Shortly after we moved and while we were still camping at my cousin’s house, I went to a workshop that was part of my favorite Meetup group. It was called, “Sustainable Living on a Budget”, and I was excited about it, because it was my first event, and it was a ‘learning’ event (I love learning!). I wanted to learn how to make changes in our lifestyle that weren’t costly (a lot of companies are using the green movement to line their pocketbooks, if you ask me). I learned some valuable things, and have made some changes that have improved our health. The woman teaching the workshop said that she spends $250 a month on food and other household sundries for her family of four. And, that’s fantastic for her, but impossible for me, and so I’m feeling a tad bit discouraged in my efforts to lower our grocery bill.
I realized that her budget is possible only if certain conditions are met. These conditions are:
-Having a yard in which to grow vegetables and keep chickens
-Having a freezer large enough to store large quantities of meat
-Purchasing dry goods in bulk and having a place to store them
-Belonging to a CSA to offset what isn’t/cannot be grown in the backyard
I fail to meet the first two conditions because I live in an apartment, with neither yard nor space for a freezer. I will be purchasing some things in bulk (like lentils and dried peas) in the next week or so, but I have to limit how much I purchase, because again, storage is limited. All the CSA’s I’ve contacted are already all bought out, and that aside, we cannot afford the $400+ upfront fee (well, I suppose if I decided not to pay off our credit card in full…perhaps we could, but I don’t see that as a viable option).
We’ve been doing really well at buying only that which we really need (I consider chocolate a need). I was at another website last night that claimed one could reduce their grocery bill by $500 a month if they just cut out certain things. What were those things? Chips, soda, juice, eating out/ordering pizza, boxed cereal, fruit roll-ups, etc. The only thing on their list that we purchase is coffee and meat. So their advice was less than helpful. I suppose if I lowered my standards and bought non-organic, packaged food with coupons, then I might actually save. But at what cost to our health and sanity? No thanks.
I have been considering attempting to grow some tomatoes and herbs here in the house, and my sister mentioned that she grows her own mushrooms, so I might try that. I feel somewhat impeded by the fact that the last time I had a plant to care for (a cactus) it died. I will be going to the local farmer’s market this weekend to see if I can’t find it less expensive to purchase fresh produce this way.
On another note, I finally posted an ad on Craigslist for in-home childcare. So far, I have received one inquiry, but I’m worried that my response to her inquiry is going to deter her from contacting me further. I know that my ideal in-home child care would not be in an apartment, and am worried that this will deter potential customers (or at least the kind that I want). I will wait it out, re-post the ad in a week, and keep trying. It would be really nice to have an extra $1,600 a month (I’m always counting my eggs before they hatch: I would use this money to pay off our car).
7 Comments
May 21, 2008 at 5:14 pm
You might want to list on sittercity.com too. You list your rate, hours available, etc. It might widen your prospects.
May 22, 2008 at 7:13 am
You may have already looked into this but sometimes you can find coupons for organic and earth-friendly stuff on the company’s website. I know I just recently used a coupon from Seventh Generation’s website for cleaning products. Stonyfield Farms, Brown Cow and Livin’ Naturally E-Coupons websites have printable coupons too, just make sure your grocery store accepts internet coupons. It’s not a big savings but I know every 50 cents or dollar can add up eventually. Oh, another thing to check with a CSA farm, I guess for another year if they are all filled up already, is if you can have a work share. We participate in a CSA farm and instead of paying the $400 we do a work share which is usually working 40 hours on the farm throughout the summer. The past couple years we’ve been fortunate to just use our front step as a drop off/pick up point for the weekly bags of veggies and haven’t even had to leave the house for our work share. Rather ideal! Well, good luck!
May 22, 2008 at 9:14 am
All Good ideas! I think we’re going to start saving now, and apply early for a CSA next year (and find one that offers a work share). I’ve also created a website for my childcare and I’m going to post that along with my ad, so, hopefully, I’ll get more interest.
May 23, 2008 at 11:43 am
I just came back from Big Lots and discovered that they are currently carrying some organic items, Annie’s cereal ($2/box), Back to Nature granola bars and a couple other things. Their stock always is changing so if you’re interested and have a Big Lots around you might want to check it out.
May 26, 2008 at 8:50 am
I must say, I just checked out a blog named http://foodthatnourishes.blogspot.com Check out her budget section, she fed her family of 5 for $6/day, and she’s big on organic, real food.
May 28, 2008 at 11:48 am
Thanks for that link, Jillian! It would be great to feed us on $6 or less a day! I like how she managed to get all the bread before it hit the dumpster…I’ve been thinking about dumpster diving…not sure if I’m up for it yet, though.
May 29, 2008 at 11:38 am
We too are working our way out of debt and I look for every way possible to cut our expenses. I live in an apartment (no garden, no stand-alone freezer, small pantry) and I feed myself, my husband, and, on the weekends, a ravenous 12-year-old (and usually one or two of her friends as well) for about $400/month.
My weekly routine is generally this:
~1: get fresh produce from the farmers market. I also buy cornmeal, brown rice, and milk there. If I make it there early enough before supplies run out, there are eggs and meat available as well.
~2: plan meals for the week based on our haul from the market. Take stock of what else is needed and make shopping list.
~2b (about once a month): Take list with me to discount store (we have a Big Lots nearby) and check what’s available. I usually buy staples (mayo, pasta, etc.) and cereal and other packaged foods here, of course looking for the most nutritious available (don’t buy crap just because it’s cheap). There are often multiple organic products available.
~2c (about once a month): Stock up on fresh meat and specialty items from Whole Foods, and any fresh produce I might not have gotten at the farmers market (especially in the winter).
~3: go to Target or other grocery store for whatever’s left on the list (generally not much).
The keys to this are keeping a running shopping list, buying from the producer as much as possible, seldom paying retail/middle-man prices, looking for discount/clearance/sale items, and simply waiting to buy certain things until they are cheap (and stocking up when they are). Also necessary is actually cooking food myself rather than buying packaged- it’s much cheaper and more nutritious. If I were stricter about that and cut out ALL packaged food (oatmeal vs. cold cereal), I am certain I could cut our grocery expenses down by as much as 25%.
Keep at it, you can do it! We are seeing successes too, little by little!