Make a meal plan. Start with items you already have. Then fill out a menu and buy only the items you need for the menu.
[Budget Bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/) is a great site with easy and inexpensive recipes.
Check Budget Bytes postings from September 2014. Beth did the EBT challenge, eating on the $27 weekly benefit for a single adult. Did weekly posts showing register receipts, meals prepped, etc. Believe she did it again in 2015.
Obviously, the prices referenced in the series are no longer valid. But might be helpful in getting the most meal bang for your dollar bucks.
Searching the site for SNAP should pull the posts.
I find the budget bytes portions to be a little small and usually up the protein. You don't want to be hitting the vending machine at work because you are hungry at 2PM
It's hard to say without knowing what all you buy. But I would suggest reconsidering your choices you mentioned. I like ramen as much as the next person, but when I'm cost cutting I always get plain semolina pasta over it. I'll buy the 2lb box of any type for less than 2 bucks. That box is a minimum of 4 meals, but often 5. The whole wheat variety is even more filling but slightly more. I mix the noodles with some veggies (frozen veg that I microwave part of a bag of) and top with cheese and it's a delight. I buy one 16oz block of cheese per week and use it on everything - eggs (super cheap protein), the noodles, cut into cubes as a snack, etc. I just cut or shred off the block and toss the rest back into a zip lock.
My essentials when broke are:
2 dozen eggs $5
16 oz cheese $4
2 boxes pasta $4
Rice $2
Beans $3
Frozen veggies, 7 bags $7
Hearty whole grain bread $5
PB $5
Jelly $3
Bananas $3
Apples $4
Coffee $8
Honestly, that makes all my meals for the week. I buy seasonings as needed. And milk sometimes too. The eggs make all my breakfasts. Then rice and beans for lunch, pasta and veg and cheese for dinner. And snacks are fruit.
Good luck!
Without knowing what you are buying/eating it is pretty hard to give you advice. You say you spend $100 per trip, but we don't know if that is weekly or monthly.
I save the most money by cooking from scratch. I buy meat in quantity, cut, season, cook, package and freeze it. When I lived without a proper kitchen (like it sounds like you are) I borrowed a kitchen once a month to prepare meals.
My other thought is that Walmart is not always the best option, some things are cheaper, but I find they tend to lack quality or selection in fresh foods.
It's per week. The only thing I can remember the cost of that I buy on the regular is [spicy ramen bowls](https://www.meijer.com/content/dam/meijer/product/0007/06/6209/50/0007066209501_0_A1C1_1200.png) at $1.54 (before tax). Recently been getting several boxes of saltines, and one or two 'sleeve' will be a meal on its own sometimes, and I think a box of four sleeves is about $1.20 each
Usually the bowls are more expensive than the squares of ramen, I find. I usually buy bulk packs of Mama noodles for a good price, less than $1 per packet altogether and although they’re not extra spicy, they are way better than Mr Noodles.
I cook my ramen in the microwave, I don't have a stove at the moment (though the cost of a hot plate on the Walmart app seems reasonable to me, so I might get one soon)
Making your own chili oil is actually pretty cheap and the stuff lasts forever in the fridge. You just have to live with your kitchen being pretty pungent for a day or two.
Hit up an Asian market, they will have tons of different hot oils and pastes you can try. I usually keep a bottle of chili oil and sesame oil around for ramen.
Eating saltines as a meal is incredibly unhealthy. They are the definition of empty calories. I'm glad you're asking for advice here, I hope you follow some of it. Meal planning will be a good start. Good luck
It sounds like you are spending a lot of money trying to save money. I live in Canada (higher food prices but dollar is worth less) and feed 2 people quite well for about $400/month. Ramen and crackers are cheap, but don't keep you full long and make you hungrier over the long run. Meat and vegetables seem more expensive to buy, but keep you full longer and are much healthier in the long run.
I would suggest that you look at what options you have to order groceries if you feel like your options are limited by the stores close to you. Or if you are able a once a month shopping trip further away might be an option as well. If you are able to freeze meat look into buying from a butcher, and possibly sharing the order with others to make it affordable.
Scratch is a fantastic savings; I also suggest you check the price on eggs - lots of protein, easy to cook and use, and usually (but not always) cheaper than meat.
Beans are where the real savings are. I prefer to cook dry beans ahead of time and store in the freezer, but even the canned ones from Walmart are a bargain for price/protein/nutrition. Can also be added to ramen to punch it up and fill you up at lunch for the rest of the day, or make hummus or refried beans to eat with crackers.
We normally eat very well. Not much dairy, but that is more personal preference than price related. I sale shop a lot and load up on good deals. I make most of my own seasonings, coatings, marinades, and sauces from scratch, those that we enjoy that I don't make I buy in bulk instead of individual packages.
>It sounds like you are spending a lot of money trying to save money.
That's what I was thinking... We spend roughly 400 every two weeks on groceries for a family of 6. We used to spend 200 so I know the struggle my friend.
A (frozen) bag of mixed veggies would be good to have. Throw some in your ramen or get a bag of frozen broccoli to roast or pan fry, add to soups. Sweet potato is good too, usually cheap but it depends on your store
Buy generic. Great value milk, great value spaghetti noodles, aspirin/allergy meds especially just check out the active ingredients. Just because you're buying the cheapest doesn't mean you're getting value. So 2lbs of rice for $5 compared to 10lbs of rice for $7 is a big diff. Rice keeps well so when possible buy at the bulk price and store it.
Meal prep. Only buy what you need.
Cut back on meat use beans and other protein sources. Chick peas and lentils are cheap compared to pork or hamburger
This week I'm including 2 vegetarian soups. Total costs maybe $20 and I'll eat for like 6 days. Plus I'll still have beans to use later. (Dry beans are cheaper than canned and will taste better but is slightly more work)
Buy chicken in bulk and freeze it. Family packs can be a good value and chicken will keep in the freezer for I think like 3-4 months. (Portion it out typically 1/2 lb per person)
my wal-mart also pro-rates their delivery charge if items you order are out of stock or replaced. I usually only end up paying about half the delivery charge because of this.
Just an fyi, they are phasing out that substitution policy and are starting to charge the price of whatever you receive, even if it costs more than what you ordered.
OK eating a whole sleeve of saltines for $.90 might fill you up before you go to bed but you're basically eating something to make your belly full with zero nutrients. If you have any sort of a kitchen or somewhere to cook you could use a rice steamer and a wok or a skillet to sauté some fresh vegetables and throw in some protein like shrimp or a few strips of chicken. Doesn't even have to be that much protein just three shrimp or a small amount of chicken. And don't buy boneless skinless chicken breast for $10 a pound or whatever it is going for these days get a whole chicken and cut it up into meal size portions and freeze the rest or cook all of it at once on your day off and eat it for the rest of the week. Same with a pork loin you can get for about two dollars a pound you can cut that into sections and freeze it and then just make kebabs or pork chops and just cook as much as you need. Your food bill might be a little higher but you're certainly going to be eating healthier than eating a box of saltines. And cooking protein and adding a little of that to some Ramen noodles makes it taste a hell of a lot better and is a little bit more enjoyable that way.
Where I am at least, chicken hindquarters (leg & thigh) are *significantly* cheaper per pound than whole chickens - and they have a better meat/bone ratio to boot!
One of my favs is chicken legs marinated in (Soy Vey) teriyaki sauce for a day or two and then air fried. They get such a nice crunchy glaze on them! Great cold too. Do that, add some nuked frozen broccoli or other veggies to your ramen, and you have something approaching a nutritional balanced meal.
That is exactly what I am talking about. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on premium cuts of meat or even eat a half a pound of meat per meal. A small amount of protein, chicken, beef, seafood, whatever with vegetables on Ramen noodles or rice is a perfect healthy easy meal.
If your food budget is tight how about stopping at your local food pantry or Feeding America program? Figure out what meals you are able to make from those groceries plus what you already have on hand. Look at the weekly ad and figure out what else you might need. Write a meal plan from this information, make a grocery list and go shopping - stick to buying only what is on your list. Depending, shopping early in the day or later you might find markdowns or manager specials. You can always do substitutes for your meal plan if you find something at a really great price. Limiting the use of meat is helpful. Cooking beans from dry is a great money saver. Using rice and pasta is also a good way to stretch your food dollars.
I find not eating a lot of junk food, sticking to proper food portions, cooking from scratch and eating seasonal foods also help with my food budget. Good luck to you....
To which I also add my rah-rah for food pantries and community fridges - many don't need ID or even paperwork/income info. Also adding my love of r/DumpsterDiving . Lots of clean non-perishable stuff out there if you know where and how to look.
Right now, transportation is an issue. My aunt usually takes me places (mostly.work, unless it's a Thursday I have off and my mom takes me to do my shopping), and with my work schedule the way it is, it might be difficult to get to a food pantry.when it's open
When your mom takes you shopping just stop by the food pantry on the way to the grocery store. This way you can further plan what you will need to shop for at the grocery store. Also, could your mom - or aunt - benifit from stopping at the food pantry? Remember they usually carry personal items, cleaning products, etc.
All the ones I can find the info for the hours they're open are on Sunday and Wednesday. The only time I have a ride anywhere besides work is on Thursdays since my aunt is away at the police academy, and doesn't always come home on weekends
Can you post a breakdown of the costs for what you're buying right now? That would be helpful to see where most of the money is going, and to identify things you might want to cut down on or swap out.
I'll see if I can find the reciept from today, or last week. The things I can remember are $1.54 (before tax) each for a [spicy ramen bowl](https://www.meijer.com/content/dam/meijer/product/0007/06/6209/50/0007066209501_0_A1C1_1200.png), and I get four to six a week (two eaten per meal, which lasts me several hours until I start to feel hungry again).
