How to Save Money on Food
It hit me yesterday as I was in the middle of a “self service” pay station at Albertson’s. A well-meaning stranger was tap-dancing across my personal space boundaries and my cauliflower rang up to nearly $4.00. It was yuckiness all around.
I write a lot on here about buying what’s in season and about the inequities of access to good produce for those of lower socioeconomic status and then you find me in line paying $4 for a cauliflower because, damnit, I love cauliflower! Oh hypocrisy, if it wasn’t for you, we might actually take ourselves too seriously.
[photo cred]
There’s a couple of issues at play here — one is that the Albertson’s near me is notoriously crappy. Their produce is so insanely expensive, I really do feel that it presents a problem for those living paycheck-to-paycheck (most of us students, eh?) when a box of cinnamon rolls, located in the same vicinity as the expensive produce, is on sale for a dollar.
But, I digress, I really just want to share some tips on saving money that I’ve found via “research” (google counts, right?) and via experience:
- Avoid packaged, flavored grain/rice dishes. You think that flavored rice pack from the market is really so special? Bah! Read the back and you’ll likely find that it’s simply cooked rice with spices you already have in your spice cabinet. Invest in a rice cooker (if you need one; I still do it the old fashioned in-a-pot way), some spices and basic sauces and you’re set!
- Avoid protein/energy/snack bars. I’ll admit that I love Clif Bars and pretty much any other type of sugar-laden “protein” bar, but at a typical $1.50/pop it’s just not worth it. Especially when you can make your own. Have you seen the ingredients list of Larabars? They’re typically 2-3 ingredients! In perusing YouTube, I found this couple make their own Larabars for $0.30/piece. Now that’s economical. Don’t forget what a resource YouTube is learning how to DIY. Soon they’ll offer degree programs…;)…just sayin’
- Blog watch. There are a ton of blogs and Facebook groups centered around saving money (didn’t you hear that frugal is the new black?). Check out this list of “Top 100 Blogs for the Frugal Gourmet” here as a starting point.
- Buy cheap staples that last. Beans (both canned and bagged), canned vegetables, frozen fruit and vegetables, salsas, whole grain breads and pastas – these can all be relatively cheap if you buy in bulk or from the bulk bins (Whole Foods has these, too) and can last in your pantry, fridge and/or freezer for quite some time. If you always have these staples on hand, you are less likely to feel the need to go out to eat.
- Buy what’s in season. Easier said than done, no? I’ve grown so accustomed to eating an apple a day that I rarely ask my apple the question of its origin. If you live in CA, like me, this is what’s in season now: apricots, artichokes, asparagus, cherries, nectarines, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries. See here if you live elsewhere or want to reference a guide throughout the year.
- Ditch meal “Kits.” If you have to assemble it anyway, why bother paying the extra price, eesh! Those salad kits, especialy, are a waste of money.
- Don’t buy “gourmet” anything. “Gourmet” is generally just a marketing ploy. What you’re usually paying for is either convenience or packaging.
- Eat out at restaurants and fast-food joints less…until you can wean yourself off completely (it can be done, friends!). If you’re going to eat out at all, at least be smart about it. You can still eat cheap AND healthy if you look for deals from places with healthy options. I subscribe to all of my fave restaurant’s newsletters and/or check their sites often for deals (esp. happy-hour deals where you can get appetizers 1/2 off). I know Groupon, also, can help in getting good deals for restaurants.
- Get comfortable in the kitchen and with following recipes. Look it’s happened to the best of us — we’ve all mistakenly put a cup of oil in the brownie mix instead of a 1/3 cup and seen the oil literally sit atop the brownies like a mock BP disaster (or was that just me? eep!). But you’ve got to dust yourself off and get back in the kitchen — it’s so empowering (and fun!) to cook your own meals, to choose each ingredient yourself, and to choose who to enjoy it with! I’m pretty sure there isn’t a cooking “gene,” so, learning to cook is just like learning to ride a bike – go for it and enjoy the ride! Pick a recipe requiring ingredients that you like and that are accessible. There are countless recipe sites online — my faves include www.allrecipes.com, www.epicurious.com and Vegetarian Times’ recipe index.
- Make a cross-comparison/standard price-per-unit spreadsheet. It’s good to keep a list of your standard purchases and how much these items cost, per unit (and not when on sale), from each of your local grocery stores/chains. This way, it’ll make it easier for you to spot when things become cheaper elsewhere, or when a sale really is a sale.
- Make your own sauces and dressings. Pasta sauce, gravy, curry, salad dressing — these things are so easy to make on your own and you can freeze them, can them, etc. I know people who spend one weekend a month making, canning and/or freezing their own sauces and meals that they then eat from for the entire month, which saves money and time in the long-run.
- Shop ethnic grocery stores. When I did a cost-comparison between my crappy Albertson’s, Costco and the local “cultural” grocer (not sure “ethnic grocer” is really the right term?) I found that the latter was always the cheapest in produce. See my chart here.
- Talk to people. If you’re one of those people who has a hard time doing small talk (introverts, unite!), here’s another topic besides the weather that is universally a go-to — deals. People looooove to talk about how they saved money. Ask and they will tell!
My best tip of all time is simple to be present and aware. You’ll start to question those $4 coffee purchases and maybe reevaluate your spending habits.
If you’d like specifics on how to eat cheap as a vegetarian, check out this great article.
Any money-saving tips to add?
<3,
The Cranky One
who’s hoping these money-saving tips will buy her this (I know….I have a problem…)
Today is the last day to enter my $60.00 gift-certificate give-away to CSN Online Stores! Enter here.
Tags: ethnic grocery stores, grocery price comparison, grocery shopping, saving money
5 People have left comments on this post
I so rarely buy fresh fruits and vegetables now because I’m far too picky. And it’s really hard to find fresh food in the grocery stores in Louisiana. I’m always jealous when I go back home how huge the produce sections are compared to what I’ve become used to. I mean I’m pretty sure the store around the corner from me now doesn’t even carry fresh cauliflower. And if it does its the prepacked stuff already in a plastic bag.
I did a project for one of my classes only spending $5/day for 2 adults for 5 days. The trick is that it had to be nutritionally complete. We ended up with extra food! My money-saving suggestions… make a list of cheap and nutritious foods and figure out how to make delicious recipes with them. Dried beans, split peas, brown rice, sunflower seeds, carrots, potatoes, nutritional yeast, bananas and apples were just some of the foods I purchased. Blackstrap molasses is expensive, but it’s packed with calcium and iron and a little goes a long way (yummy in oatmeal). On my super thrifty diet, canned beans were simply too expensive as when you get dried beans you get 4x more once they are cooked. Compare prices at different stores for the best deals and check for sales! : )
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