My trick for meal planning, have a frozen pizza or homemade freezer burrito stash on hand for when you don’t want or suddenly can’t cook a night. It’s saved us so many times from ordering out.
I have a bunch of freezer meals for this exact reason. When I got really sick a couple of weeks ago, we used the freezer meals up. It was a lifesafer. Spent 2 days cooking to replace it but well worth it. Especially since my daughter cannont have sugar (that is in EVERYTHING)
Yessss I do that with Costco’s cauliflower veggie pizzas which are so good! Also more unhealthy things like corn dogs and stuff for those times when I need something in a snap
Since the pandemic begun, I’ve been doing the order online and pick up curbside and I’ve realized I spend way less than when I normally go inside and shop because I don’t go in the store and browse everything haha
Me too. It costs $3 for a weekday pickup at my store but the lack of impulse buys more than makes up for it. Plus I don't forget things nearly as often.
@@tstuckey6304 yeah! Like it’s always nice to find discounted things in the produce isle when I go in. But I almost always end up forgetting to grab something 🥲
I have been doing Walmart grocery pickup for a year. I went inside just to get a rotisserie chicken (we can’t get on pickup here) and I spent $210. I may never go in again.
100% this! My husband used to ask why I went to three stores to get meat, produce and dry goods. 😂 best prices for each were at different places and luckily they were all within two miles of each other. Great video!
I hope God has a house with a lot in mind for me so I can grow a garden. I have strawberry plants here I can dig up and replant and that would make me a happy start. Then I just want to grow things that will come back every year.
I have been working at a hospital for over 3 months now at the ER entrance and I can tell you all- investing/ spending on your health is just as important probably more important than extra IRA and 401K contributions.
1- Meal planning 2-Use what you already have 3- Look at the store adds for lost leaders (very cheap items) 4- Learn how to cook 5- Buy generic instead of name brand 6- Eat healthy (buy less process food) 7- Shop for fruits and vegetables in season 8- Shop the clearance items 9- Use cash back apps (or coupons)
1 and 4 are especially important. I know so many people who if they would just learn to cook, could save so much money. You don't have to learn to cook gourmet foods. For example, I cook a lot of beans and make burritos with them. I also find that chicken is easy to cook .
SPOT ON about the extreme couponing show ruining it for everyone. As soon as Kroger stopped doubling coupons, I knew it was over. RIP paper coupons; you will be missed.
I used to love Kroger's double dollars coupon days. I would mark them on my calendar and save up my coupons and money for those days. Thanks to that abysmal Extreme Couponers show, it was abolished, making life so much harder for poor families like ours was.
My sister and I got behind a person in the store one time with extreme couponing. Unfortunately, there was only one cashier in the store and it took 45 minutes for her to run all the coupons. Needless to say, a lot of unhappy people in the store AND we had to wait a ridiculous amount of time to check-out.
@@vl8835 I had a lady once get mad she had to pay $3 on a $100 bill. Then I had to cancel it bc she said she had to get her kids from school & would be back to talk to the manager bc it should’ve been free. She used to steal too. We had a lot of problematic people with coupons it was awful. Most knew not to come to me because I checked for expiration dates & wrong brand/sizes,etc. to be fair it’s only if a coupon doesn’t scan. There was also something called glitter coupons which means it’s for one item but worked for some reason on others.
I'm in college too, and I'm always trying to budget. there is this app my friend showed me called pickl. I haven't used it yet, but when he shops he uses it and I think it pays him $5 for taking pictures of products on display at the grocery store, it seems to work well he said he made $10 bucks with it when he went to target last week.
I started following your suggestions at the beginning of the year to try and save more money. Last week I only spent $51 on groceries and this week $18 for a family of 2. Your no-knead bread recipe is amazing!
I was going to say the same thing, knowing your prices on even just the basic items like milk,bread, eggs... has really helped knowing when to buy or not buy.
A lady in Costco was SHOCKED I knew the prices of things. I get some people don't look at the prices but to me that is throwing away money. I know my prices so when things go on sale I can stock up; and or if the prices jumped I know not to buy it.
@@lizacisneros9663 Grow own fruits and vegetables is my dream 😍 I'm 28, investing in real estate but still never had a house. Avocado is the best vegetable, maybe with some tomato, salad to complete, and as fruits the dream would be blueberries and some other berries
@@LalzJeNeSuis You can grow things in pots, check online. You can easily have a blueberry bush in a large pot and eat it from it. The same with raspberry and strawberries. You can take with you when you have your home. Herbs can grow in pots easily. I even grew tomatoes before and peppers.
Love your videos! 2 years ago my husband and I were regularly spending 1-1.2k per month on food. Mostly going out to eat, prepackaged food and grocery store impulse buys. Pretty much everything you say not to do 🤣 I made it a goal to bring that number down. We brought it down to 800, then 600 and now I only pull out $400/month for our family of 3. Now we're getting to the point where we're not even using all of that every month. Super proud of the savings I'm able to find. I share couponing and cash back apps with everyone I know!
See this is what I want to do. There's times I spend 300-400/ week at Walmart. That includes paper towels, diapers, personal care items, etc but it's our most expensive bill, higher than our housing cost. I'm learning more about food preservation and cooking from scratch because we waste way too much food. I'm ashamed by it. So happy to hear how much you cut your bill. Gives me inspiration!
I like Kelloggs Rice Krispies, (brand?) Cheerios. Lol. No name peanut butter is actually my favorite over all of the 'brand names'. No name snack crackers and no name pudding cups as well.
One reason I prefer to shop in person is because I love hunting for unadvertised manager’s specials! Many stores have these in amongst the full-priced items rather than in a separate clearance section, so I’ve trained myself to look for the brightly-colored stickers. Great way to save!
Everything you said was on point. Edited to add: this video better get a million views. So much valuable information most people won’t consider. -Lydiya
I've been watching your videos a lot this last few weeks. I probably use to spend almost 300 for about 4 days of food. Last week I spent about 156 for a week of food and my essential items. This week Im going to spend about 70 for essential items and week of food. Your videos helped out a lot. I realized that my family of 6 just needs to eat a little different and I can save money.
My tip: stores have somethings on sale in rotation, learn the rotation and plan to buy while on sale. Also, if you have a deep freezer March is usually frozen food month.
Hi Christine! Ok, my mama didn’t teach me how to cook, I’m becoming pretty desperate with the rising prices of take-out. I have been watching your videos for a couple of weeks and you have the BEST “ cooking” channel of them all. Thank you so very much for all of your tips, wins, and most of all your “ask me how I know” fails 😉 Again I cannot thank you enough…
I do not like meal plans/freezer meals. I go day by day what sounds good for dinner. If I make something I planned 2 weeks ago and not in the mood for it, I won't eat much and snack on unhealthy things and it goes to waste. What I did when I started making everything from scratch was make a list of meals we like and make regularly. Then made a list of ingredients for those meals. Then I shopped for the cheapest ingredients and started building a pantry. First with 1 of everything, then 2, now 3 or 6. So everyday I can just think of what sounds good and pull from my freezer/pantry, then, most important!, write on my shopping list what I used so I can replace next shopping trip. Just putting this out there for others who don't like meal plans but would like food insurance!
My diet has improved so much since I started cooking more meals instead of just heating up prepared foods. Your channel has been so inspiring. Thank you.
It would be great if every food pantry had this video playing on loop. So many people could learn how to shop better while stocking up. We're pretty good at handing out fish, not so good at teaching people how to fish.
The “healthier” foods may be pricier, but they satiate you for longer, meaning you don’t have to eat as much. At one point,I was drinking sodas like it was water. Once I cut that out, I noticed a big difference. I still need flavor in my water, but it’s cheaper to drink tea or kool aid that you make yourself and you can make it as sweet as you want it.
I know fruits and veggies are extremely pricey especially in the winter. I still spend less than 500 dollars a month (even though the average family spends 13 THOUSAND a year) and we eat very well. The downside, is that EVERY single meal must me made. I spend over half my day in the kitchen just cooking.
i'm trying to get over a soda dependency and yup, it's insane what it does to your body. when i began cutting back on soda and going for flavored water, i began getting less headaches, less utis, stopped getting dizzy every time i stood up, etc. jeez!
