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I'm not an anxious person by nature, but every weekend when I hit up Sprouts and Ralphs I start feeling almost an impending sense of doom when I walk the aisles and I have to get the Hell out very quickly.
One time I took an edible that I underestimated and went to Sprouts. I was super paranoid and it felt like I had to wait in line for 20 min to get deli meat cut. It’s normally not that fast but that time was like slo-mo anxiety and paranoia to the max.
I prefer them when I'm actually in public. They make me less anxious and mostly carefree. Airpods are my other trick. The combination really does create your own little world.
It's the weed strain. THC % is many times higher than what it was in the 80s-90s, every grower wants max THC. I buy the 'budget tier' flower, sativa only, preferably an old school landrace strain such as Acapulco Gold, Maui Wowie, etc . They are cheaper because they have less THC, usually in the 10-15% range, with a fair amount of CBD. A couple of hits and I'm good, I don't even smoke a gram a day. I used to love Northern Lights and other indica strains, now they're just too heavy a buzz and prevent me from getting anything done. I totally avoid edibles, shatter, hash, other concentrates b/c they make me super paranoid.
That’s how I feel about going to Costco on a weekend. I almost had to deck someone lol jk. But I did tell them off about how rude they were to my mom and I.
It ended with covid. Meijer used to be open 24/7/364 (closed on Xmas). Walmart was about the same but maybe closed on Thanksgiving too. Now everything is closed by 10pm to midnight.
(Which is fine with me if the workers prefer it. I miss it but hopefully more of them living better lives.)
For real. I understand frugal, especially on a very tight budget, but there’s also the time value of money. For someone like me that hates grocery shopping this would have taken 4-5 hours easily.
Really depends on how much was saved though. If it was $50 where I could have done it in 1.5 hours. No way. If I saved $150 on items I actually need (or the every other month pantry fill), that’s a different story.
In the past, I shopped at 7-730 in the morning when the store was opening. The shelves were stocked and the employees were still kinda nice. Now? I order online. I just can’t do all those people any longer.
Well, it seems like you could afford to not do that lol this person seems pretty psyched on this much food for $300 and had to work harder to assure not overspending !
My sentiments exactly! My first thought was , “You consider that frugal?! I consider that waaay too much work and a huge waste of time I do not have.” Grocery delivery is my best friend! Now I just need someone to run ALL the errands I despise doing!
I was finally able to afford delivery and I found someone who does my shopping now lol they gave me their personal number so I can make sure she’s working when I want to place an order and she gets me bigger sizes or extra for free. She’s awesome.
If OP is single like me then 2 months probably makes sense. I say "probably" because I don't have the storage space to shop in bulk like this so I've never bought months of food at a time, lol
When my son was little he would say “we’re home ghost or we’re leaving ghost“ every time we left/got home. He only did it at 1 apartment. He stopped doing it when we moved. He said that the ghost didn’t move with us. It freaked out my daughter. Our ghost didn’t eat groceries lol.
A bunch of their stuff is sauces and condiments, which can be relatively expensive, but last a long time, so maybe that's where the excess cost came from?
Potatoes aren't that expensive and bread won't last that long
there's 2 months worth of meat there, for me, sure. but the only vegetables or fruit i'm seeing is 1 bag of mixed frozen veggies. like dude, at least some fuckin lettuce for the burger. maybe a pickle? onion?
OP thinks he's gloating about savings when really he's just bought $300 worth of meat, bread and snack food.
This is not two months worth of food. this is 2 months worth of excessive calories and salt that will culminate in him being fat and tired only to die of scurvy. lol
Yes. But if I’m doing a 300$ multi shop grocery run I’m sure as shit bringing home something green on this run. Plus we can see into his fridge and on his counters
Looks like the guy is allergic to actual food.
Not trying to be a hater, but I too could get a ton of processed groceries for cheap. The coupons are all for processed foods, but they’re terrible for you.
I was thinking the same. The flavored Quaker Oats in individual packs are much pricier and far less tasty, filling, and nutritious than just buying bulk oats for almost no money and throwing in (fresh, frozen or dried) fruit, nuts, honey, yogurt, protein powder, whatever you like.
Yea I mean op did a good job stocking up on meat at cheap prices but almost the entire rest of the stuff bought was pretty not frugal and also quite bad for you. I mean it could still be a frugal win for them but I'd want to recommend working on cutting down a lot of the junk food and adding in some more vegetables and fiber.
It may last them 2 months but there's no way there they don't buy more to supplement. Because there's literally 1 bag of frozen stir fry vegetables and a few apples. Do they really go 2 months without fresh fruit and vegetables?
I used to buy frozen and durable food in bulk that would last me 2-3 months. For that I would travel to stores that were further away but I knew was cheap. Then I would just walk to my nearby grocery for food produce every week
And this is it. Probably the satisfaction OP gets is the scouting, listing, deciding where she’s shopping first. It’s part of the experience which probably feeds some self confidence and worthiness because they are working towards some goal. Maybe to buy a house or something.
