FEEDING A FAMILY ON $25 A WEEK | EXTREME GROCERY BUDGET CHALLENGE Week 3
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- Опубликовано: 29 июн 2022
- Are you wondering how to save money on groceries in 2022? Massive inflation food costs are making it hard to feed a family on a budget. This is exactly what I bought when I fed my family on $100 a month or $25 a week. What does it cost today? Let's take a look!
WIC income - fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/d...
WIC Food provided - eiph.idaho.gov/WIC/Forms/Food...
WHAT I BOUGHT for $54
Frosted Flakes
2.5 gallons milk
large tub of yogurt
tortilla chips
eggs
onions
lettuce
ear of corn
2 bell peppers
bananas
celery
garlic
taco seasoning
frozen broccoli
pasta roni
2 pounds cheddar cheese
kidney beans
diced tomatoes
3 pounds ground beef
5 pounds chicken thighs
hot sauce
Worcestershire sauce
tortillas
chicken bullion
thyme
cream of mushroom soup
Episode 1 Feeding a Family on $25 a week - • FEEDING A FAMILY ON $2...
Part 2 Extreme Grocery Budget Challenge - • Budget Shopping For $1...
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#frugalliving #grocerybudget #frugalfitmom
As a social worker I’ve always really appreciated you ending these videos by encouraging people to reach out for help and providing resources. This is so important. Also that you are always making extra meals for neighbors or community members when you’re able to. ❤️
We barely make to much, for help but we are struggling.
@@barbarathompson8559 there are some food pantries that don't have income requirements.
@@FamilyHandshake07 Thank you I will try to find them around here.I will look closer.
Just Google food banks in your town and state will give you name address an phone number to food banl what hour they are open and what you need to bring or ask any churches in your area will also know the food banks Southern California has alot of great food banks
Alot of churches give out turkeys and all the food food for Thanksgiving good luck and god bless everyone ❤
I **LOVE** that you are building this from scratch - showing folks basic slices, herbs, oils to stock up on as well. That is so important!
So true
It’s insanity! Everything but my salary is increasing that exponentially? 😂😂
I love your channel, but the price of everything is going up so quickly. I used to be able to feed my family of 6 for $80 a week. Last week it was $200, and that was being REALLY careful. $7 for a block of cheese and $4 for a gallon of the cheapest milk i can find. It's getting so hard.
This is my whole deal. In these budget videos, (not yours necessarily), there are comments sometimes that say better veggie and fruit options would be great. It would indeed be wonderful if we could all eat kale salads and broccoli every day. But if you have a strict budget, at some points certain sacrifices have to be made. So, 50 bucks worth of veggies would be nice. But a full belly and a satisfied kid is much more important. Once things settle down, then one can concentrate on trying to increase veggie/nutrition intake.
Completely agree with you! And I like that Christine does mention that some items aren't the healthiest option but necessary when trying to stay within a lower budget! When you only have so much money, you buy what will keep your family fed and full :)
Agreed to a point. If its more than several months strongly consider using a food pantry to offset costs. My husband grew up in poverty and only eating ‘cheap’. He has struggled for his entire adulthood with his health and eating habits and complete lack of healthy framework around good eating habits. It’s like battling a strong demon of conditioning.
I agree Lisa. If it's ongoing, for sure don't be ashamed to ask for help
I guess that is when we use fillers like potatoes n rice n pasta to be sure we are fill. We drink water during the meal to 'fill in the gaps'. We eat a good amount of beans & tofu now, though we used to eat more meat. Fresh veggies are reasonable when on sale. Frozen veggies are reasonable or canned - on sale. Hiding veggies in meals works for picky eaters. We digest food faster now so we get hungry sooner. We sometimes eat cereal as a dessert or a treat. We have had to completely change our way of viewing food & it's purpose & it has been difficult for sure, but I want this season we are struggling thru to not create a worse struggle the next season. We buy a food box every other week...no shame in my game! I think we are in for another year of this craziness so 2 meals will have veggies in them. We eat them or we can go hungry for a couple hours. After 2 weeks, that choice was easy! Lol
Carrots and spinach are cheap veggies that I used to buy when money was tight. You can hide both in pretty much anything
You can crush your frosted corn flakes and make a sweet n savory breading on chicken and fry it or bake it check it out it's a secret to the chicken at the medieval festival.
