Comments on: Grocery Spending and Menu, Valentine’s Day Edition http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/ cheerfully living on less Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:32:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kristen http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1870 Kristen Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:14:54 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1870 Kiki, we're a pretty thin family overall, although we're not very short. My husband is six feet and I'm 5'8". However, my children are a LOT younger than yours are...my oldest is only 9! So, it makes total sense that you're spending more than I am. You guys probably just need more food than we do, and someday when I have four teenagers, I'm sure I'm going to need to spend a lot more! Don't hate me, but yes, the $80-$100 a week includes toiletries and cleaning stuff. =P But, I've been shopping frugally for going on 12 years now, and I wasn't nearly this good at it back when I began. You should feel proud that you're saving $40-$50 a week...that's certainly nothing to sneeze at, and I bet you'll manage to shave it down farther the more you practice. Plus, one day your nest will be a bit emptier, and you won't have to buy so much food. Keep up the good work! Kiki, we’re a pretty thin family overall, although we’re not very short. My husband is six feet and I’m 5’8″. However, my children are a LOT younger than yours are…my oldest is only 9! So, it makes total sense that you’re spending more than I am. You guys probably just need more food than we do, and someday when I have four teenagers, I’m sure I’m going to need to spend a lot more!

Don’t hate me, but yes, the $80-$100 a week includes toiletries and cleaning stuff. =P But, I’ve been shopping frugally for going on 12 years now, and I wasn’t nearly this good at it back when I began. You should feel proud that you’re saving $40-$50 a week…that’s certainly nothing to sneeze at, and I bet you’ll manage to shave it down farther the more you practice. Plus, one day your nest will be a bit emptier, and you won’t have to buy so much food.

Keep up the good work!

]]> By: Kiki http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1869 Kiki Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:27:45 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1869 Kristin, I keep trying to cut the food budget back and every week it is shrinking by quite a few dollars. I used to spend around $200, and now have it down to about $160-170( I have 2 teen aged boys well over 6 feet who eat like truck drivers and still are very thin, and 2 little girls active in sports and eat and eat and growing like weeds). My question is this: When you say you spend $80 at the grocery store, does that include stuff like toothpaste, pet food, kitty litter, laundry soap, shampoo, tylenol, and feminine products and the like? I've been including that in my budget. If you're spending the $80 on just food I can kind of understand, but if you're counting in all that other stuff, forget it, I just can't do it. You are a superwoman. You're a tiny little thing right? I noticed on your Old Navy dress you're a petite person, are your kids and hubby too? a I'm 5'10, my husband is over 6 feet, the boys are and I think the girls are gonna be very tall some day too. We're all think, exercise a lot and consume a ton of very healthy calories too. I'm pleased with saving 40 or 50 dollars a week from what I used to spend. That's almost $200 a month I'll be leaving in the check book to put toward college costs in the not to distant future. You are an inspiration. Kristin,
I keep trying to cut the food budget back and every week it is shrinking by quite a few dollars. I used to spend around $200, and now have it down to about $160-170( I have 2 teen aged boys well over 6 feet who eat like truck drivers and still are very thin, and 2 little girls active in sports and eat and eat and growing like weeds). My question is this: When you say you spend $80 at the grocery store, does that include stuff like toothpaste, pet food, kitty litter, laundry soap, shampoo, tylenol, and feminine products and the like? I’ve been including that in my budget. If you’re spending the $80 on just food I can kind of understand, but if you’re counting in all that other stuff, forget it, I just can’t do it. You are a superwoman. You’re a tiny little thing right? I noticed on your Old Navy dress you’re a petite person, are your kids and hubby too? a
I’m 5’10, my husband is over 6 feet, the boys are and I think the girls are gonna be very tall some day too. We’re all think, exercise a lot and consume a ton of very healthy calories too. I’m pleased with saving 40 or 50 dollars a week from what I used to spend. That’s almost $200 a month I’ll be leaving in the check book to put toward college costs in the not to distant future. You are an inspiration.