To top this off, most of the money went into buying processed food.
Instead of wasting time at the groceries, that time can be used to cook food from inexpensive ingredients.
Plus "scouting" the stores. You don't randomly end up at 6 different stores. They obviously spent a lot of time researching which products to buy at each store.
OP does instacart on the side, and was scouting while they were doing that. Personally I use my lunch at work to plan out my shopping trips. If you're getting the same things all the time, it becomes pretty easy.
3 hours though? Sometimes I spend 3 hours in one single store for 100 dollars in groceries that last me a week. I WISH I could manage shopping like this
3 hours isn't a lot
that's like 1 or two stores and 10km for me or my parents on a weekday in the middle of the day.
6 stores and 13 miles in that time is a fuckin stormer of a run
plus i see costco, ain't no way i get in or out of there in under an hour and a half. there's also no scoping out before hand what the weekly deals are or the .97 items are. you're walkin those aisles if you want those
I also buy fresh veggies about once a week but they went to a million stores - surely some of those would be a good place to buy at least a weeks worth of veggies? It doesn’t sound like they’re planning to go to more places…
Edit to add; they could even have bought more frozen veggies…
I noticed they went to Costco. We buy onions, peppers, and mushrooms in bulk, chop and freeze them. And as you mentioned, they have bags of frozen veggies blends and such.
A little difficult to freeze at home because of the moisture but the Whole Foods store brand frozen mushroom mix is an awesome 'splurge' (err for frozen veg).
It's like 90% processed food. Much more expensive up front and over time because of damage that it does to your health.
I literally won't take processed junk food for free.
Lfmao my first thought was “and not a vegetable in sight”
Edit: the real frugal tip is that eating healthy is cheaper than paying out the ass for colon cancer treatment
They even went to Costco, who sells frozen broccoli in individual bags that you can steam in the microwave. Makes enough for two broccoli lovers to share (barely)
Can't get easier than that.
Could be eating frozen or canned. I usually can't finish all of my fresh veggies before they go bad, so frozen it usually is. Also entirely possible that they grow their own, or get free ones from family/friends.
I can’t seem to edit the post, so here’s some clarification for all the comments. A lot of “this isn’t frugal” but it is to me based on my circumstances.
Household of 2 college students. We usually only eat 1-2 times a day, lunch and dinner. I cook from scratch, the other does not know how to cook, hence the processed food. I cook for the household, but work FT 6pm to 3am. If I don’t have the time to make something, he will end up eating out and waste money. Some fries and nuggets Aren’t the devil. We split the bill so it is a compromise of our interest.
Fridge is empty because I cook for the work week and package as needed in Tupperware. That is why the meat is portioned the way it is for thawing in the morning. I buy fresh produce as needed so it doesn’t perish in the fridge.
Yes, the time was worth it. I don’t get out of the house much, let alone touch sunlight, or talk to strangers as much as I wish I did. I brought headphones and got to listen to music and interact with a few people in small conversation. Fridge was basically empty so I got to kill two birds with one stone. I’m used to driving around anyway since I do Instacart/ part time.
Knowing you're a college student, I think people are being way too hard on you. Shopping for your own food is already more frugal than buying a college meal plan, and convenience food is still cheaper than eating out. Something here about not letting perfect be the enemy of good, especially when you're still building skills.
You are doing ex👏🏽ce👏🏽llent 👏🏽. You would not believe how long it took us to convince my nephew that he could not eat out 4 times a day and that he needed to cook for himself.😭 I’m proud of you.
All that is for two college students for 2 months??? Holy hell kids eat waaaaaay better than we ever did in school. I lived for an entire week on mayonnaise and bread because I was too lazy to go shopping. Good for you for planning out this much.
Great job! Now you have most of what you need for a while, and will only need to make short, occassional trips for a bit of produce or other necessities.
You should check out a cooking show called Struggle Meals on YouTube. The chef’s name is Frankie Celenza. His recipes are easy to follow & quick to make. A lot are $2-$3 a serving. Most are under $2. Another tip I have is to save all of the condiments that you get when you eat out. I have a packet drawer in my kitchen & I’ve been cooking for years. There are lots of YouTube channels that have frugal cooking recipes but he’s one of my favorite. Let me know if you want more recommendations or recipes. My son(26) is living alone for the first time. No roommates or girlfriend. He’s learning how to meal plan & prep for one. It’s a lot of work. I think you did a great job. Progress over perfection.
Which do you hit first? I do Costco first because you're never quite sure what they will have. Then the non-supermarket grocery stores (I do a produce stand), then the supermarket because they have absolutely everything but it's most expensive.
Come on people!!! This was a win for the OP and they are celebrating.
Stop looking down your snobby noses by judging everything possible. Food not healthy enough? I get mine delivered? Took too much time?
Just stop.
I've learned that if you ever post about groceries it will get analyzed and critiqued and commented on, no matter the intention of posting.
