Share your tips for lowering grocery bills here! :D

[FarmerChick]

I hate the grocery bill.

we had other threads on how to cut back. I may be repeating but


#1 is eat less...yup, we all eat too much and eat too much stuff in general...who are we kidding...LOL-LOL

#2 is buy sales and with a coupon. Then that way all meals can be made and frozen for later...double up on lasagna meals etc and freeze with the sale prices.

#3 is grow your own whenever you can

#4 is trade wtih others also. Like, my friend Barb owns a dairy farm. She does a beef alot....I trade my pork from my hogs for her beef. that way we get beef and pork easily

#5 is "truly" cut the fat out of shopping.....all those "want to try" and this and that!! we surely just "buy too much"

#6 is buy in season only. cheaper prices if it is in season

#7 is shop less....just eat what is in the house. I have eaten many times over out of the pantry and freezer......EAT WHAT you have and not always buy to eat.


Freeze in portion sizes....like with lasagna (when I make 2) the second I cut into big squares and freeze.....that way it can "be a side" dish to a piece of baked chicken and meal done!!!!



hope some of that helps you...it has me!!

 

[hennypenny9]

I actually no longer coupon. Maybe it is just my area, but there are so rarely any coupons for anything I really use, and by looking at them, I tend to cut out coupons for things that will be "a good deal" but that I don't really need. Most coupons here are for cleaning products (I prefer vinegar, baking soda, etc) and processed foods and convenience foods. I rarely look at any ads or flyers anymore, that has saved me money! I just look at two flyers at the produce and meat, and scan for the buy-one-get-two-free sale on Marcal toilet paper that happens now and then, so I can stock up.

I totally agree with this. Usually it's the manufacturers coupons that I will NEVER use. All sorts of things like pizza rolls or chips or pre-packaged cookies. I do use the normal weekly ad coupons. For example this week there's coupons (good ones!) for milk, butter, hot dogs, peanut butter and cereal. I'm going to use the cereal to make homemade breakfast bars with honey and peanut butter instead of corn syrup.

Oh, I have one more tip! I didn't think it would be helpful at ALL, but it really is. Every time you think of something you want/need, write it down. Make a list for the grocery store, and another for the mall. (or wherever else you shop) Then before you go, read the list again. You'll be surprised at all the stuff you can cross off! I thought it would make me buy more, but it doesn't. I used to just write my list before I went, and bought whatever I had put down at the time. When you give yourself TIME, you realize some of the things you felt like AT THAT MOMENT, were not necessary at all! I love it! Sometimes I realize that I don't even need to go to the store after all!

For example, I had written down tortillas, and when I sat down to look over my list, I realized I had an unopened package in the pantry. If I had written my list in a hurry, and not double checked, I wouldn't have caught it. I know, it sounds like a lot of time to spend, but it works for me. The key is to slooooooow down, and evaluate what you need vs want.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Yeah, I agree with you hennypenny. It is very easy to think you need something right away, but if you are short on cash or short on time to go to the store, it is amazing what you realize you don't need after all.

I think I am repeating from another thread, and I know I say this a lot, but giving yourself a weekly or monthly cash allowance (some fraction of your paycheck, or savings if you aren't working) really helps you keep perspective. It is way too easy to overspend if you are using a card, or even with checks.

 

[Wifezilla]

I'm going to use the cereal to make homemade breakfast bars with honey and peanut butter instead of corn syrup.

Read the cereal labels carefully. A lot of them have corn syrup or hfcs in them.

 

[hennypenny9]

I'm going to use the cereal to make homemade breakfast bars with honey and peanut butter instead of corn syrup.

Read the cereal labels carefully. A lot of them have corn syrup or hfcs in them.

Yeah the cereal most likely will have corn syrup in it. I was just going to get plain Cherrios. But most recipes for cereal bars call for even MORE to hold the cereal together. My recipe uses the honey and peanut butter instead. I know, I know, I could make granola bars and bypass the whole issue. I will sometime. But for now, I'm going for a middle ground.

I alter this one, by reducing the sugar to almost none. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oaty-Cereal-Bars/Detail.aspx It's pretty yummy.

 

[Okiemommy]

Oh, also if you have the time . . . whenever you have extra food from a meal, figure out ways to re-purpose it. So if you have stale bread, make croutons . . . if you have a lot of basil on hand, make pesto, etc.

Have any ideas on how I can re-purpose left over pork chops?

I spend time AFTER supper preparing something for a future meal

I use leftovers to make lunches. Those round zip lock reusable containers are perfect for lunch-sized meals.

I do this for my husbands lunches also YAY!

Make your own when possible--I can get 4 cups of dried mung beans to sprout about 4 gallons of sprouts for $3. One tiny container of sprouts costs about $3. Make my own pancake mixes, dressings, hot cocoa mix, chai, etc.

Is the homemade pancake mix really less expensive? I buy the Pioneer Brand for $1.26 for a 32 oz box. Could I still go cheaper?