]]> By: Kristen http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1865 Kristen Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:41:10 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1865 Oh, Julia and Small, just so you know, your comments did not make me rethink whether or not I wanted to blog. While you offered opinions different than my own, I felt like you were polite and kind about it, and so I didn't feel offended by what you said. It was Rona's comment, about the bad habits in my kids that made me feel that way. I don't know Rona, as she's never commented or emailed me before, so who knows, perhaps Rona was trying to be polite and kind as well...the internet makes it difficult to interpret these sorts of things, and it takes skill and practice to communicate kindness using only a keyboard. Heaven knows that when I first starting talking to people on the internet, back in 2001, I had a lot to learn about tact and kindness. And of course, I need to learn to respond to criticism and correction with humility(even when the criticism feels unkind)...it's my pride that makes that hard. At any rate, I do want my readers to feel free to comment and speak their minds...I just want people to remember that a real person with real feelings is behind the blog, that's all. Julia and Small, you both seemed like you remembered that. and I'm appreciative. :) Oh, Julia and Small, just so you know, your comments did not make me rethink whether or not I wanted to blog. While you offered opinions different than my own, I felt like you were polite and kind about it, and so I didn’t feel offended by what you said.

It was Rona’s comment, about the bad habits in my kids that made me feel that way. I don’t know Rona, as she’s never commented or emailed me before, so who knows, perhaps Rona was trying to be polite and kind as well…the internet makes it difficult to interpret these sorts of things, and it takes skill and practice to communicate kindness using only a keyboard. Heaven knows that when I first starting talking to people on the internet, back in 2001, I had a lot to learn about tact and kindness.

And of course, I need to learn to respond to criticism and correction with humility(even when the criticism feels unkind)…it’s my pride that makes that hard.

At any rate, I do want my readers to feel free to comment and speak their minds…I just want people to remember that a real person with real feelings is behind the blog, that’s all. Julia and Small, you both seemed like you remembered that. and I’m appreciative. :)

]]> By: Kristen http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1863 Kristen Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:51:50 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1863 Oh, that's not as impressive as it sounds. I have a mill, and so all I have to do is turn it on, pour the grain in, and out comes the flour. lol And yep, you've got a few years on me...I'm 30(although, I'll be 31 in April). Although I'm not able to buy a lot of organic food, I do help the planet by not buy a lot of prepacked, processed food. Also, I recycle faithfully, I compost, I use rags and washcloths instead of paper towels, I buy used stuff instead of new whenever possible, and so on. So, I'm not a completely hopeless case. :P Oh, that’s not as impressive as it sounds. I have a mill, and so all I have to do is turn it on, pour the grain in, and out comes the flour. lol

And yep, you’ve got a few years on me…I’m 30(although, I’ll be 31 in April).

Although I’m not able to buy a lot of organic food, I do help the planet by not buy a lot of prepacked, processed food. Also, I recycle faithfully, I compost, I use rags and washcloths instead of paper towels, I buy used stuff instead of new whenever possible, and so on. So, I’m not a completely hopeless case. :P

]]> By: Julia http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1862 Julia Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:44:04 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1862 I'm so impressed that you grind your own flour, that is just something I can't see myself doing. It's a good idea to ask around about local chickens that are well-cared for, as you plan to do. Every little earth-friendly and animal-friendly bit helps, it truly does. As Stacey was saying above, we need to look at what we are doing as a society and find a way to make it better. That you are blogging about your choices and your experiences makes you a part of the solution. As for husbands, mine doesn't like lentils at all either, so we never eat those. He eats vegetarian at home, and then whatever he wants when he's out. He does get a budget-busting expensive steak to grill now and then, but treating oneself is an important part of life so I encourage him to do that. I think it's better than eating hamburger every day, as I was forced to do when I was a child! Also I have to say, I am a huge hypocrite and if I'm out in the world and there is cake of any kind, I dig right in even though I know it may have eggs in it. Cake is my drug of choice! I am not good with criticism either, I am the daughter of a very critical German and have never felt good enough. I admire you for putting yourself out there and doing your blog. I am almost 42 and still dealing with these issues---from the look of your picture, I'd say you are MUCH younger :-) so be proud that you are doing the work on yourself while you are young enough to reap the full benefits. Take care, and my best to you and yours. And thanks for not yelling at me for posting vegan stuff on your blog, hah. :-) I’m so impressed that you grind your own flour, that is just something I can’t see myself doing. It’s a good idea to ask around about local chickens that are well-cared for, as you plan to do. Every little earth-friendly and animal-friendly bit helps, it truly does. As Stacey was saying above, we need to look at what we are doing as a society and find a way to make it better. That you are blogging about your choices and your experiences makes you a part of the solution. As for husbands, mine doesn’t like lentils at all either, so we never eat those. He eats vegetarian at home, and then whatever he wants when he’s out. He does get a budget-busting expensive steak to grill now and then, but treating oneself is an important part of life so I encourage him to do that. I think it’s better than eating hamburger every day, as I was forced to do when I was a child! Also I have to say, I am a huge hypocrite and if I’m out in the world and there is cake of any kind, I dig right in even though I know it may have eggs in it. Cake is my drug of choice!
I am not good with criticism either, I am the daughter of a very critical German and have never felt good enough. I admire you for putting yourself out there and doing your blog. I am almost 42 and still dealing with these issues—from the look of your picture, I’d say you are MUCH younger :-) so be proud that you are doing the work on yourself while you are young enough to reap the full benefits. Take care, and my best to you and yours. And thanks for not yelling at me for posting vegan stuff on your blog, hah. :-)

