Budgeting

Hatzlacha. I hope that a good budget will help you find the money you need. Unfortunately, there are many people out here who are living simply who still, can’t make it and I hope you won’t be one of them.

I find that I have a hard time budgeting when it comes to food because I am not good at prices. In other words. I am not always sure what foods are expensive and which are cheap. So I may decide to use food B instead of food A because food A is expensive and I don’t realize that food B is more expensive! Can someone explain which are the “cheap foods” and which are the expensive ones that should be used sparingly?

When it comes to food, shopping smart can really cut costs. ALWAYS make a list before you go, and stick to it- this cuts your chances of buying extra items. When making your list, do it by going through your fridge and pantry first, checking up on what is finished or almost finished (if you have 2 eggs left, add eggs to your list; if you have 9, maybe not). Also, stock up on non-perishables, especially if the prices of those items tend to fluctuate, like flour and sugar. Go shopping only once a week, and make sure you get everything you will need for the coming week- running out to buy something you forgot several times a week can add up, as the more time you spend in the store, the more likely you are to buy stuff simply because you saw it on the shelf and thought you needed it. Also, consider eating only milchigs during the week, saving fleishigs for Shabbos. Most importantly, keep last week’s shopping receipt, so that you can look it over this week and see where your money went and if you can trim further. Hope this helps.

I dont know how practical it is only to eat Milichigs during the week besides cheese products are not cheap (fish not either). I do think though, leftovers can be turned into other supper dishes thereby throwing out less. Heimishe Yid, Know that u r not alone in this, many pple are looking where to cut corners.

In order to cut costs we mainly eat parve meals during the week. chicken and/ or fish only on Shabbat.

I don’t know if I eat so many eggs myself but I do bake a lot, and we can easily go through some kugels on Shabbos (OK, and as a midafternoon snack erev Shabbos).

About cheap colored peppers: when they get to that price, I don’t buy them (or maybe one for a special Shabbos salad). I don’t call that cheap. When certain foods hit certain prices, we simply don’t buy them. Unless they’re staples, like sugar, flour, oil, eggs, etc. Of course the definition of staple varies. If for whatever reason colored pepper is a staple for you then kol hakavod for finding the cheapest place.

And about cottage cheese: cottage cheese freezes well so it might be worth freezing the cottage cheese in smaller portions.

tzippi, arent colored peppers $3.99 at most grocery stores? I dont buy peppers very often, but the green ones are harsher in flavor so when I do I get colored ones at Cotsco. I usually splurge on peppers for special dinners or special company!

There are very few staples in our house – I dont bake that much (except for challah) and we are very flexible with what we eat. There is virtually nothing we cant live without if the price gets too high.

Cottage cheese – expansion’s not a problem. And if you’re getting a huge amount, like I assume a Costco container is, I’d dish it into zipper bags or the like. And as far as how long it keeps, everyone who knows me knows that one of my secret ingredients is freezer burn 😉 Seriously, no complaints, especially if I use it in say a lasagna.

About the pepper: you’re right, it is expensive, but when you can get it for half that sale price just a few months earlier, paying even $2/lb is painful.

Thanks for the quick reply Tzippi.

SJSinNYC, do you just put the whole container in the freezer without opening it first? And do you think the sour cream would be ok to eat plain, not just as an ingredient? Also, just a nosy question–was that Daisy sour cream? Because the cashiers at my SR are coupon cops & press the “don’t double” key because the coupon said “don’t double”, even though it started with a 5.

Another money-saving idea is to freeze berries in the summer when they’re cheap. Just rinse, drain, and spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then put them in a zipper bag when they’re frozen. That way they are individually frozen & you can take out as many as you need. I did this with blueberries this summer when they were less than $1.50/ pt.

What is with coupons starting with a 5?

What stores double in Flatbush area?

Where can you pick up grocery coupons? I am new to the area and do not know these things. I also am not on many mailing lists for coupons so I do not find out about these deals…

Thanks!

SJSinNYC,

My SR read coupons very carefully (there’s a sign at the register that says to hand them over at the beginning of the transaction), but at least they take printables. I don’t shop there that often because they’re so strict it just feels a little stressful, but on some items they have the best regular prices and sometimes the best sales. My regular grocery store is much more coupon-friendly though.

havesomeseichel,

Nearly all coupons have a number code & matching bar code at the bottom. The first digit is always a 5 or a 9. If it’s a 5 then the coupon will double by default (if your store doubles coupons & according to their doubling policy) even if the coupon says “do not double” on the top. If it’s a 9 the coupon won’t double in any case.