It is a carnivore's dream.
Posted on 04/03/2009 6:12:57 PM PDT by JRochelle
...Plan out a week's worth of dinners before going to the store. Check the supermarket fliers and base your menu on what is on sale. By doing a week's worth of shopping in one trip, you really will save money and time. Raise your hand if you have ever gone into the store for "a few items" and come out with $79.43 in stuff you didn't think you needed. Uh huh, we thought so.
Store Brands are just as good as name brands (most of the time). Our pantries are full of delicacies like Juicy Magic, Woven Wheats and Magic Stars. Grocery stores contract with brand-name companies to provide the same items in store-brand packaging. We have it on good authority that Hood makes all the dairy products for at least one of our local chains. And by replacing at least some brand-name purchases with store-brand equivalents, you'll feel better about splurging on hard-to-substitute or nonnegotiable things like Heinz Ketchup and Stonyfield Farm's Chocolate Underground yogurt.
Limit out-of-season purchases. We know, it's hard to resist the juicy tubs of cut watermelon in the produce case, but it is expensive and not great-tasting. Buy the citrus and think about how good the local watermelon will taste in July, when you are sitting in the sun on the back porch, barefoot and parka free.
Don't buy toiletries in the grocery store: Not only are they more expensive than at the big box stores or the pharmacy, but the selection is more limited. We like to peruse all the flavors of Suave shampoo before making our choice.
Cook once and eat twice: This is the simplest advice for saving time and money. We've done columns on turning roast chicken and ham into a few nights worth of dinners, but this theory can apply
(Excerpt) Read more at concordmonitor.com ...
If you don't want/need 50#, find a like minded friend and split the cost. 25# for $10, about what a 10# bag costs.
When I think Brazil, I think churrascaria. I have actually had that dish, but I just called it rice and beans. The best rice and beans I ever had.
Churrascaria... droooolllll.. but I have to prepare a week before going to one..
I have been there a few times but I am leary of some of their food. For example, their canned peaches are from China. I refuse to eat food if I know it comes from China.
Avocadoes from Mexico are bad enough...
Check Asian grocery stores, sometimes rice is even cheaper there, restaurant size bags.. I’ve also found that Asian and Mexican grocery stores have the best deals with ingredients you can’t get other places...
I get bulk spices at Asian grocery stores.. A small jar of whole cumin seeds at Kroger costs about $5.00, but for that price at my local Asian grocery, you can get a half a pound bag. (only buy whole spices in bulk like this as spices spoil fast when ground.. toast in a dry pan before grinding)..
I’d like to concur with the Aldi’s recommendation.
Bag of tortilla chips, at least $2.50 almost anywhere.
Aldi’s: $.79.
OK, I'll bite. What does that mean?
I can honestly say we’ve never bought anything from Aldi that the quality wasn’t up to par. Their off brands are as good as any of the other brands. Milk is always a dollar a gallon cheaper. Cheese prices beat the regular grocery stores by a mile and are good quality cheese. At our Aldi the produce is good and adequate, the only thing lacking is quality meat. Most of their meat is pumped with solution, just like WalMart meat, so we do buy our meat at another store.
Okay, what’s a food saver?
I forgot one other trick from the Italians, buy a big bottle of cheap vodka and a lot of lemons. In mason jars, fill them about half way up with sliced lemons, pour in simple syrup, then finish filling with vodka. It is a cheap way to make limoncello and you will have preserved lemons which will be great for cooking with. It doesn’t taste near as good as real limoncello, but it is a decent flavored vodka which has a lot of uses.
They also have Plumrose or Meijer brand bacon on sale every 3-4 weeks for $2.00#
We have Aldi in my area and I save a lot of money. Their brands are just as good as national brands. I buy paper goods, shampoo, etc. at Dollar General. And Wal-Mart, of course.
It is a carnivore's dream.
Mine is like the one in the picture and only cost about $100 on ebay. I guess there are different models. Click on the picture to go to their website.
It is great for buying stuff like steaks at large discounts and not having to worry about them going bad. Just vacuum them and freeze them and they're good for a long, long, long time.
Have you tried sous vide cooking with it?
Sounds like a good idea. Think I’ll pick up a couple of those.
Cabelas has some near commercial grade ones, for series packing.
If you have a big freezer, you can get a half or whole cow for $2.50-$3.50#. Not only do you get the roasts and ground beef you get the sirloin, strip steaks, and filets.
Usually a whole cow is cheaper per lb. than a 1/2. If you don't need a full, find a friend and split the cost.
Packing the meat using a vacuum sealer will make it last alot longer, making the only limitation, space in the freezer.
Look at this helpful site:
Weekly Sales Circulars & Sunday Newspaper Ads
http://www.sundaysaver.com/
good tips, thanks
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