| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| bohemiangel |
Posted - Jan 15 2008 : 11:32:59 AM
How do you all save on Groceries?
**~~Farmgirl Sister #60~~**
"... to thine ownself be true."
http://liggygirl.blogspot.com/
http://liggygirlslonggreen.blogspot.com/
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| rhondacate |
Posted - Sep 15 2008 : 10:42:10 PM
We have a store called "Grocery Outlet". My husband calls it the Used Food Store.
I always check there first before going to the other grocery store in town. I have found amazing deals, such as a 1/2 gallon of Organic milk for 50 cents. I bought a bunch and froze them.
~Rhonda |
| neighsayer |
Posted - Sep 09 2008 : 06:30:24 AM
Awesome advice y'all. I go to my farmer's market and buy veggies. Usually they are fresher and cost a lot less than our grocery store. I buy the large bags of leg quarters and divide them up too. I like thighs myself anyways because they are juicier than the boneless breasts. If you make a roast, there is always shredded meat for the next dinner like in burritos or enchiladas. I buy boneless pork butts and cook them then shred for barbeque. Gotta do whatcha gotta do these days. Meat is outrageously high! Especially ground beef. Ridiculous! $3.49 for plain old ground beef? Ouch!
Thank God I live in the country! |
| nampafarmgirl |
Posted - Aug 04 2008 : 12:36:34 PM
Jenn and Lillian,
Thanks I will try those ideas!
When I buy larger qty berries like strawberries, blueberries, etc. I freeze some of them, knowing they will go in my morning yogurts, cereals, anyway, that way I wont loose the whole box of them to spoilage. |
| La Patite Ferme |
Posted - Jul 31 2008 : 4:41:29 PM
Kim - I freeze milk all the time. Just pour some off the top because it will expand as it freezes and you don't want it to split the milk jug. When you defrost put it in the fridge the night before you'll need it. Remember - it's a big block and takes time to thaw. I just give a few good shakes to remix it and it's good to go. DD loves it when it still has some ice crystals in it. |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Jul 31 2008 : 3:58:22 PM
Kim- I freeze cheese all of the time especially mozarella. I will buy a brick, shread it up, place it on a cookie sheet, freeze a few hours and then place it in a ziplock baggie. When I pull it out of the freezer it is just the same as before I froze it.
Lillian |
| Bellepepper |
Posted - Jul 31 2008 : 2:25:41 PM
The dry mixes that you mix with sour cream/mayo for dips are pricy. I have a food dehydrator that I keep running most of the time in the summer. When I have any left over veggies, cooked or raw, I dry them in the dehydrator. Bag them up, then when you want to make dips, whiz them up in the blender and mix with sour cream/mayo and you have a great dip. And you can control the salt and Oh, did I mention, its free. Well, kind of.
My favorite dip mix is tomato, jalapeno, onion/garlic. |
| nampafarmgirl |
Posted - Jul 30 2008 : 10:06:18 AM
Peg, how do you defrost milk? Can you freeze half and half too? My mom in law will freeze half and half and when she tries to servie it the milk comes out separated, no one then drinks it in their coffee. I was wondering if regular milk would do the same? Can I do this with non fat milk? I think I remember my parents freezing cheese. Does anyone knwo about how well that works?
Saving money, I buy Costco meats, produce. meats come in pkges too large for my family size, so I have a food saver (it takes the air out of the plastic bags you put it in- think I bought it a Costco too), kind of like a shrink wrap. Wehn fruits and veggies stop loking their best, I freeze them to use for pies, or smoothies.
Kim |
| Sandra K. Licher |
Posted - Jul 29 2008 : 07:44:18 AM
I heard on one of the major news stations that Tuesday was the best day to shop for groceries...can't for the life of me remember why though but here I go...it's Tuesday and I'm off to the grocery store!
Sam in AR..... "It's a great life if you don't weaken!"
Farmgirl Sister #226 |
| Peg Graham |
Posted - Jul 29 2008 : 07:15:57 AM
1. make a monthly rotating menu
2. make a list from the menu
3. shop store brand- it's fine
4. buy on sale in bulk
5. buy only what you know you'll eat
6. know your prices...this way you can figure ot if it's worth it or not and who's prices are better.