$167 for three weeks for a family of four, with this inflation, is still a really great budget.
Instead of making taco meat AND the chili, just use the leftover chili to top your taco salad and use the burger that you would have used for the tacos fir something else…just a thought
Several times I've given spice boxes as wedding presents to brand new couples. I don't know if they ever get how helpful it is, but I think it is good. That way, they have something to start with.
I just did this last year! My friend's fiancé had a heart attack (so scary at 33 just starting out) so they were VERY covid safe & not dining out much so for her shower a friend & I combined & gave her a bunch of nice spices from Penzey's & a gift card to buy more because they have a lot of salt free blends for those that need to watch it. Along with some of the little kitchen gadgets she registered for. She was so excited she sent us several photos of her pantry after they set it up! Penzey's actually sells wedding gift sets but we went with what we knew she'd like & the heart health options I had been using to manage my mom's similar dietary needs. I see so many my age register for all the fancy containers but if you aren't living together before marriage filling them is a bigger process than they realize!
@@keeperofsecrets88 That is awesome. I'm so happy she sent you a picture! Lol!
Fantastic idea! I buy spices from Rockerbox Spices in upstate NY. Excellent quality, handmade, amazing customer service! I buy their roasted garlic dust and shallot flakes in bulk.💕
@@ramonasurprenant2122 roasted garlic powder is a game changer!! Penzey's has one too & I use it in almost everything
That an expensive wedding gift, but very thoughtful. I hope that they are appreciative.
Suggestions from a frugal somewhat fit grandma for the broth: Packages of Ramen noodles are cheap, use the packets as boullion and save the noodles for a retro Ramen coleslaw recipe for later. I also use my instant pot for making bone broth. LOVE your content!
Great suggestion
Brilliant idea to use the ramen seasoning packets - there are always ways to use those ramen noodles.
I normally make 2-3 packages at a time but use one seasoning mix.
You can also blend up the dry ramen and use as a dredge with seasoning added for things like a friend breaded coating if you are low on flour etc
LOL at u describing urself🥰
When I buy chicken thighs with bones, I boil (or crockpot) them with celery, onion, carrot until meat falls off bone. If the broth looks weak, I’ll remove chicken and keep cooking bones. Sometimes add more celery, onion, carrot. Get a little extra broth. 🙂
You could skip buying bouillon/broth and make your own by after cooking the chicken thighs and removing the meat, boiling the bones with a small slice of onion, a chunk of carrot, and a celery stalk. No need for bouillon. You can save the extra stock in the freezer ❤️
Yes, great idea. I also make broth from chicken skin and bones in crockpot on low. Let it sit next day in refrigerator and all the fat will solidify on top, easy to scoop it off. I also make broth from cooked chicken carcass. Some people collect carrot scraps and celery scraps in the freezer to add it to broth making.
Yep! Chicken stock is so easy to make and freeze. I always have plenty of chicken and pork/ham stock. Beef stock is harder to accumulate with current prices
@@silverlake4209 same! ❤️
@@karenm7433 My Winco has prepackaged beef bones in a separate freezer where they keep frozen burgers and other odds and ends. You can also ask the butcher for fresh bones. The price is pretty affordable. You can also call up a butcher shop and ask how much their bones are. They accumulate a bunch and need to get rid of them so it’s pretty cheap. I like beef knuckles as there’s meat you can scavenge from them and it makes a wonderful rich broth along with other various bones.
@@ArmindaHeart yeah.. I’m too cheap to pay for bones 😂 wonder if they’d just give them to me
Chili over either french fries or baked potatoes is AMAZING! Good meal extenders along with the rice!
I Remember when you can get a whole grocery cart full for 50 or 60 dollors . Price has went through the roof this year can't even buy a grocery cart for under 200 thru 300 ridiculous. But we even buy on sale and clearance stuff what helps.
