I have done several posts suggesting ways to shop that also save money. On 20 December 2018 (revised 21 July 2020), one of my very first posts was on Shopping. I did not provide many shopping ideas, and the post was a bit on the short side, as I had not yet identified a clear point-of-view to my blog. But several years later, on 2 April 2021 I posted a much more focused post filled with Smart Shopping Ideas; starting with what is at home, how to prep food for the week, and ideas on what to buy or avoid. Here then, is my third dip into saving money while shopping for food.
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Money Tips for Food
Redefine Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Reportedly the ancient Romans only ate one meal a day, around lunchtime thinking it was the healthiest thing to do and they called this one meal “dinner”. The idea of three meals a day is a recent invention (1) starting in the 17th century with the idea of breakfast being a form of eggs, like scrambled, with coffee or tea. In the 19th century the breakfast was hearty, meant to fortify us with energy to start the industrial day with a real meal of porridge, meat, coffee or tea.
Then, after working for ~6 hours, middle and lower class workers were ready for lunch which often was a meat pie, which turned into sandwiches later. For the industrial businessmen, or men who wanted to be one, lunch became a time to network. The industrial workers ate dinner after another 6 hours of work and that started the “dinner” as we know it. But as lighting became the norm, dinner started later and later. For the working class, they came home to dinner but for upper class dinner was served later and formally.
But not every breakfast needs an egg, not every lunch needs be a sandwich, and not every dinner needs a chunk of meat on the plate. Look to other countries for ideas on foods to make for those meals, and often you may find cheaper and even healthier alternatives. But also mix it all up; think sandwich for breakfast and eggs and potatoes for dinner. You need not stick to traditions for when you eat what food.
For decades I drank tea for breakfast, only ate one big meal a day at lunch time, and had a snack at dinner. But these days many nutritionists recommend 5-6 smaller meals a day rather than the traditional larger 3 meals a day. What and when you eat is your decision, just eat when you are hungry, and get enough calories and nutrients to sustain your body and mind (1).
How does this save money? By removing eating traditions, mixing up what food is served when, and eating when hungry we can move away from “forced eating” which may mean for me eating once a day or for you twice a day. This can lesson the cost of food just by not overeating. Or it can lesson the cost by not forcing the use of certain foods at certain meals. A cheaper veggie scramble with eggs and cheese is going to be cheaper for dinner than a steak, potatoes, and gravy meal.
Limit Animal Protein
In terms of the actual cost of animal protein (meat, fowl and fish) in the USA, when compared to other parts of the world, our costs are considered “moderate” (1). When only looking at the food we need to buy at grocery stores, especially for those with limited income, meat is one of the more expensive items on our shopping lists, along with alcohol, nuts, and cheese. However, it is possible to save money outright by eliminating or limiting the amount of meat, fowl, or fish purchased.
Options for saving money on proteins.
- Do not buy animal protein, but focus instead on other protein options.
- Limit animal protein use, so they are an accent (little bits, like 3oz) to a dish.
- Use animal protein as only one of the ingredients of a dish.
- Choose to buy cheaper forms or cuts of animal protein.
- Use plant proteins.
- Use less often use animal parts (chicken feet, oxtails, pigs feet, etc)
Meat Cost Comparison
I would argue, to save money, never use meat as the focus of a main course. For example, if I am making a dish of steak + potatoes, fish + chips, or a prime rib dinner, the main cost of that meal would be the animal protein. The reason it costs more is that: the size of the protein serving will be larger, and the cut of the meat will be costlier.
- Under normal circumstances, a dietary-serving of meat should be 3 ounces (2). However, if I am making a prime rib dinner, with only 3 ounces of meat on the plate, it will look unbalanced visually. As a result, the recommended dinner-serving is considered by many to be 1 pound (3).
- “Prime” prime rib costs ~$17/pound (or ~$1.0625/ounce). So a dietary serving of this meat would cost ~$3.19 per plate, while the larger dinner serving would cost ~$17.00 per plate.
- I prefer serving 3oz to 6oz as a proper portion of beef meat.
If I choose to make a dinner, with meat as an accent or as one of the ingredients, the cost goes down dramatically. Examples are salad with chicken, vegetable + chicken soup, or a chicken Tagine.
- Under normal circumstances, a dietary-serving of chicken should be 4 ounces (4).
