A lot of commenters said you can’t live off that for 5 people for 2 weeks. I gotta say - you are BLESSED to have that much to eat in 2 weeks! There was a time where my family of 5 (when I was growing up) are a PBJ for breakfast, no lunch (said I forgot my lunch and the school would give me a granola bar if they had some), and another PBJ or some watered down soup for supper. We got a box from the food bank. That’s what we ate. Instead of people being skeptical of you, I wish they would be thankful to the Lord God who made them that they have more to eat than you do. You make really healthy meals and you make the food work and the dollars stretch for your needs. It’s excellent. And it’s a blessing to me to remember my family needing to think even more consciously about money than you have, and that I don’t need to worry about money for food anymore.
Holly Pike I grew up the same as you expect I’m Hispanic and it was tortillas, beans and rice. Sometimes nothing but lunch at school. We were a family of 5.
some of you mothers on here need to stay quiet, this women is doing THE MOST to feed her family on a budget but all you do is judge instead of understanding. go read her blog and stop being mad!!
@@TheBealles Unfortunately, I have come to a conclusion that no matter how great your vids may be, some people are bend on negative comments and therefore bloggers need to get used to it. Try not to take it personally.
God's grace gets me through all the time when feeding my kids. I may go without occasionally but my kids stay fed. Thank the Lord for oats. God is good!
This is what I'm talking about. I know this video is old, but I have to give you and your husband a standing round of applause for your efforts. You are budgeting food money to meet bigger goals. You are feeding your family healthy nutritious meals. And you are teaching your children how to properly reach targets thru saving and discipline. You and your family are rare in our current culture!!! Inspiring to those that are considering and encouraging to those of us who are following suit. *^_^*
It can :) Try cutting back just a little at a time. Go to 140 per week and see how you do. That's 40 extra dollars a month. Who wouldn't want that. Then keep cutting back little by little until you can't get any lower reasonably. :)
I save a ton by not eating meat, dairy, eggs, salt, sugar or oil. We eat greens, beans, rice and potatoes, tons of veg and fruit. Eating this way cured my high blood pressure, psoriasis, and lost 80 pds. Nutritarian lifestyle. I loved this video. You have a pleasing warm voice.
That's awesome! I am vegan now, and it has made a huge difference. You could check out my more recent grocery hauls if you are interested in seeing the difference :)
My hubby and I recently switched to a plant based diet. We eat deer meat( which he shot) and eat lots of grain and veggies. Both lost weight. And just feel healthier. We don't eat out as much. Dinners are must easier to put together when there is no meat involved
Ya and where I live all that fruit and veg is more expensive than meat. We can't all be that lucky. Veganism is fine if you can afford it. But all those carbs screws with me...bad.
what I do is make a list of everything I have in the cabinet and fridge and then make a meal plan around what I have so that nothing sits in the cabinet. Everything gets used. It also kind of forces you to be creative with your meals. Also, when I go to the grocery store, I usually only have to pick up one or two things for each meal because I already had one or two of the sides.
I have seven of my nieces and nephews living with us permanently after losing my brother. So with my husband and our two children, yes, that adds up to eleven in our household. We are on a very strict budget even though we both have very good jobs. We go grocery shopping once a month (except for milk and bread) and we have a large chest freezer in our garage. Our budget for once a month is $400. Our milk and bread fund is $22 weekly. I shop the sales and go to Aldi's along with the can-alicious sale at our local chain which takes place twice a year in January and July. We simply cannot spend any more than that. I admire that you stick to your budget. I love your videos. Keep up the excellent advice and God Bless you and your family. We make it work!!
I grew up really poor, but was also taught to be self-sufficient. We never had our hands held out to the government for food stamps, etc. It's just not the way we lived; no hand outs. So, I can appreciate and understand just how you do this. Anyone can do what you are doing. It's just a matter of will and discipline. Keep up the good work!
She mentioned that she doesn't do breakfast and that most of the house is gone for lunch. So it's dinners and the weekend to put it into perspective. Regardless, she is still doing a great job :)
Back in the seventies I was stationed in el paso for a year. I had to budget $50 a month for food for the wife and I. Cheapest meat then was a center cut ham(33cents a pound) and I'd get it sliced into fourteen or so steaks. Next back then hamburger meat. Family packs divided up into two serving sizes. Then dried beans. Whatever money was left was spent on fresh vegetables, potatoes, rice, cereal, canned goods and a few meats like chicken, pork chops. We never ran out of food but toward the end of the month we were down to ham, hamburger, and dried beans for dinner every night. These days I don't eat grains, rice, potatoes, corn or sugar so everything else is my normal diet. I buy fresh vegetables but grow most items my wife and I eat. A small pond provides us with fresh fish and a fruit orchard provides more fruit than we can eat. Chickens provide all the eggs we can eat but it's work and likely more expensive than buying store bought eggs. Rule one, never buy prepared food or processed food. You pay for that service so fix it yourself and save. You'll also avoid all the added chemicals that keep the processed food safe to eat. Don't buy prepared salad mix. Buy a head of lettuce, cabbage, a bag of carrots, radishes and you can make a bushel of salad for the cost of a one pound bag of mix. Oil and vinegar are the cheapest salad dressing and you can season it anyway you want.
I too have a family of 5 and I've been a budget shopper all my life. One reason my husband loves me soo much 😆 My 8 yr old daughter is always learning about saving money and how to spend wisely. thank you for your video. we can't go wrong with potatoes and onions, rice dishes (I'm asian and thats a staple) throughout the month with a budget of 180.00 or less. You have revived something in me and I know I can cut the food budget a little lower. We love Aldis. We're teaching our kids to be content, humble, and thankful for what they have, a lesson that'll follow them into adulthood and showing them that when your saving for some thing, there's sacrifices that must be made in our lifestyle. Showing them that adapting without complaining is building character. This is the first video I seen of yours and I can seeyou have a beautiful spirit inside you that only God gives.
Thank you! We love Asian food, and it is a big reason why we feel comfortable with those staples. Teaching you children character is important in anything you do as a family. Good job, Mama!
I loved that you took your daughter! Nothing like teaching real life skills, by doing life together 🤗 way to go Mom! Thanks for this awesome information.
My husband and I Raised 7 children on a limited budget. In spite if it we made sure our children ate 3 good meals a day. Plenty of eggs, meat, milk, cheese, veggies, fruit, potatoes, rice, beans, peanut butter, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, wheateena, grits, ect.. We understood that feeding our children with their growing bodies plenty of good healthy food was our duty, so we made it a priority. When you have children and a small income, it takes sacrifice. They come first. If we had to depend on social security for retirement then so be it. We chose to bring them into this world and they should not be expected to go with less than is good for them so we can have a more comfortable retirement. We are getting by on S. S. And I wouldn't go back and change it for anything. On another note: This lady did what she needed to with her UA-cam videos to increase her food budget and I admire her for it.
Mexican meal that is cheap: Don't buy pre-made shells, buy corn tortillas and make them yourself. I personally like soft shell, so I put a few tablespoons of oil in a pan, let it heat , do each tortilla for 5-10 seconds on each side and put on napkin to absorb excess oil.... the corn tortilla is hot, soft, pliable and has a good flavor. Then you can make a mixture of ground beef and potato for the filling. First brown meat, drain, then add finely dice potatoes, drain salt, pepper, onion powder, ect), then simmer it till potatoes are cooked. Also, make spanish rice and refried beans. A little diced lettuce/tomato and a salsa from dollar store. Add additional flavor to it if you find the dollar salsa/sauce too tomatoey-bland. I add a little garlic and onion powder sometimes.
I am a mother to 4...new to your channel.I definitely appreciate the creativity here...buying food for a family is expensive nowadays.I am definitely trying stretch my money...so thank you for this.
Wow, I am watching this for the second time. When you said 2016, I had to check the date. I have been watching your channel a long time. I'm glad you are still on UA-cam.
This is my first time watching you and I think your information is great. Who are the 800 bleepity-bleeps who gave this video a thumbs down?? Huh? Crazy. Even if this style of shopping isn't your cup of tea, why give a thumbs down? Lots of good tips and motivation to tighten your own food budget. Thank you, Fundamental Home (sorry, don't know your name). You're helping a lot of people and I'll be subscribing. I'm single and usually throw caution to the wind when I grocery shop. What I need to do is 'shop my pantry' for awhile. I could survive a snowpocalypse....or two. LOL
A couple tips for those trying to learn how to budget their food money. 1. Learn how to cook. If you don't have a kitchen (or time) a crockpot can be your best friend. 2. NEVER shop while hungry! 3. Don't go shopping in the few days before and after people get food stamps. I've noticed, around that time the 3 for 5.00 tags go up and people think they are getting a deal. The original price is 1.25 per so you'll end up spending more. Don't be afraid to lift those tags to be sure you are getting a deal. 4. Don't be afraid of the the bottom shelf and non-name brand products. Decades ago I worked for a chicken processing plant and was shocked to find out, the name brand and generic brand is the SAME chicken. They just change the bags! That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Hope it helps. Good luck!
