I love this video!! Ive been working on tightening my budget to get our house paid off by the end of the year. These ideas really work. For Costco and Sam's Club to of help, it is very important to shop with discipline and try to limit your visits to the stores. It is very easy to get carried away. Keep the videos coming. I'll be checking out your son too. Thanks!!
Well done 👏👏 That's awesome! So true about limiting your visits to the store. I've been shopping at SamClub a lot lately and it allows me to shop less often but I'm spending a little more than I should. I think it best to only allow myself to go once a month 😂. Glad you liked this video. Thanks so much for watching!😁
I use the no more than 99 cents per pound rule. I manage to keep my food budget below $100 per month for a single male living between Seattle and Palm Springs. You really realize just how expensive candy is when you apply that rule to it. I do, however, allow for things that swell up when cooked, like beans. So $1 for dried beans works out at $0.33 per pound when cooked. Same thing goes for rice. Honestly, the best way to take back your life and control your money is to appreciate what it cost and do steal away from the corporation pushing processed food upon you. Take back your health, take back your kitchen, take back your money.
This is an interesting approach 🤔 and it sounds like it is working well for you. Congrats on being able to keep food costs below $100 per month. I have to be very diligent to keep it this low ☹️ Thanks for sharing this.
That is awesome, we do not buy meat that is more than $3 per lb it used to be $2 but had to go up due to price increases. It allows me to feed mh family of 4 for less than $100 a week
One thing I do is every year during the holiday season I buy extra baking items because it's always cheaper than and it lasts till the next year so it's just nice to have that extra and cheaper
I was in hard times a few years ago and scoured the internet for all budget friendly meals and ideas. It took me hours and hours of videos. You’ve complied allllllll the tips and tricks into one video. This would have sooo helpful for me. I know this video is going to help so many people right now. And is such a good refresher for some of us. A very well done video. Thank you a million times over for taking the time to put this together. You deserve a much bigger following. Sending you all the love and thanks! Jackie.
There are so many helpful tips here! Adding to your tips to buy in bulk and when items are on special, I'd also suggest getting familiar with the seasonal range of fresh foods. We are so used to everything being available always that we can forget that transportation costs can really add hugely to the price of what we buy. Use every part of the item that you can. I love the way you use the chicken carcass to make stock. When asparagus are cheap in spring, I use the woody ends that most people throw away to make asparagus soup. I roast onion skins to add a deep caramel to my homemade beef stock. I buy fish heads cheaply (many fish shops throw them away) and make fish stock for a seafood risotto. My final suggestion is look at options for preserving food. I cover my homemade pesto and tomato paste with a layer of oil to keep the air out and prolong their usability. There's also good old-fashioned pickling, bottling, salting (Moroccan preserved lemons anyone?) and drying. And effective food freezing is an art form in itself. Sorry for rattling on and commenting so much, but I'm very much enjoying your helpful, common sense videos... and I can't help chiming in. 😂😂😂
Hi there 😁 I love reading your comments, so please do keep them coming. I get lots of great ideas from my viewers. I definitely want to start preserving soon. Canning has been on my bucket list. Perhaps I could find a way to do it for as little money in supplies as possible. 🤔
😋 subbed to Justin's channel. 👍 I order my groceries from a local chain, have never been disappointed with their choices. They do have $10 delivery fee but I am lucky enough that I can afford to order enough groceries for several months. I order mainly for the winter months since I am handicapped & live on the 2nd floor. Am grateful for delivery, especially with snowy, icy steps. During the spring, summer & fall I try to go to do my own shopping.
Yay! Thanks for supporting him. 😁 Wow that's a very good delivery fee, especially with the cost of gas going up, plus saving all that time. Why NOT have them delivered is the question.
Thank you for this video and this channel! It has been a game changer for me, and the style of your videos brings me a lot of peace. I will never think of food, shopping, and meal planning in the same way after I watched you $1 challenge video. I think about those 7 green beans so often.
Right on time, as always. I want to know when our wages go up to keep pace with the inflation? Yes I am grateful to be employed and I do give generously to food banks, etc., but everyone is suffering with this unless you are very wealthy. There is this myth that the worst of times are over? In some ways that is true but in other ways during the height of the pandemic we had shock as a protective factor, and supports, such as the stimulus program, help with rents and mortgages, etc. NOW we are just being battered over and over with no protection, no supports or very meager ones. Also, as a vegetarian I can confirm that going meatless you will save money, a lot-and it is kinder to the world around us including animals. Thank you for always being a support to those of us struggling-you motivate, inspire and give hope!
You make a good point. 🤔 People that never had to budget money before are suddenly finding that due to inflation and like you say, wages not keeping up, they have less money at the end of the month to make ends meet. So much craziness going on in the world right now. ☹️
Great ideas as always. Thanks for the tips. My favorite go to to stretch my meat is to do a stir fry. I cut the meat super thin & marinade it in soy sauce, cornstarch, a bit of oil. If I want a sweeter stir fry I add a bit of sugar to the marinade. Add some broth or water to the stir fry along with a cornstarch wash & you have a yummy gravy too. It's a great way to incorporate a lot of veggies with very little meat. I never feel meat deprived.
good point 👍 It's amazing how with just a few recipes that are customizable you can have budget meals for the entire week and feel like you have so much variety. What kind of meat are you using in your stir fry Pat?
Yes you are so right! I wanted to mention about the green onions also, but I ran out of time on my video..it was getting too long. I will definitely mention this is my next video though. 👍
I live in a very rural area and instacart is not available - BUT I have started utilizing the curbside pick up option of our local grocery food chain - the extra fee is 5$ per pick up but the time and energy it saves me at the end of a long work day make it well worth it for me. Plus, I am much less likely to "impulse buy" as I am not wandering the aisles as much - so I save money that way and have healthier meals. I luv your channel- thanks so much for your ideas! 💚
I'm so glad you mentioned this because I noticed that SAMSCLUB has curbside pickup also and that seems like a huge benefit to many people. I forgot to mention it. I would love to do that sometime. I agree it's a huge energy saver. Glad you like my channel 😁🥰
I eat gluten free and dairy free so I feel like it’s harder to make cheap choices at the grocery store. I stick to fruits, veggies, meat, rice and oats most of the time because they are the best for my buget
Understood. My next video has a delicious gluten free meal that is also low budget. I'm trying to eat healthier and a lot of my meals are turning out to be gluten free, so hopefully they are useful to you.
I am dairy free and functionally gluten-free (my issue is the folic acid, not the gluten), and shop that way for a family of 6, so I hear you! Don't forget beans and nuts. They are good friends as well.
@@millennialhousewife93 I can’t digest beans well (IBS) and nuts are really expensive in my area, plus I can’t have peanuts. Kinda hard when you have dietary issues
Excellent video as always. I grow my own sprouts. Very easy, no mess, no soil, takes up little space, and I always have fresh, vitamin packed toppings for my salads.
I used Insta Cart during the pandemic. I know the prices by heart in my local stores and was annoyed to find that Insta Cart was charging me an upcharge of about 10% more per item. Plus a $1.99 fee to use their service. Plus the tip. Though it was convenient, I stopped using it once I realized I was spending so much for the service. I love your show. You do a great job. Thank you.
One thing I have noticed about instacart st last at Costco, and I suspect other places as well, is that the items themselves are also marked up compared to going in person. So your paying (depending on the items) .50 to several dollars more for bulk items on top of the delivery fee and tip. I'm not saying it can't be a good deal, just know your In store price points.
