Washington Babies
EDD: September 22, 2012
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NBR: couponers/healthy eaters I need help!
DH and I have been eating healthier these days, and with that our grocery bill has gone up. Are there any tricks to cutting the grocery bill when you don't buy any of the processed stuff? I do still use coupons for items like soups, pasta, and spices but seeing as how many of the coupons (at least in my experience) are for processed foods and/or items we don't buy it's impacted our bill. I'm trying to figure out other ways to cut costs. A majority of our grocery list is fruits, veggies, meat and dairy. Any advice or good websites for me to check out? Currently I follow Queen Bee and Surviving The Stores.
EDD: September 22, 2012
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Re: NBR: couponers/healthy eaters I need help!
I dont eat a lot of processed stuff either. Find a store that has a good bulk foods section. you can get dried beans, oatmeal, whole wheat pastas and such so cheap!
Also stay away from prepackaged veggies. Baby carrots are just regular carrots peeled and shaved down to size. a 1 pound bag can be almost $3. a 2 pound bag of regular carrots is $.88 at Winco. tae them home and peel and cut them right away and you have baby carrots on hand.
Same with packaged lettuce. Why pay someone else to cut it for you when it can be way cheaper to take the 2 minutes to do it your self.
frozen or canned veggies are healthy, in fact often have more nutrients than fresh since they dont sit for up to a week before being purchased. frozen and canned are cut and processed right away often at the place they were harvested at. they retain thier nutrients since starting once something is cut or harvested it starts to break down. So the frozen broccoli will be actually better than the fresh head of broccoli or the fresh bag of it.
milk is under $2 a gallon at most convience storeswhere asyou often pay at least a dollar more at the grocery.
just a few suggestions.
Unable to even.
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You don't understand the appeal of Benedict Cumberbatch / think he's fug / don't know who he is? WATCH SHERLOCK. Until you do, your negative opinion of him will not be taken seriously.
We have the same issue. We dont have the budget to buy everything organic, so I read all the labels and try to choose things that are better for you, but still affordable. There are certain things that I buy organic like fruits and some meat (at Safeway the price per pound between the natural beef and reg. is pretty similar). If feel like its worth the money because the difference in price only ends up being a couple dollars in total.
I buy frozen veggies which can keep longer and I can stock up when they are on sale/ have coupons. Just read the labels and get stuff that only has ingredients in it that you want! One thing I just discovered is that Ragu red pasta sauce is actually pretty healthy! I got the "Robusto" or whatever its called and there are no chemicals in it that you cant pronounce. Its all stuff that I would use at home if I were to make it from scratch. And its cheap!
So yeah- I just read the labels of "regular" foods on the shelf, and pay close attention to what's in it, and also check the price per pound to make sure its a good deal. I also use coupons.com to get coupons, or if there is something I want that doesnt have a coupon often, just google it for the manufacturer's site, and a lot of times they have a coupon on there. Its hard to find good deals some times, so I do a lot of stocking up when things are a good deal. gL!
CG- which produce market do you go to?
And also I love the quote in your sig.
Thanks! I PPH Mark Twain.
We go to Lenny's on 105th and Greenwood in Seattle. It's not organic, but it does have an outstanding selection of fruits and veggies. You can get bell peppers for .99 cents a pound instead of several dollars each. They also have a small asian market attached with a great selection of spices, sauces, oils and a separate section for legumes, noodles and breads.
Unable to even.
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You don't understand the appeal of Benedict Cumberbatch / think he's fug / don't know who he is? WATCH SHERLOCK. Until you do, your negative opinion of him will not be taken seriously.
I use PCC and I am a member. So I go on the 15 or 16th of the month & use my card & get 5% off and then I stock up on what I can freeze and what will keep for a month or more once a month when I use my 10% coupon they mail out.
I also buy some things at Costco since Issauqah carries a good amount of organic. For a family of 4 eaters (+ 1 nurser) we spend about $700 a month + diapers.
This is a pet topic of mine so I just have a few more to add.
Buy in bulk and then make as much as you can from scratch. Flour, yeast, sugar can all be bought cheaply at costco - make your own bread. It's really easier than you think (I recommend The Frugal Girl for recipes).
Waste nothing. I buy whole chickens and cut them up myself (price per lb is a good amount less) then use the carcas to make stock. I also save all the ends and pieces from my vegetables and use those for stock. Just throw all of the ends of onions, carrots, celery fronds, woody broccolli stalks, etc. that you don't eat into a freezer bag and keep until you make stock.
Eat less meat. It's expensive, you don't need that much in your diet. I like to buy flank steak and cut it into three portions that I then freeze and use for a stir fry with lots of veggies.
On last one, that gets a few raised eyebrows is to consider cutting costs elsewhere besides food. Food is SUCH and important thing to be using it as the place to cut costs, put the best food that you can afford into your body.