I have worked retail most of my life and have almost perfected bargain shopping. I will admit I get food stamps for myself and my kids so that forces you to shop on a tight budget. I have found that certain 'off brands' or store brands are just as good if not BETTER than name brand. I love Aldi and Price Rite! Also most stores WILL give you a bit of a discount on an item if the package isn't perfect. So long as the product inside is not damaged and it is 'in date' you're fine. It never hurts to swallow your pride and simply ask 'Hey, any chance you could give me a little off these green beans since the can is dented?' The worst they are going to do is say no! LOL
She didn't say one negative thing about people on food stamps. She just pointed out that the stores manipulate the prices around these dates, which makes sense. They aren't stupid, they're going to know when people get their food stamps, that's when they're going to go food shopping and so they're going to take advantage of that. Around here, everyone gets their cards regenerated on the first of the month, so it may be a regional thing and in her state it is probably the same day of the month also.
You probably go through your onions quickly. If you ever find they are going bad too quickly switch from a plastic bowl to good old paper bags with some holes punched in them. Much longer storage that way. Taking potatoes out of plastic also helps with storage time.
You have got to know, You encouraged my 21 year old fiancee and myself (19) to try this way of budgeting and we have actually saved enough doing this (also using coupons) to make a down payment on our FIRST HOUSE!!!! We have been tight, only because we are renting an apartment and it's soooo expensive. We on average saved over $100 on each check (so about $600 per month) and now we are able to buy our first home and pay mortgage for over 4 months. You are the best, seeing as there are only two of us it's super easy leftovers. Thank you so much!!!
The Fundamental Home thankfully we were both blessed with skilled and well paying jobs due to early college degrees and really late nights of doing school day in and day out. We are really glad that we are able to do this. We started the closing process on our new home yesterday!!
Wow! Before I saw this video I thought No Way can any family get by on $100 month for groceries but now that you have laid it all out I see it can be done. This is so inspiring. Thank you so much for this video. You are fabulous!!
You just have to add a lot of fillers. So say i have a recipe for this casserole, its pulled chicken, stove top stuffing, a bag of frozen mixed veggies and a can of cream of chicken soup! Its sooo good! U can use as much or as lil chicken u want to or have. My kentucky mother in law used to make it. U can also use canned chicken if u like. Its a warm filling meal that has great flavor. U just put how much ever meat u have in there. Whatever u are blessed with. Take care n God Bless!!😁
I just went to the store yesterday and found whole chickens for under $3 each. I am just starting this new journey of eating everything in our pantry amd freezer before refilling it. we have wasted so much on food that doesn't get eaten. I love this video. God bless.
My sister found a couple of places that are given surplus food from grocery stores. Discontinued, near expiration date, etc. This food is just given away as much as one wants, they are free to take. She calls me every Tuesday and Thursday and lets me know what they have and if I need or want anything. She brings me cases of food, mostly produce but there are other goodies also. AThe following are some of the food items she has brought me. Apples, potatoes, tomatoes, sometimes milk, bread, cukes, watermelon, corn on the cob, cakes, cabbage, potato chips, popcorn, green peppers, red peppers and onions.I place it all on the counter, take what I need and then make care packages for neighbors and friends. Nothing goes to waste, what doesn't get eaten by humans gets fed to the chickens. It helps the entire community save on their food bills. I've often said that my sister needs to write a book on how to survive being poor. Food isn't the only thing she knows where to get free or next to nothing. She has gotten free furniture, appliances, clothes, bedding, you name it and she know where to go to get it.
Family of two and I'm struggling! Just bought this house and I know we would be doing so well IF i could budget better! Just spent 150 to stock up the new place a bit. Made some nasty cheap pasta that I would throw out BUT I'm going to eat it ALL because I bought it. Thank you for this video! I will do better
Tell me do you find this true,that is it better to not always buy a item that you don't normally buy and not like it,just to save money?Or because it's on sale.
Homemade pasta is soooo easy to make & so much better and rewarding cause you did it yourself. Flour, egg, salt, water. Let dough sit in fridge for a bit. Roll it out. Cut it. It doesnt have to be perfect. You'll get more bang for your buck then buying boxed. & homemade sauce even easier.
I have no clue how I stumbled upon this video, but this totally makes me embarrassed on my lack of discipline when it comes to spending money in general. You are doing a great job and setting a great example for your kids!! The for sharing!
Refreshing to see someone that is real, my wife will make enough spaghetti and meatballs for three days, when you plan your meals and make big batches it saves money.
This is awesome! I'm a college student and a budget $45 a month for groceries. I always have rice, beans, and potatoes so I never use the entire amount, so I treat myself with fast food or ice cream.
I just ran across this video in my suggestions, following my organizing on a budget binge. Subscribed. I have a family of 6 and I don't think I could do what you're doing. You're amazing! I can budget my household needs and bills like nobody's business! I often end up giving friends advice on how to better budget. I do "shop smart" when it comes to groceries, but you're a grocery budgeting goddess! You definitely caught my attention, grabbed my interest and challenged me to rethink my shopping and planning. Like you, I do keep stocked cupboards though. I was raised in a big family and it just comes naturally to me. Much respect to you, love. Keep up the good work!
Yeah, I try it every year. We have a plum tree, two apples, a pear and a nectarine. As soon as the fruit starts swelling we are raised by raccoons, rats, and a feisty squirrel. Fruit too high for them to teach is taken by birds. The cold soil and fog strictly limit what we can grow. None of the critters like red lettuce, Russian kale, or Swiss chard, so we grow those - oh yes, arugula is also left untouched. We get a small but welcome crop of zucchini, and we eat the male flowers too. We grow potatoes and green onions. We have to buy most of our produce, but we do get a thrill out of our backyard crops.
This was an impressive haul. When looking over my household budget, food is one of our biggest budget busters. Our biggest problem is dining out too frequently. Trying to make some changes and your videos are very helpful. Keep up the great work!
I went and spent $35 this week, we feed 5 people. I needed to add a few veggies and fruits, I bought a chicken, canned tomatoes and beans. I probably won't shop again until next week to do the same! We are eating down our freezer and pantry, this is something we do around this time of year due to all our expenditures (property tax, vehicle tags, vacations, and Christmas). My regular budget is around $300 per month and I live in GA.
I feed our family of 4 on 80 a month. Lots of rice, pasta, and soups do it. No one needs a ton of meat each meal. If people eat more veggies than meat and drink plenty water they wouldn't be so hungry so often.
This is amazing!!! We are on our 5th child and I couldn't imagine spending 100 a month but this is definitely inspiring...I've learned that boiled eggs are a wonderful inexpensive thing to keep on hand...boil a couple dozen and you have snacks, egg salad, deviled eggs and a quick breakfast for your family I also believe pretzels are gluten free and you can usually get a decent sized bag for pretty cheap at aldi. Keep up the good work you definitely remind me of a proverbs 31 wife ❤
please ignore the hateful comments. im 25 and recently engaged and this was very useful to watch. no kids yet but we both love to eat. my fiance and I spend about 60-80 dollars on groceries and I would like to go lower. im learning to cook and how to make freezer meals. thank you for sharing.
Nutrition and food quality often suffers when you buy cheap brands and cheap prices and I did just watch the Q & A. This isn't a criticism and offers some resources that might provide even MORE savings as well as upgrade the nutrition level. The good news is that they've been lying to us about the "importance" of protein. Too much protein is linked to cancer and kidney failure. If we needed protein mother's milk would have more in it and it doesn't. The amount of protein in human mother's milk is comparable to the amount of protein in fruit and vegetables. Don't take my word for it. Look up "the protein cancer connection" "too much protein destroys the kidneys". So cost wise eliminating animal products frees up a LOT of money to spend on plant based foods which also happen to be the easiest to digest which also can then energize the body's cells the quickest and the easiest. They are also alkaline which keeps the body's fluid free flowing. The animal products are acid producing and create mucus in the body which eventually hardens into plaque and can clog up the immune system. The acids create inflammation and pain in the body as well as other distressing symptoms. Even refined flours and sugar and even cooked foods can create an acidic environment. If I wasn't doing the following for everyone in my family, I'd at least make sure my son with gastrointestinal issues was doing it. If I were her, I'd be wanting my family to be eating LIVE organic plant based foods. She could be feeding fresh live sprouts every day which have 10x the nutrition as full grown vegetables -- enough to make a salad out of them for each person for maybe less than 20 cents a day--- if she started to sprout her own alfalfa sprouts. You only need 2 tablespoons of seeds to grow enough to pack a 48 oz mason jar in 5 days with luscious LIVE sprouts. Top with some cherry tomatoes and some fresh lemon juice or oil and vinegar, salt and pepper and herbs and ENJOY! One jar would produce enough to serve each person a mountain of sprouts -- at least as much as one box of full grown sprouts from the grocery store per person! You can get a 5lb bag of organic seeds for less than $45 which would produce 400 sprout salads or 400 boxes worth -- probably about $800 to $1000 dollars worth of grown ready to eat alfalfa sprouts in the stores. Also one serving of sprouts probably would provide the amount of readily available nutrients they get in a week of trying to get it eating cooked animal products and canned vegetables and preservatives with no life force One fun way to eat the sprouts is to roll them up in Nori wraps made of seaweed and make sprout filled sushi rolls. that are LOADED with trace minerals which are another thing they could be eating that are inexpensive. I'd cut WAY back on the meat and cut out the dairy and replace it with fruit. In the winter you can buy citrus. I would also cut out the packaged things like the macaroni and cheese. If you want pasta, make a tomato/vegetable sauce with herbs. You can mix in the contents of a baked eggplant to a tomato sauce and you have a hearty dish! Also I would buy frozen veggies rather than canned. Canned fruit and vegetables have little if any nutrition plus you are ingesting all the BPA they use in the canning process. I would only buy organic or at least non-GMO fruit and vegetables. I would feed my family only fruit for breakfast. -- as much as they want. That way they at least get one healthy meal. I would make sure the fruit that has skins like apples and berries that you eat were all ORGANIC. Other fruit like bananas or citrus with skins you peel off, could be non-organic. To save money buy what is in season. In winter you can get citrus affordably. If she is near a big city she can buy in bulk at produce terminals (where restaurants buy their produce). Watch videos John Kohler has done at "okraw" on UA-cam showing how much he saves doing that! If you have to eat meat, buy it organic and as humanely raised as possible and eat less of it. Otherwise your family is ingesting the stress and all the drugs they feed the animals to fatten them up not to mention the meat itself which our digestive tracts can't easily digest anyway. It is extremely UNhealthful. Watch the free documentary "Earthlings" if you want to see the torture the slaughter houses put animals through. That is a great documentary for home schoolers to watch.
