Grocery Shopping - Hot to - On a Budget Recipe
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Ingredients: I want to invite everyone to comment on this with your tips on grocery shopping efficiently and on a budget.
There are many ways to plan a grocery trip but you really have to figure out the way that works for you because you must have a plan. If you just go to the grocery store and walk around buying food you will end up with $200 of food but nothing to make a meal with. Or at least that's what happened with me back when I was trying to figure out how to be an adult.
My answer has been to make a list of meals that will get us thru for about 1 week. I tried to do it for 2 weeks but that was way to long. I usually only plan 3-4 night of the week to cook a full meal because I plan on some leftover nights, a Progresso soup & sandwich night, and sometimes we just have to go out. The point is that I get all of the ingredients that I must have to make 3-4 meals.
In the stone age I used to make my grocery list on paper. Now I use a note app on my phone to keep an active list. I can make a quick addition to the list whenever I realize we need something and as I go thru the store I can remove things. It's awesome!
As far as shopping on a budget goes I think making a list is even more important because it helps you get only the things you actually need and not all the extras you might pick up that are not on your list. I've never been a successful coupon user. It takes time to go thru the newspaper or search for them online and then I forget to use the stupid things most of the time.
My best tip is to find out when your stores Meat Dept marks down the items that are nearing their expiration date. You can get excellent cuts of meat for deep discounts on their normal price. There is nothing wrong with this meat!! It's usually 2-3 days from the expiration date and as long as you take it home and freeze it or cook it, the meat will not spoil. You can freeze it for 3-6 months at least before thawing it and cooking it. It's a great deal for your budget and perfectly good meat doesn't end up in a landfill.
I have to rant a bit about expiration dates. For the most part they are nonsense! There is no sort of control over the length of time companies use so I believe the companies put dates much sooner than needed because if they can get you to throw out something you've already gotten and buy more they're getting your money twice and that's all they care about.
Canned food has always lasted for quite a long time, years in fact. Foods packaged in boxes and bags used to be prone to becoming stale due to moisture or insects but these days none of that will get thru the tightly sealed plastic bags that is inside the box.
Dairy is much more prone to actually goind bad in a short time but there are exceptions; Sour cream is already sour so it will last quite a long time in your fridge. If it finally goes bad it will grow green mold which is very obvious and you're unlikely to accidently eat it. Yogurt is also already sour and as long as it remains sealed is fine for weeks after the expiration date. I've eaten up to 6 weeks past with no unpleasant results at all. Cheese, sandwich meat, etc will also last beyond the expiration as long as they remain sealed.
Once food is cooked it will keep several days in the fridge. I send leftovers with Tim so he can eat homemade meals without being able to cook at all in his truck. Fish will last at lest 5 days. Even foods with a lot of dairy or cheese will easily last 7 full days without going bad. Other foods with no dairy, or any kind of seafood will last 10-14 days. I know people who throw away everything after 3 days and it makes me sad to think of all the perfectly good food being thrown away.
If you keep a list of leftovers on the fridge you won't forget things and you'll always know how long items have been stored. If you aren't sure if something is good 1st look at it closely to see if there is any mold. White or green it's usually easy to see. 2nd give it a sniff, when food is rotten the smell is pretty unmistakable!
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Directions:GROCERY SHOPPING 101
Supermarkets are overwhelming and intimidating. You're in a rush and you pop into a supermarket for some basics, and you end up spending $200 (and making some bad shopping decisions along the way). But we've all got to eat. How do you win at shopping at the supermarket?
Don’t forget your coupons! And you made a shopping list for the week, right? Because, as supermarket designer Kelley says: “If you go in there without a game plan, you’re at their mercy!”
Pick Your Main Grocery Store.
Identify the 4 closest grocery stores to you. Visit each one to see if you like it. Does it have fresh looking produce? Does it have a good selection of the top 5 items you buy? Is it easy to get to? Then shop at your top 2 on alternating weeks. Check their weekly ads and compare pricing. After awhile you will know which one you prefer. Shopping will be much quicker if you go to a store where you know the layout. You'll be able to move thru quickly and efficiently. You'll be less likely to get caught in the advertising traps where you're most likely to buy non-budgeted items.
Shop less frequently.
Try not to grocery shop more than twice a week, Quick trips to the store only increase the chances that you’ll purchase items you weren’t planning on buying, like that pack of M&Ms at checkout. Select a time for your main weekly shopping trip to buy most of your products and plan a secondary trip for 3-4 days later for fresh fruits and vegetables only if necessary.
A Shopping List is Key
Making a meal plan BEFORE shopping is key, so you know what you need to pick up to complete any recipes and meals. Remember to start with what you have on hand so you only have to buy a few supplemental ingredients and you don't let anything go to waste Make a checklist of everything you normally stock in your pantry. Keep it posted on the pantry. Put a slash next to each item for the number of items you have (if you have two cans of stewed tomatoes, put two slashes). Then, when you use something, turn the slash into an x. This makes it much easier when it comes time to make your list.
If Groceries Are On Sale, Stock Up
As long as you can stay in your weekly budget, stock up on meats, veggies, and kitchen staples that are on sale to stock up for your future meals. I always like to have a few back-ups on hand! You don't need to buy a case of something if you don't have room for it but even buying maybe 10 cans of vegetables when they're half price will save you some money and not take up your whole pantry.
