We Spent $10k on Groceries Last Year: Here’s What We Ate

In 2022, my household of 4 spent $10,209.68 on groceries. That averages out to $850.81 monthly, which is $212.70 per individual. We’re two adults (ages 39 and almost-39) and two youngsters (ages 7 and 5). Right now I carry you an expose, a deep dive into what we eat, the place we purchase it, how we put together it and the way a lot we spend on it. Ever puzzled what I eat? Marvel no extra!!!

Do You Really Know What You Spend on Meals?

I stroll round with an concept in my thoughts about what we eat and the way a lot we spend on it, however I needed to interrogate that assumption. Did I truly know what we spent final 12 months? And the way a lot that was per individual? NOPE I didn’t. Regardless of rigorously monitoring our spending with Personal Capital every month–and sharing it here on Frugalwoods for the world to judge–I haven’t been within the behavior of tallying up our annual bills by class. I do know what we spend in a 12 months, however I hadn’t performed the granular breakdown. And what might be extra illuminating, extra tantalizing than realizing what we spent on FOOD?! It’s the frugal hallmark, it’s the encapsulation of the cliche “you’re what you eat,” coupled with my private favourite cliche “the way you spend your cash dictates the kind of life you’ll lead.”

Groceries and menu planning are essentially the most generally mentioned matters amongst Frugalwoods readers.

I do know this as a result of they arrive up in:

→It’s omnipresent as a result of we should eat.

Groceries are the prime instance of a “Reduceable” expense. When somebody’s spending, I wish to categorize every thing as both Mounted, Reduceable or Discretionary:

• Mounted bills are stuff you can not change. Examples: your mortgage and debt funds.
• Reduceable bills are essential for human survival, however you management how a lot you spend on them. Examples: groceries and gasoline for the automobiles.
• Discretionary bills are issues that may be eradicated fully. Examples: journey, haircuts, consuming out.

The Venn Diagram of Frugal and Wholesome

As you’ll observe, I shouldn’t have the most affordable, most naked bones meals finances. Somewhat, I attempt to hit the intersection of frugal, wholesome and scrumptious. I can’t put a value on my well being–or my husband’s or kids’s well being–so I do certainly spend extra on meals we view as wholesome.

Q: Liz, do you assume you’re a nutritionist?

A: No, I don’t. I do know our weight loss plan is imperfect, nevertheless it works for us. 

As you possibly can see within the under Venn Diagram (which I 100% made up… ), the objective for me is to hit the crossover level the place I really feel like we’re getting “wholesome” meals–the kales of the world–however avoiding the most costly methods to ship these kales into our lives.

Right here’s an instance: at our warehouse retailer BJ’s (akin to Costco or Sam’s Membership), I purchase 1 lb of ORGANIC generic tremendous greens (kale, spinach, and so on) for $4.99. FOUR DOLLARS & NINETY-NINE CENTS (this may be a lot simpler if they simply charged $5…). Had been I to buy this at Complete Meals or our native Coop, I’d spend double that for a smaller container. That is what I’m speaking about after I warning towards costly grocery shops!

Our Grocery Purchasing Listing by Retailer

I initially wrote out this listing–and meal plan–on the request of certainly one of my private financial consultation clients. She needed to see what we eat and purchase and so, I attempted my greatest to jot down down every thing we eat and the place we purchase it.

We store roughly twice a month and don’t purchase all of these items every time. Somewhat, that is the overall overview of every thing we purchase and our bi-weekly lists change as wanted. Plus, this doesn’t account for specialty meals, reminiscent of at Christmas and for birthdays. The fee spreadsheet (under) does embody these meals, however I didn’t put the substances right here since they’re rare and sporadic.

Q: Liz, are you conscious there’s quite a lot of privilege in having the money and time to purchase bulk, uncooked substances and cook dinner them from scratch?

A: Completely, which is why I contextualize this as what I do and what works for my household. I can not fight systemic financial disparities, a lot as I want to.

