Learn how to keep your kitchen stocked for less $$!
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missiontofitness
Posts: 4,074 Member
For a lot of us, food is expensive. And it can be hard to keep your kitchen stocked with the items that you want during a lifestyle transition, without breaking the bank. So in this thread, I'll explain some of the tips and tricks that I do to keep my kitchen stocked for pennies on the dollar, and how I can afford meat/produce/macro treats!
Coupons/Matching with your local store
Do you pick up a Sunday paper? Do you ever toss that insert out? Don't do it!
One of my biggest tricks to saving at the store is by using coupons. They not only have helped me save $800+ at my local stores this year, but have allowed me to create a small stockpile of items I go through very quickly. Collect coupons for items that you use the most (for me, that's pasta, sauces, frozen vegetables, ect), and check you local store to see what their policies are. I also print off my coupons online from reputable sites, like coupons.com.
I rely heavily on my local chain, which doubles coupons with a face value of $.99 or less. This has allowed me to get multiple items for the cost of one at retail, a fraction of retail price, or even walk out of the store for free! Here are some examples of my previous hauls:
#1, Prego Sauce: I got several jars of this sauce for $0.14 a piece. The store had them on clearance for $1.14 (I have no idea why..they were a new item, and no where near their expiration dates!) I had $.50/one coupons for Prego sauces, which doubled up to a dollar. I love using this sauce on my pasta, and also as a sauce for my pita pizzas.
#2, Carolina Rice: I got two of these absolute free. I paid nothing. Nada. Zip. These retail $0.75 a piece, and I had a coupon for $0.75/two, which doubled up to $1.50.
#3, Salad Dressing: Both of these were on sale for $1 a piece. I had a coupon for $1 off of two. So, I walked out of the store with these at $0.50 a bottle!
#4, Tomato Paste: These retail $1.29 a piece at my local store. I had a coupon for $0.50 off, which doubled up to a dollar. Got four for $0.29 a piece! These are great for my southwestern veggie soup. If you want the recipe, send me a message!
#5, Cheese: I like having cheese on hand for a calorie boost for a salad, and also as a pizza topping. These were on sale 3/$5, and I had a $0.75/one coupon. Walked out of the store with these (and a third which has been happily eaten!) for $0.16 a piece.
#6, Frozen veggies: These are usually on sale for $2 a piece at my local grocery store. With my coupons, I generally get these for $0.50- $1.00 a piece. They are an awesome addition to a meal if I'm strapped for time to cook.
Other than these items, I also like to stock up on on-the-go snacks: Nature Valley bars, Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips (best haul was $0.50 a bag, when they retailed $2 on sale), hummus, ect. I generally get these items for much less than retail!
Buying in bulk/avoiding convenience cuts:
When you buy your meat in bulk, you can generally save a lot compared to buying a smaller amount. I recently got 4 1/2 lbs of chicken for $1.99 a pound; usually it's close to $4 a pound if you don't buy the bulk pack. You can freeze the portion that you know you cannot consume within a reasonable amount of time, and thaw it out for use later.
Also, avoid convenience cuts! With items like chicken, you will pay a ton more per pound if you buy precut cutlets, tenders, ect. If you opt to buy the entire breast, you can trim it yourself at home, without trimming your wallet
This can also apply to produce. My local store sells 5 pound containers of cherry tomatoes for $5.99. Now, this may seem like a lot of tomatoes. But when I buy it, I tend to throw them into everything; pasta sauce, scrambled eggs, salad, homemade bruschetta..the possibilities are endless. Generally I can get a pound of cherry tomatoes for about $2 ...but if I buy them in bulk, I save over 50%. And get to eat tomatoes with everything, which is awesome.
You can also get "bulk" items, like fresh salsas, hummus, and other snack items for a lot less if you buy the bigger size. I personally love hummus, but an 8oz container can put me back $1.99 or $2.99 a container. If I opt for the 16oz container, I can get it for only $3.49, and have an entire week's worth of hummus ready for me to snack on for $0.24 a serving.