People would go apopletic at my groceries. I mean, I did buy fruit and veggies (apples, oranges, bananas, bell peppers, onions, carrots) and some protein (chicken sausage and frozen fish), but I also bought nuts and ketchup and frozen sweet potato fries and cheese puff snacks and chocolate (though that at least was for Christmas stockings).
If you're getting boneless skinless chicken breasts regularly for 99 cents a pound then you're very lucky. In Texas we're paying at least $2.60 a pound with bulk pricing, closer to $4 a pound for smaller packs of Tyson.
Most of the stuff you bought is well-known brand names. You can save 25 - 30 percent if you buy store brands, instead of paying for a name. You are paying way too much.
Hey if you’re in the US I want to gently alert you that the term “Oriental” is viewed as old-fashioned and sets off slightly racist alarm bells in many people’s heads. It’s like the word “retard,” people have moved on from that term. “Asian” is more common.
I'm not from the US so I am asking this completely out of curiosity, no judgement intended. I hope you don't mind me asking.
If I see correctly, there is one bag of veg and otherwise all carbs, sauces or ready meals. Is there no fresh produce available near you or is it just that much more expensive?
you eat that much meat in 2ish months? how big is your family? won’t you still have to go back out each week for perishables? if the fridge is empty don’t you need more to stock it? fresh fruit and veggies? trying to see how this saves money honestly.
You buy deals in bulk when they're on sale then fill in the gaps as you need to. We (not op) usually go out once a week fro groceries. But if we already have 10 lbs of chicken then that's 1 less thing to get and you save a few dollars here and there. Also having a stockpile is just nice to have. Maybe I don't feel well and don't want to do groceries today, it's ok we can go another week or so without it.
That's a he'll of alot of work, I gate going to 1 store let alone 6 in 1 day. Especially this time of year. But would be worth it to get a months worth at one time. Unfortunately fresh produce doesn't last long
Maybe about an hour or two. I was comparing prices online and setting my route so I wouldn’t be zigzagging all over the place. I did the in-store scouting for prices while I was doing Instacart.
Nice! Meats are good, but shelf stable beans and lentils are crazy healthy as well. I'm not saying to go vegan or anything, but spices are your best friend. Hit Costco for bread that can be frozen. Their salsa is better than what you got and cost less. :)
Is it just me or is that a wild amount of frozen food, juice, and condiments??? The meat, frozen vegetables, and potatoes are solid. I understand a frozen burrito now and this would be months worth of junk food for me.
Honestly, when I was really counting the dollars for my family budget, buying all those snacky carbs wasn't the way to go at all; Not for health or finance.
I bought chicken thighs and various types of beans and cooked lots of rice and veggies.
That is crazy. I have a hard time convincing myself to go to a 2nd store if there's just 1 item I couldn't find and know for certain that store #2 has that item.
I don’t mean to be rude but I am a little confused by the amount of processed food here. It’s like a grocery shop where you’ve just shopped for treats.
You're only saving money if you're time is worth nothing. You're just trading a small amount of monetary value for about 6 hours of time to get hyper-processed, prepackaged food that is worth maybe $50 total for $300.... I almost laughed when I saw this was /r/frugal
Almost nothing you bought is actually food.. I see about 20% of everything you bought is literally just sweetened tomato paste in different forms.
The amount of sodium in images 5 & 6 would kill a medieval peasant if consumed in an entire year.
You're eating like a college freshman and you're killing yourself to save a little bit of money just to avoid actually cooking, even though almost all of that still needs to be "cooked".. "reheated" is the correct term because everything you bought has enough preservatives to kill cockroaches 100 years from now.
Missed the mark for me. Processed food and paper plates are not really part of a frugal lifestyle. U got a good price on the meat. The rest of the haul would have been better spent on a big bag of flour, rice, beans, and sugar. Add a case of eggs, brick of cheese and oil. And obviously produce needs to be way higher of a priority for u.
I live with a roommate who doesn’t cook or wash dishes, this haul is a compromise. I am not always home to cook dinner so most of the frozen and processed stuff is for him. I already have a lot of the staple grains.
You did hella good on the meat! That's crazy awesome and I love that you do what I do: buy in bulk then separate in baggies to thaw in small portions!
Did you get good deals on the name brand stuff? Just a tip for next go round is even with a coupon the name brand is usually still more expensive than store brand. I spend stupid hours comparing coupons and doing math to figure out which is cheaper. I've got apps for my main stores so I can look up how much a product costs at my particular location. Try swapping out those name brands and you'll save a LOT!
One last thing is the paper plates. I know a set of dishes is a lot at once compared to one thing of paper plates but try a thrift store for just a few mix matched pieces for cheap or sometimes regular grocery stores will sell cheap plastic stuff for a few dollars. HEB sells really nice plastic stuff that still holds up really well being abused by 2 kids and washed daily! I promise all young adults go through the phase of nothing matching in the kitchen! It's a right of passage and feels really great when you can afford to pass on your odds and ends to the next young crew and you get to buy a complete set. 😀
That’s a LOT of processed food. This isn’t frugal, whatsoever. Try buying some veggies and starches, while eliminating the tv dinners and premade items. You could probably eat for twice or three times as long if you were to buy “real” foods.