Okay, right here’s our listing divided by supply:

Bought from the Co-op (ordered from their bulk division roughly as soon as 1 / 4, see spreadsheet for exact dates):

• Natural Rolled Oats, 25lb bag (what we eat for breakfast)
• Natural White Complete Wheat Flour, 50lb bag (what we bake our bread with)
• Dried Garbanzo Beans, 25lb bag (what we make hummus with)

Bought from our Farmer Neighbors (see spreadsheet for dates and portions):

• Complete free-range chickens (we purchased 14 in 2022)
• Grass-fed, free-range floor beef (we purchased 8 lbs in 2022)
• Maple syrup (once we run out of syrup we’ve made)

Bought from Hannaford’s (customary grocery retailer):

• 

  Our maple syrup: One jar from every boiling & canning session

  Garlic (contemporary)

• Ginger (contemporary)
• Onions (yellow and purple)
• Grapes
• Crimson cabbage
• Inexperienced onions
• Tofu
• Complete wheat pasta
• Tea
• Baking provides as wanted (sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and so on)
• Butter

Bought from our native Asian Market:

• Fish sauce
• Rice wine vinegar
• Mirin
• Toasted sesame oil
• Crimson miso
• Gochujang

Bought from BJ’s (a warehouse retailer just like Costco and Sam’s Membership):

• Natural salad greens
• 

  Yep. I took a photograph of my salad greens. Only for you

  Lemons

• Limes
• Natural apples
• Bananas
• Clementines
• Candy potatoes
• Natural carrots (entire)
• Cucumbers
• Snap peas
• Bell peppers
• Brussels sprouts
• Goat cheese 
• Parmesan cheese
• Feta cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• ½ n ½ 
• 

  Some kitchen helpers just a few years again. I suppose Littlewoods was excited?

  Greek yogurt (plain)

• Rooster thighs (as wanted to complement the native entire chickens we purchase)
• Frozen berries + kale combine
• Pizza cheese
• Pepperonis (for pizza)
• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Brown rice
• Natural quinoa
• Dried cranberries
• Natural raisins
• Some sort of cracker/chip for the youngsters (cauliflower sticks, veggie sticks, goldfish, and so on)
• Natural peanut butter
• Natural olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Spices
• Popcorn kernels (in bulk)
• Scorching cocoa
• Espresso
• Throughout ski season solely: granola/protein bars for the youngsters to have of their coat pockets whereas on the slopes

Meals We Develop and Protect on our Homestead:

We’ve made different stuff from our gardens through the years–together with kimchi, dried tomatoes, and currant cordial–however the above is the stuff we constantly eat and make. The kimchi, dried tomatoes and currant cordial all tasted kinda bizarre… so, stay and study!

I additionally need to be crystal clear that each one of this may be cheaper if I purchased it within the retailer.

Chickens should be fed and cared for, backyard seeds should be bought and planted and maintained, and canning is an actual ache. I do this stuff as a result of I get pleasure from them, actually not as a result of they lower your expenses. Probably this might save me cash over the VERY long run. Like if I’m nonetheless utilizing the identical canning jars and rooster coop in 40 years possibly I’ll break even. Not a joke, people, not a joke. So don’t fret in the event you don’t have the time or house to backyard or rooster–you’re not lacking out on some main money-saving cabal.

Our Meal Plan

And right here’s how we eat these meals. We’re sort of boring in that we have now a reasonably customary rotation of meals. However we prefer it that approach.

I’m tired of spending quite a lot of time on meal planning and cooking; thus, I’m very content material with a easy rotation.

I’d moderately have extra time and fewer selection, which works for me, however won’t be just right for you! The important thing with meals–and all issues–is to determine what works for you and what you’ll be capable of stick to.

Breakfast:

• Natural rolled oats with cinnamon and a banana
  • This is similar for all 4 of us each single day
• Seasonally, we embody berries from our yard

Lunch (Liz):

Lunch (Nate):

• Cheese on toast (from our selfmade bread) and an apple
• He’s additionally a boring one that eats the identical factor each day.

Grownup snacks choices:

• Fruit, veggies, smoothies with plain Greek yogurt & frozen berries + kale from BJ’s, almonds, selfmade hummus (utilizing the majority garbanzo beans from the Coop), cheese.

Youngsters’ meals packed for college:

• 

  In case you’re questioning, Littlewoods 100% dropped this egg onto the ground

  Snack instance: carrot sticks, apple slices, goldfish crackers/veggie straws/cauliflower chips (purchased in bulk packages from BJ’s)

• Lunch instance: PB&J (selfmade bread, selfmade currant jam, natural PB from BJ’s), grapes, cucumber slices
• They don’t get precisely this each day–it rotates primarily based on what contemporary fruit and greens are in the home:
  • After we’ve eaten all of the contemporary stuff, they get issues like: raisins, dried cranberries, nuts, and so on. Then, we all know it’s time to go grocery buying.
  • Typically I pack lunch meat and cheese sandwiches OR peanut butter and banana sandwiches OR leftover dinner gadgets.

