Suggestions for trimming grocery costs?

self | 5/1/08 | randita

[randita]

Grocery costs are going through the roof. Do you have any suggestions for trimming the skyrocketing grocery bills?

We don't buy much in the way of pre-packaged or prepared food items and we do eat a lot of dried beans. Don't eat out much either. Still my weekly grocery bill is about 25% higher than I'd like.

Let the suggestions roll...

[mplsconservative]

Wow! This thread has grown since I last checked in. :)

I don’t know about Mexico. I’ve never heard of any pet food problems from there. I was thinking of the pet food scare regarding products from China in March of last year.

A couple of Freepers actually lost their dogs because of the tainted food. Sad time. I’m always looking out for the pooches. :)

I’ve been breaking up a piece of bread for a treat for my two dogs since then. They love it and it’s cheap. Works for me! LOL

[Toddsterpatriot]

If you understand the free market, then you know somewhere, someone was drinking milk at less than it's true cost of production?

Is that why the government also has dairy programs? To boost the price back over the true cost of production?

[1rudeboy]

Wow! This thread has grown since I last checked in. :)

We've ranged far afield. I was blamed for randita's plight, and some have determined that the solution is more government.

[investigateworld]

Why chew axing me dat?

Our gov't is ran by politicians who only have two rules:

1. Get reelected.

2. Don't forget rule No. 1

[mplsconservative]

LOL! Sounds like a typical Freeper family fight. Not that anyone around here is opinionated or anything.....:>)

[investigateworld]

I think we are speaking across each other O Mister Wearer of Hats Made By Child Labor (I'm being facetious here, someday we ought to have a thread/topic on purchasing foreign child made items. Good arguments can be made for both sides, especially pure economic)

BACK TO TOPIC

I believe the rising cost of food and fuel completely illustrates my point about the danger of series trade deficits.

The proposed spending for Africa will mostly be spent here and Asia, with the Swiss & pharmaceuticals making out like bandits of course.

Speaking speaking of Africa, I am truly sorry anyone has/gets AIDS. I've seen up close and personal the ravages it does before the pt. dies.

But Africa?

Everything that bites - stings - and can kill you - hundreds of diseases, all totally fatal , lions (no tigers though) even hippos kill dozens of people a year.

Now my ex-wife goes there and gets nothing worse than tummy flu?

Whats Africa done for me?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Check the Church’s website. I think they have all those things online now.

[potlatch]

Interesting thread!

[randita]

Thanks for all the GREAT suggestions! Going to the grocery tomorrow, so will take many into account. Less red meat, for sure. In fact, less meat period. We need to lose weight anyhow.

[hedgetrimmer]

You appeared on this thread to demagogue the free market and argue for more governmental intervention

You keep confusing "free trade" with free markets. You are making stuff up as usual because you are very aware that "free trade" is the cause of the current global shortages and price inflation.

[grey_whiskers]

Please post your pizza dough recipe if you haven't already...

Cheers!

[Thermalseeker]

For nearly 140 million dollars, I would expect there is some variant of Bitching Betty to let him know he’s screwing up.

I wasn't aware there was such an animal. I'll check it out. Thanks for the ping!

[Thermalseeker]

Opps, “cut and paste” held a quote from another thread. Disregard the quote reply, but I will check out the list.....

[Red_Devil 232]

Here is the link to this weeks thread:

FR Weekly Gardening Thread

[Toddsterpatriot]

You are making stuff up as usual because you are very aware that "free trade" is the cause of the current global shortages and price inflation.

How does free trade cause shortages and price inflation?

[LongElegantLegs]

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil;
If you like herbs, you can stir some basil, oregano, or dried Pizza Seasoning into the olive oil.
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker’s peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

[grey_whiskers]

Thanks, LEL!

Cheers!

[ansel12]

You said that you do the very first thing which is cook, including beans, so I assume that means pancakes, grinding your own wheat for fresh baked breads (because they are filling, nutritious, and people see them as a treat rather than a filler), etc.

Do you waste any money on drinks, or condiments, or pre-packaged mixes?

Costco is for people that do not buy the sales leaders from the weekly fliers of the supermarkets (Ignore Costco, do use Walmart).

Supplement basic foods like your beans and breads with home grown, garden highlights like fresh tomatoes.

If your family needs more, remember that homemade baked goods like cakes and cookies cost all of 70 cents to a dollar or two, yet you become a Goddess.

When was the last time that you had a homemade banana pudding, or home made marshmallows, when you remember a great childhood food that you now realize was probably cheap to make, write the name down, google it, and try it on the family.

[randita]

I don’t grind my own wheat for bread, but we are pretty low carb eaters, so don’t consume that much bread - maybe a couple slices a week each. Don’t make/bake desserts either. Once in a while, I buy some dark chocolate (70-85% cacao) for a treat.

Don’t use much in the way of condiments except store brand mayo and spicy mustard, except dill pickles and black olives occasionally.

As far as drinks go, I brew my own iced tea and DH likes one soft drink a day. Rarely buy juice or other drinks. We do enjoy wine and each have a glass a day, but I don’t buy the expensive stuff and that’s separate from our grocery bill-DH goes and gets that.

I eat homemade soup (bean or vegetable) almost every day for lunch. DH likes either a chef’s salad or sandwich and yogurt. For breakfast, we most often have oatmeal (Old Fashioned). A couple times a week, we’ll have eggs and bacon or sausage. Sometimes boxed cereal.

For dinner, I make primarily pasta dishes or have chicken/fish/london broil/pork (grilled or baked) with a fresh or frozen vegetable and sometimes rice or potato.

I don’t buy pre-packaged foods at all except for jello/pudding (rare) or Stouffer’s meat or veggie lasagna (once in while for an easy meal when crunched for time) or frozen pizza (again once in a while for emergencies).

Ice cream, cookies, chips etc. we only have when we have company. We do keep pretzels, saltine crackers and cheese around for snacks. Our pantry is definitely boring. Also try to keep some fruit around (bananas, apples, melons when in season) but we aren’t big consumers of fruit.

I do buy paper products and cleaning supplies at the grocery, but it’s only the two of us, so that’s not too bad.

I honestly don’t know how it all adds up to $100+ per week (not counting adult beverages).

We rarely eat out because of 1) the cost, 2) the quality (I think I’m a pretty good cook) and 3) the large portions (which we always eat!).

I’m actually a pretty light eater, even though I’m not really that thin. DH is a BIG eater and is definitely not thin. So between the two of us, it averages out. I eat 1/3 of what I prepared, he eats 2/3, e.g. Neither of us snacks between meals except for perhaps a few pretzels or crackers with or without cheese in the evening.

I’m going to compare fresh vs. frozen vegetables price wise. I know frozen spinach and brussel sprouts are much cheaper than fresh and as good. I don’t care for canned vegetables at all except for beets.

There have to be ways to trim some. This is ridiculous.

[Styria]

We only had basmati rice growing up, because my dad had been in India. Uncle Ben’s is gross.