HumboldtGurl
Fulltimer
New Member
Joined: 04/13/2007
View Profile
 Offline
|
Hey there,
DH and I have now been fulltiming in our 24' Arctic Fox fiver for almost one month. We are trying hard to get the grocery shopping thing down, but it's so much different from buying when we had a stick house and could stock up. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on how to handle this.
Now that we only buy about a week's worth of food at a time, it seems we're spending more on food. Also, we aren't around any more Winco stores, with ultra low prices, so I'm going into sticker shock seeing prices at mainstream grocery stores where we've been.
Do any of you have any tips on how to buy enough groceries so you don't have to go every other day, without buying so much that it doesn't fit in cupboards? How do you save on food?
Thanks for your help!
Also, any tips on saving money?
|
skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
Senior Member
Joined: 12/17/2003
View Profile
|
We're not full timing but when extended traveling we've found that Walmart Stors food prices are lower than just about anywhere else and it's pretty universal no matter WHERE we are. WE generally do as you suggested and purchase food for about a week at a time with a few "go backs" for scattered things during the week. We're fortunate enough that we have plenty of storage space for our foods. I guess not full timing means we just don't take as much stuff as you probably do. Good luck / Skip
2011 F-150 HD Ecoboost 3.5 V6. 2550 payload, 17,100 GCVWR -
2004 F-150 HD (Traded after 80,000 towing miles)
2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
US Govt survey shows three out of four people make up 75% of the total population
|
WMG
PA
Senior Member
Joined: 09/24/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
I do not full time yet but for keeping more food cold maybe get a tiny refrig like they use in colledge dorms and plug it in to an outlet and maybe set that outlet up to run off the batteries if you need it to when traveling and of course strap that puppy down
|
Barbilou and Fujimo
Kino Bay Mexico
Senior Member
Joined: 06/17/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
After almost 2 years fulltiming, I don't yet have it down. I'm ALWAYS out of something important: today it's milk. I did find that packaged and canned items can suffice for some things I used to buy fresh. (I just this week bought a bag of potatoes for the first time in a year.) However, the list of items for which there is no satisfactory canned/packaged substitute is larger than that fridge, and it's an intricate jigsaw puzzle inside there. A head of lettuce seems to take up 1/3 of the space. I'm interested in hearing others' tips as well.
Casita (made of straw bales!) in Dos Palmas near Kino Bay
|
computerbug
Sarasota
Senior Member
Joined: 07/17/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
powder milk, tuna, chicken, turkey all in a can. Bag salad, potatoes,rice, biscuits, all in pouches. wraps instead of bread. Hamburger patties can be used for chili,etc. Room for frozen fish and steaks. Just think hurricane you will reduce the size and have more food. Good Luck
|
|
|
harvestmoon
PaaMul, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Senior Member
Joined: 10/02/2004
View Profile
|
I don't think I'll be any help as we have a family of six and hit the mercado about once every couple days. Mexico makes it easy though, as this is the norm; you always buy your food for meals the day you make it and tortillas are purchased daily from the tortileria. In the US, the prices really stink. We just build the cost into the budget and stick with the budget. Generally that means that in the US we eat less fruits and veggies.
- Kathy
2002 Ford Econoline E350 PSD 7.3L TV.
2005 Ameri-Camp T315QBS.
Our Travel Journal
|
Tom N
Sarver, PA/Crystal River, FL/Shelocta, PA
Senior Member
Joined: 07/25/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
Eat out more often or get an RV with more storage. We have a 4 door fridge and a large pantry and have plenty of room for 6 winter months.
Sarver, PA/Crystal River, FL/Shelocta, PA · W3TLN · FMCA 335149 · Mystic Knights of the Sea
2005 Suncruiser 38R · W24 chassis, no chassis mods needed · 2013 Honda Accord EX-L · 2008 Honda Odyssey EX-L
|
yesitsfree
Central Ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 03/09/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
I will probably get flamed for this but here goes about shopping....although I am not a full timer I think this will still help ya save some $ on groceries. I am an AVID couponer. I have given lectures on couponing and have received feedback from many of the people who attended my lectures that they have cut their food bills in half by applying my principles. First I RARELY shop Wal Mart. Number one they just aren't coupon friendly like the other grocery stores in my area. The other stores in my area double coupons. Most double up to .99 cents. One doubles up to .50 cents. I order 5 Sunday papers per week to get the coupon inserts. Now to get started I would suggest holding onto these inserts for about 2 weeks to a month before using them to really see the saving paid off. I then get the sale inserts for the local grocery stores and match up the sales with my coupons. I clip each coupon and file them in a 3 ring binder so shopping is easy for me. I simply flip to the section I need such as frozen foods and match up the coupon with the sale item. I get alot of free or cheap food by using this method. I feed 12 kids and DH and I on an average of $100 per week by couponing. I stock pile BIG time. However with limited space I know you have you wouldn't have to go to the extreme I do cuz you aren't feeding as many people.