@@moonlightequilibrium are there more people doing syrups? Yes, it's also sugary, but at least I have much less sugar intake when mixing in a grenadine syrup or citrus syrup. A bottle of half a litre lasts me a month. Plain water is a bit bland, and I often don't drink enough if it's just plain water, I think mixing a cup of syrup into a litre of water is worth it.
I don't think "healthier" food is more pricey at all. It is just that people are more expensive eaters. If you are a "cheap" eater, a lot of healthy food is SUPER cheap. Beans, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, cabbage, greens, peanut butter, oatmeal, grits, many frozen veggies, bagged red apples and bananas (year round cheapest fresh fruit). There are many more I am sure I forgot that are really cheap. If you are a meat eater, chicken legs or leg quarters and pork are your cheapest meat. It is just people want to eat berries, avocados, more exotic nuts than just peanuts which are cheap. The meat she mentions is chicken breast. That is the most expensive part of the chicken usually. You can easily have oatmeal with a small lunch size box of raisins thrown in with half a red apple and half a cup of milk. For lunch you can have a tuna salad sandwich (tuna in a can is pretty reasonable) with the other half of the apple and some iced tea, maybe even eat a little unhealthy with a small (50 cent) bag of chips or a large bag of raw carrots are pretty cheap too, or both. For dinner a baked. For a snack have a banana or any in season fruit. Dinner have a large portion of smothered cabbage (I always add onions and a bit of sausage IF I find the sausage reduced. If not, the cabbage is good anyway smothered with onions), I may add a couple of ears of corn and a small salad of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. The greens and tomatoes are maybe more expensive than say cabbage, but eat less of it. Before bed, I may have another half cup of milk and two prepackaged cookies, generic brand. This is just one day. You could do beans and rice, baked potatoes with salsa on top or a baked sweet potato with a bit of brown sugar and a small pork chop for lunch or dinner. These are very cheap meals. Basically we have become so used to grazing throughout the day, convenience and not eating simply. We are basically a wealthy, blessed nation, even the poor compared to many countries who don't have our choices. I thank God everyday for living in the United States of America
I’m Hispanic so salsa is ubiquitous in my diet and very important to me. Lol and I can 100% back up and approve your sentiments toward the Costco brand salsa! It’s so good. I normally always add cilantro to it but that’s because I love cilantro and my salsas will always have extra cilantro! 😋😋😋😋
Yes!!! I’m Mexican American and I agree 100%! I do dress it up a bit as well. I add roasted green Chile I order in bulk from New Mexico and keep in the freezer extra garlic a few dashes of tapatio and cilantro. It’s too plain for me on its own but it’s such a great base. You can dress it up so many different ways Chipotle, borracho, fresh cherry tomato fruits and serranos in the summer. Watermelon mint cilantro and cucumber sounds weird but it works!!!
Once or twice a year I will find them at Wal-Mart but my local Kroger has them every time I go shopping there. (Wal-Mart had some quinoa marked down for $1.00 a box and bought some of it-holy moly, so gross. Christine recommends washing it before using it which I didn't know about it-however-I'm not willing to give it a second try to take said recommended step to see if it is any better.)
I could not agree more with these tips! Doing your own cooking from real ingredients is less expensive, more satisfying, and waaaaay more healthy. It also helps bond your family together. My teenage son's first question about 5 is ... What are we having for dinner tonight? And he loves trying new things. After adopting a lot of the ideas in the video years ago, I ended up saving the biggest hunk by switching to Aldi's for most of my shopping.
People tend to think a lot produce (like strawberries) are good year round just because they see them in the store. I work at a grocery store and trust me, the strawberries in November are not the same as the strawberries in June. They’re grown in greenhouses and when you cut into them.. white, not red. The produce manager actually told me that the red color comes from being grown in the sun hence why they’re in season, taste better, and look better during the sumner and don’t cost $5/lb
what i do is a tend to buy maybe an extra package if they are a good price and freeze them that way they are in the freezer for when they arent in season and you dont have to buy the frozen bag which in my opinion are waay over priced
The white versus red comes from harvesting before they are ready, not from the lack of sunlight. Also, greenhouses get sunlight. That's why they're see-through. 😆
Not that you shouldn't buy seasonally when it comes to produce. You should. There are A LOT of various reasons why. Cost is a one; it's cheaper during its natural season. Just wanted to let you know your produce person was telling you wrong info.
I'm retired, so buying processed foods would be so easy! But, I cook.. imagine that. I use my instant pot, crockpot and my new air fryer. Game changers! How hard is it to soak your beans, then cook them in the instant pot. Make ahead[homemade dough] a couple of pizzas, bake them, slice them, then wrap and freeze them, the air fryer heats up those slices ,like fresh!. My son was a meatcutter at a large grocery chain store, He told me to not be afraid of the clearance meats. Lastly, stop buying expensive coffees at drive thrus, We make them at home for about $1 for 2, vs $10 for 2. Now, I have a nice retirement, but why spend your cash on quick, unhealthy food? Thanks, Christine!
Everytime I go to the stores in my area I always look for clearance items and sales. I usually use those items as my meal plan and I also buy bulk items at a local bargain store when the deal is good. Watching you has helped us so much. I’m now spending almost half of what I use to and still making good meals my family loves.
Great video! All the tips in this video I use and have helped me reduce my grocery budget to $400 a month from an outrageous $1300 a month, and we eat much higher quality, nutritious food. I would also add the tip of simplifying your pantry and stockpiling single ingredients that can be turned into many different meals and to have a healthy stock of spices. Also the one thing that has made me a better cook is to not waste anything. That has made for some interesting meals and new favorites. Thank you Christine great job!
Over the summer, i go to my dad's house at that point, I'm going to set a soft limit of $40 a month for groceries, and a hard limit of $60 for just me. My dad is helping me with this since I don't have a job yet. Your videos have been a great inspiration for me to prepare myself for college and living on my own. One of my biggest challenges, other than learning to budget, is coocking with almost zero counterspace and cooking equipment, and I've actually found your videos useful in that regard as well since its usually made in a basic pot/pan and in the oven. Thank you for making these videos
Loss leaders for the WIN!!! Those ultra cheap items that draw you into the store are the best way to outsmart them ~ I've been following this way of shopping for years and it really works in saving a boodle of $$ Keep up the good work Christine❣
Meal planning + pick-up and go at the grocery stores has saved me a ton of money in the last few months! Just by doing these steps alone, I've cut my grocery bill from $600 to around $400 a month for a family of three (I live in WA for context). Still working on getting it lower, but I do have a diabetic and a kid with multiple food allergies and autism in my house. I'll take any win I can get! Thank you for your tips!
We eat meat and for years, I only buy it on sale or on markdown (near expiration). If it's regular price, it stays there! Recent markdown finds in other areas- bagel thins, .50 a pack, donuts .50 a box (the only time I'll buy them, a rare treat), tomato paste .50 a tube, pasta, .50 a box. If you're not shopping markdowns, you're missing out for sure!
Another tip when you make your meal plan, try to plan a few meals that either use some of the same ingredients or could make use of the leftovers from a meal. For example, if bell peppers are on sale have fajitas one night and then add peppers to a stir fry another night. Or make a batch of tacos for dinner, and then use the leftovers to top a baked potato. And most produce can be blanched and frozen when it's in season and cheap to use throughout the year. Brocolli is a great one for this.
I used to shop only at a Walmart and sam's club, but recently I started getting fliers from other grocery stores and yesterday I stocked up on a sale where chicken thighs and drumsticks were $0.79/ lbs and beef chuck roast was $ 2. 99/ lbs.... I'm so glad I started paying attention to the sales from other stores near me!!
I absolutely won’t budge when it comes to stove top stuffing, I ONLY like cheap “stove top” the original is WAY TOO STRONG!! But I made homemade stuffing this year , because of u, and my family LOVED it! So thank you SO much!! I also made 4 pans of homemade granola for the 1st time in my life, it’s SO SO GOOD!!!! I look for stuff to put it on... u have saved me time and money over and over again!!! Thank U so very much!!!
Great video! Good, solid tips for saving money. Also would add checking digital coupons that some stores utilize now. Yesterday at my Kroger's, 1 lb butter - on sale for 1.99 / digital price 1.77 then I used the 50 cents off store coupon they mailed me. Final price $ 1.27.
