Smart Ways to Save Money

Posted by Adina Steiman

The skyrocketing price of gas is monopolizing headlines these days, but here at Everyday Food we're preoccupied with a topic even closer to home -- rising food prices.

We know you are, too -- our message boards are filled with strategies you're using to shop smart.

Grocery-store managers have some good ideas, too, and so do newspapers around the country and budget-minded websites.  For me, it's just about getting back to the basics.

 

Saving money on dinner isn't about cutting corners whenever possible -- it's about making smart choices and avoiding waste. My days of eating ramen are  behind me, and there's no reason to return when the economy takes a dip. So here are my favorite ways to keep costs as low as possible, culled from the pages of Everyday Food and websites like the ones above.

Plan Ahead
Schedule a week's worth of meals in advance, and you can easily pare down your shopping list and plan dinners around items that are on sale -- you'll also be less likely to fall for impulse purchases at the store. For the easiest planning, just follow the week's worth of dinners in our Grocery Bag (this is one of my favorites).

Stay in Season
For the best prices (and flavor) stick with fruits and vegetables that are ripe right now, and check out our In Season stories for great ideas on how to cook them. 

Build a Pantry
Check out Caroline's post on pantry basics, then buy them in bulk so that you'll always have what you need for a quick (and inexpensive) meal.

Love Your Freezer
Frozen produce is often picked at peak ripeness, so don't be shy about buying it, especially when it's at a good price. Keep staples like broccoli, green peas, corn, and berries in the freezer for last-minute dinners and desserts.  Likewise, cook fresh produce before it goes bad -- if you don't need to eat it right away, you can always stash it in the freezer.

Reinvent Leftovers
Don't let extra food laze around your fridge -- find a new use for it. Toss extra roast chicken (or store-bought rotisserie chicken) into salad or pasta, or use it as a topping for pizza, or transform a carton of rice into a main course.

What are your best strategies for keeping your grocery bill in check?

Comments

[VeggieGirl]

Great tips!! I actually DO apply all of those already, haha :0)

[Regan]

All great tips! It's so true that just taking half an hour to plan the week's meals can save lots of time and money later.

[Mel]

Instead of shopping the produce section of my local grocery store, I hit the local farm stand and farmer's market, which is often much cheaper and fresher than the grocery store.

[Rachel]

I shop at ethnic groceries. I posted about that here: http://foodmaven.blogspot.com/2007/01/thrifty-tip-3-shop-at-ethnic-groceries.html

[Adina, Everyday Food]

That's a great tip about ethnic groceries, Rachel. I love browsing them to find something new, and getting surprised by how affordable everyday staples are there! Frozen dumplings are my favorite thing to buy -- so great with a salad or steamed greens when there's no time to cook...

[Christina]

I'm incorporating more meat-less meals into our eating plan. I agree that planning ahead is a big cost cutter. I did well with that this week, it's all about forming the habit! I'm also working on cooking a big batch once to eat at least twice during the week - usually in 2 different ways.

[T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types]

I joined an organic community garden. The price was very affordable and will give me fresh picked produce well into the autumn. Each time I pick up vegetables, I look at the total yield and plan all of my meals based on what's been harvested that week.

[Vicky Dean]

I browse the weekly grocery store ad for meat and non-perishables on sale. Then I create my grocery list for the next 7 days making sure each meal has enough food for the following day's lunch for my son and I and maybe leftovers the next evening. That way I'm cooking 3 or maybe four times but eating seven. I also clip coupons like a bandit and use them each week when purchasing my groceries. I hope this helps someone.

Vicky
Imperial, MO

[Pamela S.]

I volunteer at a local farm, just 10 min. from my home just 4 hours, every 2 weeks; and in return carry home several pounds of different vegetables each time I come in, as well as all the herbs and fresh flowers I might need!

[Sagie]

All the comments in the article and from readers are helpful. Last week I cooked some pinto beans and had several meals from that.

[Janet Hi.]

..at my Super Walmart they take other food stores coupons..I have a coupon for avocados for .69 cents each..thats what I pay even if they sell for $1.44 each...

[Jen]

We grow our own veggies and freeze/can/dry as much as possible. We also buy a 'share' of beef,lamb and salmon from local sources at a great price and stock our freezer.

[Jen]

Oh, also we buy grains, beans and spices in bulk at our local grocery co-op

[katy]

The biggest tip i have for people is to do u-pick at local farms, provided you're living close enough. The prices for u-pick are AMAZING. today i got berries at $1.35/pound, and they are the FRESHEST and sweetest you've ever had. In 2 weeks I go back for tomatos at 60cents/pound.

I've been canning & freezing all my u-pick produce, in addition to the huge volume of fresh produce we've consumed this summer.

In past years I've done a 'farmshare' or CSA, and that provided us with wonderful veggies every week, of which i put about half in the freezer and the rest we ate. it was tricky to plan meals as we never knew what was coming in the 'share', but we managed to make it work.

The other thing i would recommend is growing your own produce. Even if you only have room for one or 2 planters, there's nothing like picking it fresh out of your own 'yard'. You can't beat the cost. For $20 worth of plants & seeds, I'm going to have cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, corn, bok choi, carrots lettuce and herbs, all of which would cost me $100's if I purchased them in the grocery store.