Frugal Family: Food Savings

I know a lot of people are reviewing their budgets these days and figuring out how they can cut expenses. Food doesn’t often come to mind first, because it’s hardly a discretionary item, but I think it is an area that is certainly worth exploring.  There are many different ways to save money on meals, from knowing how to find the deals to planning ahead. I’ve listed several different suggestions below to help your family trim your food expenses.  

• Once a Month Cooking. This is a growing trend for moms and dads across the country that want to save money and who are tired of not knowing how to answer the question, “what’s for dinner tonight?” My mom would probably argue that she invented this concept, but I digress… Basically, it requires a good amount of planning ahead (figuring out which recipes to use, shopping, and keeping track of it on a calendar) but with one long day of cooking it takes the guess work out of what you’ll have that evening and the urge to eat out and get off schedule. To learn more, go to the website http://onceamonthmom.com/.

• Know what to buy organic (and not to).  A few years ago I went to a great talk put on by a local nutritionist.  I expected to hear her say that everything we eat should be organic (which equals expensive in a lot of cases, unfortunately). To my surprise, she actually mentioned specific organic foods that are a waste of money.  I went online to see if the other experts concurred and found these areas of agreement: bananas, pineapple, mango, broccoli, onions, and asparagus.  To learn more, of one the best sites to check out is: http://greenopolis.com/myopolis/blogs/aresende/what-you-should-shouldnt-buy-organic.

• Consider buying store brands.  There are a few grocery items that I refuse to buy cheaply (like toilet paper) but for the most part it is worth checking out the store brands for most items.  Many store products have nearly the same ingredients as their name-brand counterparts, but are much less expensive.

• Know what you already have.  How many of us actually know what we have in our pantries and freezers at any given time? I find it easy to forget about that extra chicken I froze months after a run to Costco – and often find it when’s it’s too late. For this reason it’s important to keep our freezers and pantries well organized and well documented. This can be done by keeping a log (and sticking it on the outside of the cabinet) and labeling each shelf. If you want a more high tech system, there is an I-phone app called “Prep and Pantry” that will help you track expiration dates and keep you from overbuying on your next trip to the grocery store.  http://www.prepandpantry.com/.

• Know where to shop. Let’s face it – it’s easiest to shop at the store closest to your home. Not all stores are created equal when it comes to prices, however. Try this exercise the next time the grocery ads appear in your mailbox – compare prices for the same items in each ad. Do you see a trend? Costco has been touted as one of the best places to buy groceries because you can buy in bulk. If the extras there pull you in and have you spending more money, don’t go there.