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!)
- $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
- $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
keep us adequately proteined.)
- $30 other groceries

Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!

Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
$2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.

On Aug 6, 12:06*pm, Kajikit > wrote:
> 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!)
> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
> keep us adequately proteined.)
> - $30 other groceries
>
> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>
> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.

Cut back on portion sizes of meats and you will definitely save money.
3-4 oz of meat is considered a "portion" by most nutritional
guidelines. If your husband doesn't eat leftovers, don't make
leftovers. You'll have to cook fresh every night, Otherwise you are
wasting food and money. Don't buy sauce in a jar. Start with a can of
crushed tomatoes and season from there. The can costs about a dollar.
Onions, meat, herbs, etc would be added to jarred sauce, anyway.
There's a savings. eggs are a wonderful protein source and
inexpensive, on top of it. Increase veggies, decrease meats and you
will save money. Also calories. It's a win win.

On Aug 6, 9:06*am, Kajikit > wrote:
> 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!)

$10/week for cat supplies? Buy a 20lb bag of dry food (good quality)
for around $20 and that should last a month. If you're buying cat
litter...train them to go outside.

Kajikit wrote:
> 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!)
> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
> keep us adequately proteined.)
> - $30 other groceries
>
> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>
> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.


So $60 a week for 2 people? Should be doable, but do you need meat
every day? I only eat meat a couple of meals a week, and that's
usually a Wendy's 99¢ Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger (with onions.)

I eat a lot of stirfries, with frozen green beans and/or shredded
cabbage for the bulk of it, with rice noodles and lots of hot peppers,
onions, etc.

Hunts and Del Monte spaghetti sauce in a 26 ounce can are half the
price of jarred sauces and (surprisingly) they taste better.

You can also make protein shakes for breakfast using whey protein
concentrate from Walmart or Sam's, and get 30 grams of protein in one
shot. Make a smoothie using a frozen banana, whatever overripe fruit
you need to get rid of, a little milk, a bit of sweetener, and maybe
some crushed ice. Then add a scoop of protein powder and blend on
"Low" until it's mixed in. Don't add the protein powder at the
beginning or the texture ends up like a nasty meringue.

Don't overlook eggs and canned fish (especially kippers and sardines.)

Bob

"Kajikit" > wrote in message
...
> 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!)
> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
> keep us adequately proteined.)
> - $30 other groceries
>
> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>
> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.

I believe what you are attempting is doable.

The first thing to do is to change your buying habits.

Step 1 KNOW the prices of what you buy. Know what is a good buy and what is
a high price. Set aside a portion of you budget for stocking up when items
are on sale. If you re paying $1.50 for a bag of frozen mixed vegetables
IMHO you're paying too much. Most markets will run their brand of frozen
for $1.00 per 16 Oz, bag

The second thing is to look at your portion sizes. in the case above you've
used a little less than a pound of meat - cut down on the meat a little.

The third thing is stop using pre-prepared foods like the Barilla sauce.
Make your own sauce. 1 onion some garlic the meat- + Italian seasonings - a
large can of crushed tomatoes + some tomato paste & water you'll have enough
sauce for 2 + full meals.

Fourth - do you have a food processor? grind your own beef from "London
Broil on sale" you'll have very lean ground beef for a lower price that
store ground beef.

Fifth - as you know beans & rice combined contain the amino acids for all
the protein you'll need - have 1 or 2 meatless meals per week. As example
there's nothing wrong with spaghetti marinara. A nice chili based on kidney
beans or black beans over rice :-)

Its summer poach some chicken breasts, cook & slice. Make a nice garden
salad with chicken breast for dinner. Make your own salad dressings oil,
vinegar, salt, pepper, some herbs fresh or dried , a smashed tooth of
garlic.

Scrambled eggs & a salad + nice dinner - Quiche is really inexpensive - come
on it's a egg pie with a bit of cheese. you can make a pie crust for the
price of a little butter/shortening.

Be creative - make it a challenge - keep a notebook - or log where you can
jot down meal ideas when you think of them.

Dimitri

On Aug 6, 9:06*am, Kajikit > wrote:
> 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!)
> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
> keep us adequately proteined.)
> - $30 other groceries
>
> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>

Chicken dark meat is cheaper than chicken breasts, and pork is cheaper
than beef. Just cut beef that comes in a solid chunk out of your
budget. $10 will buy ten pounds of chicken or four pounds of pork.

Have an egg dish for supper once a week -- that is the cheapest source
of protein.

Have red beans and rice another night. Get a smoked hamhock for
flavor.

Stock up on canned tuna fish on sale. One can of tuna fish (back when
it was 6.5 oz) contains your daily protein requirement. Tuna salad
once a week.

Make your own pizza another night -- a little pepperoni goes a long
way. Cheese is expensive so use it sparingly.

Soups are filling.

On Aug 6, 9:24*am, "Catmandy (Sheryl)" > wrote:

> There's a savings. eggs are a wonderful protein source and
> inexpensive, on top of it. Increase veggies, decrease meats and you
> will save money.

Fresh and frozen vegetables cost more per pound than chicken does.

Kajikit wrote:
>
> 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!)
> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
> keep us adequately proteined.)
> - $30 other groceries
>
> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>
> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.

I don't know how grocery prices where you are compare to here, but here
it's very easy to meet that kind of grocery budget and not have to skimp
on anything if you pay attention to your shopping and meal planning.

One thing you need to do is not call frozen vegetables "junk". Frozen
processed dinners typically qualify as "junk", but basic frozen non
processed (beyond blanching) frozen vegetables are definitely not
"junk".

