Your best grocery savings tip? - Page 2

pingem · 12-28-2007, 02:39 AM

Tennessee Riddle, I'm probably not the first to ask you this, but may I hear the riddle?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tennessee Riddle

I've been buying in bulk, as I'm able, for the past three months. I'm also cooking from scratch enough to feel like I'm in Little House on the Prairie. Our grocery bill (family of four) has gone from $120 a week to $50-$70 a week. This lifestyle change costs an extra 1-3 hours a week, and is definately worth it.

Only 1-3 hours a week? You must be ultra-efficient. You've got to share your secrets (or at least write a book)!

katlady · 12-28-2007, 04:04 AM

I don't know why but the term "food genie" just brings a smile to my face.

soupkitchen96 · 12-28-2007, 04:06 AM

My mom told me to always check with the supermarket to see if which day of the week the produce is delivered. You always go shopping on that day because your veggies will last longer and you're less likely to throw things out.

Tennessee Riddle · 12-28-2007, 06:15 PM

Here's the breakdown. Baking bread- 1 hour. (doesn't count raising and bake time) Yogurt- half hour. Granola-half hour. Other scratch type cooking-15 minutes to an hour.. Otherwise, I really don't think scratch cooking takes longer. I do a lot of cooking one day and then coast for two or three not spending more than 15 minutes reheating or cooking fresh food.

Does anyone know the cheapest place online to order bulk foods? I've started to look off and on, and will report back if I find anything really good.

The Recovering Food Genie

Will · 12-29-2007, 11:38 AM

Bulkfoods.com got a pretty nice review from a top ePinions reviewer.

Quote:

If you order from bulk foods, then they are quick with the orders. They send the items out with minimal packing but enough to ensure that they travel fine. My last order arrived in 4 days. The trail mix was bagged in a sturdy plastic bag sealed tight, and the turtles came in a large white box with paper between layers of pure chocolate candies.

Many of the items are brand names that you’ll recognize. In cases where the items are named generically, they taste like the higher priced versions at the store. The only real difference is that you pay less and get more. Plus, they don’t trash up the planet with all kinds of extra packaging. If you have even one creative bone in your body, then you wrap these up for giving. If not, then just pig out.

However, one reader did claim that they lost his order:

Quote:

Horrible Customer Service! I placed an order for some candy for my wedding. They promised to ship out the products within 72 hours. A week later, the UPS tracking number they gave me still showed nothing.

Ebay also has a listing of restaurant suppliers. But I don't know if they sell to individuals.

PlantGeek · 12-31-2007, 11:23 AM

Also keep an eye out for grocery stores that have triple coupon weekends. Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods do this every 2-3 months. Usually they have a coupon limit per order, but you can do as many orders as you want. The key to saving money with coupons is to plan your meals around the deals you get each week. Happy Couponing!

toey · 01-01-2008, 05:38 PM

First, learn to make your favorite dishes. I usually make two really nice dinners a week and have left-overs and simple meals the rest of the week. I don’t feel deprived when I eat spaghetti because I know that I will have my version of twice cooked pork the next day. If you love a dish at a restaurant, look for the recipe online or in one of the Top Secret Recipes book. Even if it isn’t an exact match, it will probably be close. I love the Cinabon recipe.

I usually don’t use a lot of coupons since they usually are for convenience foods. Not only are convenience foods overpriced, they are filled with preservatives and other mysterious ingredients. Remember, the manufacturer used the cheapest ingredients available to increase profit margin. One of the lines from the “New Face of Poverty” post really sums up how I try to do my grocery shopping: “Ninety percent of what you bring home from the grocery store shouldn’t have an ingredients list-it should be ingredients.”

Try to find a grocery store with a bulk foods section. Things like pasta, beans, rice, flours, ect. are almost always cheaper when bought from the bulk bins. Most of the time they are also fresher since stores always want to have the bins full. The best value in the bulk foods section is the spices. Don’t be fooled by the high price per pound. Usually I buy less than ounce at a time. Sometimes, the weight doesn’t even register when the cashier tries to weigh it. When this happens, they usually ring it up for 2 or 3 cents.

Last, don’t let food go to waste. I had to resort to putting a list of what was in my refrigerator on the door to remind me. Before I did that, I would be half way through making a meal and then remember that I had left-overs of that same meal in the fridge. I also put the expiration dates so I know when I should be using a lot of something that is about to go bad. That white board on my fridge has really saved me a lot of money at the grocery store.

lisathefog · 01-02-2008, 05:54 AM

When looking at certain products (say beans or pasta) look at the ones at foot level-rather than eye level, they are normally cheaper, with exactly the same ingredients, only money hasn't been spent on the packaging or advertising around the brand. You'll get exactly what you want without contributing to the myth of marketing!

