How do you save money on food?

TrailRunner61

After reading through the previous forums, I see that I'm already doing what a lot of people suggest, but I'm still looking for ways to save $$ on food.
I already have a garden. I go to farmers markets. I hate couponing and most of those are for pre-packaged junk anyway. I try to buy in bulk, if it's available.

How do YOU save money on fresh/healthy food?

Thank you in advance!

_hi_hat3r_

I just buy foodstamps from the neighborhood junkie

Captain_Tightpants

Have you tried doing your own canning? It's fun and saves $.

krislshoe

do you have an Adli food store near you? They have awesome produce...for example this week a bag of baby carrots in $.49...they have all kinds of great prices...i buy the majority of my groceries there and then go to the larger chain if there is a name brand i really need.

ElizmaKnowles

I find that having a meal plan really helps as you only buy what you need in the quantities that you need it and there is less wastage of fresh stuff that way. Also saves having to figure out what to make for dinner/packed lunch!
At the moment I have 3 x 2 weekly cycles that I use for us, change it seasonally to allow for seasonal produce and cravings in cold winters.

angeldaae

My grocery store has different types of fresh lean meats on sale BOGO-Free every week. I stock up on those and freeze them in family dinner-size quantities. I also by lean ground beef in bulk and freeze it in one-pound portions. I use my FoodSaver for freezing and that helps keep the meat a lot fresher.

Doing this, I have found I can usually stockpile enough fresh (frozen by me) meats over the course of two or three weeks that I do not have to buy any meats for the remaining one or two weeks in a month. That cuts my monthly grocery bill down significantly.

lillybella

we tried to cut back our grocery budget but realized that it just won't work. i'm not going to compromise the food we put into our body. so we cut back in our budget from other things to make up for it. is there wiggle room somewhere else? and the farmer's market and gardens are a great idea i had plans to start my own garden this year but realized we will be traveling around too much and i don't have anyone to help water/take care of it while we are gone. maybe next year.

kbehrends

I haven't been much of a coupon or price match type of person, but I decided to give it a try. By price matching I was able to get a week's worth of groceries for around $50 for a family of four. To get better prices on fruits and veggies, price matching is the way to go. If you have an Aldi store near you or in your town, get your ads out and compare prices. I found that Aldi was cheaper than anywhere else and our local Wal-Mart price matched the item as long as it was the same size bag and product (even though it wasn't the same brand).

I used to think price matching was CRAZY! However, my husband just lost his job, so I have a whole new understanding of saving everything you can at the store!

suzikay12

I also swear by Aldi's their fresh produce is excellent and hands down the best prices around. This weeks ad:
Baby carrots: $.49
Cucumbers: $.25
Grape Tomatoes: $.79
Iceberg Salad Mix: $.49
Mushrooms: $.79
4 Pack Multi Colored Peppers: $1.69

If that isn't enough convincing, I don't know what is.

I also watch for sales and stock up on chicken breasts and other staples. Some I use to make ahead and freeze meals and some I split into family sized portions that I can grab out of the freezer to make things with. I always plan my dinner menu for the following week. Take things out of the freezer, buy the produce I need and viola! dinner is a no brainer.

TrailRunner61

Wow! Awesome ideas already. Thank you so much!

WhatDoesLisa

Ok, but is organic a concern to you at all? Anything with a face or eyes has to be organic and anything that is on the "dirty dozen" list has to be organic. So, I find it hard to save on groceries except when the farmers' markets are in full swing.

angeliis02

I shop at Aldi too for most all of my produce. At Aldi cucumbers are 49 cent each, at the others they were on sale for 89 cent each. Onions are 69 cent for a 2 pound bag and the lowest I've found anywhere else is .59 a pound.

I buy my meat in bulk at Sam's and then split it up before I freeze it. This week skinless boneless breasts at Sam's were $1.99 a pound and the cheapest grocery store they were $2.99 a pound. I know I can buy bone in breasts occasionally for .99 and debone myself but the extra dollar is worth it to me not to mess with it.

I also try to keep a price list so I can compare prices to make sure I'm getting the lowest price.

salmat77

I just buy foodstamps from the neighborhood junkie

LMAO!! :laugh:

cmurray234

Man, my Aldi isn't that cheap!

I still shop there for produce though. They're a lot cheaper than Wegman's and they're adding more fresh foods all the time. Used to be, you could only find cheesy poofs and generic hamburger helper there.

angeldaae

I also agree with the others who have said they plan their menus in advance. Every Sunday I make the week's menu, including lunches, and make my grocery list from that.

I am only cooking for my husband and myself, but I do not halve recipes that make too much. We either eat the leftovers for lunch, or I freeze them for another dinner later in the month. We try our very best never to throw food away. Every portion I cook has a planned purpose.

On that note, I also pre-portion meals before serving them. Spaghetti, for example, makes four servings. So I portion out two servings onto plate and two servings into tupperware before we even eat dinner. That keeps either of us from "eating into" what would be our lunch the next day.

_VoV

I never coupon. Like you, I tend to think it's the highly processed, packaged foods that are discounted this way.

*I shop the bulk bins at the natural food stores a lot.
*I read my favorite grocery store flyer, and shop the weekly sales, and moderately stock up on the items on sale.
*I cook from scratch mostly.
*I tend to buy seasonal produce, eg no strawberries in February.
*I eat a lot of beans and lentils for protein and fiber.
*Breakfast is usually organic oatmeal from the bulk bin--very cheap and filling.
*I try to cook simply, and avoid recipes with multiple ingredients which are likely to be used for that single recipe.

Helloitsdan

Intermittent fasting and Eat Stop Eat!

Bentley2718

Have you tried doing your own canning? It's fun and saves $.

