Kajikit wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Aug 2010 18:23:54 +0200, "Giusi" > wrote:
>
>> "Kajikit" ha scritto nel messaggio
>>
>>> My husband asked me if I could get our grocery budget down to $70.
>>> That would break down something like this:
>>> - $10 cat supplies (we have three cats and that's the bare minimum...> no
>>> way to cut it down any more without starving them!)
>> -----------------------
>> I think they shouldn't be in your food budget, though. I feed innumerable
>> cats, hedgehogs and wild boars-- not my idea-- but I don't include it in my
>> food budget. Your cats are a lor smaller than you, so why do you get
>> budgeted at only 6 times what they get?
>
> Because that's the money we have to spend... you wouldn't leave your
> children out of the budget because they're smaller than you, would
> you? I've priced out catfood (and switched them down to the most
> economical brands I could a year ago) so that's as low as it goes...
> Besides, we can afford to shrink - the cats can't!
>


We're not telling you to ignore the cats, just budget them
separately. Start with $10 for cats, $60 for you because that's
what you think the right amounts are for now. It's easier find out
where your money is *really* going and to make adjustments that way.

What about paper products, cleaning supplies, and toiletries? Are
those coming out of the food budget or are they a separate item?

Change of subject. A couple of cheap staple items should be brown
rice and frozen turkey. You can partially thaw a whole turkey, cut
it up, and freeze it in small portions. Or roast the whole thing
and cut it up and freeze just the meat. Use the carcass to make soup.

Do you have an Aldi nearby? That's where I buy most of my
groceries. They are by far the cheapest place in town for most
things. (Oddly, the corner convenience store is the cheapest place
to buy milk, eggs, potatoes, onions, apples, and bananas) Aldi has
frozen precooked sausage patties. One is enough to break up into a
pan of fried rice or stir-fried vegetables and noodles to serve 2
people. I think you get something like a dozen big patties for $3.

Bob