share: Eating good food even when we're tightening the budget
In such tough economic times, we find ourselves cutting everywhere we can. The food bill is no different. If you used to eat out all the time, you are probably finding yourself doing that less and less; if you used to buy name-
brand products, perhaps you are buying generics; if your family has used a lot of convenience produts in the past, you might be cutting back on those now simply because of cost.
The New York Times has a story today called "Eating Well on a Downsized Budget," written by longtime food and nutrition writer Jane Brody. She says now may be the time to bring back "the basics -- the nutritious and affordable foods that have all been forgotten by many affluent families since the Great Depression."
What are some of those foods?
-- frozen fruits and vegetables, which may cost less than fresh but are just as nutritious
-- staples, like potatoes, eggs and beans
-- pasta and rice, which can be mixed with leftovers from a previous meal
-- family-size packages of meats, which can be separated out and frozen for more than one meal
-- main-dish soups
The whole point is to get the most nutritious, filling calories for your dollar, and avoid empty calories that probably end up both costing you more and giving your body less.
Here's the article, which has many more tips:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/health/03brod.html?_r=1&ref=health
And here's a food blogger who focuses on feeding many people for little money (she is a 40-year-old mother of 7):
http://cookingwithanne.com/index.html
TELL US
Do you have tips or advice on how you're cutting dollars without cutting nutrition?
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Great SHARE Diane, thanks!
We are a family of five and my tip when it comes to dry goods is to buy in bulk, if possible. Heading to a place like Costco for diapers, wipes, cereals, formula, baby shampoos and other non perishables is a great way to save money. You can borrow a friends Costco card if you don't have one, or make it a trip for two families. I've gone with a friend before and we've made it a girls afternoon out. Ok, not so exciting but we saved lots of money!
Buying in bulk is not always a good idea in terms of perishables, it depends on circumstances.
We use coupons and two-for-one specials, particularly bread. We eat a 15 grain multi-grain bread that's a bit pricey but we get two-for-one specials and buy a half dozen loaves and freeze them. They are eaten with two weeks. This can be done with a variety of healthy foods.
Fresh fruits and veggies that need to be eaten within a day or two are often half off. Go for it, and have your kids chow down on these for a day or so - good for them and great for your wallet.
Overripe fruits are great in muffins and other baked goods. Mashed up super-ripe raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are great in yogurts.
We buy unwashed, unpeeled carrots. It takes a minute to wash and peel and the savings are up to 50%.
Shop locally and head to farmer's markets - in season fruits and veggies are a steal. Shop on the last day of market, toward the end of the day - you'll get even better deals and tons of two-for-one (or better!) offers.
Store brand pastas and rice all come from the same place but you'll save nearly half off by not caring what name is on the label! Pasta sauce can be bought in bulk, they usually last several months and can be stored in the pantry.
I'm picky on conditioner but I am a big fan of generics for shampoo and double it as shower gel. There is very little difference between the two in terms of ingredients.
I joined our family for a 3 month membership to a fantastic kids adventure zone near us. We go once a week and it has paid for itself already. Even better, I joined us during a special and got a month free. I spent $125 for a family of five and without it would have spent $250. Half off isn't too shabby!
I NEVER take the kids to Chuck E Cheese without coupons - they save me 40%!
I head for the sale racks at Children's Place and can buy beautiful dresses, skirts, tops and boy's shirts for $3 apiece. Not only that but I use their mail coupons that save me an additional 25%. If I have extra, I hand them to the people in line with me. And that favor has been returned to me too - good karma! Many shoe stores offer Buy Two, Get One Half Off specials.
There are so many ways to save money! All it takes is a few extra minutes to see what's available and one can save at least 50% on almost anything.
One more tip is to choose store membership cards or credit cards that offer points that can be redeemed for cash, gift certificates or goods. I pay off my credit card balance every month but every dollar I spend translate into points. I redeem them for gift certificates to a coffee house chain. I have eaten lunch once a week at Panera Bread for free for about the last 8 months!
March 6, 2009 - 1:37pmThis Comment
When the kids were little, we invested in a commercial standing freezer and bought in bulk. DH and I've been fans of vacuum sealers since we got married and have gone through 3 in the past 30 years. I also was a fan of the "Make a Mix" books and made up a lot of baking, seasoning and pre-cooked mixes to fulfill a month's worth of menus, and would pre-packaged meals.
I taught my kids how to shop outlet stores, and our local Goodwill gets overstock from the high-end department stores. So, they can find some of their favorite designer clothes - still with original tags - for just a few dollars (like a Tommy Hilfiger shirt for $5). My mom works for Tuesday Morning, so we get to use her discount for high-ticket items - it's really cool to pick up 1000 count thread sheets or pricey bamboo textiles for practically nothing, or be able to get super expensive cookware for a serious discount (thanks, Mom!).
Now that we're empty nesters, we really don't need to plan as intensely, but we still buy a few things in bulk, like spices, paper goods and foods we don't mind freezing, or frozen foods we don't mind breaking into smaller meals. I'm very particular about the pastas, rice and other products I buy; but, I also know which brands are packaged with the store label.
If you haven't already, you should buy stock in dollar stores. They're faring extremely well in this economy. I love the dollar stores for gift wrap, some cleaning products, candles, etc. After a recent expose on expired goods sold at dollar stores, the local stores have been more diligent about tossing expired products. My kids all have their own apartments and learned that they can buy eggs, milk and paper goods, as well as dry pasta, rice, canned and even some frozen goods at the dollar store, and there's nothing wrong with the products.
I'm in total agreement with Susan about Farmer's markets. They're wonderful! I love Panera - wish we had one close by!
I guess one of the advantages I have is a mom who grew up during the depression. Being from San Francisco, her family kept a huge garden and did a lot of fishing. She often told us stories about how the Asian families helped their non-Asian neighbors survive the depression by feeding them and teaching them how to garden for maximum yield. Great stories!
I do pay the price for certain organic foods, and only those I consume most often. I have a Total Gym and will probably invest in a combination treadmill/stepper; plus, I'm getting a new road bike and rack to use it as a recumbent. Now, if I could just talk DH into having a pool installed, I wouldn't need to jog a block to the heated community pool and fight the swim teams for lap time. LOL!
March 6, 2009 - 5:30pm