I think you are right on some of this post and very informative but if you go completely meat free you have to supplement with lots of vitamins because your body will be very low in iron and various other problems that could eventually end up with a low immune system but I do agree maybe in the future once building up money it would be smart to transfer to an organic meat, you can keep most of the vegetables that you purchase not organic but things like potatoes and corn that are mass produced has so many chemicals that are harmful to the body. Not all places have a huge markup in price on organic veggies and meat but changing the way you eat can help your body so much. I went on a paleo diet to get myself into a ketosis state so I could loose weight and it really helped. But it is hard to go fully organic and gluten free. Wish best of luck
My goodness 😂 I'm 22 and I'm grocery shop for myself only and I spend 60+ dollars a week for about 5 days of groceries. On the weekends I eat out so I spend even more. This video is awesome! I didn't even think about how much I was throwing away just on food. You are wonderful! ❤️❤️
I spend $50 running into the grocery store for a couple of odds and ends (milk, bread, apples, lb of hamburger, etc.) after work between shopping days. Thats southeast Manitoba for you. So that haul you got is pretty impressive. Do you garden in the summer?
Ive gotten down to 80 a month for groceries here in Ontario Canada. the trick here is to look for meat alternatives like beans, eggs etc. Before I go shopping I go to walmart.ca and fill up an online grocery cart (choose what you want then pick up in store) so I always know how much Im spending before I go to the store.
MoChiGi do you do all your grocery shopping at Walmart or are there other Canadian stores that you know about that might help me get my grocery bill down? I didn't think it could be done in Canada. Thx from Calgary 😀
We spend like 700 $ to feed 4 persons. But honestly I don't want to save money on food. I'd rather save it on other stuff. we live in germany and for me it's very important to buy good quality especially if it comes to animal products. What I have to learn is to plan my shopping trip and write down what I want to cook for the week and maybe don't go grocery shopping when I'm hungry 😣
I got at least four meals out of a pre-roasted chicken I got on sale for $3.00. I made the chicken with potatoes and veggies, chicken with gravy for lunch, chicken salad, and I made stock with the carcass which will probably be at least 2 more meals when I make it into soup. We are both disabled on limited incomes so money is tight. Our food budget is around $100 or so.
lilgiggler35 i made biryani (rice with veg and/or meat cooked in it) with leftover roast chicken fried with onion and garlic, some frozen veg and sone leftover potatoes from the roast-lasted 4 days, really tasty with spices out of the cupboard and cheap!
**Tip** Don't keep bread in the fridge it will go stale.. but if you can't eat it before it goes moldy.. put the entire loaf in the freezer and take out the few slices you need and keep them in a zip lock baggie. =)
That's what we do, we also freeze loaves in half loaf portions, especially if they had a great offer so we picked up the bread for next week too! I also freeze cheese if I find good offers. A friend thought it was gross to freeze cheese, so I asked "so what about frozen pizza and pasta dishes? Is that not cheese?" It sometimes amazes me what folks will declare "weird" or "gross" without thinking. Although this is the same friend who finds it odd that I'll happily spend an entire weekend cooking soups, curry sauces and pasta sauce etc for the freezer. But then we can easily just grab a bag of sauce, choose a meat to add to it and leave in the fridge for dinner tomorrow. Then tomorrow dinner is 80% done! This worked amazingly when I was in hospital for 3 weeks, even my husband agreed that my prepared meals saved his sanity while I was away ;)
Subscribed! We're trying to pay off an unexpected back surgery; one of the few things we could trim is our grocery budget. I look forward to watching your videos!
I think you look very well and healthy! People are so used to filling fridges and freezers up, which so much gets wasted. I have a friend who used to say she loved to see an empty fridge! I know what she means. You know everything's been eaten up! We eat so much junk food which might only cost a pound or so ( I'm from the uk) but they soon add up! Love your videos, keeps me motivated! Thank you!
Thank you! I agree. Eating everything is a good thing. Now that we have more storage, I purpose to have low spend months where we HAVE to eat what is in the cabinet that we may have been avoiding.
I have a family of five and we are now limited to a small amount of money a month on food due to me preparing to homeschool our children. Although it isnt a lifestyle im used to , its very humblying and i love how its helped us all to be grateful n ive become an awesome cook ! Better than wen we had alot of food. I really appreciate ur humbleness and ur willingness to share this to help people like me ❤
That's awesome! My family always said that the less money we have, the better I cook. I think it is because I appreciate it more. Glad I could be an encouragement to you. You can do it!
For our family, we just buy dried rice, beans, lentils, etc. No meat, no dairy, no eggs and our budget is very low. We look up recipes and make them from the internet and eat very well!
We don't buy cookies or poptarts. It doesn't fit in the budget. We make them ourselves. We do buy fruit, though, just not in this video. I had some canned fruit already.
I appreciate this. It definitely challenges you to come up with creative ways to make dishes. Something that I need to apply within my life. Those were very good prices as well. Thanks for sharing!❤
Thank you for sharing this video and your positive energy. We usually spend at least $150 on groceries at the beginning of the week and probably another $50 when we add take out and last minute purchases. We have a lot of food waste as well, mainly because of lack of planning. This week money is tight and I need to cut our grocery budget in half. Your video is making me reflect on how how much of my money goes to waste. Thank you.
Marlene Jaime this is definitely how I feel every week. Ive just started the cash envelope system just this last Tuesday and I can already tell the difference in my spending habits. It kills me to see my $ leave those little envelopes. Also, I have started meal planning along with the sale ads in my local shopper. Here's to saving in 2018 good luck!!!
That's wonderful that you have the skill and discipline to stay on budget. I think we can all learn and benefit from this, especially considering how much of our salaries go to food. I'll be checking your other videos with my notepad ready to see the wonderful meals you put together. Thank you for sharing.
Honestly, i am truly amazed at how cheap it is to do groceries while still getting good quality products, here i don't cook and i spend more than $300 a month feeding ONLY myself. I am inspired.
I am proud of you. It takes a lot of skill to be able to pull this off. I am glad that your family has you. I hope every now and again you buy something nice for yourself. In my last comment I wasn't trying to boast about the amount of money we have to spend. We are trying to be more frugal but it's expensive. You've shown me some tips in this video, so thank you.:)
For breakfast we do homemade pancakes ,eggs or oats and we have fruit on the side lunch is usually dinner leftovers or a sandwich and dinner we always have potatoes,beans,rice on the side as a filler we eat healthy for the most part I always make sure half of our plate is fruits and veggies If you have a little bit of money saved you can start a small garden and grow your own things for very cheap as well
You can make your own fruit leather, instead of the high suger version sold in stores, much healthier too. Cook and mash fruit and add honey instead of sugar. Then spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Keep on low for several hours. This is a basic recipe. You can find more instructions online. God bless you and your family.
Thank you it's good to see that real people do this too. I am spending little to no money on food right but have been stocking up all year. I think I have a year worth of food on hand now minus the fresh things you have to buy. Keep doing what you're doing there are so many people that don't know how to do this at all. I just like to learn new tricks from others if I can
if your freezer is on but almost empty it needs more energy, you should put waterbottles or styrofoam or something like this in there to reduce the air.
