Grocery Budget Question

[brittandan]

I started couponing just after Memorial Day. My receipt from yesterday at Giant Eagle said $1100 saved in coupons! (YAY!) So I've got a pretty nice stockpile built up. (I continued with same budget and spent same amount on items I would have bought anyway. Just got a lot more!) Now my question is...
Do you think a budget of $125 would be reasonable to spend each week? I figure 25 to "stockpile" items, 25 to perishables and 50 to other weekly needs. I know many of you spend much less than this, but I'm used to spending around 200+ a week. How do I discipline myself to keep this budget? What are things that have worked for you? We never really had the money to spend that much on groceries but I refuse to let my kids go without to pay a bill. The 125 will still be hard but I don't want to go too extreme. Sorry for the long post! Thanks for reading. I want to have a stockpile to last all summer next year without having to spend more than for perishables. Family of 5. kids will be 13, 10, and 4.

As a reference bananas are 54 cents/lb, apples 1.79/lb milk 4.15 gallon.

Thanks so much

Kelly

Please move if posted in wrong forum.

[crystalh256]

Judging on the price of items you posted it probably can be done if you are organized and are a planner. Prices are probably slightly cheaper here, but we pay 8.5% sales tax on foods and pre-coupon totals. My goal for our family is $100 a week and unless there is not much in the way of a good sale, I usually hit it. I plan meals about two weeks at a time. We have 8 people in our house and my budget is $20 for meats, $25 to stockpile and $55 for everything else. Our stockpile is limited to two walls of a 6x6 closet. Sometimes there is great sales when I can get adequate meat for less so I shift that money to stockpile since I do not have the freezer space for bulk meat purchases. Also, hoard coupons on items you buy every week. The .65/1 dominos sugar coupon is like gold to me :)