There is a closet in our basement that I believe was intended for linens or something, but has been repurposed into what I call “The Food Bunker”.
We have four growing boys to feed and that adds up. Our commitment to keeping our spending down involves savvy shopping. Bearded Husband is quite adept at keeping the costs down. He seems to have memorized the standard price of everything.
Me: Hey! Chicken is on sale. I can stop on my way home.
BH: If it’s not less than $3.00 per pound, don’t bother.
I can’t keep those numbers in my head. In fact, I had to check that price with him before I wrote this.
Me: I picked up Oreos, they were on sale.
BH: Less than $1.99? No? Hope you kept the receipt.
Living on a budget means you have to be patient.
Me: We’re out of apples.
BH: I know. I’m waiting for the fall when they go on sale.
I’ll just start taking some Vitamin C supplements for a while.
When there are sales, we stock up. And I mean stock up. That’s when the Food Bunker really comes in handy.
The boys have grown up with the understanding that very little is bought that is not on sale, or at the very least on for a reasonable price. But they use this knowledge to try to get non-essentials into the grocery cart.
Son: Oh! Can we get these? Look, they are on sale. I love those chips.
Me: That’s a featured item, it’s not on sale.
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Son: Can we get some Fruit to Gos?
Me: Not on sale.
Son: But that is a good price…
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Son: Cheesestrings are ON SALE. Can we get some? You never buy us those.
Me: Nope, still a rip-off.*
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Living within our means and keeping to a budget doesn’t mean we don’t treat ourselves, though. In fact, look what we are enjoying today (please ignore the pink sticker).
What do you do to save a buck or two? Seriously, I’d really like to know.
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*More of my thoughts on Cheesestrings coming soon.
Tough Bananas 
We have a corner of the basement/storage area that has some shelves and is referred to as “The Russian Grocery Store”. That’s actually what we tell the kids when they need to go get something. The other great named place in the house is “The Desk of Mess”, but that’s another story.
I knew you guys would be able to relate.
I’m looking forward to that future post. We could make it a series.
We’re terrible with our grocery budget, but we do buy off-brand and try to plan meals in advance. But mostly we just gripe about it later because Oreos.
Some things cannot be compromised, like Oreos.
I dig it. My wife and I keep a cash budget for expenses, and it has revolutionized our finances. I definitely now aspire to be like your bearded husband, in terms of memorizing the standard price for all household goods. Seems like the manly thing to do.
He’s pretty proud of that skill.
My mother used to buy in bulk,things like rice would be in a metal container(no mice or other unwanted visitors allowed).We would be send upstairs to get what was needed.So saving runs in the family…….
Love that! Thanks for sharing a memory of Grandma.
Have you ever heard of the band, String Cheese Incident?
Are they the break off from The Velveetas?
Hahaha!!! Something like that. I find it hard to describe their music.
You and I need to hang out, because I’m so NOT frugal.
I could have gone either way, it’s good I married a frugal shopper, keeps me in check.
doesn’t any one use coupons?? I use coupons and keep up with a few websites that offer free items. I would say once every few weeks I get a “free” product in the mail. 🙂
I CLIP coupons, but often forget to USE them.
We clip coupons, and stock up on sale items too!
My husband is the exact same way. I grew up in a family that bought everything on sale, too. It has stuck with me! Hopefully it will stick with your kiddos, too!
My parents were like that, too. We have a few good stories about that, Dad could get a bit excessive with the “deals”.
I’m terrible with my money and it’s something I am working on. And it doesn’t help that I’m on my own – no checks and balances at all. But these last two weeks I’ve been flat broke because I spent all my money on vacation. It’s good though, because I’ve been forced to watch every penny, which is what I should be doing all the time.
In other news, every time I look in my pantry, all I can think is how I’m so not going to survive the zombie apocalypse.
You have a home in Canada when the zombies come. Just pack a lot of water for the trip.
We buy off brand on everything it seems. And when we go out to eat, I drink water and highly encourage everyone to do the same.