Buying in bulk vs staying fresh (my grocery list)

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dee_thurman
dee_thurman Posts: 240 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I tried to start a tips at the grocery store thread but didn't get a lot of responses. As I continue to go to the grocery store more and more I am finding out there are many tricks of the trade to buy healthy real food but at the same time be smart about your money. For example our family eats a lot of turkey for lunch. As someone new at buying foods at the grocery store, I made the mistake of not buying a family portion of turkey meat. We can obviously save money buy purchasing a larger size because we use it.

Here are some things our family eat a lot of and I would like to see if you have any ideas/ tricks of the trade of buying these at the grocery store.

spinach
romain lettuce
carrots
apples
oranges
cucumbers
celery
tomatoes
bananas
strawberries
grapes
wild caught salmon
chicken breast
turkey (oscar meyer lunch meat)
93% fat free hamburger meat
eggs
egg whites
sausage (turkey)
bacon
hot dogs
round sausage patties
angel hair pasta
whole wheat bread
aunt milieus potato white bread
kasha go lean cereal
frosted mini wheats
whole wheat tortillas
texas toast (new york brand)
rice (jasmine)
colby jack 2% shredded cheese
kraft singles low fat
kraft mozzarella low fat string cheese
dannon lite fit greek yogurt
block of colby jack cheese
yoplait yogurt
cashews
almonds
walnuts
toaster sticks (eggo)
canned tuna
canned green beans
gatorade
bottle water
fat free milk
nestle chocolate milk (the mix)
orange juice (simply orange pulp free)
apple juice box
sparkling ice (coconut yellow kind)
orville redenbacher's popcorn
pretzels
goldfish
cheez its
tostitos
sunchips
ruffles
hummus
ragu chunky mushroom spahetti sauce
alfredo light classico
mustard
bertolli olive oil extra virgin
salsa
low fat ranch
ken's steak house lite vinaigrette balsamic salad dressing
wholly guacamole
ketchup (heinz)
sugar free jello
pam

Feel free to comment on any of those foods. Healthy or unhealthy. Different brands you buy or how you buy these items in bulk etc to save money and stay healthy. You can even comment about if you go to a specific place that is better than the other to purchase any of these items. Please share your own list and thoughts of different items.

Replies

  • melonaulait
    melonaulait Posts: 769 Member
    edited December 2015
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    For the hummus, you could try making your own. Buy dried chick peas/garbanzo in bulk and you'll have hummus ingredients for a long time!

    You could also make your own guacamole (might taste more fresh and flavorful than ready-made!) and spaghetti sauce! At least in my country, fresh avocados, tomatoes and herbs come a bit cheaper in the end than ready-made stuff in cans.

    ----Also, vinaigrette dressing is super easy to make on your own! Try that, too.
  • meltoine
    meltoine Posts: 46 Member
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    I buy produce that's in season, which is almost always cheaper. If I have to have something that's not in season, I buy frozen.

    Non-produce things I buy store brand. The only name brand things I'm picky about are mayonnaise and ketchup. I also make my own salad dressings and desserts, which is much cheaper.

    Also, you're doubling up on some things. Do you really need cheez-it's and goldfish? They're practically the same. I only buy one kind of juice, usually orange but apple once in a while. We don't drink much of it because it's empty calories.

    Why are you buying bottled water? Getting a filter and a bottle like a Camelbak is much cheaper.
  • PhoenyxRose
    PhoenyxRose Posts: 70 Member
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    If you're trying to save money, try planning your family's meals a week in advance and make sure they have some similar ingrediants. Like, for me right now, it's soup season, so I make a lot of soups that have both celery and carrots in them that way I can make a wide variety without wasting most of my ingrediants. And then whatever you have leftover just try to incorporate into a meal for the next week. When it comes to fruits, sturdier fruit I'm fine with buying 2 weeks at a time but I buy berries weekly because they go bad so fast.
  • jodiosterman1
    jodiosterman1 Posts: 2 Member
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    I don't like to eat celery by itself but like to put it in soups and I have found that I can buy a large bunch, use what I need and chop the rest and freeze for future use in soups. It does seem to soften faster but I don't mind. Not mushy by any means.
  • stac928
    stac928 Posts: 10 Member
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    I buy meat (chicken breast, ground beef, pork tenderloins, etc) in bulk. Then portion them out into the size my family consumes for example a 6 lbs container of chicken breasts might becaome s a 3 lbs freezer bag, a 2 lbs freezer bag, and an 1 lb freezer bag. Date and write the weight on the bag. Then freeze.

    Canned things I also buy in bulk if I can (green beans, tuna, etc)

    I make my own hummus. It's cheap, easy, and usually less calories than the store bought per gram (I usually do my servings in grams for hummus).

    Make your own garlic bread instead of buy the New York brand

    If I have time I make bread and pasta sauces. Other times I buy. Bread can be bought in bulk and frozen usually. Just thaw a bit at a time as you need it.

    I also make extra of things like pancakes and waffles on the weekends to have leftovers during the week (could replace eggos). Heat the waffles up in teh oven or a toaster to keep them crisp.

