Some Ways to Save $$$ on Food

Happy Monday! Restaurant prices are sky high, and many people are eating at home more.  But grocery store prices are high too!  I have a few thoughts to help us eat healthfully and stay on budget. I will also say that I know we all have our favorite indulgences that make us happy even if they aren’t the most economical. I am not here to put a dent in anyone’s happiness!

1. I may be preaching to the choir, but having a meal plan for the week BEFORE you go shopping will save you money.  You will buy what you need and not buy random things you don’t.  I post a free dinner planner every weekend on my website if you need a little nudge to get you started. I could do an entire newsletter just on creating a dinner planner for the week!

2. Waste less. Do you find that you are throwing away leftovers?  If so, evaluate how much you prepare for meals and also think about why the leftovers don’t get consumed.  I often eat dinner leftovers for breakfast or put leftovers in a saucepan and add enough stock to make a soup.  I sometimes blend leftover salads and turn them into “gazpacho”-type cold soups.  On the other hand, if you routinely throw away groceries that go bad before you even had a chance to use them, refer to Tip 1.  

3. Make less expensive swaps.  Think about what the ingredient represents in the recipe and swap it with a like item.  For example, if a recipe calls for pine nuts (very pricey), swap in another (less expensive) nut or seed. Shiitake mushrooms are very expensive, but white button mushrooms are not as much.  I just posted a very luxe Lobster Cobb Salad on my site, but suggested that other proteins can be used instead. Make a swap!

4. There are some things I always make from scratch like salad dressings and stock and it does save a bit of money.  Some convenience items are not worth it to me like pre-washed salad greens, pre-cut fruits and vegetables, almond milk and cashew milk (I use JOI and it’s the easiest thing in the world to blend and store) and hard boiled eggs.  Convenience foods that are worth it to me are canned beans (even though I know it’s cheaper to make my own - I do both). 

5. Stock up and save.  If something I love goes on sale and it’s a non-perishable item, I buy a lot of it, e.g. vinegar, frozen items, capers, canned/jarred foods.

6. I love Costco, ThriveMarket.com and Vitacost.  I also like Trader Joe’s for some items as well.  If you’re a family in financial need or a student, teacher, veteran, nurse, or first responder—you qualify for a free one-year membership through Thrive Gives. I have a link for Thrive Market for 40% off your first order.  If there’s an item on my grocery list, it’s easy to shop online and compare. I will often google the item to see what the local shops are charging.

7. Grocery store salad bars. Don’t supermarkets mark up items on the salad bar? Not everything! Normally, there is a flat price for all the items at the salad bar, for example $8.99 per pound, so there are deals to be found. Foods like grilled chicken, nuts, seeds and cheeses are *sometimes* cheaper at the salad bar than if you bought them separately on their own.  

8. Let’s talk chicken.  Rotisserie chickens are often considered “loss leaders” in the market because they want to get you in the door with a deal so you’ll buy lots of other things.  I think rotisserie chickens are a great staple to purchase to use in lots of different recipes (I have a delicious tarragon chicken salad recipe in my extra section of the newsletter) to save time and money, and then save the bones to make stock.  Also, if you are buying chicken breasts, consider buying the whole chicken and ask the butcher to cut it up.  I have done the math, and many times a whole chicken is less expensive than buying 2 bone-in chicken breasts. Weird, I know.

9. Nutritional Bangs for the Buck. There are nutritional bargains to be found. Try canned wild fish (salmon and sardines are my favorites) instead of fresh, dried beans, free-range eggs, bananas, Russet potatoes, cabbage, carrots, rolled oats, brown rice, and frozen vegetables which all pack a lot of nutrients for less money. Sometimes frozen berries can be less expensive than fresh and they are perfect to use in crisps and cobblers and pies (usually I defrost first) and thawed out berries are actually delicious over yogurt.  Hubs takes fresh or frozen berries and microwaves them for a minute or until a little jammy and tops pancakes, oatmeal and more with them.

10. Drop the canned and bottled beverages.  It goes without saying that sodas and sweetened beverages offer you nothing in the way of health benefits, and all that plastic and glass don’t do the environment any good either. But these drinks are just wildly expensive for no nutrition. Water is all you really need, so invest in a water filter if you can and reusable water bottles for everyone in your house.

11. Purchase Store Brands. Many supermarkets carry their own brands which are of comparable quality to name brands and offer a big discount. Look to see if the store has calculated the unit price on the display so you can make an educated decision about which brand is a better value.

Even More Musings is an extension of my weekly newsletter, Monday Musings. My newsletter is a sponsor-free zone and is fully supported by readers like you. Consider becoming a paid subscriber to get Even More Musings! Each week, I share my tips and tricks along with a new recipe. For only $5/month or $50/year (less than $1 a newsletter), you'll also gain access to the entire archive, featuring favorites like Pasta with Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Sauce and the Hillstone Copycat Emerald Kale Salad. This week I am sharing a low-carb, higher protein Tarragon Chicken Salad which uses a secret ingredient!