Also-you can buy packaged raw veggies like bags of baby carrots or coleslaw or cut greens and throw them in the freezer just in the bag. It can get bulky but if you keep a good rotation and have a decent amount of storage space it can save you a ton of money AND time, which doesn’t happen often. I got bags of 2 lb baby carrots for 99 cents, and bags of tri -colored coleslaw mix for 59 cents. I’m going to dump the carrots frozen in a crock pot and cook the coleslaw mix for stir fry and corned beef and cabbage. Bang the bag on the counter a few times, dump it in a crock pot and go.
So glad you went over this again. Especially the part about higher priced grocery stores. So many people write them off and i know from experience that they can have great sales, specials the best markdowns! Bravo and Well Done!
A lot generic product are all made by same companies that do more expensive brands just have different products lines for each company they are making goods for that day just swap the label machine over from expensive products to cheaper brands that's how they do it but here uk l no that hazlewood foods company make the Christmas cakes for harrods that's very expensive but they also make Christmas cakes for Mark's and Spencer, asda that's equivalent to Walmart, also if you look at the barcode on back of box expensive painkillers then look at cheaper brand the barcode are the same just code on box it means made in same factory
I am just learning the Ibotta app. Thanks for this frugal info. We are retired and on a fixed income. Can’t buy a lot ahead of time but I try to buy a few extra things we will use, each time I go. Thank you for sharing these tips for us all to use. 😊
Kroger for the win… And their store brand items are even better than a lot of name brand...Their spaghetti sauce and their multi grain bread are my favorites!!!
I was inspired by you this week cleaning out my freezer found cheese tortellinis and made a creamy soup with clearance whipping cream spinach and Italian sausage. Was the best soup I have ever made! Your tips will help our family of soon to be 6 a ton. Thank you for all you do.
I keep a spreadsheet (Google Sheets for the win!) of all the things in my freezer, and base all of my meal prep on that. I maintain a stocked pantry and freezer, so every month or so we have a week where dinner is entirely from what we have on hand. I would also add that the prices aren't the same at all box stores. They do adjust prices "based on the neighborhood." I used to go shopping at a grocery store near work because the prices on everything were 10-20 cents cheaper. Also, check out ethnic stores. I'm fortunate to be near a nice Asian market and a Mexican grocery store, and you can get some great deals there!
@@bethanykaitlyn7680 yeah that's exactly how it works. each task involves you finding a single product, and once you take pictures of the product the app pays you. It works off of GPS so you can see tasks in your area.
I would also point out that you need extra storage in your home to stock up. If you don't have a separate freezer, maybe another Fridge or a designated space to hold the extras, it can be discouraging to do. While I do have a chest freezer, I have limited space on dry goods, so I can only stock up a couple at a time. But all are very good tips to help reduce your grocery budget
I’m totally fine with store brand in most cases. A few things I’m particular with. Tuna (I prefer skipjack) and Mayo (Hellman’s). Same with cheeses and milk.. I’m not picky with brands in that but I hate the Lucerne brand on those.
I totally agree that most generic items taste as good if not better than name brand but like you said some name brand items taste better and since watching your other videos I use to spend $1,200 on my family of 3 each month now I'm spending $800 for 7 weeks, I'm doing this by buying from 3 stores in my area from their sale papers and only buying the good priced items and doing meal planing as you suggested and you can make so many meals with chicken, pork chops, ground beef, roast and steak meat that it's unbelievable and side dishes are super easy so yes I'm living proof that your plan absolutely works. Stay focused when you enter a store and quit browsing and buying items not on your list. Instead of buying pancake mix or prepackaged cookies, ect make them from scratch it takes few ingredients and no time to make and also you get more cookies and desserts buy doing this and the flavor is so much better, the Walmart chips taste so much better than name brand and they cost $1.23 a bag for average size versus $3.00 for name brand and and the party size is $2.44 versus $5.00 for name brand
For me meal planning begins with your #3. First I check the sale ads then I check the pantry & freezer. I meal plan according to what ingredients are in the first two. That’s probably what you mean. 😀
Also, can I add to cook smart, 1 roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn, left overs, hot chicken sandwiches with fries, left over carcus from chicken ...chicken soup (3 meals) same goes for a roast beef. Pasta sauce, make more and freeze, very good video, I find young people don't know how to stretch meals like our mothers and grandmothers, I learned how to make pierogies and chicken and sliders (dumplings) these meals saved me when times were tough, but it fed everyone and bellies were full.
I eat mostly whole food, plant based & I get lots of produce from my 99 cent only store with brand names like green giant or dole. Fresh herbs like basil thyme rosemary, bok choy & carrot chips,shreds or whole as well as bagged salad kits ($1.99) that are $3.69 in grocery stores. I've gotten orange, purple, green and regular cauliflower heads too. Check the freezer. I've gotten Vans frozen waffles, falafels & Evol egg sandwiches, plant based creamer & yogurt, even texas toast bread. Lastly they have brand name bread, buns, etc that will expire in a few days so it's great for freezing. Rice, beans, teas and condiments are 99 only. (Their disinfectant spray is on the N list on EPA website). Great tips!
Another thing about produce is that at a couple of our local grocery stores have a rack in the produce area that has produce that either has some bruises or some blemishes. They have pulled them and put them there and it is majorly reduced. A lot of times they have put some in a bag and price the bag for a smaller price. And when you have produce that is starting to get old and you can’t use it in time either freeze it or bake it in something-banana bread is the biggest- and you can freeze banana bread if you need to (wrap it up well enough)
For produce, learn to can. Talk about savings! I love to buy in season or grow it myself, and then preserve it. I very often will buy up the clearance bananas and freeze them. Or whatever is on sale, figure out a way to preserve it.
I am old school. Since I don't have a smart phone, I can't do Fetch or ibotta. However, I still utilize coupons: a store's own coupons (the ones you "clip" to your loyalty card), those in the Sunday inserts, and the on-line coupons. Wait for a sale and combine w/a coupon and VOILA!! a really great price. ~ Not all meals have to be grandiose. We (husband and I) often enjoy a very simple meal of soup and/or salad and/or sandwich. We also have "each on their own" nights, which is a great way to clean out things you have only-enough-for-one of (poor grammar, I know!) ~ Eat left-overs!! Re-purpose them, if you must, but often they taste much better the second time around. ~ Shop different stores, if that is fuel-efficient. I shop at two grocery stores in my small hometown, plus two more IF I have other errands to run near their locations. Always check their weekly circulars (usually on-line) to see if it's worth your time, effort and gas to go to the outlying stores, and know when each store's weekly ad begins. (In my area, one begins on Sunday, another on Monday, another on Wednesday, and the last one on Thursday!)
One time I bought 7 ground turkey packs at a dollar a piece and the cashier said she was concerned for my health and didn't want me to buy them. I said, chill out and give me the dang turkey.
When veggies and fruits are in season cheap, I bulk buy and freeze them to afford them year round. On most Walmart black fridays they will have vacuum sealers pretty cheap. Also there are some discount places that sell not so pretty fruits and veggies really cheap, or ones that are only a couple days from going bad. I will buy up and freeze them to use for smoothies through the year.
Someone probably mentioned it, but also, if you stock up on seasonal fruits and vegetables, you can freeze those (if you have room in a freezer) for a treat later in the year. Canned and frozen veggies and fruits can also be just as good, as we've seen. Just gotta watch for being packed in juice or water rather than syrup, in the case of canned fruit. I always compare sugar content. And salt. And fibre.
I have gotten some great tips from you, Christine--old dog, new tricks and all that--but mostly it has given my newly married daughter a way to eat well on their tight budget! I have really been enjoying your channel. I have 4 kids as well, but only 3 still at home, but i can relate to your busy household.
I have been using I bought a for years and I love it! I let it add up all year long and then I cash out at Christmas time and use that for Christmas presents. I just started using fetch when I heard you talking about it and so far so good :-) I like that your receipts can be up to two weeks old I went back and dug through all the receipts I could find.
Loving this video. I meal plan weekly. I spend for a family of 3 about $100-$120 a week. My husband always asks if I can get it lower but I’m at a loss. I buy off brand items all the time. My name brand non negotiable items are mayo (best foods) and toilet paper. Although I’ve recently switched from cottenelle to sams club brand toilet paper. It’s just as good!
