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Tigerlilly 01:12 PM 07-31-2017
What are you all averaging a day on food costs per child? And what is your weekly budget for food?
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midaycare 01:39 PM 07-31-2017
$600 a month pays for all paper products, all food, formula, garbage bags, etc. My husband and I are on the keto way of eating (almost all meat/cheese/some organic veggies but not much) but that includes the higher cost of that in there, too.

It feeds 6 daycare kids all week, breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks daily, and all meals for my husband, son, and myself.

We don't buy processed crap. I couldn't do it without Aldis. Even Walmart adds an extra $200 a month to our bill.
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Snowmom 02:03 PM 07-31-2017
Originally Posted by midaycare:
$600 a month pays for all paper products, all food, formula, garbage bags, etc. My husband and I are on the keto way of eating (almost all meat/cheese/some organic veggies but not much) but that includes the higher cost of that in there, too.

It feeds 6 daycare kids all week, breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks daily, and all meals for my husband, son, and myself.

We don't buy processed crap. I couldn't do it without Aldis. Even Walmart adds an extra $200 a month to our bill.
Wow, that's pretty good!
I admire you!

I spend around $350/week for 10-12 kids. I buy a lot of organic foods and do a lot of farmer's markets. Plus, I bake most of my own breads. It's getting to be too expensive to buy organic though. We started our own garden to cut some costs and I cut back on servings too.
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Snowmom 02:04 PM 07-31-2017
And that's just food! ^
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Tigerlilly 02:22 PM 07-31-2017
Oh I totally forgot about Aldi. We have one here now. Definitely going to use them.
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Josiegirl 02:35 PM 07-31-2017
Eight dcks and myself, B, L, and Snack. I usually spend 120-140 a week. That includes paper products and cleaners. I do buy my bread products at an outlet store, much cheaper than the grocery store. I admit I don't buy organic or shop Farmer's Markets.
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Controlled Chaos 03:40 PM 07-31-2017
I spend $500 ish a month to feed 9 kids breakfast, lunch and snack. That also includes paper towels and a few other items like that.
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ColorfulSunburst 07:52 PM 07-31-2017
around $5 per day for a child.
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CalCare 08:13 PM 07-31-2017
I spend so much more than everyone here. I don't understand how you do it. I always feel like I'm going as cheap as I can, too. For example, what yogurts do you use? What eggs? I have to buy really good yogurt - brown cow. And I do free range (not cage free) eggs. I feel like I get generic sugar, flour, canned beans... Chicken, I do buy free range or sometimes when I feel the bills are just too much, I buy conventional chicken... Do I just have to drop all that to make it work? Bread, I use Milton's whole grain. Cheese, I do buy shredded cheap cheese for the sake of time and money. Cold cuts, I buy, again, pricey ham which is like Applegate or similar - it doesn't have all the additives or anything. I do buy generic whole grain pasta and generic brown rice. I don't usually buy organic fruit and veg, too expensive. We have no Aldi's and our TJ's which people say is supposed to be equivalent, just isn't equivalent! TJs costs more than others and their produce is always bad. Help me learn the magic ways of spreading my food dollars!
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LysesKids 04:32 AM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by CalCare:
I spend so much more than everyone here. I don't understand how you do it. I always feel like I'm going as cheap as I can, too. For example, what yogurts do you use? What eggs? I have to buy really good yogurt - brown cow. And I do free range (not cage free) eggs. I feel like I get generic sugar, flour, canned beans... Chicken, I do buy free range or sometimes when I feel the bills are just too much, I buy conventional chicken... Do I just have to drop all that to make it work? Bread, I use Milton's whole grain. Cheese, I do buy shredded cheap cheese for the sake of time and money. Cold cuts, I buy, again, pricey ham which is like Applegate or similar - it doesn't have all the additives or anything. I do buy generic whole grain pasta and generic brown rice. I don't usually buy organic fruit and veg, too expensive. We have no Aldi's and our TJ's which people say is supposed to be equivalent, just isn't equivalent! TJs costs more than others and their produce is always bad. Help me learn the magic ways of spreading my food dollars!
I clip digital coupons weekly, hunt down organic bargains @ Kroger, buy rice in bulk from Asian grocers because it's less expensive and we don't do a lot of bread here because I have under 2's only. The oldest doesn't eat bread and because I don't either, it's not a big deal. I also make my own yogurt; again it's cheaper & tastes better plus I can add my own fruit and there is no added sugar. I have 2 Aldi's I can shop - one is better than the other. I also barter for eggs & fresh produce from local farms ( my homemade soaps & jams)
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midaycare 05:35 AM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by CalCare:
I spend so much more than everyone here. I don't understand how you do it. I always feel like I'm going as cheap as I can, too. For example, what yogurts do you use? What eggs? I have to buy really good yogurt - brown cow. And I do free range (not cage free) eggs. I feel like I get generic sugar, flour, canned beans... Chicken, I do buy free range or sometimes when I feel the bills are just too much, I buy conventional chicken... Do I just have to drop all that to make it work? Bread, I use Milton's whole grain. Cheese, I do buy shredded cheap cheese for the sake of time and money. Cold cuts, I buy, again, pricey ham which is like Applegate or similar - it doesn't have all the additives or anything. I do buy generic whole grain pasta and generic brown rice. I don't usually buy organic fruit and veg, too expensive. We have no Aldi's and our TJ's which people say is supposed to be equivalent, just isn't equivalent! TJs costs more than others and their produce is always bad. Help me learn the magic ways of spreading my food dollars!
You're in CA, you're screwed Everything is more expensive there. I live in the Midwest. I may get 4 seasons and winter is looong, but our home on 7 acres cost less than a CA 1 bedroom studio rental. Groceries, fuel, activities, general life...all cheaper here. I'm pretty sure I couldn't live on either coast. I'd have a heart attack just from the prices. I did live in SC for a year, which wasn't too bad...but then unlike the Midwest, people cared about designer brands. Walking into church I actually heard a man comment to a woman, "Ohhh...are those new Jimmy Choos?" Here no one would be caught dead in that stuff. Maybe Chicago. If anything, we wear Columbia sportswear or Patagonia.
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Blackcat31 06:50 AM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
Wow, that's pretty good!
I admire you!