I will give an example on how to use current coupons. Kroger is one of my shopping places and I will compare them to Wal Mart. Kroger has Hungry Jack instant potatoes on an average price of $1.09 per pack ( now these don't weigh much and don't take up alot of room so would be easy to store in your TT. Walmart has them for .97. Kroger will take my .55 cent off coupon I have for these and double it so this item will be FREE there. Walmart will NOT double it so the price would be .42 cents there. I know not every state has Krogers but many have grocery stores that double as well. I have a list of stores in many states that will double. I don't know where you are or if you travel around much but I am betting if you used coupons even at Walmart you would see drastic savings. The point is to buy in quantity so you have enough till the nexyt big sale. I do not BUY toothpaste, shampoo, tooth brushes, deodorant and many other items any more since I get so much for free I rarely run out so I can wait till the next big sale and get them for free again. If you have any questions feel free to PM me and I will try to help any way possible. Oh and opne more thing there are several sites Via internet where you can order coupons so if you know your local store has something on sale starting on Sunday you can go order coupons and get them before the sale is over usually and take advantage of the sale. If you do not get them in time go get a rain check at the service counter of the store and use the coupons next week when they come. I have rarely had to do the rain check thing but it does happen that the coupons got caught up in the mail for a week or more. Happy camping!
|
yesitsfree
Central Ohio
Senior Member
Joined: 03/09/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
HumboldtGurl wrote:Hey there,
DH and I have now been fulltiming in our 24' Arctic Fox fiver for almost one month. We are trying hard to get the grocery shopping thing down, but it's so much different from buying when we had a stick house and could stock up. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on how to handle this.
Now that we only buy about a week's worth of food at a time, it seems we're spending more on food. Also, we aren't around any more Winco stores, with ultra low prices, so I'm going into sticker shock seeing prices at mainstream grocery stores where we've been.
Do any of you have any tips on how to buy enough groceries so you don't have to go every other day, without buying so much that it doesn't fit in cupboards? How do you save on food?
What are your main stream grocery stores? If you don't get their weekly ads most stores have them online to view.
DO you travel out of state or only around CA?
Do you have an Aldi's or a Sav A Lot in your area? I get alot of my produce at Aldi's. They do not take coupons there but I do shop for produce there. Also check out your local farm markets for produce. Usually cheaper then the big grocery chains.
Thanks for your help!
Also, any tips on saving money?
|
mikejean
Pennsylvania
Full Member
Joined: 09/20/2006
View Profile
Offline
|
We snowbird during the winter months in Florida. It is a long distance from our home in PA and the grocery chains are not the same as at home. I find that Walmart caters more to the family that is not on special diets and they also carry larger size packaging (which is not suitable for our RV fidge). I have tried several grocery stores and they all seem a little higher in price than at home so I make sure I use the "card" that they issue to make sure I get their lowest price and do a little coupon buying. In purchasing my food I find that making a menu for several meals in the week helps. I also cook hamburger when I get back to the RV, cool it and package it in 1 pound portions in zip lock baggies (great for crockpot meals). Lay flat and stack in the freezer also make burger patties and freeze and seperate chicken and steaks all in zip lock bags. Clean all veggies and package all fresh produce to make them store more compactly. Also use more dry packaged foods. I find that if I plan 2 general shopping trips a week it is easier in the long run. Less running for things forgotten, easier planning meals and less spoiled food. I find that there is less time spent in the store if I make a tentative menu ahead of time and keep my list in hand while shopping. In and out of the grocery store in no time flat. Hope I've helped you a little. Happy cooking !
|
|
|
