grocery bill lately
this would be really interesting, because in Australia oats are classified as containing gluten because they can trigger a similar result for people with coeliac disease like me
I don't do gluten free right now, but have in the past, and I think the best saving money on a gluten free diet would probably be to stick to foods that are naturally gluten free instead of substitutes. So, instead of buying gluten free bread, crackers, cereal, cookies, etc...try to expand your recipes that are based on gluten free items. You can make a ton of things that are based around potatoes, rice, beans, corn etc.... Especially if you explore meals from different cuisines.
I threw a recipe together Sunday of egg noodles, chicken breast that was marinated in Italian dressing and mixed veggies and cream of chicken soup. It was good
Last week, juice was $1.99 for the 32 ounce, this week the same juice, is $4.49, so you really have to shop coupons, and you may have to go weekly, this week I paid $14.50 for 4 chunky soup, 2 lunch meat, and 1 can of spam, 4 beef broth , head of lettuce, 1 half gallon of milk, so 13 item's for 14.50, not to bad milk was .87 cents...
I make Swedish pancakes which are pretty much like crepes. 3 cups of bisquick 3 1/2 cups of water 3 eggs And I melt 1/4 cup of butter and mix into the batter. 😋
if you stick to the ouside edges of your local supermarkets, you'll spend less money and you'll eat healthier. All the processed "stuffs" tend to be in the aisles toward the center of the stores.
Food in America looks incredible cheap to me comparing to prices in Poland and Australia.
Agree 💯
💯 my grocery budget is $800 a month for 3 people and we eat very cheap meals. I’m in Sydney.
Lithuania. I spend 20€ a month on grocery. Single life.
@@kerina_perry9694 thank the gods I'm single live by myself no kids just 3 cats...Sydney must be hellaexpensive to ĺive in I shudder to think what amount you pay for rent...3 people and $800 a month for FOOD ??? YIKES....
100% New Zealand is horrific at the moment.
I watch delish’s budget eat series. The person who does the series, June, lives in New York and she shows how you can make meals for really cheap. She also explains which areas she gets her ingredients. Hopefully this will help someone 😊
Yes, I just commented the same thing. June knows her stuff.
June is my favorite!
@@Veronica-fc9td stocking your spice rack is where the Christine-isms kick in! build up slowlyyy
I have this channel only for Jung in my subscriptions she ist a wonderfull girl i dont even live in the us :D
Is it a UA-cam channel? Like what would one search to find that?
My food philosophy: Buy less processed food and stick to the produce that is on sale. Also, buy less meat and dairy products. Overall, be flexible when it comes to food.
We use meat as a flavoring more than like we grew up on!
@@nevermind7253 We use meat the same way now also. It's not only healthier for us but much much more realistic on our budget.
Use less meat? How do get protein then? And like it or not processed foods are cheaper and when you don’t have tons of money…
@@nancyfarkas3592 As a vegetarian family, we receive the bulk of our protein from beans, lentils, tofu, grains (oatmeal, barley, and quinoa), nuts and seeds. Peas have about 8 g of protein per cup. Veggies such as spinach and brussel sprouts have decent protein. It is surprisingly easy to get all our protein from non animal sources.
@@nancyfarkas3592 It’s a myth that you need meat to get enough protein. There are so many resources online if you are truly interested.
LOVE this video! While your videos are always really down to earth, this one in particular feels like you're taking me through the grocery store 1-on-1 and dropping sage wisdom. You're the best!
I also love that she doesn't villanise shortcuts like a lot of frugal content creators do. I'm pregnant with twins and ADHD 😅 can't always do everything the cheapest from scratch way
I really enjoyed this video too, it was very honest & truthful/to the point. We need get back to the basics- i was watching someone spend $12 or 15 on pillsbury buscuits , why is easy & cheap to make!! Prepkg’d + processed are way to pricey not to mention unhealthy!!
Thank you so much, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the video!
Christine you would fall over at the prices in Australia 😂 Your grocery’s are sooooo cheap in comparison and the variety you have is amazing compared to what we have. We really have nothing compared to what you have available, but love your videos even if I can’t get majority of the ingredients.
Comparing food prices to countries isn't really relevant. Everybody is paying more then what they used to while the wages aren't going up with the inflation
I was going to come and say the same thing. It's crazy expensive here in Australia! Wages here for the average person are not that high either so it doesn't make up for it.
