Ideas for my food bank flier? (Eating Better on a Budget)

slkehl

Hi everyone! I'm making a flier for my food bank on eating better on a budget. Here's what I've come up with so far. I'd love more tips from people with experience. I've only been grocery shopping on my own for two years and am still learning how to stretch my dollar

Buy in Bulk
It’s almost always cheaper buying foods in bulk, such as family packs of chicken or large bags potatoes. Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables can be bought in large quantities when they are on sale and are just as nutritious as if they were fresh! Look for fruit canned in 100% fruit juice and vegetables with low sodium.
Tip: Before you shop, make sure you have enough freezer space.

Compare for the Best Price
Look for the “unit price”, or price per amount of product on the shelf below the product. Compare it to different brands and different sizes of the same brand. You can also keep a small calculator in your purse and divide the amount of product by the price to determine the unit price yourself.
Tip: Opt for store brands when possible to get a similar product for a cheaper price.

Plan Ahead and Stick to Your List
Plan your meals for the week. Include meals like stews and casseroles that can “stretch” expensive items into more portions. Check what you already have before making your grocery list to make sure you buy only what you need.
Tip: Don’t shop when you’re hungry! It will make it easier to pass on snack foods.

Why Pay Full Price?
Check the local newspaper, online, and at the store for sales, coupons, and specials, especially for the more expensive items on your list, such as meat and seafood. You can often get more for less by visiting larger grocery stores or discount grocers (FoodMaxx, Grocery Outlet). Look for loyalty cards for extra savings.

Cook Once…Eat All Week!
Prepare and freeze a large batch your favorite recipes on your day off to save time and money. You can spice up the same foods by using them in different ways, such as chicken in a stir fry, over a salad, or in a chili. Get creative with your leftovers; remember, throwing away food is throwing away your money!

Plant Your Own
Starting a garden in the yard or in a pot on the deck saves money and is a great family activity. Herbs, tomatoes, and peppers are great options for beginners. Go to your library or browse online for more information.

Drink Water
Tap water in Alameda County is clean and safe. Save calories and money by drinking water instead of purchasing beverages.
Tip: Make your water more appetizing by cooling it in the fridge or by adding a slice of lemon or cucumber.

Year Round, Low Cost
Some foods are low-cost all year. Beans make a less expensive protein food. For vegetables, buy carrots, greens, or potatoes. Apples and bananas make great choices for fruits.

Celebrate the Season
Fresh vegetables and fruits that are in season are usually more flavorful and less expensive. Watch for sales, and if you do not plan on using them right away, buy some that still need time to ripen.
Tip: Overripe fruit is great for smoothies or baking, and leftover vegetables can be blended into soups and casseroles.

Convenience Costs…Keep it Simple
Convenience foods like frozen dinners, pre-cut vegetables, and instant oatmeal generally cost more and tend to be less healthy than if you were to make your own from scratch.

bongbunny

Your list looks great and has really good advice! The only suggestion off the top of my head is to look into a local farmers market. The produce is incredibly cheap for the quantity, and it's fresh (plus you support local farmers!). Some markets (mine anyways) will even accept food stamps.

bongbunny

Another thought is to purchase meat on sale that's nearing its expiration date (or fresh produce on sale), and freeze it for later. Also, prepackaged meals (such as frozen or boxed) are rarely a good deal....you get more bang for your buck (dollar wise AND nutritionally) by cooking whole foods.

rmartin72

Thank you very much for this great amount of information:):) Your pretty amazing:):):) Pleasure to meet you:):):) :flowerforyou:

Bentley2718

Your list looks great and has really good advice! The only suggestion off the top of my head is to look into a local farmers market. The produce is incredibly cheap for the quantity, and it's fresh (plus you support local farmers!). Some markets (mine anyways) will even accept food stamps.

I'm not sure where you live, but I've lived on both coasts (including in agricultural areas) and currently live in Texas, and I have never consistently saved money by shopping at farmer's markets. While I love the freshness and general quality, I've almost never found them to be cheaper on any given item, and never found them to be cheaper overall.

kimmymayhall

What a great list and some much needed help! You really should really mention BEANS in there somewhere. You can buy them in bulk and/or on sale and they keep dry for a very long time. They pack a lot of nutrition for low calories and almost no fat. You can cook up a big pot on the weekend and add to meals throughout the week. I do love some beans

Bentley2718

Why Pay Full Price?
Check the local newspaper, online, and at the store for sales, coupons, and specials, especially for the more expensive items on your list, such as meat and seafood. You can often get more for less by visiting larger grocery stores or discount grocers (FoodMaxx, Grocery Outlet). Look for loyalty cards for extra savings.

This only works if you have the resources to visit the store that has the items you want at a better price (i.e. transportation). This also assumes that the price savings is sufficient to justify the travel, which is often not true unless there are multiple items that are much cheaper.

