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.

A Fruit is Just a Fruit, Right?

Photo from Travelinfoo55 on Flickr here

Battle of the (Wallet) Bulge

How do your grocery stores match up?

I’ve typically bought most of my produce from Costco because I eat so much of it and was under the impression I was getting the best price.  If you see the above chart, my local ethnic grocery store consistently offers substantially lower prices than Costco.  Costco, however, consistently offers lower prices than Albertson’s. For instance, for a bag of carrots, I would save $2.00 a bag if I bought them from my local ethnic grocery store instead of Albertson’s.  Additionally, for gala apples, I would save almost a dollar per pound at my ethnic grocery store in comparison to Albertson’s.

My Money-Saving Tips

• Make a list of your staples (the foods you consistently buy) and a spreadsheet like I did above. Compare prices between at least three grocery stores and even check out your local farmers’ market! I know this is a time commitment, but I think it’s worth it.  Consider calling a friend who shops at a different market than you do and ask him or her to take note of the prices for you.  Be resourceful to save time and money!
• If you buy processed foods, particularly those marketed as health foods that you can only find at health food stores, consider buying them in bulk from amazon.com’s grocery section here, or Healthy Snacks Direct here.
• Don’t knock coupons!  Take one day a week to scour newspapers and the web for good deals and coupons.  Consider splitting the job with a friend, or swapping coupons.  Find coupons for grocery stores here, as well.
• Sign up for e-mail newsletters from your favorite stores (sign up for Whole Foods’ here) and products to stay on top of sales, score coupons and occasionally be let in on a sale before everyone else!

A note about organics:  If buying organic produce is important to you, consider the following “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables that have been found to have the highest levels of pesticide residues.  These are the produce items to consider shelling out extra dough for:

• Apples
• Cherries
• Grapes, imported
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Bell peppers
• Celery
• Potatoes
• Spinach
• Source: organic.org

A note about ethnic grocery stores (based on the store I frequent)

• Do not sell organic options
• Do not sell whole-wheat pastas or breads
• Offer lots of cool spices and seasonings you wouldn’t typically find elsewhere
• Offer some cool produce options like chayote and nopales that you wouldn’t typically find elsewhere

A General Note About Grocery Stores

• Watch for expiration dates
• Watch for sketchy items? (I didn’t think I’d have to write the above or this, but my recent price comparison trip allowed me to face the truth that grocery stores in lower income areas tend to be more lax about expiration dates and even selling items clearly marked as “Do Not Sell”

Le sigh. And yes, I brought my camera to the grocery store!

My Final Long-Winded Message?

At the end of the day, it’s not necessarily about what’s better, it’s about what’s better for YOU.  At this point in time, I care most about price.  I have cut a lot of packaged foods, even “healthy” packaged foods, from my diet simply because they are not worth the price to me.  Since I do eat at least one apple a day, I am considering shelling out the extra dough to buy organic and will also make a point to visit my local farmers’ market.  Since foods like kiwis and bananas have a shell or skin that is not consumed, I am not inclined to buy organic at this time.  Consider what’s important to you and consider how much money you could save simply by doing a little research.

In the News

• Calorie Lab‘s, “Taxing Fat People Won’t Be the Solution for Health Care” (8/17/09) here
• Calorie Lab‘s, “Two views of Orthorexia: Problem for Babies and Relationships” (8/1709) here
• Science Daily‘s, “Excessive Exercise Can be Addicting, New Study Finds” (8/18/09) here
• Mail Online‘s, “Devil’s food? The Surprising Health Benefits of the Humble Spud” (8/16/09) here

Give-Away Round Up

• Did you enter my give-away here for some Feed Granola and other loot? ;D
• Win a Lebert Equalizer here
• Win some Full Bites here
• Win some Puffins, Larabars and other loot here
• Win jam in one give-away and a load of loot in another, both here

Do you guys have any money-saving tips you would so kindly share with me?!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

<3, The Cranky One