Chloe Klinger I live in a NSW regional country town; I agree grocery prices are soo expensive compared with USA (Lived in CA & Utah USA 15 years in 1990's early 2000's). Australia really could use a Walmart type of store and a lot more Costco's
So I've been binge watching your videos for a while now and when you grabbed the container of oats I laughed. In my dream last night I was leaving a grocery store and there was a large box truck that was FILLED with all discounted foods. I won't ask why there were refrigerated items mixed in there but I jumped into the pile like it was a ball pit and grabbed the oat container and said "It does exist!!" I have the strangest dreams, just had to share. 😂😂
I was in shock today!! Eggs 18 count at Kroger on Monday were regular price $1.99 and today $3.99. I couldn’t believe they doubled the price in a week. I’m so glad we have been making a stock pile the last two years.
Last week at Walmart was 1.99 for 18 count this week was $4.02.
Tulsa $3.99 for 18
I blame the bird flu. I live in Iowa and eggs here are extremely expensive.
At our Wal mart in upstate NY eggs jumped up to $7 for 18 eggs
I don't see how grocery stores are staying open and restaurants also.
Beans and rice rules!! I live in NYC, check out the ethnic grocery stores, look for discount produce stores (there's one in midtown) and I know there's a couple aldis in queens and brooklyn. Also trader Joe's while not quite as cheap is way more affordable than whole foods. And stay away from the packaged stuff! It's more expensive and its not good for you!
NYC pro tip - costco will deliver nonperishables for free if you spend $100 - great for bulk items especially without a car as most people in NY are
there's Walmart in Nassau County it is not far of a drive
I would like American food prices. Our prices in Australia, even in Aldi are at least triple the amount.
Same in Canada
Cooking from scratch is HUGE when it comes to saving money. I just made a large homemade pizza from scratch for about $3. It was super quick and easy. To buy a pre-made pizza from ALDI it would cost me $6. A frozen pizza would cost $9 and takeout pizza would cost $20. I saved anywhere between $3 to $17 with minimal effort.
I LOVE making homemade pizza! I use Bobby Flays pizza dough recipe and get the crust started in a large cast iron skillet with a bit of oil in the bottom. It partially cooks while I add the topping, then takes about 10-12 minutes at 450° in the oven. The bottom cooks perfect and gets nice and crispy!
@@smhobbs29 Sounds great! I’ll have to try that method. Thanks!
For people who think they can't make a crust from scratch--- look for a crazy crust pizza recipe. That crust is mix and pour. Lol I'm cheap and lazy.
@@smhobbs29 Heading off to find that one - always excited to try more pizza dough recipes! Thanks for sharing!
As someone from Europe (Austria) lots of food prices in cheaper US stores are shockingly low. How can it even get that cheap? How are producers, farmers, distributors, stores, workers, etc. making enough money is what I'm curious to know. I really envy US food prices at the moment. Here a standard boxed cereal (store brand in higher priced stores, name brand in lower priced stores) is roughly 3 € - 4 €. A 10 piece carton of eggs (organic or free range +) is somewhere between 3,50 € and 4,50 €. A liter of somewhat better milk (from alpine farmers or grass-fed cows) is roughly 1,30 €.
A lot of staple crops are subsidized by the government which makes the price lower than other countries. The US government subsidizes corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and rice.
Yep, government subsidies are a thing. Also, sometimes it’s the store that’s losing money. They do so intentionally. At a “weekly sale” store, they’ll have a few cover items that are very inexpensive to get people into the store to hopefully buy more expensive items too.
Also americans often don’t have to pay food taxes - as far as I know. In Germany we pay 7 or 19% taxes on food, depending on the kind of food.
@@melinaliebtpaul That goes state by state. In Massachusetts, we only pay tax on “prepared food,” like fish and chips, rotisserie chicken or steamed lobsters. And other groceries are taxed like toiletries and household items. But regular food is not.
Having lived in the US it's cheap because most of it is full of chemicals, fat, and sugar. The average American supermarket is full of literally junk food. Unless you shop at higher end market, most foods would never pass an EU food inspection.
As an Aussie, I too have the opposite problem. Looking at some of the prices you pay for fresh produce, meat, eggs and dairy, I can't understand how American farmers can make a living from such low prices. The last time I bought a dozen eggs, I paid $3.80 AUD. A half dozen sells for around $2 and we don't have 18 counts here. The rock bottom cheapest chicken thighs I can find are $14 per kilo, so that's around $7 a pound. I showed my butcher some of the prices you've listed and she couldn't figure out how anyone in the supply chain was many any money off it. Milk is around $1.20 a litre, so roughly $4 - $4.50 a gallon. Last time I bought cereal, $7 for a 750g box and that was on sale.
Our government subsidizes the food. So they pay farmers part of their wage in order to make food more affordable for the general population.
Unfortunately right now many stores in my area are completely out of fresh chicken. They have no idea when more will come in. There is a huge supply chain issue. I used to be able to get chicken breast for $1.69/pound near Chicago. Now those same stores sell it for $4/pound minimum when they actually have it in
@@No-sv6mu Yep, bird flu is making the rounds again.
