Last week's post about how we're putting a stop to our outrageous grocery spending (Eating Well Need Not Cost a Fortune) seems to have sparked some great conversations . . . and hit home with many more of you than we expected. We received so many helpful hints and tricks, I sincerely encourage you to visit the post and read through the comments section.
When we put some of our own advice to practice, how exactly did we do? Wonderfully, in fact! Check out this lean, mean number:
We couldn't focus on all the tips at once, of course, so we picked 3 of them that we thought would help us best. The first: Plan ahead. I didn't write out a grocery list, though I always mean to. But before we even stepped foot into the store, we had a conversation about what our meals would be this week. We were shopping Sunday, so we included dinner for that night in our spree. I was a champ and made three rounds of pizza dough early in the day so all we needed to pick up were some diced tomatoes and shredded mozzarella.
We already had portabellas left over from last week. Some basil from Friday's dinner IN (more on that in another post) . . . all the fixings for a homemade pizza. It was so good and cheap, we've now declared Sunday homemade pizza night. The best part is, you can freeze the dough for up to three months. Now we have the next two weeks covered! And it's really nice to return from the grocery store and have a pizza for dinner.
Week night meals are another story. Vegan stir-fry is cheap and good. But buyer beware: We always reach for green peppers without second thought, thinking they're inexpensive (usually $1.99/pound). This time around, we actually paid attention . . . and though we usually buy four for about $4.50, this week, the ticket price was more around $7.50. They had gone up $1 a pound since last week. Silly as I may have felt at the time, I took three out of the bag and kept only one. Onions can be tricky, too. White onions cost $1 per pound more than red onions. We made the switch. We stocked up on broccoli because we decided we'd have vegan stir-fry twice this week (Monday and Thursday). And broccoli is light on the wallet. Same veggies in both dinners -- different sauces.
Tuesday and Wednesday will be homemade chili night. Canned goods are best for chili -- including stewed tomatoes, corn, beans, and maybe even some TVP we have in our cupboard. Again, inexpensive, but really healthy and good. For lunches and breakfasts, we stocked up on spinach (for green smoothies), fresh fruits (bananas and apples are least expensive), beans (garbanzo so Stephen could make hummus), and oats. With all the money we were saving, we decided to indulge in some avocados. Where they used to be 10 for 10, they are now 3 for 5. Which brings us to our next tip . . .
Limiting ourselves to only one treat. I set a $5 limit. Stephen spent his on some prepared food from the "Wokery" section. And I got three more avocados. I wanted also to get some Nutella, chocolate, and coconut vegan ice cream. But so far, I've been fine without the extra luxuries. I think this area is perhaps where we saved the most money. We tend to pile the goodies in our cart like there's no tomorrow. Now, not only will we be more conscious and savor each bite of our "treat" . . . at least in my case, I think I may benefit from losing a few pounds in the process. No one needs to eat a jar of Nutella every week. Instead, I spend time making vegan cookies. At least I'm expending some energy in their creation. :)
The last rule we tried to follow this week is something we didn't really put on the list, but it kind of goes along with the Eat Vegan one. We tried as much as possible to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. It's where the freshest, most healthy ingredients and foods are stored. And produce, especially, is packed with nutrients, but not with pennies. Our refrigerator is stocked silly with all the green stuff we bought. And, we've been eating like kings. Our stir-fry last night could have fed a family of four (or, in our case, two hungry athletes). So, stay out of the packaged foods section. You'll create less waste, eat more healthfully, and spend less. Guaranteed.
Did following all these "rules" make us crazy? No. In fact, when we found ourselves in line watching everything tally up, we were SO relieved to have stayed well within our budget of $75. If, really, you subtract the money we spent on storage bags and some tin foil (and toilet paper, yeah -- we use that, too). We only spent about $50. Yet, we have tons of great food. Including some more "exotic" items like coconut milk and avocados . . . and, yes, some cheese. Next weekend, we're taking the challenge to an extreme. Can we eat on only $50 per week? Is it possible? And we also want to incorporate more locally grown fruits and veggies in our quest. So, a farmers market versus grocery store pros and cons list will soon be in the works.
