Real Portland families share their weekly grocery receipts, budgets, and shopping strategies to help you save on food costs.
Nov 11, 2025
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14 min read
This week, we join Katy, a fifth-grade teacher in the Foster-Powell neighborhood, as she navigates a busy week of fermenting kombucha, baking sourdough, and balancing a stocked pantry with a love for the local restaurant scene.
Nov 4, 2025
9 min read
With a parent who travels frequently for work and two young kids, this NE Portland family relies on themed meal nights to reduce stress and stick to their budget.
Oct 28, 2025
A heatwave, four grocery trips, and a busted meal plan. See how a Portland radio DJ handled a chaotic week of shopping at WinCo and Trader Joe's, and get her go-to recipes for crispy tofu, and curry chicken salad.
Oct 14, 2025
A Portland musician and editor shares his grocery diary, shopping philosophy, and tips for using a CSA with Oregon’s Double Up Food Bucks program to stay on a $75 weekly budget.
Sep 30, 2025
From picking peaches in Hood River, to cooking up an impressive vegan meatloaf and a beautiful gratin, a South Tabor food chemist shares his strategy for delicious, adaptable cooking.
Sep 23, 2025
Your weekly grocery run might have a cart. Theirs requires box trucks and a forklift. We go inside the massive Meals on Wheels People operation that turns a $49,000 budget into 29,000 meals for Portland-area seniors.
Sep 9, 2025
Nathalie, co-owner of PDX Pipeline, walks through a week of ambitious home cooking, hosting a BBQ, and using online grocery delivery to stick to her budget in Foster/Powell.
Sep 2, 2025
12 min read
Bradley, a long-distance runner and newsletter writer at OPB, shares his $150/week grocery strategy, his love for routine, and why Taco Bell is a vegan athlete’s secret weapon.
Aug 26, 2025
10 min read
From stocking up on Kind bars at Grocery Outlet to his go-to Instant Pot meal, a NE Portland web developer shows us how he eats well while sticking to a grocery budget.
Aug 12, 2025
From gluten-free finds to on-the-go car snacks from New Seasons, a Clark County podcaster gives us a look inside her detailed strategy for feeding a busy family of three.
Aug 5, 2025
From Fred Meyer digital coupons to her favorite Brazilian cheesy bread recipe, a Portland food writer gives us a look inside her detailed strategy for shopping and saving.
Jul 8, 2025
11 min read
Giulia from City Cast Portland shares how she navigates grocery shopping for one while making time for meals out with friends during a busy summer travel season.
Jul 1, 2025
OPB editor Courtney shares her multi-store shopping strategy and why she starts every day with a full breakfast.
Jun 24, 2025
How a Corvallis writer and mom feeds three people on $150 a week while battling a spring cold.
Jun 17, 2025
13 min read
Bridgetown Bites editor Meg Cotner shares how she manages a $200 weekly food budget while covering Portland's restaurant scene and juggling a chaotic schedule.
Jun 10, 2025
Kirsten from Rose City Park shares her strategic approach: rotating between stores and planning one weekly shop to feed her family of four.
Jun 3, 2025
8 min read
Laurie from Milwaukie shares her grocery strategy: mixing convenience with fresh ingredients to feed her busy family without breaking the bank.
May 27, 2025
How one Portlander stretches $175 into a week of meals for two — even while battling a cold and managing a cross-border road trip.