I'm in Ontario. One dozen regular large eggs is usually around $4.00 . The cost of everything you show are much more expensive here. We don't have the discount stores you do. Gas is about $1.70 a litter ( about $7.00 a gallon).,
I'm currently having really bad mental health problems but your videos are super calming and are helping me alot today ❤️
The way to get prices lowered is refusing to buy things when they cost too much. Vote with your wallet. Give up convenience just for a little while, otherwise you'll be giving it up altogether when prices get even worse. That's the case at a certain theme park right now, bc not enough of us have decided "not worth going into debt to afford." Always remember you have a choice, and sometimes if you want something done right you just have to do it yourself, which includes putting affordable dinner on the table, and giving your kids affordable vacations, despite their not being as glamorous as you might've hoped.
Good words, spot on.
Right now that’s not what I would suggest , don’t like price go to a smaller store, but get stocked ! Waiting wouldn’t be prudent . Remember at voting time who put us in this situation!
It's really interesting looking at US prices compared to the UK. Your prices seem vastly more expensive than here in the UK (eg a 2.5kg bag of potatoes is still less than £1) and yet we have price rises here too. I would say a lot of the regular things I would buy at full price are up about 10p each now. I scratch cook almost everything and live off clearance stickers and never buy branded products unless I get them free with cashback apps. My food bill is £30 a month these days. I'm still amazed how much food gets discounted because they overstock the shelves. Every day is a bargain buy day here if you get the right store.
I think to be fair too, the dollar is worth less so it would appear more expensive- but they also are expensive 😅
Totally depends on what you buy and where too. If this person is in NYC, the prices are def higher than upstate NY where I live
The Indian Crepes are called dosas and they are budget friendly delicious and nutritious. Making the batter and dosa needs a little trick but once you get the hang of it, it’s really cheap and very delicious. The batter requires fermentation and doubles itself in the process and you can make so many items out of it. Idlis, Dosas and Uttapams. Idlis are freezer friendly too. Batter made out of 3 cups of rice and 1 cup of lentils runs for an entire week for my family of four if we eat once a day out of the batter. I buy idli rice only once a year. Both my kids eat upto 3 dosas at a time and still it stretches for an entire week and the bag stretches for an entire year. You can also research different types of dosas like neer dosa and there are many more. The ingredients are so simple and cheap, they come out delicious and very healthy too.
This sounds very good. Since my family likes Indian cuisine my husband bought me a cookbook. I’ve not made anything from it…yet. 😆 I did make naan with yogurt when yeast was unavailable, which I thought was a good.
@@heathersmeather On UA-cam I love Manjula cooks. Her Indian recipes are tasty and I get good results. I used to live and work in India. Spices are much cheaper in Indian grocery stores in the USA than at Kroger, etc.
I agree about the meal plan. Unless you have a well stocked freezer and pantry, plan your meals for the week based on what is on sale. Especially meats. Hugh savings.💞
A meal plan is everything...shop pantry/freezer, meal plan, then grocery store
christine ur so kind for caring about ur subs like this!
Because we don’t grow food ourselves! I started planting things this year and looking at getting chickens for eggs. I don’t want to sound like a crazy prepper person, I am so far from that but I’m excited to see what I can grow and can this year
I'm in South Africa and I am amazed at how cheap food seems in the US. When I convert from $ to R, things like eggs are dirt cheap. For example, we pay around $5 for 30 eggs. Our food is very expensive here. I think its all about making from scratch as much as possible and eating fresh, sale veggies and fruits. Discount stores are amazing too
That's a Costco price for eggs
I remember reading that a long time ago
...to just shop the perimeter, that's usually where the fresh produce and protein are. The inner aisles are usually the processed foods, not very healthy anyway.
Wow. I haven’t bought boxed cereal in ages, so I had no idea how expensive it had gotten. Working from home has made me discover how much I actually enjoy cooking from home. I get exactly what I want and it’s always healthier than what I could get at any restaurant. Your videos have been so helpful, too!!
Yes! Make it yourself! Cheaper and healthier! Yes! Eat leftovers, including cook or freeze your produce before it goes bad! Yes! Meal plan! Start by shopping your own pantry so you only buy what you need! Yes! Once you have some basics, you will primarily shop sales! And I will add, watch what non-food items you are buying that are making your "grocery bill" high.
I'm in the Toronto, Canada area and I nearly fell out of my chair to see butter, regular not fancy butter, for $7.99 last week which I would never pay. Butter should be around $3.50 - $5 here, or less on sale. It was an eye opener. I feel that even with the exchange that we pay more for food here than in the U.S but there seems to be a lot more variety and cool products in the U.S.
