You may have noticed during your last visit to the supermarket that food can be very expensive. Expensive enough to make a shopper waltz right over to the frozen aisle and stock up on 3 dollar burritos, or maybe grab a few TV dinners. You know the food is junk, it tastes terrible, you REALLY don't want to nourish a growing child or adult with it, yet the low price makes you come back again and again. One of the main objectives of this site is to teach others how to cook to eat well, but cooking starts with the ingredients, and I have 5 tips for the novice grocery shopper to help you keep a well stocked pantry. Junk food optional!
1. Always have potatoes and rice on hand.
(Not only are these foods great for bulking up your dinner plate, but they're also very, very, inexpensive. I bought a 10lb bag of potatoes for 4 bucks at Walmart last week. Now that's a WHOLE LOTTA TATERS, and you can bet I'm going to be posting a bunch of potato recipes to take advantage of this.)
2. Live life on the edge.
(Most of the non processed food like dairy, vegetables and fruits, and meats, can be found around the perimeter of the mart, stick to these areas the longest while shopping. You can use these as the basis to making a huge variety of food for not much money. The pre-made, processed foods mainly located in the aisles are over-priced, nutritionally lacking, and usually only make a few tiny servings that make you quickly regret the purchase. There are SOME necessary ingredients in the aisles however, like spices, flour, sugar, condiments, etc)
3. Stick with the food kid.
(The non food items in grocery stores are usually incredibly overpriced. So no toothpaste, contact lens solution, painkillers...and buy your makeup somewhere else ladies! )
4. Protein can be a pain.
(Because pound for pound meat is going to be the most expensive item on your list. You do NOT however have to buy a few pounds of filet mignon to nourish and please your family. The most inexpensive meats are turkey, a whole chicken, pork shoulder...this list can change depending on supply and demand of course...but checking the 'per pound' price before the 'total price' can save you a ton of money. )
5. Bulk up!
(This is probably the most obvious, but forgotten tip. The more you buy the more you save. Those potatoes I got for such a good deal? About a dollar a pound for the single potatoes that same day, that means I saved 60% easy! Places like Sam's Club and Costco are perfect for buying in bulk.)
After following these tips you should see a sharp reduction in your grocery bills, especially if the bulk of your shopping cart was usually boxed meals, canned foods, frozen dinners, etc.
Don't know what to do with all the delicious and fresh looking meats and produce you now have in your kitchen? Read on for more recipes!
What are some other good tips on buying groceries for cheap?
Another tip people rarely do anymore is cutting coupons! I save hundreds every month by simply opening up the newspaper and snipping a few coupons every week before I shop for groceries.
ReplyDeleteI coupon!!!
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