I think what we both decided we liked best about the experience (aside from the savings) is that we found we were buying items with less packaging. Therefore, less garbage. We also want to continue this trend -- so if anyone has any tips on that, we'd love to heat them! What do you think of our progress? Do you think we were just being overly well-behaved but will go back to our old ways next week? Know of anything we're overlooking? Can we eat on even less than $50 a week and still make the creative recipes we oh-so love?
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22 comments:
Good job guys!! I'm very glad that you found ways to save money for yourselves! Maybe one day you will treat grocery shopping and saving pennies like a sport like I do, just kidding! It feels good to know though that you can eat like royalty and spend like a pauper!! Keep up the good work!
Jen -- That's so cool "eat like royalty, spend like a pauper" :) Definitely true. And you should have seen me at the store. Stephen was like: "WATCH OUT!" -- When I found out how much the green peppers were, I said out loud: "Oh, no. No. I will NOT pay that much for a pepper!" :)
Lookin good! Re: your quest for locally grown foods, you should definitely check out Frog Pond (also in Bainbridge. It's a really wonderful produce market/locally grown mecca, and it opens in... fourteen days! (but who's counting?) I buy huge bags of potatoes and onions there in October (right before they close for the winter) and keep them in my basement all winter. At Frog Pond, a 50-pound bag of onions is, get this, $16. I give half to my mom, and it lasts both of our households all winter long.
Another little thing I do is try to re-use containers for storage, keeping my zip-loc purchasing to a minimum. Glass peanut butter jars, and Stonyfield farm quart-size yogurt containers are our favorites.
I like the Sunday-night pizza idea, too!
Kristina -- Will definitely have to check out Frog Pond. Thanks for all your great suggestions! I can't believe those prices. That's a lot of onions, too. But we use literally a ton, I'm sure.
I've been doing more of the reusing containers thing. We got some of those plastic ones at GreenStar, and I will them with oatmeal that I bring to work. Glass jar is a good idea. I just need to try harder. That's all. I've become lazy in my old age. Hahah :)
Great job! We have the same problem in our house, treats and other expensive ingredients just seem to jump in the cart. It's great that you both have the same goal; I'm sure you'll help keep each other on track. I finally bought some reuseable produce bags by 3bbags - they work well for shopping and the farmer's market, but not for storage. I do try to wash the ziplocks we use for veggie storage bags and re-use them though.
I think that you are doing a great job! and I agree that it is so much healthier to shop the perimeter where all the good fresh things are! I do have one little issue though: While using canned goods is by far more economical in some areas than fresh, I think that when you are trying to eat healthy foods, canned goods negate that. The lining of a regular canned good is just as bad for you as plastic storage. The high acid foods- like tomatoes- run an extra high risk of leaching the unhealthy chemicals out of the lining. So while it might be cheaper in the short run, scientists aren't really sure of the health implications- and it could end up costing much more in the long run.
While fresh tomatoes aren't always available, the healthiest- and possibly cheapest- option would be to do without until they are, or to can some in glass jars in the summer so that you can use them year round in chili etc.
Ashley, we would be so funny shopping together!! I do the same thing, i always say things like "I can't believe people pay that much for that." or my favorite (when i'm clothes shopping) "I can make that for cheaper!" I had a guy this week get out of line behind us at the grocery store because i had a bunch of coupons and he thought it was gonna take forever. By the time he went to another line though we were done..ha ha, showed him!!
Looks pretty good! But almost $6 for aluminum foil?? You can probably get that much cheaper at Target, or somewhere that isn't the grocery store. Did you know studies have shown that items that aren't exactly food (like cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, toiletries, etc.) tend to be more at grocery stores than places like target or wal-mart (I will never go in there...but maybe you will).
That would probably slash your bill even more!
Not sure if you are able to in NY, but I always enjoy joining a local CSA for yummy seasonal produce. It usually works out to be a good bit cheaper than store-bought, and besides the joy of supporting a local small farmer, it makes me get creative with the veggies and my menus. Never knew how much I loved shallots, chard, fennel, radishes and turnips until I had to use them up. Also, there is a store here called Sprouts where I can buy a ton of things in bulk, like flours, rice, beans and nuts, not only saving money but avoiding needless packaging. As much as I love beans, I've found it's way cheaper and tastier to make them all from dried in a big batch, then split and freeze, a la Mark Bittman, than to buy canned.