Absolutely agree - butter and eggs especially have been ridiculous recently in the GTA. I’m at the point where the only butter I buy is on some sort of a deep discount, and then I’ll buy multiple and freeze them because it feels like a ripoff otherwise!
@@nataliapawlowski1085, same here!
I'm in the Montreal area and, sadly, 7.99$ has been the "regular" price for butter around here for the past few years. The best sale price is 3.33$ and at that point, I'm usually piling my cart with however many pounds of butter the store will allow me to buy haha! But I totally agree that, looking at these prices even with the exchange, we seem to pay a lot more for food here in Canada than they do in the U.S.
Yes!! Every time I see the price of eggs in these videos, I'm shocked, lol. Most food prices have gone up recently, so I'm always looking for sales on staples and stocking up when I can.
Another Canadian here.. we've always paid more for food than the US, but wow, it's getting even more so I think. A dozen large eggs is $3.59.
Food prices have definitely gone up extremely high, in the United States and in Canada, the last few years. Having a list/meal planning for the week (and sticking to it), then cooking when you get home will definitely make you a winner! ❤ this video! ...and welcome to the West, to her viewer 👍🏻
My Mom taught me to cook and to shop the "outside" of the grocery store--produce, meat, dairy. Skip lunch meat. Skip convenience food. Buy canned/frozen veg (she grew and canned our veggies) Fresh fruit & veg in season. Heresy maybe, but skip touristy Farmer's Market and scout out the local ones--much cheaper. Always know the unit price. I have never formed the convenience food habit. I don't eat out except once in a while when I forget my lunch at work! The food is crap and expensive.
I have followed your videos for A Loooong time like the eclipse video time so for awhile! You are one of my absolute favorites! The greatest tips ever are finding discount grocery stores in your area. I didn’t know they even existed until you went to one and made the video. I found one here in my area of Florida OmG game changer!!! It’s called Sacks and it was just like the one you did the video in! Thank you for all your fun videos! I know they take a lot of work but you ROCK! I like seeing Dave and the kids from time to time too. He’s so funny. He always seems to have this “look” on his face like “I have no idea what she’s talking about but I need to act supportive” Lol 😂
It is all about knowing where to shop, when to shop and buy only sales that your family will eat. You hit the nail on the head.
What I have found being in Canada is that the American prices are very similar for processed foods but WAY cheaper for "ingredients". That 10 lb bag of potatoes would be at least $8 and eggs are on average $4 a dozen. :(
I know I was thinking “see what it’s like in Canada!” 😂
@@kristinj7173 I'm over 7 hours from the border to Montana I believe it is sadly :(
I visited the US from the UK two months ago. It's the first time we have been back for 2 years. I could not believe how expensive the fruit and veg is now. Prices in the UK have risen highly but not as much as the US. Still love and miss the US. Beautiful peoplex
Great tips!! Meal planning is essential to saving money, and make that grocery list! Happy Blessed Friday Christine!💗💓
I buy what is cheapest and make my meals based on what I have in the house and what needs to be eaten first
Love it. Just listed with my husband to make sure he is on board. My daddy always said if you want to know where your money is going check you trash can. Sound advice.
I just listened to this twice while doing dishes. Love all you have to say. Thank you
Taking the time to make a meal plan for the work is the absolute key! It’s kind of a pain but I can’t imagine not having a plan both before stepping in the store and before starting to make dinner every night.
So I really want to push back on this entire concept, because food in America is actually incredibly cheap. Yes there’s some artificial inflation happening, but actually we subsidize our farming industry in order to make food incredibly cheap to buy. On average and American spins lesson 20% of their monthly budget on food, where in other countries and in the past food would account for closer to 40+ percent of a budget. Food is incredibly labor intensive to make, which is why Whole Foods that haven’t been highly processed with che products are expensive. I think part of what we’re seeing is some of the true cost of food, and that we’re not used to it. The idea that a hamburger can cost a single dollar, shows you how heavily subsidized food is. So I don’t want to undermine the fact that the prices are going up and many of us have budgets built on the idea of cheap and easily assessable food commodities, I think it’s important for us to realize that as a nation we have incredibly cheap access to food.
If you stick to the basics food is very cheap. Oatmeal, potatoes, rice ,beans, chicken, noodles, fresh produce. Once I cut out the processed foods my grocery bill cut in half. Real food fills you up processed makes you hungry.
You make good points but it’s not really about the percentage that’s spent on food. I think they were comparing the dollar price of the food to what that same food costs in their local currency. I moved to the US from Nigeria and had a similar issue. Processed foods cost more here than what I paid for the same items (imported) back home.
