The Economy and The Price of Foods

Sylvia wanted to know:  I was wondering if you had changed your grocery shopping habits in light of the...ummm...economy. (If you can even call it that anymore.) I'm pretty sure it's not my imagination and that the price of food has gone through the roof. My husband has been umemployed for a month now and I'm finding it impossible to properly feed my boys. Do you have any special meals that you make that cost almost nothing? I say almost because I have 6 dollars.

Oh, Sylvia, ouch.  I do know of what you mean.  Economy = suck and no money. If you ask my hubby, I'm none so good at the saving money in the grocery store.  I do know that there are many, many people who save a ton of money with coupons, and by playing The Grocery Game, they are able to combine sales and coupons to get many things for free. I'm no that diligent or creative, and see also: am easily bored. I do find that grocery costs have gone through the roof on many things, but, interestingly enough, one of the most expensive stores in our area sells milk for only $2.80 a gallon. 

One thing that I know works is to only buy the things at one store that are the cheapest - if it's milk and bread and sliced turkey, buy only those things and go to another store that sells creamer and toilet paper for less.  I don't do this.  i barely have time to keep us in the necessities. I KNOW I could do better.  I know it. 

If we are tight on money, we eat some of the following:

• pancakes
• cereal - although a few of my kids can eat an entire box in one sitting, so that's not so cost efficient
• bean and cheese tortillas
• spaghetti
• homemade pizza

Can you chip in some advice and meal choices to help Sylvia?

Comments

[Meredith]

Casseroles.... throw some leftoover chicken or turkey into a dish add some cheese veggies and rice or pasta and your good for lunch and dinner.
Grilled cheese and tomatoe soup, home made pizzas, chili, pot roast then use the left overs for sandwhichs and/or make a quick stew or thin it out for soups

[Karen]

I buy mac and cheese and add hamburger. Ramen noodles, also ramen noodles with whatever meat you have left over and some frozen veggies like corn, green beans or whatever you like. White rice with scrambled egg, veggies and ham in it flavored with fried rice seasoning that comes in a packet. Soft tacos(we have them at least once a week because you just need hamburger, cheese,lettuce,tomato. The bag of tortillas last enough for 2-3 meals; there's 3 people in my family). Pot pies, homemade stir fry using a cheap cut of meat we tenderize with a mallet, chinese noodles from the ethnic food aisle,some veggies,teriyaki sauce in a bottle, mix together and serve.(we always have leftovers for the next night and lunch for at least one day for me.)

[Jodi]

We eat a lot of pasta dishes too because noodles in almost any form are inexpensive.

Another meal my kids love and is almost dirt cheap is hamburger gravy over rice or mashed potatoes. Just brown 1lb of hamburger. Add powdered brown gravy mix (I buy the walmart brand and they are .33 each) and 3 cups of water. Add about 1 1/2 cups frozen peas. Cook over medium heat until the peas are warm. Either serve over rice or mashed potatoes.

[Headless Mom]

A tip...I buy the dry pinto beans and make my own refried beans. Waaaay cheaper, one batch can last for several days. Wrap them with cheese and tortillas for a filling and pretty healthy meal. I use this recipe: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001606refried_beans.php Eggs are another pretty cheap meal...scrambled, quiche and salad, hard boiled-a great way to get your protein. Good luck Sylvia...sending prayers your way!

[Nikki Moon]

Eggs (the whole large container ) and Can biscuits with jam is the cheapest meal I can feed my gang.

French toast is cheap.

Beanie Weenie if you can eat it (I'd pass)

Baked Potato bar (big potatoes) with cheese butter, sour cream ect

Soups can be cheap too

[Sabz]

Check out the Asian/Indian grocery stores fir great prices on staples like rice, lentils, spices and flour.

Rotisserie chicken for salad, soup, sandwiches. Use the bones to make stock for soups.

Eliminate packaged foods whenever you can. Try making your own sauces, and skip soda/juice for water.

Buy frozen and canned vegetables (corn, peas, etc)

We also grow our own vegetables and basically have no expense for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, cilantro during summer. Start a small container garden for fresh herbs and you can add a lot of flavor. Basil and mint do especially well.

