Today I'd like to share some of my money saving strategies for stocking
your pantry.
I think we all know about coupons, whether they are store or
manufacturer coupons. Some folks are able to save hundreds using
coupons and more power to them. I just don't have the kind of time it takes
to put together everything to save like that. I do use store coupons if they
are for things I will use. Today I got a free gallon of milk for buying at least
$15 in groceries. I rarely use manufacturer coupons and here's why. I can
get a better price buying the store brand, which is quite often made by the
same company, than by using a coupon for the name brand. Also, most of
the coupons in my mail are for packaged foods, snack foods and junk
foods, which I keep to a minimum. They are not just unhealthy, they are
much more expensive than cooking it from scratch. Convenience foods they
may be but they will eat into your budget, no pun intended. You will need
to decide what is right for you, but I challenge you to cook real food versus
using convenience food and see if you don't feel better and save money too.
Also check the store flyers you get in the mail to see what's on sale for the
week.
I also shop at more than one store, not necessarily on the same day. Get to
know your local stores and keep a list handy of who has the best prices on
what. For instance, I know I can get the best price on canned vegetables at
Kroger if I buy their store brand.
Juices, pet food, cleaning supplies, foil and sometimes coffee are cheaper at
one of the several dollar stores. A grocery store 7 miles away has the best
meat with the best prices as well as a great produce section with excellent
prices. Walmart, of course, will most times win out on other items.
Depending on where my errands take me decides which store I am shopping in that day. I have also found out on which days they mark down produce, meats and bakery items. I am not a baker, so I will buy french bread, rolls and such marked down because they are a day old. Some folks also ask about the vegetables they are throwing out and can often get them cheap or free, I
have not done this, but I'm told it works for some. My guess is it will work
better at a smaller store than one of the mega marts.
One way I save money is I keep my freezer and pantry are pretty full of meat. I bought chicken when it was on sale and boiled it all, boned and skinned it, canned the chicken and the broth. You could also freeze it if you don't want to pressure can it. 1 pint of canned chicken is enough to make a casserole to last the 2 of us for 3 meals - yesterday I made King Ranch Chicken Casserole, we had lunch, dinner and lunch today, no left overs now.
In the freezer is sausage, bacon, hamburger, cubed steak, pork chops,
bratwurst and more chicken in case I want to fry it. All this was
purchased over time when items were on sale. I don't keep meat more than
3 months usually.
If you do home canning, buy the bulk containers of vegetables and such
and re-can them in pints or quarts yourself. One of those huge cans of
green beans is only about $3.50, much less than buying all the little cans.
But check the price per ounce, have a calculator with you. For instance
I found that buying the smallest jar of peanut butter was cheaper per ounce
than buying the largest container of it. This will vary depending on the
brand.
Save more by growing your own food, especially the more expensive fruit
and vegetables. You can always grow a patio tomato plant and many
other vegetables do not mind growing in a pot or tub. Those large
plastic bins work very well if you cut or drill drainage holes.
Save by baking your own breads, cookies and cakes from scratch. They
taste better too. Try making your own pasta or noodles, flour and eggs
are cheap. When I have left over ham, especially with the bone, I make a
big pot of beans and can it in pints. They are just the right size to add to
a meal and a $1 bag of beans makes about 4-6 pints, which if you bought
cans of beans would be about $4-$6. Make soups and can them for quick
meals or lunches, some can be frozen as well.
Keep a stocked pantry of staples, buy when they are on sale or you find
a good deal. Canned food in tins lasts several years at least and food
you home can will last many years, but you'll probably eat it before very
much time passes. I keep rice, beans, barley, noodles, pasta and ramen
soups as well as canned food in my pantry.
Some people plan their menus and shop with that in mind to keep from
buying things they don't need. I like to make sure I've already eaten
before I go shopping or else everything looks good and I spend too
much. I also don't make menus as we a will eat what I bought on sale.
Shop the outside aisles for the real food, not packaged food. If you are
buying cereal, check out the cereal in a bag rather than the box, many
times it is much cheaper and check the price per ounce.
Today I'd like to share some of my money saving strategies for stocking
your pantry.
your pantry.
I think we all know about coupons, whether they are store or
manufacturer coupons. Some folks are able to save hundreds using
coupons and more power to them. I just don't have the kind of time it takes
to put together everything to save like that. I do use store coupons if they
are for things I will use. Today I got a free gallon of milk for buying at least
$15 in groceries. I rarely use manufacturer coupons and here's why. I can
get a better price buying the store brand, which is quite often made by the
same company, than by using a coupon for the name brand. Also, most of
the coupons in my mail are for packaged foods, snack foods and junk
foods, which I keep to a minimum. They are not just unhealthy, they are
much more expensive than cooking it from scratch. Convenience foods they
may be but they will eat into your budget, no pun intended. You will need
to decide what is right for you, but I challenge you to cook real food versus
using convenience food and see if you don't feel better and save money too.
Also check the store flyers you get in the mail to see what's on sale for the
week.
manufacturer coupons. Some folks are able to save hundreds using
coupons and more power to them. I just don't have the kind of time it takes
to put together everything to save like that. I do use store coupons if they
are for things I will use. Today I got a free gallon of milk for buying at least
$15 in groceries. I rarely use manufacturer coupons and here's why. I can
get a better price buying the store brand, which is quite often made by the
same company, than by using a coupon for the name brand. Also, most of
the coupons in my mail are for packaged foods, snack foods and junk
foods, which I keep to a minimum. They are not just unhealthy, they are
much more expensive than cooking it from scratch. Convenience foods they
may be but they will eat into your budget, no pun intended. You will need
to decide what is right for you, but I challenge you to cook real food versus
using convenience food and see if you don't feel better and save money too.