Edit: I say processed foods because that’s what I was buying as a kid, but converting the cost of most of not all grocery items to my local currency makes me sad, and that’s even with inflation and crazy fx rates.
Either way our budgets are getting tired. And I appreciate her advice for how to save or stretch our money.
Agreed
@@lovelife7343 unfortunately produce is no longer affordable. Generic eggs have gone up $1.15 where I am. Everything is getting insane
Just paid 120€ on a queen size air matress and it is an average price for Ireland!! 24 dollars is a total steal😅🤷♀️
I am just like the friend without the list. I get so distracted while shopping and come home with a brilliant plan... but then half of the things or more dont work together. So then Domino's or fast food is implemented. I also get lazy with my plans and have so much of lack of follow through even when all the pieces are purchased!! I also have the motivation/dedication to home cooking for about about 2 to 3 week time span. ADHD living. But your videos are inspiring to stick with it!!! Thanks so much for the content.
Here in Middle TN our Kroger's does the $0.99 bags of fresh misfit fruits and veggies. I was shocked I was able to get 4 decent avocados for basically $0.25 a piece, same with onions, Anaheim peppers, orange bell peppers, cucumbers and jazz apples. Usually there's 4 or 5 of whatever fruit etc. for less than a dollar for the whole bag and I came up with tons of snacks and creative meals last week on less than $6 which would've probably cost close to $20 when I estimated it in the Kroger app normally. Worth some bruises, mishapes, etc.
Edit: saw the red mesh bags in her cart towards the end, those might be the sales bags thats exactly what they look like! Glad most Kroger's do this!
I taught myself to become frugal, but I seriously cannot meal-plan. Ive tried and failed. I am capable, but I can't say I want to eat "xyz" on Monday, or "abc" on Tuesday etc, so the food sometimes went to waste with good intentions. My babies are grown now so it's just me. Doing much better about just buying fresh items I know I'll use in short order. Absolutely love your videos and humor 😊
Compared to Australia I find food prices in America are cheap . Food is astronomical here . A dozen eggs in Aldi $3.99 . Cauliflower in another supermarket $ 5.99 and truss tomatoes $7.99 for one kilo ( 2.2 lb) . We do not have coupons either . What I notice from other videos you have everything in cans or packages . Such a variety but we tend to eat more fresh or frozen .
I have noticed that eggs, milk and butter have almost doubled here in Delaware. I was in complete shock when I went to the store last week.
Same in Michigan
We shop at Fred Meyer a lot! We don't end up buying very many pre made items, so seeing how expensive cereal is kind of blows my mind.
My FM has better sale prices than Walmart. I avoid Walmart like the plague
An idea I think would be really cool for you to do is shop for a months allotment of wic items, what a mother would get for one child and then go through what you would add to it to make it stretch and spin ideas for meal plans made with the items.
As an Australian I am jealous of HOW CHEAP your food is compared to us. Ours is ridiculous
Our prices in Australia are way higher, but so are our wages 🤷🏻♀️
@@leannewith3 Wages not always. Our average wage is very similar to US. Some earn less, some more. Many casual workers here can't get enough shifts to make a living, which I'm sure is similar in the US. Our rents and housing also take a huge chunk of pay for low income workers.
@@jemmainthegym minimum wage (rate per hour) in the US is $7.25 while in Australia it is $21.35. This will obviously influence the cost of everything. Low income earners everywhere struggle with similar issues.
@@leannewith3 Yes, however many are not making full time hours as I mentioned, then you have self employed. My family live on a very low income, it is less than full time at minimum wage (and we don't claim any CL), and now just one income. Some states in the US do have a higher minimum too. Also, in the cities where the minimum wage is that, they are not paying $400+ a week for rent.
@@jemmainthegym unfortunately that is not unique to Australia. People in the US also struggle with these things. But the cost of labour is one of the contributing factors to the prices of goods and services.
I used to make my own fancy rice dish by using spaghetti noodles. I’d break the noodles into half inch pieces and, without boiling them, Brown them in a bit of butter in a pan. It added a nice toasted flavor and crunch to our rice dish. It was a very cheap version of expensive rice pilaf packets at the store.
@Alicia
Great idea
Would you mind sharing the recipe please and thank you 😊
This!!! It’s so easy and delicious.
@@starlenearnold5303 I just used the spaghetti noodles toasted, then any rice (I preferred brown rice). Cook the rice to the directions listed. Then season with whatever you like. Then would add it all back in the pan I had toasted the spaghetti noodles in. And toss it with butter.
Great video Christine! Will need to watch it again and binge on your other videos.
I live in NY state and everything in NYC is expensive! I saw someone from the city went to a Walmart just outside the city and she was shocked at the difference in prices. Even taking transportation into account, she saved a lot on groceries.