7. buy foods you can stretch...ie- pot roast can become 3 meals (dinner, leftover for sandwiches, leftover for stew)
8. create a price log in a small notebook to record the best price of your favorite products at each store, that way you'll always know if you're getting the same size or not!
9. Use up leftovers quickly (keep a list on the fridge if necessary so you remember what’s inside) or freeze them for later use. If you’re cooking for just one or two, freeze leftovers in single-size portions, they’ll make quick and easy dinners on nights when you’re too busy or too tired to cook.
10. When grocery stores have a Grand Opening for a new location be sure to stop by and pick up their big sale items. They usually have some really LOW, LOW, prices during the first week, or even the first month.
11. If you need a quick dinner for your family try your local grocery store for some great food instead of going to a restaurant. You'll save a ton of money (especially if you have a large family like we do) and probably calories too!
Some quick ideas:
-rotisserie chicken at Sam's, Costco, BJ's
-spaghetti sauce and noodles
-frozen pizzas on sale
-frozen bag dinners
12. Freeze milk- you should use frozen milk in about three months. You just have to pour a little of the milk out (into another jug) before you freeze it, so that it doesn't expand and burst the plastic jug. It will look yellow when frozen, but will thaw out and look normal.
13. Unit price-My best tip is be sure and check out the price per ounce/pound/piece. Just because it's in the big box, doesn't mean it's cheaper! Sometimes two smaller packages are cheaper than the big box. Compare prices ounce per ounce.
miles of smiles~
Peg |
| Brew Crew |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 3:06:10 PM
Uhhh....avoid the grocery store? ;)
The Biz www.tvalahandmade.com
The Blog: http://blog.tvalahandmade.com/
The Bits www.happydalehobby.blogspot.com/
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| simplyflowers |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 12:38:07 PM
Oh Ms. Lilian you are correct! No kids, no hubby, NO BIG BILL AT THE CHECKOUT COUNTER!!!!!!! And if you have no choice.....feed them a good meal before you go!
Jamie
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." -- Thomas Edison |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 07:19:23 AM
Wow Rene' that is scarry-When I left the working world I had to cut the bills down to compensate for the loss in wages. The first thing we did was go to a smaller garbage can and get rid of the sattelite dish too!
As far as the grocery bill-Don't take Hubby or kids with you and this will save you a bunch! It is amazing what can jump into the cart when you are not looking!
Lillian |
| KansasConnie |
Posted - Jul 06 2008 : 7:27:30 PM
Great ideas!!
Utilizing leftovers (if any) is another way I try to save...usually I'll try to do something different with it. For example: turning leftover roast into veggie beef soup or adding a leftover hamburger (or ground beef) to rice, tomatoes and green peppers (like stuffed peppers).
And something to plan for...as most people have enough room for a fruit tree of some variety (many come in dwarf varieties also). I was quite happy to pick cherries the other day off my MIL's tree when the store had them advertised for $3.99/lb!! |
| Jami |
Posted - Jun 24 2008 : 07:43:57 AM
Thanks for sharing...interesting how the different personalities work a food budget like magic..the planners and the ride-by-the-seat-of-your-pants types (I'm one of those  ) accomplish savings either way. I always enjoy seeing people work at a problem different ways and get the same result.
By the way, I'm a baker and gee the price of flour has gone through the roof around here and we're a big wheat state! No sale in sight on flour.
Jami in WA
Okay, so now I have a blog. http://woolyinwashington.wordpress.com/ |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Jun 16 2008 : 06:24:03 AM
Oh no, I really think that we are (some of us) making improvements about the way we choose to live in this economy. There are many things that I really DON'T need, and I realize that more now. I love to shop thrift, and that's always been a habit for me. You should see what cute clothes and household items I come up with for nothing!!!
I still subscribe to the "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" methodology, in that we drive an older car (still fuel efficient, but no loan) and I don't plan on having a car payment anytime soon. With the right conservation, we should be able to plan for things and save.