We live in rural Montana and there is only an albertsons and an independent grocery store here... I’m talking $8 for coffee creamer, $5 for one can of tuna, $4 a gallon of milk, vegetables full price already going bad, etc. it is 100% worth the gas to drive 180 miles round trip to Great Falls to hit Sam’s Club and run other errands, get the dog groomed or take him to the park, once every 6 weeks. Anything that is on sale locally is gone the second the flyer gets off the printer because everyone is going to the same place in this whole county!
Definitely try generic brands - my home grocery delivery was substituted once with a named brand vs. my requested home brand. The home brand was superior to the famous name! Give different options a try, you will be very surprised!
Excellent tips! I do all of these:) One to add to the list is that somehow people have come to think they need large meat portions at every meal. Not true and meat is expensive. If you are creative in your cooking you can stretch meat(just like you have shown!) and save a ton! You are such a joy:)))
I am new to this channel. This is great info. One thing I do as well is to pack a small lunch and drink in my car to avoid the temptation of fast food. I am in California and I can buy a small New York steak (on sale of course), a russet potato and some some frozen veggies for what a burger meal costs now at most chains. Plus, I'm not eating garbage!
When my kids were little, my daughter resented that she never got strawberry shortcake for her January birthday... unlike her younger brother with his June birthday. Lol
Another idea: make the classic British cake called a Victoria Sponge, which is basically a vanilla cake with strawberry jam and whipped cream. Delicious! Easier still: buy a pre-made pound cake, slather it with Simply Fruit strawberry jam and top with Cool Whip. Not healthy, but an easy treat that would at least taste like strawberries in winter. Here in Kansas, there is no way to get a decent fresh strawberry in January!
Love what you said about healthy eating is NOT more expensive...love it. I used to be sort of that mins set as well. I wonder if people who spend 4 dollars for a bag of chips would be willing to spend 4 dollars foe 1 or 2 potatoes...cuz really..a regular size bag of chips is probably just 1 potato that is sliced super thin and fried.. Imagine how many chips could be made from a 10 lb bag of potatoes.
Yes, but your salaries are also higher in a lot of cases. For example, I’m a teacher. I did some research and in Australia the average starting salary for a teacher is 65-70k. In the US it’s 38k.
I love shopping the clearance! But with living in a small apartment and alone I often find myself in a position of having lots of odds and ends and not enough freezer space. If you have any advice for someone that’s young and single (I know, the exact total opposite target audience of this video) it would be greatly appreciated!!!!
When I lived alone I would spend one day of the weekend cooking 3 separate meals. Divided them in half and froze them. That way I just had to defrost the nite before and heat in microwave.
When I had only a tiny freezer I would remove stuff that comes in boxes and similar from their packaging and put it in plastic bags, that would let me fit more stuff into the small space I had. So make sure you're not storing air in the freezer, so to speak :)
My biggest tip is to learn how to shop by price per ounce for dry/pantry goods. Of course, don’t buy 10lbs of rice if you aren’t a big rice eating family...but the price per ounce saved buying bulk is usually amazing. Yes, there are exceptions (frozen french fries and veggies in my area are sometimes more expensive per ounce in the larger bags)
Mac and cheese for me has to be named brand. They never tasted right to me. Unless I am in a pinch or someone is making it, I'll only eat name brand mac and cheese
Another tip I would add is loop other family members in on the plan. I know that it is exhausting to go from one shop to another to another scoring the few really good deals, to the point where I just have given up and am sticking with WINCO for the most part, but if you have a partner willing to shoulder some of that work and go to the Safeway to pick up the two items, instead of you hauling yourself to a third shop, or willing to look at the circulars for the best deals, take advantage. My bf isn’t really into this lifestyle so I gave some of it up, but if I do have one of those “buy $50 groceries, save $10”, I do ask him to doublecheck my math
If you want chips make them yourself. You can either bake them in the oven and sprinkle on some dry rub BBQ seasoning at a low temp for a few hours or you can fry them up on your stove and sprinkle BBQ seasoning when you take them out of the oven.
Love being able to use my freezer to prolong the use of my food. When I get fresh berries, I put a mixture into snack size ziplock bags and put them into the freezer to be taken out for each mornings breakfast oats. Whenever I get frozen berries I make a big batch of my oats and berries and put into single serving containers and put some in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer. I'm the only plant based person in the household, so I "process" my food when I get them home.
I will also buy fruits and veggies in season and then freeze them for later in the year. Got a half bushel of peppers for 3 dollars. I spent an hour chopping up peppers and freezing them. I also canned apples; In winter, apples go for almost 2.50 a pound and in summer .50 a pound.
My trick for meal planning, have a frozen pizza or homemade freezer burrito stash on hand for when you don’t want or suddenly can’t cook a night. It’s saved us so many times from ordering out.
Yes.
I have a bunch of freezer meals for this exact reason. When I got really sick a couple of weeks ago, we used the freezer meals up. It was a lifesafer. Spent 2 days cooking to replace it but well worth it. Especially since my daughter cannont have sugar (that is in EVERYTHING)
Yes...or for when that freezer meal you thought was a great back up option is a bust lol 🤢 Learn from my experience there! haha
Yessss I do that with Costco’s cauliflower veggie pizzas which are so good! Also more unhealthy things like corn dogs and stuff for those times when I need something in a snap
Me too! There is ALWAYS a frozen pizza in my freezer for that exact reason!
Since the pandemic begun, I’ve been doing the order online and pick up curbside and I’ve realized I spend way less than when I normally go inside and shop because I don’t go in the store and browse everything haha
Me too. It costs $3 for a weekday pickup at my store but the lack of impulse buys more than makes up for it. Plus I don't forget things nearly as often.
@@tstuckey6304 haha thats funny
Me too. I’ve been doing meal planning and online grocery only for 7 years now. Huge cost savings. So much less food waste too.
@@tstuckey6304 yeah! Like it’s always nice to find discounted things in the produce isle when I go in. But I almost always end up forgetting to grab something 🥲
I have been doing Walmart grocery pickup for a year. I went inside just to get a rotisserie chicken (we can’t get on pickup here) and I spent $210. I may never go in again.
100% this! My husband used to ask why I went to three stores to get meat, produce and dry goods. 😂 best prices for each were at different places and luckily they were all within two miles of each other. Great video!
I’m so happy we bought a large property so I can grow fruits and vegetables. We also planted an orchard. It saves a ton!
Fruit trees - plant once and harvest for years!
@@mekon1971 absolutely 😁
I hope God has a house with a lot in mind for me so I can grow a garden. I have strawberry plants here I can dig up and replant and that would make me a happy start. Then I just want to grow things that will come back every year.
@@lynkrieger6167 I’m sure you will get there some day ☺️
I have been working at a hospital for over 3 months now at the ER entrance and I can tell you all- investing/ spending on your health is just as important probably more important than extra IRA and 401K contributions.
1- Meal planning
2-Use what you already have
3- Look at the store adds for lost leaders (very cheap items)
4- Learn how to cook
5- Buy generic instead of name brand
6- Eat healthy (buy less process food)
7- Shop for fruits and vegetables in season
8- Shop the clearance items
9- Use cash back apps (or coupons)
1 and 4 are especially important. I know so many people who if they would just learn to cook, could save so much money. You don't have to learn to cook gourmet foods. For example, I cook a lot of beans and make burritos with them. I also find that chicken is easy to cook .
Good idea like this to have a summary of the video as sometimes you don't want to have to see it all in real time!
SPOT ON about the extreme couponing show ruining it for everyone. As soon as Kroger stopped doubling coupons, I knew it was over. RIP paper coupons; you will be missed.
I used to love Kroger's double dollars coupon days. I would mark them on my calendar and save up my coupons and money for those days. Thanks to that abysmal Extreme Couponers show, it was abolished, making life so much harder for poor families like ours was.
I couldn't agree more!!
We never could do that here.
My sister and I got behind a person in the store one time with extreme couponing. Unfortunately, there was only one cashier in the store and it took 45 minutes for her to run all the coupons. Needless to say, a lot of unhappy people in the store AND we had to wait a ridiculous amount of time to check-out.