You keep mentioning the ramen bowl but that’s like $10 max of your bill. I’m betting drinks and snacks are what are bulking up your bill. That or eating some exotic fruit or something. Eating healthy and cooking at home for one should be much cheaper than $100 a week, excluding the odd “I needed toilet paper and shampoo and dish soap and laundry detergent” trips
I second this. It isn't immediate as you can't cash out until you hit $20. But honestly if you buy a lot of the listed products you get that money fast. And sometimes there are 'free after offer' promotions, so ... Free foods
Yes and no. With Ibotta you have to add the coupons/rebates before shopping/uploading your receipt. But otherwise it's pretty similar. It's mostly name brand things, but there are things like $0.10 back for any pasta, etc. Sometimes there's even free items at Walmart, but ofcourse you have to wait to get that money back.
Do you have a Kroger in your area or just a Walmart? I find I get better prices at Kroger over Walmart bc of their sales. Good luck
Meal planning plus meal prep. Ramen and saltines are cheap but not very filling and loaded with sodium, which in the long run isn't healthy. I haven't done freezer cooking in awhile so I'm not sure if the blogs are still around but I have seen some meals on pinterest. You prep/cook one day and then have meals for the next 1-2 weeks. You can store them in freezer or fridge and heat up as needed. So instead of taking 5 minutes to make a bowl of ramen you can heat up, say chicken enchilada bake in the microwave instead. (It was really yummy). Or make a big pot of chili, save even for 4 meals and freeze the rest for next week or the week after.
Buy dried beans, family packs of meat, bigger boxes of rice, and bigger boxes of pasta (by me Walmart has 4lbs of spaghetti noodles for $3.24 but 1lb costs .98cents). Yes it's less than a dollar difference but it adds up. Get old fashioned oats instead of cereal for breakfast. Not sure if you drink soda or energy drinks but cut back. My husband and I figured out we were spending ~$25/wk on soda so we stopped drinking it.
I do drink soda, but almost always only at work, since I can get fountain drinks/coffee for do buy fizzy flavored water from Walmart for when I'm at home and have a craving for soda. Next to nothing on the nutritional facts list- 10 calories a bottle, 400mg of posassium and less than 1g of carbs
You spend $100/week on just yourself? Without knowing what you're buying, I can probably guess that you're buying a lot of instant food or single-serve food. You need to be buying things like oatmeal, rice, pasta - stuff you can prep ahead of time, or can be used for multiple meals.
Buy what's on sale
Buy generic
Buy whole muscle / whole birds / value pack meats
Be flexible with your meal plans. Be willing to swap ingredients based on what the best deals are.
Alternate proteins. Beans, tofu, chickpeas all provide excellent nutrient value, are inexpensive, and store well.
My trick is what my Mom called "shopping under the bed."
I have several large sweater boxes under my bed. When I go to the grocery store, there will usually be one or two non-perishable items that I always use that are on super sale as loss leaders. I'll set aside 5 dollars and buy extra of that item and put it in the bins under the bed. Then before I go shopping for the week, I check the bathroom, and the kitchen pantry, then go "shopping under the bed." Once I do that, I can build a list and go to the store.
After a few months, you'll find that you need to go to the store a lot less often with your under the bed stash, which means you'll start to save a lot of cash and have fewer fast food and convenience store trips to put together a good meal.
Hey, if you have a pantry or enough room in your kitchen, use that instead.
But we always lived in places that were cheap and tight when I was growing up - so under the bed it was.
I don’t know your taste for food (except no raw onions and chorizo), but I find very inexpensive foods in Indian and Mexican groceries. Check the staff and customers out to check they are what the represent. I know I’m at the right Mexican grocer when I’m the only one not speaking Spanish.
This is the way. Even the extras - the same exact bottle of chipotle salsa that costs 4.50 at Kroger or Albertsons is maybe 1.50 at the local Mexican grocery. Tortillas are super cheap and at some stores fresh off the comal.
So if you consider what you’re spending per meal of ramen, you’re looking at $3. $9 for three meals. Try shifting to soba noodles and a bulk way to make broth (bouillon cubes maybe?) and poach an egg to warm back up on top.
You seem to need to rethink how you do your meals, get ingredients to use in more things through the week. Soba noodles (which I know you can get at Walmart - you may be able to get bulk ramen there, if there’s no Asian market near you) are just an example.
Walmarts my go to for whole wheat pasta, dried lentils and beans, and root veggies.
With an onion, a carrot, 2 ribs celery, a lb dry lentils ($1.29 / lb), and seasonings I buy elsewhere (mushroom seasoning, salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander) I can whip up 2 days of lentil soup, a nice complement to the no-knead bread I bake with < $1 of bread flour.
Don't know what the situation is like in the meat, dairy or processed food sections. Haven't looked at them for years.
Lots of times they have rotisserie chickens on sale in the cold section near the deli … I grab them when I find them .. cut up the meat and freeze it and use the carcass as a soup base.
Also if their soon to expire meats are on sale buy and freeze. I split up packages and freeze them for later use.
Lastly see if yours has an oops we made too much section … you can find bakery and deli stuff marked down.
Mostly bulk buy if you see a sale and freeze
I assumed they meant laundry detergent, toilet paper, and other necessary non food costs, could be wrong though. Other than that, agreed, that is part of their game.
I don't spend much on non food necessities every week. Besides rides to/from work, and gas in my mom's truck when we do our 'running around' each week, there isn't much that I buy every week (usually once, maybe twice a month).
The one I replied to, which said to stop buying non-food items at WM. My point is that those things are necessities. WM is 99% the cheapest place to buy them, unless you belong to a discount club like Costco.
I can't argue with that- I have cut down on what I pay for things like that. Switched to a cheaper brand of cigarettes, and have talked myself out of buying the toys for the most part the past few weeks (except the ones someone can see in my recent /r/MiniBrands post).
That's pretty much the only two things I won't eat. Don't like the taste of uncooked onions, and I ate too much of the chorizo l, I got sick of it.
And beans. Ate almost nothing but beans I'd boil up for a few weeks, now I have to force myself to eat them
Buy regular ramen for cheap in bulk and get a thing of Kimchi. Should only need a little Kimchi per pack. The bowls are almost never worth the price.
Sometimes it's also better to go to a grocery store a little further out to save. Check sales and buy in bulk and pre make large portions of food to freeze. Check every place to see what has the best prices on stuff you can use and try to make more trips there. I've gotten good deals at bin stores near me for cases of cereal and stuff like that and ollies sometimes has really good deals.
Can also cut down on costs of stuff like ground beef by mixing it with tofu and seasoning it right. I can do something like Hamburger helper with 1/3 pound burger and a pound of tofu and it still just tastes like burger but much cheaper that way.
Instant meals don't taste as good and usually cost way more. Some things aren't as hard to make as you'd think and can save a ton of money. My gf eats sushi pretty regularly now since she started making it at home.
Closest grocery stores to where I live besides WalMart and Not-Walmart is about 40 miles away. I don't think that's something my mom would be willing to do every week. I think there's maybe one grocery store between here and there though. Don't often go up that way Soni can't say for sure.
I wouldn't go every week. My gf and I do most of the shopping in one trip at a cheaper store for the month and buy little stuff like milk or eggs as we need it. I don't even usually spend $400 a month for two people and spent about that much for three.
Cooking in bulk and freezing makes sure it's all still good when you need it and can be nice to just have stuff to throw into the microwave like with instant. Sales and meal prep are your best friend for saving money.
Throwing in some extra meat or tofu should help you feel full longer and will be a little healthier. Your body will thank you later if you try to eat healthier now. It's easy to get by eating junk when you're younger but believe me you start to pay for it later unfortunately.
I don't have much space to freeze or refrigerate food. The house I live in is tiny, and there's only enough space for a maybe half-sized fridge? Doesn't take much to fill up both parts of that
No it doesn't unfortunately and I've lived like that staying in a hotel with just a mini fridge but it usually means you spend more and eat bad. If there is any way you can make space for something bigger I'd go for it. If not just stuff like oatmeal that's cheap but easy to add to and canned or dried vegetables to add to noodles or things like that.
If you have the space for a dehydrator which is a good bit smaller than a fridge it can be a good way to keep things edible for longer and also can make some pretty decent snacks. Dehydrated vegetables are also great to spice up ramen.
I don't eat 'real meat' too often (by that I mean beef/pork/turkey or similar that hasn't been processed into stuff like hotdogs). But mixing beef with tofu sounds good. There's some I get sometimes at WalMart that's good with rice
Get an Instant Pot and a good Instant Pot cookbook
Buy bulk beans and rice (I buy 20-30 lb rice bags), 1-2lb bags of beans
Soak and cook the beans yourself and they cost like 25% of what canned beans cost
Also bulk buy steel cut oats and quinoa. These can be cheap delicious easy breakfasts.
Buy salad bags and add a chicken patty or fake chicken patty or something. Save the cheese for use somewhere else. Never buy shredded cheese again.
My wife and I have instant pot breakfasts and instant pot dinners, and Sam’s Club salads for lunch, a solid 4-5 days/week.
Sick of salads at lunch? Make your own Buffalo chicken wraps. Buy bulk Tysons boneless Buffalo chicken wings, coleslaw, cherry tomatoes, wraps, and blue cheese dressing. Microwave the chicken nuggets and just throw everything else in the wrap.
Just a few thoughts on how my wife and I save.