On the meat/fish side of things, $10-$15 will certainly get you a decent
size "family pack" of some sort of meat, or a full side of farmed salmon
more than enough to produce a week of meals for two. The balance of the
$30 will certainly cover the cost of vegetables to round out the meal.
And the $30 for "other groceries" is more than enough to maintain stock
of rice and the like.

Now if you get caught up in the hype and propaganda and insist on only
"fresh", "organic", "wild" and the like then you will indeed starve.

Catmandy (Sheryl) > wrote:

>On Aug 6, 12:06*pm, Kajikit > wrote:

>> My husband asked me if I could get our grocery budget down to $70.

I assume you mean a weekly budget for two people.

>> - $10 cat supplies (we have three cats and that's the bare minimum...

(I tend to agree with others that cats should be separately budgeted.)

>Cut back on portion sizes of meats and you will definitely save money.
>3-4 oz of meat is considered a "portion" by most nutritional
>guidelines. If your husband doesn't eat leftovers, don't make
>leftovers. You'll have to cook fresh every night, Otherwise you are
>wasting food and money. Don't buy sauce in a jar. Start with a can of
>crushed tomatoes and season from there. The can costs about a dollar.
>Onions, meat, herbs, etc would be added to jarred sauce, anyway.
>There's a savings. eggs are a wonderful protein source and
>inexpensive, on top of it. Increase veggies, decrease meats and you
>will save money. Also calories. It's a win win.

Here are some thoughts:

The above is good advice, especially keeping the meat portions small,
however you don't want to go overboard in providing too few calories,
since to a gross first order the main purpose of your grocery spending
is to get enough calories into you.

Two average Americans spend $91 per week on food so your $70 number
is definitely tight, even before you factor in the cats.

Let's say you each want to consume 2000 calories a day. (It could
be less, but if one or both of you is very active physically it
will need to be more.) At $60/week that comes to 0.21 cents per
calorie. You are not going to get your grocery budget to gel
unless there are significant numbers of foods in it that cost
less per calorie than this figure. For example, olive oil (or
any cooking oil) costs a quarter of this, or less. Flour,
pasta, rice come in under this figure as well. But bread, or breakfast
cereal usually costs a little more. You are going to need basic,
caloric yet inexpensive food ingredients to make this work.

You will want vegetables and meat or other protein in there, but
you will have to limit these to not blow out the budget. Tilt
towards fruits/vegetables with a lot of fiber (zucchini, cauliflower,
apples/pears, legumes); then you will need fewer of them total in
your diet. Make modest-sized salads instead of gigantic salads,
and put plenty of olive oil on them.

Steve

Steve Pope wrote:
>
> Catmandy (Sheryl) > wrote:
>
> >On Aug 6, 12:06 pm, Kajikit > wrote:
>
> >> My husband asked me if I could get our grocery budget down to $70.
>
> I assume you mean a weekly budget for two people.
>
> >> - $10 cat supplies (we have three cats and that's the bare minimum...
>
> (I tend to agree with others that cats should be separately budgeted.)
>
> >Cut back on portion sizes of meats and you will definitely save money.
> >3-4 oz of meat is considered a "portion" by most nutritional
> >guidelines. If your husband doesn't eat leftovers, don't make
> >leftovers. You'll have to cook fresh every night, Otherwise you are
> >wasting food and money. Don't buy sauce in a jar. Start with a can of
> >crushed tomatoes and season from there. The can costs about a dollar.
> >Onions, meat, herbs, etc would be added to jarred sauce, anyway.
> >There's a savings. eggs are a wonderful protein source and
> >inexpensive, on top of it. Increase veggies, decrease meats and you
> >will save money. Also calories. It's a win win.
>
> Here are some thoughts:
>
> The above is good advice, especially keeping the meat portions small,
> however you don't want to go overboard in providing too few calories,
> since to a gross first order the main purpose of your grocery spending
> is to get enough calories into you.
>
> Two average Americans spend $91 per week on food so your $70 number
> is definitely tight, even before you factor in the cats.
>
> Let's say you each want to consume 2000 calories a day. (It could
> be less, but if one or both of you is very active physically it
> will need to be more.) At $60/week that comes to 0.21 cents per
> calorie. You are not going to get your grocery budget to gel
> unless there are significant numbers of foods in it that cost
> less per calorie than this figure. For example, olive oil (or
> any cooking oil) costs a quarter of this, or less. Flour,
> pasta, rice come in under this figure as well. But bread, or breakfast
> cereal usually costs a little more. You are going to need basic,
> caloric yet inexpensive food ingredients to make this work.
>
> You will want vegetables and meat or other protein in there, but
> you will have to limit these to not blow out the budget. Tilt
> towards fruits/vegetables with a lot of fiber (zucchini, cauliflower,
> apples/pears, legumes); then you will need fewer of them total in
> your diet. Make modest-sized salads instead of gigantic salads,
> and put plenty of olive oil on them.
>
> Steve

The idea that vegetables are less expensive than meat/fish is pretty
much urban legend. When you compare the cost per serving of either and
presuming you buy what's best priced, not grass fed fillet or organic
asparagus, the cost per serving is about the same. The point about the
4oz meat portion is indeed correct, that 24oz steak does not constitute
one portion.

Pete C. > wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>> Let's say you each want to consume 2000 calories a day. (It could
>> be less, but if one or both of you is very active physically it
>> will need to be more.) At $60/week that comes to 0.21 cents per
>> calorie. You are not going to get your grocery budget to gel
>> unless there are significant numbers of foods in it that cost
>> less per calorie than this figure. For example, olive oil (or
>> any cooking oil) costs a quarter of this, or less. Flour,
>> pasta, rice come in under this figure as well. But bread, or breakfast
>> cereal usually costs a little more. You are going to need basic,
>> caloric yet inexpensive food ingredients to make this work.