I hope these suggestions help. In these tough times our basic step has been to go meat- less and use a lot of rice, lentils and vegetables instead. Good luck.

[Kate's Mama]

In our area, Asian grocery stores have fruit and vegetables selections are inexpensive,and fresher than the big box grocery/variety store.

However, I think the more places you are shop, the more you spend, whether it be gas,time, or temptation. I do plan out meals for the week, and make a list. My husband started shopping for us, and our bill has been reduced by about 20%. He only buys what is on the list.

I also try to reuse left-overs. For example, the leftover roasted chicken on Saturday night, could be used for chicken salad sandwiches, and the bones could be used for making soup stock. Also I have recently replaced the dishes that have a lot of ingredients for simpler fare.

[Angela in Ohio]

The grocery game really does work, and eventually you can wean off of it and kind of do it yourself. It's all about stockpiling. Buy 10 of your laundry detergent when its on rock bottom sale so you don't have to pay top dollar when you run out late at night. It may sound like you spend a lot but it has saved us sooo much. You can contact me for a grocery game referal at amwilson65 at gmail dot com

[Kim]

We eat a lot of eggs. Good protein and they can go for any meal. They are fast too. You can eat them plain, dress them up (fried egg sandwiches, omelets). Pasta stretches a long way too. And I like it with a little olive oil, garlic and grated cheese. A small side of protein (fish can be inexpensive) and lots of green salad. It's the time of year when greens can be inexpensive as well - outdoor or farmers markets are bargains for cheap fruits and vegetables.

[Wendy]

I also have two boys. Meals aside, what kills me is the all day eating and how hungry they are so fast after a meal! One thing I do is go to the bakery store, where they sell the day old bread, etc. I can get English muffins and bagels for .79 cents (sometimes cheaper) and this is a great throughout the day snack or side with breakfast. Also, the bread/buns are a steal at .59 cents. I bake instead of buying pre made sweets. Much cheaper.

I do have to say I do pretty good with sales and coupons. Like another reader said though, it takes awhile to get enough things stocked up before you really notice the savings sometimes.

[elizabeth]

I like to make a big batch of brown rice (or another good grain - like quinoa or millet) - then the boys can make all kinds of things with it. One of our favorites is to add a half/whole cup of whichever grain to a cup of soup.

Eggs with tortillas.
Sausages with lots of onions.
Potato dishes - cheap and filling (and can add other *hidden* veggies)
Stir Frys
Pancakes or waffles with add ins.

It seems, now where we live, veggies and fruit are cheap(er) but everyday foods are sky rocketing.

[Jessica]

I am always looking for deals but being a single mom with a teenage boy, I am always looking to stretch a dollar. When we are really waiting for payday, I can cook some ground turkey and add some diced tomato's beans, chiles and cheese. I always make sure that I keep canned beans and diced tomato's in the cupboard.

[mm]

I have three kids who are under 15. I also work with at risk pregnant women. They too have many days of "6 bucks left." It is tough. I like many of the suggestions above. When I go to the grocery store myself I often stick to the outside aisles and usually you can get your dairy, fruits and vegetables, meats, and breads. The rest is usually processed foods. I try to pickup a store bought pizza as they are much cheaper than take out, and hot dogs are always a cheap buy for when the kids inevitably have friends over.

[Sylvia]

I really appreciate all of these suggestions. I was not much of a cook a couple of years ago and have been forced to learn because eating out just isn't an option anymore. Coupons are a lot of work...dragging three children under the age of 6 to the store means I always forget some if not all of the coupons. Who can imagine? I am very lucky that my boys are human trash disposals and will eat almost anything so I can't wait to try some of these suggestions. Thank you all so much for these wonderful ideas.

[Sylvia]

I forgot to add, we do eat a ton (and I do mean a ton...sometimes 2 dozen a week)of eggs but this isn't very cost efficient for me because we buy them organic and the cheapest I have gotten then for is about $3.85. My husband thinks this is frivolous. Does anybody out there think organic eggs are really worth it? Am I wasting my money?

[mm]

Sylvia You could go the Duggars website- the one on TLC. Think what you want about a family of 18 but by golly they have alot of ways to save money. Mrs Duggar has put alot of her recipes online as well, and alot of them taste great.