Great job cutting the grocery bill. Excellent tips - they're similar to what I do when shopping.
After reading about the mauling of rainforests to keep up with US banana consumption I can't rid my guilt when reaching for those cheap bananas. Do you buy a specific eco/trade friendly brand or just stay away from Chiquita??
Dried beans are the best. They’re cheaper and you know for sure are not packaged in cans lined with BPA-yuck.
For smoothies, I’ll buy the somewhat bruised fruit for a discount. It’s perfectly usable and the store is usually fine with giving a discount bc you're taking it off their hands instead of throwing it away!
One thing we discovered about Wegman's is that if you shop the "ethnic" sections for things like spices you can often get a way better deal than in the actual Wegman's spice section.
Thank you for this post, great tips! I wanted to also let you know that for a lot of your fresh produce, USA is quite cheap compared to Canada...people who live close to the border even go down for day trips to pick up groceries!! Just something to keep in mind :)
Thumbs up to you! Congrats on the $50 dollars a week. When Jordan (my husband) and I lived in Minnesota, food prices were a little cheaper, and we were able to eat for $40 a week. Now it's more like $45 - 60 dollars a week, which is still totally do-able.
One trick that helps me a lot is to make a list. I don't go shopping without one. I mostly do it because I get really irked if I forget something at the store, but it helps a lot in not picking up things just because I want them. I stick to the list, period! (I know you've heard this tip already, just reiterating.)
Another note about farmer's markets: it is somewhat of a pain to split your grocery shopping into two trips. However, you DO save a bundle. For the same price at the grocery store, you can get way more food. Plus, novelty ideas such as eggs, honey, and fresh flowers are cheaper as well. I know you are vegan, so you don't eat the first two, I'm just mentioning.
Good luck!
"novelty ITEMS", not ideas. oops.
Man, I'm just post-tastic today, huh?
Just one more tip: only buy special items, such as cheese or expensive veggies, if you can use them in at least two meals that week.
re: reducing waste at the grocery store, the best tip i have is to do away with using those flimsy plastic bags for your produce. there is simply no need for them.
also--i imagine you do this already(?), but reusable shopping bags! so much sturdier as well.
Wow. Again, everyone. Overwhelmed by so many awesome comments/suggestions/etc. Jess -- agreed on the plastic bags. Do you just stack your veggies naked in your cart? Do you bring your own bags? Hmm. And yes -- we're getting better at remembering our reusable ones.
Charlotte -- Oh, that's a good one. We too often buy those special things and just use them once. Gotta make 'em work for their worth!
BeetRed -- Didn't know that about bananas. That's awful, and I'll have to look into it. Hmm...
Amie -- We bought our foil, something like 200 feet of it. Anyway, it's a TON. And we figured it out, and we actually saved buying more. I didn't want to get it either. But, you know, I need to cut out foil anyway. Maybe after this last hoorah.
Marcella -- Guess you answered my produce bag question. Thanks!
Again, thank you all! Such wonderful comments. Will keep you posted on our progress.
What great tips, glad you two were successful in slashing the budget. That's always a great feeling! One way I limit my grocery spending is only paying with cash. Like you guys, we found ourselves spending silly amounts of money on food & making multiple trips a week! So we set aside $100 each paycheck for food. Cash goes in the envelope and we only spend what we have. So far, its working quite well!
for what it's worth, we do just stack the produce naked (hehe). we just pile it in the child-seat section of the cart so it won't get smushed. you're going to wash everything anyhow :)
I'm a college student in Oregon, and I love your blog! For shopping, I always stack my veggies in the cart in the cart, but another good idea is to bring plastic bags from home and just try to used them again...I always have plastic bags laying around from old shopping trips. Another great area of the store that I often forget about is the bulk foods section- check it out for great deals on things you normally buy in boxes.
Wow, what a great job! You have totally inspired to me because I shudder at the thought of what our family spends on groceries...yikes! Thanks for the excellent tips, this time of year we tend to shop for produce at the farmer's market but even there you can comparison shop (they often have cheap "seconds").
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