>> You will want vegetables and meat or other protein in there, but
>> you will have to limit these to not blow out the budget. Tilt
>> towards fruits/vegetables with a lot of fiber (zucchini, cauliflower,
>> apples/pears, legumes); then you will need fewer of them total in
>> your diet. Make modest-sized salads instead of gigantic salads,
>> and put plenty of olive oil on them.

>The idea that vegetables are less expensive than meat/fish is pretty
>much urban legend. When you compare the cost per serving of either and
>presuming you buy what's best priced, not grass fed fillet or organic
>asparagus, the cost per serving is about the same.

Maybe the "cost per serving", but "serving" is ill-defined. Whereas
"cost per calorie" is well-defined. It is not urban legend that
vegetables cost more per calorie than cooking oil, grains, or
minimally-processed grain products.

Not that calories are the end-all of nutrition, but they are
the most important single number.

>The point about the
>4oz meat portion is indeed correct, that 24oz steak does not constitute
>one portion.

Traditional portion sizes may or may not make sense in constructing
a food budget. It is more logical to look at nutrients, starting
with macronutrients.


Steve

In article . com>,
"Pete C." > wrote:

> One thing you need to do is not call frozen vegetables "junk". Frozen
> processed dinners typically qualify as "junk", but basic frozen non
> processed (beyond blanching) frozen vegetables are definitely not
> "junk".

Indeed. Frozen vegetables often have a better nutritional profile than
fresh vegetables, because they are frozen so soon after picking.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

On Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:30:09 -0500, "Pete C." >
wrote:

>
>Kajikit wrote:
>>
>> 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!)
>>
>> Am I being grossly unrealistic here?

Yes, that and an asshole. Two adults and three can't can't get by on
$70/wk... and I love how folks use that term "groceries"... how they
scoot around saying FOOD! Yoose probably spend $20 a week just on
deodorant.

A very realistic cost for three cats for a week is $30... that's $10
each per week. less than $2/day. $20 a week is really cheapo but if
you clip coupons and buy in bulk it can be done. Three cats really
need two litter pans. $10 means you buy the crapiest litter and don't
change it until it's pe-utrified, and you're buying the cheapest
trashiest no-name cat food... your vet bills will come around and kick
you in the ass for ten times what you think you saved. Instead of
taking out your inadequacy on your cats go out and get a freakin' J O
B, quit smoking, boozing, drugging, and gambling... maybe you need to
give up your internet connection and dump your no account cheapskate
of a husband instead of abusing your pets.

On Fri, 6 Aug 2010 09:38:54 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

>On Aug 6, 9:06*am, Kajikit > wrote:
>> 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!)
>> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
>> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
>> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
>> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
>> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
>> keep us adequately proteined.)
>> - $30 other groceries
>>
>> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
>> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
>> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
>> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
>> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>>
>
>Chicken dark meat is cheaper than chicken breasts, and pork is cheaper
>than beef. Just cut beef that comes in a solid chunk out of your
>budget. $10 will buy ten pounds of chicken or four pounds of pork.
>
>Have an egg dish for supper once a week -- that is the cheapest source
>of protein.
>
>Have red beans and rice another night. Get a smoked hamhock for
>flavor.
>
>Stock up on canned tuna fish on sale. One can of tuna fish (back when
>it was 6.5 oz) contains your daily protein requirement. Tuna salad
>once a week.
>
>Make your own pizza another night -- a little pepperoni goes a long
>way. Cheese is expensive so use it sparingly.
>
>Soups are filling.

We do all of those things except the beans-and-rice already... I buy
beef (other than ground) a couple of times a year. All 'luxury' meats
disappeared from our budget the last time we tightened our belts. DH
used to buy fast food three or four times a week but now he waits to
eat until he gets home. We're already pretty economical. But now we
need to get as penny-pinching as we possibly can.

On Aug 6, 11:32*am, Chemo the Clown > wrote:
> On Aug 6, 9:06*am, Kajikit > wrote:
>
> > 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!)
>
> $10/week for cat supplies? Buy a 20lb bag of dry food (good quality)
> for around $20 and that should last a month. If you're buying cat
> litter...train them to go outside.

Not all cats are outside cats, and training or no training, many
neighborhoods don't appreciate ourdoor cats. Leashes on cats are not
practical. Get serious.

N.

On 8/6/2010 2:33 PM, brooklyn1 wrote:
> A very realistic cost for three cats for a week is $30... that's $10
> each per week. less than $2/day.


$10 per cat is probably more money than Sheldon ever spent on a woman.

When all you have is cats, you might as well spoil them.

Louie

>
> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>

Is that budget what you spend at the supermarket, or is it all on
food? I buy my non-food items at KMart or WalMart because it's way
cheaper than at the supermarket. For instance, the cat litter and cat
food shouldn't be on your list to buy at the supermarket - you should
get it at a discount or big-box store.

Maybe when produce is in season, you can buy bulk at farmers' markets
and can or freeze for the times it isn't in season.

N.

Kajikit wrote:

> That was a pound of meat for four plates. That's four ounces a serve,
> which is pretty much on target for the amount of protein you need. I
> had half the leftovers for lunch and saved the other half for DH when
> he gets home (if he's not home soon it'll be his dinner!)