After faculty:

Afternoon Snack:

• The youngsters get no matter’s leftover of their lunch bins plus–relying on how hungry they’re–cheese, selfmade apple sauce, almonds, toast, plain Greek yogurt, and so on.
• We’ve apples, bananas and oranges on the counter that the youngsters are all the time welcome to free-snack on:
  • Consequently, I discover apple cores, orange peels and bits of banana throughout my home.
  • Lately discovered a desiccated carrot behind our piano… Youngsters are nice.

Youngsters’ Dinner:

• 

  Littlewoods planting tomatoes!

  Random leftovers:

  • Final night time it was entire wheat pasta, ham (taken out of the freezer from the ham we cooked at Christmas), snap peas and banana slices.
• Different widespread child dinner gadgets:
  • Salmon burgers (bought frozen from BJ’s)
  • Quinoa or brown rice (served with salt and olive oil)
  • Roasted candy potatoes (or different roasted veggie: carrots, cauliflower, and so on)
  • Leftover selfmade pizza
  • No matter contemporary fruit/veggie is accessible

Grownup Dinner: 

1. 1. Asian-inspired: greens, chopped purple cabbage, shredded carrots, sesame seeds, inexperienced onions, protein (tofu, rooster or salmon) and Asian salad dressing.
      • I’d say that is in all probability the yummiest of the three, nevertheless it additionally takes the longest to make on account of chopping up all of the substances and making the dressing.
      • Right here’s Nate’s recipe for this dressing:
        • Minced contemporary ginger, minced contemporary garlic, lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, mirin, toasted sesame oil, purple miso, and gochujang.
        • Mix substances and mix till clean.
   2. 

      The littlest currant picker

      Cranberry & walnut: greens, cranberries, walnuts, goat cheese, roast rooster OR salmon, balsamic vinegar.

      • This one is BY FAR the quickest and best. It takes ~3 minutes to make.
      • Nate will roast/smoke a rooster as soon as every week and slice it up. Then, I dump the substances collectively proper earlier than dinner.
      • The dressing for that is simply straight balsamic vinegar, which provides to how fast and straightforward it’s to make.
   3. Greek-inspired: greens, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, cucumbers, inexperienced onions, white wine & garlic French dressing.
      • We desire this one throughout summer time months.
      • The dressing for that is kinda made-up, by which I imply it’s 100% completely different each time I make it, however principally… I whisk collectively olive oil, white wine, minced garlic, a drop of maple syrup, salt, pepper and purple pepper flakes. It might make sense for me to jot down down the portions, however eh, life is just too brief.

One other typical dinner choice (for teenagers and adults):

Saturday night time particular dinner choices:

• Selfmade pizza! Nate makes use of the next recipe to make his crusts:
  • 454 grams water
  • 12 grams sugar
  • 25 grams olive oil
  • 1 tblsp yeast
  • 690 grams flour
  • 1 tblsp salt
• Tacos!
• Spaghetti and selfmade Bolognese sauce!

Weekly Bulk Cooking 

All of our “core” cooking occurs in bulk in order that each day, I’m simply throwing issues collectively.

Nate is answerable for all core cooking, which incorporates getting ready:

• 

  Carrot thief on the lamb

  Complete chickens

• Hummus
• Tofu
• Salad dressings
• Bread
• Selfmade pizza
• Making jam over the summer time

Day by day Minimal Cooking

If I’ve time, I’ll do minimal day by day cooking of issues like:

• Roasted candy potatoes
• Quinoa
• Rice
• Roasted Brussels sprouts

A Notice On Child Meals

Q: Liz, how do you get your youngsters to eat that stuff?

A: We comply with the Ellyn Satter Institute Division of Duties consuming mannequin.

When Kidwoods was about two years previous (and Littlewoods was zero years previous), we started to implement The Satter Division of Accountability in Feeding protocol. That makes it sound tremendous critical, nevertheless it’s an easy, easy framework for feeding youngsters that actually resonated with us, made intuitive sense to our household, and that we proceed doing to today.

Right here’s the rundown of this system, per their website:

Your [parent] jobs with feeding are to . . .

• Select and put together the meals.
• Present common meals and snacks.
• Make consuming instances nice.
• Step-by-step, present your youngster by instance how one can behave at household mealtime.
• Be thoughtful of your youngster’s lack of meals expertise with out catering to likes and dislikes.
• Not let your youngster have meals or drinks (aside from water) between meal and snack instances.
• Let your youngster develop into the physique that’s proper for him.

