Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
I’m chatting with Christine from Frugal Fit Mom all about feeding your family well on a budget—without stressing over perfection. Christine shares her tried-and-true strategies for keeping grocery costs low in today’s economy, including how she stocks her pantry, finds the best meat deals, and plans meals based on what’s already on hand. We also dive into the hidden costs of organic and local food, why she skips most grocery delivery services, and how you can still enjoy fun foods without blowing the budget. Whether you’re shopping for two or ten, this episode is full of real-life tips you can start using today.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why Christine avoids Instacart and prefers Walmart Pickup for cost savings
- The key pantry staples she stocks up on—and how that helps reduce impulse grocery runs
- Her method for spotting true stock-up prices on meat and stretching it to feed a large family
- How she feeds a family of five (including three teen boys) on as little as $200/month
- A realistic starting point for grocery budgeting: $150 per person per month
- Why she generally skips organic (aside from milk) and how local sourcing can dramatically increase grocery costs
- How reverse meal planning works and why it saves more than traditional recipe-first planning
- Tips for making frugal meals taste amazing with salt, fat, and acid
- Christine’s go-to bread recipe (not sourdough!) and how she keeps it soft for days
- Her rule for buying fun foods like chips and ice cream—only when they’re 50% off
- How shopping less frequently helps avoid overspending (even for perishables)
Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!
Azure Standard is a family-owned company dedicated to providing you with high quality, affordable organic, natural, and non-GMO groceries, health, and household products. Place your order at azurestandard.com and use the code SIMPLE15 to receive 15% off your purchase. This promotion is only available for the first-time Azure customer order with a minimum of $100 order (orders to drop locations only). One time use per customer.
RESOURCES
Check out Christine’s banana bread recipe: youtube.com/watch?v=d5jl5oSURbU
Join my FREE masterclass to learn my 4-step framework for making money on YouTube bit.ly/farmhouseyoutubemasterclass
Master the rhythm of sourdough with confidence in my Simple Sourdough course bit.ly/simplesourdoughcourse
Gain the sewing knowledge and skills every homemaker needs in my Simple Sewing series bit.ly/simplesewingcourse
Turn your content creation dreams into a profitable business with my YouTube Success Academy bit.ly/farmhouseyoutubecourse
Keep all my favorite sourdough recipes at your fingertips in my Daily Sourdough cookbook homesteadliving.com/daily-sourdough/?utm_source=farmhouseonboone&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SRD
CONNECT
Christine Ashby of Frugal Fit Mom
Website: frugalfitmom.net
YouTube: youtube.com/@FrugalFitMom
Instagram: instagram.com/frugalfitmom6
Facebook: facebook.com/christinethefrugalfitmom
Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone
Blog: farmhouseonboone.com
YouTube: youtube.com/c/FarmhouseonBoone
Instagram: instagram.com/farmhouseonboone
TikTok: tiktok.com/@farmhouseonboone
Facebook: facebook.com/farmhouseonboone
Pinterest: pinterest.com/farmhouseonboone/_created
Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
Listen to this podcast episode: pod.link/1494284839/episode/db2a6132f4666e3df5dba94c292c8123
View full show notes on the blog: simplefarmhouselifepodcast.com/2025/05/06/288-reverse-meal-planning-stock-up-staples-grocery-hacks-for-real-life-christine-of-frugal-fit-mom
I’m chatting with Christine from Frugal Fit Mom all about feeding your family well on a budget—without stressing over perfection. Christine shares her tried-and-true strategies for keeping grocery costs low in today’s economy, including how she stocks her pantry, finds the best meat deals, and plans meals based on what’s already on hand. We also dive into the hidden costs of organic and local food, why she skips most grocery delivery services, and how you can still enjoy fun foods without blowing the budget. Whether you’re shopping for two or ten, this episode is full of real-life tips you can start using today.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why Christine avoids Instacart and prefers Walmart Pickup for cost savings
- The key pantry staples she stocks up on—and how that helps reduce impulse grocery runs
- Her method for spotting true stock-up prices on meat and stretching it to feed a large family
- How she feeds a family of five (including three teen boys) on as little as $200/month
- A realistic starting point for grocery budgeting: $150 per person per month
- Why she generally skips organic (aside from milk) and how local sourcing can dramatically increase grocery costs
- How reverse meal planning works and why it saves more than traditional recipe-first planning
- Tips for making frugal meals taste amazing with salt, fat, and acid
- Christine’s go-to bread recipe (not sourdough!) and how she keeps it soft for days
- Her rule for buying fun foods like chips and ice cream—only when they’re 50% off
- How shopping less frequently helps avoid overspending (even for perishables)
Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make this show possible!
Azure Standard is a family-owned company dedicated to providing you with high quality, affordable organic, natural, and non-GMO groceries, health, and household products. Place your order at azurestandard.com and use the code SIMPLE15 to receive 15% off your purchase. This promotion is only available for the first-time Azure customer order with a minimum of $100 order (orders to drop locations only). One time use per customer.
RESOURCES
Check out Christine’s banana bread recipe: youtube.com/watch?v=d5jl5oSURbU
Join my FREE masterclass to learn my 4-step framework for making money on YouTube bit.ly/farmhouseyoutubemasterclass
Master the rhythm of sourdough with confidence in my Simple Sourdough course bit.ly/simplesourdoughcourse
Gain the sewing knowledge and skills every homemaker needs in my Simple Sewing series bit.ly/simplesewingcourse
Turn your content creation dreams into a profitable business with my YouTube Success Academy bit.ly/farmhouseyoutubecourse
Keep all my favorite sourdough recipes at your fingertips in my Daily Sourdough cookbook homesteadliving.com/daily-sourdough/?utm_source=farmhouseonboone&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=SRD
CONNECT
Christine Ashby of Frugal Fit Mom
Website: frugalfitmom.net
YouTube: youtube.com/@FrugalFitMom
Instagram: instagram.com/frugalfitmom6
Facebook: facebook.com/christinethefrugalfitmom
Lisa Bass of Farmhouse on Boone
Blog: farmhouseonboone.com
YouTube: youtube.com/c/FarmhouseonBoone
Instagram: instagram.com/farmhouseonboone
TikTok: tiktok.com/@farmhouseonboone
Facebook: facebook.com/farmhouseonboone
Pinterest: pinterest.com/farmhouseonboone/_created
Do you have a question you’d like me to answer on the podcast? A guest you’d like me to interview? Submit your questions and ideas here: bit.ly/SFLquestions.
GET MORE FROM THIS EPISODE
Listen to this podcast episode: pod.link/1494284839/episode/db2a6132f4666e3df5dba94c292c8123
View full show notes on the blog: simplefarmhouselifepodcast.com/2025/05/06/288-reverse-meal-planning-stock-up-staples-grocery-hacks-for-real-life-christine-of-frugal-fit-mom