Yup. I used to take public transportation outside the city I lived in and taxi it back. Bought for 6 months at a time. Hassle but big savings.
This is so great! Very informative video, and so adaptable to Norwegian food cuisine, and probably a lot (most? 🤔) of other cuisines too. What is a good deal can depend some, but the basic is the same: do the work yourself and save money, and/or know your prices and use the sales. 🤑
We have more crepes here. Thin pancakes. We don’t use a blender or a mixer for it, we use a wisp, and that’s that. That is the normal at least when I grow up, it was that way in was taught both in both sides of the family and in school too. Probably nice to use a blender, but don’t let not having some electric help discourage you from making some yummy crepes or even American banana pancakes 😋
Thanks for sharing! Johanne, Norway 🇳🇴
Potatoes are much less expensive in Idaho than they are in Louisiana. Still a good deal though and I definitely buy them. Almost any food in its natural state is a better deal than a processed or boxed version, and a ton healthier.
To answer that cereal question, I'm in Arizona. Cheapest for where I'm at for cold cereal is typically 3 for $6, while I can get 10 lbs of minute oats for about $10 at a smart and final that's a 20 minute drive to Cali. I go there specifically for my bread flour because 25 lbs for less than $10 for bread works for a family of 5.
Meh, I don't necessarily agree about making a list and meal plan and sticking to it. I find that people get set on certain meals and that opens them up to purchasing the ingredients they need even if they are way too pricey. I'm more a fan of going in and seeing what is on sale and making the meal plan from that. If chicken is $3.99 a pound and ground hamburger is on sale for $1.99 a pound you can bet I'm going to go with a hamburger based option as opposed to the chicken tika masala I had my heart set on.
I agree with what you’re saying but by meal plan, Christine is usually referring to planning around what you already have in your pantry, freezer and fridge. I’m sure she would agree with you!
I make my lists and meal plan by checking local stores to see what is on sale to go with what I already have. I think that is Christine’s intent too
.
I am a New Zealand viewer and I always absolutely buzz out how cheap American food is, compared to what we pay but i guess the whole US vs nz dollar exchange rates and min wage etc all play apart of it, I still love following and I still love to watch as I get so many amazing ideas and tips 💙love your channel
Thank you so much for taking the time to make videos like this!! Not all of us had mom’s who passed on this wisdom on grocery shopping. I’m one of those ppl who spends too much at the grocery store and then comes home and doesn’t have “food”. Or groceries go bad in the fridge. And then I end up eating out. God bless you!!
I was thinking about this. Maybe you should do another extreme food challenge. To see what it would cost to feed a family of 6.
You're the best, Christine. Thanks for keeping us informed and entertained. Have a wonderful weekend! 😊
American food is so much cheaper than Australian. I came from Ireland where it was cheaper than Australia. Food has got very expensive here too.
Maybe it's stuck at the Mexican border that will put price up.
Abbott definitely not making it easy at the border.
2 days ago at a Walmart in NW Wisconsin, asparagus from Mexico looked like dried up twigs bundled together. No thanks.
Our food is more expensive but wages are also higher so I feel it’s pretty similar once you factor that in. Some of our local stuff is also better quality. I just hate how we have such less variety lol… we have like 4 flavours of Oreos instead of 24 lol (real world problems right hehe). I agree though, we are seeing inflation popping up more and more. I have stocked up my freezer and I’m now just rotating my food when it’s on sale.
She's beautiful! Beautiful family! Congrats to you all. Thank you for sharing! 💕
Cornbread to go with everything - you are right! Especially Chili! We no longer buy boxed cereal - bad carbs and lots of sugar - I would say 99% of them - plus, they are extremely expensive! If you don’t like oatmeal or grits for breakfast, you’re out of luck at my house! 😁 Yeah - you can tell I’m from the south - I eat grits!
Very interesting, I don't live in the USA but I think that your tips are valid for any country. I very seldom buy prepackaged anything, I bought a lasagne yesterday as I had a doctor's appointment and was not going to have time to cook dinner, it was nice, but my husband and daughter both said that mine is much better 😁.
Your tips are always great! I’m really bad at just going to the store and buying what sounds good, these types of videos help a ton in convincing me to meal plan!
I love your vibe. Watching you is just like listening to an old friend. Thank you for all the tips, I’m here not just for the tips, but more like hanging out with an old friend & 10 mins is just not enough..!🥹 Love from Melbourne Australia. X
My parents are from Sri Lanka, which neighbors India, and we share similar breakfast dishes. I think the crepes you mentioned are actually called thosai or dosa made from fermented, soaked ground rice, a soaked ground type of lentil and water and thats it. You do cook then in a little butter but just a bit. You can get that special lentil at an Indian grocery pretty cheap. So that's a super cheap breakfast!