Connie, try searching for a grocery salvage in your area. This is where they have dent can goods are items that they didn't sell much of, special promotional items, or simply items that are near the end date which is freezeable. The key is find out when they get there shipments & shop on those days for fresh items or go several times a week. We only have one in my area & its small but packs a punch. I base my meals around what I find there then if I need any other items they don't have... thats when I go to a grocery store. You would be surprised what these stores have. I get things like Starbuck cold coffee2.50, dunkin creamer2.00, name brand cereal$1.29, taco kits & taco bowl kits 1.00, frozen food, fresh produce on the dime, brand name smoothies...like bolthouse farms1.00, can goods. Ice cream of all sorts under 2.00, eggs, cheese, butter all for $1.00!! I dont buy meats at places like this just bc im funny about my meats. I like them fresh but I know plenty of people who do & never has had an issue. Even if you have to drive 30-45 mins its still worth it. Hope this helps😊
Girl I have been on WIC and food stamps working full time. Thank you for showing and sharing how to meal plan on a budget. There's to much bougie meal planning Making ppl feel priced out.
You are a BOSS !!! Feeding 6 people breakfast, lunch and dinner for $65 or LESS per week at a regular grocery store. Queen frugal fit mom❤️😋
She mentions that this is for a family of 3-4, she has 6 nowadays.
@@AskAgainL8ter ABSOLUTELY agreed but even under $60 for a family of 3 is still really impressive to me
But she didn’t show it actually being stretched that far. She just put the plan on the screen. How do we know it went as far as she said?
@@sammytheturtle5307 theres no way she could show it going as far as she said she has a family farrr bigger now with older children so it makes sense it could be enough for 2 adults and 1 very small child and a baby that neither of those would really be eating much at all
For 6 people she would clearly have to spend more and make bigger quantities
I went through the inflation in the late 70s as a single mom of 2 young children. Nothing like this. Shortages in grocery stores NEVER happened. They were stocked. Now, the shelfs are empty. The only ones in my town that seem to be keeping up is WinCo. A good seasoning in any chicken soup is poultry seasoning. Skip the thyme.
I remember that time too. I was in high school. Our mom was newly divorced with 5 kids still at home and 2 in college. With 2 high schoolers and 3 in elementary school, it was a pretty stressful time for her and for all of us.
Price Club had just opened, which was a godsend, although their selection was a little weird.
I have heard young people talking nostalgicly about that time and wishing they could have lived then. It blows my mind.
@@silviamagda Provoked, created, yes. Fake, no. And we don’t remember a time like this, but anyone who lived through the Great Depression knows about food shortages.
@@vlmellody51 Well, they don't really understand the inflation that happened. The mid 70s and early 80s were the best times of my life.
This is fantastic information even for people like me who've gotten stuck in the rut of cooking the same old recipes without much thought as to how much they cost or if there's a way to prepare it less expensively. I'd also like to highlight something that your shopping trip has made clear: pantry items like spices, salad dressings, ketchup, mustard, etc., would be considered non-essential and/or too expensive for many people on a very tight food budget, so if you see some 'good deals' and are planning on a food bank donation, these items are welcome! Thank you to everyone who takes the time to donate! Great videos, Frugal Momma!
You would barf at the prices here in Canada. I couldn’t get a quarter of that food for the same price. It’s ridiculous.
With the inflation hitting the grocery stores hard, I’m feeling more and more grateful for my garden. My first year of gardening were tomatoes in buckets 😂 I’m feeling more grateful for the space that we do have.
That being said, I would love to see more of your garden and food preservation.
Disclaimer! I know that not everyone can have space for a garden. And I love that she is sharing grocery store tips too. ❤️
1870s Homestead does a great job at sharing detailed garden instructions and canning instructions!
My entire patio is now a container garden. It can be done. Very creative videos on inexpensive containers as well. Lucky to have a garage and the grapevine is in its third year and looks like I’ll get a good return. Usually get fruit year 2, I got three bunches that the sneaky squirrels got, 🥲. I’ve got lots of greens, tomatoes, potatoes, and the new items this year are bush beans! Black, red, and pinto that actually grow as a bush and are suitable for containers. Gotta do what you gotta do! Blessings to you.
It would be good to finish this series with a video showing how to make the most of these ingredients...like to save your chicken bones (and discarded celery and carrot ends) in a ziplock bag in the freezer until you have enough to make your own chicken broth or how to make over leftovers into a new meal, for example. There's no reason to spend the money on chicken bouillon or on broth if you're buying bone-in meat regularly already (other than if you need broth the very first week).