Thanks for the comment. That's terrible. ☹️The delivery services are becoming a very competitive space where I live so hopefully it's only a matter of time before that changes.
All of these tips are great, even just one of them has the potential to save quite a bit of money. The seasoning one is so important, adding flavor to low-cost ingredients helps make food that makes you happy instead of just sustaining you. I've used Instacart a few times, and while it was pretty convenient, it's not something I like to use a lot. It's nice to have the groceries dropped off at your door, but I don't like the substitutions they make sometimes, and would rather be able to choose substitutions myself. I also once had an incident where I ended up charged for some chips and salsa that I didn't order or receive. Customer service refunded me the items when I contacted them, but definitely make sure to check your receipt after the order is finished.
Yeah I think the seasoning one is probably one of the most important because once you learn how to cook with them, you can make something out of nothing!
The absolute best! I adore that you manage to fit in lots of fresh ingredients into budget meals! A few small pieces of really flavor additions like lime or cilantro makes such a huge difference!
Great tips! I live in a food desert (aka in a *very* rural community), I try not to go to town more than 1x week. What I find that works well is one week it's one grocery store, then next another etc... that way I'm not wasting gas and time but still take advantage of the better prices in different catagories. Another idea is to eat vegatarian once a week or so. I also make what we call a "slop cassarole" which is just the leftovers baked up into a, well, cassarole. The last item is a window sill herb garden. Seriously, chives, basil, oregano don't take up a lot of space and help stretch my dollars. Because I live in the willywags I have space to plant Rosemary, mint etc... Lastly, as you mentioned, when I get a windfall (tax return or in one memorable case a gift of lottery scratchers), I stock up on shelf stable foods. I stow the cans under my bed, and use my closet to stash home canned foods.
Hello my frugal foodie friend. I found this treasure today. Good tips on how I could get more organized. Is that you dog? Soups and chili really help me stretch my food budget. ❤thank you
@@ArdentMichelle beautiful dog. Soup!!! I will be looking forward to seeing the videos. Have a great week . Give your furry companion a scratch behind the ears from me
In Australia we have an app called 'half price'. When I see a product I like, I buy enough to last until the next sales cycle. I've discovered that I can get expensive name brand products for cheaper than store brand. Leftovers is a family favourite money saver in our house. I'm away for several days caring for mum so hubby and the boys (adults actually) are saving time and money by eating leftovers from the freezer. I freeze leftovers in single serve portions.
Another great video!!! Sensitive and informative!!! Delivery is great for avoiding over spending and sticking to a budget. I have had terrible experience with Walmart delivery, but I hear great things about instacart. I have been saving like crazy using apps like Ibotta, but it is all really time consuming and requires a learning curve and adjustment period. I would add two tips: 1. The freezer can help you not waste food. I watched your video while eating a burrito I had made and frozen. (Leftover chilimac and cheddar cheese in a flour tortilla, thawed in the microwave and crisped in the air fryer) 2. I learned a long time ago to be careful with bulk buying perishables. Bananas from Sam's Club and two people is likely to be a problem. (Of course with your creativity it wouldn't be, lol. )
These are good tips. Freezing can definitely be a tool to help avoid waste 👍 I forgot to mention Ibotta. I know a lot of people have had great success with it, but I'm still on the fence. The last time I used it, I didn't get credit for one of the coupons I used ☹️ maybe I'm still in the learning curve 😂 Thanks for watching! Have a great week 😊
Hello from Ohio, AM! So nice to have you back, and CONGRATS to your son on his new channel. (I've already subscribed.) I have one request: I find tofu very intimidating. I have never cooked with it. Could you please show us a few recipes cooking with tofu? That'd be so helpful to many of your subbies. ~ Have a great week!
Great video. Good advice about ethnic stores have great deals and Walmart, unlike the rest of their products, their produce is expensive and not the best. Winco is a great place to get spices especially if you are trying a new recipe and don't want to invest in a whole bottle by getting it in their bulk section. I look for marked down meat. For you Vons usually has good marked down meats.
Great tips I'm grateful for spring time. I grow lots of my food Friends have extra eggs from backyard chickens and honey from bees I trade with them my herbs and fresh grown food So store is for what I don't grow
I live in a coastal community, retirement/tourist, and our one grocery store has jacked up the prices unbelievably. I can’t afford green and red peppers, but I will incorporate the hints that you have mentioned to the best of my ability. Thank you.
I only get delivery when my body just needs a break. I have a bad foot, and sometimes I just can’t do it. However, items from my Aldi instacart always cost more than they do in store. For example, cheese might be $1.89 in store but instacart will say $2.09. If I’m paying 20 cents more on each item it adds up. So I generally will do Walmart pickup in that situation where they don’t charge me more and I’m still giving that foot a break. I need to do better at sticking to the budget. I make one, but then often hit a drive through when I’m tired. Bad part of cooking for one. 🤦🏼♀️
I feel like I can relate to this comment. Sometimes I just don't have the energy for a long grocery trip. I haven't tried pick up yet, and I didn't realize they were charging more for the food items. ☹️ It's ok to hit the drive through when you're tired....then hop back on the budget. I try to be moderate. I don't believe in suffering 😂 One thing that has helped me is, I always have items prepped that I can quickly throw together because sometimes I don't feel like cooking after a long day at work. I find Trader Joes meals good for this also. I always have a few bags of their fettuccini or other frozen pasta that I can heat up. Thanks for watching. Have a great week 😁👩🍳
I use grocery pick up at Albertson’s. If you shop the sales, it is affordable. I also like that shopping this way eliminates the temptation to impulse shop.
Not buying name brand items can also save 35-50% on your budget. For most items I cannot tell the difference and even if I slightly can taste the difference the money saved is worth it.
Dried herbs & spices :) We’ve not eaten out in near 3 years & I began adding to my ‘kitchen kit’ then as I wanted us to Enjoy dishes I cook. Now I have over 180 ;) 2 spice racks & each hold 60 bottles
I have used instacart for years. I do like it a lot. That being said, it has been more difficult the past few months due to food shortages. If you aren't picky if substitutions are made then it's a great service. There is also a tiny surcharge on almost every item even if it's a few cents. Great when we had surgery and didn't want to shop etc. good video, Michelle
Hate the surcharges. Glad to know many of my viewers use these services from time to time. I'll feel less guilty when I do 😂 Thanks so much for supporting my son's channel by the way 😁 Starting a new channel is a challenge.
I’m immunocompromised & disabled so I’m unable to shop for myself in-store, save for very quick trips. Curbside & delivery have been lifesavers for me! I don’t think they save me money on groceries, compared to when I could hit all the stores for all the sales back in the day. However, it DOES save me money in that I’m not ordering takeout every night. I’m more than willing to spend 5% more for the convenience in order to have homemade meals. My tips for saving money with these services is to pickup my groceries curbside, to eliminate the delivery fee & tip. This can save me $20-30, easily, per order. Subscribing to Justin’s channel now… that bulgogi looks amazing!
Thanks for sharing your experience Laura. 😁 I love it that we have all of these options now. I still haven't done curbside. I'm putting this on my to-do list.
google sheets may work for budgeting as a substitute for excel & it’s free! im not sure if it automatically adds everything but it’s definitely something to look into.
Online Costco prices are higher than in-store prices for the convenience factor. They declare it on their website. This makes me actually shop in store bc I’m cheap 😊
Avoid recipes that require a bunch of ingredients that you don’t already have on hand. You’d be surprised, for a lot of recipes you probably already have most of the Ingredients sitting in your pantry and you’ll only need to go buy 2-3 more things to complete the dish.
