Cheap Store Food

[wallus]

At the start of each month I purchase a $100 gift card at my local grocery store. This is my food budget for the month and I have never exceeded it. I usually have a surplus at the end of the month and I use that to buy a few snacks or stock up on sale items. I have really kept my spending in check since I started this system a year ago. I use to spend somewhere between $150 and $175 on food each month because ... well, I had to eat, right? Now, I'm more selective about the food I eat and buy and my diet is pretty decent for a guy my age. For the record, I still buy one fast food meal each week and go out for pizza on Thursday nights with some friends. Those meals aren't part of my budget, but I look forward to them every week!

That is a great idea. I can not believe I spend 3x as much as some of you by myself. I know my problem is that I eat out way too much.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Eating cheap and eating healthy are nearly mutually exclusive. Anything at all that comes in a box or a can is just loaded down with sodium, even the 'low sodium alternative!'(s)

 

Asians have it figured out. We tend to eat a lot of Korean stuff that m'lady spins in a Japanese way because we have a fantastic Korean market but crap for Japanese around here. Since she does most of the meal planning, we maybe spend $150 a month for the two of us, but we still eat very healthy (just too much in my case). We eat a ton of rice/rice noodles, nappa cabbage, and other cheap vegetable filler. There's enough meat, but it's all $2.99/lb sliced ribeye or lean pork belly that's almost constantly on sale where we shop. It's all about cheap, healthy herbs and seasonings that make dull vegetables taste good without butter and fat.

 

I eat ramen as much as 3/4 nights a week, but it's the relatively healthy non-fried Korean variety (1g fat, 220 cal) that I put an egg, pressed garlic clove, cilantro, hoisin sauce, and sriracha in. Total cost is about $1.20, but you really don't even think of it as eating ramen noodles.

The only problem with ramen is the ridiculous amount of salt in it, as is the problem with most pre-packaged food.

 

I will admit I do buy Ramen noodles for at work, but I use only about 1/3rd of the seasoning package, and take frozen veggies and some diced chicken breast to add in.

 

For me right now, 'eating healthy' is cutting sodium. The average diet should in all reality have less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day, but if you eat 3 pre-packaged meals from a grocery store, you're well over 2,500 mg, so the FDA raised what was 'acceptable' for sodium intake some years ago.

 

One can of Chef Boyardee is over 1,700 mg of sodium. 3 slices of most frozen pizza is well over 1,200. Like I said in a previous post, even the 'reduced sodium' canned soups are still about 650 mg of sodium per serving and they call one small can 2 servings. A slice of processed cheese is 250 mg of sodium. Even eating at home, if you make one burger on a bun with catsup and mustard and a slice of cheese, you're pushing 750-800 mg of salt.

 

It's hard to even find bread that's less than 180 mg of sodium per slice. We stay completely away from canned vegetables, any kind of pre-packaged meals, and I don't add salt to anything except meat on the grill and eggs.

 

I know it sounds like I'm harping on salt, to the exclusion of all else, but I have high blood pressure, and it's a constant struggle to eat HEALTHY food that's also low in sodium.

 

And I still really struggle to meet my personal goal of 1,400 mg of sodium a day.

[valpocrewsader]

I'm also in the single-guy-spends-under-$100-per-month club. Popular cheap meal choices for me include noodles w/ spaghetti sauce, mac n cheese, hot dogs, pot pies, PB & J, On-Cor frozen dinners, grilled cheese, ramen, hot pockets, Jack's pizza, oatmeal, eggs. I don't buy ANYTHING unless it's on sale with the store card. I basically just walk around the store hitting certain hot spots and let the sale tags dictate what I'll be eating that week. I can fill up a basket with goodies and usually check out for about $22-$25. (Usually with about $8-$10 in savings from the store card.) Also, I never buy soda or juice -- just tap water and milk for me, sometimes kool-aid which is super cheap.

[brewers19]

Spaghetti is definitely a good one. A box of that is barely more than a buck and one can easily make it last for four meals. Pick up a giant thing of sauce, make batch of chicken or sausage bits and freeze them, and you've got something that can go a long way for very little.

 

Meatloaf is not bad either. Maybe $10 for the ingredients and you've got four to five helpings of a hearty entree.

 

Cereal is a money sink as far as I'm concerned and only let myself have it as a occasional treat. Unless one has the self control to follow the paltry recommended serving sizes (usually 1 cup), a box rarely lasts more than three or four days. This is a product where nutritional value and cost are almost always inversely related, and thus something that should be avoided if possible.