Tip: with fresh herbs you can air dry them on a tea towel or paper towel. Takes 5 to 10 days depending on inside temp and herb thickness. Store in glass container for over a year. No need to use up precious freezer space, or lose it in the freezer. Frozen herbs need to be cooked as soon as taken out or they go slimy. I keep my veggie scraps in the freezer and add to my used bones to make tasty broth. But yes, sometimes you need the soup base for a little more yum factor. Yes, Canadians know all about expensive food...1 apple cost $3.58 where as a medium bag of store brand potato chips was $1.99. It's expensive to be healthly! But we all try our best. Love the video Christine, keep them coming!
Good grief! You face a larger challenge than we do!
Small little suggestion for the comments. You could eliminate the chicken bullion by making your own broth. Save all the bones from your chicken, add chunked carrots, onions, celery (or any veggie ends/tops you've saved in the freezer for this purpose), cover with water and cook in the crockpot all day. FREE broth! 💜
I love this series and can't wait for the finale.
I'm gonna have to start making some chicken and rice soup. Seems like a great option to keep my family fed. Thanks!
Edit: not sure if this store has one but always pay attention to the ethnic foods aisle. You can usually find cheaper options there. Including bullion and seasonings. Sometimes even coffee.
Thank you for calling it the ethnic food aisle...I'm latina and get annoyed when people call every latin dish,food,etc....Mexican...like really... 😆
@@mariacastillejo3321 I live in TX so that is mostly the type of items there anyway. I'm sure it is much different in other areas though.
yep! i get my cumin, chili powder, pepper flakes, sazon, ect. Cheaper on that isle! BADIA brand
Christine, you've totally taken the stress out of meal times for me, thankyou! I no longer feel the need to "perform" and my freezer and fridge are no longer stuffed with food that, let's face it, I'm never going to cook. You have made such a difference to my family - thankyou! Plus now I have more money for yarn and taking my kids to fun places
Big love to you and yours ❤
Lol! I obviously don't know you but more money for yarn is hilarious. 'Andrea what are you here for'?...um yarn addiction... It's just such a wholesome and wonderful want. Thanks for that.
Hey Christine. These videos are great! The international aisle is a great place to find cheaper spices and bouillon. When I was first on my own in 2004 with a toddler I had WIC and about $100 a month to spend on food and household staples. I was very creative and we ate well. I learned to budget and I'm still the same about being resourceful even though my daughter is now 20. I'm teaching her so she'll know how to eat well and stretch her money too.
I was just about to comment this!!! You beat me to it!!! The goya bouillon is way better in my opinion!!
@@kerkibub6173 I love the Goya seasonings and bullion as well, very flavorful and generally much less expensive.
I moved to Hawaii in high school and I thought it was odd that they served chili and white rice but now that I am older I love that combo so much! ❤
That’s how we eat it here in Australia
I know Christine wanted to make videos about feeding her "then" family for $25 per week. But what this series has demonstrated is that food now literally costs twice as much as it did back then. Wow! She may have fed her family for $100 a month back then, but it takes at least $200 now. We spend about $150 per WEEK now. Crazy! I know we can't sustain this. I am watching these videos again because I need more inspiration to cook more cheaply for my family! Keep these coming, Christine!
Ask your viewers to submit one idea that they have tried to save money. Ex 1: We found Spiral sliced hams at Albertson's for .97/pound. We bought 3. Ex 2: we bought pork loins at Costco and Walmart for less than $2 and sliced them into what call "pork filet mignon". Our goal is to average less than $3/pound for our meat budget. We could never produce your amazing show but we have 2 things we did this month that could help a lot of people.
Great idea! It’s amazing the little tricks some people have used for years others may have never thought of! Share!
In Canada, and prices are getting “ridonculous” here too. $100 a month would be impossible here. We’re spending almost $1,000 a month. It’s a struggle to get it down. That huge bag of cereal would be $5 here. Chicken cubes average $2.50 for a box with only 8 cubes. Gas here is the equivalent of over $7 a gallon US. 😳
I was just thinking that this definitely isn’t the same as Canada lol. Chicken under 10 dollars?! Craziness!!