For a while I didn't have a car to drive when I was home even though I traveled for work ordering groceries delivered was much cheaper then the Lyft drive there and back even though I tip very well. it was definitely an option I was happy for at the time.
Also just an FYI, YT search Chinese Scallion pancake. very cheap, budget friendly and extremely tasty. goes great with stirfries or if you just want something to snack on. also for buttermilk substitute just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to some regular milk, stir, wait a few minutes and go ahead and use as the recipe calls for. we've used this trick for 20+ yrs with no issues.
well, i bought an older Office Suite for $5....i would NOT pay monthly!! i live on a fixed income, and simply cannot do all the monthly payments everyone wants!! i cant keep up with groceries cost!! i love your videos, so many helpful ideas!!
Google sheets is free and has similar functionality as Microsoft Excel. Just another option for anyone that likes the way you laid things out on Excel but can't afford it
open office is a free program that had an excel like program. also I super suggest checking your area for a local farmers market... you can deffinently eat better for way cheaper
I'd never thought of sales as inspiring variety in my diet before, but you're totally right. It's only in the last few months that I've been looking at supermarket flyers and shopping sales and looking back it has actually prompted me to have a bit more variety. Your cooking examples inspire me too - I especially love your Mexican and Asian dishes, they always look AMAZING and fairly easy to make. As for budget software, I use Mint which is free. It more of a tracking software than a budget planning software but I am able to look at my total spend for the month and whether or not it is getting close to going over. I have been using it for years and find it helpful.
It's hard to eat low budget with beans, rice and noodles when you are diabetic and need to eat low/no carb/keto. Any thoughts on that? Eggs can only go so far. There are keto breads/noodles, but they are super expensive.
@@ArdentMichelle it’s a dried herb, ground I could find @ grocery(whole I had to order). You like spinach as I do & a favorite dish of mine to cook is Saag Paneer. Spinach & homemade cheese Indian dish :)
The best part of online grocery shopping is you don't have one single impulsive purchase. We don't have a Sam's, Costco, ALDI, or ethnic grocer, not even a discount grocery store or even a Walmart grocery store. I live in a tourist area and we have a whole foods and a fresh market and an Acme so I am only able to go to Acme because the other two are a little bit pricey but I do find if I buy the sale items only I can get by but I do end up spending much more on groceries than a lot of people I see on RUclips but it's just what I have access to
I realize I am fortunate to have all of these places to shop. I agree that online shopping would definitely cut out impulse shopping and because of that could save money overall. I will definitely pick up items on impulse, simply because they look delicious 😂
I have moderately severe congesrive heart failure. I cannot make it through the grocery store. I pay $12.99 per month to Walmart for unlimeted free shpping and grocery del $35 min order. I do still need to tip my driver. Instacart does the delivery, but by going through walmart I am able to bypass the instacart mark ups.
We have a Walmart + membership and it's free grocery delivery and $.10 off gas, that saves us a lot of money and energy. You keep mentioning H Mart for produce, I need to get up to ours and check it out. Thanks
problem is that with soy sauce and buillion, it's all salt salt and more salt. and as someone with medical conditions best to stay away from those. I normally use coconut aminos as an alternative as well as liquid bone broth and if you can find it, some health stores have a bulk spice section. I bring my own jars and have gotten an entire pint jar of ground cumin for less than 4 bucks. also learn when your stores put out clearanced or marked down foods. Some stores do it twice a day, once in morning and evening, sometimes only once, depending on who's actually working that day in the various departments.
Use pen and paper and a calculator, there’s no need for Microsoft 365 if you are low income. That’s $69 per year. Some people can do arithmetic quickly.
That is definitely an option....although my least favorite. I find that having electronic budgets allows many advantages such as going back to the budget to reuse, inspiring future food choices, ease of calculation when substituting, analyzing budget patterns week to week, etc. Spending $69 per year is nothing if it saves you thousands per year. But I agree with you that if you can't afford it to begin with, pen and paper will do.
Back in the early 2000s I ordered grocery delivery and saved lots of money. The delivery charge was $5, no tip. I found I saved a lot because I didn't buy anything not on my list. Apparently I was a closet impulse buyer.
The groceries overall cost more when u order through a delivery service. I checked this. I hate shopping but its cheaper when i go myself. Plus half the time the shopper sucks. They do not understand ingredients etc.....
Understood. 👍 A lot of my viewers are ordering and then doing curbside pickup. I want to try that option just to save some time and energy and fighting the crowds on the weekend.
@@ArdentMichelle Amazon yes but I don’t use for fresh foods. No Costco, No Sams, Grocery stores deliver but not this far. I get weekly ‘Special items’ from Misfits Market. All rest I drive to get at grocery stores ;)
I live in the 5th largest city in the usa and the closest grocery is over 20 min away ow. Walmart is 30 min away. Kroger has bought up everything. There's no need for weekly flyers anymore.
@@ArdentMichelle huge problem. Newer stores aldi, winco, etc are only found in suburbs. Older stores albertsons, safeway, frys, kroger are the same store, incl "specials". Even the price of ramen has tripled. I'm doing more with cabbage and have developed a ton of variations on bubble and squeak as my go to.
You've done it again!! You're one of my favorite RUclipsrs. Thank you for the great video. I even took notes. Lol I agree with everything that you mentioned. I would add that Reverse meal planning (cooking from items that you have already) and using local and seasonal items can make a huge difference. I know a farmer that sells eggs for $1 per dozen still. I grew many items that I have canned to stock my pantry. Meats on sale get canned for tacos, easy pulled pork and amazing chicken salad and soups. I make fresh pasta and have dabbled with homemade bread and tortillas. This is dangerous because I have a love for both and can go overboard easily lol I've changed my attitude about Leftovers and plan to eat most meals twice. To beat the leftover yuk I skip a night in between. I call them lucky Leftovers because not only are they essentially free but so much less clean up and effort. I shoot for zero food waste which has gotten so much better since being more intentional. I look forward to seeing more of your videos and am omw to check out Foodie Justin now. Bless you, thank you for all you do!! 10/10
Great video. I love watching you meals. In spite of its name buttermilk doesn't contain butter. I've heard of adding vinegar to milk to create the tang of buttermilk. Also, if people with high blood pressure are advised to watch the sodium content of food, not the cholesterol content.
Thank you. 😁I had heard of using vinegar as a substitute. I threw in the small amount of extra butter to make up for the fat in the buttermilk since it was something I had on hand. You are right, I misspoke. Low sodium for high blood pressure and low cholesterol for heart disease. Having high cholesterol for someone with high blood pressure is very bad for the heart though, so it makes sense to watch the cholesterol too.Thanks for watching and have a great week. 😊
@@ArdentMichelle and You Michelle :) Yup, I have high BP & it is not fun. Labs drawn 3x in past 3 weeks, changes to meds…Planning meals & cooking is SO relaxing to me & I true enjoy watching Your videos
@@ArdentMichelle, I make lots of the stir fry like you do, however most of mine have more celery and green cabbage, because it extends the quantity so much.