Set a budget for your shopping trips, and make a list
This is a simple piece of advice I try to follow. Especially being a graduate student, saving money is a main priority for me. This includes carefully budgeting out my finances, and watching my spending at the store. One trick I learned from my family is to itemize a list out ahead of time, and estimate the cost of the items that I want. After, we would add our estimated total, and grab some cash. Generally we would overestimate (just in case produce was a bit high that week, or there was an item we needed to grab last minute), and only walk into the store with that set amount of cash. Once you learn how much you will need to spend each week for your personal lifestyle needs, having a set budget can help avoid throwing extra items you don't need into your cart, or accidentally overspending on your debit/credit card.
Just a few tips so far! If you have any additional questions for me, I'm happy to answer!
Coupons/Matching with your local store
Do you pick up a Sunday paper? Do you ever toss that insert out? Don't do it!
One of my biggest tricks to saving at the store is by using coupons. They not only have helped me save $800+ at my local stores this year, but have allowed me to create a small stockpile of items I go through very quickly. Collect coupons for items that you use the most (for me, that's pasta, sauces, frozen vegetables, ect), and check you local store to see what their policies are. I also print off my coupons online from reputable sites, like coupons.com.
I rely heavily on my local chain, which doubles coupons with a face value of $.99 or less. This has allowed me to get multiple items for the cost of one at retail, a fraction of retail price, or even walk out of the store for free! Here are some examples of my previous hauls:
#1, Prego Sauce: I got several jars of this sauce for $0.14 a piece. The store had them on clearance for $1.14 (I have no idea why..they were a new item, and no where near their expiration dates!) I had $.50/one coupons for Prego sauces, which doubled up to a dollar. I love using this sauce on my pasta, and also as a sauce for my pita pizzas.
#2, Carolina Rice: I got two of these absolute free. I paid nothing. Nada. Zip. These retail $0.75 a piece, and I had a coupon for $0.75/two, which doubled up to $1.50.
#3, Salad Dressing: Both of these were on sale for $1 a piece. I had a coupon for $1 off of two. So, I walked out of the store with these at $0.50 a bottle!
#4, Tomato Paste: These retail $1.29 a piece at my local store. I had a coupon for $0.50 off, which doubled up to a dollar. Got four for $0.29 a piece! These are great for my southwestern veggie soup. If you want the recipe, send me a message!
#5, Cheese: I like having cheese on hand for a calorie boost for a salad, and also as a pizza topping. These were on sale 3/$5, and I had a $0.75/one coupon. Walked out of the store with these (and a third which has been happily eaten!) for $0.16 a piece.
#6, Frozen veggies: These are usually on sale for $2 a piece at my local grocery store. With my coupons, I generally get these for $0.50- $1.00 a piece. They are an awesome addition to a meal if I'm strapped for time to cook.
Other than these items, I also like to stock up on on-the-go snacks: Nature Valley bars, Food Should Taste Good tortilla chips (best haul was $0.50 a bag, when they retailed $2 on sale), hummus, ect. I generally get these items for much less than retail!
Buying in bulk/avoiding convenience cuts:
When you buy your meat in bulk, you can generally save a lot compared to buying a smaller amount. I recently got 4 1/2 lbs of chicken for $1.99 a pound; usually it's close to $4 a pound if you don't buy the bulk pack. You can freeze the portion that you know you cannot consume within a reasonable amount of time, and thaw it out for use later.
Also, avoid convenience cuts! With items like chicken, you will pay a ton more per pound if you buy precut cutlets, tenders, ect. If you opt to buy the entire breast, you can trim it yourself at home, without trimming your wallet
This can also apply to produce. My local store sells 5 pound containers of cherry tomatoes for $5.99. Now, this may seem like a lot of tomatoes. But when I buy it, I tend to throw them into everything; pasta sauce, scrambled eggs, salad, homemade bruschetta..the possibilities are endless. Generally I can get a pound of cherry tomatoes for about $2 ...but if I buy them in bulk, I save over 50%. And get to eat tomatoes with everything, which is awesome.
You can also get "bulk" items, like fresh salsas, hummus, and other snack items for a lot less if you buy the bigger size. I personally love hummus, but an 8oz container can put me back $1.99 or $2.99 a container. If I opt for the 16oz container, I can get it for only $3.49, and have an entire week's worth of hummus ready for me to snack on for $0.24 a serving.
