Actually nobody is happier to eat a cupcake than Littlewoods

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

Do You Really Know What You Spend on Meals?

I stroll round with an concept in my thoughts about what we eat and the way a lot we spend on it, however I wished to interrogate that assumption. Did I truly know what we spent final yr? And the way a lot that was per particular person? NOPE I didn’t. Regardless of rigorously monitoring our spending with Private Capital every month–and sharing it right here on Frugalwoods for the world to guage–I haven’t been within the behavior of tallying up our annual bills by class.

Mr. Frugalwoods, higher generally known as Nate, at a marriage we went to this fall

I do know what we spend in a yr, however I hadn’t executed the granular breakdown. And what could possibly be extra illuminating, extra tantalizing than figuring out what we spent on FOOD?! It’s the frugal hallmark, it’s the encapsulation of the cliche “you’re what you eat,” coupled with my private favourite cliche “the way you spend your cash dictates the kind of life you’ll lead.”

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

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

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

Pleased little eaters!

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

• Mounted bills are stuff you can’t change. Examples: your mortgage and debt funds.
• Reduceable bills are vital for human survival, however you management how a lot you spend on them. Examples: groceries and fuel for the vehicles.
• Discretionary bills are issues that may be eradicated totally. Examples: journey, haircuts, consuming out.

The Venn Diagram of Frugal and Wholesome

Hitting the “surf” with my finest Kidwoods gal pal

As you’ll notice, I do not need the most cost effective, most naked bones meals finances. Somewhat, I attempt to hit the intersection of frugal, wholesome and scrumptious. I can’t put a worth on my well being–or my husband’s or youngsters’s well being–so I do certainly spend extra on meals we view as wholesome.

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

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

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

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

Our Grocery Purchasing Record by Retailer

A lone pink onion, simply making an attempt to make it on the planet

I initially wrote out this listing–and meal plan–on the request of one in all my non-public monetary session shoppers. She wished to see what we eat and purchase and so, I attempted my finest to jot down down every thing we eat and the place we purchase it.

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

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

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

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

Breakfast!

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

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

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

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

Bought from Hannaford’s (commonplace grocery retailer):

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

• Garlic (recent)
• Ginger (recent)
• Onions (yellow and pink)
• Grapes
• Pink cabbage
• Inexperienced onions
• Tofu
• Entire wheat pasta
• Tea
• Baking provides as wanted (sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, and so on)
• Butter

Bought from our native Asian Market:

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

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

• Natural salad greens
• Lemons
• Limes
  

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

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

  Some kitchen helpers a couple of years again. I suppose Littlewoods was excited?

  Greek yogurt (plain)

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

Meals We Develop and Protect on our Homestead:

My home made applesauce.

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

I additionally need to be crystal clear that every one of this is able to be cheaper if I purchased it from a retailer.

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

Our Meal Plan

Littlewoods peeling and coring apples for applesauce

And right here’s how we eat these meals. We’re type of boring in that we have now a fairly commonplace rotation of meals. However we prefer it that manner.

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

I’d slightly have extra time and fewer selection, which works for me, however won’t give you the results you want! The important thing with meals–and all issues–is to determine what works for you and what you’ll be capable of persist with.

Breakfast:

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

Lunch (Liz):

Lunch (Nate):

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

Grownup snacks choices:

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

Youngsters’ meals packed for college:

• 

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

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

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

After faculty:

Afternoon Snack:

• The children get no matter’s leftover of their lunch packing containers plus–relying on how hungry they’re–carrots, snap peas, cheese, home made apple sauce, almonds, toast, plain Greek yogurt, and so on.
• We have now apples, bananas and oranges on the counter that the youngsters are at all times welcome to free-snack on:
  • Consequently, I discover apple cores, orange peels and bits of banana throughout my home.
  • Just lately discovered a desiccated carrot behind our piano… Youngsters are nice.

Youngsters’ Dinner:

• 

  Littlewoods planting tomatoes!

  Random leftovers:

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

Grownup Dinner: 

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

      The littlest currant picker

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

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

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

Saturday evening particular dinner choices:

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

Weekly Bulk Cooking 

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

Nate is accountable for all core cooking, which incorporates making ready:

• 

  Carrot thief on the lamb

  Entire chickens

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

Each day Minimal Cooking

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

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

A Word On Child Meals

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

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

The ladies at their little “bistro desk” as Kidwoods calls it

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

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

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

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

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

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

My enthusiastic baking assistants

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

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

How Do I Cope with Child Complaints About Meals?

The much less mentioned, the higher.

Nate and the Thanksgiving turkey!

Right here’s a pattern dialog from final week:

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

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

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

Cookie baking!

If one in all our youngsters declares they don’t need to eat ANYTHING on their plate, our response can be, “okay.” In the event that they persist, our response is, “Then you should not be hungry. If you’re hungry, that’s the meals you possibly can select to eat. It’s as much as you whether or not or not you eat it.”

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

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

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

Littlewoods serving to me make pumpkin crisp for Thanksgiving!

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

As soon as I spotted that this kind of immediate is about energy–and has nothing to do with diet–it turned loads simpler for me to disengage and diffuse.

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

You, the mum or dad, are accountable for shopping for and making ready meals. You, the mum or dad, are answerable for figuring out the weight loss program your loved ones will eat. It isn’t the position of a kid to demand, threaten or beg for sure meals.

DISCLAIMER: In fact there are a selection of sensory issues, neurodivergent experiences, disabilities, meals allergic reactions and different points that make this an unsafe, unimaginable and even harmful method for some youngsters and households. Once more, I’m sharing this as a result of it’s what works for us.

Do I Ever Let my Youngsters Eat Junk?

Canning beans! With bean on particular person

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

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

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

Out to lunch for Littlewoods’ birthday!

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

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

What We Spent in 2022

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

Q: Liz, do you notice that lots of people spend loads lower than you on groceries?

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

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

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

1. 

   Kidwoods making “dinner” with cucumber and currants

   Store at cheap shops:

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

Create Frugal Meals Habits

Licking the oven… I imply, why not?

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

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

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

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