We save $$ on groceries by charging bills and essential purchases on our credit card so we earn points. We pay it off right away so we don’t get charged any interest or fees. Then we cash out those points for digital Walmart and target gift cards and use those cards to get free groceries. This has seen us through really hard times and lean months were we couldn’t have afforded to eat otherwise 👍 hope that helps someone else out there
You are on point with this. I love all of your suggestions. I love to add a little soy sauce to my eggs. If someone uses the noodles from the top ramen make sure you keep the packet to add to dishes that need seasoning. They are great to add to a soup, rice while it cooks or to make a gravy with. Peanut butter is another great protein and can be used to make sauces or dressings. While in a Hispanic store or a store with Hispanic foods check the price of the spices. They come in a clear bag and can end up costing less than spices in a plastic container. I save my spice containers and empty parmesean containers to add spices to or to store rubs I make myself. Meats can be stretched by adding lentils or beans to them. I like to add a potato diced small with beans to my hamburger meat to stretch it. I also stop markdown and clearance items. Not all meat markdowns are a good price but some can't be passed up. Meat bones become bones for broth. Another way to save money by using an item that you have already paid for to make something with it. When I find peppers on sale I slice and dice them to freeze to use later. I found 3 pepper for 99 cents on the produce discount rack at Kroger. I bought 2 packages of them. They will be great to have on hand later since I won't be using them all now. Thanks for sharing all this great information. Your meals look delicious. Looking forward to watching more of your content.
Yes you are right. I should have mentioned that fee for the perishable food deliveries. The fee plus the tip makes that option too much. The shipping is the way to go. Now I'm just trying to figure out how to get a deal on upgrading to plus. 😂
Depends on where you look , in the frozen aisle you'll normally see the bs "Plant-based" morning star/ impossible meats that have soy and are also crazy expensive. There's many raw vegan youtubers that cover amazing recipes with cheap food prices. For example here's one meal: Chickpeas, Black Beans ,Baby Spinach, Sliced Tomatoes, Olives and Squash Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, Hot Sauce, and a little bit of garlic powder. (Most of the canned goods are around 50 cents each.) Hope this helped
Michelle I live on the west side of LA and I am nowhere near an Aldi or a Walmart … it’s at least half an hour or more and all the markets in my neighborhood are the expensive ones like Gelson‘s and pavilions I discovered that price that I saved just by buying my little dog’s food at Walmart it’s enough to cover the tip that I give and I have a Instacart upgrade membership of $10 a month…get two orders a month from Walmart of a lot of the basics and things like paper towels and frozen foods and things that I know… I haven’t been that successful with some of the produce and I’m not very trusting of the meat even though I buy very little meat so I usually do hit one of my local markets a couple more times a month but Walmart been a lifesaver during the pandemic and Instacart… My little elderly dog eats one or two of the little Cesar dog foods every day at my pavilions they’re $1.50 at Walmart they’re $1.10. I don’t pay any delivery charge that savings alone covers by $10 a month. I also discovered that ordering from Instacart is very helpful avoiding impulse purchases that I am prone to. Even five dollars of impulse purchases are little extras or treats makes the difference in the tip and having stuff delivered to my door it’s very helpful!
Wow you make a good point. Just avoiding the impulse purchases would probably allow everyone to save more by having groceries delivered. Gelsons....lol. 😂 So nice....but SO EXPENSIVE! 💰💰 I love their salad bar. 😋 YUM
I love this video!! Ive been working on tightening my budget to get our house paid off by the end of the year. These ideas really work. For Costco and Sam's Club to of help, it is very important to shop with discipline and try to limit your visits to the stores. It is very easy to get carried away. Keep the videos coming. I'll be checking out your son too. Thanks!!
Well done 👏👏 That's awesome! So true about limiting your visits to the store. I've been shopping at SamClub a lot lately and it allows me to shop less often but I'm spending a little more than I should. I think it best to only allow myself to go once a month 😂. Glad you liked this video. Thanks so much for watching!😁
I used to call Costco the $200 Club because it seemed I couldn't get out without spending that much. That's $200 in 1980s dollars.
@@cheriemonami okay $200 s club. now 2022 how much? thamkong you...
@@mariec5716 I don't shop there anymore. My children are grown, it's just me. I'm also in Canada now which is more expensive.
@@cheriemonami hi. thanking you. all the best for your newer life....
I use the no more than 99 cents per pound rule. I manage to keep my food budget below $100 per month for a single male living between Seattle and Palm Springs. You really realize just how expensive candy is when you apply that rule to it. I do, however, allow for things that swell up when cooked, like beans. So $1 for dried beans works out at $0.33 per pound when cooked. Same thing goes for rice. Honestly, the best way to take back your life and control your money is to appreciate what it cost and do steal away from the corporation pushing processed food upon you. Take back your health, take back your kitchen, take back your money.
This is an interesting approach 🤔 and it sounds like it is working well for you. Congrats on being able to keep food costs below $100 per month. I have to be very diligent to keep it this low ☹️ Thanks for sharing this.
That's very creative! I was on a frugal forum and I think it was determined that peanut butter was the most calories per pound over everything.
That is awesome, we do not buy meat that is more than $3 per lb it used to be $2 but had to go up due to price increases. It allows me to feed mh family of 4 for less than $100 a week
What fruits and veggies do you like that fit this rule? The only ones I can think of in my area are onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, and bananas. 😞
@@Ericaaaaaaaaaa cabbage, peppers, zucchini, squash, pineapple, strawberries, apples. Peaches i think it just depends whats in season
One thing I do is every year during the holiday season I buy extra baking items because it's always cheaper than and it lasts till the next year so it's just nice to have that extra and cheaper
Great tip 👍
I was in hard times a few years ago and scoured the internet for all budget friendly meals and ideas. It took me hours and hours of videos. You’ve complied allllllll the tips and tricks into one video. This would have sooo helpful for me. I know this video is going to help so many people right now. And is such a good refresher for some of us. A very well done video. Thank you a million times over for taking the time to put this together. You deserve a much bigger following. Sending you all the love and thanks! Jackie.
Thanks you so much 😁🥰 Glad you think this will be useful.
:يشئمسيههسهسى
There are so many helpful tips here! Adding to your tips to buy in bulk and when items are on special, I'd also suggest getting familiar with the seasonal range of fresh foods. We are so used to everything being available always that we can forget that transportation costs can really add hugely to the price of what we buy.
Use every part of the item that you can. I love the way you use the chicken carcass to make stock. When asparagus are cheap in spring, I use the woody ends that most people throw away to make asparagus soup. I roast onion skins to add a deep caramel to my homemade beef stock. I buy fish heads cheaply (many fish shops throw them away) and make fish stock for a seafood risotto.
My final suggestion is look at options for preserving food. I cover my homemade pesto and tomato paste with a layer of oil to keep the air out and prolong their usability. There's also good old-fashioned pickling, bottling, salting (Moroccan preserved lemons anyone?) and drying. And effective food freezing is an art form in itself.
Sorry for rattling on and commenting so much, but I'm very much enjoying your helpful, common sense videos... and I can't help chiming in. 😂😂😂
Hi there 😁 I love reading your comments, so please do keep them coming. I get lots of great ideas from my viewers. I definitely want to start preserving soon. Canning has been on my bucket list. Perhaps I could find a way to do it for as little money in supplies as possible. 🤔
😋 subbed to Justin's channel. 👍
I order my groceries from a local chain, have never been disappointed with their choices. They do have $10 delivery fee but I am lucky enough that I can afford to order enough groceries for several months. I order mainly for the winter months since I am handicapped & live on the 2nd floor. Am grateful for delivery, especially with snowy, icy steps. During the spring, summer & fall I try to go to do my own shopping.
Yay! Thanks for supporting him. 😁 Wow that's a very good delivery fee, especially with the cost of gas going up, plus saving all that time. Why NOT have them delivered is the question.
@@ArdentMichelle I subscribe to his as well if
very good job on his first videos!