A part of your feeding job is to belief your youngster to . . .

• Eat.
• Eat the quantity he wants.
• Be taught to eat the meals you get pleasure from.
• Develop predictably in the best way that’s proper for him.
• Be taught to behave properly at mealtime.

Because of following this method, our children are adventurous, keen eaters. Sure, they completely complain about some meals. Sure, they often fully keep away from consuming a specific meals on their plate. However, no, they haven’t starved and no, I don’t deviate from Satter’s methodology. Does this method work for each youngster? After all not! Does this method work for my youngsters? Sure.

I feel the important thing for us is that we began once they had been very younger and have been 100% constant. I discover this method SO MUCH EASIER than catering to particular likes/dislikes/complaints. My youngsters have preferences–which they’re free to voice–and I attempt to take these into consideration when getting ready their meals. However, they don’t dictate what or how our household eats.

How Do I Take care of Child Complaints About Meals?

The much less stated, the higher.

Right here’s a pattern dialog from final week:

• Littlewoods (age 5): “I HATE Brussels sprouts! I WILL NOT eat them! UGGGHHHHHH! Ewwwwwwwwww!!!!”
• Me (age almost-39): “Okay.”

THAT’S IT. No want to interact, contradict, pressure or provide options. If I pressure her to eat them, that’ll construct resentment and doubtlessly an unhealthy/weird relationship with meals. If I contradict her and say, “you really liked them the final time you ate them,” I’m simply including gas to her preschool rage and she or he’ll see this as an invite to dig in and battle tougher. If I provided an alternate meals, that might train her that when she rudely whines a few meals, she will get rewarded with a special meals.

Conversely, if I’m completely unbothered and both don’t reply or simply say a breezy, “okay,” it diffuses the scenario virtually instantly. She nonetheless didn’t eat the sprouts, nevertheless it didn’t create a scene or a wrestle. And for what it’s value, she ate them the following night time as a result of she’d forgotten she hated them, partially as a result of I hadn’t made a problem out of it.

If certainly one of our children declares they don’t need to eat ANYTHING on their plate, our response can also be, “okay.” In the event that they persist, our response is, “Then you need to not be hungry. In case you are hungry, that’s the meals you possibly can select to eat. It’s as much as you whether or not or not you eat it.”

I can not bear in mind a single time within the final seven years of parenting when a toddler didn’t eat at the least a few of their meal. Seems? They’re normally hungry sufficient.

Do I Ever Drive My Youngsters to Eat One thing or “Attempt One Chunk”?

Nope. Per the Satter mannequin, it’s as much as my youngsters what and the way a lot they select to eat of the meals I present to them. I’m not of their our bodies and I don’t know the way hungry or full they’re. Most significantly, I need them to develop their very own satiety cues. If I continuously pressured them to eat roughly, they wouldn’t develop the self-regulation that’s so essential to how we nourish our our bodies and luxuriate in meals. 

Concerning the “strive only a chew” immediate, what do you assume would occur if I’d pressured Littlewoods–in her enraged state–to take a chew of sprout? She would’ve spit it out and screamed. It wouldn’t matter how scrumptious it was, she needed to show some extent and BE IN CHARGE.

As soon as I spotted that such a immediate is about energy–and has nothing to do with diet–it turned quite a bit simpler for me to disengage and diffuse.

Moreover, our clever pediatrician reminded us early on that kids are bodily incapable of ravenous themselves earlier than the age of seven. In different phrases, if a neurotypical child is hungry sufficient, they may eat what’s on their plate.

You, the father or mother, are answerable for shopping for and getting ready meals. You, the father or mother, are liable for figuring out the weight loss plan your loved ones will eat. It isn’t the function of a kid to demand, threaten or beg for sure meals.

DISCLAIMER: After all there are a variety of sensory problems, neurodivergent experiences, disabilities, meals allergic reactions and different points that make this an unsafe, unattainable and even harmful method for some kids and households. Once more, I’m sharing this as a result of it’s what works for us.

Do I Ever Let my Youngsters Eat Junk?

Completely. At birthday events, cook-outs, Valentine’s Day events, and so on, they’re allowed to eat no matter’s on the menu: chips, sizzling canines, cake, sweet, soda, juice, and so on. They perceive that these are big day meals and I allow them to self-regulate (to a level) how a lot of this meals they eat.