Plant Your Own
Starting a garden in the yard or in a pot on the deck saves money and is a great family activity. Herbs, tomatoes, and peppers are great options for beginners. Go to your library or browse online for more information.

If you have a yard that is set up to grow things, and good starter plants, or a good source for seeds (not to mention free time, water, etc.) this might be the case, but it often won't be, especially for a deck garden that requires a substantial initial investment.

While I applaud your suggestions, it is a good idea to temper your recommendations with notes about the potential costs of any given strategy.

slkehl

Your list looks great and has really good advice! The only suggestion off the top of my head is to look into a local farmers market. The produce is incredibly cheap for the quantity, and it's fresh (plus you support local farmers!). Some markets (mine anyways) will even accept food stamps.

I'm not sure where you live, but I've lived on both coasts (including in agricultural areas) and currently live in Texas, and I have never consistently saved money by shopping at farmer's markets. While I love the freshness and general quality, I've almost never found them to be cheaper on any given item, and never found them to be cheaper overall.

I'm curious as to where you live too. A number of websites I visited said that farmers markets tend to have cheaper produce. However, the one in Davis, where I go to school, is definitely pricier than the grocery store. Strange, considering we're located in the central valley. The food bank I'm working at for the summer is in the bay area though, so prices might be different. I should probably take a trip to the food bank around here and compare

How about the rest of you? Do you find your farmers markets to be cheaper or more expensive than the grocery store?

Charliebarleymo

How about shopping with a friend and splitting the 2 for 1 deals? Especially on fresh items where you may not want or need 2 of the same thing.

Seriousmom3

It is cheaper to actually buy a cow and have it butchered. That meat from the cow will feed a family of 4 for a year. A good idea if you have a deep freezer.

slkehl

How about shopping with a friend and splitting the 2 for 1 deals? Especially on fresh items where you may not want or need 2 of the same thing.

I do this all the time with my roomies at school, and it saves me a bundle! Great suggestion; I'm adding that one in.

dane11235813

the farmer's market i go to is usually quite a bit more expensive than grocery stores when it comes to fruit and vegetables. and close to double for things like chicken.

your suggestions sound great at first glance but who is your flyer targeting? are these people that use the food bank? most people using the food bank are low income families who work multiple jobs. alot of them use public transit to get around so busing from store to store looking for the best deal isn't really an option. and they don't have the time or space to grow things in their own garden.

kimmymayhall

It is cheaper to actually buy a cow and have it butchered. That meat from the cow will feed a family of 4 for a year. A good idea if you have a deep freezer.

I've really been wanting to do this. You may be able to go in on "cow share" and get a side or quarter of beef. I just don't have a good enough freezer for even that. But it is a large up-front cost which many people on a tight budget will not be able to get together.

taiyola

I buy frozen veggies (sweetcorn, peppers, mushrooms sometimes, peas, veggies, berries...) that are only about £1 a bag, and last me ages.

Wholewheat pasta with frozen veggies, passata, veggie mince & Feta cheese is a great dish I have over and over again. Cheap as chips!

bongbunny

I'm not sure where you live, but I've lived on both coasts (including in agricultural areas) and currently live in Texas, and I have never consistently saved money by shopping at farmer's markets. While I love the freshness and general quality, I've almost never found them to be cheaper on any given item, and never found them to be cheaper overall.

That seems odd, but I've only really been to 2 farmers markets, both in my area....I'm in NW Florida, and I'm able to get gigantic bundles of salad greens for $2, $.25 per cucumber/squash/peppers, $1.00 watermelons/cantaloupes....it's substantially cheaper than the grocery store. Not everything of course....eggs, meat, baked goods, jams, etc are almost always more. But the produce usually is. Guess I didn't realize that not all markets are the same.

RainHoward

I think many would be very surprised who is being forced to use food banks these days. In this economy many families need the help every once in a while to make it through the month and many others depends on the added help monthly to survive. So what you are doing is admirable.

As a person who has always survived on a tight budget and still does, the first thing I would suggest to anyone is learn to cook. Find recipes for everything. learn to use and reuse ingredients. Leftovers can become a new meal with some additions. All in all a pretty good list. I would not, however, suggest farmers markets. While a great idea and all, they almost always prove more expensive than the grocery store.

_VoV

I lost the contents of my upright freezer twice last year due to extended power failures. My insurance barely covered my loss, so I tend to be very careful about stocking it now. Bare this in mind when deciding to buy a cow, or part of a cow.

OP: Like others said, there are areas of diminishing returns for some things, such as higher travel costs and lost time in going to distant stores. You may also want to take a look at this book for ideas of things that cost less made from scratch without a lot of trouble:

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Bread-Buy-Butter-Shouldnt/dp/1451605870

RainHoward

It is cheaper to actually buy a cow and have it butchered. That meat from the cow will feed a family of 4 for a year. A good idea if you have a deep freezer.