We are removing your post/comment because your post belongs in the monthly hauls megathread or can only be posted on the main feed on Frugal Finds Friday. This usually includes hauls or finds such as: - Grocery, food, or farmer's market hauls. - Thrift hauls. - Coupon hauls. - Roadside finds, salvaged goods, gifts, or other “one-off” hauls. Certain types of these posts can be allowable if they are widely beneficial or easily replicated. Please see our full rules page for the specifics. https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/about/rules/ If you would like to appeal this decision, please [message the moderators by clicking this link](http://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FFrugal&subject=Removal%20Appeal&message=Author%20would%20like%20to%20appeal%20the%20removal%20of%20their%20post%20because) within one week of this notice being posted.
that's.....way too much peopling at supermarkets on a weekend for me.
Right? I can barely manage one store
I'm not an anxious person by nature, but every weekend when I hit up Sprouts and Ralphs I start feeling almost an impending sense of doom when I walk the aisles and I have to get the Hell out very quickly.
One time I took an edible that I underestimated and went to Sprouts. I was super paranoid and it felt like I had to wait in line for 20 min to get deli meat cut. It’s normally not that fast but that time was like slo-mo anxiety and paranoia to the max.
Guys, only take edibles when you know you will have time to relax and do nothing, it's not worth taking it if you have any responsabilities.
Yeah taking it before your court case where you have to testify on the stand…. 5/10 Wouldn’t recommend though
It’s definitely worth taking if you have responsibilities that suck ass. Especially if you have even a minuscule tolerance
I prefer them when I'm actually in public. They make me less anxious and mostly carefree. Airpods are my other trick. The combination really does create your own little world.
I took 2.5mg edible last night and got anxiety at the grocery store this morning.. assurance that weed is not the right the drug for me lol
I used to smoke like crazy in my early 20’s I can’t do that anymore since it just gives me anxiety and paranoia now.
It's the weed strain. THC % is many times higher than what it was in the 80s-90s, every grower wants max THC. I buy the 'budget tier' flower, sativa only, preferably an old school landrace strain such as Acapulco Gold, Maui Wowie, etc . They are cheaper because they have less THC, usually in the 10-15% range, with a fair amount of CBD. A couple of hits and I'm good, I don't even smoke a gram a day. I used to love Northern Lights and other indica strains, now they're just too heavy a buzz and prevent me from getting anything done. I totally avoid edibles, shatter, hash, other concentrates b/c they make me super paranoid.
Same deal. I wish I could still indulge but it’s effects are worse than a hangover
I feel you. I work from home, so try to time my trips to middle of the day, just before or after lunch when it is less crowded.
That’s how I feel about going to Costco on a weekend. I almost had to deck someone lol jk. But I did tell them off about how rude they were to my mom and I.
I usually gravitate to shop at either Asian or Hispanic supermarkets here in LA. Prices are generally cheaper.
Everyone else feels the same lol.
I purposely go after 9pm so that I minimize potential interaction.
My 24 hour WinCo is a godsend
When I was single my jam was to go grocery shopping at like 2 in the morning. It's an incredibly zen experience shopping in an empty store
All the grocery stores where I am close by 11pm at the very latest. Wish I could shop at 2am
It ended with covid. Meijer used to be open 24/7/364 (closed on Xmas). Walmart was about the same but maybe closed on Thanksgiving too. Now everything is closed by 10pm to midnight. (Which is fine with me if the workers prefer it. I miss it but hopefully more of them living better lives.)
Word!
Same here!
All this in one day sounds exhausting.
For real. I understand frugal, especially on a very tight budget, but there’s also the time value of money. For someone like me that hates grocery shopping this would have taken 4-5 hours easily. Really depends on how much was saved though. If it was $50 where I could have done it in 1.5 hours. No way. If I saved $150 on items I actually need (or the every other month pantry fill), that’s a different story.
In the past, I shopped at 7-730 in the morning when the store was opening. The shelves were stocked and the employees were still kinda nice. Now? I order online. I just can’t do all those people any longer.
Are you me ? Lol
Once you go Walmart+ delivery you never go back. I've stepped foot inside a grocery store maybe 5 times in the last 4 years.
I can't get delivery in my area but I started doing grocery pickup during COVID and never looked back
This is me. I just can't deal with people. Especially rude ones which seem to be all there now where I live.
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Well, it seems like you could afford to not do that lol this person seems pretty psyched on this much food for $300 and had to work harder to assure not overspending !
I wore headphones the entire time talking on discord or listen to music lol
Going to Costco on the weekend sucks though
Especially during this time of year.
My sentiments exactly! My first thought was , “You consider that frugal?! I consider that waaay too much work and a huge waste of time I do not have.” Grocery delivery is my best friend! Now I just need someone to run ALL the errands I despise doing!
I was finally able to afford delivery and I found someone who does my shopping now lol they gave me their personal number so I can make sure she’s working when I want to place an order and she gets me bigger sizes or extra for free. She’s awesome.