- This amount can easily be chopped to top a good hearty salad, or shredded into small pieces for a soup. For a soup or salad that serves 4-6 people I would be able to use as little as 1/2 to one chicken breast.
- The cost of a chicken breast in 2020 was averaged to ~$3.29
But also look at the two examples I provided above, and you can see where I could choose to use cheaper cuts or types of animal protein and that alone could save me money.
Avoid Non-Relevant Sales
Unless the item on sale is something you regularly use, do not buy just because an item is on sale. Also check out the wording, as sometimes a “sale” is not really any cheaper. It is a marketing gimmick, so read the details carefully. One good way is to compare the “price per unit” of the non-sale item and the sale item to see if there are any real financial differences.
Make Broths, Soup or Stews Often
I am known for my tasty and filling soups and stews. The main secret to my success is that I always use home made broths for my base as it is more flavorful.
For me, while we do not often eat meat anymore, I do make chicken, beef, pork and Dashi broths. I make these items from scratch and the dogs get the benefit of this effort by way of all the edible scraps that are left over once done. My freezer always has containers of frozen meat-based broths.
I love soups and feel like these cheap-to-make meals are very filling as well as healthy. You can save money by minimizing the use of meat, include starchy items (like potatoes or beans/legumes) in the ingredients, and serving soup with warm, hot-buttered bread or biscuits.
Also, remember that soups and stews can be easily frozen for use later.
Dump Dishes
Using “dump” dishes like casseroles and stews, and related techniques, are a clear way to save money. How money is saved is by: 1) reducing food waste by not throwing out wilted or “past prime” food, 2) being able to use cheaper ingredients, or cheaper cuts of foods, while maximizing flavor and texture, and 3) feeding more bellies despite limited ingredients.
The following are my calculations for a casserole or stew.
- Casserole: starch + veggies + protein + cheese + flavor.
- Stews: thick starchy broth + starch + protein + veggies + flavor.
The point here is that casseroles and stews, in general, are made with a starchy base, and contain veggies, protein, and have a focus on filling stomachs and making the dishes very flavorful.
- Starch: potatoes or other tubers, pasta, rice, plantains, grains/cereals, breads, etc.
- Protein: meat, fowl, or fish that can be either part of the broth for stews or in small chunks for casseroles. Additionally I include either beans or legumes in my definition of protein.
Then there are casserole recipes that utilize a cooking technique that can help make a little dish go further. Add a Little Panade, describes a way to make casseroles and stews more voluminous and filling by adding bread.
- Gabby’s Mac-n-Cheese: a pasta-based casserole
- Panade Dump Casserole: a generic panade casserole recipe
- Tomato Panade Soup
Grow Herb + Spice Ingredients
I have written a few posts on growing your own herbs, for I find buying herbs in the store to be expensive and wasteful. Next time you are in the store look at the prices of small packs of organic herbs. They are expensive. Especially if you only need a teaspoon or two for your dish.
The minimum to do is if you buy store herbs, do not throw them away or put into the fridge to die. Make a point of drying the remainder so you get to use all of the herbs.
If, however, you can focus on growing your own herbs, you can pick just what you need and keep growing for future uses. If you need to, you can also harvest your herbs and dry them for future use (or future gifts to family and friends).
Make Your Own
Keeping on the theme of growing your own, how about saving money by never buying a spice or herb blend.
The only spice blends I do buy are specific ones related to cuisines where I have limited experience. So I might buy a particular Indian Curry Blend, but would never buy an Italian Blend. Why should I when I know what goes into that blend and have those herbs growing in my garden? I can mix my own.
Another issue under this heading is to stop buying canned, cooked beans and cook from very inexpensive dried beans. This means learning how to cook like our grandmothers, from choosing the beans, cleaning them, soaking, to cooking. Yes it takes more of your time, but it will make your money go very far.
Preserve Your Own
If you have fruit trees or a little garden with veggies you can also save money by preserving your homegrown food. This can save your family money directly, by not having to buy the ingredients freely growing in your yard. Or you can learn to preserve those foods by canning.
Canning has some up-front costs for equipment, but from that point on, your costs are relatively low and benefits are high as you can store and use these foods at anytime in the future. For me, I have lots of food I could can, freeze, or dry on my own. From blueberry bushes, to a collection of lemon, lime, and apple trees, along with two 8’ x 3’ raised garden beds for herbs and various veggies.