Just curious, is there an Angel Food Ministries location near you?
I understand the boxes contain a decent amount of meat, along with
other things like vegetables, etc. Just a thought.

nancy

On Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:33:05 -0400, brooklyn1
> wrote:

>On Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:30:09 -0500, "Pete C." >
>wrote:
>
>>
>>Kajikit wrote:
>>>
>>> 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!)
>>>
>>> Am I being grossly unrealistic here?
>
>Yes, that and an asshole. Two adults and three can't can't get by on
>$70/wk... and I love how folks use that term "groceries"... how they
>scoot around saying FOOD! Yoose probably spend $20 a week just on
>deodorant.
>
>A very realistic cost for three cats for a week is $30... that's $10
>each per week. less than $2/day. $20 a week is really cheapo but if
>you clip coupons and buy in bulk it can be done. Three cats really
>need two litter pans. $10 means you buy the crapiest litter and don't
>change it until it's pe-utrified, and you're buying the cheapest
>trashiest no-name cat food... your vet bills will come around and kick
>you in the ass for ten times what you think you saved. Instead of
>taking out your inadequacy on your cats go out and get a freakin' J O
>B, quit smoking, boozing, drugging, and gambling... maybe you need to
>give up your internet connection and dump your no account cheapskate
>of a husband instead of abusing your pets.

I know the 'rule' is one litter box per cat, but we have BIG cats -
give them a standard-sized litterbox and you're going to be cleaning
the floor every day because only their front half fits into it. They
have an under-the-bed storage box for their litterbox and they've
never had any problem sharing it. It takes one bag of Publix pine
kitty litter to fill it and it's changed every weekend.

One week's cat supplies:
- 1 bag Publix natural pine litter $3 (exactly the same as Feline Pine
but half the price)
- 1 bag Publix store-brand kibble $2.50
- 7 cans Fancy Feast 50c can
= $10

They have free access to their kibble 24/7, and they share a can of
Fancy Feast for a dinnertime treat. They like Fancy Feast better than
the more expensive stuff they used to get from the pet store! Plus
they cadge yoghurt, chicken, and milk from us whenever they see us
eating it. I'd hardly call that 'starved' or neglected!

In article >,
Kajikit > wrote:

> One week's cat supplies:
> - 1 bag Publix natural pine litter $3 (exactly the same as Feline Pine
> but half the price)
> - 1 bag Publix store-brand kibble $2.50
> - 7 cans Fancy Feast 50c can
> = $10
>
> They have free access to their kibble 24/7, and they share a can of
> Fancy Feast for a dinnertime treat. They like Fancy Feast better than
> the more expensive stuff they used to get from the pet store! Plus
> they cadge yoghurt, chicken, and milk from us whenever they see us
> eating it. I'd hardly call that 'starved' or neglected!

Fancy Feast is candy bars for cats. Personally I'd leave it out until
the budget eases up.

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

On Aug 6, 12:06*pm, Kajikit > wrote:
> 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!)
> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
> keep us adequately proteined.)
> - $30 other groceries
>
> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>
> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.

Beans are your friend.
Consider dry milk for use in certain things.
Cut all junk like chips, soda, etc.

Are you including litter in that cat figure?

"Nancy2" > wrote in message
...
> On Aug 6, 11:32 am, Chemo the Clown > wrote:
>> On Aug 6, 9:06 am, Kajikit > wrote:
>>
>> > 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!)
>>
>> $10/week for cat supplies? Buy a 20lb bag of dry food (good quality)
>> for around $20 and that should last a month. If you're buying cat
>> litter...train them to go outside.
>
> Not all cats are outside cats, and training or no training, many
> neighborhoods don't appreciate ourdoor cats. Leashes on cats are not
> practical. Get serious.


To Clown: Plus, cats do much better on wet food than dry, thus leading to
fewer vet bills over the long run.

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
news:eNZ6o.30756$Pi3.6750@hurricane...
> Kajikit wrote:
>
>> That was a pound of meat for four plates. That's four ounces a serve,
>> which is pretty much on target for the amount of protein you need. I
>> had half the leftovers for lunch and saved the other half for DH when
>> he gets home (if he's not home soon it'll be his dinner!)
>
> Just curious, is there an Angel Food Ministries location near you?
> I understand the boxes contain a decent amount of meat, along with
> other things like vegetables, etc. Just a thought.
> nancy


Thanks for mentioning it, Nancy! https://www.angelfoodministries.com/
Enter your zip code to find out if there is a host site near you.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...

> Thanks for mentioning it, Nancy! https://www.angelfoodministries.com/
> Enter your zip code to find out if there is a host site near you.

I think for the most part you can live on that food for a week for $30,
leaving the other $40 for the cats and other things like cereal (not
included in AFM box), maybe some additional foods with fiber to satisfy the
appetite. There does seem to be plenty of meat for 2 people but maybe not
enough for the whole week if John is a carnivore. There certainly is plenty
of veggies and fruits. Maybe just buy 2 boxes and leave the other 10 for
the cats.

On Sat, 07 Aug 2010 08:41:07 +1200, Miche > wrote:

>In article >,
> Kajikit > wrote:
>
>> One week's cat supplies:
>> - 1 bag Publix natural pine litter $3 (exactly the same as Feline Pine
>> but half the price)
>> - 1 bag Publix store-brand kibble $2.50
>> - 7 cans Fancy Feast 50c can
>> = $10
>>
>> They have free access to their kibble 24/7, and they share a can of
>> Fancy Feast for a dinnertime treat. They like Fancy Feast better than
>> the more expensive stuff they used to get from the pet store! Plus
>> they cadge yoghurt, chicken, and milk from us whenever they see us
>> eating it. I'd hardly call that 'starved' or neglected!
>
>Fancy Feast is candy bars for cats. Personally I'd leave it out until
>the budget eases up.
>
>Miche

They get 1/3 of a can each. That's about 1 tbs. It's not going to
break the budget, or spoil them. It's just enough to make them feel
like they're getting their special treat.