If you have not already been stocking up you have to start NOW ! Prices at least for a while are only going to rise and we need to be able to save money for those expenses we are not able to control such as increased rent.
My rent just increased by $900/year. That's over 10% which is higher than inflation. I'm so effed and have nowhere to go. Gonna be another homeless person before long. "stocking up" only works if you have room and the money, and by doing that you are helping to drive up prices.
I am so sorry Jae Lynn my rent has also increased. Then the landlord said he was thinking of tacking on another amount to the rent to cover the FREE laundry he wants to provide us with. That is not free ! However like you , I do not have money to move or a less expensive place to go to.
My rent went up $111. A month more. So I'm trying to pay off debt as they say it will go up again. Looking for an over 55 affordable/waiting lists...
Get yourself a notebook and start writing down info and looking for options. You may qualify for affordable housing. Shop around.
Before COVID there was at least an 8 year waiting list for low income housing. Lord knows what it is now
Hi Christine! I'm playing your playlist like a radio, a fun way to reiterate to me when I put my "sale hauls" away, that I'm doing the right thing. We rarely do takeout pizzas anymore and we've got our budget down even thru inflation! Thanks for the inspiration..
On a side note, do you still do videos about trying snacks and such? I would love to send you some and want to know your thoughts!
Shop sales, in season, coupons for items only you use, look at sales ads, meal plan, shop your pantry for pantry staple meals, how to expand and preserve items or help them to last longer! 🤗❤️ love the video as always!
The video is filled with great tips and tricks to help you stretch the food budget dollars.
I'm just amazed at the prices and at how stocked your shelves are.
There are also a lot of ethnic food stores that actually sell products way cheaper than the typical grocery store because they know it’s ridiculous to pay such high prices
@Amy Aydt
Yes I shop at our local Mexican food stores here in Las Vegas Nevada and their meat prices and a few other things are way cheaper than the grocery stores
When I watched your episode about apples I couldn’t believe how expensive they were, here in the uk you can get apples in packs of 6 for £1
Eggs in the uk are a lot more expensive though. I've never seen 18 eggs for around £1 but she showed it for $1.47 (on sale i think but still that's like £1).
Great video! Yes, the air mattress is too high. Stock up on chicken now as prices are rising due to the bird flu.
I love your videos. I live in Europe so your tips are not always applicable, but I like that you are also learning principles, so that it is easy to customize your tips for my country as well.
We have same prices on cereal here in Sweden. Some stores have cheaper prices but the bigger and better stores have higher prices.
Check specials, buy animal proteins when well priced only. Whole chickens usually cheaper and are easy to quarter. Whole boneless pork loin cheaper than chops, sharpen your chefs knife & slice it up as thick or thin as you prefer. Lots of veggies either fresh or frozen but meal plan alot if buying fresh. A well stocked/stuffed pantry & chest freezer always.
If looking at processed food, the lower shelves are most often the cheapest. The top shelf placement is the higher cost items.
This was an awesome video and I’m sure the person who emailed you is thrilled that you took the time and effort to make it!!!! ❤️
I envy your prices. I live in central MN and food here is ridiculously expensive. Especially with the inflation happening right now. Our grocery stores are the worst. Even ad items are not that great of a discount. I very rarely if ever see discounted stuff like you get.
I moved to States 7 years ago. My tip is to pick a staple food (like milk or bread) and compere its price per unit to price in your homeland. If you do that you can compere the other items. For example: 1kg of rice cost about 1l of milk and in your country cost the same or more = it is not to expensive, but 1kg of some fruits cost 8l of milk and in your country it costs significant less = its expensive.
Be aware that most of "international" food is crazy expensive in regular grocery store and the selection is very limited. Find your country (or region) specialty deli or store if you feel homesick. It is not always cheaper, but you have better selection and stuff that is totally exotic to most of Americans.
My wife and I made your baked rice recipe today.....WINNER! Absolutely the best way to eat rice. Thank You!
Here is Australia we have a grocery store called NQR (Not Quite Right). You need to keep an eye on the expiry date because some are very close. But you can also get things that have crumpled boxes or dented cans. I do advise that dented cans should be used fairly quickly, however, as the integrity of the seal may have been compromised.
We haven't bought cereal in over a year when the article came out that General Mills cereals had fertilizer in it.
We don't miss it. Cereal has too much sugar & the for the cost it is not a healthy or cost effective item. I remember when I was a child cereal was just a little over $2. We buy the same big size oatmeal tug you showed & we make healthy oatmeal on the stove & we add fruit in it.