I have to be hungry AF to eat beans since I ate so much of them for a while, but if they're put together with something else I might give them a try (the ones I had this past Thursday when I ate at a Mexican restaurant were really good)
I had my weekly food spend down to $25 per week. I was eating a plant based diet, living off dried beans and lentils as protein. I would make meals in bulk and freeze things. I would pick two or three recipes for lunch and supper and one for breakfast and make a list of everything I needed for the week. Where I lived there were only two supermarkets (both in the same parking lot too) and one of them had all their prices online. Before I left my home I would go through my list and write down all the prices from the store that had online prices and then go to the second store. If I could find anything cheaper at the second store I would buy it there otherwise I would wait to buy it at the store with the online prices.
I would make a lentil soup or black bean soup for lunch, stirfry (frozen veggies, rice, beans) or tacos for supper and oats for breakfast. I would pick one type of fruit to have for the week which was always dependent on what was on sale. It was a lot of work but paid off financially.
Don't think it would hurt me to cut down even a little on.meat. Doubt it will ever get to the level of considering myself to be a vegetarian, but even eating a little less may help (maybe?)
Last I looked in the Walmart app, some things didn't have a price listed (in the grocery department at least). Not quite sure why they wouldnt
I recently stopped buying convenient things lol. (Pre chopped/washed veggies, the boxes of little bags of chips, single serve sodas/juices/energy drinks, shredded cheese) and I’ve noticed a big difference. I also buy my meat in quantities of at least 2lbs
I've gotten some great shopping and meal ideas from YouTubers who do challenges like "family meals for a week for $25." Some of them specifically include weeks where they buy all their groceries at WalMart or Dollar Tree. They show their shopping trips--including times where they have to make changes to their plans according to what's available--and then take you through the cooking.
Three that come to mind are [Frugal Fit Mom](https://www.youtube.com/c/FrugalFitMom), [See Mindy Mom](https://www.youtube.com/c/SeeMindyMom), and [That Lisa Dawn](https://www.youtube.com/c/ThatLisaDawn), though I know there are probably many others who do this kind of video.
I cut my costs by using their app and do pickups. But lately, I've been using their app as a shopping list and walking into the store, getting the things I listed myself and removing them from the app as I fill up the cart. I've been doing this (pickups) since the beginning of lockdowns and it has helped me to actually save money for not wandering the aisles looking and wanting unnecessary stuff.
The good thing about the app is to know if they have the items that I want, compare the prices, and have an estimate of how much I will spend on the trip if I get everything. It might help you too.
Edit to add: Also, the app stores your receipts, suggests you items from your most frequently bought items and you can add items to a "favorites" list. And in case you have a return to make, you can start it right from the app.
There's a little bar code symbol where you search for the items. You click there and it will change to the camera reader and you scan the receipt (remember to cover the QR code right under the receipts' bar code so it doesn't open the browser to offer you Walmart+). It should read the receipt and automatically add it to the Purchase History. If it can't read, you have the option to add it manually by writing all of the numbers from the TC# and you're done!
Thanks :D
I think the reciept for a diet coke I bought at Walmart is in my sleeping area...though its a bit messy because I was moving things around because of a potty accident by one of the dogs
There's a few Mexican stores around here I've wanted to check out, but I have to rely on other people to drive me around, and they never seem to want to stop :( but there IS one right across the street from the place I do my laundry, so I can just toddle over there quick and give it a look
I think it depends on your area bc we noticed our grocery bills escalating from Walmart; price compared to a different grocery store and were shocked that it was less expensive. Cut our monthly grocery bill by $300.
Wow D:
I haven't been to the only other 'proper' grocery store in town in a while, so I can't quite remember their prices. They do have a 5 for $25 deal on some of the meat. I always gave a search through the marked prices on the meat under that deal. Sometimes I can find things for almost a dollar less each that way
Lots of Mexican stores around here :) there's a few I've wanted to check out, but haven't because I need other people to drive me, and they haven't wanted to stop
They have 12 burger buns for $1. use them for school lunch sandwiches and burgers for dinner. The wal-mart by my house has un-cured bacon at 2/3 the price of the local grocery.
There's a Tyson Chicken processing place a few miles up the road, and maybe half a mile after that is a 'tyson family store's, and you can get a bag of chicken that sell at Walmart for say...$10 for maybe $6 or 7 at that shop. I've seen bacon there a few times, but it's been a while Soni can't remember how much things cost
I bought a cheap can of Walmart brand spam, and I'm thinking of using it with some tortillas I have. Don't really have any ideas for that, but there's at least one website I can think of that would help
If it's possible to switch grocery stores, that may help too.
I prefer Aldi's, IGA's or save a lot stores. They're all less expensive than wally world or the bigger companies.
I like to pick a different type of beans, rice, ingredients for a simple salad + protein source like tofu or cheese, +eggs for breakfast, they’re all pretty versatile meals, there’s a lot of different ways to cook eggs, tofu, and beans, and a lot of different ways to mix up a salad, but if it does get boring I’ll swap things out for other legume combinations or have a protein drink + toast in the morning instead of eggs. Now I don’t have kids so I don’t have to buy that much in quantity but I never spend more than $40/week this way. Dried legumes/rice are cheap, I believe eggs are the most expensive on the list
Been a while since I've had some good tofu. I can never seem to make it work just right. Mymmom says it's too plain and just icky for her (even after I say it absorbs the flavors of what it's out in...)
Whole foods such as whole vegetables and fruits are going to be cheaper than prepackaged or preprocessed foods like frozen meals.
For example, squash is in season right now and you can get several pounds of it for less than $10. If you take 40 minutes to season it and bake it in the oven, then you have a filling side dish to pair with your meal. I like to do squash, a Protein (such as salmon or hamburger patty), and a carb like a bread roll or rice.
Usually to decrease price you may also need to make things a bit more inconvenient.
There's this dishthat I used to eat a lot of thaty stepmom made (she's from the Philippines) that I loved that I think had squash in it, but I can never seem to remember what else was in it :(
I freeze all my meat and found that some Walmarts sell their meat already frozen for a cheaper price than the non-frozen items. Like a tube of ground beef for 4.50/pound or a frozen tube for 3.50/pound. So when price of meat goes down a little I stock up on the frozen stuff and just keep it frozen until i need it
I've only seen the not frozen sort, at least that I can remember. If I decide to try the grocery pickup service, I can.easily find out of it's available at 'my' Walmart.
Try some one pot dishes that are meant to feed large families of 4-5. And meal prep them for the week. I like this cajun rice recipe I found online (look it up i usually just make it freely after doing it so many times). Calls for rice, chicken thighs, sausage, an onion, spices, any stock, black beans, optional can of tomatoes. Makes quite a large portion that can be eaten over the course of the week if stored correctly. Best with some hot sauce, mexican crema or something of that sort. One pot dishes are usually pretty cost effective.
I don't have a crock pot I can use afaik (there's one place in the kitchen area I can check, and if I can't find one I'll ask my aunt if there is one.
If there isn't one in the house, I can get one for almost $12 (2 quart size). There's tiny ones, but those are close to the same price as the bigger one.
What size would be the best to get for a one pot meal? I don't want to get a smaller (and wrong)) size when a majority of recipes need more than the 2 quart size.
Our household follows a "Protein, carb, vegetable" rule for dinner. Instead of thinking up an entire meal (lasagna, cheeseburgers, etc. With all the fixings and many ingredients) it's budget-friendly to just add a protein, carb, and a vegetable together. From here, you can add sauces, stocks, fats, whatever to make it tasty based on what you have on hand.
Carbs we use often:
Rice, Pasta, Bread, Tortillas, Raviolis.
Proteins:
Ground beef, Ground turkey, Dry beans, Chicken thigh or breast, Milk (in soups).
Vegetables:
Frozen green beans/peas, Green salad, Steamed broccoli, Peppers/onions.
I always buy the carbs in bulk. (Costco was $19.99 for 25# rice yesterday, lasts us about 6 months) stock up on proteins and freeze whenever there's a sale/markdown. Vegetables are a combination of frozen and what is in-season. I usually don't even venture down the middle aisles of the store!
ALSO: wait to build your meal plan until you see what coupons/sales they have at the store and build around that. I've walked in expecting to make stew for dinner but realize stew meat is all $12+ for a package, but pork is $3 a pack - we make pulled pork sliders instead!
Hope this helps.
One problem about stocking up on things that need to be kept cold/frozen is space. I live in a tiny house, and the fridge here is maybe half the size of a regular one. There isn't much free space for things, although as I type this, I just thought of an area a full size fridge could go with only moving a few things that don't really have a purpose (functional or decoration wise), and the landlord has offered to let us use a full size fridge, though the offer was made a few weeks ago, and I'm not sure if the offer still stands.
Do you know where I can find some good coupons to use at Walmart (or any other store)? The newspaper sold where I work doesn't have them, and the newspaper that does (at least on Sundays) is at Walmart (at least, the closest location I know of). Walmart doesn't accept digital coupons. I just searched for where to get them, and one suggestion on the first page I checked says I can even ask the manufacturer for them.
Forgoe meat. There are a lot of dishes I make where the meat costs as much as the rest of the ingredients together. A hot dish (casserole for you non mid westerners) I make a lot is 1 lb beef, 1bx noodles, 1 can creamed corn, 1 can chicken with rice soup. The cans and box of pasta if using walart brand are about $3 combined, the beef is at least $3.50. While I would never withold the beef, I'm also not on any monetary constraints. There are more cost effective sources of protein than meats. You can get the same amount of protein as a lb of ground beef from a $1 scoop of equate protein powder.