On Aug 6, 9:06*am, Kajikit > wrote:
> 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!)
> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
> keep us adequately proteined.)
> - $30 other groceries
>
> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>
> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.

It's definitely doable. Think about chicken. You can easily get a
whole chicken for $5 (I do it all the time in the overpriced SF Bay
Area). A quarter of a chicken is a hefty serving for one so each
chicken you can count on as two dinners. If you buy two chickens,
you've spent your $10. You can cut each into quarters to make four
dinners for both of you. You can reserve the necks, backs, wing tips,
and fat, and boil it up into chicken soup with some of the vegetables
that you bought. Probably two more nights dinner. So make one
meatless dinner and you've got the week covered.

If you're really short on money, each chicken can be four nights
dinner for the two of you - just eat one piece of chicken each. But
have lots of vegetables with it.

And you can give the giblets to the kitties for their treat.

Don't serve the leftovers as such if your husband objects (although,
asking you to pinch pennies like this and then "not eating
leftovers"?). Turn your cooked chicken into a casserole or a chicken
salad or a quiche.

Susan B.

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

On Fri, 6 Aug 2010 16:25:25 -0700 (PDT), sueb >
wrote:

>On Aug 6, 9:06*am, Kajikit > wrote:
>> 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!)
>> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
>> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
>> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
>> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
>> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
>> keep us adequately proteined.)
>> - $30 other groceries
>>
>> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
>> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
>> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
>> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
>> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>>
>> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
>> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
>> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
>> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
>> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.
>
>It's definitely doable. Think about chicken. You can easily get a
>whole chicken for $5 (I do it all the time in the overpriced SF Bay
>Area). A quarter of a chicken is a hefty serving for one so each
>chicken you can count on as two dinners. If you buy two chickens,
>you've spent your $10. You can cut each into quarters to make four
>dinners for both of you. You can reserve the necks, backs, wing tips,
>and fat, and boil it up into chicken soup with some of the vegetables
>that you bought. Probably two more nights dinner. So make one
>meatless dinner and you've got the week covered.
>
>If you're really short on money, each chicken can be four nights
>dinner for the two of you - just eat one piece of chicken each. But
>have lots of vegetables with it.
>
>And you can give the giblets to the kitties for their treat.
>
>Don't serve the leftovers as such if your husband objects (although,
>asking you to pinch pennies like this and then "not eating
>leftovers"?). Turn your cooked chicken into a casserole or a chicken
>salad or a quiche.
>
>Susan B.

I don't understand how a normal woman can stay with some cheap creep
who wants her and her pets to go on starvation mode while he, the lord
of the manor, refuses left overs. I'd feed the stingy ******* the
FRESH cleanings from cat litter pan. It's only three cats, they give
far more pleasure than the few dollars it costs to care for them, it's
not like the cost of caring for a stable filled with horses... I'd
kick that worthless ****er to the curb... Kajikit should be ASHAMED to
be posting about her miserable life. Here we go again... this reminds
me of kili and that good for nothing fatman dumb**** who murdered his
wife.

zxcvbob wrote:

>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)

Very true... the Stewarts Shoppes gas station convenience stores here
are the best place to buy dairy products and limited veggies, fresher
and less expensive... in fact I buy my deer bread there... two pound
pullman loaves for 99¢... cheap white bread but the deer and geese
love it.

"brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 6 Aug 2010 16:25:25 -0700 (PDT), sueb >
> wrote:
>
>>On Aug 6, 9:06 am, Kajikit > wrote:
>>> 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!)
>>> - $20 fresh fruit and vegetables (we really need to eat more of
>>> these... a lot of weeks we never even make it to the farmer's market
>>> and that money is spent on processed/frozen junk instead!)
>>> - $10 meat (? I try to buy the cheapest meat I can and we eat a ton of
>>> chicken breast... but I don't really know how cheap I can go and still
>>> keep us adequately proteined.)
>>> - $30 other groceries
>>>
>>> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
>>> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
>>> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
>>> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
>>> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>>>
>>> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
>>> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
>>> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
>>> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
>>> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.
>>
>>It's definitely doable. Think about chicken. You can easily get a
>>whole chicken for $5 (I do it all the time in the overpriced SF Bay
>>Area). A quarter of a chicken is a hefty serving for one so each
>>chicken you can count on as two dinners. If you buy two chickens,
>>you've spent your $10. You can cut each into quarters to make four
>>dinners for both of you. You can reserve the necks, backs, wing tips,
>>and fat, and boil it up into chicken soup with some of the vegetables
>>that you bought. Probably two more nights dinner. So make one
>>meatless dinner and you've got the week covered.
>>
>>If you're really short on money, each chicken can be four nights
>>dinner for the two of you - just eat one piece of chicken each. But
>>have lots of vegetables with it.
>>
>>And you can give the giblets to the kitties for their treat.
>>
>>Don't serve the leftovers as such if your husband objects (although,
>>asking you to pinch pennies like this and then "not eating
>>leftovers"?). Turn your cooked chicken into a casserole or a chicken
>>salad or a quiche.
>>
>>Susan B.
>
> I don't understand how a normal woman can stay with some cheap creep
> who wants her and her pets to go on starvation mode while he, the lord
> of the manor, refuses left overs. I'd feed the stingy ******* the
> FRESH cleanings from cat litter pan. It's only three cats, they give
> far more pleasure than the few dollars it costs to care for them, it's
> not like the cost of caring for a stable filled with horses... I'd
> kick that worthless ****er to the curb... Kajikit should be ASHAMED to
> be posting about her miserable life. Here we go again... this reminds
> me of kili and that good for nothing fatman dumb**** who murdered his
> wife.