[kyoot]

mmmmmmmm home made pizza!

[Megan]

Frankly, I think buying organic is, for the most part, a waste of money. I do not think that buying organic eggs is worth the health benefit if you are struggling financially. I eat Kroger brand non-organic eggs, make omelets out of them with whatever veggies and cheese I have on hand, and it works and tastes just fine. If you are a big believer in organic, I would recommend going to your local farmer's market if you have one. This is the right time of the year for it, and you can get great locally-grown food at the lowest price possible. Which IMO is a far better investment, ethically and nutritionally, of your money.

If you don't have a garden, I'd suggest not being shy about mentioning your plight to anyone who does. Everyone I know who grows veggies has way too many this time of year and would be very happy to donate.

As for cheap meals, all the suggestions here are good ones. When I was at my absolute poorest in college, I'd buy whatever fresh vegetable was on sale and pair it up with ramen noodles. I also think that chili is a wonderful cheap meal, especially if you minimize the beef and use lots of beans and cook them yourself.

Also, if you have a Kroger in your area, lately they have had really good prices on their non-organic produce. I don't know where it's coming from or how they were able to reduce the prices (I don't much want to think about it) but for my area, grapes for $1.99 a pound is great.

Hope this is all helpful, and Sylvia, I hope things turn around for you soon.

[BeeBelle]

A good friend of mine with four kids and an unemployed hubby just had a "stone soup" potluck to get through until the next unemployment check. She hosted a party and everyone brought pot luck dishes and left her the leftovers. This may sound tacky, but it didn't come off that way - it was very relaxed and fun. She put in the effort and cleaned etc., and I think by now everyone's kind of used to the idea that any of us could be in that situation, so we like to help each other.

[Martha]

Just have 2 things - 1, you can do pancakes using powdered milk. As long as there's syrup, my kids don't complain. :)

2, pasta fazul is a big hit over here. (pasta & canned cannelini beans)

[mel]

Just a quick tip on the expensive egg front.. get a couple of chickens and feed them the scraps (veggie peels, apple cores etc) stuff that would hit the garbage anyways, and a little poultry food, and bob's your uncle, cheap free range eggs and you KNOW what they're eating. They don't need much space either.

[girlsmama]

Rice and beans. Complete protein, and very filling. Not to mention cheap. We cook the beans in a pressure cooker with a little garlic onion, and a ham hock if we are splurging. You don't have to presoak if you use a pressure cooker so dinner is still on the table in an hour.

[Young Wife]

Try searching for vegetarian recipes. We like lentil tacos. It's much cheaper than chicken or beef tacos. Watch the ads. Some weeks you can buy broccoli and apples on sale, some weeks carrots and yogurt. Look for those loss leaders. Sometimes if I don't want to spend any more grocery money, I pull out all the random weird stuff from the pantry and freezer. Usually I can come up with something decent for a meal.

[Becki]

Cheap, easy, tasty and quick: Take one can black beans (drained), one can diced tomatoes with chilies or jalapenos (drained with juice reseved to add back in as desired), 1 cup frozen corn, and dump it all in a skillet and heat through. Serve over rice. It's great with leftover pork or chicken thrown in, with shredded cheese on top, or just with the beans/tomatoes/corn combo.

[Katie]

Becki - Your dinner sounds like something my family would LOVE. I am going to make it tonight. Since I'll have to wait for the rice to cook anyway, I'm going to start with sauteéd onion and garlic to give it an extra little kick. Some cumin sounds nice too.

Our favorite cheap meal starts with 2 cans stewed tomatoes (don't drain) in a pot. Add 1/2 - 1 C dry elbow macaroni (use the higher amount or more if you're really stretching dollars) and about 1/2 can of water. Simmer until macaroni is done, adding water as necessary and stirring frequently so the macaroni doesn't stick to the bottom. Add 2 cans of creamed corn and heat through. I think most people add browned hamburger and cheese to this. Sometimes my husband adds black beans.

We buy all our canned vegetables at case lot sales, so they end up being 50 cents each. Full price they would be about a dollar. So the whole meal is $2.50 - $5 and feeds our family of 5 (3 boys, 2 adults).