Same here in New Zealand 🇳🇿
Exactly! 🇨🇦
If your shopping in Walmart be sure to check your prices. I was in there today and was over charged on 6 different items.
I agree, happens to me all the time, doesn't matter what store either.
I do that at any store
And I found a number of the exact same grocery items actually much cheeper at Target.
Sometimes even Publix has better deals than at Walmart.
(And no, I don't mean for junk food items, I mean for real, useful items that are part of making a meal).
I can only afford to buy grocery items that are part of building blocks for meals, and I have been doing things frugally, like baking homemade bread and soup since I was in my 20's.
I also choose to make homemade for many things because it tastes better, and is more nutritious, plus bigger portions compared to skimpy amounts in pre made things.
Homemade breakfast sandwiches (great anytime of the day), on homemade English muffins, IS way cheeper than buying a box of pre made ones even at Walmart!
When you need bouillon, you can use the packets from the Ramen packs.. I’ve done this on several occasions, even if you use 2 or 3 it’s still cheaper that the cubes! 😊
That was going to be my suggestion as well! Totally works as a substitute!
Thank you so much for this series. My husband recently lost his job so money is tight right now. Watching you has really helped me stay on budget every week with our groceries.
IfI remember correctly you did a video with items you meal planned from a food pantry. This might be a good time to share that video again. Or do a video where you meal plan from items from a food pantry and shop for the items you need to complete meals. My brother is disabled and I would go with him to the food pantries and use the food he got to meal plan and then shop for items he needed to complete his meals for the month. His grocery budget was $160 for the month!
You could buy the store brand Italian seasoning since it has thyme in it (for the soup). I believe it’s $1 at Krogers ❤️
I lived on $10 a week for food when I was in college (25 years ago!). Ate a lot of pasta, cereal, bagels with cheese, apples and bananas. I was also the queen of finding free meals around campus too 😂
$54 😫 I would have hoped that would be in the $30 range but OMG inflation is out of control!!!
Unfortunately, most of single moms and moms are working a full time job. It’s difficult for them to shop several stores for sales. This should help them!
To save money on spices, go find the dried spices that are hanging in the plastic bags… they’re always in a different part of the store but are usually cheaper, likely because of the lack of container…
What I do when there’s not a selection of frozen veggies, is I’ll buy fresh (preferably a bulk pack), cut them up and make small bags and freeze it.
If you need bullion for 1 recipe and you don't usually buy it, just buy a couple packs of ramen soup and use the seasoning packets. They're like 10-25 cents a pack. Then you can either use the noodles for something else or crumble them up "raw" in a salad for crunch (esp a citrus-y Asian style chopped salad!)
Brilliant 👍
We do rice with chili as well. It not only stretches the meal but also makes chili less messy for kids.
Love putting tortilla chips in the air fryer for a few minutes to warm them up.
I didn't realize until I was an adult just how expensive chili can be for a meal, especially when you're trying to make it the "right" way. Without being able to bulk it out with beans, veggies, tomatoes etc and serving it over a starch (I like to eat it over half a baked potato), I wouldn't be able to afford to make enough to make the effort worth it.
I live near Cincinnati and I always thought everyone put spaghetti in chili! It's just like Christine says except in my case, it is spaghetti and not chili.
Food deserts are such a horrible thing to deal with and yet so many people are restricted. It truly makes me angry that in the richest country in the world people have to deal with this. Thank you for talking about them.
Adding pasta to chili is another way to stretch a meal, but with a family of 6 I'm sure you know about chili mac. Spices are SO expensive! That's why people end up buying seasoning packets.
I typically shop at Walmart, but nowadays honestly a lot of items at Kroger are cheaper (either through sales or basic price). Which is insane to me because Kroger used to be so much more expensive. For example, Kroger brand ground beef is cheaper than the Walmart brand
I found that to be the case in my area too. We dont have Kroger in my area anymore (Harris Teeter is our equivalent). I shop at Food Lion (it is a North Carolina chain) and Wal-.Mart. 18ct eggs were over $4 at WM. Food Lion has them for $3.29. I couldn't believe it!
I've been making a similar chicken and rice soup for years now. What I put in extra is garlic to boost the flavouring but otherwise, pretty much the same as you! An amazing addition is Irish soda bread. It's demanded when I cook this 😂
If you have lemons or lemon juice it adds a flavor boost to chicken and rice soup.