[MJLiverock]

Just be careful at Aldi with the expiration dates. I know of a few people who have noticed a lot of goods sold there are very near the expiration date which is why they are cheap. Now this probably isn't true of thier brands but of the others. They own Trader Joes and I haven't noticed this phenomenom there but have heard it about Aldi's many times.

 

I will admit to being a bit of a food snob. I like cooking and can make gourmet/restaurant quality foods so we eat pretty well but I probably haven't seen the inside of a Wal-Mart in 15 years other than the buying a gift card for my Grandma who loves the small town one she lives by but man that Wal-Mart on the west side of Madison is about as terrible of a store as I have ever been in. I also hate Woodman's as well, their produce was so bad the last time I was there I just walked out and have never returned. I think I have been in the store 2x total and hated it both times.

 

I'll eat some store brand canned, boxed goods but never Mac N'Cheese, tried the off brands in college and they just can' t get it right for some reason. Canned fruit is another one, I have had too many nasty store brand Mandarin Oranges or pears with the pits still in them. For some reason my wife hates store brand milk, she knows everytime if I buy the Pig brand or anything other than Dean. She takes one sip and yells out, "you bought the store brand" she catches it everytime.

[1992casey]

Skip the baked stuff at WalMart, too. One time, I almost walked out with bagels that were three weeks past the expiration date.

[burniebrewer]

For some reason my wife hates store brand milk, she knows everytime if I buy the Pig brand or anything other than Dean. She takes one sip and yells out, "you bought the store brand" she catches it everytime.

 

That's interesting because for the most part, store brand milk is the name brand milk with a different label. I would think they run it all in one batch, but who knows, they may have a regulation that states a store brand be formulated differently.

 

If anyone shops at Aldi, their milk is Swiss Valley brand milk with an Aldi brand label (Friendly Farms, I believe).

 

MJ, I've heard the complaints about Woodman's produce forever and I should know, I've been with the company for 22 years. I think most people come to our stores for the low prices and huge selection and then go to places like Brennan's for fresh items like produce.

[bork]

True about the produce. It's very hard to find good produce at Aldi or Woodmans. At Aldi you've got to find out what days their trucks come and get the produce right away. I definitely skip the produce at Woodmans.

[sgtcluels]

Skip wal-mart period! With out crossing the political lines, they are pretty shady.

 

What I need help finding is Milk that's been made by Cows that are grass feed. I know the price will be higher, but I'm fine with that. You are what you eat right?

[MJLiverock]

The only thing I can think of with the milk tast is the packaging. Maybe they use some different cleaner for the packaging or something because you would think that milk is milk, but she picks it out everytime. Side by side I can taste a difference but I wouldn't be able to taste one over the other without the side by side comparison and I don't think one is bad, just different tasting.

 

Thanks for the comment Burnie, at least Phil knows about the produce if the comments have been around. I always guessed they bought in such bulk that unless I got there on truck day it would be picked over. Cub used to have good produce for a warehouse mart and Pick N Save as well until Roundy's took over. I noticed the produce quality dropped immediately when Roundy's took over, the produce manager said he was well aware of the drop off.

[sgtcluels]

The only thing I can think of with the milk tast is the packaging. Maybe they use some different cleaner for the packaging or something because you would think that milk is milk, but she picks it out everytime. Side by side I can taste a difference but I wouldn't be able to taste one over the other without the side by side comparison and I don't think one is bad, just different tasting.

There's plenty of things that will influence the flavor of Milk. First off, what are they eating? Animal bi-products? Corn? Soy? Grass? All these affect flavor and mouth feel (not to mention nutrition). Take eggs for instance, there is a vast vast difference in grass compared to "vegetarian feed" (That's code for corn and soy) eggs. The egg white is far more creamy and the egg yolk is smaller, very bright orange and packs far more flavor into it. It's a completely difference experience and the only difference is what they are fed.

[dadofandrew]

Expiration dates on most products (and drugs) have been deemed worthless by the gov't watchdogs. Don't worry about 'em, unless they influence the taste.

[GAME05]

kudos to the dude who added frozen vegetables. my freezer is full of it and it's uber-cheap. also a lot of beans in the pantry.

 

i completely disagree that cheap food and health is mutually exclusive, although usually the easy-to-cool stuff is.

 

i think a lot of food, like cereal, has a lot to do with picking one that is filling. i can eat a ton of bread and frozen pizza and Cheerios, but rice (especially brown rice) and a lot of the whole-grain foods fill me up a lot more that I eat comparatively less.