It sounds as if you eat less meat then some families. Which is good for your health. You can still stock up for a snowpacalyps, just buy one or two of something such as veggies, a couple of cans of meat, tuna, chicken, turkey and gravy, roast beef and gravy. Serve the roast beef or turkey over Texas toast, rice or noodles. God bless you and your family.
There are no fruits or green vegetables. Looks like a very starchy diet. I have a large family as well (6 kids, 4 are still at home) so a budget is a must. However, I do like a balanced diet. Fresh fruits and veggies, meats, some bread, soups and pasta. I usually end up spending $100 + a week but most of that is on fresh produce. If I can get my garden going again, it'll help me out alot there. Do you supplement with a garden?
The Fundamental Home I too live in a location that has very clay soil, and I had a hard time growing more than a few cherry tomato bushes, if even that. The huge difference came when I put in some raised beds. You don't have to spend lots of money-just some old scrap lumber and a good, sunny location. I did have to supplement my soil with compost-And I add fresh compost every spring. I mostly make my own compost out of old vegetable and fruit scraps along with grass clippings, etc. The worms do their thing and I am left with the richest, black organic material you have ever seen!! Now we virtually eat out of garden all summer-eggplants, cauliflower, onions, garlic, tons of potatoes, green and purple beans, etc. it seems at times like the garden is just bursting with more produce than we can eat, so I freeze, dehydrate and can the rest for the winter. I also save all our seeds and use them for the next year-big money saver!! I also live one block from one of the largest cities in the US, and have just a very small suburban garden. Friends and family are shocked at the amount of produce that can be grown in such a small urban area!
Wonderful! Thanks for the suggestion. We added composted horse manure last year, and it helped. I think, if we add another layer this year, it may do the trick. We are also using a mulch method. I am super hopeful. We can now and freeze. A dehydrator is high on my priority list. I would really love a solar one.
The Fundamental Home Oh my gosh-you and me both!! Those solar ovens look amazing-I almost bought one this year, but my nest egg was decimated by some emergency work needed on the house :(. Oh well!! In the meantime, I have been just using our oven, set on the lowest heat possible. I have had great luck dehydrating cherry tomatoes, of which I always have an amazing abundance. I add them to winter slow cooked stews, and they add a great burst of flavor. Good luck in your garden next spring and summer-it'll get there. And it is a great project with the kids-my son loves it!
Davida Kilgore I'm a vegan, so our food is mostly vegetables. We are on a strict budget so we can't always get fresh fruit and vegetables. Frozen vegetables are cheap, and usually snap frozen. So essentially, they are more fresh than the non-frozen. I use those vegetables in curry or stir fry etc.
My family of three. One being a baby who is breastfed , we spent 110$ on food and house hold products last week. I nearly cried. I am only 21 and try desperately to save. This is inspirational
Ashley God bless you I know it's hard I have a family of four and I also breastfeeding my baby and toddler but I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel
Ashley Bless you. Household products can be expensive. Do you live near a dollar store? If so, buy the bottle of "cleaning vinegar" & use that - but not on marble or granite. You can buy a pack of washcloths there & use as napkins. Newspaper instead of paper towels or a cloth that doesn't leave marks on cleaning mirrors/glass. I made my own laundry soap with less products than what most recipes say & it cleans really well.
I now see what my problem is. I simply eat too damn much too often. I JUST ate 2 piece of salmon, broccoli and a potatoe. And... Im back in the fridge.
I used to go with my mom grocery shopping when I was young it was so fun we would clip coupons and and really save so much money and it was really memorable for me! Love your videos
I spend about 300 a month on me and my husband and our toddler. I think it is this high because I do it mostly organic and tons of fresh fruits and veggies, but this video has definitely inspired me too try and spend less on groceries per month. I am not willing to give up and fruits or veggies, but can definitely think of ways to save some money. Am hoping to get us to about 250 or less a month. And by the way, for anyone giving you crap about how healthy or unheathy this is... There's nothing more you can do for your children than to provide for their future and it looks like you're giving them an amazing chance by helping them through college. I ate meals like this growing up and am perfectly healthy. Although I don't shop like this 100%, I definitely see that you're doing an amazing job and it's obvious that your children's nutrition needs are being met.
Thank you for your understanding. This video was intended to show what could be done in extreme circumstances. However, if you look at my other grocery hauls, you will see that we do buy fresh fruits and veggies- just not as much as others. But then again, we don't purchase as much as others do of anything. Our children are happy and healthy, and we are contented with our diet.
What people who have a lot don't understand is that some people have to do the best with what they have. Don't judge. Good luck to you!!
Thank you! I appreciate your support!
A lot of commenters said you can’t live off that for 5 people for 2 weeks. I gotta say - you are BLESSED to have that much to eat in 2 weeks! There was a time where my family of 5 (when I was growing up) are a PBJ for breakfast, no lunch (said I forgot my lunch and the school would give me a granola bar if they had some), and another PBJ or some watered down soup for supper. We got a box from the food bank. That’s what we ate. Instead of people being skeptical of you, I wish they would be thankful to the Lord God who made them that they have more to eat than you do. You make really healthy meals and you make the food work and the dollars stretch for your needs. It’s excellent. And it’s a blessing to me to remember my family needing to think even more consciously about money than you have, and that I don’t need to worry about money for food anymore.
Holly Pike I grew up the same as you expect I’m Hispanic and it was tortillas, beans and rice. Sometimes nothing but lunch at school. We were a family of 5.
some of you mothers on here need to stay quiet, this women is doing THE MOST to feed her family on a budget but all you do is judge instead of understanding. go read her blog and stop being mad!!
I appreciate your support and encouragement
@@TheBealles Unfortunately, I have come to a conclusion that no matter how great your vids may be, some people are bend on negative comments and therefore bloggers need to get used to it. Try not to take it personally.
Shes trying to help us to make it thru these ruff days I for one respect and appreciate what she's doing. PRAY
God's grace gets me through all the time when feeding my kids. I may go without occasionally but my kids stay fed. Thank the Lord for oats. God is good!
Yes! I recommend oats to anyone on a budget because a small amount of oats fills you for a very small price!
This is what I'm talking about. I know this video is old, but I have to give you and your husband a standing round of applause for your efforts. You are budgeting food money to meet bigger goals. You are feeding your family healthy nutritious meals. And you are teaching your children how to properly reach targets thru saving and discipline. You and your family are rare in our current culture!!! Inspiring to those that are considering and encouraging to those of us who are following suit. *^_^*
Thank you! I appreciate that!
I spend at least $150 a week on groceries for my husband, my two year old son and myself. I didn't know this could be done! You've inspired me!
It can :) Try cutting back just a little at a time. Go to 140 per week and see how you do. That's 40 extra dollars a month. Who wouldn't want that. Then keep cutting back little by little until you can't get any lower reasonably. :)
I save a ton by not eating meat, dairy, eggs, salt, sugar or oil. We eat greens, beans, rice and potatoes, tons of veg and fruit. Eating this way cured my high blood pressure, psoriasis, and lost 80 pds. Nutritarian lifestyle.
I loved this video. You have a pleasing warm voice.
That's awesome! I am vegan now, and it has made a huge difference. You could check out my more recent grocery hauls if you are interested in seeing the difference :)
My hubby and I recently switched to a plant based diet. We eat deer meat( which he shot) and eat lots of grain and veggies. Both lost weight. And just feel healthier. We don't eat out as much. Dinners are must easier to put together when there is no meat involved
Do you have any meal plan ideas anywhere online? I'm trying very hard to go that way but also very much failing...
Ya and where I live all that fruit and veg is more expensive than meat. We can't all be that lucky. Veganism is fine if you can afford it. But all those carbs screws with me...bad.
what I do is make a list of everything I have in the cabinet and fridge and then make a meal plan around what I have so that nothing sits in the cabinet. Everything gets used. It also kind of forces you to be creative with your meals. Also, when I go to the grocery store, I usually only have to pick up one or two things for each meal because I already had one or two of the sides.
That's exactly what I do.
Time saver - take photos of the food inside your cupboard instead of writing a list.
I have seven of my nieces and nephews living with us permanently after losing my brother. So with my husband and our two children, yes, that adds up to eleven in our household. We are on a very strict budget even though we both have very good jobs. We go grocery shopping once a month (except for milk and bread) and we have a large chest freezer in our garage. Our budget for once a month is $400. Our milk and bread fund is $22 weekly. I shop the sales and go to Aldi's along with the can-alicious sale at our local chain which takes place twice a year in January and July. We simply cannot spend any more than that. I admire that you stick to your budget. I love your videos. Keep up the excellent advice and God Bless you and your family. We make it work!!