When my husband and I only had two children (7 and 1) we were so poor trying to get back on track. $25 weekly grocery store. I sooooo understand that does not work anymore. I tried it with your first video a couple a weeks ago. lol. Bwahahahaha!! Not gonna happen. I spent $58.
These videos can be auch a blessing to people these days. Way to go Christine 🤗
I grew up on chili and rice! So my kids have too!! I told my husband that Fritos weren’t always in the budget when he complained, and he never said another word!! 😉
We have loved this chicken stew recipe for decades! We also add a few diced potatoes along with the rice.
As someone who pretty much only has access to one store, a weekly sale grocery store in the northeast, I love this challenge.
Where i live i can go easy with 20 Bucks a week and spoil me with my diet but i love what you allways do for the People
Thank you for these videos and starting from ABSOLUTELY scratch I really appreciate it.
Crazy how prices in different states are so different. Walking through a grocery store in tucson az right now while watching this and cheapest eggs are $3.19 for a dozen large eggs, cheapest dozen medium is $2.99
In the Appalachians of So. Virginia, the one-expensive-grocery-store as the most convenient or only option (when the weather is bad, or your vehicle is in the shop and you don't have any family or friends nearby, etc), is a real thing in some towns out here. I think it explains why beans-and-greens with cornbread became a regional specialty, and why households raising and slaughtering their own cows and hogs became the norm for many households in this part of the country a few years ago.
I don't buy bullion, I make chicken stock all the time from bones. Part of it is that I have a problem with MSG and the other part is I'm on a budget. I purposely buy things like leg quarters and whole chickens because they are cheaper and I get the bones!
but this store **ain't*** expensive lol I wish I could get those prices I'd be freezing everything!!!! 😮😮😮😮
Eating vegetarian is cheaper than eating meat. Even a few times a week helps. Last night I had a huge sweet potato as my main entree and it was quite satisfying.
I grew up eating chilli that way too: either on rice or on macaroni. That was in Northern Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦
Meanwhile in Denmark: 1 lb of ground beef: $6, 1 dozen eggs: $4. I almost cry when I go grocery shopping nowadays...
Another good idea is to search what veggies can grow from ones you buy. For example if you chop off the bottom of the celery stalks and place it in water for a week on your window sill it will grow and you can either plant it or use it right from what grows out of the glass. The leaves make a good seasoning as well.
The price on the chicken bouillon 😣.
If your chicken has bones you can use that to make broth right along with the time, bell peper tomato and celery scraps. ☺️
I really like this challenge. Even for one person it gives me ideas. The milk stock up and eggs were great ! I personally would not count 4 of the milks as they were a stock up for another week. That way you would then have $4 left in your budget to spend on the current grocery shop.
Unless I was going to split the cost between this week and next week, I would have gone with Chicken Thighs or Hamburger but not both. Especially as you also had Beans and Cheese for protein.
As to a spice that is expensive, I would leave it out of a recipe or chosen to make something else. I also would have skipped the chicken boullion. Once I was finished with the chicken I would make homemade broth from the bones.
This would have allowed me to purchase more vegetables such as Spinach which can eaten in a salad or cooked - I love including it in Toasted Cheese sandwichs or Egg Casserole. Also a large can of Diced or other Tomatos, fresh Zucchini, Carrots both of which can be used in so many meals.
This may have come across as criticism but I do not mean it to. I very much appreciate these types of videos and love love saving money
Impressive Jill....I had some of the same thoughts!! But I think if she goes tooooo frugal then I think she will dis-intrest some of her audience by overwhelming them. I know that sounds crazy but these days for alot of people out there they have no idea what being frugal is about & those people are now finding themselves having to be frugal & its overwhelming them so I think she's trying to reach all audience. I hope that makes since & its just my thoughts. I know Christine in her past life has had to be even more frugal so I know the knowledge is there. For myself & probably yourself as well being frugal is our way of life so the longer you do it the more you learn!! Maybe you should start your own channel...lol, that would be great 👍 😊 I would totally be a subscriber!!