Do tell!

On Aug 6, 10:32*am, Chemo the Clown > wrote:
> On Aug 6, 9:06*am, Kajikit > wrote:
>
> > 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!)
>
> $10/week for cat supplies? Buy a 20lb bag of dry food (good quality)
> for around $20 and that should last a month. If you're buying cat
> litter...train them to go outside.

==
If the husband is cutting the household budget it usually means that
he is having an extramarital affair, or is on drugs or is saving money
for a Ferrari so that he can afford an extramarital affair or he is
just a cheapskate.

On Aug 6, 8:06*am, Kajikit > wrote:

>
> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>
> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.

If you find the cheapest little store around and shop the sale items,
you can eat very well, very cheaply. I shop at a local, little chain,
(eight stores total) and the food is good quality and about two-thirds
the price of big chains. I am one of the few people in there not
using food stamps (Okay, EBT), but the food's good. They buy direct
from local farmers, even harvesting some things themselves just to
save costs.

Here are the meat items on sale for the week: Pork steak 99cents/lb,
Boneless skinless chicken breast $1.69, T-bone $4.89, Country style
pork ribs, $1.29, Foster Farms chicken thighs or legs 99cents/lb.,
Chicken nuggets $1.99/lb (Great, twice the price for breading.)
Boneless BBQ steak $2.49. Bar S Kielbasa, Hot or Smoked Sausage $2.99/
three pounds and probably not worth it at that price. I'm guessing
the second ingredient is water.

Except for the T-bone, that's a lot of protein for not much money.
The market has an old fashioned meat case. So if you know how to pick
a good steak, the BBQ steaks can be very good. And if you don't like
the ones you can see, you ask the butcher to show you the next tray
down. So six ounces will be about 90 cents. The pork ribs have fat
and a bone. But at 50% meat, that's still only about $2/lb.

Skip the middle two pages of the ad which are mostly processed junk.
The back page is the veggies: Tomatoes .68/lb, Cantaloupe .25/lb,
Celery .48/bunch, Nectarines, .68/lb, Leaf lettuce .57/head, Red &
Green Seedless Grapes .98/lb, Cauliflower .98/each, Green Bell
peppers .78/lb.

Okay, Tomatoes, celery, cauliflower, and bell pepper. I feel a stir
fry coming on. Those veggies, and maybe broccoli at $1.00 for three
stalks together, fresh ginger, garlic, onion, some mint from the
garden, some seasonings, with the pork steaks cut into pieces, some
rice, and there's your dinner almost all on sale.

It's summer. BBQ steak, corn 3 or 4/$1.00, and steamed cauliflower
with grated cheese. And with some of the left over money, you grill
the bell peppers and serve those on the steaks.

Fruit salad for dessert.

Eggs are $1.19 - 1.49 per dozen depending on the week (even down to 99
cents). Time for an omelet.

I look at the weekly flier before I go into the store, and I get those
items, and more. Last week, I got pineapples $1.49 each. By the
pound, that's cheap, good fruit.

Of course, YMMV, and it certainly doesn't look like you're going crazy
with your sample menu. But that's how I do it. I don't go to the
store knowing what's for dinner. I go and see what's cheap and good
quality, and that's what's for dinner.

Ken

*But that's how I do it. *I don't go to the
> store knowing what's for dinner. *I go and see what's cheap and good
> quality, and that's what's for dinner.
>
> Ken

Exactly.

And if your husband doesn't like leftovers, it may be because you are
serving then as LEFTOVERS. If you think of them as the start of a new
dish, and don't serve them in the same form, he may like the new dish
you present.

A lot of folks fall into this trap. Leftovers represent the same meal
recycled. I learned to treat leftovers as a new ingredient to make a
new totally different dish with. Like the chicken I got last week.
Part of it was as a fresh roasted chicken. The rest of it is cooked
chicken, which can be used in countless things, all totally unrelated
to a freshly roasted chicken. Broth, soup, hash, salad, and countless
other things. Same with anything you cook. Don't treat it as the
same dish, but as the starting point for another dish. Roast pork can
become something else. Same with roast beef. That spaghetti sauce you
made, could be made into lasagna.

See what is good at the market, without having a preconceived menu.
Devise your menu from what you see at the market, with the idea that
some things will be extended into other dishes. Make them
stretch..you can do it without much pain at all. That's what a good
cook does. You husband and anyone else doesn't even have to have a
clue that you are making something from a leftover: to them it is a
brand new dish.

And shop seasonally. Don't buy asparagus in December. The only place
it is in seaon then, is the southern hemisphere, and even then, not
really. You will pay out the wazoo then. Find a seasonality chart
and go by it. The stuff you buy seasonally will be cheaper, and
better quality. And abundant. Now in the northern hemisphere it is
high summer so summer veggies are abundant and fresh and cheap. Cook
with those, let the other stuff go.. Treat it as the treat that it
is, not to be seen again til next year.

Again, give us an idea of what stores you are using to shop. You
might be in an area where there are discount stores, which can really
help. Same with ethnic markets. Shop those when you can. And you
might want to look at how you shop and what you buy. Not every meal
needs to have a huge amount of protein- you can make your choices go a
long way, if you consider how you want to cook them.

And branch out with your cooking. The rest of the world uses much
less meat than we do, and they do just fine. In fact, studies are
showing we need much less protein than is commonly thought that we
do. And not all good quality protein is animal protein: thousands
upon thousands of folks live on vegetarian sources and do great with
is. If you can make the switch just one day of the week, that can
help immensely.

However, all this is moot, if you are unwilling to make any changes.

