Groceries

Grocery store saving secrets

25. February 2013 · 7 comments · Categories: Food, Groceries

I know I’ve done a few posts on this topic – but we can always use more!

It’s cheaper on the outer loop. Most of the stuff you really need – fruits, veggies, milk, etc – is in the outer loop of the store. Some of the stuff you need is in the aisles (e.g. cereal), but a lot of the stuff you don’t need (e.g. chips!) is too!
Endcaps (stuff at the head of an aisle) aren’t always a promotion or on sale – they may just be there to catch your eye!
Check out the bottom shelf. Bottom shelf stuff is often 50% cheaper than stuff at eye level – cause they haven’t had to pay extra to be stocked at eye level!
Buy a whole ham, turkey breast, etc (preferably on sale) and then have the store slice it up for you!
Bulk doesn’t always mean deal. So very true – I bought a bunch of Hershey’s kisses, and they cost *way* more tha I expected. I should have just bought a bag of them!
Buying produce in bulk is often cheaper than buying it individually – but only worth it if you’re going to use up everything in the bag!
Check when your items are being scanned to make sure the price is being rung in properly.

What’s your favourite way to save money at the grocery store?

Meatless Monday – sounds like a good idea to me!

08. August 2012 · 9 comments · Categories: Groceries, Meals · Tags: no meat, save on groceries, vegan, vegetarian

There was an article recently on Slate about the USDA proposing a meatless Monday. Apparently, it didn’t go over to well with at least a few Republicans. And they took to Twitter to let everyone know about. From the article:

Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, for one, had this to say: “I will eat more meat on Monday to compensate for stupid USDA recommendation [about] a meatless Monday,” Likewise, Sen. John Thune, offered his take: “Who at USDA thought ‘Meatless Mondays’ was [a] good idea? Anti-[agriculture] agenda at USDA is irresponsible, even for a day.”

The basic idea behind meatless Monday is to encourage vegetarian consumption one day a week in corporate and school cafeterias, with the notion that doing so doing so will have both environmental and health benefits.

If Senator Grassley wants to eat more meat, more power to him. I’m sure he gets paid well enough to afford it with ease, and isn’t too worried about his health (not that all meat is bad – but somehow I picture this guy reaching for something that’ll clog his arteries). As for Senator Thune – I’d hardly say a meatless Monday is anti-agriculture. Last I checked, agriculture also involved those strange things like fruits and vegetables.

I don’t think it’s fair to expect cafeterias to start stocking tofu, and expecting everyone to like it. But there are plenty of yummy, basic, vegetarian options that most people will eat, such as:

Chili
Grilled cheese
Spaghetti
Soup
Burritos or tacos with beans and rice

What can cutting meat out of your meals for a week do for you?

Save you money! Meat isn’t cheap. It’s a heck of lot cheaper to buy a can of beans (or buy raw ones if you’re really ambitious), then it is to buy ground beef, chicken etc.
Improve your health. If you’re particularly inclined towards fatty or salty stuff (say, pepperoni or bacon), then it’ll do you good to cut down on them. Note – I have a bacon and cheese tomato sandwich once a week. It’s awesome. I’ll freely admit that. But I try to stick to leaner meats the rest of the time.
Expand your horizons. You can start with stuff you’re comfortable with (say, grilled cheese), but maybe slowly expand out, and try a few dishes you haven’t tried before. Plenty of cultures eat little to no meat, and seem to survive somehow.

What’s your take on meatless Monday?

8 quick and easy ways to save on groceries

02. August 2012 · 11 comments · Categories: Coupons, Groceries

Since I’ve started this blog, I’ve tried to be a little more conscious about where my spending is going on groceries, and where I can cut back – without resorting to eating a lot of junk or pre-packaged food. Our highest expense is usually fresh food and vegetables, since my husband usually takes salad for lunch every day. The bill definitely goes down when he decides to take something else (although it goes up in other categories if he hits Burger King for Whopper Wednesday )
I’ve found a few fairly easy, painless ways to cut down on costs. For while I am cheap – I am also lazy. Here’s some tips based on what I do: More »