]]> By: Kristen http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1861 Kristen Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:20:19 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1861 Julia, I'm not gonna lie...on Saturday, I was starting to wonder if maybe I just wasn't cut out for blogging. I'm not very good at receiving criticism, and I'm a recovering people-pleaser. But, it's an area of my life that I'm trying to grow in, and so probably this is exactly the sort of thing that I need. I'll probably just need to expect that as my blog grows(which is very exciting, don't get me wrong! I'm delighted that more and more people are coming to read what I write!) I'll likely get more of this type of thing, and I need to learn to handle it properly. I would dearly love to find a local source of cage-free eggs...I think a family at my church has chickens, and I was going to ask them if they ever sell the eggs. We do get our milk from a happy cow who roams grassy fields at a nearby farm(well, she just had a calf, so we don't have any at the moment, but we will soon). And I buy organic whole wheat from a local farm, which I grind into flour. So, I try to do some earth-friendly, animal friendly buying. My husband would make a horrible vegan, as he doesn't like beans or lentils, so I don't think that's a road we're going to be able to travel! lol Julia, I’m not gonna lie…on Saturday, I was starting to wonder if maybe I just wasn’t cut out for blogging. I’m not very good at receiving criticism, and I’m a recovering people-pleaser. But, it’s an area of my life that I’m trying to grow in, and so probably this is exactly the sort of thing that I need.

I’ll probably just need to expect that as my blog grows(which is very exciting, don’t get me wrong! I’m delighted that more and more people are coming to read what I write!) I’ll likely get more of this type of thing, and I need to learn to handle it properly.

I would dearly love to find a local source of cage-free eggs…I think a family at my church has chickens, and I was going to ask them if they ever sell the eggs. We do get our milk from a happy cow who roams grassy fields at a nearby farm(well, she just had a calf, so we don’t have any at the moment, but we will soon). And I buy organic whole wheat from a local farm, which I grind into flour. So, I try to do some earth-friendly, animal friendly buying.

My husband would make a horrible vegan, as he doesn’t like beans or lentils, so I don’t think that’s a road we’re going to be able to travel! lol

]]> By: Stacey http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1856 Stacey Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:58:44 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1856 @Julia - I really struggle with the issue of how feeding my family has such far-reaching consequences - especially the negative environmental impact of factory farming. I try to find a balance by raising chickens (humanely!) and eating a mostly vegetable-based diet, but I still know I could do more. Right now I am leaning more towards being thrifty with my budget but I know I will lean more towards more environmentally-sound choices in the future. It's easy to be myopic and say I need to feed my family for less and not think about the environment *right now*, but the reality is that we have an unsustainable system and our children are going to pay if we don't make more difficult (and expensive) choices sooner than later. And yes, I also find it fascinating to read what Kristen is buying and feeding her family. But I also feel like if I am going to enjoy myself, I need to put myself under the same microscope, so I've started a similar series at my blog. You can read what's cooking at my house this week here: http://myfriendoprah.blogspot.com/2009/02/whats-cooking-216-222.html @Julia – I really struggle with the issue of how feeding my family has such far-reaching consequences – especially the negative environmental impact of factory farming. I try to find a balance by raising chickens (humanely!) and eating a mostly vegetable-based diet, but I still know I could do more. Right now I am leaning more towards being thrifty with my budget but I know I will lean more towards more environmentally-sound choices in the future. It’s easy to be myopic and say I need to feed my family for less and not think about the environment *right now*, but the reality is that we have an unsustainable system and our children are going to pay if we don’t make more difficult (and expensive) choices sooner than later.