Also check the store flyers you get in the mail to see what's on sale for the
week.
I also shop at more than one store, not necessarily on the same day. Get to
know your local stores and keep a list handy of who has the best prices on
what. For instance, I know I can get the best price on canned vegetables at
Kroger if I buy their store brand.
know your local stores and keep a list handy of who has the best prices on
what. For instance, I know I can get the best price on canned vegetables at
Kroger if I buy their store brand.
Juices, pet food, cleaning supplies, foil and sometimes coffee are cheaper at
one of the several dollar stores. A grocery store 7 miles away has the best
meat with the best prices as well as a great produce section with excellent
prices. Walmart, of course, will most times win out on other items.
Depending on where my errands take me decides which store I am shopping in that day. I have also found out on which days they mark down produce, meats and bakery items. I am not a baker, so I will buy french bread, rolls and such marked down because they are a day old. Some folks also ask about the vegetables they are throwing out and can often get them cheap or free, I
have not done this, but I'm told it works for some. My guess is it will work
better at a smaller store than one of the mega marts.
one of the several dollar stores. A grocery store 7 miles away has the best
meat with the best prices as well as a great produce section with excellent
prices. Walmart, of course, will most times win out on other items.
Depending on where my errands take me decides which store I am shopping in that day. I have also found out on which days they mark down produce, meats and bakery items. I am not a baker, so I will buy french bread, rolls and such marked down because they are a day old. Some folks also ask about the vegetables they are throwing out and can often get them cheap or free, I
have not done this, but I'm told it works for some. My guess is it will work
better at a smaller store than one of the mega marts.
One way I save money is I keep my freezer and pantry are pretty full of meat. I bought chicken when it was on sale and boiled it all, boned and skinned it, canned the chicken and the broth. You could also freeze it if you don't want to pressure can it. 1 pint of canned chicken is enough to make a casserole to last the 2 of us for 3 meals - yesterday I made King Ranch Chicken Casserole, we had lunch, dinner and lunch today, no left overs now.
In the freezer is sausage, bacon, hamburger, cubed steak, pork chops,
bratwurst and more chicken in case I want to fry it. All this was
purchased over time when items were on sale. I don't keep meat more than
3 months usually.
bratwurst and more chicken in case I want to fry it. All this was
purchased over time when items were on sale. I don't keep meat more than
3 months usually.
If you do home canning, buy the bulk containers of vegetables and such
and re-can them in pints or quarts yourself. One of those huge cans of
green beans is only about $3.50, much less than buying all the little cans.
But check the price per ounce, have a calculator with you. For instance
I found that buying the smallest jar of peanut butter was cheaper per ounce
than buying the largest container of it. This will vary depending on the
brand.
and re-can them in pints or quarts yourself. One of those huge cans of
green beans is only about $3.50, much less than buying all the little cans.
But check the price per ounce, have a calculator with you. For instance
I found that buying the smallest jar of peanut butter was cheaper per ounce
than buying the largest container of it. This will vary depending on the
brand.
Save more by growing your own food, especially the more expensive fruit
and vegetables. You can always grow a patio tomato plant and many
other vegetables do not mind growing in a pot or tub. Those large
plastic bins work very well if you cut or drill drainage holes.
and vegetables. You can always grow a patio tomato plant and many
other vegetables do not mind growing in a pot or tub. Those large
plastic bins work very well if you cut or drill drainage holes.
Save by baking your own breads, cookies and cakes from scratch. They
taste better too. Try making your own pasta or noodles, flour and eggs
are cheap. When I have left over ham, especially with the bone, I make a
big pot of beans and can it in pints. They are just the right size to add to
a meal and a $1 bag of beans makes about 4-6 pints, which if you bought
cans of beans would be about $4-$6. Make soups and can them for quick
meals or lunches, some can be frozen as well.
taste better too. Try making your own pasta or noodles, flour and eggs
are cheap. When I have left over ham, especially with the bone, I make a
big pot of beans and can it in pints. They are just the right size to add to
a meal and a $1 bag of beans makes about 4-6 pints, which if you bought
cans of beans would be about $4-$6. Make soups and can them for quick
meals or lunches, some can be frozen as well.
Keep a stocked pantry of staples, buy when they are on sale or you find
a good deal. Canned food in tins lasts several years at least and food
you home can will last many years, but you'll probably eat it before very
much time passes. I keep rice, beans, barley, noodles, pasta and ramen
soups as well as canned food in my pantry.
a good deal. Canned food in tins lasts several years at least and food
you home can will last many years, but you'll probably eat it before very
much time passes. I keep rice, beans, barley, noodles, pasta and ramen
soups as well as canned food in my pantry.
Some people plan their menus and shop with that in mind to keep from
buying things they don't need. I like to make sure I've already eaten
before I go shopping or else everything looks good and I spend too
much. I also don't make menus as we a will eat what I bought on sale.
buying things they don't need. I like to make sure I've already eaten
before I go shopping or else everything looks good and I spend too
much. I also don't make menus as we a will eat what I bought on sale.
Shop the outside aisles for the real food, not packaged food. If you are
buying cereal, check out the cereal in a bag rather than the box, many
times it is much cheaper and check the price per ounce.
buying cereal, check out the cereal in a bag rather than the box, many
times it is much cheaper and check the price per ounce.
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