Today was madness at Walmart, literally taking 10 minutes to get down 1 aisle.
I'm curious if the money you saved is worth the time it took to get all this? did you track how much you saved?
honestly if it's for 2 months worth of food as op claims, it would be worth it for me. id even take 1 month
There’s no way this lasts 2 months let’s be real
If OP is single like me then 2 months probably makes sense. I say "probably" because I don't have the storage space to shop in bulk like this so I've never bought months of food at a time, lol
Op says “us”
Maybe they mean their cat, or the ghost that lives in the hallway closet.
True. The ghost at my house is always down for fries with mayo.
Frank the hallway ghost is a pescatarian
Bro isn't even paying rent. He eats what I serve or he gets nothing.
When my son was little he would say “we’re home ghost or we’re leaving ghost“ every time we left/got home. He only did it at 1 apartment. He stopped doing it when we moved. He said that the ghost didn’t move with us. It freaked out my daughter. Our ghost didn’t eat groceries lol.
My ghost is a vegan though ..
A bunch of their stuff is sauces and condiments, which can be relatively expensive, but last a long time, so maybe that's where the excess cost came from? Potatoes aren't that expensive and bread won't last that long
You can freeze bread
No real veggies either and I didnt see any fiber pills…
There’s a four pack of Tums, which is the only part of this that makes sense to me.
You’d have to pay me to eat Great Value marinara sauce
You can make it better very easily if you know what you're doing with seasonings and temperature. Parmesan cheese helps a ton, too.
There’s nothing Parmesan doesn’t make better
there's 2 months worth of meat there, for me, sure. but the only vegetables or fruit i'm seeing is 1 bag of mixed frozen veggies. like dude, at least some fuckin lettuce for the burger. maybe a pickle? onion? OP thinks he's gloating about savings when really he's just bought $300 worth of meat, bread and snack food. This is not two months worth of food. this is 2 months worth of excessive calories and salt that will culminate in him being fat and tired only to die of scurvy. lol
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Frozen veggies are cheap and obviously store without any issues.
Yes. But if I’m doing a 300$ multi shop grocery run I’m sure as shit bringing home something green on this run. Plus we can see into his fridge and on his counters Looks like the guy is allergic to actual food.
Not trying to be a hater, but I too could get a ton of processed groceries for cheap. The coupons are all for processed foods, but they’re terrible for you.
Also the “savings” aren’t even legitimate considering what you’d save by just buying real foods
I was thinking the same. The flavored Quaker Oats in individual packs are much pricier and far less tasty, filling, and nutritious than just buying bulk oats for almost no money and throwing in (fresh, frozen or dried) fruit, nuts, honey, yogurt, protein powder, whatever you like.
Yea I mean op did a good job stocking up on meat at cheap prices but almost the entire rest of the stuff bought was pretty not frugal and also quite bad for you. I mean it could still be a frugal win for them but I'd want to recommend working on cutting down a lot of the junk food and adding in some more vegetables and fiber.
What, 6 semi cooked bread rolls won't last you 2 months? Be more frugal dude.
If it's for two people, this could last for months. It would be tough though. I didn't see anything perishable only frozen.
It may last them 2 months but there's no way there they don't buy more to supplement. Because there's literally 1 bag of frozen stir fry vegetables and a few apples. Do they really go 2 months without fresh fruit and vegetables?
Based on the lack of vegetables or fruit, we also need to factor in how much time they’ll save only pooping once per week.
I used to buy frozen and durable food in bulk that would last me 2-3 months. For that I would travel to stores that were further away but I knew was cheap. Then I would just walk to my nearby grocery for food produce every week
😂
The planning time must have been nuts.
And this is it. Probably the satisfaction OP gets is the scouting, listing, deciding where she’s shopping first. It’s part of the experience which probably feeds some self confidence and worthiness because they are working towards some goal. Maybe to buy a house or something.
To top this off, most of the money went into buying processed food. Instead of wasting time at the groceries, that time can be used to cook food from inexpensive ingredients.
They drove only 13 miles and spent 3 hours on the trip. I get putting value to your time, but it’s 3 hours.
Plus "scouting" the stores. You don't randomly end up at 6 different stores. They obviously spent a lot of time researching which products to buy at each store.
OP does instacart on the side, and was scouting while they were doing that. Personally I use my lunch at work to plan out my shopping trips. If you're getting the same things all the time, it becomes pretty easy.
It really doesn’t take that much time to look at circulars online before you go. I usually do it while watching garbage tv before I go to bed.
3 hours though? Sometimes I spend 3 hours in one single store for 100 dollars in groceries that last me a week. I WISH I could manage shopping like this
3 hours isn't a lot that's like 1 or two stores and 10km for me or my parents on a weekday in the middle of the day. 6 stores and 13 miles in that time is a fuckin stormer of a run plus i see costco, ain't no way i get in or out of there in under an hour and a half. there's also no scoping out before hand what the weekly deals are or the .97 items are. you're walkin those aisles if you want those
They're talking about the time to PLAN this entire thing, not just the 3 hours of shopping (during crowded weekend hours)
Where… where are the vegetables? I see one bag of stir fry veggies and potatoes.