@@vl8835 I had a lady once get mad she had to pay $3 on a $100 bill. Then I had to cancel it bc she said she had to get her kids from school & would be back to talk to the manager bc it should’ve been free. She used to steal too. We had a lot of problematic people with coupons it was awful. Most knew not to come to me because I checked for expiration dates & wrong brand/sizes,etc. to be fair it’s only if a coupon doesn’t scan. There was also something called glitter coupons which means it’s for one item but worked for some reason on others.
as a college student - your tips have been SO helpful - so thank you!!!
I'm so glad!
I'm in college too, and I'm always trying to budget. there is this app my friend showed me called pickl. I haven't used it yet, but when he shops he uses it and I think it pays him $5 for taking pictures of products on display at the grocery store, it seems to work well he said he made $10 bucks with it when he went to target last week.
Agreed!
F F frrrrtth
Check if you have Grocery Outlet in your area. Its like Ross or TjMax but for food. I love it.
I started following your suggestions at the beginning of the year to try and save more money. Last week I only spent $51 on groceries and this week $18 for a family of 2. Your no-knead bread recipe is amazing!
the bread recipe is part of why i subbed
One tip I would add is knowing the prices in your area of your most often purchased items.
I was going to say the same thing, knowing your prices on even just the basic items like milk,bread, eggs... has really helped knowing when to buy or not buy.
I have started tracking prices in our area and I am hoping to create a spreadsheet to make it easier to track.
Agreed! Then you know what is a stock up sale price. I have all the prices of everything we buy on a normal basis in my head.
A lady in Costco was SHOCKED I knew the prices of things. I get some people don't look at the prices but to me that is throwing away money. I know my prices so when things go on sale I can stock up; and or if the prices jumped I know not to buy it.
@Colleen Dunn LOL! The Tightwad Gazette!!!
Another point & if possible, to grow your own fruit and vegetables, it saves a ton of money.
Greetings from South Africa
My dad grows so much veggies and fruits he has an avocado tree me and my kids love them
@@lizacisneros9663 Grow own fruits and vegetables is my dream 😍 I'm 28, investing in real estate but still never had a house.
Avocado is the best vegetable, maybe with some tomato, salad to complete, and as fruits the dream would be blueberries and some other berries
@@LalzJeNeSuis blueberries would be soon good!! We got a tangerine tree my kids, nephews and nieces can eat all those tangerines in days
Growing herbs alone it saves a lot and you can dry them
@@LalzJeNeSuis You can grow things in pots, check online. You can easily have a blueberry bush in a large pot and eat it from it. The same with raspberry and strawberries. You can take with you when you have your home. Herbs can grow in pots easily. I even grew tomatoes before and peppers.
Love your videos! 2 years ago my husband and I were regularly spending 1-1.2k per month on food. Mostly going out to eat, prepackaged food and grocery store impulse buys. Pretty much everything you say not to do 🤣 I made it a goal to bring that number down. We brought it down to 800, then 600 and now I only pull out $400/month for our family of 3. Now we're getting to the point where we're not even using all of that every month. Super proud of the savings I'm able to find. I share couponing and cash back apps with everyone I know!
See this is what I want to do. There's times I spend 300-400/ week at Walmart. That includes paper towels, diapers, personal care items, etc but it's our most expensive bill, higher than our housing cost. I'm learning more about food preservation and cooking from scratch because we waste way too much food. I'm ashamed by it. So happy to hear how much you cut your bill. Gives me inspiration!
Dawn dish soap only! Also, feel the same with Kraft Mac & Cheese and Hershey’s chocolate syrup 😁😆
I like Kelloggs Rice Krispies, (brand?) Cheerios. Lol. No name peanut butter is actually my favorite over all of the 'brand names'. No name snack crackers and no name pudding cups as well.
One reason I prefer to shop in person is because I love hunting for unadvertised manager’s specials! Many stores have these in amongst the full-priced items rather than in a separate clearance section, so I’ve trained myself to look for the brightly-colored stickers. Great way to save!
Everything you said was on point.
Edited to add: this video better get a million views. So much valuable information most people won’t consider.
-Lydiya
I've been watching your videos a lot this last few weeks. I probably use to spend almost 300 for about 4 days of food. Last week I spent about 156 for a week of food and my essential items. This week Im going to spend about 70 for essential items and week of food. Your videos helped out a lot. I realized that my family of 6 just needs to eat a little different and I can save money.
My tip: stores have somethings on sale in rotation, learn the rotation and plan to buy while on sale. Also, if you have a deep freezer March is usually frozen food month.
Hi Christine! Ok, my mama didn’t teach me how to cook, I’m becoming pretty desperate with the rising prices of take-out. I have been watching your videos for a couple of weeks and you have the BEST “ cooking” channel of them all. Thank you so very much for all of your tips, wins, and most of all your “ask me how I know” fails 😉 Again I cannot thank you enough…
Thank you!
I do not like meal plans/freezer meals. I go day by day what sounds good for dinner. If I make something I planned 2 weeks ago and not in the mood for it, I won't eat much and snack on unhealthy things and it goes to waste. What I did when I started making everything from scratch was make a list of meals we like and make regularly. Then made a list of ingredients for those meals. Then I shopped for the cheapest ingredients and started building a pantry. First with 1 of everything, then 2, now 3 or 6. So everyday I can just think of what sounds good and pull from my freezer/pantry, then, most important!, write on my shopping list what I used so I can replace next shopping trip. Just putting this out there for others who don't like meal plans but would like food insurance!
I also make sure to take a sharpie and write "eat within 2 days when thawed" because once thawed, they will still go bad in 2 days.
This is a Christine video everyone needs to watch! This is fabulous!
Thank you!
I shared it with my daughter and daughter in law! Love it!
My diet has improved so much since I started cooking more meals instead of just heating up prepared foods. Your channel has been so inspiring. Thank you.
It would be great if every food pantry had this video playing on loop. So many people could learn how to shop better while stocking up. We're pretty good at handing out fish, not so good at teaching people how to fish.
The “healthier” foods may be pricier, but they satiate you for longer, meaning you don’t have to eat as much. At one point,I was drinking sodas like it was water. Once I cut that out, I noticed a big difference. I still need flavor in my water, but it’s cheaper to drink tea or kool aid that you make yourself and you can make it as sweet as you want it.
I know fruits and veggies are extremely pricey especially in the winter. I still spend less than 500 dollars a month (even though the average family spends 13 THOUSAND a year) and we eat very well. The downside, is that EVERY single meal must me made. I spend over half my day in the kitchen just cooking.
i'm trying to get over a soda dependency and yup, it's insane what it does to your body. when i began cutting back on soda and going for flavored water, i began getting less headaches, less utis, stopped getting dizzy every time i stood up, etc. jeez!
@@moonlightequilibrium are there more people doing syrups? Yes, it's also sugary, but at least I have much less sugar intake when mixing in a grenadine syrup or citrus syrup. A bottle of half a litre lasts me a month. Plain water is a bit bland, and I often don't drink enough if it's just plain water, I think mixing a cup of syrup into a litre of water is worth it.
I don't think "healthier" food is more pricey at all. It is just that people are more expensive eaters. If you are a "cheap" eater, a lot of healthy food is SUPER cheap. Beans, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, cabbage, greens, peanut butter, oatmeal, grits, many frozen veggies, bagged red apples and bananas (year round cheapest fresh fruit). There are many more I am sure I forgot that are really cheap. If you are a meat eater, chicken legs or leg quarters and pork are your cheapest meat. It is just people want to eat berries, avocados, more exotic nuts than just peanuts which are cheap. The meat she mentions is chicken breast. That is the most expensive part of the chicken usually. You can easily have oatmeal with a small lunch size box of raisins thrown in with half a red apple and half a cup of milk. For lunch you can have a tuna salad sandwich (tuna in a can is pretty reasonable) with the other half of the apple and some iced tea, maybe even eat a little unhealthy with a small (50 cent) bag of chips or a large bag of raw carrots are pretty cheap too, or both. For dinner a baked. For a snack have a banana or any in season fruit. Dinner have a large portion of smothered cabbage (I always add onions and a bit of sausage IF I find the sausage reduced. If not, the cabbage is good anyway smothered with onions), I may add a couple of ears of corn and a small salad of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. The greens and tomatoes are maybe more expensive than say cabbage, but eat less of it. Before bed, I may have another half cup of milk and two prepackaged cookies, generic brand. This is just one day. You could do beans and rice, baked potatoes with salsa on top or a baked sweet potato with a bit of brown sugar and a small pork chop for lunch or dinner. These are very cheap meals. Basically we have become so used to grazing throughout the day, convenience and not eating simply. We are basically a wealthy, blessed nation, even the poor compared to many countries who don't have our choices. I thank God everyday for living in the United States of America
For dinner I meant to type a baked chicken leg quarter.