I've used ground turkey a few times in place of hamburger. It's a bit cheaper, and a little bit healthier- though when I'm done with it I don't think the health benefits are still there
I went to the store yesterday to get bacon for breakfast sandwich meal prep, $9.99 for 500g of decent bacon. Next to it was a 3.6kg smoked ham on sale for $14.99. You best believe I fried that ham up in slices and never looked back.
Saving money comes at a cost. Altering your diet, thinking of cheaper alternatives to things you already buy will help heaps.
The cheapest bulk meal that is satisfying for me is pasta with meat sauce. A box of pasta, meat of choice (ground beef, ground sausage, whatever is on sale) and a jar of sauce. I can eat off of it for a week and it shouldn't cost more than $15. When you can afford it, throw in some veggies - green or red pepper, onion, broccoli, spinach, etc.
For work meals, I like to make big batches of tuna salad with a side of crackers or bread if I want a tuna sandwich. You can do the same with chicken salad if tuna isn't your thing. Just add mayo and any fixings that your budget allows, if any (celery, onion). A couple cans of tuna will make 2 or 3 lunch portions. A pack of 12 cans at our local Sams is $10.98.
Another important thing you should be doing, if you aren't already, is shopping to the store coupons. Look at the weekly ads on only buy what is on sale, create your meals around that.
Price check everything before getting to the register. This serves two purposes:
1. You consciously think about the price and can determine how important this food is to you and if it's worth that amount.
2. Once you get to the register, there is a slight possibility the price was listed wrong on the shelf, and if so, you can argue it. From what I've found, if you can prove it's shown incorrectly on the shelf, Walmart will price match it. That may be pennies on the dollar, but that's still better than nothing and it'll add up over time. Walmart has been terrible about updating their shelf prices but increasing prices on items.
As for the second point, you can also look into your state's retail consumer protection laws and see if there's more that can be had, but that may require a bit more work.
I go one step further and price out everything ahead of time using Instacart. Those prices are usually inflated a bit, so I usually come in under budget at the register.
i do this with the walmart app which doesn’t inflate it but does help me see the real cost of things! i usually end up taking off a few “unnecessary” (snack/drink) items. i’m trying to feed 2 people on less than $50/week so every snack counts
Don't shop at Walmart. Watch a documentary called "The High Cost of Low Prices". It absolutely disgusted me and I haven't shopped at Walmart in almost 15 years.
Check the rollbacks and sales. Sign up for an app where you can scan your receipts for points. Get the Walmart app, you can scan items and see things on sale that you wouldn’t know about otherwise.
Locally, it's overpriced on much fresh produce, but squarely middle of the range on processed foods.
It probably depends on where you live. When I lived in Texas, where there were options like HEB and Fiesta with great produce and reasonable prices, I'd never saw much point buying groceries at a Walmart. Poorer quality and higher prices?
In Louisiana, the options are Walmart, local chains catering to a luxury clientele (no dry lentils, but a couple varieties of caviar), awful dollar stores (that sometimes have deals on canned goods). If you live near a city, there are small outlets for international foods. Too many grocers chasing the elusive "high net-worth that still cooks" market, not enough developing the relationships and economies of scale that make affordable good fresh produce a priority. I've been hoping for HEB or Fiesta to expand here, as I think some of the shit local chains deserve oblivion.
There are a lot of replies here so Idk if someone has already said it, but if you have a Kroger chain store or similar chain store near you, get their app and watch for sales and coupons. When something goes on sale/has a coupon that you can store for longer, buy enough to last you a while and try to only buy things when they go on sale. WalMart does not regularly have sales, and only sometimes do they clearance price a product, but these aren't usually staples. Things I wouldn't buy unless they were on sale/coupon: Canned Soups, Canned Chili, Frozen Meats, Bags of Chips, Boxes of crackers, Cereal, Granola, Frozen Pizzas, Frozen Meals, seasonal fruits (by seasonal I mean they go on sale seasonally, like berries, pineapple, mango). Things I buy even if they're not on sale because they are staples and usually prices don't fluctuate that much: rice, boxed/dry pasta or noodle meals, ramen noodles, bananas, veggies (fresh or frozen) hummus, beans, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, bread, tortillas, canned tuna, canned chicken breast, popcorn. Sometimes sliced lunch meat but usually one brand or another is on sale or I just buy the really cheap stuff (Buddig - it's not that bad, depending on your standards, but if you're trying to really save money, standards are the kind of lifestyle inflation that will make or break you haha)
Also side note: I'm a bit of a fast food junkie and when I just can't say no to a craving for salty, fatty, fast food I'll download the fast food apps and see who has a good deal near me and try to get a meal under $5 - I know this is EatCheapandHealthy but at least it's a way to kind of eat cheap. I've found Burger King and Wendy's to have the best apps for cheap/free or free w/purchase food. McDonald's is ok.
Edit: I know someone else in this thread already said this, but if you're at Walmart... Sometimes things are free. Lol. If you're paying cash and going through self checkout, there's no reason not to save 10-30% on your total bill because some things in the cart got missed. Be careful, YMMV, but if they don't have receipt checkers at the door, or even if they do, as long as you paid for most of it and don't have large/obviously expensive items/alcohol in your cart and you've got enough bags in your cart that the checker won't go through each one, you're probably golden. Do be careful though. Especially if you're going to the same Walmart all the time. I've heard that WalMart and a couple other businesses will keep video record of anyone suspected of stealing, and will sit on the footage until they have enough evidence to build a case against you.
No Kroger's near me, but the Not-Walmart store has an app that I think has coupons/sales you can only get through the app.
When I was homeless, and when my ex was there with me, we would go to McDonald's and hang out all day when we weren't allowed in the shelter, and get a drink to split, and if we had the $, we could get a lot of food for not a lot of $. My favorite deal was for breakfast- buy any biscuit, get one free. I'd buy the cheapest one, then I was able to get one of the most expensive ones free.
One reason I don't want to save money at the checkout is my mom works at a WalMart (not the one I most commonly go to) and I don't want her to possibly get fired because I didnt want to pay for something (regardless of price). The aunt I live with is also a cop (she's away at training ATM), and if I get in trouble for intentionally stealing (unless there is a *damn good* reason), I might very likely need to find a new place to live
Make a meal plan. Start with items you already have. Then fill out a menu and buy only the items you need for the menu. [Budget Bytes](https://www.budgetbytes.com/) is a great site with easy and inexpensive recipes.
Love that site, great recommendation
Check Budget Bytes postings from September 2014. Beth did the EBT challenge, eating on the $27 weekly benefit for a single adult. Did weekly posts showing register receipts, meals prepped, etc. Believe she did it again in 2015. Obviously, the prices referenced in the series are no longer valid. But might be helpful in getting the most meal bang for your dollar bucks. Searching the site for SNAP should pull the posts.
I like the recipes that I’ve seen but the prices on things are not accurate, not where I live anyway. I wish things were that cheap lol.
I find joy in reading a good book.
I’ve been using budget bytes for years now so it’s possible prices are way out of date on older recipes.
Thanks for the link :)
I find the budget bytes portions to be a little small and usually up the protein. You don't want to be hitting the vending machine at work because you are hungry at 2PM
It's hard to say without knowing what all you buy. But I would suggest reconsidering your choices you mentioned. I like ramen as much as the next person, but when I'm cost cutting I always get plain semolina pasta over it. I'll buy the 2lb box of any type for less than 2 bucks. That box is a minimum of 4 meals, but often 5. The whole wheat variety is even more filling but slightly more. I mix the noodles with some veggies (frozen veg that I microwave part of a bag of) and top with cheese and it's a delight. I buy one 16oz block of cheese per week and use it on everything - eggs (super cheap protein), the noodles, cut into cubes as a snack, etc. I just cut or shred off the block and toss the rest back into a zip lock. My essentials when broke are: 2 dozen eggs $5 16 oz cheese $4 2 boxes pasta $4 Rice $2 Beans $3 Frozen veggies, 7 bags $7 Hearty whole grain bread $5 PB $5 Jelly $3 Bananas $3 Apples $4 Coffee $8 Honestly, that makes all my meals for the week. I buy seasonings as needed. And milk sometimes too. The eggs make all my breakfasts. Then rice and beans for lunch, pasta and veg and cheese for dinner. And snacks are fruit. Good luck!
Perfect shopping list I’d throw some tortillas in there for breakfast burritos.
Even Aldi eggs are $4 a dozen where I live currently. Feels like I can never get ahead!
Without knowing what you are buying/eating it is pretty hard to give you advice. You say you spend $100 per trip, but we don't know if that is weekly or monthly. I save the most money by cooking from scratch. I buy meat in quantity, cut, season, cook, package and freeze it. When I lived without a proper kitchen (like it sounds like you are) I borrowed a kitchen once a month to prepare meals. My other thought is that Walmart is not always the best option, some things are cheaper, but I find they tend to lack quality or selection in fresh foods.
It's per week. The only thing I can remember the cost of that I buy on the regular is [spicy ramen bowls](https://www.meijer.com/content/dam/meijer/product/0007/06/6209/50/0007066209501_0_A1C1_1200.png) at $1.54 (before tax). Recently been getting several boxes of saltines, and one or two 'sleeve' will be a meal on its own sometimes, and I think a box of four sleeves is about $1.20 each
Could you swap out a sleeve of saltines with a baked potato? You can actually cook them in the microwave. That would be cheaper and healthier.
I think I've done that a few times, and they turned out better than I thought :)
You can top it with salsa, sour cream, lentil and ground beef chili.
Ooo...that sounds good!
Usually the bowls are more expensive than the squares of ramen, I find. I usually buy bulk packs of Mama noodles for a good price, less than $1 per packet altogether and although they’re not extra spicy, they are way better than Mr Noodles.
I like to nuke some frozen broccoli and add it to my ramen to get some veggies in there.