I found doing my own canning to be far more expensive than purchasing canned food at the store. Perhaps because I didn't have a garden. Also, my utility bills quadrupled for those months.

toshadyson1979

I'm also going to have to say Aldi...not so much for their fresh fruit though, but everything else I will get from there. Go with the boneless skinless chicken breast, tuna, tuna and more tuna (Aldi has a great price on tuna), and fish!

maikastar

Don't be afraid of the markdown rack. That's usually the first place I hit on my supermarket run - mostly just in the meat section - I can't guarantee what I will find there, but if I hit up my supermarket around 4.30pm, they start marking down all the meat that's meant to be bought by the next day. Nothing wrong with any of it, but if I can get stuff I need for between 50 - 75% off, I'm not going to ignore that.

Other than that, if you have access to a food co-op, join it. The one I have near me gives me all organics at in many cases less than supermarket prices for conventionally grown produce...by being a member I get 10% those prices, but because I also volunteer, I wind up with 20% off my shopping. It's perfect though, I can buy whatever I want at bulk prices without having to buy in bulk, because the co-op has done the bulk buying for me.

waldenfam2

I'm also going to have to say Aldi...not so much for their fresh fruit though, but everything else I will get from there. Go with the boneless skinless chicken breast, tuna, tuna and more tuna (Aldi has a great price on tuna), and fish!

Our fruit is spotty at Aldi's also. Today I was there, the price on strawberries went up to 1.99 a package and half of them were moldy!! Sometimes it's okay, like the oranges or kiwi, but the strawberries, most of the time are already rotten.

mindidily

For meats and seafood, we signed up with a company that delivers meat (I think the one we went with was called Capital Meats). It was costly up front but has saved us tons over the months. They even had a deal where if we bought a certain amount, we got a freezer with it all. And it's good stuff, too. I love that I haven't had to buy meats in 3 months and still have tons in my freezer. I think by adding up what we got vs shopping at the grocery store, we're saving at least 65% on our grocery bill.

Aperture_Science

I batch cook and freeze in 2 person portions.
I plan all evening meals for 6-8 weeks (but if I see a supermarket bargain I will alter my food plans for that day)
I eat home cooked 99% of the time
I buy vegetables at the market or discount supermarket and try to stay in season as much as possible
When I find a bargain, I buy masses and make stews/soups or freeze
I eat a lot of cottage cheese and eggs to get my protein (often cheaper than meat/fish)
I regularly swap a few branded items for discount/own brand items to see if I like the cheap version just as much. I've found there are lots of things that I don't even notice the difference.
I don't drink much and even then only on special occasions.

suzikay12

I'm also going to have to say Aldi...not so much for their fresh fruit though, but everything else I will get from there. Go with the boneless skinless chicken breast, tuna, tuna and more tuna (Aldi has a great price on tuna), and fish!

Our fruit is spotty at Aldi's also. Today I was there, the price on strawberries went up to 1.99 a package and half of them were moldy!! Sometimes it's okay, like the oranges or kiwi, but the strawberries, most of the time are already rotten.

Wow! I have NEVER had these problems with Aldi's! My Aldi's fruit is awesome, just like the veggies. What a bummer. Must be a regional thing. Sams club also has good fruit at a decent price but it's in bulk, which can be way too much for some. I have a Sams Club buddy so we buy the bulk fruit and then split it.

jnamcelwain

Planning your meals around your local grocery store sales circular works wonders!!! Don't forget
one of the greatest protein sources (beans, lentils) is the cheapest. Make soup and hot sandwich once
a week and finish the soup off as your lunch for the rest of the week!!! Cuts your bill almost in half not having
to buy lunch foods

Hazelbeav

I do my main weekly shop at Aldis, as it makes a big difference to my food bill. Their limited range also means that I tend to know the cals of what I am buying. including any treats ( Aldi creme caramels, multi-grain snacks, etc) It keeps my meals simple and means I can plan meals for the week with virtually no waste.

i do find their fruit and veg a bit hit and miss. I've given up buying dented apples, and mouldy grapes. But their food labelling ( for cals ) is good and it tastes nice!

specialkyc

Thanks everyone for referring Aldi. I have one right up the street from my office. I've only been once when someone else told me spinach was on sale. I went today on my lunch break and bought a bunch of veggies on sale. Woop, woop!!

TrailRunner61

I also swear by Aldi's their fresh produce is excellent and hands down the best prices around. This weeks ad:
Baby carrots: $.49
Cucumbers: $.25
Grape Tomatoes: $.79
Iceberg Salad Mix: $.49
Mushrooms: $.79
4 Pack Multi Colored Peppers: $1.69

If that isn't enough convincing, I don't know what is.

I also watch for sales and stock up on chicken breasts and other staples. Some I use to make ahead and freeze meals and some I split into family sized portions that I can grab out of the freezer to make things with. I always plan my dinner menu for the following week. Take things out of the freezer, buy the produce I need and viola! dinner is a no brainer.

Thank you so much! I ended up going to Aldi's and I bought a HUGE box of veggies for $13.00! I bought 2 packs of the multi-colored peppers, 2 packs of squash, 1 head lettuce, 1 bag of salad mix, 3 cucumbers, 6 tomatoes (on the vine), 2 bags of baby carrots, mushrooms and a bag of chocolate yogurt covered raisins to put in trail mix!
Thank you kindly!

SirBen81

Find it and kill it myself.

lhughes404

I spend very little on food. I live with my parents and eat their food. But seriously when I move out I am planning on doing 1 big shopping trip a week to Target and then a mini trip once a week for fruit and milk. I feel that the less time I spend at the store the less I will buy.

TrailRunner61

Find it and kill it myself.

Actually, I did that Monday. haha