I've really been wanting to do this. You may be able to go in on "cow share" and get a side or quarter of beef. I just don't have a good enough freezer for even that. But it is a large up-front cost which many people on a tight budget will not be able to get together.

Yes, it's cheaper in the long term and the quality is MUCH better, as is the flavor. Plus you can have pretty much any fat content you want added to the ground beef. The issue is that generally speaking the initial cost is substantial.

ahjenny

Eat before you go shopping. That'll help curb the desire to eat everything in the store.

AReasor

I ran a food pantry full time by myself for 2 years. Here is my advice:

People who have less know to look for the best price and buy generic(because they have to).

Most of the time they don't have enough money to pay for items in bulk, even though they do end up cheaper.

Recipe's that use the common food pantry/food bank items would be a great idea. You get some odd USDA food sometimes and people don't always know how to use it(and that it actually tastes good).

Hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to message me. :flowerforyou:

slkehl

your suggestions sound great at first glance but who is your flyer targeting? are these people that use the food bank? most people using the food bank are low income families who work multiple jobs. alot of them use public transit to get around so busing from store to store looking for the best deal isn't really an option. and they don't have the time or space to grow things in their own garden.

It is the people who use the food bank. They do tend to be low income families, but a surprisingly large number of them do have cars. Of course, I'm sure with gas being like it is, driving around isn't the best. Maybe I should add some online resources for finding deals or something. There's also a number of single individuals who are unemployed.

I'm not sure about the garden thing. My sister's grown small pepper and cucumbers and a small breed of tomatoes on our apt patio in lined wooden crates and a ghetto car tire. She pays for soil and seeds, but that's about it. We have to be good about watering them because there's no drip irrigation, but it's working for us. But I suppose it could get expensive if you're not careful.

bizorra

My only other tips would be plan your meals around the sales - if you can't go from store to store buy what's on sale near you and plan around it. I'll read the fliers and decide where to do my shopping based on the sale (rather than go to several stores)

And make more from scratch - ie making hummus is quick and easy and a lot cheaper than buying it... starting from dried beans is even CHEAPER and not much more difficult, just takes planning (soaking overnight). A 99c can of tomato sauce can rival the $5 jar stuff by adding your own extras for a buck or two more.


For farmers markets, where I used to live there were two kind of markets - the fru-fru "farmers markets" that were really just gussied up groceries, and were quite expensive (but excellent quality vs the supermarket) and the REAL farmers market, with farmers, and trucks, and sell-offs at the end of the day and buying apples or tomatoes by the bushel. That one was MUCH cheaper, the veggies were delicious, local, but a little on the ugly side.

_VoV

I ran a food pantry full time by myself for 2 years. Here is my advice:

People who have less know to look for the best price and buy generic(because they have to).

Most of the time they don't have enough money to pay for items in bulk, even though they do end up cheaper.

Recipe's that use the common food pantry/food bank items would be a great idea. You get some odd USDA food sometimes and people don't always know how to use it(and that it actually tastes good).

Hope this helps. If you have any questions feel free to message me. :flowerforyou:

^^Sounds very logical. The recipes for common food panty/food bank items sounds especially helpful.

Bentley2718

It is cheaper to actually buy a cow and have it butchered. That meat from the cow will feed a family of 4 for a year. A good idea if you have a deep freezer.

Most people who are poor enough to need to use a food bank are highly unlikely to (1) have a deep freezer, a place to put said deep freezer, or the money to pay for electricity to run it, and (2) enough money at once to pay for a whole cow.

Bentley2718

My only other tips would be plan your meals around the sales - if you can't go from store to store buy what's on sale near you and plan around it. I'll read the fliers and decide where to do my shopping based on the sale (rather than go to several stores)

And make more from scratch - ie making hummus is quick and easy and a lot cheaper than buying it... starting from dried beans is even CHEAPER and not much more difficult, just takes planning (soaking overnight). A 99c can of tomato sauce can rival the $5 jar stuff by adding your own extras for a buck or two more.


For farmers markets, where I used to live there were two kind of markets - the fru-fru "farmers markets" that were really just gussied up groceries, and were quite expensive (but excellent quality vs the supermarket) and the REAL farmers market, with farmers, and trucks, and sell-offs at the end of the day and buying apples or tomatoes by the bushel. That one was MUCH cheaper, the veggies were delicious, local, but a little on the ugly side.

Good luck finding what you call a "REAL farmers market" most places. Where I have lived, even when you could literally talk to the person who was growing your food, they were still more expensive. Yes, cheaper at the end of the day. Yes, you could negotiate (e.g. when I bought tomatoes to can, I got them cheaper because I was buying 50+ pounds at a time), but it was still more expensive than the grocery store.

slkehl

It is cheaper to actually buy a cow and have it butchered. That meat from the cow will feed a family of 4 for a year. A good idea if you have a deep freezer.

At first I thought you were joking, but based on the other responses, I guess you really can do this! I had no idea.