I’m Hispanic so salsa is ubiquitous in my diet and very important to me. Lol and I can 100% back up and approve your sentiments toward the Costco brand salsa! It’s so good. I normally always add cilantro to it but that’s because I love cilantro and my salsas will always have extra cilantro! 😋😋😋😋
Yes!!! I’m Mexican American and I agree 100%! I do dress it up a bit as well. I add roasted green Chile I order in bulk from New Mexico and keep in the freezer extra garlic a few dashes of tapatio and cilantro. It’s too plain for me on its own but it’s such a great base. You can dress it up so many different ways Chipotle, borracho, fresh cherry tomato fruits and serranos in the summer. Watermelon mint cilantro and cucumber sounds weird but it works!!!
@@ccl6192 those are awesome additions and ones I will definitely try 😋😋😋
Cilantro, yum!
100% agree! Groceries is the way to go. You can slash it so much farther than you think.
Thanks to you I'm obsessed with clearance items in my Kroger. I feel like I won a prize when I find these deals!
Once or twice a year I will find them at Wal-Mart but my local Kroger has them every time I go shopping there. (Wal-Mart had some quinoa marked down for $1.00 a box and bought some of it-holy moly, so gross. Christine recommends washing it before using it which I didn't know about it-however-I'm not willing to give it a second try to take said recommended step to see if it is any better.)
And to follow up I just scored a couple 10 packs of 90/10 burger patties for $1.99! Right to the freezer!
Kroger clearance is the best!
I could not agree more with these tips! Doing your own cooking from real ingredients is less expensive, more satisfying, and waaaaay more healthy. It also helps bond your family together. My teenage son's first question about 5 is ... What are we having for dinner tonight? And he loves trying new things. After adopting a lot of the ideas in the video years ago, I ended up saving the biggest hunk by switching to Aldi's for most of my shopping.
People tend to think a lot produce (like strawberries) are good year round just because they see them in the store. I work at a grocery store and trust me, the strawberries in November are not the same as the strawberries in June. They’re grown in greenhouses and when you cut into them.. white, not red. The produce manager actually told me that the red color comes from being grown in the sun hence why they’re in season, taste better, and look better during the sumner and don’t cost $5/lb
This is good to know. I just started shopping seasonally and it has saved me money.
what i do is a tend to buy maybe an extra package if they are a good price and freeze them that way they are in the freezer for when they arent in season and you dont have to buy the frozen bag which in my opinion are waay over priced
katrina lynn, that’s a good idea
The white versus red comes from harvesting before they are ready, not from the lack of sunlight. Also, greenhouses get sunlight. That's why they're see-through. 😆
Not that you shouldn't buy seasonally when it comes to produce. You should. There are A LOT of various reasons why. Cost is a one; it's cheaper during its natural season.
Just wanted to let you know your produce person was telling you wrong info.
I'm retired, so buying processed foods would be so easy! But, I cook.. imagine that. I use my instant pot, crockpot and my new air fryer. Game changers! How hard is it to soak your beans, then cook them in the instant pot. Make ahead[homemade dough] a couple of pizzas, bake them, slice them, then wrap and freeze them, the air fryer heats up those slices ,like fresh!. My son was a meatcutter at a large grocery chain store, He told me to not be afraid of the clearance meats. Lastly, stop buying expensive coffees at drive thrus, We make them at home for about $1 for 2, vs $10 for 2. Now, I have a nice retirement, but why spend your cash on quick, unhealthy food? Thanks, Christine!
Everytime I go to the stores in my area I always look for clearance items and sales. I usually use those items as my meal plan and I also buy bulk items at a local bargain store when the deal is good. Watching you has helped us so much. I’m now spending almost half of what I use to and still making good meals my family loves.
Frozen Vegetables are great, if you have the space. And the store brand or no name are just fine.
Great ideas.
Great video! All the tips in this video I use and have helped me reduce my grocery budget to $400 a month from an outrageous $1300 a month, and we eat much higher quality, nutritious food. I would also add the tip of simplifying your pantry and stockpiling single ingredients that can be turned into many different meals and to have a healthy stock of spices. Also the one thing that has made me a better cook is to not waste anything. That has made for some interesting meals and new favorites. Thank you Christine great job!
Over the summer, i go to my dad's house at that point, I'm going to set a soft limit of $40 a month for groceries, and a hard limit of $60 for just me. My dad is helping me with this since I don't have a job yet. Your videos have been a great inspiration for me to prepare myself for college and living on my own. One of my biggest challenges, other than learning to budget, is coocking with almost zero counterspace and cooking equipment, and I've actually found your videos useful in that regard as well since its usually made in a basic pot/pan and in the oven. Thank you for making these videos
Loss leaders for the WIN!!! Those ultra cheap items that draw you into the store are the best way to outsmart them ~ I've been following this way of shopping for years and it really works in saving a boodle of $$ Keep up the good work Christine❣
Meal planning + pick-up and go at the grocery stores has saved me a ton of money in the last few months! Just by doing these steps alone, I've cut my grocery bill from $600 to around $400 a month for a family of three (I live in WA for context). Still working on getting it lower, but I do have a diabetic and a kid with multiple food allergies and autism in my house. I'll take any win I can get! Thank you for your tips!
We eat meat and for years, I only buy it on sale or on markdown (near expiration). If it's regular price, it stays there!
Recent markdown finds in other areas- bagel thins, .50 a pack, donuts .50 a box (the only time I'll buy them, a rare treat), tomato paste .50 a tube, pasta, .50 a box.
If you're not shopping markdowns, you're missing out for sure!
Dry beans totally worth time to prepare for savings. I do a batch on day off eat some & freeze some to pull out as needed. Even for a 1 person house!
1. You’re having a great hair day in this video.
2. I’m still loving your kitchen renovation updates!
3. Brand vs. generic: Only Dukes mayo will do.
Another tip when you make your meal plan, try to plan a few meals that either use some of the same ingredients or could make use of the leftovers from a meal. For example, if bell peppers are on sale have fajitas one night and then add peppers to a stir fry another night. Or make a batch of tacos for dinner, and then use the leftovers to top a baked potato. And most produce can be blanched and frozen when it's in season and cheap to use throughout the year. Brocolli is a great one for this.
You are so right about every point....and I had to make my husband get over always wanting name brand items when we first got together
Haha thats funny i hardly ever buy name brands ever
I had to "make" my husband learn to eat left overs.
I used to shop only at a Walmart and sam's club, but recently I started getting fliers from other grocery stores and yesterday I stocked up on a sale where chicken thighs and drumsticks were $0.79/ lbs and beef chuck roast was $ 2. 99/ lbs.... I'm so glad I started paying attention to the sales from other stores near me!!
PREACH IT GIRL!!! Great advice, kind of the stuff that used to be taught in Home Ec class back in the day. 😁
I hated my Home EC teacher,, but she sure could cook
I absolutely won’t budge when it comes to stove top stuffing, I ONLY like cheap “stove top” the original is WAY TOO STRONG!! But I made homemade stuffing this year , because of u, and my family LOVED it! So thank you SO much!!
I also made 4 pans of homemade granola for the 1st time in my life, it’s SO SO GOOD!!!! I look for stuff to put it on... u have saved me time and money over and over again!!! Thank U so very much!!!
Great video! Good, solid tips for saving money. Also would add checking digital coupons that some stores utilize now. Yesterday at my Kroger's, 1 lb butter - on sale for 1.99 / digital price 1.77 then I used the 50 cents off store coupon they mailed me. Final price $ 1.27.
Also-you can buy packaged raw veggies like bags of baby carrots or coleslaw or cut greens and throw them in the freezer just in the bag. It can get bulky but if you keep a good rotation and have a decent amount of storage space it can save you a ton of money AND time, which doesn’t happen often. I got bags of 2 lb baby carrots for 99 cents, and bags of tri -colored coleslaw mix for 59 cents. I’m going to dump the carrots frozen in a crock pot and cook the coleslaw mix for stir fry and corned beef and cabbage. Bang the bag on the counter a few times, dump it in a crock pot and go.