Phenom157 I’m so sorry to hear about your brother. You are a great sister and aunt! God bless your family.💕🙏🏽💕
I grew up really poor, but was also taught to be self-sufficient. We never had our hands held out to the government for food stamps, etc. It's just not the way we lived; no hand outs. So, I can appreciate and understand just how you do this. Anyone can do what you are doing. It's just a matter of will and discipline. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! Discipline is very important to me :)
I live in California and spend $200+ per week on groceries for two people. You are a miracle worker
Linda Rodriguez Really?? I’m in California and spend about 100 a week for two. I don’t shop anywhere special and eat healthy
She mentioned that she doesn't do breakfast and that most of the house is gone for lunch. So it's dinners and the weekend to put it into perspective. Regardless, she is still doing a great job :)
Back in the seventies I was stationed in el paso for a year. I had to budget $50 a month for food for the wife and I. Cheapest meat then was a center cut ham(33cents a pound) and I'd get it sliced into fourteen or so steaks. Next back then hamburger meat. Family packs divided up into two serving sizes. Then dried beans. Whatever money was left was spent on fresh vegetables, potatoes, rice, cereal, canned goods and a few meats like chicken, pork chops. We never ran out of food but toward the end of the month we were down to ham, hamburger, and dried beans for dinner every night. These days I don't eat grains, rice, potatoes, corn or sugar so everything else is my normal diet. I buy fresh vegetables but grow most items my wife and I eat. A small pond provides us with fresh fish and a fruit orchard provides more fruit than we can eat. Chickens provide all the eggs we can eat but it's work and likely more expensive than buying store bought eggs. Rule one, never buy prepared food or processed food. You pay for that service so fix it yourself and save. You'll also avoid all the added chemicals that keep the processed food safe to eat. Don't buy prepared salad mix. Buy a head of lettuce, cabbage, a bag of carrots, radishes and you can make a bushel of salad for the cost of a one pound bag of mix. Oil and vinegar are the cheapest salad dressing and you can season it anyway you want.
Great suggestions!
Excellent advice!
I too have a family of 5 and I've been a budget shopper all my life. One reason my husband loves me soo much 😆 My 8 yr old daughter is always learning about saving money and how to spend wisely. thank you for your video. we can't go wrong with potatoes and onions, rice dishes (I'm asian and thats a staple) throughout the month with a budget of 180.00 or less. You have revived something in me and I know I can cut the food budget a little lower. We love Aldis. We're teaching our kids to be content, humble, and thankful for what they have, a lesson that'll follow them into adulthood and showing them that when your saving for some thing, there's sacrifices that must be made in our lifestyle. Showing them that adapting without complaining is building character. This is the first video I seen of yours and I can seeyou have a beautiful spirit inside you that only God gives.
Thank you! We love Asian food, and it is a big reason why we feel comfortable with those staples. Teaching you children character is important in anything you do as a family. Good job, Mama!
I loved that you took your daughter! Nothing like teaching real life skills, by doing life together 🤗 way to go Mom! Thanks for this awesome information.
Thanks! I appreciate that :)
That's what our fridge looks like right now. The struggle is real! Thank you for the video. Shine bright y'all
My husband and I Raised 7 children on a limited budget. In spite if it we made sure our children ate 3 good meals a day. Plenty of eggs, meat, milk, cheese, veggies, fruit, potatoes, rice, beans, peanut butter, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, wheateena, grits, ect.. We understood that feeding our children with their growing bodies plenty of good healthy food was our duty, so we made it a priority. When you have children and a small income, it takes sacrifice. They come first. If we had to depend on social security for retirement then so be it. We chose to bring them into this world and they should not be expected to go with less than is good for them so we can have a more comfortable retirement. We are getting by on S. S. And I wouldn't go back and change it for anything.
On another note: This lady did what she needed to with her UA-cam videos to increase her food budget and I admire her for it.
Thank you so much!
Mexican meal that is cheap: Don't buy pre-made shells, buy corn tortillas and make them yourself. I personally like soft shell, so I put a few tablespoons of oil in a pan, let it heat , do each tortilla for 5-10 seconds on each side and put on napkin to absorb excess oil.... the corn tortilla is hot, soft, pliable and has a good flavor. Then you can make a mixture of ground beef and potato for the filling. First brown meat, drain, then add finely dice potatoes, drain salt, pepper, onion powder, ect), then simmer it till potatoes are cooked. Also, make spanish rice and refried beans. A little diced lettuce/tomato and a salsa from dollar store. Add additional flavor to it if you find the dollar salsa/sauce too tomatoey-bland. I add a little garlic and onion powder sometimes.
Great suggestions! Thank you!
I am a mother to 4...new to your channel.I definitely appreciate the creativity here...buying food for a family is expensive nowadays.I am definitely trying stretch my money...so thank you for this.
Thank you! I hope it is a help to you!
Wow, I am watching this for the second time. When you said 2016, I had to check the date. I have been watching your channel a long time. I'm glad you are still on UA-cam.
This is my first time watching you and I think your information is great. Who are the 800 bleepity-bleeps who gave this video a thumbs down?? Huh?
Crazy. Even if this style of shopping isn't your cup of tea, why give a thumbs down? Lots of good tips and motivation to tighten your own food budget.
Thank you, Fundamental Home (sorry, don't know your name). You're helping a lot of people and I'll be subscribing. I'm single and usually throw caution to the wind when I grocery shop. What I need to do is 'shop my pantry' for awhile. I could survive a snowpocalypse....or two. LOL
I am Amanda :) Thanks for joining me. You can't please everyone ;) Hahaha!! So, I don't worry about it.
Amen! I was reluctant to watch when seeing the 800 down votes. Glad I gave it a shot. Also subscribing.
Thank you :) I appreciate that!
A couple tips for those trying to learn how to budget their food money.
1. Learn how to cook. If you don't have a kitchen (or time) a crockpot can be your best friend.
2. NEVER shop while hungry!
3. Don't go shopping in the few days before and after people get food stamps. I've noticed, around that time the 3 for 5.00 tags go up and people think they are getting a deal. The original price is 1.25 per so you'll end up spending more. Don't be afraid to lift those tags to be sure you are getting a deal.
4. Don't be afraid of the the bottom shelf and non-name brand products. Decades ago I worked for a chicken processing plant and was shocked to find out, the name brand and generic brand is the SAME chicken. They just change the bags!
That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Hope it helps. Good luck!
Thank you for your suggestions!
I have worked retail most of my life and have almost perfected bargain shopping. I will admit I get food stamps for myself and my kids so that forces you to shop on a tight budget. I have found that certain 'off brands' or store brands are just as good if not BETTER than name brand. I love Aldi and Price Rite! Also most stores WILL give you a bit of a discount on an item if the package isn't perfect. So long as the product inside is not damaged and it is 'in date' you're fine. It never hurts to swallow your pride and simply ask 'Hey, any chance you could give me a little off these green beans since the can is dented?' The worst they are going to do is say no! LOL
She didn't say one negative thing about people on food stamps. She just pointed out that the stores manipulate the prices around these dates, which makes sense. They aren't stupid, they're going to know when people get their food stamps, that's when they're going to go food shopping and so they're going to take advantage of that. Around here, everyone gets their cards regenerated on the first of the month, so it may be a regional thing and in her state it is probably the same day of the month also.
your hubby sure got lucky when he found you.
You probably go through your onions quickly. If you ever find they are going bad too quickly switch from a plastic bowl to good old paper bags with some holes punched in them. Much longer storage that way. Taking potatoes out of plastic also helps with storage time.
Thanks for the suggestion! I will give that a try!
Donna M thank you!
Anyone can cut their cost in half if you half to. I make big batches and then freeze to the left overs. Also cut down on sweets.
You have got to know, You encouraged my 21 year old fiancee and myself (19) to try this way of budgeting and we have actually saved enough doing this (also using coupons) to make a down payment on our FIRST HOUSE!!!! We have been tight, only because we are renting an apartment and it's soooo expensive. We on average saved over $100 on each check (so about $600 per month) and now we are able to buy our first home and pay mortgage for over 4 months. You are the best, seeing as there are only two of us it's super easy leftovers. Thank you so much!!!
YAY!!! So proud of you!! You did the work, and at your age especially, that is amazing!
You're only 19 and doing better than a lot of adults. Your savings is awesome!
The Fundamental Home thankfully we were both blessed with skilled and well paying jobs due to early college degrees and really late nights of doing school day in and day out. We are really glad that we are able to do this. We started the closing process on our new home yesterday!!
Awesome! My 19 year old just finished his Bachelor's. He is saving for a house as an investment property.
Wow! Before I saw this video I thought No Way can any family get by on $100 month for groceries but now that you have laid it all out I see it can be done. This is so inspiring. Thank you so much for this video. You are fabulous!!
Thank you! Check out the food diaries to see how we eat on a daily basis :)
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25
Truth
You are such a happy and positive woman on a budget, you’re definitely a motivational mom to women like me!
Thank you!
i cant wrap my mind around making a meal of 1 chicken leg quarter for 5 ppl. It's weird but very impressive 👏👏
Thanks! It works!
Me either I eat one by myself.
if you add some lentils, that's plenty of protein.
