New Experiment - Keeping Up with the Fralicks

2 Families, 2 Weeks, $200

Time for a new experiment that just got under way yesterday.  A new set of Fralicks recently moved in to our basement and we are inspired by their frugality.  These particular newlyweds are seriously thrifty in their planning and purchasing habits, so keeping up with them is a fun and creative challenge.  Also, pair liking the idea of eating on the cheap with the fact that we were just hit with the double whammy of 1.) the tax-bill of our lifetime, and 2.) a corrected medical bill from Gordon's surgery last year, and necessity begins to outweigh liking the idea of a great many things. 

The Parameters

Family #1 - The Older Fralicks - 2 adults, 2 teenagers, 1 little girl, 9 chicks (we feed them all the produce scraps)

Family #2 - The Newer Fralicks - a newlywed couple and their cute pets

$200 (total) for 2 weeks of grocery purchases for all of us.  12 at home dinners per family, breakfasts and lunches according to the plan.

The Plan

Because dinner is our biggest, most involved meal of the day (by most involved I mean we spend 30 minutes making it), I have our dinner menus here.  We are planning, and executing, one week at a time.  To see what we do for breakfasts and lunches, or to check out our grocery list with prices, go to the Extra Notes at the bottom of this post.  The point of showing you the plan is so that you can see that eating on the cheap does not have to be tasteless and crappy.  We eat well, and with careful planning, we never feel deprived.

Dinners for Week 1

Fam # 1

Indian Curry

Veggie Burritos (peppers, onions, rice & beans)

Penne pesto & Salad

Panini

Fam # 2

Enchiladas

Whole Grain Pasta & Salad

Massaman Curry

Stir Fry

Both Families

Tabbouleh salad, hummus and naan

Homemade Chinese Dumplings & Rice

The Strategy

Phase 1A - Pair up with someone else in our planning to enhance accountability. Accountability is the thing I need most to keep me on track with my budget.  My daughter-in-law and I make our menus and then the shopping list, together. 

If you aren't lucky enough to have a freshly married frugal couple living in your basement, don't worry.  You can still create a successful grocery shopping strategy. It will just require finding someone else to do your planning with.  In the past, my little sister and I have conferences on the phone, making our menus and lists together.

Phase 1B - Next to each item on the list, we guestimate the price we'll pay for each item.  After 22 years of shopping for a family, going to the same stores, and watching for sales, I am a pro at guestimating prices. You can be, too, just by tracking what you spend, writing down your best sale prices on each item over time, and aiming never to spend greater than that amount ever again.  

Phase 2 - Send the newlyweds to the store.  If i can stay out of the store, impulses are not purchased.  The words, "Oh, i was going to make this, too," are never uttered.  And, "Maybe we need some mint filled oreos," is said to no one, because our favorite bride doesn't even like those.  And, with an exact amount of cash on hand, and an intrinsic sense of financial discipline, our newlyweds stick to the plan better than I ever do.  

Again, if there is no one available to do your shopping for you (only since my kids have gotten so big has this become a possibility for me) don't despair.  Take your list and ANYONE else who can read/understand what is on the list.  Tell them before you go in, "we are only buying what is on the list," and then, stick to it.  Maybe that is why my son is a decent shopper.  My kids always know this truth, "We will get a treat on the way out the door of the store IF we stick to the list." That's a generation old strategy with a story of it's own, and another way we are able to keep impulses to a minimum.

Now, before you start to wonder; no, sending our newlyweds to do the shopping is  not like sending your husband alone to the store.  These two, our little bride particularly, are pros at finding the best ingredients at the lowest prices.  Today is no exception.  They should actually contemplate hiring themselves out for this job.  

Execution

This week's stores of choice are 1.) Winco - an employee owned, low price supermarket leader, and 2.) Smith's - where Tillamook cheese and Barilla pasta are deeply discounted today.

They go in for the week's groceries with $100 cash on hand, along with a detailed list - guestimated prices included.  They buy for both families, ours and theirs, purchase 51 items including 11 lbs of pasta, 7 lbs of cheeses, 20 lbs of produce, plus a bunch of other stuff, and come out with $6.71. Well done!

"That was awesome, guys! You spent almost exactly what we projected and got every thing on the list," I tell my newly weds as we are reviewing the receipts together.

"Yeah, I don't know how you did that guessing part" my daughter-in-law says, "but the prices you wrote down next to each item on the list were right for most of the things.  Some you were a little low, and some you were a little high, but it came out really close to what you projected."

"And you guys did a great job finding all the deals that matched the prices we hoped to pay.  So great!" I reply.

Extra Notes: 

Breakfast

Fam # 1

Weekdays - hot chocolate and/or toast - every single school day

Weekends - sweet rolls, hash browns, eggs, etc.

Fam #2

Soy milk, breakfast shake, vitamins 

Lunch

Fam # 1

Homemade bread and butter, fresh fruits and veggies, a tiny treat

Cup-o-noodles

Leftovers

Fam # 2

Gussied up leftovers

Brunchy food

The List

Produce 

Bananas $1.50

Strawberries $3

Broccoli $2.50

Cauliflower $2

Cabbage $0.75

Salad greens $5

Avocados $3

Onions $3

Scallions $1

Mushrooms $1.50

Dairy

Sliced cheeses $10

Shredded cheese on sale $10

Cream $3.50

Whole milk $2.50

Sour cream $3

Cottage cheese $3

Eggs $2

Canned goods

Beans $1.50

Water chestnuts $0.50

Olives $1

Pickles $2

Enchilada sauce $2

Dry goods

Brown rice $1

Pasta $10