- Plum Crisp + Jam: a journey into caning
- Solar Drying Herbs + Veggies
- A Blueberry Harvest: a frozen delight
Stay Away From Processed Foods
The only processed foods I currently still eat are the occasional Instant Ramen soup (ranges from $0.89 – $6.00 per pack)that I spice up with veggies and protein, and a particular cornbread box (usually $0.99 per box) that I have on hand for emergency dishes. Some people would also add the Mac-n-Cheese (usually ~1 to $1.99 per box).
The funny thing about processed foods is that they are often very cheap, and absolutely unhealthy. It is possible to avoid these cheap, unhealthy foods and still make inexpensive, and healthy food. It takes planning, which we are all capable of.
Skip Packaged Foods
This is true especially for salad. Buying prepackaged salad is much more expensive than buying the actual ingredients, washing them, and chopping into your salad. Often for the price of of a couple of packaged salad (2 servings per bag), you could buy the ingredients and make servings for up to 8. Do the math by comparing the size and the cost.
Likewise grate your own cheese or make your own cheese blends. Bulked cheese is cheaper than pre-processed cheese.
Buy In-Season
In season food is generally much cheaper than food having to be imported from other parts of the world. Generally it is cheaper since it is more bountiful at the moment, and additional sales may be happening.
Buy Frozen Baked Goods
Frozen baked food is often less expensive. All you need to do is cook the item, and perhaps add icing.
However, many gluten-free bread do come frozen and may not be any cheaper than the “ready to eat” versions.
Shop Store Brands + Bulk
If the ingredients are equally good, the store brand will often be cheaper. For instance, I do buy Costco’s Kirkland brand of Olive and Avocado Oils and know that they are pure and quality ingredients. I do not need to buy an expensive, potentially diluted, olive oil from Italy.
Sometimes, but not always, bulk items are less expensive than packaged brand named items. That 12-case may be less expensive per can than the 6-pack. But this way of shopping also saves money in that you can get as much of the ingredient as you need. Why buy a 6# bag of rice, when you only need 1C for the recipe?
Try Different Stores
I shop at various stores for my food. Luckily they are all within a 3 mile radius from my home.
- Costco: Meat, fish, oil, dog food, paper products, etc.
- Trader Joes: Frozen foods mainly, sometimes their nuts
- El Cerrito Natural Grocery Store: Bulk, turkey, soup bones, plant milk, eggs, tofu products
- Monterey Market: Veggies, mushrooms, imported canned ingredients (in metal cans or glass jars)
- Lucky: A favorite cheese, breakfast cereal, corn chips, peanut butter,
Review and Use Coupons
Yes you can save money by using coupons for food you would normally buy, shopping around to find the best deals, try farmer’s markets instead of brick-and-mortar stores, etc.
Summary
Often, just paying attention to what dishes you are serving and what you are buying is enough to save money. So for us, thinking outside the box, not just moving toward the usual foods we eat, can save us cash.
- Oatmeal with nuts and fresh fruits: is a filling, nutritious meal and flat, old-fashioned oatmeal is very cheap to buy. This is a wonderfully hearty breakfast.
- Some pasta are cheap and fortified, that combined with veggies and minimal meat can be very filling.
- Rice is inexpensive in the USA, so combining rice and veggies can also provide a very filling meal with using only a minimal amount of meat.
But I do not skimp on all things. There are some items I only buy from one particular brand, regardless of the cost of other similar products. For instance:
- Adams Natural Creamy peanut butter for their organic peanut + salt product, that has a consistent texture and taste for each jar, and for its great flavor. Nothing compares.
- For tomato products I only buy Pomi, for real Italian tomatoes that have been peeled, and de-seeded. I use these crushed, diced, sauced tomatoes for everything and always have a couple in my pantry.
- Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese is the only cheddar cheese we use when a recipe calls for cheddar. I do like other cheddar type cheeses from Britain and Ireland, but we use this one consistently for its great flavor and coloring. It also melts well into casseroles and on chips. But also they are a Farmers Coop, made up of medium sized family farms throughout Oregon, and since 1909 have taken their responsibility toward their animals, land and communities seriously.
- For other milk products we use Straus Creamery cow’s non-fat milk, sour cream, and yogurt. Since 1994 they have built relationships with 12+ family farms to create their non-GMO, organic products while being focused on sustainability.
Tell me what you do to save money shopping.
—Patty
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