Good suggestions for alternative foods 😊
Benefit of living in a dairy state (WI) is usually the dairy is pretty cheap! Up until 10 years ago I regularly saw gallons of milk for $1... Now we usually see it for $2 something... We get the organic half gallons for about $3-5
Milk in Pa recently hit $5 and over.
Even Aldi is raising prices. Aldi protein powder was up $1. Now an additional $1. $2 in 1 year. Stuff is not going up $0.5. It’s $1-$3 more in basic items. Costco. Etc.
Great videos! Just a hint, always check the ethnic aisles..for example pasta by Moderna is usually between .25 and .33 a bag. Keep up the great work !
When you're done with this month challenge I think you should try the same challenge but at Wal-Mart. Just to compare costs. 😊
Great idea!!
I joined an online conversation about the correct beans for red beans and rice and several people argued between small red and kidney beans. But others noted that the dish originated as a frugal meal based on what people had on hand and whatever dried beans you had were the correct beans. Many said they actually preferred pinto beans because they are creamy and they are often the cheapest.
Colorado prices are through the roof. Can’t find barely any .99 deals anymore. I spend $150 to $175 almost every week for a family of 4. I’m getting great ideas from this channel that I hope will help us reduce our budget
Wow, you found a awesome deal on meat. The cheapest ground beef in my area was on sale last week for $2.77 a pound, limit 2 package. The cheapest chicken is $2.99 this week limit 2.
Grocery shopping is so crazy right now. Actually all shopping is crazy right now.
A hint re chicken bouillon is to "sacrifice" a chicken thigh to make a concentrated stock and freeze, add garlic, onion etc
Their clearance section is so organized! My Kroger just throws stuff on the shelf or in bins 🙃
When compared to food prices here in Montreal Quebec all that stuff is very cheap especially the milk.
I know the pressures of inflation etc. Maybe u could make a french toast with the some of cereal etc as a treat etc. Dunk in egg and then in cereal and fry up.
This is great but it’s hard to eat healthy for cheap. Mostly veggies n fruit for $100 a month family of 4. But bought a csa for $550 for 16 weeks. I get 1 box a week. Excited to pick up today. If u all can plz support farmers. That’s $34 a week but it won’t go up in price for 16 weeks where the store prices go up daily. 👩🏽🌾
For chicken bullion, I only use half a packet when I make top Ramen, save the other half to use later when I need bullion. Just a tip for those frugal people out there.
In the Midwest they eat chili over spaghetti noodles so chili is pretty versatile and yes pasta and rice are great fillers and inexpensive.
I know FFM can snag some awesome deals, and knows all the ways to maximize the doll-hairs when it come to grocery shopping! But for viewers who may not know, when it comes to things like spices/bullion here in south FL, the best way to save $$ is to hit the Spanish foods specialty aisle- there is a brand, Badia, that sells things like thyme in smallish packets for $1, and in the Knorr brand (and others) there are boxes of 'soft' bullion cubes that go a long way for just $.89 (about 16 cups total.
I did talk about that at the end of the video ;)
I love these videos! When my store has .99 milk we only get a limit of 2. It’s better than nothing but 5 would be great! Thank you for sharing these tips!!
Christine - Great tip on 'keeping your eyes out for discounted aisles' I stumbled upon this at my Walmart at the end of the aisle for produce which was very new for my area. Thank you again for sharing these extreme grocery budget challenges comparing how it was vs. how it is; I just know this is helping so many people.
Hope this may help someone -> I recently made some lemon chicken breast, spinach, orzo soup (carrot/celery/onion/garlic/dried herbs/cubed broth/water all with ingredients in the freezer, pantry etc - made over 12 cups - nutritious and filling and yup mine too came out a bit more like stew. What I like about these meals is you don't need much of one product and easy to swap out whatever your have on hand. No meat use beans, no small pasta brake up some spaghetti or swap for rice or potato, no lemon - use a splash of vinegar. The list goes on and oh ya it's super easy to make and can be done all in one pot & freezable too.
We put our chili on spaghetti. We called it chilisketti. Mom served it with a half of a cold canned pear on a lettuce leaf (Remember that? lol) and garlic bread. I served chilisketti to my kids with buttered saltines and fruit cocktail.