Set a budget for your shopping trips, and make a list
This is a simple piece of advice I try to follow. Especially being a graduate student, saving money is a main priority for me. This includes carefully budgeting out my finances, and watching my spending at the store. One trick I learned from my family is to itemize a list out ahead of time, and estimate the cost of the items that I want. After, we would add our estimated total, and grab some cash. Generally we would overestimate (just in case produce was a bit high that week, or there was an item we needed to grab last minute), and only walk into the store with that set amount of cash. Once you learn how much you will need to spend each week for your personal lifestyle needs, having a set budget can help avoid throwing extra items you don't need into your cart, or accidentally overspending on your debit/credit card.
Just a few tips so far! If you have any additional questions for me, I'm happy to answer!
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Replies
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Good advise!
I live in Japan at the moment so I can't follow much of this... there's no coupons and larger packages of meat cost the same per gram as smaller packages.
Some tips I follow:
Check the dates of everything you buy and pick the things with the longest date (eg., yogurt, milk) so it doesn't go bad before you can finish it.
Find out what time your local supermarket reduces items and try to visit at this time.
If you find cheap meat then when you get home portion it in to individual sizes, wrap it in cling film and freeze it straightaway.
Before you go shopping, check what you already have in your fridge and cupboards and see what you can make using these items and then buy any extra stuff you need.
Try out the supermarket brands, they are often cheaper and still taste good.0 -
You can't save buying real food.. You don't want to be eat things in boxes, bags, or cans.. I yet to see coupons for real foods like vegetables,fruits,lean meats nor nuts. If it's really heathy there's not % off unless it's at it's due date.0
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Thanks for this, OP. It breaks my heart every time I pay for cheese; I need to try to do what you do and knock my cash outlay down a little!:drinker:0
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You can't save buying real food.. You don't want to be eat things in boxes, bags, or cans.. I yet to see coupons for real foods like vegetables,fruits,lean meats nor nuts. If it's really heathy there's not % off unless it's at it's due date.
I buy in bulk and save a ton on the items you just listed. Plus, couponing has helped me save money to be able to afford to splurge on additional produce (including my organic greens). It's all about balance.0 -
Thanks for this, OP. It breaks my heart every time I pay for cheese; I need to try to do what you do and knock my cash outlay down a little!:drinker:
You're welcome! It's all about balance! Save money in one place, so you can funnel that money into the things you want.
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Prego? a nonna dies everytime someone sauces their pasta with Prego. Should use some of your savings for san marzanos and make big batches of sauce and freeze it
What cheese do you buy that isn't sold as a function of price per lb?0 -
Prego? a nonna dies everytime someone sauces their pasta with Prego. Should use some of your savings for san marzanos and make big batches of sauce and freeze it
What cheese do you buy that isn't sold as a function of price per lb?
Haha, I know Prego is sacrilegious, but I really love it. Especially the flavor I took in the picture. My other favorite is Rinaldi's; they make a good sauce as well.
Cheese wise, I generally stick to my shredded options, and buying only a couple slices at a time at the deli counter. I do enjoy a crumbled reduced fat blue cheese by Saputo, and feta by Athenos and those have a set price that isn't per lb. Was that what you were asking? I wasn't sure!0 -
A few observations. Shredded cheese has additives to keep it from clumping. I will stick with block cheese and shred it myself. I make my own sauces, I would bet there is high fructose corn syrup in that Prego sauce. Normally I can buy store brands for almost the same price as the "name" brands with a coupon. Most don't know this but store brands are made in the same plant as the name brand. They just change the labels to run different batches. I agree about bulk buying.. Also agree with convenience cuts, why pay for stew meat when you can take a lean bottom round and make your own by cutting it into cubes.0
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Can I add a few suggestions?
I'm incredibly meticulous about my grocery list. I hate going into a store without knowing exactly what I need, it ends up with so much extra crap in my cart and on my shelves.
Every two weeks, I start by inventorying my kitchen. What meats do I have on hand, cans, sauces, ect. Then I use the weekly ads for the local stores to work around my current inventory and make up a meal plan for the next 14 days.
