i {need} to go grocery shopping.
and these days, i have three month supply {constantly} on the brain.
food related mom-jobs are my least favorite chore
because i don't feel like i'm very good at them.
i'm trying to improve my methods & get organized.
i aspire to be one of those rockstars that saves a bazzilion & spends five cents.
but i want to buy healthy-ish too.
i want a big stock of usable food at my house, in case of emergency.
but, i need to make sure that it's stuff we'll really rotate & eat.
*i hate wasting money.
i have a year supply of boring rice/grains/oatmeal/pasta/sugar/flour/salt/powdered milk & blah, blah, but i need help with the everyday meal items....how to stock up in the most {tight}budget-conscious, stress-saving way.
*balancing it all forever confuses me.
comments, suggestions?
{help!}
please.
13 comments:
I'm still up doing homework and saw your post. Thanks for your sweet comment! it was nice to see your smiley face :)
I seriously have no advice though. We ate mac and cheese for dinner. as in only mac and cheese. and had buttered toast, pickles, and biscoff cookies for a snack after work. LAME. I just feel like i'm no good at shopping and never have a plan.
One friend though does swear by purchasing two of whatever she needs for her meal plan (she has weekly or monthly meals planned out) that way it's like having one to spare.
In your favor i think an adorable grocery list is key :) much cooler than my list on a blackberry format.
I just did a super long comment and it disappeared! I am all over this subject lately...we should chat!!!
Right there with ya babe. We watched a preview for a TLC shoe if super coupon ladies that buy like $600 worth if groceries an spend $6... Chris just looked over at me and goes, "um... Do you watch that show?!" I don't know how they do it...
There is a gal in our ward who was telling me this very smart way to do this......I loved it! I can explain it and it is the bomb...I promise!!! Just remind me at preschool....ohhh wait ....you know her Sister Dargie....it is the best way I have ever heard...her friend shared it with her.......I wish I had heard it when I was food storage person in our ward....
www.dealstomeals.com!!! They tell you what is on sale, what to stock up on and give you menus for the next week with recipes that use your food storage!!! They are healthy and yummy too!
amen to this whole post! i struggle with this because, like you, i want to eat healthy and i feel it's harder to prepare. i'm not a couponer because i try not to eat too much prepackaged stuff. so i'm trying to do better in other areas, like, start a garden- which really freaks me out. so far i've only stuck a few spinach seeds in the ground-but i'm seeing them sprout up! i hope to get some plants this weekend and maybe start a planter/container garden.
i'm not a bread maker, but we go through it super fast, so i get mine from alpine valley bread. they have really good, organic bread for 50 cents a loaf! i stock up and freeze them.
instead of buying boxed cereal we stick to oatmeal. or homemade waffles, or eggs and toast. stuff like that for breakfasts.
i've also been trying new grains/legumes and incorporating them into meals. like new soups and using them vs. meat. i just have to try to remember to soak them the night before.
anyways, sorry for the super long and maybe not helpful post.
my friend, kami, has a great blog about eating whole, healthy foods and some stuff about food storage :)
http://kamisniche.blogspot.com/
http://kamisniche.blogspot.com/2011/03/alternative-food-storage-ideas.html
good luck and let us know what ends up working for you!
oh! i remembered one more thing:
i love buying fruit when it's on sale at superstition ranch market- like starwberries 4lbs for a dollar (and bananas are usually the same price some other places around town) and freeze them. i bought them last summer and they lasted me up until about a month ago. (i love them in smoothies or mixing into oatmeal)
sorry! no more comments! :)
Great comments so far. I always feel like the cashiers are looking at me funny because I NEVER buy just one of anything. I get three or four cans/bags/boxes of whatever I'm shopping for at the time. It adds up fast and I figure if I need it this week and I'm rotating through menus, I'll need it in a few weeks. When I have a stockpile (9-12ish boxes/bags/cans) then I just wait until I'm using that item again and get a few to replace it. It's not foolproof. We still run out of black beans or olives or whatever, but it is a little loosey goosey and still works most of the time.
I start by picking one meal that can be made entirely from storage. I get 12 of everything in it, and I have enough for once a month all year long. Also, I'm going in with a neighbor on a side of beef to keep in my freezer.
Nobody expects you to have a full spectrum year's supply right away. Start small in several areas. Take a free class at your local garden center or ask a smart friend.
A year supply, heck, even a 3 month's supply is NOT my strength...
I'm overwhelmed by the entire thing, but someone suggested to me a few months ago that every time I shop, double the amt of canned goods,etc I buy. If I need 2 cans of corn, I buy 4.
It is SMALL, so I don't notice it hurting us financially, and slowly our supply is growing & it is stuff we actually EAT! I just do it with non perishable items, like canned goods, boxed items, crackers,etc & frozen items that I can stick in my freezer.
It is still overwhelming, but it is a SMALL thing I have tried & it seems to be working.
I love www.dealstomeals.com ! This has totally cured my phobia of food storage. Plus, I love having new recipes all the time. Check it out - they give you a free trial to make sure it's doable to you.
I think about this all the time, too. My two cents:
Couponing doesn't have to mean buying all prepackaged or unhealthy foods. Frozen totino pizza and fruit snacks are not all that's offered. I started three months ago, have cut my grocery bill in half, and have bought lots of good things and am actually using what I buy. I just got 20 boxes of whole wheat pasta for free. They paid me 11 cents as I left. :) I get rippin' deals on yogurt, canned items, soups, produce (not a coupon item - just watch the sales!) diapers, snacks for kids (nutrigrain, granola) tampons, FREE toothpaste, FREE tuna, etc. Just helps cut the budget, even if it's not all food items.
Also, looks up Bountiful Baskets.org. I know there are some in your area. Lots of fresh produce - a huge variety for $15. You order Monday and pick up on Saturday.
My friend did a 6 week menu rotation that I tried. It goes a lot with what people have already said... She did one dinner each night that used one of the following: wheat, beans, rice, pasta, other. She found 6 healthy recipes that would fit each category and that's how she made her 6 weeks plan. That way she actually rotated through the food storage she had. She gave me some yummy recipes that we use often now. let me know if you want them.
here's a blog i've been looking at lately: http://www.thecentsableshoppin.com/
it is a good beginner coupon blog because she will tell you where to get all the coupons, she pricematches all the ads for you and you can click what you want and print a nice clean list.i like it!
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