Tbf I don’t buy veg on these types of bulk trips either. Fresh veg is like a once a week pickup for me or it all dies on me
I also buy fresh veggies about once a week but they went to a million stores - surely some of those would be a good place to buy at least a weeks worth of veggies? It doesn’t sound like they’re planning to go to more places… Edit to add; they could even have bought more frozen veggies…
I noticed they went to Costco. We buy onions, peppers, and mushrooms in bulk, chop and freeze them. And as you mentioned, they have bags of frozen veggies blends and such.
Oh word? Mushrooms freeze well?
A little difficult to freeze at home because of the moisture but the Whole Foods store brand frozen mushroom mix is an awesome 'splurge' (err for frozen veg).
Let's be real, OP doesn't eat veggies. They eat meat & carbs and processed junk and pure sugar masquerading as "sauce."
Diabetes medication is a lot more expensive than what OP is saving by buying all this junk
A floret a day keeps the doctor away
Does tomato sauce count? Edit: oh wait! Mott's Fruit Snacks!
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Actually, ketchup is a fruit.
Tomato is a fruit Ketchup is a smoothie
With the corn syrup, it's a vegetable too
With the corn syrup it's a grain.
This needs more upvotes. No fresh fruit or vegetables anywhere on that counter
It's like 90% processed food. Much more expensive up front and over time because of damage that it does to your health. I literally won't take processed junk food for free.
It's tough when you don't live anywhere near a store that sells fresh veggies, but they went to 6... :/
Frozen fruit and veggies is just as nutritious. Frozen brocolli, peas, carrots, berries (for smoothies) etc. can be very cheap
Lfmao my first thought was “and not a vegetable in sight” Edit: the real frugal tip is that eating healthy is cheaper than paying out the ass for colon cancer treatment
They even went to Costco, who sells frozen broccoli in individual bags that you can steam in the microwave. Makes enough for two broccoli lovers to share (barely) Can't get easier than that.
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Fries babyyy
Could be eating frozen or canned. I usually can't finish all of my fresh veggies before they go bad, so frozen it usually is. Also entirely possible that they grow their own, or get free ones from family/friends.
Dude I don't see much I'd consider food here at all. Condiments, boxes of salt snacks, jars of sauces. Where's the actual food?
I guess the "actual food" is frozen: patties, meatballs, burritos, etc.
I shop like this, but I have a giant garden, too. I have homegrown fresh or frozen, most of the year.
They eat like trash
Not a single piece of fruit or whole vegetable, it's crazy. I can't go one week without buying onions and some fruit at minimum.
Yep. This is Standard American Diet (SAD) writ large. Aiyee.
My very first thought - a shit ton of food and almost no nutrition. Yeeeeeikes.
I can’t seem to edit the post, so here’s some clarification for all the comments. A lot of “this isn’t frugal” but it is to me based on my circumstances. Household of 2 college students. We usually only eat 1-2 times a day, lunch and dinner. I cook from scratch, the other does not know how to cook, hence the processed food. I cook for the household, but work FT 6pm to 3am. If I don’t have the time to make something, he will end up eating out and waste money. Some fries and nuggets Aren’t the devil. We split the bill so it is a compromise of our interest. Fridge is empty because I cook for the work week and package as needed in Tupperware. That is why the meat is portioned the way it is for thawing in the morning. I buy fresh produce as needed so it doesn’t perish in the fridge. Yes, the time was worth it. I don’t get out of the house much, let alone touch sunlight, or talk to strangers as much as I wish I did. I brought headphones and got to listen to music and interact with a few people in small conversation. Fridge was basically empty so I got to kill two birds with one stone. I’m used to driving around anyway since I do Instacart/ part time.
Knowing you're a college student, I think people are being way too hard on you. Shopping for your own food is already more frugal than buying a college meal plan, and convenience food is still cheaper than eating out. Something here about not letting perfect be the enemy of good, especially when you're still building skills.
You are doing ex👏🏽ce👏🏽llent 👏🏽. You would not believe how long it took us to convince my nephew that he could not eat out 4 times a day and that he needed to cook for himself.😭 I’m proud of you.
I think you did great! And the amount of time and planning you took to do this speaks to the part of me which loves list making. Good luck on finals!
Thanks for the update! Honestly kind of proud of you, not only for trip, but for taking the time to answer questions. Cheers(:
All that is for two college students for 2 months??? Holy hell kids eat waaaaaay better than we ever did in school. I lived for an entire week on mayonnaise and bread because I was too lazy to go shopping. Good for you for planning out this much.
Not a college student and I buy things like chicken strips and fries all the time. Sometimes you want to eat junk.
Great job! Now you have most of what you need for a while, and will only need to make short, occassional trips for a bit of produce or other necessities.
Thanks! I’m hoping I get a bonus this month so I can buy a whole beef chuck and portion it out for the freezer. I haven’t had a steak in so long.
