Can You Be a Frugal Foodie?
It’s Spring Break here. Can you tell? Logan is out of school, the weather is gorgeous, and we had a friend visiting for a few days (she went home last night), so there hasn’t been much time for blogging this week. I was thrilled when my friend Jessica offered to write a guest post for goodLife {eats} about being frugal in the kitchen. Jessica is super sweet and a great source of information for those aiming for frugality. Thank you, Jessica!
Once upon a time in a land of double incomes and no kids, I regularly spent hundreds of dollars a week to feed my husband and me. Honey, feel like fresh tomato salsa tonight? No problem. I just bought the hot-house tomatoes. If chicken sounded good, I was happy to spend six dollars a pound on boneless, skinless breasts. After all, we were foodies living in Santa Barbara, CA, a city of fantastic eating. Money was no object.
Mix in six children, a dozen years, and a down economy and my grocery habits had to change — or we would be eating gruel in the poor house with Oliver Twist! Did we resort to boxed mac and cheese and cheap hot dogs?
No! With a little savvy coupon clipping and a little grocery store education, I’ve been able to prepare delicious meals for our family that fill our tummies and fit the budget.
Here’s how you can, too.
1. Purchase in season — By tailoring your menus to in-season produce and cuts of meat, you can drastically reduce your grocery bill. Fruits and vegetables will taste better, and you’ll have a better selection.
photo source: here
2. Practice anticipation buying — There are some items that you know you will use, pantry staples. When you see those products on sale, or marked down on clearance, snatch them up. Loss leaders are great things to stock up on. Buy as much as you can reasonably store, so that when you need it, you won’t be paying full price.
3. Follow manufacturer’s you love — If you’re a foodie, then there are probably certain ingredients that you prefer. Search for those products on the web. Chances are that company has a Facebook fan page or an e-newsletter. Sign up and receive advance news on coupons and special promotions.
4. Clip coupons — Many people have the misconception that coupons are only for junk food. Au contraire! In fact, many gourmet and organic foods regularly offer coupons. Watch for them, collect those coupons and then match them to a sale for the best savings.
5. Look for markdowns — Often a grocer will discontinue a specialty item. When they do, they often let them go to the customer for a sweet deal. Keep your eyes open and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Frugality and great food can mix quite well. So well, in fact, that wise shopping habits will provide you with more of the good eats you love!
Do you have any tips to share? What are some of your favorite ways to be frugal in the kitchen? One of my favorite ways to save money is by planting a garden. We were really successful with that last year even though it was our first attempt at a backyard garden. If space is an issue, even a small potted herb garden can save quite a bit if you find yourself regularly spending money on fresh herbs. I also love shopping Double Ad Wednesday at Sunflower Farmer’s Market for great deals on produce.
Alyssa says
Determined to become a frugal foodie.
Sandra says
Scouring other people's research on grocery sales. couponmom.com and bescentsable.com are a couple of good resources. By coupon matching with sales you will save a lot! Many coupons are now printable so that saves you a lot of time.
lundgren79 says
Great post and a lot of great information in the comments. One thing that has helped me dramatically is to check out farmer's market cookbooks from my library and get "foodie" ideas of what to make out of seasonally appropriate vegetables or fruits. You can only have so many kale chips before you begin to get bored.:) Thanks for the inspiration everyone!
Kate says
seasonal eating is the answer I feel it also makes life so much more varied and interesting. After all if you get to eat the same things all years round, doesn't that become so dull. but eating whats season gives you variety and is so much cheaper to buy. i swapped to this way of shopping a few years back and love it so much, i even find myself tutting (very quietly to myself) at people buying strawberries at Christmas, noooooo, they are a summer fruit. End of rant 🙂
sarah says
These are good ideas, thanks. I also make sure to plan our meals and when I do so I always start in the pantry to use up the food we already have. Reducing the amount of waste is a good way to save money.
The Veggie Queen says
I cook in bulk and freeze my beans, grains, and stock. I don't ever have to buy boxes or cans. When I want them, they're there for me. I use a pressure cooker so that I save time and money.If I have a garden or get someone else's excess I either dry, freeze or can, depending upon the product. Putting away makes sense, especially for fresh herbs which are costly.
Julia says
If something is on sale that I use only sometimes but ndon't eed it at the moment, I buy it (like chocolate chips or canned peaches). I will use it in the near future and would rather pay half price now. Same with things I use a lot. Flour! When flour or sugar go on sale, I stock up. In the long run it saves some money.
Melissa, Multi-Tasking Mama says
I second what Kirsten said above…buy it when it is cheap and freeze, freeze, freeze =)
Kirsten says
I buy in bulk and freeze it. Our Costco offers organic chicken, organic ground beef and buffalo. I pack it in dinner size portions for our meals and freeze it. Works very well. Great value for the quality.