Christine

"Cheryl" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>> Thanks for mentioning it, Nancy! https://www.angelfoodministries.com/
>> Enter your zip code to find out if there is a host site near you.
>
> I think for the most part you can live on that food for a week for $30,
> leaving the other $40 for the cats and other things like cereal (not
> included in AFM box), maybe some additional foods with fiber to satisfy
> the appetite. There does seem to be plenty of meat for 2 people but maybe
> not enough for the whole week if John is a carnivore. There certainly is
> plenty > of veggies and fruits. Maybe just buy 2 boxes and leave the
> other 10 for the cats.

But doesn't something have to give? Carnivore shmarnivore... does he have
to have meat at every meal or does he have to cut spending to $70 per week?

Giusi wrote:

> But doesn't something have to give? Carnivore shmarnivore... does he have
> to have meat at every meal or does he have to cut spending to $70 per
> week?

Remember, this is the guy who wanted roast beef for Christmas as a change of
pace from steak.

Bob

Giusi > wrote:

>But doesn't something have to give? Carnivore shmarnivore... does he have
>to have meat at every meal or does he have to cut spending to $70 per week?

This is where you start shooting squirrels.

May not be legal everywhere.

Steve

"brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:30:09 -0500, "Pete C." >
> wrote:
>
>>
>>Kajikit wrote:
>>>
>>> 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!)
>>>
>>> Am I being grossly unrealistic here?
>
> Yes, that and an asshole. Two adults and three can't can't get by on
> $70/wk... and I love how folks use that term "groceries"... how they
> scoot around saying FOOD! Yoose probably spend $20 a week just on
> deodorant.
>
> A very realistic cost for three cats for a week is $30... that's $10
> each per week. less than $2/day.
>
(much abusive accusations snipped)

What about cats that have to eat prescription food? Eating cheap cat food
is what landed my cat in the hospital in the first place back in 2004, with
crystalline oxolate formations in her bladder. Taking her to the vet cost
more than saving money on cheap cat food. I just bought some of her R/x
food on Thursday. A 10 lb. bag cost me $31. So if you count that as part
of your food budget... well, there goes the store! Kitty litter doesn't
have to be expensive, but the cats have to like it. I don't factor cat
stuff into my food budget. It's a whole nuther thing

I don't budget by the week for anything other than fresh vegetables I look
at the sales flyers and shop when things are on sale. I really only shop
once a month. I spend about $80 (for the entire month). Having a freezer
helps. What I get could easily feed two people. Of course, I do eat things
like rice and beans, lentils, pasta and so on. Doesn't have to have meat,
but I'm a carnivore too. I don't balk at leftovers. In fact, I look at
leftovers as a way to not have to cook every day If you like your own
cooking, what's wrong with leftovers?

Jill

On 8/7/2010 3:44 AM, Steve Pope wrote:
>> But doesn't something have to give? Carnivore shmarnivore... does he have
>> >to have meat at every meal or does he have to cut spending to $70 per week?

> This is where you start shooting squirrels.
>
> May not be legal everywhere.
>

Pigeons. Taste like chicken.

Louie

On Fri, 6 Aug 2010 21:09:52 -0700 (PDT), Ken
> wrote:

>On Aug 6, 8:06*am, Kajikit > wrote:
>
>>
>> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
>> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
>> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
>> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
>> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>>
>> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
>> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
>> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
>> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
>> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.
>
>If you find the cheapest little store around and shop the sale items,
>you can eat very well, very cheaply. I shop at a local, little chain,
>(eight stores total) and the food is good quality and about two-thirds
>the price of big chains. I am one of the few people in there not
>using food stamps (Okay, EBT), but the food's good. They buy direct
>from local farmers, even harvesting some things themselves just to
>save costs.
>
>Here are the meat items on sale for the week: Pork steak 99cents/lb,
>Boneless skinless chicken breast $1.69, T-bone $4.89, Country style
>pork ribs, $1.29, Foster Farms chicken thighs or legs 99cents/lb.,
>Chicken nuggets $1.99/lb (Great, twice the price for breading.)
>Boneless BBQ steak $2.49. Bar S Kielbasa, Hot or Smoked Sausage $2.99/
>three pounds and probably not worth it at that price. I'm guessing
>the second ingredient is water.
>
>Except for the T-bone, that's a lot of protein for not much money.
>The market has an old fashioned meat case. So if you know how to pick
>a good steak, the BBQ steaks can be very good. And if you don't like
>the ones you can see, you ask the butcher to show you the next tray
>down. So six ounces will be about 90 cents. The pork ribs have fat
>and a bone. But at 50% meat, that's still only about $2/lb.
>
>Skip the middle two pages of the ad which are mostly processed junk.
>The back page is the veggies: Tomatoes .68/lb, Cantaloupe .25/lb,
>Celery .48/bunch, Nectarines, .68/lb, Leaf lettuce .57/head, Red &
>Green Seedless Grapes .98/lb, Cauliflower .98/each, Green Bell
>peppers .78/lb.

>Eggs are $1.19 - 1.49 per dozen depending on the week (even down to 99
>cents). Time for an omelet.
>
>I look at the weekly flier before I go into the store, and I get those
>items, and more. Last week, I got pineapples $1.49 each. By the
>pound, that's cheap, good fruit.
>
>Of course, YMMV, and it certainly doesn't look like you're going crazy
>with your sample menu. But that's how I do it. I don't go to the
>store knowing what's for dinner. I go and see what's cheap and good
>quality, and that's what's for dinner.