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
| ruralfarmgirl |
Posted - Jun 15 2008 : 8:46:09 PM
Wow.. you all just rock.. I cannot add a thing! Some awesome advice! The bulk is a great one.. we use to spend twice as much on garbage... but have cut it down with buying bulk and recycling.. adding a bit more to the grocery budget. We are also making some conscience choices as far as keeping the air conditioner off, getting rid of Satelite, and growing twice the garden we have in the past. I guess I find myself wondering if it is all bad.... the state we are in.. seems like more of us are reconnecting with "sanity" :)
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
" Plant goodness, harvest the fruit of loyalty, plow the new ground of knowledge. Hosea 10:12 |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Jun 15 2008 : 7:28:39 PM
You do what you can, Renee...the garden helps alot cutting costs (haven't bought potatoes in a few weeks!), and I buy chicken in bulk. We both really like fish, but I limit it to sale fish (usually tilapia and wild american caught salmon). It's difficult, because I am very conscious about where our food comes from--especially fish. I won't buy fish caught in asian waters, but also even Canada--just personal political issues.
We do buy a great deal of organic items, but they're also usually on sale at our grocer. In light of the fact that ALL groceries are higher at this point, I'd rather cut back on other things than skimp on (what I feel) is good for us.
I also keep a stocked pantry of spices and we have fresh herbs in pots for nightly use. We don't eat fresh fruit--it's just a fact, and I stopped fooling myself into thinking that I will (my husband wouldn't touch fruit with a ten foot pole), because then it just goes to waste in the crisper. That cut out a huge amount from my grocery bill.
I've found that sticking to a list, working out recipes before hand, and knowing what can be substituted (scallions/green onions) you can eliminate a lot of cost and "one time" items. I also approach shopping with a healthy dose of realism! Sometimes I think, "I want to eat healthier!!" and I'll go all goofy on items that, months later are still in the cabinet. So, I'm more realistic about what we will actually consume.
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
| Renee M. in Michigan |
Posted - Jun 13 2008 : 1:29:18 PM
I shop pretty much the loss leaders (those items that are "buy one, get one free, or significantly marked down to get you in the door) and that's it. Then I plan our menus around what I get.
I admittedly do not buy organic. It simply is too expensive. The only organic foods we eat is what I can raise myself in the garden (and that's very small this year due to a re-vamping of our gardening space) and splurges from MJ's product line now and then. It's just the reality of life for us.
-- Renee M. up in the mitten
Farmgirl #211
No woman ever made history by behaving herself.
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| botanicalove |
Posted - Jun 10 2008 : 7:33:10 PM
If there is something you use a lot of, try special ordering by the case. Most health food stores and co-ops offer a case discount, usually about 10%. |
| Hideaway Farmgirl |
Posted - Feb 05 2008 : 07:53:23 AM
Aha, Sarah has defined the way I handle meals at my house most of the time. Keeping a stocked pantry and a stocked freezer and I am generally planning meals around that. I'm always trying to figure out my pattern, or process, so thanks for helping me think it through.
I generally try to go through recipe books every other month or so and get some fresh (or forgotten) ideas for meals. We're running between two houses most weeks and will be for at least another year so I don't stay in once place long enough to cook in batches like I used to. The best I seem to be able to do is cook for an extra person each dinnertime and DH takes the leftovers for lunch the next day. I also like to stock up when items are on sale. (Note to self and others: freeze and/or store extras of dry goods so the bugs don't ruin them!) I have also drastically cut down the portions I prepare; I used to try and "cook once, eat twice" and try to have leftovers for a second meal the same week, but there would usually be half a sausage or an errant bowl of leftover salad to be tossed on trash day. Now I try to prepare less quantity in the first place. Hard to do, but I think it saves a little $$$ here and there.
I do believe in COSTCO or Sam's Club,if you buy the things you use often, and rewrap them for storage in the amounts they will be used in your household. It's easy to get carried away in those stores, though.
The current issue of SMALL TOWN LIVING (Tina Michelle and her DH produce this e-magazine) had an article about the hillbilly housewife and feeding a family of four on $45 a week. I was intriqued, but found it lacking for my purposes in that it allowed for little to no meat anywhere in the menu. That would, however, provide a cost savings! If I tried that in my house, DH would probably say, that was nice, now what's for dinner? Where's the meat???