    Popcorn I buy in bulk (real popcorn not the microwave kind) and use an air popper. Cheaper and healthier.
  • Optimistical1
    Optimistical1 Posts: 210 Member
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    Costco for meats and organic goods, Sams Club for everything else you buy in bulk.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Plan meals. Make your grocery list from your plan.
    You have some brand names listed for certain things. Have you tried the store brand or generic version of those items?
    You are buying a lot of packaged snack cracker chip type items. Maybe choose just one of those for the week and have things like fruit, cheese, vegetables or yogurt for snacks.
    I buy a larger container of plain or vanilla yogurt and add my own flavorings or fruit to it.
    Buy fewer drinks. Drink water instead of juice or gatorade.
    Hummus is easy is to make.
    Buy a block of mozzarella and cut it into sticks instead of getting string cheese.
    Why are you buying egg whites and eggs?
    Dry beans and oatmeal are cheap.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    If you really want to save money get coupons or an app showing the specials or a flyer if they have them and plan meals around what's on special.

    Egg whites are probably more than eggs, and I personally would rather eat eggs.

    I always make my own salad dressing.

    I don't know but I'd bet there's a premium for pre-shredded cheese vs. shredding it yourself, and same with all the other convenience stuff, so use your judgment on what is worth the extra cost and compare.

    I drink tap water.

    Those are just a few initial thoughts.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
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    OP - do you have a Costco nearby? I have a membership there - it's about $50/year and they have a lot of good stuff! Even a lot of organic items if you're into that (I think organic produce tastes better so I get it when I can afford to). Lots of bulk stuff and good deals. Look for the sales :)
  • brendak76
    brendak76 Posts: 241 Member
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    I primarily shop at ALDI. Best prices anywhere and great quality. Certain things we buy at Costco because of allergies, personal preference or we can't get at ALDI (coffee, turkey and salmon burgers, sandwich bread). In my area Costco has very high produce prices and meat is never a super great price. ALDI is almost always better price wise. A handful of things we buy at Trader Joes (soups, taco seasoning, tofu, salsa).
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
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    Agree with above suggestions with an extra thumbs up for purchasing weekly sale items. I buy and we eat -whatever is on sale. I'm not a fan of the warehouse type places like Sam's and Costco except for a FEW items. Locally, nuts are very inexpensive there (Sam's) comparatively. Regions may vary. I might have 12 cans of black olives in the house (we eat a lot!) but I bought them at a store that had a BOGO free deal versus maybe 10 or 12 cents less per can which is typical for Sam's (locally). It all depends on what you buy and it seems the things we eat a lot of are not a really good price. I use Sam's mostly for non-food items but I do look around at their prices when I'm there.

    I live in an area that is VERY competitive regarding groceries. Well, prices are high but SALES are GREAT! We have lots of BOGO (buy one get one free) and B2G3F (buy 2 get 3 free) promotions weekly. Within 5 miles of my house I have 8 different supermarket chains represented. Add another 3 or 4 miles and find 4 more. Know the prices of the items you use frequently because there are stores that will raise the regular price the week of the sale in order to maintain a reasonable profit on a special deal and their BOGO or B2G3F really is not a bargain.

    I keep a list of items that I buy at one particular store that is on the other side of town and when I am in that area, I'll stop in and get what I need but rarely make a special trip because...gasoline costs $$ too. The list has things like basmati rice, capers, unsalted sunflower seeds. Stuff that rarely goes on sale.

    I keep my freezer and my pantry very well organized so I know what I have and what I need with just a quick look. The stores also run additional weekend specials and fortunately I have the time to stop by and/or often walk to the close ones depending on what I'm getting and if it will fit in my backpack.
  • dee_thurman
    dee_thurman Posts: 240 Member
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    Thanks for your thoughts. I know I threw out a lot of foods and asked some pretty broad questions. I do have a spouse and kids and they eat different things. So each person in the house has their taste of chips/pretzels/cheez its/gold fish. Personally I drink water and coffee and a little milk. Kids drink a lot of different things including orange juice for breakfast, apple juice for lunch etc... Bottle waters are only used in the house when we have a game and we take a water to go/for water breaks. Don't use bottle waters a lot. Egg whites are for the adults and the eggs are for the kids. Adults eat a lot of eggs in the morning and the kids have their eggs mixed in with a variety of different things. We have an ALDI but no Cosco.

    Again thanks for your time thoughts and ideas. I need to learn to make some more homemade items. I will try a little bit at a time and expand my cooking skills (which my spouse hasn't eaten a couple of my meals in the last couple of weeks so I don't think they are real good, but I'm trying :). We do have two different fridges and another freezer in the garage. We can utilize our space to store more foods and be smarter this way. Just trying to pick up on a few things others are doing.
  • vgarcia0819
    vgarcia0819 Posts: 11 Member
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    I buy most things at Aldi and the rest I spread out over different stores using sale ads as a guide.

    Spinach is at least half as expensive if you buy it with the stems still attached rather than pre-washed and either bagged or boxed.

    If you eat pork chops cut your own from a half or full pork loin. It's the same meat, you're just doing the work yourself. And saving tons of money.

    Learn to either break down a whole chicken or buy those value bags of chicken leg quarters and turn those into drumsticks and thighs.

    Just be willing to do yourself things other people pay money not to do, both in the meat and produce sections. :-)

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