@@wendoxia Thank you Wendie ! 😁 He's such a great cook, once he masters the editing and shooting of the videos, he's going to be really good.
"Don't ask me how I know this."
I'm sorry I laughed at this so hard. 😬🙁🤭🤭
I'm happy to have made you laugh 😂 I can be a ridiculously messy cook at times.
Nice having a video from you, your voice is so calming and videos so professional and informative! Thanks
So glad you enjoy my videos 😁🥰 Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this video and this channel! It has been a game changer for me, and the style of your videos brings me a lot of peace. I will never think of food, shopping, and meal planning in the same way after I watched you $1 challenge video. I think about those 7 green beans so often.
Haha! 😂 Those 7 green beans WERE delicious! I'm so glad you are enjoying my channel 😁🥰
jj
Harvested my home grown today
3lbs 10c and they will continue to provide more
Right on time, as always. I want to know when our wages go up to keep pace with the inflation? Yes I am grateful to be employed and I do give generously to food banks, etc., but everyone is suffering with this unless you are very wealthy. There is this myth that the worst of times are over? In some ways that is true but in other ways during the height of the pandemic we had shock as a protective factor, and supports, such as the stimulus program, help with rents and mortgages, etc.
NOW we are just being battered over and over with no protection, no supports or very meager ones.
Also, as a vegetarian I can confirm that going meatless you will save money, a lot-and it is kinder to the world around us including animals.
Thank you for always being a support to those of us struggling-you motivate, inspire and give hope!
You make a good point. 🤔 People that never had to budget money before are suddenly finding that due to inflation and like you say, wages not keeping up, they have less money at the end of the month to make ends meet. So much craziness going on in the world right now. ☹️
Super excited to see new video! Thank you. Making a cup of tea to sit down to watch with paper and pen!
Sorry to keep you waiting. 😁 Glad you look forward to my videos 👩🍳
@@ArdentMichelle always worth waiting for :)
Yes, I too am happy to see the new video
I’m glad you’re back, I loved your videos.
Thank you 😁🥰
Great ideas as always. Thanks for the tips. My favorite go to to stretch my meat is to do a stir fry. I cut the meat super thin & marinade it in soy sauce, cornstarch, a bit of oil. If I want a sweeter stir fry I add a bit of sugar to the marinade. Add some broth or water to the stir fry along with a cornstarch wash & you have a yummy gravy too. It's a great way to incorporate a lot of veggies with very little meat. I never feel meat deprived.
good point 👍 It's amazing how with just a few recipes that are customizable you can have budget meals for the entire week and feel like you have so much variety. What kind of meat are you using in your stir fry Pat?
@@ArdentMichelle I use both beef and pork, depends on what I have on hand. A single pork chop can go a long way.
Ooooo....great video!!
I'd like to add that if you have a couple windows....growing your own herbs in pots is easy and saves alot of money.
Yes you are so right! I wanted to mention about the green onions also, but I ran out of time on my video..it was getting too long. I will definitely mention this is my next video though. 👍
I live in a very rural area and instacart is not available - BUT I have started utilizing the curbside pick up option of our local grocery food chain - the extra fee is 5$ per pick up but the time and energy it saves me at the end of a long work day make it well worth it for me. Plus, I am much less likely to "impulse buy" as I am not wandering the aisles as much - so I save money that way and have healthier meals. I luv your channel- thanks so much for your ideas! 💚
I'm so glad you mentioned this because I noticed that SAMSCLUB has curbside pickup also and that seems like a huge benefit to many people. I forgot to mention it. I would love to do that sometime. I agree it's a huge energy saver. Glad you like my channel 😁🥰
I eat gluten free and dairy free so I feel like it’s harder to make cheap choices at the grocery store. I stick to fruits, veggies, meat, rice and oats most of the time because they are the best for my buget
Understood. My next video has a delicious gluten free meal that is also low budget. I'm trying to eat healthier and a lot of my meals are turning out to be gluten free, so hopefully they are useful to you.
Same here, it's more difficult for sure but start a little garden of greens, even if all you have is a porch, a few pots of greens helps immensely
I am dairy free and functionally gluten-free (my issue is the folic acid, not the gluten), and shop that way for a family of 6, so I hear you! Don't forget beans and nuts. They are good friends as well.
@@millennialhousewife93 I can’t digest beans well (IBS) and nuts are really expensive in my area, plus I can’t have peanuts. Kinda hard when you have dietary issues
Excellent video as always. I grow my own sprouts. Very easy, no mess, no soil, takes up little space, and I always have fresh, vitamin packed toppings for my salads.
Great idea. 👍The is on my bucket list of things to try!
I used Insta Cart during the pandemic. I know the prices by heart in my local stores and was annoyed to find that Insta Cart was charging me an upcharge of about 10% more per item. Plus a $1.99 fee to use their service. Plus the tip. Though it was convenient, I stopped using it once I realized I was spending so much for the service.
I love your show. You do a great job. Thank you.
Hi there 😁 thanks for sharing your experience with Instacart. All those fees definitely add up ☹️
After losing 2 sons to the pandemic this year I will l♡ve supporting your sons channel.
This made me cry 🥲 I am so so sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you. 💜 Thanks so much for your support.
This made me cry 🥲 I am so so sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you. 💜 Thanks so much for your support.
😢
One thing I have noticed about instacart st last at Costco, and I suspect other places as well, is that the items themselves are also marked up compared to going in person. So your paying (depending on the items) .50 to several dollars more for bulk items on top of the delivery fee and tip. I'm not saying it can't be a good deal, just know your In store price points.
Thanks for the comment. That's terrible. ☹️The delivery services are becoming a very competitive space where I live so hopefully it's only a matter of time before that changes.
All of these tips are great, even just one of them has the potential to save quite a bit of money. The seasoning one is so important, adding flavor to low-cost ingredients helps make food that makes you happy instead of just sustaining you.
I've used Instacart a few times, and while it was pretty convenient, it's not something I like to use a lot. It's nice to have the groceries dropped off at your door, but I don't like the substitutions they make sometimes, and would rather be able to choose substitutions myself. I also once had an incident where I ended up charged for some chips and salsa that I didn't order or receive. Customer service refunded me the items when I contacted them, but definitely make sure to check your receipt after the order is finished.
Yeah I think the seasoning one is probably one of the most important because once you learn how to cook with them, you can make something out of nothing!
The absolute best! I adore that you manage to fit in lots of fresh ingredients into budget meals! A few small pieces of really flavor additions like lime or cilantro makes such a huge difference!
So true 👍 Glad you are enjoying my videos! Thanks for watching! 😁
Another stellar video! Thank you!
My pleasure! 😁 Glad you liked it!
Great tips! I live in a food desert (aka in a *very* rural community), I try not to go to town more than 1x week. What I find that works well is one week it's one grocery store, then next another etc... that way I'm not wasting gas and time but still take advantage of the better prices in different catagories.
Another idea is to eat vegatarian once a week or so.
I also make what we call a "slop cassarole" which is just the leftovers baked up into a, well, cassarole.
The last item is a window sill herb garden. Seriously, chives, basil, oregano don't take up a lot of space and help stretch my dollars. Because I live in the willywags I have space to plant Rosemary, mint etc...
Lastly, as you mentioned, when I get a windfall (tax return or in one memorable case a gift of lottery scratchers), I stock up on shelf stable foods. I stow the cans under my bed, and use my closet to stash home canned foods.
Thanks for sharing these great tips 👍
Thanks so much for all the great tips. Love your videos.