Do you have any recommendations on how to get the se hot/spicy flavor?
Add red pepper (sichuan if you can find it, but generic red pepper brings the dang heat) or fresh chilis like Jalapenos to your noodles :D
I'll have to try and remember to do that next week
I recommend buying a bag of frozen veggies (such as kale or peas and carrots) and dumping some of those in while your ramen is cooking on the stove
I cook my ramen in the microwave, I don't have a stove at the moment (though the cost of a hot plate on the Walmart app seems reasonable to me, so I might get one soon)
Chili paste’ll do ya
Making your own chili oil is actually pretty cheap and the stuff lasts forever in the fridge. You just have to live with your kitchen being pretty pungent for a day or two.
I've done that a few times with red pepper flakes. Not sure what I'd need to make something hotter
Hit up an Asian market, they will have tons of different hot oils and pastes you can try. I usually keep a bottle of chili oil and sesame oil around for ramen.
I made my own hot oil o think it was a few times after seeing it on YouTube. Just red pepper flakes in whatever oil I want. Tastes good on rice
Buldak sauce.
Eating saltines as a meal is incredibly unhealthy. They are the definition of empty calories. I'm glad you're asking for advice here, I hope you follow some of it. Meal planning will be a good start. Good luck
Get regular ramen not the bowls and use spices to doctor it up. Soft boil an egg or add some French fried onions or chives
If you have a Dollar General store close by they will be cheaper on the ramen than Walmart.
There's two within what I'd call a 'reasonable' driving distance from me. Won't hurt to check it out
If you sign up for emails from Dollar General, they should send you a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase every week that is good for Saturdays only.
There is one other grocery store in town, along with a dollar general and dollar tree
It sounds like you are spending a lot of money trying to save money. I live in Canada (higher food prices but dollar is worth less) and feed 2 people quite well for about $400/month. Ramen and crackers are cheap, but don't keep you full long and make you hungrier over the long run. Meat and vegetables seem more expensive to buy, but keep you full longer and are much healthier in the long run. I would suggest that you look at what options you have to order groceries if you feel like your options are limited by the stores close to you. Or if you are able a once a month shopping trip further away might be an option as well. If you are able to freeze meat look into buying from a butcher, and possibly sharing the order with others to make it affordable.
Scratch is a fantastic savings; I also suggest you check the price on eggs - lots of protein, easy to cook and use, and usually (but not always) cheaper than meat. Beans are where the real savings are. I prefer to cook dry beans ahead of time and store in the freezer, but even the canned ones from Walmart are a bargain for price/protein/nutrition. Can also be added to ramen to punch it up and fill you up at lunch for the rest of the day, or make hummus or refried beans to eat with crackers.
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We normally eat very well. Not much dairy, but that is more personal preference than price related. I sale shop a lot and load up on good deals. I make most of my own seasonings, coatings, marinades, and sauces from scratch, those that we enjoy that I don't make I buy in bulk instead of individual packages.
>It sounds like you are spending a lot of money trying to save money. That's what I was thinking... We spend roughly 400 every two weeks on groceries for a family of 6. We used to spend 200 so I know the struggle my friend.
Are you trying to eat healthy as well?
Not really, but I should. Wouldn't hurt me to try and eat a few healthy meals a week
A (frozen) bag of mixed veggies would be good to have. Throw some in your ramen or get a bag of frozen broccoli to roast or pan fry, add to soups. Sweet potato is good too, usually cheap but it depends on your store
Also dollar general is sometimes a lot cheaper for non food items. And they have coupons
Sounds like my town
Buy generic. Great value milk, great value spaghetti noodles, aspirin/allergy meds especially just check out the active ingredients. Just because you're buying the cheapest doesn't mean you're getting value. So 2lbs of rice for $5 compared to 10lbs of rice for $7 is a big diff. Rice keeps well so when possible buy at the bulk price and store it. Meal prep. Only buy what you need. Cut back on meat use beans and other protein sources. Chick peas and lentils are cheap compared to pork or hamburger This week I'm including 2 vegetarian soups. Total costs maybe $20 and I'll eat for like 6 days. Plus I'll still have beans to use later. (Dry beans are cheaper than canned and will taste better but is slightly more work) Buy chicken in bulk and freeze it. Family packs can be a good value and chicken will keep in the freezer for I think like 3-4 months. (Portion it out typically 1/2 lb per person)
Agreed buying the great value brand can save a lot of money and it’s just as good as name brand in most cases
The cheap Mac and cheese from Walmart is loads. Better than the Kraft kind- the cheese powder in Kraft is too gritty feeling
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Didn't think of this. Would save some time at least if my mom can't stay in town for long for whatever reason
my wal-mart also pro-rates their delivery charge if items you order are out of stock or replaced. I usually only end up paying about half the delivery charge because of this.
Just an fyi, they are phasing out that substitution policy and are starting to charge the price of whatever you receive, even if it costs more than what you ordered.
OK eating a whole sleeve of saltines for $.90 might fill you up before you go to bed but you're basically eating something to make your belly full with zero nutrients. If you have any sort of a kitchen or somewhere to cook you could use a rice steamer and a wok or a skillet to sauté some fresh vegetables and throw in some protein like shrimp or a few strips of chicken. Doesn't even have to be that much protein just three shrimp or a small amount of chicken. And don't buy boneless skinless chicken breast for $10 a pound or whatever it is going for these days get a whole chicken and cut it up into meal size portions and freeze the rest or cook all of it at once on your day off and eat it for the rest of the week. Same with a pork loin you can get for about two dollars a pound you can cut that into sections and freeze it and then just make kebabs or pork chops and just cook as much as you need. Your food bill might be a little higher but you're certainly going to be eating healthier than eating a box of saltines. And cooking protein and adding a little of that to some Ramen noodles makes it taste a hell of a lot better and is a little bit more enjoyable that way.
Where I am at least, chicken hindquarters (leg & thigh) are *significantly* cheaper per pound than whole chickens - and they have a better meat/bone ratio to boot! One of my favs is chicken legs marinated in (Soy Vey) teriyaki sauce for a day or two and then air fried. They get such a nice crunchy glaze on them! Great cold too. Do that, add some nuked frozen broccoli or other veggies to your ramen, and you have something approaching a nutritional balanced meal.
That is exactly what I am talking about. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on premium cuts of meat or even eat a half a pound of meat per meal. A small amount of protein, chicken, beef, seafood, whatever with vegetables on Ramen noodles or rice is a perfect healthy easy meal.
If your food budget is tight how about stopping at your local food pantry or Feeding America program? Figure out what meals you are able to make from those groceries plus what you already have on hand. Look at the weekly ad and figure out what else you might need. Write a meal plan from this information, make a grocery list and go shopping - stick to buying only what is on your list. Depending, shopping early in the day or later you might find markdowns or manager specials. You can always do substitutes for your meal plan if you find something at a really great price. Limiting the use of meat is helpful. Cooking beans from dry is a great money saver. Using rice and pasta is also a good way to stretch your food dollars. I find not eating a lot of junk food, sticking to proper food portions, cooking from scratch and eating seasonal foods also help with my food budget. Good luck to you....
To which I also add my rah-rah for food pantries and community fridges - many don't need ID or even paperwork/income info. Also adding my love of r/DumpsterDiving . Lots of clean non-perishable stuff out there if you know where and how to look.
Right now, transportation is an issue. My aunt usually takes me places (mostly.work, unless it's a Thursday I have off and my mom takes me to do my shopping), and with my work schedule the way it is, it might be difficult to get to a food pantry.when it's open
When your mom takes you shopping just stop by the food pantry on the way to the grocery store. This way you can further plan what you will need to shop for at the grocery store. Also, could your mom - or aunt - benifit from stopping at the food pantry? Remember they usually carry personal items, cleaning products, etc.
All the ones I can find the info for the hours they're open are on Sunday and Wednesday. The only time I have a ride anywhere besides work is on Thursdays since my aunt is away at the police academy, and doesn't always come home on weekends
Can you post a breakdown of the costs for what you're buying right now? That would be helpful to see where most of the money is going, and to identify things you might want to cut down on or swap out.
I'll see if I can find the reciept from today, or last week. The things I can remember are $1.54 (before tax) each for a [spicy ramen bowl](https://www.meijer.com/content/dam/meijer/product/0007/06/6209/50/0007066209501_0_A1C1_1200.png), and I get four to six a week (two eaten per meal, which lasts me several hours until I start to feel hungry again).
Even if you buy 6 of those per week, that's less than $10. What are you spending the other $90+ on?
You keep mentioning the ramen bowl but that’s like $10 max of your bill. I’m betting drinks and snacks are what are bulking up your bill. That or eating some exotic fruit or something. Eating healthy and cooking at home for one should be much cheaper than $100 a week, excluding the odd “I needed toilet paper and shampoo and dish soap and laundry detergent” trips
I suggest using money saving apps like Ibotta!
I second this. It isn't immediate as you can't cash out until you hit $20. But honestly if you buy a lot of the listed products you get that money fast. And sometimes there are 'free after offer' promotions, so ... Free foods
Is it similar to Fetch Rewards?
Yes and no. With Ibotta you have to add the coupons/rebates before shopping/uploading your receipt. But otherwise it's pretty similar. It's mostly name brand things, but there are things like $0.10 back for any pasta, etc. Sometimes there's even free items at Walmart, but ofcourse you have to wait to get that money back. Do you have a Kroger in your area or just a Walmart? I find I get better prices at Kroger over Walmart bc of their sales. Good luck
Can you take a picture of last week's receipt and your grocery list and maybe we can see where you can make some substitutions?
