FRI 2/4 Have u changed your eating habits to save?

[ambellamy]

Pretty basic, but how have you changed your grocery shopping and eating habits to save money? Have you decided to give Costco a whirl? Did you decided to only shop once a week? Cut out things that you used to think were manditory?

I know for me i've experimented the past month with a vegetarian based diet, and i'm planning on continuing it, but adding in some fish here or there...

What about you?

[Deleted]

I am watching my weight so portion control has become more of a part of my life. Do you know how long a roast will last if you only eat 6 oz at a time??? I am also back into planning my menus so I only get what I need or what is on a good sale. Well, that's the plan. I haven't quite perfected it yet.

[Gardening Grandma]

Over time, I've made modifications. I've learned that if a recipe calls for 1 pound of ground beef I can use 3/4 pounds with no significant difference. (That also cuts a little off the fat and calories as well).
It took a while, but DH has finally learned that making 2nd or 3rd meals from leftovers can save quite a lot on groceries. Controlling waste saves us more money than coupons or sales (although I do those as well).

[kangarooks]

I've cut back my portion size. We try to plan out a menu for a month or more based upon what we have on hand in the freezer or pantry or what's on sale. But nothing new that would account as a change of habit. I try to be as thrifty and economical when buying groceries as ever.

[chiver78]

I found myself cooking more with the vegetables that are on sale in a given week vs. whatever I might crave when I'm making up my shopping list. it's not much, but it still helps the totals.

[thinblue]

We have really made an effort to use up all of our leftovers in the last month and it has made a huge difference. It also saves me from making dinner once a week and I really like that! It takes planning, and organization, but it really is worth it..... ;D

[Opti]

I've decided to use boneless skinless chicken thighs more often because they are cheaper than boneless chicken breasts. I also go for the more boring cheapest generic frozen veggies when my budget doesn't allow for more exciting ones or like now when the grocery store that had a reasonable price on frozen snowpeas and mixed veggies decides to bump the price back up.

I'm also working on potentially buying meat for a two week window instead of one to exploit when I find good deals.

[isabella]

I have been watching for the meat sales and will buy a bit extra to freeze for the next week. Making stronger efforts to label and date as well, it used to be I'd put something in the freezer only to forget about it. Twice a year I'd find myself digging around in the freezer only to wonder how long it had been there and afraid to eat. My discovery of the product made by Glad, Press'N Seal freezer wrap to be a big help with controlling freezer burn as well.
I make only what I think we will eat at that meal, found myself throwing away leftovers.
eta .. I'm working on modifying spending habits. I have also found that as a couple of friends have been hit by the economy, getting together to chat has looked more like meeting at the mall to walk/exercise, more moderately priced restaurants with coupon discounts.

[pepperdoo]

I cut out all boxed, processed pre-made and processed frozen foods. I will buy canned soups to use in recipes and canned tuna, jarred pickled veggies because I like them and canned tomatoes because I'm allergic to fresh. I buy fresh meats and veggies and make meals to eat more than once, but no longer than two days so there's no waste from boredom.

[donnafreedman]

Lady Gaga Gaga Snerd: What a smart idea.

[donnafreedman]

My post this week at Get Rich Slowly is called "Fight rising food prices by building your own 'food bank'." If anyone's interested in these tips, find the piece at:
www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2011/02/02/fight-rising-prices-by-building-your-own-food-bank/
Hint: I have been known to buy food at...estate sales.

[Deleted]

I used to do a lot of potatoes, pasta and/or rice to fill me up stretch the grocery budget. When I decided to eat healthier I started watching out for the cheaper veggies that I could use instead. Cabbage has come back into my diet. And cauliflower when it's cheap.

[telephus44]

same idea as gardeninggrandma, I buy hamburger in 1lb packages, but I'll buy 3 of them and freeze them in 4 bags of 3/4lb each. I occasionally do the same thing with 3lb packages, but I don't usually get them because of shopping logistics.

[chicg]

When I first joined WIRR, I stopped shopping at Whole Foods. Not only is it expensivve but I always bought more then I needed because everything was just so darn pretty and delicious looking. It was like Target, I'd go in for two things and walk out with a cart full. That alone made a huge impact on my budget, then I discovered sales and I cut my grocery/personal care budget in half from when I first started paying attention. Now I shop several stores for best prices including Aldi and farmer's markets in the summer. In terms of what I eat, I eat a pretty expensive diet (meats, organic produce, not much processed) but by shopping smartly, I can still afford to do that.

Laterbloomer - I love to use cabbage as the main veggie in an Asian stir fry. I shred it and add mushrooms, snow peas, bean sprouts...whatever else I find. It makes a hearty base and works well with soy or terriyaki sauce. YUM.

[❤ mollymouser ❤]

Actually, my low carb/healthier eating is costing us more (fresh veggies + seafood) ~ but our eating out costs have really plummeted, resulting in a net gain. I still buy cucumbers when they are $.99 each ... but it annoys me to have to do so! I do watch for veggies on sale and if I can, I will swap out some pricier ones for more expensive ones ... but I'm still eating about 10+ servings of fresh veggies a day. (Frozen doesn't work for me since I eat most veggies raw and the texture of frozen veggies weirds me out)

[texaspn]

We eat a lot of fresh produce which can be expensive but our meat portions are much smaller, plus I am trying to use beans more often for protein.