Avoid plastic and paper products, especially disposable dishes. I "invest" in reusable containers like Wifezilla has mentioned. That way my kids don't go through about 8 plastic baggies per day for lunch smile

We have sworn off disposable bowls..I'm ashamed to say it almost, but it's why we're here, we spent $24 a month on them!!!! Not to mention how bad it is for the environment. I do not use paper towels, use only as much toilet paper as needed to get the job done, and tear my wipes in half, but the bowls were not something I was willing to give up b/c the dishes were piling up faster than we could take care of them. But since taking a look at what our expenses are in the light of paying off debt, I suddenly found a way to combat the dish monster. Imagine that!
We don't use very many plastic baggies, but do use them...I guess those are next I take it you use the glad ware or something similar?

Grow your own food! We save so much money doing this, it would be hard to calculate. Our freezer had about 50 quarts of sweet corn, 25 quarts of applesauce, 15 gallons of berries (or more), jam, Swiss chard quiche mixes (6), chickens (about 25) and so much more. You can save crazy amounts of $ growing and processing your own food.

I desperately want to get out there and clear the brush pile that is sitting on a goldmine of beautiful dirt, but it has been raining and is supposed to rain on and off until Sunday!! When is too late to plant a garden? Does it depend on zones?

Similar to above, try to avoid soda, chips, candy, premade meals, ice cream and other "junky" foods that are very expensive and not necessary. Chocolate, however, IS necessary! I'm not saying don't have treats--just that having these things as treats rather than an everyday item can save a lot of $.

yesh...chocolate is necessary!

 

[VT-Chicklit]

Try to get your pantry stocked so that you are eating out of your pantry and not your weekly grocery purchases. I if you can get to this point, you then can shop for the sale and loss leader items only. This will save you tons in the long run. My grocery bill for two people is between 50-75 dollars. That includes all paper products, cleaners, cat food and litter, chicken feed for 6 hens, and hygene products as well as the food. Milk is the only thing that I buy fresh each week. Last week I spent $27 for $78 worth of groceries after shopping sales with coupons. I took some of the savings and went to the other supermarket across the street where 80% lean hamburg was $1.29 / lb. I bought 5 pounds which I cooked and then froze into 4 packages for use in soups and casseroles.

I also have a small garden that supplies me with tomatoes to can, beets, carrots, turnips and squash. This year I will be adding potatoes, peas, peppers and eggplant. The garden will not supply all our veggie needs but every bit helps.

 

[me&thegals]

Have any ideas on how I can re-purpose left over pork chops?

Send them to me?? I haven't had pork in SO LONG! My husband says that pork prices are dive bombing with the swine flu scare. I'm thinking it's time to find a good local farmer and buy part of a hog!

Is the homemade pancake mix really less expensive? I buy the Pioneer Brand for $1.26 for a 32 oz box. Could I still go cheaper?

Good point here. I'm not sure. I haven't priced it out. I am using things like whole wheat, oats, cornmeal, coconut flour, so I bet your mix is cheaper. If I were trying to find a comparable mix, though, I probably would be cheaper. I trade eggs for whole-wheat flour from a cousin and they also grind our corn for us...

We have sworn off disposable bowls..I'm ashamed to say it almost, but it's why we're here, we spent $24 a month on them!!!! ................I take it you use the glad ware or something similar?

Hey--that's great! We had a pile of friends over recently for a potluck, and I realized I had completely forgotten to buy disposable dishes! We had to dig out every plate we had and people were grousing a tiny bit when it was time to do dishes.

I desperately want to get out there and clear the brush pile that is sitting on a goldmine of beautiful dirt, but it has been raining and is supposed to rain on and off until Sunday!! When is too late to plant a garden? Does it depend on zones?

A bit, but it's never to late to plant (at least not yet). Lettuce, tomatoes and squash give a lot of bang for your buck. Good luck!

 

[FarmerChick]

Have any ideas on how I can re-purpose left over pork chops?

Any and all leftover meats I cut up, add a tad of cajun spice to the meats and put them over my salads. They are delicious and a great way to use your veggies and leftovers!!

Is the homemade pancake mix really less expensive? I buy the Pioneer Brand for $1.26 for a 32 oz box. Could I still go cheaper?

I make my own pancakes from scratch if I make them. Rare but I do every now and then. Read the label on store bought. You see all the "extra ingredients" to preserve that box of mix. Then decide if it is what you want to eat......just the choice you need to make.

We have sworn off disposable bowls..I'm ashamed to say it almost, but it's why we're here, we spent $24 a month on them!!!! ................I take it you use the glad ware or something similar?

Disposables are gone in my home also. Only do I take some for camping when I go and use them sparingly. Waste of money but sometimes I need the convenience.....never use them at home anymore.

I desperately want to get out there and clear the brush pile that is sitting on a goldmine of beautiful dirt, but it has been raining and is supposed to rain on and off until Sunday!! When is too late to plant a garden? Does it depend on zones?

Never too late. Just find what is good for your location and plant away. Some might not make it, but what garden does grow will be yummy!!!

Go into your Agricultural site for your state. For me I google, Deptartment of Agriculture North Carolina. My site comes up and tells me what to plant and when etc....good info on those sites to help.

 

[Wifezilla]

Have any ideas on how I can re-purpose left over pork chops?

Cut them up and add them to some golden mushroom soup or cream of chicken mushroom soup. Add extra mushrooms cooked in butter. Serve over brown rice (or if you are a low carber like me, shredded cooked cabbage)