Clip coupons with caution
Clipping and using coupons can feel like an accomplishment, but on the flip side, coupons may persuade you to purchase items you generally wouldn’t buy. “If the coupon is for an item you can use, look for stores that give double coupon redemption for extra savings,” she says.
Don't Shop At Eye-Level
This might sound a little crazy, but stores are smart. They know that if they can get something in front of us, we're more likely to grab what is convenient so they put more expensive items at eye-level. Don't fall for that trick!
Don’t shop on an empty stomach.
This is tried-and true advice to avoid succumbing to your cravings. You'll fill up on more basics and avoid wasteful spending if you can resist that tub of ice cream you didn't intend on buying.
Limit your purchase of ready-prepared foods
Convenience is great until you have to pay more for it. Go to the deli or refrigerated sections for ready-made foods only on occasions when you’re willing to pay more for the convenience. You pay a higher price to have someone else prepare the meal, and when you start keeping that in mind while you’re shopping, you’ll start to back away from the prepared food aisle.
Cut Your Own Produce
You know they charge an arm and a leg for produce that is already cut up and packaged so nice. It doesn't take too long to cut your own produce. Plus, fruits and veggies that are already cut will not last as long and are far more likely to go bad before you can use them up.
Buy frozen veggies.
While fresh veggies are a little better, frozen veggies are almost as good, and much better than nothing. And since you can keep them in the freezer, they last a long time. They will start to dry out a bit though so try to use them within 6 weeks. They're still good after this time but not as good. Put them in a stew or something and no one will even notice.
Cut back on meat.
Meat is expensive. We have vegetarian meals several times a week (think pasta or chili) and for other meals, you could just use a little meat as a kind of seasoning instead of the main ingredient — think Asian, Indian and other such cultural food. Actually, I eat vegetarian all the time, but the wife and kids do a little of each.
Pack your own lunch snacks.
Buying pre-made snacks is convenient, but a big waste of money. Buy little baggies and buy the snacks in bulk, then it will take just a few minutes to pack some snacks for lunch each day. Use the same baggie each day for one week to cut back on your plastic garbage.
Use your imagination with leftovers
The possibilities are endless when it comes to using your creativity to work with leftovers. Have a list on your fridge of what leftovers are in there, so you don’t forget about them. Plan a leftover night or two, so you’re sure to eat them all. Pack them immediately for lunch, so they’re ready to take the next morning. Create soups, casseroles and new dishes with your leftovers to avoid tossing out unused food. If you run short of ideas, browse websites for recipes and just key in your leftover ingredients.
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Notes: Freeze Anything and Everything
A HUGE tip for you is to store your food so it won't go bad before you can use it. Storing your food right is such a smart and easy way to make sure your food lasts longer and so you don't let anything go to waste. You can freeze all kinds of things so they are still fresh and delicious once you're ready to eat them. Take advantage of all our freezer hacks!
Freezing food intended for individual meals or lunches in single-serving sizes will make it more convenient to defrost and serve later.
Freezing food at peak freshness is key to better-tasting meals, so wrap up your meal as soon as it’s cooled.
Pick containers that fit the quantity of food or divide into smaller portions where it make sense. Smaller containers will freeze more rapidly, defrost quicker and take up less freezer space.
Packaging in freezer-grade resealable plastic bags is a great way to save space as bags can be laid flat and neatly stacked. Bags work particularly well for soups or stews.
Plastic and glass containers with tight-fitting lids also make good freezer containers, particularly for casseroles. An oven-safe glass container, like a Pyrex® dish, is ideal since you’ll be able to bake in it without transferring to a new container.
If you don’t want to take a casserole dish out of circulation for months at a time, line your dish with foil coated in cooking spray, freeze the casserole until set and then transfer the foil-lined casserole to a freezer-grade resealable zip-top bag.
Most meals can be frozen for 2 to 4 months.
If you are in and out of your freezer frequently, such as getting ice several times a day, it’s best not to store food for more than two months.
If you have a chest freezer that mostly stays closed, foods will keep for longer.
To maintain quality, cheesy dishes and meat-heavy dishes shouldn't be frozen for longer than two months.
The safest way to thaw frozen meals is in the refrigerator. The refrigerator keep food at a safe and consistent temperature and is a good place to defrost foods that can’t be stirred like casseroles and other layered foods. A good rule of thumb is to pull your freezer meal out the night before a busy day.
If you can’t plan ahead (sometimes, busy days catch us off guard), use the microwave to quickly thaw stirrable foods like soups and stews. If you need to remove food from packaging that’s not microwave safe, thaw in cold water until food is soft enough to be transferred to a microwave-safe container. We recommend zapping in a large bowl, so you can stir without making a mess.
Reheating Tips:
If it’s a meal that you can stir, like soups or stews, it's probably a good fit for the stovetop or microwave. Stirring throughout the heating process will allow for the food to heat evenly.
If it’s a meal that you can’t stir, such as a casserole, opt for the oven.
Whether you reheat in the microwave, on the stove or in the oven, always bring the internal temperature of the food to at least 165°F for food safety reasons.
Finally, add a sprinkle of gooey cheese; some buttery, crunchy breadcrumbs; or a fresh squeeze of citrus. The right finishing touch will make your meal irresistible.
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