Joanne · 01-02-2008, 06:30 AM

Great thread!

Family of 5 humans and 3 non-humans + 1 paycheck = creative thinking

We're lucky that I'm able to stay home and homeschool our kids. We're not wealthy, but we're doing okay. One of the ways I save money is how I food shop. Actually, I save money just by going food shopping as opposed to the five of us eating out. When the do eat out, even to just the Chinese buffet, it’s at least $70 for us. We do eat out from time to time, we just don’t make it a regular thing.

I try to shop the flyer, especially the loss leaders (these are the items the stores puts on sale to entice you into the store. They’re usually on the front page of the flyer). This week one of the loss leaders for the store I shop in, is chicken breasts; buy one, get one free. My husband and kids love chicken (I’m a vegetarian for over 20 years) so I’ll buy several packages and freeze them.

If an item we use often is on sale (such as peanut butter or cheese) and I also have coupons for it, I’ll buy as many as I can and store it or freeze it. I’ve found that if I do that each week with just a couple of items, I can build up a stockpile of things we use often…and because we use them often, they don’t just sit around and end up being tossed. We have a large upright freezer, in addition to our refrigerator/freezer, and room to store extras in our laundry room/pantry.

I don’t have a lot of extra time to cut a lot of coupons anymore, so I’ve started buying them on eBay. I just bought 20 coupons for $1.00 off 2 Morning Star Farms vegetarian foods for $1.59, including postage. This is something I buy all the time, regardless of the price or if I have any coupons. Usually they sell for $3.49 each at the store I shop in. The coupon states I need to buy two and I have 20 coupons, so that’s 40 I’ll end up buying. 40 at $3.49 each is $139.60. 20 coupons for $1 off is a savings of $20, minus the $1.59, I’ll save $18.41, bringing the total for 40 to $121.19. Rather than give that $18.41 to my local grocery store, I can think of at least five things I can do with that instead.

1. The five of us can go to Dairy Queen for Blizzards
2. I can take my kids to play miniature golf.
3. I can buy some books at the local used book store
4. Rent some dvds from Blockbuster
5. Put it in the tank of my car.

These easy ways don't take a lot of time and I've been able to save quite a bit of money. There's other things I do, maybe I'll post them later on.

suzyfein · 01-02-2008, 06:49 AM

My best strategy has been to start paying attention to the prices of items that I buy often, and to determine which of the two closest grocery stores has the best prices. I have been surprised at the difference in cost in certain items. Despite the fact that Publix is generally a more pleasant shopping experience, Kroger prices are usually better, and they offer a greater selection of good generic brands. However, Publix does have some good sales, and a neat mystery coupon promotion where you can get an item for a penny if you bring in the coupon from the newspaper. The recent penny items have included Publix brand salad dressing, hot chocolate, spaghetti sauce and hot dogs.

Good luck shopping!

01-02-2008, 05:54 AM	#18
lisathefog Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 2 Reputation: (10)	Beware of marketing When looking at certain products (say beans or pasta) look at the ones at foot level-rather than eye level, they are normally cheaper, with exactly the same ingredients, only money hasn't been spent on the packaging or advertising around the brand. You'll get exactly what you want without contributing to the myth of marketing!

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12-28-2007, 04:04 AM	#12
katlady Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 30 Reputation: (11)	I don't know why but the term "food genie" just brings a smile to my face.

12-28-2007, 04:06 AM	#13
soupkitchen96 Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 51 Reputation: (11)	My mom told me to always check with the supermarket to see if which day of the week the produce is delivered. You always go shopping on that day because your veggies will last longer and you're less likely to throw things out.

12-28-2007, 06:15 PM	#14
Tennessee Riddle Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 15 Reputation: (10)	Here's the breakdown. Baking bread- 1 hour. (doesn't count raising and bake time) Yogurt- half hour. Granola-half hour. Other scratch type cooking-15 minutes to an hour.. Otherwise, I really don't think scratch cooking takes longer. I do a lot of cooking one day and then coast for two or three not spending more than 15 minutes reheating or cooking fresh food. Does anyone know the cheapest place online to order bulk foods? I've started to look off and on, and will report back if I find anything really good. The Recovering Food Genie

12-31-2007, 11:23 AM	#16
PlantGeek Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 18 Reputation: (10)	Also keep an eye out for grocery stores that have triple coupon weekends. Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods do this every 2-3 months. Usually they have a coupon limit per order, but you can do as many orders as you want. The key to saving money with coupons is to plan your meals around the deals you get each week. Happy Couponing!