I use four different local markets to make our grocery list. It means I have to dedicate more time to shopping, but I save enough that it's worth the time. I work my meals around what is on sale (example: bell peppers are 3/$1 at sprouts, so I'll do stuffed peppers, stirfry, or burritos), and what will make good leftovers to bring into work. Pasta always has enough for at least three days of work lunches for my husband, so we do pasta on Mondays. That keeps him from going out to lunch too often, which saves tons of money. Having the meal plan set for the week saves us from going out at night as well.
Every couple of months I do a bulk trip to stock up on the basics for the inventory. I'm hoping to start a bulk food fund so I can stock up on basics when there is a really great sale, but we're not there yet.
See if there is a bakery outlet near you. I can go and get a loaf of bread, a good multigran or oatnut, for half the price.
One more tip, use fresh veggies as much as you can. There is almost always some variety on sale. I use my steamer almost every night, and the kids and I eat tons of raw veggies for lunch and snacks.0 -
A few observations. Shredded cheese has additives to keep it from clumping. I will stick with block cheese and shred it myself. I make my own sauces, I would bet there is high fructose corn syrup in that Prego sauce. Normally I can buy store brands for almost the same price as the "name" brands with a coupon. Most don't know this but store brands are made in the same plant as the name brand. They just change the labels to run different batches. I agree about bulk buying.. Also agree with convenience cuts, why pay for stew meat when you can take a lean bottom round and make your own by cutting it into cubes.
It's generally cheaper for me to buy the name brand compared to the store brand, because of the coupon savings. If I had bought any of the store brands of these items, I would have spent $1-$2 more, compared to the cents I was paying for the store brand.
I am aware of what's in my food, and I read labels as well. I unfortunately do not have the time to make my own sauces each week, but having the items I've included in my graphic makes it easier for me to actually incorporate cooking into my routine.0 -
You can't save buying real food.. You don't want to be eat things in boxes, bags, or cans.. I yet to see coupons for real foods like vegetables,fruits,lean meats nor nuts. If it's really heathy there's not % off unless it's at it's due date.
Actually, check your grocery store's website. Mine (Kroger) has online coupons that load directly on to your reward card, and a lot of time they have coupons on produce, meat and dairy. It has saved me a ton of money.0 -
You can't save buying real food.. You don't want to be eat things in boxes, bags, or cans.. I yet to see coupons for real foods like vegetables,fruits,lean meats nor nuts. If it's really heathy there's not % off unless it's at it's due date.
But you can buy items in season and check local circulars for specials. My children laugh at me because I have brought home veggies I never tried before because they were on sale.0 -
Can I add a few suggestions?
I'm incredibly meticulous about my grocery list. I hate going into a store without knowing exactly what I need, it ends up with so much extra crap in my cart and on my shelves.
Every two weeks, I start by inventorying my kitchen. What meats do I have on hand, cans, sauces, ect. Then I use the weekly ads for the local stores to work around my current inventory and make up a meal plan for the next 14 days.
I use four different local markets to make our grocery list. It means I have to dedicate more time to shopping, but I save enough that it's worth the time. I work my meals around what is on sale (example: bell peppers are 3/$1 at sprouts, so I'll do stuffed peppers, stirfry, or burritos), and what will make good leftovers to bring into work. Pasta always has enough for at least three days of work lunches for my husband, so we do pasta on Mondays. That keeps him from going out to lunch too often, which saves tons of money. Having the meal plan set for the week saves us from going out at night as well.
Every couple of months I do a bulk trip to stock up on the basics for the inventory. I'm hoping to start a bulk food fund so I can stock up on basics when there is a really great sale, but we're not there yet.
See if there is a bakery outlet near you. I can go and get a loaf of bread, a good multigran or oatnut, for half the price.
One more tip, use fresh veggies as much as you can. There is almost always some variety on sale. I use my steamer almost every night, and the kids and I eat tons of raw veggies for lunch and snacks.
I agree on the fresh veggies! Given how much I save at the store, I can afford my bulk pack of organic spring mix, tons of tomatoes, and fruits.
I do the same thing as you too, in regards to inventory. Always love to plan my meals around what I buy, or buy what I need for the meals I want to eat. Also glad I'm not the only one who goes to multiple stores!
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You can't save buying real food.. You don't want to be eat things in boxes, bags, or cans.. I yet to see coupons for real foods like vegetables,fruits,lean meats nor nuts. If it's really heathy there's not % off unless it's at it's due date.