You just have to add a lot of fillers. So say i have a recipe for this casserole, its pulled chicken, stove top stuffing, a bag of frozen mixed veggies and a can of cream of chicken soup! Its sooo good! U can use as much or as lil chicken u want to or have. My kentucky mother in law used to make it. U can also use canned chicken if u like. Its a warm filling meal that has great flavor. U just put how much ever meat u have in there. Whatever u are blessed with. Take care n God Bless!!😁
Fillers are generally cheap carbs, and I have to avoid carbs.
Wow, you are such a blessing to your family, and me right now lol. Loved your haul :)
Thank you for blessing me back!
I do love when people are financially responsible
I just went to the store yesterday and found whole chickens for under $3 each. I am just starting this new journey of eating everything in our pantry amd freezer before refilling it. we have wasted so much on food that doesn't get eaten. I love this video. God bless.
That's wonderful! Good luck on your journey! You can do this!
My sister found a couple of places that are given surplus food from grocery stores. Discontinued, near expiration date, etc. This food is just given away as much as one wants, they are free to take. She calls me every Tuesday and Thursday and lets me know what they have and if I need or want anything. She brings me cases of food, mostly produce but there are other goodies also. AThe following are some of the food items she has brought me. Apples, potatoes, tomatoes, sometimes milk, bread, cukes, watermelon, corn on the cob, cakes, cabbage, potato chips, popcorn, green peppers, red peppers and onions.I place it all on the counter, take what I need and then make care packages for neighbors and friends. Nothing goes to waste, what doesn't get eaten by humans gets fed to the chickens. It helps the entire community save on their food bills. I've often said that my sister needs to write a book on how to survive being poor. Food isn't the only thing she knows where to get free or next to nothing. She has gotten free furniture, appliances, clothes, bedding, you name it and she know where to go to get it.
Wow! That's great! It helps so many people!
Family of two and I'm struggling! Just bought this house and I know we would be doing so well IF i could budget better! Just spent 150 to stock up the new place a bit. Made some nasty cheap pasta that I would throw out BUT I'm going to eat it ALL because I bought it. Thank you for this video! I will do better
Tell me do you find this true,that is it better to not always buy a item that you don't normally buy and not like it,just to save money?Or because it's on sale.
Beans and rice. Peas and rice. Beans and rice.
Homemade pasta is soooo easy to make & so much better and rewarding cause you did it yourself. Flour, egg, salt, water. Let dough sit in fridge for a bit. Roll it out. Cut it. It doesnt have to be perfect. You'll get more bang for your buck then buying boxed. & homemade sauce even easier.
With all the craziness in the world watching this video is a really nice change
Thank you!
Awesome! I subscribed and liked. What a greet Individual keep up the smart shopping. So cool!
Thank you very much!
I have no clue how I stumbled upon this video, but this totally makes me embarrassed on my lack of discipline when it comes to spending money in general. You are doing a great job and setting a great example for your kids!! The for sharing!
Thank you! I appreciate your kind words.
Refreshing to see someone that is real, my wife will make enough spaghetti and meatballs for three days, when you plan your meals and make big batches it saves money.
Thank you! I appreciate your kindness and understanding. Your wife sounds like a wise lady
Honestly your fridge looks much better than mine did growing up. Mom did the bet she could but seemed to always be hungry... Good for you
We do pretty well. No one is going hungry here
I didn't discover your channel until 2017 I believe so I'm happy that things have changed for the better for your family! Nothing but respect for you.
Thank you so much!
This is awesome! I'm a college student and a budget $45 a month for groceries. I always have rice, beans, and potatoes so I never use the entire amount, so I treat myself with fast food or ice cream.
:) Treats are necessary for the soul. Check out my other videos. Maybe you can get some ideas and expand that budget.
Liyah Yisrael 45$?👀
Si, es posible. I go to a few bible studies during the week as well, so I'm able to get 2-3 free home cooked meals each week (plus leftovers! :D)
When i lived back east, Aldi was a lifesaver!!!!!! I have a family of 7, my goal is 125 week. It’s tricky but doable..... Your doing a great job!!!
i actually wish i could budget like this im really bad with food money i spend like $300 a week on food alone and im single
Oh no 🙊
I just ran across this video in my suggestions, following my organizing on a budget binge. Subscribed. I have a family of 6 and I don't think I could do what you're doing. You're amazing! I can budget my household needs and bills like nobody's business! I often end up giving friends advice on how to better budget. I do "shop smart" when it comes to groceries, but you're a grocery budgeting goddess! You definitely caught my attention, grabbed my interest and challenged me to rethink my shopping and planning. Like you, I do keep stocked cupboards though. I was raised in a big family and it just comes naturally to me. Much respect to you, love. Keep up the good work!
Thanks! I appreciate that!
Planting fruits and veggies even herbs in the backyard is always budget friendly.. also, it's organic..
Working on that
We used to grow onlions and garlic on the windows during winters. This is how you get fresh greens)
Yeah, I try it every year. We have a plum tree, two apples, a pear and a nectarine. As soon as the fruit starts swelling we are raised by raccoons, rats, and a feisty squirrel. Fruit too high for them to teach is taken by birds.
The cold soil and fog strictly limit what we can grow. None of the critters like red lettuce, Russian kale, or Swiss chard, so we grow those - oh yes, arugula is also left untouched. We get a small but welcome crop of zucchini, and we eat the male flowers too. We grow potatoes and green onions. We have to buy most of our produce, but we do get a thrill out of our backyard crops.
What about fruits, like apples and oranges for the kids snacks?
we used to do about 200 for 8 people plus a baby. Diapers, wipes, laundry soap, etc. all included in that budget. It was hard, but we made it work
You can make it if you try :)
Brieann Ziehme wow that's real good.
This was an impressive haul. When looking over my household budget, food is one of our biggest budget busters. Our biggest problem is dining out too frequently. Trying to make some changes and your videos are very helpful. Keep up the great work!
I am so glad they are helpful to you. Dining out is a hard habit to break :)
Melanie Deann o
I went and spent $35 this week, we feed 5 people. I needed to add a few veggies and fruits, I bought a chicken, canned tomatoes and beans. I probably won't shop again until next week to do the same! We are eating down our freezer and pantry, this is something we do around this time of year due to all our expenditures (property tax, vehicle tags, vacations, and Christmas). My regular budget is around $300 per month and I live in GA.
I feed our family of 4 on 80 a month. Lots of rice, pasta, and soups do it. No one needs a ton of meat each meal. If people eat more veggies than meat and drink plenty water they wouldn't be so hungry so often.
veggies can be expensive
My family like meat
especially non gmo veggies
Pasta and rice turn to sugar in your body. Meat is pure protein and that keeps you fuller longer than pasta and rice do.
Buy frozen veggies.
This is amazing!!! We are on our 5th child and I couldn't imagine spending 100 a month but this is definitely inspiring...I've learned that boiled eggs are a wonderful inexpensive thing to keep on hand...boil a couple dozen and you have snacks, egg salad, deviled eggs and a quick breakfast for your family I also believe pretzels are gluten free and you can usually get a decent sized bag for pretty cheap at aldi. Keep up the good work you definitely remind me of a proverbs 31 wife ❤
Amanda Moore
I have five children and my ex and I would cook boiled eggs with Spanish rice and beans..Cheap and good..
is there a aldi in the us?
Amanda Moore I was thinking the same thing. Ashe does remind me of the Proverbs 31 woman
Aldis are in several states. I live in Florida, and they are all over this area. You can save so much there, you will be amazed. Good food, too.
toby baconator yes lots of em too.
please ignore the hateful comments. im 25 and recently engaged and this was very useful to watch. no kids yet but we both love to eat. my fiance and I spend about 60-80 dollars on groceries and I would like to go lower. im learning to cook and how to make freezer meals. thank you for sharing.
Thank you! I appreciate your kindness and support!
the reason how they're surviving on 100 a month is because they are eating healthy and she's buying what the NEED not what they want. I love this!
Thanks!
Nutrition and food quality often suffers when you buy cheap brands and cheap prices and I did just watch the Q & A. This isn't a criticism and offers some resources that might provide even MORE savings as well as upgrade the nutrition level.
The good news is that they've been lying to us about the "importance" of protein. Too much protein is linked to cancer and kidney failure. If we needed protein mother's milk would have more in it and it doesn't. The amount of protein in human mother's milk is comparable to the amount of protein in fruit and vegetables. Don't take my word for it. Look up "the protein cancer connection" "too much protein destroys the kidneys".
So cost wise eliminating animal products frees up a LOT of money to spend on plant based foods which also happen to be the easiest to digest which also can then energize the body's cells the quickest and the easiest. They are also alkaline which keeps the body's fluid free flowing. The animal products are acid producing and create mucus in the body which eventually hardens into plaque and can clog up the immune system. The acids create inflammation and pain in the body as well as other distressing symptoms. Even refined flours and sugar and even cooked foods can create an acidic environment.
If I wasn't doing the following for everyone in my family, I'd at least make sure my son with gastrointestinal issues was doing it.