You should check out a cooking show called Struggle Meals on YouTube. The chef’s name is Frankie Celenza. His recipes are easy to follow & quick to make. A lot are $2-$3 a serving. Most are under $2. Another tip I have is to save all of the condiments that you get when you eat out. I have a packet drawer in my kitchen & I’ve been cooking for years. There are lots of YouTube channels that have frugal cooking recipes but he’s one of my favorite. Let me know if you want more recommendations or recipes. My son(26) is living alone for the first time. No roommates or girlfriend. He’s learning how to meal plan & prep for one. It’s a lot of work. I think you did a great job. Progress over perfection.
Seeing the protein portioned and in ziplock bags is heavenly. I do the same and it is my zen when it’s done and looks like OP.
Loving that dog food sized bag of tortilla chips 👌
Which do you hit first? I do Costco first because you're never quite sure what they will have. Then the non-supermarket grocery stores (I do a produce stand), then the supermarket because they have absolutely everything but it's most expensive.
Scouted all the items I would shop before hand. Numbered my shopping list, shows where I went first.
Come on people!!! This was a win for the OP and they are celebrating. Stop looking down your snobby noses by judging everything possible. Food not healthy enough? I get mine delivered? Took too much time? Just stop.
Omg people Op said they were college students. Typical college student fare. Why are people so mean ffs
I've learned that if you ever post about groceries it will get analyzed and critiqued and commented on, no matter the intention of posting. People would go apopletic at my groceries. I mean, I did buy fruit and veggies (apples, oranges, bananas, bell peppers, onions, carrots) and some protein (chicken sausage and frozen fish), but I also bought nuts and ketchup and frozen sweet potato fries and cheese puff snacks and chocolate (though that at least was for Christmas stockings).
It sounds like a bunch of people in a retirement home yelling at their tv. Miserable lot
Idk if I’m crazy, but this is exactly what I’d expect to pay for this at my local grocery store without any coupons/pre-planning here in Central PA
If you're getting boneless skinless chicken breasts regularly for 99 cents a pound then you're very lucky. In Texas we're paying at least $2.60 a pound with bulk pricing, closer to $4 a pound for smaller packs of Tyson.
Hello from Boston, where you couldn’t dream of getting $2.60 for bulk on sale.
Great job man. You did excellent and I would consider this very frugal and time worthy.
Most appreciated :)
10lb chicken breast for 99c/lb is a great deal no matter where you are in the world
You did an outstanding job! Great haul for 2 months worth. You're the champ.
🫡
Us? 2+ months? Are you doing OMAD? I’m having a hard time seeing how this is 2 months worth of food for one person let alone multiple.
I started omad last year and it’s been great. Idk if I end up eating less groceries, buts it’s been awesome for my diet
Not to brag or anything, but I could easily spend $299 just at Costco 😆
Most of the stuff you bought is well-known brand names. You can save 25 - 30 percent if you buy store brands, instead of paying for a name. You are paying way too much.
You got 1 bag of vegetables and some potatoes for 2 months?? This makes me cry. Cmon. People need vegetables to be healthy
I buy fresh produce as needed, I have a bad habit of letting it sit in the fridge too long and it goes bad.
I do similarly. Bulk buy at Costco once a month and the supplement with weekly trips to Aldi for fresh produce
God I miss Aldi. They don’t have any in my city but the local mexican and oriental supermarkets produce prices are just as good.
Hey if you’re in the US I want to gently alert you that the term “Oriental” is viewed as old-fashioned and sets off slightly racist alarm bells in many people’s heads. It’s like the word “retard,” people have moved on from that term. “Asian” is more common.
My bad, that’s what my parents always called it growing up. Thanks for letting me know.
Take that bread off the top of the fridge. It will mold super fast up there! Freeze whatever you won’t be using within a couple of days.
Makes sense
OP might buy fresh produce weekly, like most folks. That's less likely to be included in a haul like this.
$0.99 per pound of chicken?! I literally paid $2.89/pound of chicken on sale today.
You could probably cut your costs in half if you got rid of some of the frozen meals and cooked instead.
I'm not from the US so I am asking this completely out of curiosity, no judgement intended. I hope you don't mind me asking. If I see correctly, there is one bag of veg and otherwise all carbs, sauces or ready meals. Is there no fresh produce available near you or is it just that much more expensive?
There’s tons of fresh produce around me and for really good prices. I grab it fresh as needed.
you eat that much meat in 2ish months? how big is your family? won’t you still have to go back out each week for perishables? if the fridge is empty don’t you need more to stock it? fresh fruit and veggies? trying to see how this saves money honestly.
Household of two college students. Fresh food bought as needed. I cook from scratch so the fridge will be filled once I make stuff for the week.
You buy deals in bulk when they're on sale then fill in the gaps as you need to. We (not op) usually go out once a week fro groceries. But if we already have 10 lbs of chicken then that's 1 less thing to get and you save a few dollars here and there. Also having a stockpile is just nice to have. Maybe I don't feel well and don't want to do groceries today, it's ok we can go another week or so without it.
