c/frugal-foodies

Hit $100 in weekly groceries for a family of 4 and it changed my mind about bulk buying

I used to think buying giant bags of rice and 5-pound blocks of cheese was the only way to save. Then I actually tracked my spending and realized I was throwing away like $20 a week on stuff that went bad before we could eat it. The number that got me was $100 - when I switched to smaller portions and a strict list, I hit that budget for the first time last month. Now I only buy bulk for things we go through fast like oats and pasta. Anyone else have a threshold where their method stopped working?

3 comments

matthew864•13d ago

Was a snob about frozen pizza for years. Had to eat crow.

Always thought fresh dough or nothing. Then my crew worked a 14 hour day unclogging a main line at that apartment complex on Elm. Got home at 10pm, nothing in the fridge. Grabbed a $4 frozen supreme from the gas station. Threw it in the oven. Honestly? Hit the spot. Crunchy enough. Plenty of toppings. Is there a brand that actually holds up better than others or am I just tasting the exhaustion?

2 comments

rose_grant78•13d ago

Frozen veggies finally won me over after 30 years

I always thought fresh was the only way to go for taste and nutrition. Then last winter my mom brought over a bag of frozen green beans from Aldi ($1.29) and they were actually better than the sad fresh ones I had in the fridge. Has anyone else found a frozen veggie that beats fresh?

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adams.vera•13d ago

Shoutout to the bulk bins at my local co-op for saving me from a $15 spice bill

I was at the Piggly Wiggly last Tuesday grabbing chili fixings and nearly paid $8 for a tiny jar of cumin until I remembered the co-op down the street sells it for 40 cents an ounce, so I drove over and filled a baggie for 88 cents instead.

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taylorhunt•14d ago

Tried swapping rice for lentils in my meal prep last week

I usually make a big batch of rice on Sundays to stretch meals through the week, but last week I swapped in dried green lentils from the bulk bin at Kroger. It cost me like $1.50 for a pound versus my usual $3 bag of rice, and they actually held up better in soups and burrito bowls. I just had to soak them overnight and cook them a bit longer, so the timing was a little different. Has anyone else found a good cheap swap that actually works for meal prep?

2 comments

gavin_reed•14d ago

I finally stopped buying pre-shredded cheese after doing the math

Used to grab those bags of shredded cheddar without thinking, like $4 for 8 ounces. Then last month I noticed a block of the same cheese was $3 for 16 ounces. Now I just shred it myself while watching TV, takes maybe 3 minutes and saves me $5 a week. Anyone else find other "convenience" foods that are secretly ripping you off?

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clairer79•1mo ago

My neighbor lectured me about buying store-brand beans and it actually made sense

She said she's been using the No Name black beans for 10 years and saves like $4 a week, but I always grabbed the branded ones out of habit. Now I'm wondering how many other little switches I've been ignoring just because I never questioned it. Anyone else have a food rule they got from someone and it turned out to be totally wrong?

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oliviahenderson•1mo ago

Tried to save money by making my own broth from veggie scraps... ended up with a slimy mess

I was at my kitchen counter last Tuesday, dumping all my carrot peels and onion ends into a freezer bag like I've seen online, thinking I was being so clever. After two weeks of collecting, I boiled everything for 4 hours and ended up with this weird, slimy liquid that smelled more like dirt than soup... Has anyone actually gotten this to work without it turning into a science experiment?

2 comments

jade738•1mo ago

The $3 bag of lentils that took me 2 hours to sort through

Everyone always says lentils are the ultimate cheap protein, and I agree. But nobody warns you about the rocks. I bought a 5-pound bag from a bulk bin at my local co-op for $3.29. I poured them out to rinse them and spent a full 2 hours picking out tiny pebbles and bits of dirt. I swear I found 15 little rocks in that bag. Is this normal for bulk lentils or did I just get a bad batch? How do you deal with this?

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charles919•1mo ago

My zester broke mid-recipe last night and I had to use a cheese grater instead

I was making lemon bars for a staff potluck and my microplane just snapped in half. Ended up using the fine side of a box grater and honestly it worked fine, just took a little longer to scrape off the zest. Anyone else ever MacGyver a broken tool into something that still gets the job done?

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blake_black47•1mo ago

My grocery bill dropped $40 a week after I started shopping at 8pm

I used to hit the store on Saturday mornings and always paid full price. Then a friend told me to try going right before closing time on weeknights instead. Now I grab marked-down meat and bakery bread for half the price. Last week I got a whole roasted chicken for $3.50 just because it was near the sell-by date. It took about two weeks to figure out the best timing at my local Kroger. Has anyone else noticed certain days are better for markdowns?

2 comments

jesse_craig26•1mo ago

Pro tip: I finally figured out why my rice always turned out mushy after 10 years of cooking it

I ignored the exact water-to-rice ratio for years thinking eyeballing it was fine until my sister measured it out for me last weekend and the texture was perfect for the first time, has anyone else been winging measurements that actually matter?

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kelly.daniel•1mo ago

My aunt told me I was crazy for buying whole chickens instead of just breasts

I used to ONLY buy chicken breasts on sale for like $3.99 a pound. My aunt watched me one time and said 'You're paying for bones and skin you don't even use? That's wild.' She showed me how to break down a whole chicken for $1.29 a pound at Aldi here in St. Louis. Now I get 2 meals from the meat plus 3-4 cups of broth from the carcass. I freeze the livers and hearts for my cats too so literally nothing goes to waste. Has anyone else switched to whole birds and actually tracked the savings per month?