I spend around $350/week for 10-12 kids. I buy a lot of organic foods and do a lot of farmer's markets. Plus, I bake most of my own breads. It's getting to be too expensive to buy organic though. We started our own garden to cut some costs and I cut back on servings too.
Must be the difference between down there and up here

I have 12-14 kids daily and I spend roughly $150-200 a week on groceries and I also buy organic and lots of fresh farmer's market items. We also grow alot of our own too but that is usually just extras on their plate and not always a required component.

We don't eat much bread so I don't buy alot of it and I don't make it myself.
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Snowmom 08:15 AM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
Must be the difference between down there and up here

I have 12-14 kids daily and I spend roughly $150-200 a week on groceries and I also buy organic and lots of fresh farmer's market items. We also grow alot of our own too but that is usually just extras on their plate and not always a required component.

We don't eat much bread so I don't buy alot of it and I don't make it myself.
Wow, seriously?!

Organic milk for dck's alone costs me $30/week.

We recently had two new grocery stores pop up in my neighborhood and my thoughts were: "Great, maybe we'll see some deals now that there's more competition".
Nope.

Costco is my best bet here. But I really hate setting aside time to portion and freeze.
Then, when I'm buying bulk or growing foods, I'd like to can what we don't eat right away. And... that's not creditable on the FP. Neither is dehydrating foods.
So, what's the point. :/
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midaycare 08:39 AM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
Wow, seriously?!

Organic milk for dck's alone costs me $30/week.

We recently had two new grocery stores pop up in my neighborhood and my thoughts were: "Great, maybe we'll see some deals now that there's more competition".
Nope.

Costco is my best bet here. But I really hate setting aside time to portion and freeze.
Then, when I'm buying bulk or growing foods, I'd like to can what we don't eat right away. And... that's not creditable on the FP. Neither is dehydrating foods.
So, what's the point. :/
Organic milk at Aldi's is $1.99. Non organic but not treated with rsbt or whatever that is is $.99. I use 2-3 gallons a week.
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Blackcat31 08:53 AM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by Snowmom:
Wow, seriously?!

Organic milk for dck's alone costs me $30/week.

We recently had two new grocery stores pop up in my neighborhood and my thoughts were: "Great, maybe we'll see some deals now that there's more competition".
Nope.

Costco is my best bet here. But I really hate setting aside time to portion and freeze.
Then, when I'm buying bulk or growing foods, I'd like to can what we don't eat right away. And... that's not creditable on the FP. Neither is dehydrating foods.
So, what's the point. :/
Yes, what Midacare said below! Aldi's is great for organic milk and produce.

I don't know how many gallons of milk you go through but we only do milk for lunch. I don't serve breakfast and it's water only for snack so that helps alot!



Originally Posted by midaycare:
Organic milk at Aldi's is $1.99. Non organic but not treated with rsbt or whatever that is is $.99. I use 2-3 gallons a week.

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CalCare 09:39 AM 08-01-2017
Omg ha! Our organic milk gallon is like 5.99-6.99.
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hwichlaz 10:44 AM 08-01-2017
Cost of living in a small town....eesh, lol

$1000 per month for 6-8 kids, plus my 17-year-old, myself...and my 7-year-old. Food program covers about $500 of that consistently.