Glad you like my videos 😁🥰
Hello my frugal foodie friend. I found this treasure today. Good tips on how I could get more organized. Is that you dog? Soups and chili really help me stretch my food budget. ❤thank you
Hello 😁yes that was my furry companion 🐕🦺 Working on some soups now for next weeks video!
@@ArdentMichelle beautiful dog. Soup!!! I will be looking forward to seeing the videos. Have a great week . Give your furry companion a scratch behind the ears from me
I am a new subscriber and I'd like to say I love all your videos and your voice is so soothing. Thank you for all your hard work !!!!
Thanks so much 😁🥰 Welcome to my channel.
In Australia we have an app called 'half price'. When I see a product I like, I buy enough to last until the next sales cycle. I've discovered that I can get expensive name brand products for cheaper than store brand. Leftovers is a family favourite money saver in our house. I'm away for several days caring for mum so hubby and the boys (adults actually) are saving time and money by eating leftovers from the freezer. I freeze leftovers in single serve portions.
Really nice video! :) Thank you! Very informative...Dawn @ Rich & Dawn in MN :)
Glad you enjoyed it! 😁
Love your videos thanks ❤️ 😊
Great video! So informative. Thank you for all your research! Good luck to your son’s channel. Heading over there now!
Glad you liked my video. 😁 Thank YOU for watching and also for supporting my son in his new adventure! 🥰
Another great video!!! Sensitive and informative!!! Delivery is great for avoiding over spending and sticking to a budget. I have had terrible experience with Walmart delivery, but I hear great things about instacart. I have been saving like crazy using apps like Ibotta, but it is all really time consuming and requires a learning curve and adjustment period.
I would add two tips:
1. The freezer can help you not waste food. I watched your video while eating a burrito I had made and frozen. (Leftover chilimac and cheddar cheese in a flour tortilla, thawed in the microwave and crisped in the air fryer)
2. I learned a long time ago to be careful with bulk buying perishables. Bananas from Sam's Club and two people is likely to be a problem. (Of course with your creativity it wouldn't be, lol. )
These are good tips. Freezing can definitely be a tool to help avoid waste 👍 I forgot to mention Ibotta. I know a lot of people have had great success with it, but I'm still on the fence. The last time I used it, I didn't get credit for one of the coupons I used ☹️ maybe I'm still in the learning curve 😂 Thanks for watching! Have a great week 😊
Bingo! I spatchcocked 1 chicken, it made 3 different suppers for Us :)
Nice! 👍
Hello from Ohio, AM! So nice to have you back, and CONGRATS to your son on his new channel. (I've already subscribed.) I have one request: I find tofu very intimidating. I have never cooked with it. Could you please show us a few recipes cooking with tofu? That'd be so helpful to many of your subbies. ~ Have a great week!
Hi Linda 😁 Yes absolutely. I'll do this in my next video! 😁 You are right. This will be helpful to many of my viewers! Take care 🥰
@@ArdentMichelle Many thanks, AM. I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Budget Bytes has several good tofu recipes on her site.
@@jodiweiss8705 Thank you, though I still hope AM posts a few.
@@lindawilson290 Yes, I agree!
Great video. Good advice about ethnic stores have great deals and Walmart, unlike the rest of their products, their produce is expensive and not the best. Winco is a great place to get spices especially if you are trying a new recipe and don't want to invest in a whole bottle by getting it in their bulk section. I look for marked down meat. For you Vons usually has good marked down meats.
Thanks Judy 😁 I agree, Winco spices are a great place to sample spices. Good point 👍
Great tips
I'm grateful for spring time. I grow lots of my food
Friends have extra eggs from backyard chickens and honey from bees
I trade with them my herbs and fresh grown food
So store is for what I don't grow
Thanks so much 😁 That's awesome that you can grow your own food and have resources for eggs. I would love that.
Super ideas you best ideas yet..you rock!
Awe....😁🥰 Thanks for the complement!
I live in a coastal community, retirement/tourist, and our one grocery store has jacked up the prices unbelievably. I can’t afford green and red peppers, but I will incorporate the hints that you have mentioned to the best of my ability. Thank you.
Understood. It's difficult when you don't have cheap stores to shop at. Glad you found my video useful. 😁
great ideas for saving money on groceries!
Glad you like them! 😁 Thanks for watching!
I only get delivery when my body just needs a break. I have a bad foot, and sometimes I just can’t do it. However, items from my Aldi instacart always cost more than they do in store. For example, cheese might be $1.89 in store but instacart will say $2.09. If I’m paying 20 cents more on each item it adds up. So I generally will do Walmart pickup in that situation where they don’t charge me more and I’m still giving that foot a break. I need to do better at sticking to the budget. I make one, but then often hit a drive through when I’m tired. Bad part of cooking for one. 🤦🏼♀️
I feel like I can relate to this comment. Sometimes I just don't have the energy for a long grocery trip. I haven't tried pick up yet, and I didn't realize they were charging more for the food items. ☹️
It's ok to hit the drive through when you're tired....then hop back on the budget. I try to be moderate. I don't believe in suffering 😂 One thing that has helped me is, I always have items prepped that I can quickly throw together because sometimes I don't feel like cooking after a long day at work. I find Trader Joes meals good for this also. I always have a few bags of their fettuccini or other frozen pasta that I can heat up. Thanks for watching. Have a great week 😁👩🍳
Really great video Michelle!
Thank you. 😁
I use grocery pick up at Albertson’s. If you shop the sales, it is affordable. I also like that shopping this way eliminates the temptation to impulse shop.
I've been thinking the same, that I would save money doing pick up to avoid impulse buys 👍
Not buying name brand items can also save 35-50% on your budget. For most items I cannot tell the difference and even if I slightly can taste the difference the money saved is worth it.
Very good point 👍 I should have mentioned this. Thanks for the comment!
Dried herbs & spices :) We’ve not eaten out in near 3 years & I began adding to my ‘kitchen kit’ then as I wanted us to Enjoy dishes I cook. Now I have over 180 ;) 2 spice racks & each hold 60 bottles
Wow! Impressive. 👩🍳
Love it love it love it! 😍🥰 Thanks Michelle!!! 🤩🌸🌺
Glad you liked this video 😁🥰
I have used instacart for years. I do like it a lot. That being said, it has been more difficult the past few months due to food shortages. If you aren't picky if substitutions are made then it's a great service. There is also a tiny surcharge on almost every item even if it's a few cents. Great when we had surgery and didn't want to shop etc. good video, Michelle
Hate the surcharges. Glad to know many of my viewers use these services from time to time. I'll feel less guilty when I do 😂 Thanks so much for supporting my son's channel by the way 😁 Starting a new channel is a challenge.
LOL I LOVE stir fries… they are easy & quick & VERY budget friendly!!!
YES! 😁
I’m immunocompromised & disabled so I’m unable to shop for myself in-store, save for very quick trips. Curbside & delivery have been lifesavers for me! I don’t think they save me money on groceries, compared to when I could hit all the stores for all the sales back in the day. However, it DOES save me money in that I’m not ordering takeout every night. I’m more than willing to spend 5% more for the convenience in order to have homemade meals. My tips for saving money with these services is to pickup my groceries curbside, to eliminate the delivery fee & tip. This can save me $20-30, easily, per order.
Subscribing to Justin’s channel now… that bulgogi looks amazing!
Thanks for sharing your experience Laura. 😁 I love it that we have all of these options now. I still haven't done curbside. I'm putting this on my to-do list.
google sheets may work for budgeting as a substitute for excel & it’s free! im not sure if it automatically adds everything but it’s definitely something to look into.