Safeway by my house puts all there clearance items In baskets in the middle of the freezer aisle and they usually have some amazing 50% off deals on things I wouldn’t never buy if I had to pay full price
You found my FAVORITE sale! Lol! That .99 a pound chicken really is a lifesaver right now!!
You can save the chicken bones and skins and the ends and peels of the carrots and celery and that onion and simmer in the crockpot overnight. Then strain and you can freeze the chicken broth for another meal.
I save the skin and bones for broth as well. What I like to do is fry the skin up and make fried chicken skin. Is it healthy no lol but it sure is delicious.
My family is Keto would love to see a keto budget haul. We find it difficult to keep in a very low budget since we cannot eat the things that will stretch a meal.
That chicken and rice "stew" does look yummy!! Definitely have to give that a whirl! I so love these videos Christine! Please continue on! You have given me some recipes to start me off next week. Thank you!💗
Agree
I can relate to living in small town with one expensive grocery store. We have 2 here and they are ridiculous! I have never seen milk for .99.
A gallon of milk here is over $5.00. I try to make sure I grow a small garden in the summer which is a great help.
I actually saw a bag of 10 small pieces of frozen corn for $10.00! Thanks for your great ideas!
Sounds like nz prices where I live! Crazy.
Sounds like highway robbery!
I'm sure you hear this a lot, but your channel means so much to me! It's so hard these days with grocery prices and there are so many times I go to the store and either prices are sky high or shelves are empty. I love your shopping tips and recipes.
I am SO JEALOUS of your Kroger's prices 😫 the ground beef, eggs & milk are so cheap! Ground beef on sale for $1.99????? I haven't seen that price in over a year. Cheapest anywhere I've found was $2.49 a lb on sale (I think that was at Triangle Foods) but cheapest now is like $3.49 a lb. 1 gallon of milk is $4 or right under $4 (haven't seen the half gallons go on sale in forever) and eggs are like $2.79-$3 everywhere I go.
We found out at Easter when we found Kentucky Legend hams at a fantastic price that you can take them over to the Deli department and have them slice it according to your preference. We tied them at home. Once it was baked it we just cut the string and it was sliced and ready to serve. The one in the freezer is already sliced also. Love your videos!❤
Christine We are a family of 5 with a baby, and two kids under 6. This is super helpful .
Love your recipes!
For bullion, just substitute a tablespoon of plain gelatin powder, or even corn starch, and a teaspoon of salt.
OMG I don't know how but my notifications were OFF! but love this I need to do this instead of making a menu and going shopping. Such a good idea! I love Chicken and rice soup too! my mom use to make us some but coming from the rez (reservation) we hardly ate veggies haha why IDK! but now I add it in tiny pieces. Now I'm going to binge your videos :)
I am watching our Kroger sales like crazy, this week ground italian sausage and links are 2.99 a package, last week ground beef was 1.99 a lb. Gotta treat each week like a stock up week! The 10lb bag of chicken leg quarters went up a $1.25 per but still a great deal at Walmart but our Kroger has it cheaper now. In Texas btw
If you are anywhere near Houston check out Joe V's Smart Shop. It's owned by HEB and has incredible deals on pantry items like potatoes, rice and beans. And the vegetables 🤯 this week you can get 4/$1 cucumbers and green peppers and the potatoes are $.87 for a 5lb bag. Sorry I just love that place!
@@sw3et24x7 We are in the DFW, no HEB in sight unfortunately! Great ideas for anyone from that area though
I have started scanning the QR code at Kroger and the savings really add up!
Love this series so much
Very good video Christine. My mother made chicken and rice soup too but it would be in a lot of broth and after it sat in the fridge for a couple of days it was more like a Chinese congee which we didn't like. As an adult I would cook my rice on the side and then just put it individually into bowls and spoon the soup over top of it so that my rice soup stayed intact until I wanted to have another bowl. I do the same if I am making chicken noodle soup in a large batch. I cook the noodles separately. Thank you for all of your hard work!
I also cook my rice and noodles separately.
Thanks for the advice I was thinking about making a chicken and rice soup for 1st time and I'll do that suggestion
I remember when I could get eggs for 29 cents then later 50 cents. Two gallons of milk for 2.50 and four loaves of bread for 1.00. That was in the late eighties early nineties. I remember as a new bride filling up my shopping cart for 20. $.