Our grocery prices are higher because of fuel surcharge...we don't have any major highways or a freeway through our county.
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hwichlaz 10:55 AM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by CalCare:
I spend so much more than everyone here. I don't understand how you do it. I always feel like I'm going as cheap as I can, too. For example, what yogurts do you use? What eggs? I have to buy really good yogurt - brown cow. And I do free range (not cage free) eggs. I feel like I get generic sugar, flour, canned beans... Chicken, I do buy free range or sometimes when I feel the bills are just too much, I buy conventional chicken... Do I just have to drop all that to make it work? Bread, I use Milton's whole grain. Cheese, I do buy shredded cheap cheese for the sake of time and money. Cold cuts, I buy, again, pricey ham which is like Applegate or similar - it doesn't have all the additives or anything. I do buy generic whole grain pasta and generic brown rice. I don't usually buy organic fruit and veg, too expensive. We have no Aldi's and our TJ's which people say is supposed to be equivalent, just isn't equivalent! TJs costs more than others and their produce is always bad. Help me learn the magic ways of spreading my food dollars!
Mine's expensive too. I'm not brand loyal or organic...I'll buy local over organic, and organic for produce on the dirty dozen list...but if it's too much more than conventional we just don't get to have it. Sticking with in season produce helps. I only serve 100% whole grain bread, pasta, cereals, and brown rice, quinoa, etc. Non-organic dairy. But I get a mid range price on dairy. There's a semi local company, Clover, that my step dad worked for. He says they use organic practices even with their non-certified herds, and the cattle all get to graze on green pasture every day.

The only yogurt that it flavored that meets the new food program regs in Oct, that doesn't have artificial sweeteners and is available to me is Chobani. Otherwise, I have to flavor the plain stuff myself.

I save money by serving mostly vegetarian meals and cooking from scratch. I save the meat proteins for fishy Fridays and my own family's dinner. The kids eat a lot of eggs, cheese, beans, yogurt, for their protein. Then on Fridays, I rotate between tuna sandwiches (tuna melts in winter) and salmon patties.

After standing in the aisle and reading forever, I found a cereal that is 100% whole grain and has less than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce (new regs) that's generic. It's the Safeway brand bite sized frosted shredded wheat. The kids will also eat Chex, and the babies are willing to eat plain Cheerios but my older kids just go hungry if I serve it. In winter I make porridge...Old Fashioned Oats, Cream of Wheat, etc.
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Controlled Chaos 01:07 PM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by CalCare:
Omg ha! Our organic milk gallon is like 5.99-6.99.
That's what it is here too. Location has so much to do with price.

I am mostly vegetarian here for cost reasons. For protein Monday is eggs, Tuesday beans, wed cheese and then usually another cheese day and Friday is sometimes a meat or eggs again.
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LysesKids 01:19 PM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by Controlled Chaos:
That's what it is here too. Location has so much to do with price.

I am mostly vegetarian here for cost reasons. For protein Monday is eggs, Tuesday beans, wed cheese and then usually another cheese day and Friday is sometimes a meat or eggs again.
I have to do my veggie meals sans cheese daytime due to a dairy & soy allergy with 2 babes. And I can do eggs on the day my Egg allergy isn't here lol - thank goodness for Kite Hill Almond "cream cheese" spread - I can do cheese & toast/bagels this way lol but it is very spendy, so it's a treat, not a weekly. I get my milk directly from a local farm & I make my butter, yogurt and even farmers cheese when I have a little left at end of week - it's actually cheaper to buy directly from XXXX Dairy than it is to buy the same gallon of their milk in the store ( about $5 a month but still)
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hwichlaz 02:17 PM 08-01-2017
The cheap milk that the kids won't drink...and neither will I, is just under $4 a gallon. The midline good milk is 5.99. Organic is 7.99
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midaycare 06:22 PM 08-01-2017
Originally Posted by hwichlaz:
The cheap milk that the kids won't drink...and neither will I, is just under $4 a gallon. The midline good milk is 5.99. Organic is 7.99
That is horrifying.
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EntropyControlSpecialist 10:52 AM 08-02-2017
Around $100-$150 per week for 12 children (1 is our own), my husband, and myself. That includes gluten free items for my own family since we have Celiac Disease (daughter and myself) and are gluten intolerant (husband). I was doing a good job of making Paleo meals for my own family and then it kind of went into the toilet these last few months due to exhaustion.
SOME of the items are organic. I shop at Aldi and Sprouts (their sales for organic produce are GREAT!). Someone else is right...if I shop at Walmart my bill is A LOT higher.

Milk is around .99-2.00 a gallon depending on time of the year. Eggs are around .30-1.75 depending on time of the year. Buying only seasonal produce saves me a TON.

I am only open 4 days per week and most children are not present for breakfast (only 1-4, MAYBE). So, we only go through 2 gallons of milk per week since it's mostly at lunch and my own family doesn't drink it.
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