A few others have mentioned that. I'm looking forward to checking those out and love that it is free 😁
Thank you for the video.
You're welcome 😁
Online Costco prices are higher than in-store prices for the convenience factor. They declare it on their website. This makes me actually shop in store bc I’m cheap 😊
Avoid recipes that require a bunch of ingredients that you don’t already have on hand. You’d be surprised, for a lot of recipes you probably already have most of the Ingredients sitting in your pantry and you’ll only need to go buy 2-3 more things to complete the dish.
So true. 👍 Good advice.
For a while I didn't have a car to drive when I was home even though I traveled for work ordering groceries delivered was much cheaper then the Lyft drive there and back even though I tip very well. it was definitely an option I was happy for at the time.
That definitely makes sense 👍
Also just an FYI, YT search Chinese Scallion pancake. very cheap, budget friendly and extremely tasty. goes great with stirfries or if you just want something to snack on. also for buttermilk substitute just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to some regular milk, stir, wait a few minutes and go ahead and use as the recipe calls for. we've used this trick for 20+ yrs with no issues.
I've been planning on making scallion pancakes on my channel when I have the next opportunity. Great idea for budgeting. Thanks for the tips 👍
well, i bought an older Office Suite for $5....i would NOT pay monthly!! i live on a fixed income, and simply cannot do all the monthly payments everyone wants!! i cant keep up with groceries cost!! i love your videos, so many helpful ideas!!
Understood 👍
and thank you 😁
Google sheets is free and has similar functionality as Microsoft Excel. Just another option for anyone that likes the way you laid things out on Excel but can't afford it
Yay! Thanks so much for this comment. 😁 I love this! I will have to check this out. I'm not familiar with Google Sheets. This is so helpful!
I use Google Sheets for my monthly budgets. It has all the same functionality as Excel and it is available on desktop and an app for free!
open office is a free program that had an excel like program. also I super suggest checking your area for a local farmers market... you can deffinently eat better for way cheaper
My local farmers market is more expensive than the regular market, but I might be able to find somewhere else to buy direct that isn't as expensive.
I'd never thought of sales as inspiring variety in my diet before, but you're totally right. It's only in the last few months that I've been looking at supermarket flyers and shopping sales and looking back it has actually prompted me to have a bit more variety. Your cooking examples inspire me too - I especially love your Mexican and Asian dishes, they always look AMAZING and fairly easy to make. As for budget software, I use Mint which is free. It more of a tracking software than a budget planning software but I am able to look at my total spend for the month and whether or not it is getting close to going over. I have been using it for years and find it helpful.
Thanks for commenting on this. 😁 I noticed that one was highly rated. It's so awesome that you find it useful, and it's free.
Is this from a different country? Where are you people finding Aldis?
I am in California but there are Aldi's in Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and throughout the remaining eastern U.S as well.
It's hard to eat low budget with beans, rice and noodles when you are diabetic and need to eat low/no carb/keto. Any thoughts on that? Eggs can only go so far. There are keto breads/noodles, but they are super expensive.
So true. I've been getting some requests for this and have been thinking about this. I'll see what I can do.
Michelle, look for Fenugreek while You are out & can pick up a new herb. Used in water to boil spinach, or pan to sauté & You’ll smile :)
fenugreek....hmmm..🤔 I've never tried that before. I will look for it. 👍
@@ArdentMichelle it’s a dried herb, ground I could find @ grocery(whole I had to order). You like spinach as I do & a favorite dish of mine to cook is Saag Paneer. Spinach & homemade cheese Indian dish :)
@@erinnola-raised6543 So funny...I'm trying a new recipe and it calls for fenugreek. 😂
We have a Sams club plus membership however the $50 coupon has to be spent in the store you can’t order it online.
Thanks for sharing the info 👍
The best part of online grocery shopping is you don't have one single impulsive purchase. We don't have a Sam's, Costco, ALDI, or ethnic grocer, not even a discount grocery store or even a Walmart grocery store. I live in a tourist area and we have a whole foods and a fresh market and an Acme so I am only able to go to Acme because the other two are a little bit pricey but I do find if I buy the sale items only I can get by but I do end up spending much more on groceries than a lot of people I see on RUclips but it's just what I have access to
I realize I am fortunate to have all of these places to shop. I agree that online shopping would definitely cut out impulse shopping and because of that could save money overall. I will definitely pick up items on impulse, simply because they look delicious 😂
I have moderately severe congesrive heart failure. I cannot make it through the grocery store. I pay $12.99 per month to Walmart for unlimeted free shpping and grocery del $35 min order. I do still need to tip my driver. Instacart does the delivery, but by going through walmart I am able to bypass the instacart mark ups.
I think this is probably the best delivery deal I've heard. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share. 😊
It's true. Ethnic stores or even local produce stands are a much better value for vegetables.
Great diversity
microsoft actually has a free online version of excel you can use or of course, google sheets is free
I use google sheets and google docs. They are free.
Awesome! 😁
We have a Walmart + membership and it's free grocery delivery and $.10 off gas, that saves us a lot of money and energy. You keep mentioning H Mart for produce, I need to get up to ours and check it out. Thanks
I may be slightly infatuated with H Mart. 😂 I love exploring and finding new things to try. Also featured in Sunday's upcoming video.
problem is that with soy sauce and buillion, it's all salt salt and more salt. and as someone with medical conditions best to stay away from those. I normally use coconut aminos as an alternative as well as liquid bone broth and if you can find it, some health stores have a bulk spice section. I bring my own jars and have gotten an entire pint jar of ground cumin for less than 4 bucks. also learn when your stores put out clearanced or marked down foods. Some stores do it twice a day, once in morning and evening, sometimes only once, depending on who's actually working that day in the various departments.
Great ideas 👍
Maybe I'm not looking in the right place but I don't see a link to your son's channel. I would love to check that out
Here is a link to his channel. Thanks so much. 😁🥰
ruclips.net/channel/UCU7K2wOKv4Y_YZ0Ocy4fs6g
Got chicken thighs at Albertson's 99 cent got 10 pounds enough chicken for 6 months 😋
Use pen and paper and a calculator, there’s no need for Microsoft 365 if you are low income. That’s $69 per year. Some people can do arithmetic quickly.
That is definitely an option....although my least favorite. I find that having electronic budgets allows many advantages such as going back to the budget to reuse, inspiring future food choices, ease of calculation when substituting, analyzing budget patterns week to week, etc. Spending $69 per year is nothing if it saves you thousands per year. But I agree with you that if you can't afford it to begin with, pen and paper will do.
Back in the early 2000s I ordered grocery delivery and saved lots of money. The delivery charge was $5, no tip. I found I saved a lot because I didn't buy anything not on my list. Apparently I was a closet impulse buyer.
yeah I do think I would save money doing this myself 😂
SoftMaker has a completely free suite of office applications that are compatible with MS Office versions. I quit paying for office over a year ago.
Thanks Traveler! 👍 I'll check them out.
The groceries overall cost more when u order through a delivery service. I checked this. I hate shopping but its cheaper when i go myself. Plus half the time the shopper sucks. They do not understand ingredients etc.....
Understood. 👍 A lot of my viewers are ordering and then doing curbside pickup. I want to try that option just to save some time and energy and fighting the crowds on the weekend.
I wanted to add that google docs is a great free alternative to excel! 😊
Great tip! 😁
some folks lucky to have instacart available from local markets, not me. It’s near 30 minute drive 1 way to nearest grocery store for me
Understood. ☹️ I'm assuming none of the delivery services for you then? Not Amazon or Costco or Sam'sClub?