And yes, I also find it fascinating to read what Kristen is buying and feeding her family. But I also feel like if I am going to enjoy myself, I need to put myself under the same microscope, so I’ve started a similar series at my blog. You can read what’s cooking at my house this week here:
http://myfriendoprah.blogspot.com/2009/02/whats-cooking-216-222.html

]]> By: Sabrina http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1853 Sabrina Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:14:01 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1853 Kristen, just wanted to say that your tortilla soup has become a perpetual favorite around here (sans the cilantro, of course). My brother especially loves it. Kristen, just wanted to say that your tortilla soup has become a perpetual favorite around here (sans the cilantro, of course). My brother especially loves it.

]]> By: Julia http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1849 Julia Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:44:26 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1849 Normally, I don't preach about vegan issues but I just can't resist, since the discussion has come around to feeding eggs to kids: the egg factory farm industry is one of the worst offenders, both environmentally and of course in animal cruelty issues. Check out www.eggindustry.com and http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/animals.html Kristen, I bet all these comments about your personal eating habits and how you feed your kids have made you wonder why you decided to share your life online, right? :-) I can see that your kids are obviously well fed, happy, and healthy, and perhaps most importantly, well-loved. Read what everyone has to say, then follow your heart. Normally, I don’t preach about vegan issues but I just can’t resist, since the discussion has come around to feeding eggs to kids: the egg factory farm industry is one of the worst offenders, both environmentally and of course in animal cruelty issues. Check out http://www.eggindustry.com and http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/animals.html
Kristen, I bet all these comments about your personal eating habits and how you feed your kids have made you wonder why you decided to share your life online, right? :-) I can see that your kids are obviously well fed, happy, and healthy, and perhaps most importantly, well-loved. Read what everyone has to say, then follow your heart.

]]> By: Shana http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2009/02/grocery-spending-and-menu-valentines-day-edition/#comment-1848 Shana Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:58:05 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=1288#comment-1848 Kristen, just as a comment on the eggs thing. My kids - all 3 of them - really didn't like eggs as younger kids. I didn't typically press the issue, because I could sneak them into things like fried rice or gosh -- multitudes of various foods. I mean just because you don't serve it scrambled up or over easy doesn't mean it doesn't county, YK? So anyhow, as they've gotten older, Kaleb and Rachel have developed an absolute passion for scrambled eggs. I have literally **no** idea why. They just like them now *shrug*. So all of that to say, we do our absolute utter best as parents to introduce our kids to healthy, nutritious foods. They may or may not like them as kids, but I'll be gosh darned if they don't outgrow lots of stuff as they approach adulthood. You are such a good mom, and so obviously concerned for every facet of your children's lives. I think you're doing a most excellent job :) Kristen, just as a comment on the eggs thing. My kids – all 3 of them – really didn’t like eggs as younger kids. I didn’t typically press the issue, because I could sneak them into things like fried rice or gosh — multitudes of various foods. I mean just because you don’t serve it scrambled up or over easy doesn’t mean it doesn’t county, YK?

So anyhow, as they’ve gotten older, Kaleb and Rachel have developed an absolute passion for scrambled eggs. I have literally **no** idea why. They just like them now *shrug*. So all of that to say, we do our absolute utter best as parents to introduce our kids to healthy, nutritious foods. They may or may not like them as kids, but I’ll be gosh darned if they don’t outgrow lots of stuff as they approach adulthood.

You are such a good mom, and so obviously concerned for every facet of your children’s lives. I think you’re doing a most excellent job :)

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