Wow, I wish I had access to those prices! The best meat bargain in our
Albertsons flier this week is whole chickens for 69c/lb (limit three).
Needless to say, I know what meat I'll be buying today! I usually
stick them in the roaster and cook them up all together, then I shred
the meat and freeze it in meal-sized portions. The bones and wings go
straight into the crockpot to make broth.

I found a new dish to use my cooked chicken and broth for this week -
I baked up some nice biscuits and I made chicken gravy to pour over
the top of them... it tasted just like pot pie without all the extra
work, and thanks to my bargain chicken and homemade broth the price
tag came in well under $5. John loved it too, so we'll definitely be
having it again.

I always check the fliers before I shop. For awhile we were getting
Publix AND Albertsons fliers and that was great, but Publix quit
mailing them out. Shame, because it made the shopping much more
efficient to know what I was going to get before I went there. I go to
Publix and buy my cat supplies and yoghurt and bacon, plus anything
else that's on sale but I never EVER buy meat there. It costs three
times as much as Albertsons.

"Kajikit" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 6 Aug 2010 21:09:52 -0700 (PDT), Ken
> > wrote:
>
>>On Aug 6, 8:06 am, Kajikit > wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Am I being grossly unrealistic here? Or is this doable? Last week the
>>> only groceries I bought were bread, milk, eggs and cat stuff and it
>>> cost $40. I've warned DH that if he really wants us to do this he's
>>> going to have to start eating stuff that he doesn't really like, like
>>> a lot more beans and rice, and leftovers!
>>>
>>> Last night we had basic spaghetti - wholewheat spaghetti $1.50 ($1
>>> worth); 1 Italian sausage $2/lb (50c); 3/4lb nice lean ground beef
>>> $2/50lb ($2), and a jar of barilla sauce $2 Also a cup of frozen mixed
>>> vegetables for me $1.50/bag so say 50c. There's enough left over for
>>> lunch today, so that's a $5 dinner.
>>
>>If you find the cheapest little store around and shop the sale items,
>>you can eat very well, very cheaply. I shop at a local, little chain,
>>(eight stores total) and the food is good quality and about two-thirds
>>the price of big chains. I am one of the few people in there not
>>using food stamps (Okay, EBT), but the food's good. They buy direct
>>from local farmers, even harvesting some things themselves just to
>>save costs.
>>
>>Here are the meat items on sale for the week: Pork steak 99cents/lb,
>>Boneless skinless chicken breast $1.69, T-bone $4.89, Country style
>>pork ribs, $1.29, Foster Farms chicken thighs or legs 99cents/lb.,
>>Chicken nuggets $1.99/lb (Great, twice the price for breading.)
>>Boneless BBQ steak $2.49. Bar S Kielbasa, Hot or Smoked Sausage $2.99/
>>three pounds and probably not worth it at that price. I'm guessing
>>the second ingredient is water.
>>
>>Except for the T-bone, that's a lot of protein for not much money.
>>The market has an old fashioned meat case. So if you know how to pick
>>a good steak, the BBQ steaks can be very good. And if you don't like
>>the ones you can see, you ask the butcher to show you the next tray
>>down. So six ounces will be about 90 cents. The pork ribs have fat
>>and a bone. But at 50% meat, that's still only about $2/lb.
>>
>>Skip the middle two pages of the ad which are mostly processed junk.
>>The back page is the veggies: Tomatoes .68/lb, Cantaloupe .25/lb,
>>Celery .48/bunch, Nectarines, .68/lb, Leaf lettuce .57/head, Red &
>>Green Seedless Grapes .98/lb, Cauliflower .98/each, Green Bell
>>peppers .78/lb.
>
>>Eggs are $1.19 - 1.49 per dozen depending on the week (even down to 99
>>cents). Time for an omelet.
>>
>>I look at the weekly flier before I go into the store, and I get those
>>items, and more. Last week, I got pineapples $1.49 each. By the
>>pound, that's cheap, good fruit.
>>
>>Of course, YMMV, and it certainly doesn't look like you're going crazy
>>with your sample menu. But that's how I do it. I don't go to the
>>store knowing what's for dinner. I go and see what's cheap and good
>>quality, and that's what's for dinner.
>
> Wow, I wish I had access to those prices! The best meat bargain in our
> Albertsons flier this week is whole chickens for 69c/lb (limit three).
> Needless to say, I know what meat I'll be buying today! I usually
> stick them in the roaster and cook them up all together, then I shred
> the meat and freeze it in meal-sized portions. The bones and wings go
> straight into the crockpot to make broth.
>
> I found a new dish to use my cooked chicken and broth for this week -
> I baked up some nice biscuits and I made chicken gravy to pour over
> the top of them... it tasted just like pot pie without all the extra
> work, and thanks to my bargain chicken and homemade broth the price
> tag came in well under $5. John loved it too, so we'll definitely be
> having it again.
>
> I always check the fliers before I shop. For awhile we were getting
> Publix AND Albertsons fliers and that was great, but Publix quit
> mailing them out. Shame, because it made the shopping much more
> efficient to know what I was going to get before I went there. I go to
> Publix and buy my cat supplies and yoghurt and bacon, plus anything
> else that's on sale but I never EVER buy meat there. It costs three
> times as much as Albertsons.

>
I don't get the fliers in the mail anymore, either. But most grocery store
fliers are available online. I check out what's on sale, then if coupons
for anything (usually not) grab the flier when I walk into the store. They
always have the fliers at the front of Publix. I picked up some nice pork
"country ribs" (yes, people, I know they aren't actually "ribs") for
$2.29/lb. That's cheaper per pound than most packages of chicken breasts.
And the package is enough to feed four people three times over. Had I not
looked at the sales flier online first it wouldn't have occurred to me to
look for them.

Jill