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I am trying to figure out how to make all this work. Does any one have ideas on meal planning and budgeting. What do you do to make couponing work with you menus and your food allowance. I would love to get your advice! Thanks!!

I would also be interested to know what people spend on groceries per person in their budget.  I have been spending between $600 and $700 for a family of 5.  I don't know if this is high or low.  What are others spending?

 We are a family of four. We have a $100 dollar budget for each week (we get paid weekly) that's for food, baby formula, diapers, wipes (we have two kids in diapers). Then we have a $50 a week for "household needs" which includes cat food, any cleaning supplies, toiletries, clothing or entertainment (including money for birthday/Christmas gifts which we buy throughout the year on clearance and stockpile as we have 6 nieces and nephews and our own two children to buy for) and anytime something comes up for me to spend a lump sum on something (like when I want to buy a large amount of one thing at once) or our $300 trip to the vet today for our poor cat. We spend more on "weekly" groceries because my husband is gone 12 hours a day Mon-Sat during the spring and summer and often out of town during the winter Sun evening - Fri night. His work food seems to cost us the most because he's so picky. Our budget might go down soon because we will be paying for preschool (because we are too poor to afford it, but not poor enough to get assistance, just like with everything else) and because our rent went up.
 We save a lot buying meat when it's "use or freeze by" date is the same day it goes WAY down. Lately I've been REALLY bad because with the new baby I'm so tired I can only handle so many menial tasks like clipping coupons, which is why I LOVE THIS SITE because I can go through to find the best deals SOOOO easy and not have to clip out coupons I don't plan to use for the current sales.

OK, now I know that I could do much better.  (although I have 2 teenagers, one of whom is a football player and eats me out of house and home).  I work full-time, so I am sure I buy too many "convenience (read:expensive) foods".  $600 per month is about $150 per week...I wonder if I could cut it to $125 to start.  Does anyone have any really good helps?  I heard somewhere that Albertsons will sell their meat from the butcher department at the end of the day for less money...anyone else know if this is true?

I spend between $400-$500 a month for my family of 5, with 2 teens.  I also work outside of home full time, so I know what you mean about the convenience foods.  I tried to cut those out, but then when I was too tired or running late, I would turn to fast food.  I figured that buying some convenience foods was still cheaper than eating out.  I am not very good at the couponing, so I'm sure I could cut more from the budget if I could stay up on clipping my coupons...I'm not very organized.  But I think cutting back on your spending gradually is the easiest way to stay with it.  If you're feeling deprived, you're not going to be motivated to continue.  It's hard to shop a bunch of different stores when you're working, so if I can't, I don't.  Make it work for you.  A lot of you have lower price points than I do, like say cereal.  I will pay $2 if I need to, where as most of you probably wouldn't THINK of paying that. I used to feel kinda dumb reading some of the great deals, knowing I was paying more...but I get great deals where I can, I have reduced my spending...and I'm not stressing myself out about it. I know this is long, but I feel a kindred spirit to another working mom!    HTH

Last night at the Albertson's on 1600 N. Orem, I got ground beef for $1.69, it was packaged at 8.41 lbs, and then had a coupon on it for $3.00 off.  It ended up at about $1.33/lb! This was just before 7pm.  They usually will do an announcement saying they are marking down their ground beef at the butcher block after about 6:30, is what I've noticed.  This is the first time I've seen it with the additional coupon, they usually put those on their steaks. Also, it's a ways off still, but I've noticed the day after Thanksgiving is a good day to buy beef...usually not a lot of foot traffic that day, plus everyone's eating leftovers...