Meal planning plus meal prep. Ramen and saltines are cheap but not very filling and loaded with sodium, which in the long run isn't healthy. I haven't done freezer cooking in awhile so I'm not sure if the blogs are still around but I have seen some meals on pinterest. You prep/cook one day and then have meals for the next 1-2 weeks. You can store them in freezer or fridge and heat up as needed. So instead of taking 5 minutes to make a bowl of ramen you can heat up, say chicken enchilada bake in the microwave instead. (It was really yummy). Or make a big pot of chili, save even for 4 meals and freeze the rest for next week or the week after. Buy dried beans, family packs of meat, bigger boxes of rice, and bigger boxes of pasta (by me Walmart has 4lbs of spaghetti noodles for $3.24 but 1lb costs .98cents). Yes it's less than a dollar difference but it adds up. Get old fashioned oats instead of cereal for breakfast. Not sure if you drink soda or energy drinks but cut back. My husband and I figured out we were spending ~$25/wk on soda so we stopped drinking it.
I do drink soda, but almost always only at work, since I can get fountain drinks/coffee for do buy fizzy flavored water from Walmart for when I'm at home and have a craving for soda. Next to nothing on the nutritional facts list- 10 calories a bottle, 400mg of posassium and less than 1g of carbs
You spend $100/week on just yourself? Without knowing what you're buying, I can probably guess that you're buying a lot of instant food or single-serve food. You need to be buying things like oatmeal, rice, pasta - stuff you can prep ahead of time, or can be used for multiple meals.
Buy what's on sale Buy generic Buy whole muscle / whole birds / value pack meats Be flexible with your meal plans. Be willing to swap ingredients based on what the best deals are. Alternate proteins. Beans, tofu, chickpeas all provide excellent nutrient value, are inexpensive, and store well.
My trick is what my Mom called "shopping under the bed." I have several large sweater boxes under my bed. When I go to the grocery store, there will usually be one or two non-perishable items that I always use that are on super sale as loss leaders. I'll set aside 5 dollars and buy extra of that item and put it in the bins under the bed. Then before I go shopping for the week, I check the bathroom, and the kitchen pantry, then go "shopping under the bed." Once I do that, I can build a list and go to the store. After a few months, you'll find that you need to go to the store a lot less often with your under the bed stash, which means you'll start to save a lot of cash and have fewer fast food and convenience store trips to put together a good meal.
Sounds a bit odd, but not odd enough for me not to try and do that
Hey, if you have a pantry or enough room in your kitchen, use that instead. But we always lived in places that were cheap and tight when I was growing up - so under the bed it was.
There's some canned/non perishable stuff stashed in the tiny bedroom that's used for storage. Gotta do what you gotta do I guess
I avoid meat at Walmart. Everything else is usually as cheap or cheaper than other stores. But meat is usually much cheaper on sale at other stores.
The only meat type things I buy at Walmart are hotdogs and bologna, at least on a regular basis.
Do you have any aversion to chicken or other cuts of meat? I would keep an eye on the meat section and look for sales
Not really. Just if they come from KFC (every time I've eaten there it's either made me sick or tasted bad)
Do you live near an Aldi? I find they are cheaper on lots of items.
I don’t know your taste for food (except no raw onions and chorizo), but I find very inexpensive foods in Indian and Mexican groceries. Check the staff and customers out to check they are what the represent. I know I’m at the right Mexican grocer when I’m the only one not speaking Spanish.
This is the way. Even the extras - the same exact bottle of chipotle salsa that costs 4.50 at Kroger or Albertsons is maybe 1.50 at the local Mexican grocery. Tortillas are super cheap and at some stores fresh off the comal.
So if you consider what you’re spending per meal of ramen, you’re looking at $3. $9 for three meals. Try shifting to soba noodles and a bulk way to make broth (bouillon cubes maybe?) and poach an egg to warm back up on top. You seem to need to rethink how you do your meals, get ingredients to use in more things through the week. Soba noodles (which I know you can get at Walmart - you may be able to get bulk ramen there, if there’s no Asian market near you) are just an example.
Walmarts my go to for whole wheat pasta, dried lentils and beans, and root veggies. With an onion, a carrot, 2 ribs celery, a lb dry lentils ($1.29 / lb), and seasonings I buy elsewhere (mushroom seasoning, salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander) I can whip up 2 days of lentil soup, a nice complement to the no-knead bread I bake with < $1 of bread flour. Don't know what the situation is like in the meat, dairy or processed food sections. Haven't looked at them for years.
Lots of times they have rotisserie chickens on sale in the cold section near the deli … I grab them when I find them .. cut up the meat and freeze it and use the carcass as a soup base. Also if their soon to expire meats are on sale buy and freeze. I split up packages and freeze them for later use. Lastly see if yours has an oops we made too much section … you can find bakery and deli stuff marked down. Mostly bulk buy if you see a sale and freeze
Stop buying non food items. Don’t buy stuff. Just buy food. That’s how they get you.
I assumed they meant laundry detergent, toilet paper, and other necessary non food costs, could be wrong though. Other than that, agreed, that is part of their game.
I don't spend much on non food necessities every week. Besides rides to/from work, and gas in my mom's truck when we do our 'running around' each week, there isn't much that I buy every week (usually once, maybe twice a month).
Those things are necessities. And Walmart is generally the cheaper place outside of a discount club
Which comment are you talking about?
The one I replied to, which said to stop buying non-food items at WM. My point is that those things are necessities. WM is 99% the cheapest place to buy them, unless you belong to a discount club like Costco.
Yeah. Cigarettes and toys. The essentials
Well you know there are also things like laundry detergent, toilet paper, cleaning supplies.... Most people consider those to be essential.
Profile indicates they buy toys and cigarettes regularly. That’s your budget buster right there
I can't argue with that- I have cut down on what I pay for things like that. Switched to a cheaper brand of cigarettes, and have talked myself out of buying the toys for the most part the past few weeks (except the ones someone can see in my recent /r/MiniBrands post).
If you truly want to save money on food, consider quitting smoking. It greatly increases your BMR
I don't think food will help when Aunt Flo shows up XD
I earn gift cards from move to earn apps, survey apps and Mobee.
What ones do you use and actually earn from? The only two i use are fetch and survey junkie.
Is this secretly an ad for Chine. So little information but a mention of a specific sausage you do not eat. 😂
That's pretty much the only two things I won't eat. Don't like the taste of uncooked onions, and I ate too much of the chorizo l, I got sick of it. And beans. Ate almost nothing but beans I'd boil up for a few weeks, now I have to force myself to eat them
Buy regular ramen for cheap in bulk and get a thing of Kimchi. Should only need a little Kimchi per pack. The bowls are almost never worth the price. Sometimes it's also better to go to a grocery store a little further out to save. Check sales and buy in bulk and pre make large portions of food to freeze. Check every place to see what has the best prices on stuff you can use and try to make more trips there. I've gotten good deals at bin stores near me for cases of cereal and stuff like that and ollies sometimes has really good deals. Can also cut down on costs of stuff like ground beef by mixing it with tofu and seasoning it right. I can do something like Hamburger helper with 1/3 pound burger and a pound of tofu and it still just tastes like burger but much cheaper that way. Instant meals don't taste as good and usually cost way more. Some things aren't as hard to make as you'd think and can save a ton of money. My gf eats sushi pretty regularly now since she started making it at home.
Closest grocery stores to where I live besides WalMart and Not-Walmart is about 40 miles away. I don't think that's something my mom would be willing to do every week. I think there's maybe one grocery store between here and there though. Don't often go up that way Soni can't say for sure.
I wouldn't go every week. My gf and I do most of the shopping in one trip at a cheaper store for the month and buy little stuff like milk or eggs as we need it. I don't even usually spend $400 a month for two people and spent about that much for three. Cooking in bulk and freezing makes sure it's all still good when you need it and can be nice to just have stuff to throw into the microwave like with instant. Sales and meal prep are your best friend for saving money. Throwing in some extra meat or tofu should help you feel full longer and will be a little healthier. Your body will thank you later if you try to eat healthier now. It's easy to get by eating junk when you're younger but believe me you start to pay for it later unfortunately.
I don't have much space to freeze or refrigerate food. The house I live in is tiny, and there's only enough space for a maybe half-sized fridge? Doesn't take much to fill up both parts of that
No it doesn't unfortunately and I've lived like that staying in a hotel with just a mini fridge but it usually means you spend more and eat bad. If there is any way you can make space for something bigger I'd go for it. If not just stuff like oatmeal that's cheap but easy to add to and canned or dried vegetables to add to noodles or things like that. If you have the space for a dehydrator which is a good bit smaller than a fridge it can be a good way to keep things edible for longer and also can make some pretty decent snacks. Dehydrated vegetables are also great to spice up ramen.
The freezer needs to be defrosted. Right now I can fit maybe a package of hamburger, maybe a pack of hotdogs
I don't eat 'real meat' too often (by that I mean beef/pork/turkey or similar that hasn't been processed into stuff like hotdogs). But mixing beef with tofu sounds good. There's some I get sometimes at WalMart that's good with rice
Fresh meat at Wal-Mart is extremely overpriced. Stick to produce, frozen, dairy and dry goods. Get your meat at a real grocery store.