01-01-2008, 05:38 PM	#17
toey Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: California Posts: 2 Reputation: (10)	First, learn to make your favorite dishes. I usually make two really nice dinners a week and have left-overs and simple meals the rest of the week. I don’t feel deprived when I eat spaghetti because I know that I will have my version of twice cooked pork the next day. If you love a dish at a restaurant, look for the recipe online or in one of the Top Secret Recipes book. Even if it isn’t an exact match, it will probably be close. I love the Cinabon recipe. I usually don’t use a lot of coupons since they usually are for convenience foods. Not only are convenience foods overpriced, they are filled with preservatives and other mysterious ingredients. Remember, the manufacturer used the cheapest ingredients available to increase profit margin. One of the lines from the “New Face of Poverty” post really sums up how I try to do my grocery shopping: “Ninety percent of what you bring home from the grocery store shouldn’t have an ingredients list-it should be ingredients.” Try to find a grocery store with a bulk foods section. Things like pasta, beans, rice, flours, ect. are almost always cheaper when bought from the bulk bins. Most of the time they are also fresher since stores always want to have the bins full. The best value in the bulk foods section is the spices. Don’t be fooled by the high price per pound. Usually I buy less than ounce at a time. Sometimes, the weight doesn’t even register when the cashier tries to weigh it. When this happens, they usually ring it up for 2 or 3 cents. Last, don’t let food go to waste. I had to resort to putting a list of what was in my refrigerator on the door to remind me. Before I did that, I would be half way through making a meal and then remember that I had left-overs of that same meal in the fridge. I also put the expiration dates so I know when I should be using a lot of something that is about to go bad. That white board on my fridge has really saved me a lot of money at the grocery store.

01-02-2008, 06:30 AM	#19
Joanne Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Originally from New York City, now in Florida since 2002. Posts: 131 Reputation: (43)	Great thread! Family of 5 humans and 3 non-humans + 1 paycheck = creative thinking We're lucky that I'm able to stay home and homeschool our kids. We're not wealthy, but we're doing okay. One of the ways I save money is how I food shop. Actually, I save money just by going food shopping as opposed to the five of us eating out. When the do eat out, even to just the Chinese buffet, it’s at least $70 for us. We do eat out from time to time, we just don’t make it a regular thing. I try to shop the flyer, especially the loss leaders (these are the items the stores puts on sale to entice you into the store. They’re usually on the front page of the flyer). This week one of the loss leaders for the store I shop in, is chicken breasts; buy one, get one free. My husband and kids love chicken (I’m a vegetarian for over 20 years) so I’ll buy several packages and freeze them. If an item we use often is on sale (such as peanut butter or cheese) and I also have coupons for it, I’ll buy as many as I can and store it or freeze it. I’ve found that if I do that each week with just a couple of items, I can build up a stockpile of things we use often…and because we use them often, they don’t just sit around and end up being tossed. We have a large upright freezer, in addition to our refrigerator/freezer, and room to store extras in our laundry room/pantry. I don’t have a lot of extra time to cut a lot of coupons anymore, so I’ve started buying them on eBay. I just bought 20 coupons for $1.00 off 2 Morning Star Farms vegetarian foods for $1.59, including postage. This is something I buy all the time, regardless of the price or if I have any coupons. Usually they sell for $3.49 each at the store I shop in. The coupon states I need to buy two and I have 20 coupons, so that’s 40 I’ll end up buying. 40 at $3.49 each is $139.60. 20 coupons for $1 off is a savings of $20, minus the $1.59, I’ll save $18.41, bringing the total for 40 to $121.19. Rather than give that $18.41 to my local grocery store, I can think of at least five things I can do with that instead. 1. The five of us can go to Dairy Queen for Blizzards 2. I can take my kids to play miniature golf. 3. I can buy some books at the local used book store 4. Rent some dvds from Blockbuster 5. Put it in the tank of my car. These easy ways don't take a lot of time and I've been able to save quite a bit of money. There's other things I do, maybe I'll post them later on.

01-02-2008, 06:49 AM	#20
suzyfein Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 1 Reputation: (10)	My best strategy has been to start paying attention to the prices of items that I buy often, and to determine which of the two closest grocery stores has the best prices. I have been surprised at the difference in cost in certain items. Despite the fact that Publix is generally a more pleasant shopping experience, Kroger prices are usually better, and they offer a greater selection of good generic brands. However, Publix does have some good sales, and a neat mystery coupon promotion where you can get an item for a penny if you bring in the coupon from the newspaper. The recent penny items have included Publix brand salad dressing, hot chocolate, spaghetti sauce and hot dogs. Good luck shopping!