There was a memorable expertise when Kidwoods was 4 and she or he ate 4 hotdogs at a cookout and really practically threw up… I’ll let you know that taught her A LOT about satiety and self-regulation.

Each day, we let our children have a “deal with of the day,” which may be no matter they need and isn’t linked to a meal. Treats are consumed after faculty throughout our household “tea time” once we sit down and share about our days.

The women can choose a chunk of sweet from their Halloween/Valentine’s/Easter/Birthday Celebration luggage, a selfmade baked good (if we have now any), a cup of sizzling cocoa with marshmallows, or one thing like toast with maple syrup on prime.

I like having “deal with time” divorced from meals as a result of it obviates the “it’s essential to eat your wholesome meals first” dialog that may encompass after-meal desserts. Once more, I don’t pressure my youngsters to “simply take another chew” or “cease consuming” or “do this please.” Having the deal with exist by itself–and never as a “reward” for consuming–appears to work properly for us.

What We Spent in 2022

Alrighty, what you’ve been ready for… right here’s the breakdown of how a lot we spent on meals throughout every month of 2022:

Month	Groceries from Grocery Retailer	Bulk Meals & Farmer Neighbor-sourced Meals	Bulk & Farmer Neighbor-sourced Gadgets Bought
January	$868.73
February	$770.08	$172.54	50 lbs of natural oats 50 lbs of natural white entire wheat flour
March	$1,006.60
April	$899.65	$160.10	50lbs of natural oats 25lbs of dry natural chickpeas
Could	$689.02
June	$692.08
July	$601	$265	8 entire, frozen, free-range chickens (plus maple syrup and a few misc. produce)
August	$630.56	$50.00	8lbs of native natural, grass-fed beef
September	$636.70	$83.29	50 lbs of natural oats
October	$673.97	$8.57	Yeast for bread
November	$810.64	$110.12	Thanksgiving turkey + maple syrup
December	$939.03	$142.00	6 entire, frozen, free-range chickens
Subtotal Spent Per Class:	$9,218.06	$991.62
Complete Spent in 2022:	$10,209.68
Common:	$850.81 monthly	$212.70 per individual monthly

Q: Liz, do you understand that lots of people spend quite a bit lower than you on groceries?

A: Sure, I do. As I famous, my objective is to not spend absolutely the naked minimal on meals. Somewhat, it’s to hit that central level on the Venn Diagram the place frugal meets wholesome (and scrumptious!).

How To Save Cash On Groceries in 8 Simple-Peasy Steps

In closing, right here’s the briefest attainable listing I may provide you with:

1. 

   Kidwoods making “dinner” with cucumber and currants

   Store at cheap shops:

   • Remove the Complete Meals and fancy Co-ops of the world out of your routine.
2. Purchase bulk, uncooked substances:
   • At all times purpose for the base-level ingredient.
   • You need bread? Purchase flour. You need carrot sticks? Get entire carrots. You need hummus? Purchase dry garbanzo beans.
3. Be selective about natural merchandise and find generic natural choices.
4. Restrict meat and fish consumption.
5. At all times store from a listing. Don’t attempt to wing it within the retailer.
   • Be brutally sincere about what, and the way a lot, your loved ones will eat.
   • No person cares what you eat. Do what works for YOU.
6. Devise a easy rotation of meals that you could simply, repeatedly execute.
7. Don’t waste meals. Eat it up or freeze it.
8. Keep away from packaged and closely processed meals (see #2):
   • Once you do want packaged meals, get them in bulk, i.e. big luggage of raisins from BJ’s versus small, individually packaged bins.

Create Frugal Meals Habits

All of that is about creating routines and habits. When you’re on this groove, it’ll be straightforward to iterate on. Sure, it’s a barely painful studying curve at first, however when you go frugal, you hardly ever ever return.

Take, for instance, how we bake our own bread in our yard sale bread machine. Was it a studying curve at first? Clearly sure. Does it now take me 2 minutes to organize? Additionally sure. Will I ever return to purchasing costly entire wheat natural bread from the shop? By no means ever.

Now that I understand how to make natural entire wheat bread at house in 2 minutes for tremendous low-cost, why would I ever revert to my beforehand costly methods? It’s cheaper, more healthy, tastes higher, engages my youngsters in cooking and makes my home odor AMAZING. The trick is to start out these habits, engrain them into your routine after which carry on preserving on.

What are your methods and suggestions for consuming frugal and wholesome?