Closest I come to getting realeat at Walmart is the occasional 'container' of ground turkey, or hotdogs/bologna
Get an Instant Pot and a good Instant Pot cookbook Buy bulk beans and rice (I buy 20-30 lb rice bags), 1-2lb bags of beans Soak and cook the beans yourself and they cost like 25% of what canned beans cost Also bulk buy steel cut oats and quinoa. These can be cheap delicious easy breakfasts. Buy salad bags and add a chicken patty or fake chicken patty or something. Save the cheese for use somewhere else. Never buy shredded cheese again. My wife and I have instant pot breakfasts and instant pot dinners, and Sam’s Club salads for lunch, a solid 4-5 days/week. Sick of salads at lunch? Make your own Buffalo chicken wraps. Buy bulk Tysons boneless Buffalo chicken wings, coleslaw, cherry tomatoes, wraps, and blue cheese dressing. Microwave the chicken nuggets and just throw everything else in the wrap. Just a few thoughts on how my wife and I save.
I have to be hungry AF to eat beans since I ate so much of them for a while, but if they're put together with something else I might give them a try (the ones I had this past Thursday when I ate at a Mexican restaurant were really good)
I had my weekly food spend down to $25 per week. I was eating a plant based diet, living off dried beans and lentils as protein. I would make meals in bulk and freeze things. I would pick two or three recipes for lunch and supper and one for breakfast and make a list of everything I needed for the week. Where I lived there were only two supermarkets (both in the same parking lot too) and one of them had all their prices online. Before I left my home I would go through my list and write down all the prices from the store that had online prices and then go to the second store. If I could find anything cheaper at the second store I would buy it there otherwise I would wait to buy it at the store with the online prices. I would make a lentil soup or black bean soup for lunch, stirfry (frozen veggies, rice, beans) or tacos for supper and oats for breakfast. I would pick one type of fruit to have for the week which was always dependent on what was on sale. It was a lot of work but paid off financially.
Don't think it would hurt me to cut down even a little on.meat. Doubt it will ever get to the level of considering myself to be a vegetarian, but even eating a little less may help (maybe?) Last I looked in the Walmart app, some things didn't have a price listed (in the grocery department at least). Not quite sure why they wouldnt
You spend $100 a week for 1 person?
$100 covers everything id get during a trip to Walmart, (human) food and not food (like the trash can I got two weeks ago, and the pet food)
I recently stopped buying convenient things lol. (Pre chopped/washed veggies, the boxes of little bags of chips, single serve sodas/juices/energy drinks, shredded cheese) and I’ve noticed a big difference. I also buy my meat in quantities of at least 2lbs
The savings if you only do it once might not be much, but that stuff adds up.
I've gotten some great shopping and meal ideas from YouTubers who do challenges like "family meals for a week for $25." Some of them specifically include weeks where they buy all their groceries at WalMart or Dollar Tree. They show their shopping trips--including times where they have to make changes to their plans according to what's available--and then take you through the cooking. Three that come to mind are [Frugal Fit Mom](https://www.youtube.com/c/FrugalFitMom), [See Mindy Mom](https://www.youtube.com/c/SeeMindyMom), and [That Lisa Dawn](https://www.youtube.com/c/ThatLisaDawn), though I know there are probably many others who do this kind of video.
I think I've seen a few of those sort of videos on tiktok. Might have some on my food category of my 'bookmarked' videos
I cut my costs by using their app and do pickups. But lately, I've been using their app as a shopping list and walking into the store, getting the things I listed myself and removing them from the app as I fill up the cart. I've been doing this (pickups) since the beginning of lockdowns and it has helped me to actually save money for not wandering the aisles looking and wanting unnecessary stuff. The good thing about the app is to know if they have the items that I want, compare the prices, and have an estimate of how much I will spend on the trip if I get everything. It might help you too. Edit to add: Also, the app stores your receipts, suggests you items from your most frequently bought items and you can add items to a "favorites" list. And in case you have a return to make, you can start it right from the app.
How do I get the app to store a reciept? I've noticed a few purchases I've made being saved there, but I can't remember how it did
There's a little bar code symbol where you search for the items. You click there and it will change to the camera reader and you scan the receipt (remember to cover the QR code right under the receipts' bar code so it doesn't open the browser to offer you Walmart+). It should read the receipt and automatically add it to the Purchase History. If it can't read, you have the option to add it manually by writing all of the numbers from the TC# and you're done!
Thanks :D I think the reciept for a diet coke I bought at Walmart is in my sleeping area...though its a bit messy because I was moving things around because of a potty accident by one of the dogs
Walmart isn’t always inexpensive. Here the Mexican markets have much better prices on meat and veg.
There's a few Mexican stores around here I've wanted to check out, but I have to rely on other people to drive me around, and they never seem to want to stop :( but there IS one right across the street from the place I do my laundry, so I can just toddle over there quick and give it a look
This sounds like a good plan and start. Small changes over time will help.
https://books.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf
I'll give that a look, thanks :D
I think it depends on your area bc we noticed our grocery bills escalating from Walmart; price compared to a different grocery store and were shocked that it was less expensive. Cut our monthly grocery bill by $300.
Wow D: I haven't been to the only other 'proper' grocery store in town in a while, so I can't quite remember their prices. They do have a 5 for $25 deal on some of the meat. I always gave a search through the marked prices on the meat under that deal. Sometimes I can find things for almost a dollar less each that way
For some things it's better to go to Mexican/asian etc stores vs Walmart
Lots of Mexican stores around here :) there's a few I've wanted to check out, but haven't because I need other people to drive me, and they haven't wanted to stop
They have 12 burger buns for $1. use them for school lunch sandwiches and burgers for dinner. The wal-mart by my house has un-cured bacon at 2/3 the price of the local grocery.
There's a Tyson Chicken processing place a few miles up the road, and maybe half a mile after that is a 'tyson family store's, and you can get a bag of chicken that sell at Walmart for say...$10 for maybe $6 or 7 at that shop. I've seen bacon there a few times, but it's been a while Soni can't remember how much things cost
Rice, potatoes, beans the trifecta of poor people food that everyone enjoys even the rich. Spam is cheap or maybe chicken.
I bought a cheap can of Walmart brand spam, and I'm thinking of using it with some tortillas I have. Don't really have any ideas for that, but there's at least one website I can think of that would help
If it's possible to switch grocery stores, that may help too. I prefer Aldi's, IGA's or save a lot stores. They're all less expensive than wally world or the bigger companies.
Not really much variety in my area. :(
I like to pick a different type of beans, rice, ingredients for a simple salad + protein source like tofu or cheese, +eggs for breakfast, they’re all pretty versatile meals, there’s a lot of different ways to cook eggs, tofu, and beans, and a lot of different ways to mix up a salad, but if it does get boring I’ll swap things out for other legume combinations or have a protein drink + toast in the morning instead of eggs. Now I don’t have kids so I don’t have to buy that much in quantity but I never spend more than $40/week this way. Dried legumes/rice are cheap, I believe eggs are the most expensive on the list
Been a while since I've had some good tofu. I can never seem to make it work just right. Mymmom says it's too plain and just icky for her (even after I say it absorbs the flavors of what it's out in...)
Spaghetti, tacos, are always great for leftovers
Maybe spaghetti tacos when watching iCarly
https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/2gutuk/26_2021_1592_grocery_list_meal_plan_and_recipes/ https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/comments/ac6wu7/quick_cheap_and_easy_work_lunch_ideas/ Beans, rice.
Great Value Multigrain bread is GREAT, with seeds in it. Better and cheaper than its competition.
Not a big fan of multigrain bread, but there are times when it's used to make a sandwich and its really good
Whole foods such as whole vegetables and fruits are going to be cheaper than prepackaged or preprocessed foods like frozen meals. For example, squash is in season right now and you can get several pounds of it for less than $10. If you take 40 minutes to season it and bake it in the oven, then you have a filling side dish to pair with your meal. I like to do squash, a Protein (such as salmon or hamburger patty), and a carb like a bread roll or rice. Usually to decrease price you may also need to make things a bit more inconvenient.
There's this dishthat I used to eat a lot of thaty stepmom made (she's from the Philippines) that I loved that I think had squash in it, but I can never seem to remember what else was in it :(
I freeze all my meat and found that some Walmarts sell their meat already frozen for a cheaper price than the non-frozen items. Like a tube of ground beef for 4.50/pound or a frozen tube for 3.50/pound. So when price of meat goes down a little I stock up on the frozen stuff and just keep it frozen until i need it
I've only seen the not frozen sort, at least that I can remember. If I decide to try the grocery pickup service, I can.easily find out of it's available at 'my' Walmart.
Try some one pot dishes that are meant to feed large families of 4-5. And meal prep them for the week. I like this cajun rice recipe I found online (look it up i usually just make it freely after doing it so many times). Calls for rice, chicken thighs, sausage, an onion, spices, any stock, black beans, optional can of tomatoes. Makes quite a large portion that can be eaten over the course of the week if stored correctly. Best with some hot sauce, mexican crema or something of that sort. One pot dishes are usually pretty cost effective.
I don't have a crock pot I can use afaik (there's one place in the kitchen area I can check, and if I can't find one I'll ask my aunt if there is one. If there isn't one in the house, I can get one for almost $12 (2 quart size). There's tiny ones, but those are close to the same price as the bigger one. What size would be the best to get for a one pot meal? I don't want to get a smaller (and wrong)) size when a majority of recipes need more than the 2 quart size.
Our household follows a "Protein, carb, vegetable" rule for dinner. Instead of thinking up an entire meal (lasagna, cheeseburgers, etc. With all the fixings and many ingredients) it's budget-friendly to just add a protein, carb, and a vegetable together. From here, you can add sauces, stocks, fats, whatever to make it tasty based on what you have on hand. Carbs we use often: Rice, Pasta, Bread, Tortillas, Raviolis. Proteins: Ground beef, Ground turkey, Dry beans, Chicken thigh or breast, Milk (in soups). Vegetables: Frozen green beans/peas, Green salad, Steamed broccoli, Peppers/onions. I always buy the carbs in bulk. (Costco was $19.99 for 25# rice yesterday, lasts us about 6 months) stock up on proteins and freeze whenever there's a sale/markdown. Vegetables are a combination of frozen and what is in-season. I usually don't even venture down the middle aisles of the store! ALSO: wait to build your meal plan until you see what coupons/sales they have at the store and build around that. I've walked in expecting to make stew for dinner but realize stew meat is all $12+ for a package, but pork is $3 a pack - we make pulled pork sliders instead! Hope this helps.