Jo
"Wish I had time to work with herbs all day!" |
| MustangSuzie |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 5:43:03 PM
I keep a stocked pantry and plan meals around that. I don't make menus out, but decide the night before what we will have the next day based upon what is available in the pantry or in my stock in the basement. I shop mostly from the sales fliers that come weekly and stock up on loss leader items. Then I store that in the basement. I also try to keep a good supply of toilet paper down there. We don't use many paper towels so I buy a bulk pack and it lasts for ever.
I recommend browsing through stores maybe a couple of times a month if not weekly. You can usually find instore specials that may not be advertised. Also pay attention to the expiration date on things, especially meat and milk, things that expire soon and regularly. You can usually get good deals on that.
We have a local dairy that sells milk in half gallon glass bottles. I have purchased two of those and keep the bottles to make milk in. I buy a gallon of whole milk and mix it half and half with made up powdered milk and then put it in the glass jars. When it chills overnight you cannot tell the difference imho. I've even been totally out of milk and used all powdered before, chilling it well overnight and my kids didn't know the difference. It works in a pinch to keep from having to run to the store.
Blessings....
Sarah
www.mustangsuzie.blogspot.com
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| nashbabe |
Posted - Feb 04 2008 : 4:48:50 PM
aldi
loss leader and "must be sold today or tomorrow" meat
chest freezer in basement where I can cook several batches of something at a time, freeze, and use later--bought the freezer used for $25 off an employee bulletin board
soups of leftover stuff
make my own bread in bread machine
make my own breakfast bars
make durable raw veggie salads (like orzo salad, chopped salad, etc.) and use them over the next few days of meals
pack breakfasts and lunches
the angel food ministries program looks pretty good. I haven't used it, but there's no need to qualify and you apparently get a lot of food for the money...
Crunchy crafty goodness and psychoses...;-)http://nashbabe.blogspot.com
groovy stuff 2 buy...http://www.alittlesplurge.etsy.com |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Jan 24 2008 : 9:17:46 PM
The only things I buy in bulk are tp and pptwls...with 4 dogs and 3 bulimic cats, I'm not gonna ever be able to cut out papertowels...as far as meats and things like that, I buy from a small butcher/grocery in Covington that has great meat and they do these "packs" where you can specialize what types of meat you want. I also buy from the farmers market in the summer. I stock up on hormone and antibiotic free beef and pork. Other than that, I'm guilty of not planning a meal until lunchtime and shopping then for little ingredients. I have a gazillion herbs and spices and I substitute a lot of things (like Meunster cheese instead of gruyere tonight in French Onion soup...so it's German Onion Soup--shoot me ). I was going to go to the store to stock up this weekend but making menu's might be a waste with the way my husband has been eating, or rather "renting" food as Nubidane so aptly put it :)...it just doesn't pay me to waste money on food right now, especially in this economy.
As far as the Hillbilly Housewife, I do use her little cup of soup things for work. It's easy, I can drink it while I'm at my desk and best of all they only have like 25 calories and I'm satisfied until dinner time.
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
| La Patite Ferme |
Posted - Jan 24 2008 : 9:00:58 PM
I have found a few ethnic markets that have great prices on produce and dry goods like rice and beans. It's interesting that I can buy something like butternut squash at the ethnic place for .39 a pound and the regular store is $1.89 a pound. A 5lb bag of rice was under $2.00 versus over $5.
I also coupon shop, but have gotten really annoyed lately. It seems like every time I go to the store sale and coupon specials are all gone. I talked to the cashier and she said several people had complained to the manager. You'd think if there was a special they would stock more. Now I make them give me a rain check. With the economy the way it's going I can use all the help I can get. |
| Alee |
Posted - Jan 20 2008 : 09:23:08 AM
Also check out
www.hillbillyhousewife.com she has some good menus and grocery saving ideas. I must admit I don't follow it exactly, but her recipes and ideas have saved us lots of money in the past.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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