If I were her, I'd be wanting my family to be eating LIVE organic plant based foods. She could be feeding fresh live sprouts every day which have 10x the nutrition as full grown vegetables -- enough to make a salad out of them for each person for maybe less than 20 cents a day--- if she started to sprout her own alfalfa sprouts. You only need 2 tablespoons of seeds to grow enough to pack a 48 oz mason jar in 5 days with luscious LIVE sprouts. Top with some cherry tomatoes and some fresh lemon juice or oil and vinegar, salt and pepper and herbs and ENJOY! One jar would produce enough to serve each person a mountain of sprouts -- at least as much as one box of full grown sprouts from the grocery store per person! You can get a 5lb bag of organic seeds for less than $45 which would produce 400 sprout salads or 400 boxes worth -- probably about $800 to $1000 dollars worth of grown ready to eat alfalfa sprouts in the stores. Also one serving of sprouts probably would provide the amount of readily available nutrients they get in a week of trying to get it eating cooked animal products and canned vegetables and preservatives with no life force
One fun way to eat the sprouts is to roll them up in Nori wraps made of seaweed and make sprout filled sushi rolls. that are LOADED with trace minerals which are another thing they could be eating that are inexpensive.
I'd cut WAY back on the meat and cut out the dairy and replace it with fruit. In the winter you can buy citrus. I would also cut out the packaged things like the macaroni and cheese.
If you want pasta, make a tomato/vegetable sauce with herbs. You can mix in the contents of a baked eggplant to a tomato sauce and you have a hearty dish! Also I would buy frozen veggies rather than canned. Canned fruit and vegetables have little if any nutrition plus you are ingesting all the BPA they use in the canning process.
I would only buy organic or at least non-GMO fruit and vegetables. I would feed my family only fruit for breakfast. -- as much as they want. That way they at least get one healthy meal. I would make sure the fruit that has skins like apples and berries that you eat were all ORGANIC. Other fruit like bananas or citrus with skins you peel off, could be non-organic. To save money buy what is in season. In winter you can get citrus affordably.
If she is near a big city she can buy in bulk at produce terminals (where restaurants buy their produce). Watch videos John Kohler has done at "okraw" on UA-cam showing how much he saves doing that!
If you have to eat meat, buy it organic and as humanely raised as possible and eat less of it. Otherwise your family is ingesting the stress and all the drugs they feed the animals to fatten them up not to mention the meat itself which our digestive tracts can't easily digest anyway. It is extremely UNhealthful. Watch the free documentary "Earthlings" if you want to see the torture the slaughter houses put animals through. That is a great documentary for home schoolers to watch.
I think you are right on some of this post and very informative but if you go completely meat free you have to supplement with lots of vitamins because your body will be very low in iron and various other problems that could eventually end up with a low immune system but I do agree maybe in the future once building up money it would be smart to transfer to an organic meat, you can keep most of the vegetables that you purchase not organic but things like potatoes and corn that are mass produced has so many chemicals that are harmful to the body. Not all places have a huge markup in price on organic veggies and meat but changing the way you eat can help your body so much. I went on a paleo diet to get myself into a ketosis state so I could loose weight and it really helped. But it is hard to go fully organic and gluten free. Wish best of luck
oh wow this is super cool info thanks for sharing you learn something new every day
My goodness 😂 I'm 22 and I'm grocery shop for myself only and I spend 60+ dollars a week for about 5 days of groceries. On the weekends I eat out so I spend even more. This video is awesome! I didn't even think about how much I was throwing away just on food. You are wonderful! ❤️❤️
Thanks so much! I am glad we could encourage you :)
I spend $50 running into the grocery store for a couple of odds and ends (milk, bread, apples, lb of hamburger, etc.) after work between shopping days. Thats southeast Manitoba for you. So that haul you got is pretty impressive. Do you garden in the summer?
Thank you! I don't have a garden, but I wish I did.
This is a video that truely makes youtube worthwhile. Great idea. great job!
Thank you! I appreciate that!
I am trying to reduce our food budget, but have not gotten anywhere near $50,00 every two weeks! You are my hero God bless!
Ive gotten down to 80 a month for groceries here in Ontario Canada. the trick here is to look for meat alternatives like beans, eggs etc. Before I go shopping I go to walmart.ca and fill up an online grocery cart (choose what you want then pick up in store) so I always know how much Im spending before I go to the store.
That's a great idea. Plus, it saves you from getting distracted while walking down aisles ;)
MoChiGi do you do all your grocery shopping at Walmart or are there other Canadian stores that you know about that might help me get my grocery bill down? I didn't think it could be done in Canada. Thx from Calgary 😀
We spend like 700 $ to feed 4 persons. But honestly I don't want to save money on food. I'd rather save it on other stuff. we live in germany and for me it's very important to buy good quality especially if it comes to animal products. What I have to learn is to plan my shopping trip and write down what I want to cook for the week and maybe don't go grocery shopping when I'm hungry 😣
Great job!!! Gives me motivation to lower my food budget :)
That's good! You can do it!
pretty impressive, I try to stick at 100 a week for family of 3!
I got at least four meals out of a pre-roasted chicken I got on sale for $3.00. I made the chicken with potatoes and veggies, chicken with gravy for lunch, chicken salad, and I made stock with the carcass which will probably be at least 2 more meals when I make it into soup. We are both disabled on limited incomes so money is tight. Our food budget is around $100 or so.
Awesome! A chicken is great to stretch!
lilgiggler35 i made biryani (rice with veg and/or meat cooked in it) with leftover roast chicken fried with onion and garlic, some frozen veg and sone leftover potatoes from the roast-lasted 4 days, really tasty with spices out of the cupboard and cheap!
**Tip**
Don't keep bread in the fridge it will go stale.. but if you can't eat it before it goes moldy.. put the entire loaf in the freezer and take out the few slices you need and keep them in a zip lock baggie. =)
Thanks for the tip!
That's what we do, we also freeze loaves in half loaf portions, especially if they had a great offer so we picked up the bread for next week too! I also freeze cheese if I find good offers. A friend thought it was gross to freeze cheese, so I asked "so what about frozen pizza and pasta dishes? Is that not cheese?" It sometimes amazes me what folks will declare "weird" or "gross" without thinking. Although this is the same friend who finds it odd that I'll happily spend an entire weekend cooking soups, curry sauces and pasta sauce etc for the freezer. But then we can easily just grab a bag of sauce, choose a meat to add to it and leave in the fridge for dinner tomorrow. Then tomorrow dinner is 80% done! This worked amazingly when I was in hospital for 3 weeks, even my husband agreed that my prepared meals saved his sanity while I was away ;)
Sebrina Lee Biscardi great tip
Subscribed! We're trying to pay off an unexpected back surgery; one of the few things we could trim is our grocery budget. I look forward to watching your videos!
Thank you! I hope they are a blessing to you!
I think you look very well and healthy! People are so used to filling fridges and freezers up, which so much gets wasted. I have a friend who used to say she loved to see an empty fridge! I know what she means. You know everything's been eaten up! We eat so much junk food which might only cost a pound or so ( I'm from the uk) but they soon add up! Love your videos, keeps me motivated! Thank you!
Thank you! I agree. Eating everything is a good thing. Now that we have more storage, I purpose to have low spend months where we HAVE to eat what is in the cabinet that we may have been avoiding.
I have a family of five and we are now limited to a small amount of money a month on food due to me preparing to homeschool our children. Although it isnt a lifestyle im used to , its very humblying and i love how its helped us all to be grateful n ive become an awesome cook ! Better than wen we had alot of food. I really appreciate ur humbleness and ur willingness to share this to help people like me ❤
That's awesome! My family always said that the less money we have, the better I cook. I think it is because I appreciate it more. Glad I could be an encouragement to you. You can do it!
The Fundamental Home yes!! Allows us to be more creative thank u!!!
Where is the fresh fruit and vegetables
I get asked that so much that I made a video response. You can check it out here- ua-cam.com/video/KY163o43USo/v-deo.html
No one can afford that
Way to go! So much respect for you. I don't know how I got to this video😂
Thanks! Glad you found your way here!
For our family, we just buy dried rice, beans, lentils, etc. No meat, no dairy, no eggs and our budget is very low. We look up recipes and make them from the internet and eat very well!
dhkrescue that is awesome!! I wish I could do that it seems very hard
Now that I am vegan, I am spending a bit more, but we are doing well
@@TheBealles.. may I ask what inspired you to become a vegan eater??
Me too! And so healthy. People on here have been brainwashed that eggs and dairy and meat are healthy.
Love your spirit and attitude! You guy's are being good stewards of what the Lord has given you!
Thank you!
That food would be gone in a week in my household of 5, and thats not including snacks such as fruit, cookies pop tarts ect.
We don't buy cookies or poptarts. It doesn't fit in the budget. We make them ourselves. We do buy fruit, though, just not in this video. I had some canned fruit already.
I appreciate this. It definitely challenges you to come up with creative ways to make dishes. Something that I need to apply within my life. Those were very good prices as well. Thanks for sharing!❤
Thanks! Love your channel name!