2 comments

paulw63•1mo ago

Learned the hard way about buying bulk spices at the dollar store

I grabbed a bunch of those little spice jars at Dollar Tree thinking I was saving big. Turns out the oregano was mostly stems and the cinnamon tasted like cardboard. Ended up throwing three jars out after one use each, so that's about $4 down the drain. A coworker told me the bulk bins at Winco are way cheaper per ounce and actually taste like something. Now I buy just what I need for a recipe from there instead. Anybody else get burned by cheap store spices?

3 comments

morgan.mary•1mo ago

debate with my roommate about frozen veggies vs fresh

So my roommate swears fresh veggies are always better and cheaper. I told her a bag of frozen broccoli is $1.50 at Aldi and lasts weeks. She hit back with her $2 head of fresh broccoli that she uses in 2 days. But I did the math - frozen spinach is $1.20 per pound and fresh is $3.50 for a bag that wilts in 3 days. She said fresh has more nutrients, but I read freezing locks them in right after harvest. Which side do you guys lean on for saving money and eating well? Any frozen veggie tricks that changed your mind?

3 comments

rileyl98•1mo ago

TIL frozen veggies can actually be cheaper AND last longer than fresh

I kept throwing out half my fresh spinach and bell peppers every week because I couldn't use them fast enough. Finally timed myself one night after work - took me 45 minutes to chop and freeze everything I bought that week. Now I just buy frozen bags and save about $12 a week on produce I was wasting. Anyone else switched to frozen and noticed a big difference in their grocery bill?

2 comments

theawest•1mo ago

Almost ruined a whole batch of lentils with a cheap spice blend

I was making my usual lentil soup last Tuesday in my tiny kitchen, and I grabbed this dollar store chili powder I had bought a few months back. Had no idea it was mostly salt and filler, so I dumped in two tablespoons like a fool. The soup turned into a salty brine that literally made my lips pucker, I had to toss the whole pot and start over. I lost about $4 worth of lentils and veggies plus an hour of simmering time. Now I only buy spices from the bulk bins at my local co-op where I can see the ingredients listed. Has anyone else gotten burned by those super cheap seasoning packets?

3 comments

adam675•1mo ago

Switched to frozen vegetables over fresh for soup nights and saved $12 this month alone

I had to decide between buying fresh broccoli and carrots every week or grabbing a big bag of frozen mix for $3.50 at Aldi, and after three tries the frozen ones actually tasted better in my chicken soup since they didn't turn to mush. Has anyone else found a swap like this that worked out better than expected?

3 comments

rose_grant78•1mo ago

PSA: I was throwing away money every time I bought a rotisserie chicken

For years, I'd grab a $7.99 rotisserie chicken for a quick dinner. Told myself it was a good deal. Then last Tuesday, I saw whole raw chickens on sale for 99 cents a pound. A 5-pound bird was under $5. I realized I was paying a $3 premium for someone to turn my oven on. I roasted it myself with just salt, pepper, and some old potatoes. Tasted way better, made way more food, and I got a pot of stock from the bones. How did I not see this before? What other 'convenience' foods are actually a total rip-off?

3 comments

the_phoenix•1mo ago

Just realized my weekly grocery bill dropped under $40

I started buying dried beans in bulk from the co-op and making a big pot of soup every Sunday. Last week I spent $38.75 at the store, which is the lowest it's been in years. Has anyone else found a single change that cut their food costs this much?

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mason728•1mo ago

Tbh, I always bought the cheap store brand canned beans

But last week I grabbed a bag of dried pinto beans for $1.79 and cooked a huge pot. The flavor was way better and it made like four times as much food for the same price. Anyone have other cheap dried bean recipes?

3 comments

riley_price•1mo ago

I used to think dried beans were a waste of time until my power got cut for two days

My fridge died, so I had to cook a bag of pinto beans I'd bought for 79 cents. Just boiled them with some onion and a ham hock from the freezer. They were so much better than canned, and the whole pot cost maybe $3. I've been making a big batch every Sunday now. Anyone have good ideas for using the leftover bean water?

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jesse_nguyen•1mo ago

I was talking to my neighbor who works at a food bank yesterday and she said they're seeing a 40% jump in people needing help just since January.

That hit different because it made me realize my 'stock up when it's cheap' strategy isn't just about saving money anymore, it's about making sure my family eats if things keep getting tighter, so what are your absolute bare-bones pantry staples that can stretch for months?

3 comments

tyler492•1mo ago

My bean soup went from bland to great after a trip to the Spokane market

For years my cheap bean soup was just beans, water, and a bay leaf, super boring. Then last fall I went to the Spokane farmers market and got a smoked ham hock for $3. I tossed it in the pot with the beans and let it simmer all day. The flavor was totally different, rich and smoky without needing fancy broth. What's your favorite cheap ingredient that makes a simple dish way better?

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victor_ward•2mo ago

Changed my mind about making my own veggie broth from scraps

I thought it was a quick way to save cash, but simmering it down to a rich flavor without it tasting like compost water actually took me four separate tries over two weeks to get right.

3 comments