So glad you went over this again. Especially the part about higher priced grocery stores. So many people write them off and i know from experience that they can have great sales, specials the best markdowns! Bravo and Well Done!
You can stock up on sale produce, and preserve the extra. Dehydrators are useful. You can also use ovens on a very low temperature setting.
I have no problem buying generic products but ketchup will always be French's or Heinz. No budging
A lot generic product are all made by same companies that do more expensive brands just have different products lines for each company they are making goods for that day just swap the label machine over from expensive products to cheaper brands that's how they do it but here uk l no that hazlewood foods company make the Christmas cakes for harrods that's very expensive but they also make Christmas cakes for Mark's and Spencer, asda that's equivalent to Walmart, also if you look at the barcode on back of box expensive painkillers then look at cheaper brand the barcode are the same just code on box it means made in same factory
@@catherinebarlow3079 I know generic products are made by the same companies but it's the only one that I do this for. 😉
Hello from Canada.
I am just learning the Ibotta app. Thanks for this frugal info. We are retired and on a fixed income. Can’t buy a lot ahead of time but I try to buy a few extra things we will use, each time I go. Thank you for sharing these tips for us all to use. 😊
I wish we had a discount store like you do. I always see you mention it in your videos and Im like dang we need one. Love all your tips.
I enjoy these videos but when I see the prices I laugh at how low they are. Even the cheap stores here aren't that cheap...
Kroger for the win… And their store brand items are even better than a lot of name brand...Their spaghetti sauce and their multi grain bread are my favorites!!!
I live by the Motto Aldi for everything (I’m german so Aldi is everywhere)... and meat deals for the freezer from the „expensive“ stores
Food waste was my biggest money loser. Still not great at it but made improvements. Having a plan, as you mentioned, really does help with that.
I was inspired by you this week cleaning out my freezer found cheese tortellinis and made a creamy soup with clearance whipping cream spinach and Italian sausage. Was the best soup I have ever made! Your tips will help our family of soon to be 6 a ton. Thank you for all you do.
Clearance Naan is the best. Thank you
YES!!!!!
I go to the store on Mondays for “Meat Markdown Monday” as I call it. I pretty much buy all clearance meat
I keep a spreadsheet (Google Sheets for the win!) of all the things in my freezer, and base all of my meal prep on that. I maintain a stocked pantry and freezer, so every month or so we have a week where dinner is entirely from what we have on hand.
I would also add that the prices aren't the same at all box stores. They do adjust prices "based on the neighborhood." I used to go shopping at a grocery store near work because the prices on everything were 10-20 cents cheaper. Also, check out ethnic stores. I'm fortunate to be near a nice Asian market and a Mexican grocery store, and you can get some great deals there!
My favorite is the Fetch app bc you scan the receipt, that’s all, you don’t have to select products. Just cashed out a $50 Amazon gift card 🙌🏼
wow that's crazy. Iv'e been using this app called PICKL, that pays you $5 for taking pictures of products on display at grocery stores, it works good
@@zacharykatsouleas9956 just taking pictures..? like finding the items listed and taking a picture? Because that would be pretty easy.
I have not figured out how to use Ibotta yet. I have been using fetch for a couple of months. Only have 9000 points
@@bethanykaitlyn7680 yeah that's exactly how it works. each task involves you finding a single product, and once you take pictures of the product the app pays you. It works off of GPS so you can see tasks in your area.
I would also point out that you need extra storage in your home to stock up. If you don't have a separate freezer, maybe another Fridge or a designated space to hold the extras, it can be discouraging to do. While I do have a chest freezer, I have limited space on dry goods, so I can only stock up a couple at a time. But all are very good tips to help reduce your grocery budget
I’m totally fine with store brand in most cases. A few things I’m particular with. Tuna (I prefer skipjack) and Mayo (Hellman’s). Same with cheeses and milk.. I’m not picky with brands in that but I hate the Lucerne brand on those.
I totally agree that most generic items taste as good if not better than name brand but like you said some name brand items taste better and since watching your other videos I use to spend $1,200 on my family of 3 each month now I'm spending $800 for 7 weeks, I'm doing this by buying from 3 stores in my area from their sale papers and only buying the good priced items and doing meal planing as you suggested and you can make so many meals with chicken, pork chops, ground beef, roast and steak meat that it's unbelievable and side dishes are super easy so yes I'm living proof that your plan absolutely works. Stay focused when you enter a store and quit browsing and buying items not on your list. Instead of buying pancake mix or prepackaged cookies, ect make them from scratch it takes few ingredients and no time to make and also you get more cookies and desserts buy doing this and the flavor is so much better, the Walmart chips taste so much better than name brand and they cost $1.23 a bag for average size versus $3.00 for name brand and and the party size is $2.44 versus $5.00 for name brand
For me meal planning begins with your #3. First I check the sale ads then I check the pantry & freezer. I meal plan according to what ingredients are in the first two. That’s probably what you mean. 😀
Also, can I add to cook smart, 1 roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and corn, left overs, hot chicken sandwiches with fries, left over carcus from chicken ...chicken soup (3 meals) same goes for a roast beef. Pasta sauce, make more and freeze, very good video, I find young people don't know how to stretch meals like our mothers and grandmothers, I learned how to make pierogies and chicken and sliders (dumplings) these meals saved me when times were tough, but it fed everyone and bellies were full.
Haha, yes Oreos for the win! I really think those are the only name brand requirement!
Fun fact oreos are actually a copy brand!
Na, Aldis are better. Besides who can live without Heinz ketchup!!😂
Being ketchup and jiff peanut butter only. I will buy generic and off brands of other items.
@@janedoe9421 I agree, Aldi ones are yummy!
Meijer has a great knock off!
I eat mostly whole food, plant based & I get lots of produce from my 99 cent only store with brand names like green giant or dole. Fresh herbs like basil thyme rosemary, bok choy & carrot chips,shreds or whole as well as bagged salad kits ($1.99) that are $3.69 in grocery stores. I've gotten orange, purple, green and regular cauliflower heads too. Check the freezer. I've gotten Vans frozen waffles, falafels & Evol egg sandwiches, plant based creamer & yogurt, even texas toast bread. Lastly they have brand name bread, buns, etc that will expire in a few days so it's great for freezing. Rice, beans, teas and condiments are 99 only. (Their disinfectant spray is on the N list on EPA website). Great tips!
Could you do a video (or post the link if you have already done that ) on plant based shopping on a budget or Vegan on a budget ???
Another thing about produce is that at a couple of our local grocery stores have a rack in the produce area that has produce that either has some bruises or some blemishes. They have pulled them and put them there and it is majorly reduced. A lot of times they have put some in a bag and price the bag for a smaller price. And when you have produce that is starting to get old and you can’t use it in time either freeze it or bake it in something-banana bread is the biggest- and you can freeze banana bread if you need to (wrap it up well enough)
For produce, learn to can. Talk about savings! I love to buy in season or grow it myself, and then preserve it. I very often will buy up the clearance bananas and freeze them. Or whatever is on sale, figure out a way to preserve it.
I am old school. Since I don't have a smart phone, I can't do Fetch or ibotta. However, I still utilize coupons: a store's own coupons (the ones you "clip" to your loyalty card), those in the Sunday inserts, and the on-line coupons. Wait for a sale and combine w/a coupon and VOILA!! a really great price. ~ Not all meals have to be grandiose. We (husband and I) often enjoy a very simple meal of soup and/or salad and/or sandwich. We also have "each on their own" nights, which is a great way to clean out things you have only-enough-for-one of (poor grammar, I know!) ~ Eat left-overs!! Re-purpose them, if you must, but often they taste much better the second time around. ~ Shop different stores, if that is fuel-efficient. I shop at two grocery stores in my small hometown, plus two more IF I have other errands to run near their locations. Always check their weekly circulars (usually on-line) to see if it's worth your time, effort and gas to go to the outlying stores, and know when each store's weekly ad begins. (In my area, one begins on Sunday, another on Monday, another on Wednesday, and the last one on Thursday!)