But you can buy items in season and check local circulars for specials. My children laugh at me because I have brought home veggies I never tried before because they were on sale.
I forgot this, but farmers markets as well, since this is the season! I absolutely love them.
You can get gigantic produce for around the same price as the grocery store..plus you're supporting local farms!0 -
You can't save buying real food.. You don't want to be eat things in boxes, bags, or cans.. I yet to see coupons for real foods like vegetables,fruits,lean meats nor nuts. If it's really heathy there's not % off unless it's at it's due date.
Actually, check your grocery store's website. Mine (Kroger) has online coupons that load directly on to your reward card, and a lot of time they have coupons on produce, meat and dairy. It has saved me a ton of money.
We have a Smith's here, that sells Kroger. They do the same. We also get flat-rate coupons monthly, for a certain amount off our grocery total.
To add:
We also buy manager's special meat (as long as it isn't spoiled, of course) and freeze it right away. We get our fruits and vegetables at the farmer's market, which is substantially cheaper. And we only grocery shop twice a month. So I look at the ads, make meal plans based on what's on sale, or what's in our freezer, and we buy for 2 weeks. We dedicate one day (usually just a few hours in the morning) to shopping, and we go to multiple stores to get the best deals. Since the stores are within about 2 miles of one another, we're not wasting gas, just benefiting from the sales at multiple places. We keep a cooler in the van for just such shopping days, so anything we buy that needs refrigeration stays fresh while we're shopping in multiple places.0 -
I forgot this, but farmers markets as well, since this is the season! I absolutely love them.
You can get gigantic produce for around the same price as the grocery store..plus you're supporting local farms!
i live in a fairly large city, and our farmers markets are much, much more expensive than the grocery store. it's pretty ridiculous seeing as i live in the midwest and we're surrounded by farms. as for the double couponing, that would be great, but i haven't found a single grocery store around here that does that.
i generally buy what's on sale and work my menus around that.0 -
I honestly don't bother with couponing because I never find coupons I can use... I guess I don't use enough packaged food. I could use coupons for steamfresh veggies though, but I've never seen any, and I don't want to buy a paper just to save 75 cents, lol.0
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I honestly don't bother with couponing because I never find coupons I can use... I guess I don't use enough packaged food. I could use coupons for steamfresh veggies though, but I've never seen any, and I don't want to buy a paper just to save 75 cents, lol.
^ this too. i try to stay on the perimeter of the grocery store.0 -
More and more organic and fruit coupons are coming out. Recent printable coupons include Driscoll's and Dole. In addition the saving star app has a fruit/veggie each week that you are reimbursed a portion of. Save with checkout 51. Target also offers coupons for meat, fruit and veggies. This week their steak is 20 percent off and hamburger is 15 percent off. In addition there are 5 percent cartwheels for both. There are also cartwheel discounts for berries, apples and oranges. Strawberries are on sale. Plus there is a $10/$50 food coupon you use befe any other coupons you have. For those who like skinny cow candy and ice cream the are 2/$7. There was a $1 coupon in Sunday's paper, a 5 percent cartwheel and if you buy four you get a $5 gift card.
There are tons of ways to save. I pay next to nothing for toothpaste and other toiletries using coupons. That really frees up money for other things. My local Harris Teeter always has boneless skinless chicken breast in the meat case for $1.99 a pound.0 -
i don't buy any of that stuff you mentioned above.
The stores here don't price match or double coupons. If i'm careful and smart i can get stuff pretty inexpensively. King soopers and safeway have digital coupon; sometimes for ground turkey, some meats and cheese and occasionally a produce item. Although I find safeway to be generally overpriced.
I do stalk the markdown meat, bakery and produce section. I also shop at Sams club. Not always cheaper. but I just got 50 bottle of my probiotic for $8.50. That was a steal and 6 colorful peppers for $5.58. Which is less then usual. I got salmon burger there 10 for 9.58. I might go back and get another bx of them before the sale is up. that's a pretty good deal I think.
I always watch those coupoining people with awe.. not envy. Why would I want 55 container of orange flavored tic tacs?? Or 25 boxes of pasta?0
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