I’ve always shopped like this and I’ve had real sticker shock on my pantry basics. I was buying whole hens to make my own cat food and last I went to the store they weren’t even available! Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they don’t even include the innards in a whole hen anymore. The dry beans have doubled here. The meat prices doubled or more. When you look up what the percentage of rise in prices are it’s laughable. 16%. 10%. No! It’s 100%. I buy my meat after holidays for the lowest price and this Easter it looked like a disaster. Only hams for $4 a pound. So happy my pantry and freezer is mostly already full but it’s going to get really creative from here on out. Growing another garden this year!
EGGS for $1.47 😱. My local supermarket a dozen eggs are $3 USD for cheapest and $6 USD for free-range. Regional Western Australia (think Alaska without the snow, for $ comparison).
For the most part, I now only buy things that are on sale and are a great deal. Its really added some variety to what I buy, haha! It has really helped us stock up, too.
Amazing tips! Don’t forget to eat before you go to the store. I’m sure that’s in one of your other videos but I didn’t hear that in this one. Maybe I missed it
Mygreat grandmother owned a boarding house in Kentucky. Her mottoa when it came to feeding her boarders was "Potatoes is cheap!" Truer words were never spoken Mamaw.
Some things in America are so much less expensive than in Canada!
We always buy things like rice, pasta and potatoes to use as a meal or side dish. Fresh fruits are great for dessert. I love cornmeal.
NYC groceries are INSANELY expensive and hard to find.
If you live in Manhattan the best prices are at Trader Joe’s or ALDI; North Brooklyn there are some Trader Joe’s but for the outer areas you want to look for Stop & Shop or C Town grocery stores, same for the Bronx and Queens. Our Chinatowns have some of the best prices for fresh meat and produce; lower Manhattan, Sunset Park Brooklyn, and Flushing Queens. Good Luck!
I like your videos. Your honest and real. Thanks for sharing.
I am a follower who lives in Ontario Canada. I love your videos and have been following the tips you offer. I have a family of 2 children 2 adults. We've managed to reduce our food budget from 1200$ per month to around 700$/ month. We have dietary restrictions though and don't eat tomato sauces or pasta and this is essentially the cost of fresh foods meats, and pantry staples ( rice beans flour) Food where we live is very expensive we end up buying flats of 30 eggs for 7$ which works out to being the most affordable option. We stock pile meat on sale, and freeze, and I make all but 2 meals a month at home. Recently we went to florida for 2 weeks, and I was amazed at the food prices there. Meat we couldn't even think about getting at home was 5$. Butter very cheap like 2$ a brick at home the cheapest option is 4.99 unless it goes on sale for 3.99 which is only 2 times per year, ( yes I stock up when its sale time) I've been trying to reduce our grocery budget more but it's very difficult without losing the nutrition of our meals :(
This was a great video. Even though I already do all the things you suggest, it’s nice to have confirmation and validation. Keep up the great work!
Many blessings to you. I pray that your family always have what you need today abs tomorrow. Thank you for sharing.
I would love to see a gluten free low cost meal video from you. I am sadly also allergic to oats. I feel like inflation has really impacted our grocery bill lately
this would be really interesting, because in Australia oats are classified as containing gluten because they can trigger a similar result for people with coeliac disease like me
@@blackrox1411 so many gluten free things in the US have oats in them.
I was thinking the same! I have celiac disease and the increased prices are shocking to the already higher priced gf items.
I don't do gluten free right now, but have in the past, and I think the best saving money on a gluten free diet would probably be to stick to foods that are naturally gluten free instead of substitutes. So, instead of buying gluten free bread, crackers, cereal, cookies, etc...try to expand your recipes that are based on gluten free items. You can make a ton of things that are based around potatoes, rice, beans, corn etc.... Especially if you explore meals from different cuisines.
Yes! Cornbread with everything! From Alabama and literally eating vegetable soup and sweet cornbread lol
I threw a recipe together Sunday of egg noodles, chicken breast that was marinated in Italian dressing and mixed veggies and cream of chicken soup. It was good
Last week, juice was $1.99 for the 32 ounce, this week the same juice, is $4.49, so you really have to shop coupons, and you may have to go weekly, this week I paid $14.50 for 4 chunky soup, 2 lunch meat, and 1 can of spam, 4 beef broth , head of lettuce, 1 half gallon of milk, so 13 item's for 14.50, not to bad milk was .87 cents...
I make Swedish pancakes which are pretty much like crepes.
3 cups of bisquick
3 1/2 cups of water
3 eggs
And I melt 1/4 cup of butter and mix into the batter. 😋
if you stick to the ouside edges of your local supermarkets, you'll spend less money and you'll eat healthier. All the processed "stuffs" tend to be in the aisles toward the center of the stores.
Thank you once again for the great tips Christine! Some of those prices look fantastic. Have a fantastic weekend!