[wallus]

I am trying to come up with a list of cheap meals. So far I have:

.

Grilled Cheese, Toast, Rice, Spaghetti, Tuna, Hot dogs, Boneless Chicken, Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, Mac n Cheese, and Ramen. What else is there? I am thinking of trying a $100 or less month to see if I can do it.

[Buckylovesbeer]

I agree with a lot of you.....woodmans or wal mart for soda and chips, never for produce or meat.

[fondybrewfan]

The Woodman's in Appleton has good produce, never really had an issue with it. I have never got anything from the deli there. I avoid produce at Walmart like the plague. There are fruit flies everywhere. Walmart has its uses but selling fruits and vegetables isn't one of them

[bigredrobbo]

I'd love to know (out of a weird sense of curiosity, not as a stick to beat anyone with), how many people who are magnificent at being frugal with the monthly budget, buy the wayyy overpriced beer at Miller Park? Does the superb budgeting also apply to ballpark concessions too, or are they regarded as a necessary evil?

[bork]

I remembering hearing at the farm at the Milwaukee Zoo that milk varies greatly between the types of cows. So the differences in taste could also be attributed to different types of cows.

[hawing]

I'd love to know (out of a weird sense of curiosity, not as a stick to beat anyone with), how many people who are magnificent at being frugal with the monthly budget, buy the wayyy overpriced beer at Miller Park? Does the superb budgeting also apply to ballpark concessions too, or are they regarded as a necessary evil?

I'd imagine some (not necessarily some here) decide to splurge at MP as their 'reward' for budgeting well elsewhere.

We tend to do our Brewers splurging on tickets - two 20-packs plus travel expenses from Madison - so we often carry in sandwiches and/or bottled water, we utilize the designated driver soda voucher, etc. For day games we're more likely to spring for a brat or something...but the soy dog is $3.00 and way less salty than the 'real' meats.

 

The S.O. and I are both teetotallers (I am completely; he's a near-abstainer), so that saves us coin right there.

[MJLiverock]

I didn't mean to sidetrack the thread on the milk thing but anyway, I understand milk from an individual cow or milk from one specific farm may taste difference but by the time it all gets mixed together it should be pretty similar tasting, assuming both cartons are from the same region of the country. I was just amazed my wife could tell the difference between Dean and any store brand like Piggly Wiggly or Roundy's or whatever. I know when we were in Hawaii last year the milk we bought was very sweet and had an almost floral taste, probably due to the cow's diet there. My friends from CA that visit always comment on the milk here tasting different.

[brewers19]

I'd love to know (out of a weird sense of curiosity, not as a stick to beat anyone with), how many people who are magnificent at being frugal with the monthly budget, buy the wayyy overpriced beer at Miller Park? Does the superb budgeting also apply to ballpark concessions too, or are they regarded as a necessary evil?

Generally, I try my best to eat before the game. It's cheaper, healthier, better quality, and allows me to avoid the hassle of ballpark concessions entirely.

[dadofandrew]

As pointed out by others, many brands are bottled at the same plant, so the difference in store brand/Kemps is minimal, at best.

 

I'd have to see a blind taste test consistently defeated. It's easy to say "Ugg" when you see IGA milk in the fridge.

[pitchleague]

Milk most definitely has different tastes depending on where the cows are from. Here in Arizona, we get milk from either California, Utah, or (believe it or not) Arizona. When we visit Wisconsin, there is a definitively different taste and texture (and I drink skim!). Here, skim milk is almost literally water, although I like it. In Wisconsin, the skim is slightly sweeter and thicker/creamier.

 

When we were in Alaska, I failed to look at the carton to see where the milk was from (the little one half pint cartons). But it was kind of sweet. The chocolate milk was weird, almost as if they just put pure unsweetened cocoa in it and no sugar. So it was brown milk with the raw cocoa bean flavor.

[logan82]

I'd love to know (out of a weird sense of curiosity, not as a stick to beat anyone with), how many people who are magnificent at being frugal with the monthly budget, buy the wayyy overpriced beer at Miller Park? Does the superb budgeting also apply to ballpark concessions too, or are they regarded as a necessary evil?

 

I almost never drink beer at the ballpark and always carry a soft sided cooler in with soda and sandwiches. If I drink beer on gameday it is usually one or two on the walk in. The only thing I might buy at the ballpark is ice cream.

[ewizabeff]

A coworker of mine used to work at a milk processing plant. He said that the age of the milk determines how it gets used. I guess the oldest/lowest quality milk tends to end up in the "single serving" milk chugs.