TheWinterBird:
Is this too much to spend on groceries?

How much are y'all spending on groceries?

If you can comfortably afford that, it's not too much. If you're looking to reduce costs, here's a few things to consider:

1.) Do you really need a particular brand? With some products, like certain cooking sauces, the flavor is like night and day, so you want that brand. Furthermore, that's a product that will last weeks or months, so it's worth it. But generic is often fine.

2.) If you can afford it, you should pay more for certain items because they're more nutritious or healthier. Even if you can't, you don't have to throw your health out the window. You have a lot of options.

3.) Buy in bulk.

4.) Don't buy everything from one store, or from the more expensive store. You can get better deals on a lot of essentials (like spices) from certain places. And you won't sacrifice quality or health.

5.) There are tons of cheap vegetables, fruits, and carbs. A good way to save on veggies is getting big bags of frozen veggies. You can get whole wheat pasta and parboiled rice (10lb or more sacks) pretty cheap. Beans are super cheap and one of the most healthy and satisfying things you can eat.

6.) If you can, invest in a deep freezer. That way you can really buy in bulk, and you can also take advantage of sales.

7.) Try to connect with farmers who butcher. You can get a ton of fresh healthy meat at a better price and pop it in your deep freeze. But make sure that person is compliant with health codes and etc.

8.) You can meal plan to get more out of your dollar. Soup, stew, and 1-pot rice or pasta dishes. And there's a ton of wonderful different dishes you can make. Definitely look for stuff to try.

9.) Save by buying whole chickens, ground meat, and certain cheap, but healthy cuts. Also, go to supermarkets early to get deals. You may have to put it in your freezer or use it that day, but it's a huge savings.

10.) If you're in the UK, you can get wild markdowns on fresh food. Take advantage of that. You can get some amazing things for less than a pound.

11.) Farmer's markets (real ones not supermarkets selling stuff) have great, healthy deals. Also, if you live in or near a rural area, you can get your weight in fruit and veggies cheap. Take advantage.

12.) Your recipes don't require every single ingredient you think. There are viable, cheaper substitutes that don't sacrifice flavor. Maybe experiment with that and ask around to discover what you really need, or what you don't mind. You can save a ton of money this way.

13.) Making stuff from scratch saves. It may cost you X amount for a bag of something, but you can spend the same and get buckets if you make it from scratch. Take time to think about stuff that's not a big deal to do from scratch. Maybe buy some inexpensive kitchen tools and gadgets to make that easier.

14.) Buy stuff that's versatile instead of stuff that's super specific. Like, get ingredients you can use in a bunch of different stuff.

I'll post some more later.