The Fundamental Home You're welcome, and thanks! Many blessings to you.🙏
Thank you for sharing this video and your positive energy. We usually spend at least $150 on groceries at the beginning of the week and probably another $50 when we add take out and last minute purchases. We have a lot of food waste as well, mainly because of lack of planning. This week money is tight and I need to cut our grocery budget in half. Your video is making me reflect on how how much of my money goes to waste. Thank you.
Marlene Jaime this is definitely how I feel every week. Ive just started the cash envelope system just this last Tuesday and I can already tell the difference in my spending habits. It kills me to see my $ leave those little envelopes. Also, I have started meal planning along with the sale ads in my local shopper. Here's to saving in 2018 good luck!!!
This is wonderful and you know what it definitely prevents obesity and overeating. I will definitely try this budgeting $100 or less a month.
That's wonderful that you have the skill and discipline to stay on budget. I think we can all learn and benefit from this, especially considering how much of our salaries go to food. I'll be checking your other videos with my notepad ready to see the wonderful meals you put together. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks! I appreciate your support!
Honestly, i am truly amazed at how cheap it is to do groceries while still getting good quality products, here i don't cook and i spend more than $300 a month feeding ONLY myself. I am inspired.
I am proud of you. It takes a lot of skill to be able to pull this off. I am glad that your family has you. I hope every now and again you buy something nice for yourself. In my last comment I wasn't trying to boast about the amount of money we have to spend. We are trying to be more frugal but it's expensive. You've shown me some tips in this video, so thank you.:)
I appreciate your kind words. We are doing very well, and we all occasionally get treats as the budget allows.
You are doing good for a family of 5. I am by myself and spending more than that
Thank you!
Me too, just me and I spend a lot more than that :-(
I would be interested in seeing what recipes you make with your grocery hauls. Thank you for sharing your experience with the world! Great job!!!!
Check out my food diaries! ua-cam.com/video/n69oCs_BsAM/v-deo.html
Thank you! I will check it out!
Just found your channel tonight. I was wondering why you can't say the name of the regular store?
I don't share the name for privacy reasons.
For breakfast we do homemade pancakes ,eggs or oats and we have fruit on the side lunch is usually dinner leftovers or a sandwich and dinner we always have potatoes,beans,rice on the side as a filler we eat healthy for the most part I always make sure half of our plate is fruits and veggies If you have a little bit of money saved you can start a small garden and grow your own things for very cheap as well
You are doing a great job!
she seems like such a nice person
Thank you!
You can make your own fruit leather, instead of the high suger version sold in stores, much healthier too. Cook and mash fruit and add honey instead of sugar. Then spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Keep on low for several hours. This is a basic recipe. You can find more instructions online. God bless you and your family.
Have you calculated how much gas you use going to so many different stores?
Of course. I even made a video on it. Check it out- ua-cam.com/video/nPgP6L0VfJE/v-deo.html
I’m about to be a women living on my own. Being told by everyone in my family I CAN’T DO IT. So videos like these are really helpful, Thank You🌺
You can do this. You just need to get organized!
God bless you!
You got this ! Late but how you doing?
Thank you it's good to see that real people do this too. I am spending little to no money on food right but have been stocking up all year. I think I have a year worth of food on hand now minus the fresh things you have to buy. Keep doing what you're doing there are so many people that don't know how to do this at all. I just like to learn new tricks from others if I can
if your freezer is on but almost empty it needs more energy, you should put waterbottles or styrofoam or something like this in there to reduce the air.
Good point!
This video was very good! You're a lovely woman, very calm and sweet and your daughter is cute too! Thank you for posting this!
Thank you so much!
It sounds as if you eat less meat then some families. Which is good for your health. You can still stock up for a snowpacalyps, just buy one or two of something such as veggies, a couple of cans of meat, tuna, chicken, turkey and gravy, roast beef and gravy. Serve the roast beef or turkey over Texas toast, rice or noodles. God bless you and your family.
There are no fruits or green vegetables. Looks like a very starchy diet. I have a large family as well (6 kids, 4 are still at home) so a budget is a must. However, I do like a balanced diet. Fresh fruits and veggies, meats, some bread, soups and pasta. I usually end up spending $100 + a week but most of that is on fresh produce. If I can get my garden going again, it'll help me out alot there. Do you supplement with a garden?
We are working on growing our garden. We haven't been too successful since we have clay soil, but we keep trying. We will master it some day.
The Fundamental Home I too live in a location that has very clay soil, and I had a hard time growing more than a few cherry tomato bushes, if even that. The huge difference came when I put in some raised beds. You don't have to spend lots of money-just some old scrap lumber and a good, sunny location. I did have to supplement my soil with compost-And I add fresh compost every spring. I mostly make my own compost out of old vegetable and fruit scraps along with grass clippings, etc. The worms do their thing and I am left with the richest, black organic material you have ever seen!! Now we virtually eat out of garden all summer-eggplants, cauliflower, onions, garlic, tons of potatoes, green and purple beans, etc. it seems at times like the garden is just bursting with more produce than we can eat, so I freeze, dehydrate and can the rest for the winter. I also save all our seeds and use them for the next year-big money saver!! I also live one block from one of the largest cities in the US, and have just a very small suburban garden. Friends and family are shocked at the amount of produce that can be grown in such a small urban area!
Wonderful! Thanks for the suggestion. We added composted horse manure last year, and it helped. I think, if we add another layer this year, it may do the trick. We are also using a mulch method. I am super hopeful. We can now and freeze. A dehydrator is high on my priority list. I would really love a solar one.
The Fundamental Home Oh my gosh-you and me both!! Those solar ovens look amazing-I almost bought one this year, but my nest egg was decimated by some emergency work needed on the house :(. Oh well!! In the meantime, I have been just using our oven, set on the lowest heat possible. I have had great luck dehydrating cherry tomatoes, of which I always have an amazing abundance. I add them to winter slow cooked stews, and they add a great burst of flavor. Good luck in your garden next spring and summer-it'll get there. And it is a great project with the kids-my son loves it!
Davida Kilgore I'm a vegan, so our food is mostly vegetables. We are on a strict budget so we can't always get fresh fruit and vegetables. Frozen vegetables are cheap, and usually snap frozen. So essentially, they are more fresh than the non-frozen. I use those vegetables in curry or stir fry etc.
My family of three. One being a baby who is breastfed , we spent 110$ on food and house hold products last week. I nearly cried. I am only 21 and try desperately to save. This is inspirational
I am glad to encourage you. You should definitely join our Frugal Family Food Facebook group. You can get lots of help there :)
Ashley God bless you I know it's hard I have a family of four and I also breastfeeding my baby and toddler but I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel
Ashley Bless you. Household products can be expensive. Do you live near a dollar store? If so, buy the bottle of "cleaning vinegar" & use that - but not on marble or granite. You can buy a pack of washcloths there & use as napkins. Newspaper instead of paper towels or a cloth that doesn't leave marks on cleaning mirrors/glass. I made my own laundry soap with less products than what most recipes say & it cleans really well.
Do you factor in the cost of your gas when running from store to store?
Of course. I even did a video on it. It costs me something like 19 cents to go to all three.
Who is giving this a thumbs down? I think she is doing a great job here.
Thank you!
The Fundamental Home I have to take notes
I now see what my problem is. I simply eat too damn much too often.
I JUST ate 2 piece of salmon, broccoli and a potatoe. And... Im back in the fridge.
Hahaha!! It's hard to balance
The Fundamental Home Thanks for sharing your tips!
I Guess 100 dollars a month sounds great but I don't see fruits and there's almost no vegetables.
I made a video about that if you want to check it out- ua-cam.com/video/KY163o43USo/v-deo.html
I am impressed by you ... I posted you on my fb for the sheer energy some of my friends and family should take. Love Love!!!!
Thanks so much! I hope I can encourage them!
I used to go with my mom grocery shopping when I was young it was so fun we would clip coupons and and really save so much money and it was really memorable for me! Love your videos
Thank you! I think it's fun, too!
Which store she is shopping salad is 2 for dollar? Cold cuts dollar each?wowww wish I have that store in ny
Sue Modica * I agree.
I spend about 300 a month on me and my husband and our toddler. I think it is this high because I do it mostly organic and tons of fresh fruits and veggies, but this video has definitely inspired me too try and spend less on groceries per month. I am not willing to give up and fruits or veggies, but can definitely think of ways to save some money. Am hoping to get us to about 250 or less a month. And by the way, for anyone giving you crap about how healthy or unheathy this is... There's nothing more you can do for your children than to provide for their future and it looks like you're giving them an amazing chance by helping them through college. I ate meals like this growing up and am perfectly healthy. Although I don't shop like this 100%, I definitely see that you're doing an amazing job and it's obvious that your children's nutrition needs are being met.
Thank you for your understanding. This video was intended to show what could be done in extreme circumstances. However, if you look at my other grocery hauls, you will see that we do buy fresh fruits and veggies- just not as much as others. But then again, we don't purchase as much as others do of anything. Our children are happy and healthy, and we are contented with our diet.
I love this! You are setting a wonderful example!
Thanks!