One time I bought 7 ground turkey packs at a dollar a piece and the cashier said she was concerned for my health and didn't want me to buy them. I said, chill out and give me the dang turkey.
she probably just wanted some for herself.
When veggies and fruits are in season cheap, I bulk buy and freeze them to afford them year round. On most Walmart black fridays they will have vacuum sealers pretty cheap. Also there are some discount places that sell not so pretty fruits and veggies really cheap, or ones that are only a couple days from going bad. I will buy up and freeze them to use for smoothies through the year.
buy fresh local produce in season, and freeze to eat while out of season.
I do that with my mom's favorites...blueberries & strawberries. I have meal saver vacuuming system and I freeze for later.
Someone probably mentioned it, but also, if you stock up on seasonal fruits and vegetables, you can freeze those (if you have room in a freezer) for a treat later in the year.
Canned and frozen veggies and fruits can also be just as good, as we've seen. Just gotta watch for being packed in juice or water rather than syrup, in the case of canned fruit. I always compare sugar content. And salt. And fibre.
I have gotten some great tips from you, Christine--old dog, new tricks and all that--but mostly it has given my newly married daughter a way to eat well on their tight budget!
I have really been enjoying your channel. I have 4 kids as well, but only 3 still at home, but i can relate to your busy household.
and i got Ibotta because of you.
I have been using I bought a for years and I love it! I let it add up all year long and then I cash out at Christmas time and use that for Christmas presents. I just started using fetch when I heard you talking about it and so far so good :-) I like that your receipts can be up to two weeks old I went back and dug through all the receipts I could find.
Land O’Lakes white American cheese is the ONLY thing I refuse to buy generic. I swear, I can pick land o lakes in a blind taste test every time 😂
Loving this video. I meal plan weekly. I spend for a family of 3 about $100-$120 a week. My husband always asks if I can get it lower but I’m at a loss.
I buy off brand items all the time.
My name brand non negotiable items are mayo (best foods) and toilet paper.
Although I’ve recently switched from cottenelle to sams club brand toilet paper. It’s just as good!
Clearance items have been so beneficial to my budget!!
We live in rural Montana and there is only an albertsons and an independent grocery store here... I’m talking $8 for coffee creamer, $5 for one can of tuna, $4 a gallon of milk, vegetables full price already going bad, etc. it is 100% worth the gas to drive 180 miles round trip to Great Falls to hit Sam’s Club and run other errands, get the dog groomed or take him to the park, once every 6 weeks. Anything that is on sale locally is gone the second the flyer gets off the printer because everyone is going to the same place in this whole county!
Definitely try generic brands - my home grocery delivery was substituted once with a named brand vs. my requested home brand. The home brand was superior to the famous name! Give different options a try, you will be very surprised!
The generic brands are often made by the name brands.
Found that true of the Essential Everyday brand a local store carries.
I'm retiring soon, looking forward to meal planning & having time to cook my meals.
Excellent tips! I do all of these:) One to add to the list is that somehow people have come to think they need large meat portions at every meal. Not true and meat is expensive. If you are creative in your cooking you can stretch meat(just like you have shown!) and save a ton! You are such a joy:)))
I am new to this channel. This is great info. One thing I do as well is to pack a small lunch and drink in my car to avoid the temptation of fast food. I am in California and I can buy a small New York steak (on sale of course), a russet potato and some some frozen veggies for what a burger meal costs now at most chains. Plus, I'm not eating garbage!
When my kids were little, my daughter resented that she never got strawberry shortcake for her January birthday... unlike her younger brother with his June birthday. Lol
That’s 😞 I think it’s OK to make an exception for a birthday
Another idea: make the classic British cake called a Victoria Sponge, which is basically a vanilla cake with strawberry jam and whipped cream. Delicious! Easier still: buy a pre-made pound cake, slather it with Simply Fruit strawberry jam and top with Cool Whip. Not healthy, but an easy treat that would at least taste like strawberries in winter. Here in Kansas, there is no way to get a decent fresh strawberry in January!
Love what you said about healthy eating is NOT more expensive...love it. I used to be sort of that mins set as well.
I wonder if people who spend 4 dollars for a bag of chips would be willing to spend 4 dollars foe 1 or 2 potatoes...cuz really..a regular size bag of chips is probably just 1 potato that is sliced super thin and fried..
Imagine how many chips could be made from a 10 lb bag of potatoes.
I would love to see you come to Australia and try and do a shop! The prices will blow you away!!
Same but I'm in Canada. When she said you can buy 2 pounds of chicken for $3 I just laughed.
Yeah, why are their prices SO much cheaper than here? And why don't we have that couponing replacement app? That would be great!
Yes, but your salaries are also higher in a lot of cases. For example, I’m a teacher. I did some research and in Australia the average starting salary for a teacher is 65-70k. In the US it’s 38k.
I don't live in the US but I love Christine's videos ✨so here I am🙋😁
I love shopping the clearance! But with living in a small apartment and alone I often find myself in a position of having lots of odds and ends and not enough freezer space. If you have any advice for someone that’s young and single (I know, the exact total opposite target audience of this video) it would be greatly appreciated!!!!
I saved up and bought a chest freezer so I could take advantage of clearance items
When I lived alone I would spend one day of the weekend cooking 3 separate meals. Divided them in half and froze them. That way I just had to defrost the nite before and heat in microwave.
When I had only a tiny freezer I would remove stuff that comes in boxes and similar from their packaging and put it in plastic bags, that would let me fit more stuff into the small space I had. So make sure you're not storing air in the freezer, so to speak :)
My biggest tip is to learn how to shop by price per ounce for dry/pantry goods. Of course, don’t buy 10lbs of rice if you aren’t a big rice eating family...but the price per ounce saved buying bulk is usually amazing. Yes, there are exceptions (frozen french fries and veggies in my area are sometimes more expensive per ounce in the larger bags)
Velveeta is one for me that has to be name brand! But I love generic brands and clearance or couponed items!
Yep, but I am thinking Christine probably doesn't eat Velveeta very much! :)
Mac and cheese for me has to be named brand. They never tasted right to me. Unless I am in a pinch or someone is making it, I'll only eat name brand mac and cheese
Another tip I would add is loop other family members in on the plan. I know that it is exhausting to go from one shop to another to another scoring the few really good deals, to the point where I just have given up and am sticking with WINCO for the most part, but if you have a partner willing to shoulder some of that work and go to the Safeway to pick up the two items, instead of you hauling yourself to a third shop, or willing to look at the circulars for the best deals, take advantage. My bf isn’t really into this lifestyle so I gave some of it up, but if I do have one of those “buy $50 groceries, save $10”, I do ask him to doublecheck my math
Dietitians everywhere rejoice! It’s common sense really. Love this video
I'm a Dieitian...and I do rejoice!!
I am a dietitian too and I love this channel!
If you want chips make them yourself. You can either bake them in the oven and sprinkle on some dry rub BBQ seasoning at a low temp for a few hours or you can fry them up on your stove and sprinkle BBQ seasoning when you take them out of the oven.
Dang, can someone send me that fruit and veg by season chart. I need that on my fridge lol
Same!!
Here's the one I use. There's a print option there somewhere!
www.household-management-101.com/seasonal-food-calendar.html
You can just look on Pinterest
Usually it’s the fruits or veggies under $1 or several for $1.
that is what I do...I know all local famers in my town..I buy fruit and vegetables in season and pickle/can them or freeze them for the winter :)
Does $400 include toiletries and household goods like trash bags, laundry soap and all that?
I dont think so that would be underhouse keeping
@@rhemaelly496 it’s a valid question- most people seem to include them because it’s more work to separate them.
Love finding and getting clearance items.
Love being able to use my freezer to prolong the use of my food. When I get fresh berries, I put a mixture into snack size ziplock bags and put them into the freezer to be taken out for each mornings breakfast oats. Whenever I get frozen berries I make a big batch of my oats and berries and put into single serving containers and put some in the fridge and put the rest in the freezer. I'm the only plant based person in the household, so I "process" my food when I get them home.
My sister always said she was going “cherry picking “ aka shopping the sales lol
I will also buy fruits and veggies in season and then freeze them for later in the year. Got a half bushel of peppers for 3 dollars. I spent an hour chopping up peppers and freezing them. I also canned apples; In winter, apples go for almost 2.50 a pound and in summer .50 a pound.