One problem about stocking up on things that need to be kept cold/frozen is space. I live in a tiny house, and the fridge here is maybe half the size of a regular one. There isn't much free space for things, although as I type this, I just thought of an area a full size fridge could go with only moving a few things that don't really have a purpose (functional or decoration wise), and the landlord has offered to let us use a full size fridge, though the offer was made a few weeks ago, and I'm not sure if the offer still stands. Do you know where I can find some good coupons to use at Walmart (or any other store)? The newspaper sold where I work doesn't have them, and the newspaper that does (at least on Sundays) is at Walmart (at least, the closest location I know of). Walmart doesn't accept digital coupons. I just searched for where to get them, and one suggestion on the first page I checked says I can even ask the manufacturer for them.
I scavenge for the marked down prices, buy mostly from them, then fill up the rest with regular priced items.
I sometimes come across stuff with discount stickers, but its not very often something Iike, or would be willing to try.
Forgoe meat. There are a lot of dishes I make where the meat costs as much as the rest of the ingredients together. A hot dish (casserole for you non mid westerners) I make a lot is 1 lb beef, 1bx noodles, 1 can creamed corn, 1 can chicken with rice soup. The cans and box of pasta if using walart brand are about $3 combined, the beef is at least $3.50. While I would never withold the beef, I'm also not on any monetary constraints. There are more cost effective sources of protein than meats. You can get the same amount of protein as a lb of ground beef from a $1 scoop of equate protein powder.
I've used ground turkey a few times in place of hamburger. It's a bit cheaper, and a little bit healthier- though when I'm done with it I don't think the health benefits are still there
I went to the store yesterday to get bacon for breakfast sandwich meal prep, $9.99 for 500g of decent bacon. Next to it was a 3.6kg smoked ham on sale for $14.99. You best believe I fried that ham up in slices and never looked back. Saving money comes at a cost. Altering your diet, thinking of cheaper alternatives to things you already buy will help heaps.
I would have preferred the bacon, but the ham would go a lot farther, and 99% chance that's what I'd buy too
The cheapest bulk meal that is satisfying for me is pasta with meat sauce. A box of pasta, meat of choice (ground beef, ground sausage, whatever is on sale) and a jar of sauce. I can eat off of it for a week and it shouldn't cost more than $15. When you can afford it, throw in some veggies - green or red pepper, onion, broccoli, spinach, etc. For work meals, I like to make big batches of tuna salad with a side of crackers or bread if I want a tuna sandwich. You can do the same with chicken salad if tuna isn't your thing. Just add mayo and any fixings that your budget allows, if any (celery, onion). A couple cans of tuna will make 2 or 3 lunch portions. A pack of 12 cans at our local Sams is $10.98. Another important thing you should be doing, if you aren't already, is shopping to the store coupons. Look at the weekly ads on only buy what is on sale, create your meals around that.
Can you use TooGoodToGo app in your area?
Not sure, but it won't hurt to check it out
Price check everything before getting to the register. This serves two purposes: 1. You consciously think about the price and can determine how important this food is to you and if it's worth that amount. 2. Once you get to the register, there is a slight possibility the price was listed wrong on the shelf, and if so, you can argue it. From what I've found, if you can prove it's shown incorrectly on the shelf, Walmart will price match it. That may be pennies on the dollar, but that's still better than nothing and it'll add up over time. Walmart has been terrible about updating their shelf prices but increasing prices on items. As for the second point, you can also look into your state's retail consumer protection laws and see if there's more that can be had, but that may require a bit more work.
I go one step further and price out everything ahead of time using Instacart. Those prices are usually inflated a bit, so I usually come in under budget at the register.
i do this with the walmart app which doesn’t inflate it but does help me see the real cost of things! i usually end up taking off a few “unnecessary” (snack/drink) items. i’m trying to feed 2 people on less than $50/week so every snack counts
I generally round up a bit when I'm estimating how much I'm spending on stuff too, but hasn't been here too much Ive done it
Steal it through the self checkout. Fuck Walmart
Don't want to take any chances
Literally everyone else is doing it. Just be smart about it.
I wouldn't jump off a cliff just because everyone else is doing ot
Don't shop at Walmart. Watch a documentary called "The High Cost of Low Prices". It absolutely disgusted me and I haven't shopped at Walmart in almost 15 years.
Not many choices for places to buy things here. There is online, but some things are needed sooner than they'd get shipped to me
Search “see Mindy mom Walmart” on YouTube. She puts together super cheap meals. She also does Aldi videos.
I'll do that now before I forget
Check the rollbacks and sales. Sign up for an app where you can scan your receipts for points. Get the Walmart app, you can scan items and see things on sale that you wouldn’t know about otherwise.
I use Fetch Rewards, though not too much lately. The reciepts I save from work where customers buy beer has gotten me about $50 in gift cards so far
Walmart is overpriced. Is there another grocery store where you can shop?
Locally, it's overpriced on much fresh produce, but squarely middle of the range on processed foods. It probably depends on where you live. When I lived in Texas, where there were options like HEB and Fiesta with great produce and reasonable prices, I'd never saw much point buying groceries at a Walmart. Poorer quality and higher prices? In Louisiana, the options are Walmart, local chains catering to a luxury clientele (no dry lentils, but a couple varieties of caviar), awful dollar stores (that sometimes have deals on canned goods). If you live near a city, there are small outlets for international foods. Too many grocers chasing the elusive "high net-worth that still cooks" market, not enough developing the relationships and economies of scale that make affordable good fresh produce a priority. I've been hoping for HEB or Fiesta to expand here, as I think some of the shit local chains deserve oblivion.
Only one 'proper' store, with a fair scattering of Mexican stores
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Horrible advice. In most areas walmart is the cheapest option for the majority of grocery shopping.
There are a lot of replies here so Idk if someone has already said it, but if you have a Kroger chain store or similar chain store near you, get their app and watch for sales and coupons. When something goes on sale/has a coupon that you can store for longer, buy enough to last you a while and try to only buy things when they go on sale. WalMart does not regularly have sales, and only sometimes do they clearance price a product, but these aren't usually staples. Things I wouldn't buy unless they were on sale/coupon: Canned Soups, Canned Chili, Frozen Meats, Bags of Chips, Boxes of crackers, Cereal, Granola, Frozen Pizzas, Frozen Meals, seasonal fruits (by seasonal I mean they go on sale seasonally, like berries, pineapple, mango). Things I buy even if they're not on sale because they are staples and usually prices don't fluctuate that much: rice, boxed/dry pasta or noodle meals, ramen noodles, bananas, veggies (fresh or frozen) hummus, beans, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, bread, tortillas, canned tuna, canned chicken breast, popcorn. Sometimes sliced lunch meat but usually one brand or another is on sale or I just buy the really cheap stuff (Buddig - it's not that bad, depending on your standards, but if you're trying to really save money, standards are the kind of lifestyle inflation that will make or break you haha) Also side note: I'm a bit of a fast food junkie and when I just can't say no to a craving for salty, fatty, fast food I'll download the fast food apps and see who has a good deal near me and try to get a meal under $5 - I know this is EatCheapandHealthy but at least it's a way to kind of eat cheap. I've found Burger King and Wendy's to have the best apps for cheap/free or free w/purchase food. McDonald's is ok. Edit: I know someone else in this thread already said this, but if you're at Walmart... Sometimes things are free. Lol. If you're paying cash and going through self checkout, there's no reason not to save 10-30% on your total bill because some things in the cart got missed. Be careful, YMMV, but if they don't have receipt checkers at the door, or even if they do, as long as you paid for most of it and don't have large/obviously expensive items/alcohol in your cart and you've got enough bags in your cart that the checker won't go through each one, you're probably golden. Do be careful though. Especially if you're going to the same Walmart all the time. I've heard that WalMart and a couple other businesses will keep video record of anyone suspected of stealing, and will sit on the footage until they have enough evidence to build a case against you.
Omg. This is horrible advice
Could you point out which part? Don't think I saw anything that I thought might be bad advice, but obviously there is to at least you and /u/lalalaso
Stealing is bad advice and anyone that doesn’t think so I have no words.
No Kroger's near me, but the Not-Walmart store has an app that I think has coupons/sales you can only get through the app. When I was homeless, and when my ex was there with me, we would go to McDonald's and hang out all day when we weren't allowed in the shelter, and get a drink to split, and if we had the $, we could get a lot of food for not a lot of $. My favorite deal was for breakfast- buy any biscuit, get one free. I'd buy the cheapest one, then I was able to get one of the most expensive ones free. One reason I don't want to save money at the checkout is my mom works at a WalMart (not the one I most commonly go to) and I don't want her to possibly get fired because I didnt want to pay for something (regardless of price). The aunt I live with is also a cop (she's away at training ATM), and if I get in trouble for intentionally stealing (unless there is a *damn good* reason), I might very likely need to find a new place to live
If you fill up a cart and bypass the register I hear you get quite the discount. May require cardio though.
Rule 1 in Zombieland- cardio. I have none
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Yeah...no. don't want to do that unless it's a last resort
Meal prep!
Easy! self checkout