[Deleted]

I eat a lot less meat now than I used to. Oddly enough, I have actually increased my spending on fruits and veggies. If I want raspberries, I'll buy raspberries and actually eat them rather than letting the on-sale grapes slowly rot.

[Deleted]

Go shopping less. Use what is hiding in the panty.

[Becks]

Feb 4, 2011 17:50:39 GMT -5 @texaspn said:

We eat a lot of fresh produce which can be expensive but our meat portions are much smaller, plus I am trying to use beans more often for protein.

I am definitely on the bandwagon for using more beans and lentils when I cook. It stretches the food dollar and I find it to be much better for my health in general. I tend to be soup fiend in the winter so my weekends usually find me making a pot of something loaded with fresh veggies and beans of some sort.

I try to buy fresh veggies on sale and blanch about half and freeze for later use. I have also cut way back on my meat purchases and probably go meatless about half the week. I don't feel like I am missing out or depriving myself of anything!

[isabella]

Feb 4, 2011 17:27:49 GMT -5 @daphne87 said:

I need to do this. I tend to stick to the list, yet I'm always "pushing" the budget. I think I need to re-work the list. I have a tendency to want to stock up on items when maybe I only need to buy one or two.... Or maybe I have plenty already! Or maybe, just maybe, we don't need that much food!!

this describes what I have a tendency to do! You are not alone!
karma for daphne
after visiting with a dear friend last night I have decided to run to the dollar store for freezer containers. I'm going to try to fix a bit extra to freeze for the following week meal. Thanks to all for the inspiration and motivating me to change some bad girl shopping habits.

[alabamagal]

Same as pepperdoo, we cut out all boxed and frozen pre-processed foods. (Well almost all, just bought some for Super Bowl viewing at our house). I try to buy what I call "whole foods" - not to be confused with shopping at Whole Foods, which I don't even have. We buy some fresh fruits and vegetables, but not real big at our house. We buy meats (lots of chicken, found a good source for frozen fish and shrimp), canned tomatoes, dairy products, rice, pasta, some dried beans. We make most of our dinners "from scratch" and found them better tasting and cheaper. We have cut down on our food budget quite a bit, but its hard to tell how much because I have also had 2 kids go away to college in the last 2 years.

[upstatemom]

I am trying to plan our meals as I prepare my list, I used to wing it based on what I had and what looked good. That has helped cut my bill. I am also trying to make soup once a week and that stretches our budget quite a bit

My DH and I just finished a discussion about sucking it up and spending more money to buy organic eggs, buying organic soup bones and ordering a half of organic cow. There is a wonderful organic farm near us so it is very convenient. We bought an organic pig this fall and found the average cost per lb to make it not too unreasonable and the taste was unbelievable for all the cuts. Just trying to find the happy medium between cost and feeding my family in a healthy way.

[Apple]

At first I was going to say "no, not really" to the original question, but then I realized I've been doing it so long it's become habit! It started when we were a poor newly-wedded couple with a baby. We'd eat out at breakfast or lunch instead of dinner because the prices were such better deals. Even now, 13 years later, I rarely eat dinner out and some of my favorite restaurants I don't visit so often because they got rid of lunch specials
I've always stocked up when I could find a great deal, and right now I'm in the process of using things up more than stocking up. I might go a couple weeks without going grocery shopping (other than milk and produce)--even at that low frequency I usually don't spend more than $50 unless I've found a ton of great deals to stock up on (or replace stock).

My discovery of the product made by Glad, Press'N Seal freezer wrap to be a big help with controlling freezer burn as well.

I love this stuff! I found it at Costco about a year ago and only use it for wrapping things I put in the freezer. It's the best thing I've found so far to prevent freezer burn (other than the vacuum pack bags). Wrap the meat in 'press-n-seal' then put a bunch in a freezer bag. Seems to keep really well in my freezer

[Apple]

Feb 5, 2011 12:25:53 GMT -5 upstatemom said:

My DH and I just finished a discussion about sucking it up and spending more money to buy organic eggs, buying organic soup bones and ordering a half of organic cow. There is a wonderful organic farm near us so it is very convenient. We bought an organic pig this fall and found the average cost per lb to make it not too unreasonable and the taste was unbelievable for all the cuts. Just trying to find the happy medium between cost and feeding my family in a healthy way.

My brother raises cattle and there is nothing better than home-grown beef! I used to be friends with a guy who's parents would butcher pigs and that bacon was the best I've ever had. Even if it's not organic, it's good to know that they aren't given hormones and things to make them grow more, and they are pumped with water or anything either.

[franticwoman]

This is a really good thread.

I have slowly been letting go my expensive habits. (Some I will keep forever though hehehehe).

I bring lunch to work nearly everyday (which I have done for years) but instead of fancy exciting leftovers I bring boring deli meat sandwiches or tuna 1-2/wk.

I've incorporated some cheaper dishes in the rotation more often, like spaghetti with jar sauce vs my own sauce with fresh herbs used in a lasagne (with expensive cheeses). I eat things for dinner I dont particularly like but are cheap, like canned soup or pancakes.

I do the pantry challenge more often - a skill I learned here. I'm better at making due with what I have vs. satisfying specific cravings.

For a long time I thought shopping sales/couponing would be enough. It isn't, or at least no longer is so I'm trying new ways to stay within budget.