@@ArdentMichelle Amazon yes but I don’t use for fresh foods. No Costco, No Sams, Grocery stores deliver but not this far. I get weekly ‘Special items’ from Misfits Market. All rest I drive to get at grocery stores ;)
I live in the 5th largest city in the usa and the closest grocery is over 20 min away ow. Walmart is 30 min away. Kroger has bought up everything. There's no need for weekly flyers anymore.
wow that's terrible ☹️ I have 3 grocery stores within a mile from me.
@@ArdentMichelle huge problem. Newer stores aldi, winco, etc are only found in suburbs. Older stores albertsons, safeway, frys, kroger are the same store, incl "specials". Even the price of ramen has tripled. I'm doing more with cabbage and have developed a ton of variations on bubble and squeak as my go to.
You've done it again!!
You're one of my favorite RUclipsrs.
Thank you for the great video.
I even took notes. Lol
I agree with everything that you mentioned.
I would add that Reverse meal planning (cooking from items that you have already) and using local and seasonal items can make a huge difference.
I know a farmer that sells eggs for $1 per dozen still. I grew many items that I have canned to stock my pantry. Meats on sale get canned for tacos, easy pulled pork and amazing chicken salad and soups.
I make fresh pasta and have dabbled with homemade bread and tortillas. This is dangerous because I have a love for both and can go overboard easily lol
I've changed my attitude about Leftovers and plan to eat most meals twice. To beat the leftover yuk I skip a night in between. I call them lucky Leftovers because not only are they essentially free but so much less clean up and effort. I shoot for zero food waste which has gotten so much better since being more intentional.
I look forward to seeing more of your videos and am omw to check out Foodie Justin now.
Bless you, thank you for all you do!!
10/10
Aldi is best place for spices and sauses
easy Buttermilk substitution is 1/2 milk & 1/2 sour cream
Great video. I love watching you meals. In spite of its name buttermilk doesn't contain butter. I've heard of adding vinegar to milk to create the tang of buttermilk. Also, if people with high blood pressure are advised to watch the sodium content of food, not the cholesterol content.
Thank you. 😁I had heard of using vinegar as a substitute. I threw in the small amount of extra butter to make up for the fat in the buttermilk since it was something I had on hand. You are right, I misspoke. Low sodium for high blood pressure and low cholesterol for heart disease. Having high cholesterol for someone with high blood pressure is very bad for the heart though, so it makes sense to watch the cholesterol too.Thanks for watching and have a great week. 😊
@@ArdentMichelle and You Michelle :) Yup, I have high BP & it is not fun. Labs drawn 3x in past 3 weeks, changes to meds…Planning meals & cooking is SO relaxing to me & I true enjoy watching Your videos
I use google sheets instead of Excel, all the functionality you need for something as simple as a grocery budget/list and its free.
Thanks for the input. Love that it's free 😁
The ethic stores here in Chattanooga are not cheap more than Walmart
oh that's surprising.🤔
My free budgeting app is pencil and paper, lol.
That works 👍
@@ArdentMichelle, I make lots of the stir fry like you do, however most of mine have more celery and green cabbage, because it extends the quantity so much.
We save $$ on groceries by charging bills and essential purchases on our credit card so we earn points. We pay it off right away so we don’t get charged any interest or fees. Then we cash out those points for digital Walmart and target gift cards and use those cards to get free groceries. This has seen us through really hard times and lean months were we couldn’t have afforded to eat otherwise 👍 hope that helps someone else out there
Hi Mimi 😁 Thanks for sharing this.
You are on point with this. I love all of your suggestions. I love to add a little soy sauce to my eggs. If someone uses the noodles from the top ramen make sure you keep the packet to add to dishes that need seasoning. They are great to add to a soup, rice while it cooks or to make a gravy with. Peanut butter is another great protein and can be used to make sauces or dressings. While in a Hispanic store or a store with Hispanic foods check the price of the spices. They come in a clear bag and can end up costing less than spices in a plastic container. I save my spice containers and empty parmesean containers to add spices to or to store rubs I make myself. Meats can be stretched by adding lentils or beans to them. I like to add a potato diced small with beans to my hamburger meat to stretch it. I also stop markdown and clearance items. Not all meat markdowns are a good price but some can't be passed up. Meat bones become bones for broth. Another way to save money by using an item that you have already paid for to make something with it. When I find peppers on sale I slice and dice them to freeze to use later. I found 3 pepper for 99 cents on the produce discount rack at Kroger. I bought 2 packages of them. They will be great to have on hand later since I won't be using them all now. Thanks for sharing all this great information. Your meals look delicious. Looking forward to watching more of your content.
YAY! 😁Thanks for these awesome tips. They are very helpful. 👍👩🍳
It’s near $5 now here for 1lb. of unsalted ‘no-name’ butter
Ouch.😳
@@buffys3477 It's bad everywhere ☹️
Google sheets is free and an Excel clone for this purpose.
Awesome. I can't wait to try Google Sheets for my budgets
Except Sam's club charges $8 for every order, and that doesn't include a tip!
Yes you are right. I should have mentioned that fee for the perishable food deliveries. The fee plus the tip makes that option too much. The shipping is the way to go. Now I'm just trying to figure out how to get a deal on upgrading to plus. 😂
@@ArdentMichelle that's even without perishable items! They are way to overpriced unless you go into the store to shop
@@iwuvmybigfamily Understood but some items are less than regular stores, even with the delivery fee.
How old is your son?
I have two sons. They are both in their 20's.
A weeks worth of (soyless) vegan goods can cost you under $13
Thanks for the heads up. I'm not too familiar with vegan products that don't have soy in them
Depends on where you look , in the frozen aisle you'll normally see the bs "Plant-based" morning star/ impossible meats that have soy and are also crazy expensive. There's many raw vegan youtubers that cover amazing recipes with cheap food prices. For example here's one meal:
Chickpeas, Black Beans ,Baby Spinach, Sliced Tomatoes, Olives and Squash
Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, Hot Sauce, and a little bit of garlic powder.
(Most of the canned goods are around 50 cents each.)
Hope this helped
Dave Ramsey has a free budget app
Thanks for the tip 👍
Michelle I live on the west side of LA and I am nowhere near an Aldi or a Walmart … it’s at least half an hour or more and all the markets in my neighborhood are the expensive ones like Gelson‘s and pavilions I discovered that price that I saved just by buying my little dog’s food at Walmart it’s enough to cover the tip that I give and I have a Instacart upgrade membership of $10 a month…get two orders a month from Walmart of a lot of the basics and things like paper towels and frozen foods and things that I know… I haven’t been that successful with some of the produce and I’m not very trusting of the meat even though I buy very little meat so I usually do hit one of my local markets a couple more times a month but Walmart been a lifesaver during the pandemic and Instacart… My little elderly dog eats one or two of the little Cesar dog foods every day at my pavilions they’re $1.50 at Walmart they’re $1.10. I don’t pay any delivery charge that savings alone covers by $10 a month. I also discovered that ordering from Instacart is very helpful avoiding impulse purchases that I am prone to. Even five dollars of impulse purchases are little extras or treats makes the difference in the tip and having stuff delivered to my door it’s very helpful!
Wow you make a good point. Just avoiding the impulse purchases would probably allow everyone to save more by having groceries delivered. Gelsons....lol. 😂 So nice....but SO EXPENSIVE! 💰💰 I love their salad bar. 😋 YUM