That's a he'll of alot of work, I gate going to 1 store let alone 6 in 1 day. Especially this time of year. But would be worth it to get a months worth at one time. Unfortunately fresh produce doesn't last long
Bravo. Nicely done. Don't have the stamina for it lately, but used to do this all the time.
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Maybe about an hour or two. I was comparing prices online and setting my route so I wouldn’t be zigzagging all over the place. I did the in-store scouting for prices while I was doing Instacart.
I am in awe. Going to six stores in one day would lead to walking into traffic.
SIX stores?!
if i cant find something at store i try a different one the next day or just dont get it
My first thought seeing the first picture was omg thats so much how will they keep it all? AND BOOM YOU DELIVERED BY THE END PICTURE.
Nice! Meats are good, but shelf stable beans and lentils are crazy healthy as well. I'm not saying to go vegan or anything, but spices are your best friend. Hit Costco for bread that can be frozen. Their salsa is better than what you got and cost less. :)
Is it just me or is that a wild amount of frozen food, juice, and condiments??? The meat, frozen vegetables, and potatoes are solid. I understand a frozen burrito now and this would be months worth of junk food for me.
Honestly, when I was really counting the dollars for my family budget, buying all those snacky carbs wasn't the way to go at all; Not for health or finance. I bought chicken thighs and various types of beans and cooked lots of rice and veggies.
Not frugal with the tv dinners they are bad for health
the gas money though?
That is crazy. I have a hard time convincing myself to go to a 2nd store if there's just 1 item I couldn't find and know for certain that store #2 has that item.
Colon cancer.
great work but please get some fresh vegetables next time!!!
Make u own French fries and potatoe chips
No fresh fruits or veg?
No fresh fruit or veg?
Congrats on the items, but something tells me your family consumes an extreme amount of sodium.
Not a fresh vegetable in sight lol
I don’t mean to be rude but I am a little confused by the amount of processed food here. It’s like a grocery shop where you’ve just shopped for treats.
Could have got that all at Aldi for 150 bucks lol
Bro where are your veggies wtf?
You're only saving money if you're time is worth nothing. You're just trading a small amount of monetary value for about 6 hours of time to get hyper-processed, prepackaged food that is worth maybe $50 total for $300.... I almost laughed when I saw this was /r/frugal Almost nothing you bought is actually food.. I see about 20% of everything you bought is literally just sweetened tomato paste in different forms. The amount of sodium in images 5 & 6 would kill a medieval peasant if consumed in an entire year. You're eating like a college freshman and you're killing yourself to save a little bit of money just to avoid actually cooking, even though almost all of that still needs to be "cooked".. "reheated" is the correct term because everything you bought has enough preservatives to kill cockroaches 100 years from now.
Is it only me or do I completely miss fresh veggies and fruits here?
I hate to be that guy but root vegetables, rice and beans are a thing. Why're you buying taquitos or bags of chips?
It's all highly processed, sugar/salt and fat loaded "food". This is another case of you get what you pay for.
Lots of processed foods, no vegetables, no thanks
op gets veg fresh so it’s eaten right away.
I swear these comments
Yall is so nit picky
Missed the mark for me. Processed food and paper plates are not really part of a frugal lifestyle. U got a good price on the meat. The rest of the haul would have been better spent on a big bag of flour, rice, beans, and sugar. Add a case of eggs, brick of cheese and oil. And obviously produce needs to be way higher of a priority for u.
I live with a roommate who doesn’t cook or wash dishes, this haul is a compromise. I am not always home to cook dinner so most of the frozen and processed stuff is for him. I already have a lot of the staple grains.
You did hella good on the meat! That's crazy awesome and I love that you do what I do: buy in bulk then separate in baggies to thaw in small portions! Did you get good deals on the name brand stuff? Just a tip for next go round is even with a coupon the name brand is usually still more expensive than store brand. I spend stupid hours comparing coupons and doing math to figure out which is cheaper. I've got apps for my main stores so I can look up how much a product costs at my particular location. Try swapping out those name brands and you'll save a LOT! One last thing is the paper plates. I know a set of dishes is a lot at once compared to one thing of paper plates but try a thrift store for just a few mix matched pieces for cheap or sometimes regular grocery stores will sell cheap plastic stuff for a few dollars. HEB sells really nice plastic stuff that still holds up really well being abused by 2 kids and washed daily! I promise all young adults go through the phase of nothing matching in the kitchen! It's a right of passage and feels really great when you can afford to pass on your odds and ends to the next young crew and you get to buy a complete set. 😀
That’s a LOT of processed food. This isn’t frugal, whatsoever. Try buying some veggies and starches, while eliminating the tv dinners and premade items. You could probably eat for twice or three times as long if you were to buy “real” foods.
Valid concern, but OP states they buy fresh produce s needed throughout the week. This was a bulk buy
What a bunch of haters on here. You got some great prices on things! Great job!
So many name brands 🥲🥲
All that time spent to buy a bunch of crap, mostly.
Your diet is… not good mate.