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Food is the one thing I don't cheap out on, but there are ways to save a lot if you shop smartly. Healthy, nutritious food is something everyone should have. How much is your health and the health of your loved ones worth?
There are some foods everyone should buy in organic form. I eat a lot of salads and try to get everything I can there organic. The toxins that are sprayed on plants do not wash off, they go into your body where they accumulate until you get bad stuff like cancer. They never leave once you ingest them.
Rather than eat dead animals that are fed grains which are sprayed w/ seriously bad chemicals and grown in hazardous fertilizers, I eat mostly wild caught fish. An 8 pack of filleted, wild caught pink salmon and the same w/ wild caught whiting is only about $20 for the two at Walmart. That's a seriously good deal. They have organic canned beans for about 10 cents more a can than the non organic beans. Organic eggs are under $5 a dozen there too.
Wheat is inflammatory and full of calories and sprayed toxins, so I don't eat bread or wheat based pastas. The Palmini pastas are delicious and made from hearts of palm. Only 20 calories a serving. Fresh pineapples are healthy and delicious, $2.25 for a huge pineapple. Apples are one of the most chemically sprayed crops. They sink into the stem part and can't be washed off, so you're eating the poisoned apples from fairy tales. Organic apples are essentially the same price, and the same w/ organic celery.
Eating like this is not that expensive, I only spend about $140-$160 a month. If I bought these things at Whole Paycheck they would be twice or even three times the price for the same food.
I know you can buy organic foods at many stores now, but some of it may still be harder to find. For instance, you might find organic produce at a local farmer's market but not at your local supermarket, or only a small selection at the latter. Many cities do have stores that carry organic products almost exclusively, like MOM's Organic Market here in the Northeast, however, often the price differential between conventional and organic may still be higher at these stores.
It might help those reading this forum if you explained where you buy your food.
I've used the value menu for 20 yrs, and enjoyed many $0.99 - $1.99 meals, but no more possible with new fares.
I usually just get a small chili. ($1.49 in some locations, and $3.09 in other locations)
Or a Jr Cheese with lettuce instead of bun ($2.49, was $1.29). But I have never had fries and a drink. Even at today's inflated prices, I've never had a Wendys bill over $5. Usually <$2.50. - of course I have my free frosty keytab. I usually shoot for a couple hundred free frosties / yr, but I give out a lot of key tabs and Boo Books for gifts (and to support the child adoption program).
The best fast food deal recently was Taco Bell value 'Cravings' box for $5, including fried Chalupa and Burrito and Taco, but they reduced that deal and removed the $4 Chalupa. So I'm back to budget buying (no drinks, no fries / charros). I limit dining out and entertainment to $10 / week (used to be $5) pre-covid. Still gets a very nice meal at the local 'Steak House' happy hour.
TB and Wendys often offer free senior drinks (over age 55) not that we need anything except water.
Potlucks still bring my best 'Save-Money-on-food' options. I attend at least (4) potlucks / month, and most are at rural ranch areas with LOTS of wild game (quite a bit of fishing in all my home areas), and grazed livestock / fresh garden and forest foraged produce. Tis the season for Smoked Salmon Chowder. (We ended up with 200# of wild Salmon this yr)
My freezer is very full so I haven't been doing a lot of meat shopping BUT today I had to stop in the Giant grocery store for one item and I checked the meat case -- this particular store usually has a nice selection of "manager specials" which are marked down 50%. I scored a very nice vacumm packaged ANGUS London Broil -- almost 3 pounds had been $8.99lb. Got the whole thing for $11 -- threw it in my freezer. I am pretty particular but that's a big savings for a nice piece of meat. I make a good beef and broccoli lo mein and use that cut. Those manager specials can be a good way to stock up.
My freezer is very full so I haven't been doing a lot of meat shopping BUT today I had to stop in the Giant grocery store for one item and I checked the meat case -- this particular store usually has a nice selection of "manager specials" which are marked down 50%. I scored a very nice vacumm packaged ANGUS London Broil -- almost 3 pounds had been $8.99lb. Got the whole thing for $11 -- threw it in my freezer. I am pretty particular but that's a big savings for a nice piece of meat. I make a good beef and broccoli lo mein and use that cut. Those manager specials can be a good way to stock up.
Giant (Landover, MD) or Giant (Carlisle, PA)?
I ask because I live in the territory of the latter but don't shop there much because I perceive their prices as being on the high side. But if they have "manager's specials" like those, maybe I should drop in one sometime.
(Giant (Landover) and Giant (Carlisle) are owned by the same Dutch/Belgian supermarket company (Ahold Delhaize) but have different logos and managements. The former operates in the Washington-Baltimore region. The latter operates in Central Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia region. It also has stores called Martin's in part of Giant (Landover)'s territory in Maryland.)
I ask because I live in the territory of the latter but don't shop there much because I perceive their prices as being on the high side. But if they have "manager's specials" like those, maybe I should drop in one sometime.
(Giant (Landover) and Giant (Carlisle) are owned by the same Dutch/Belgian supermarket company (Ahold Delhaize) but have different logos and managements. The former operates in the Washington-Baltimore region. The latter operates in Central Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia region. It also has stores called Martin's in part of Giant (Landover)'s territory in Maryland.)
Giant of Landover MD. I shop in two different Giant's in Northern Virginia and they both do Manager's Specials. Some stores have better meat departments than others -- try to go to one that is big and does a lot of business and go early in the morning -- between 8 and 10 am. The best deals -- steaks and things -- go quickly. When I was at mine today -- around 11 am -- they still had cube steaks and turkey Italian sausage and a whole big area of individual bison patties. The manager's specials are always 50% off and usually are because the buy date is today or tomorrow.
We do large buys of produce at a local produce store. As soon as we come home, we wrap individual carrots, celery bunches, squash and other vegetables in paper towels and store them in plastic bags in the refrigerator. The paper towels are key to keeping the vegetables from getting mushy because they get wet over time. We check the carrots and celery about once a week to see if any of the paper towels are too wet, and replace any that are. I generally cook things like squash and peppers relatively soon after the day we go to the store. I've been amazed how long produce lasts with the paper towel method. No more mushy or rotted vegetables.
I shop the store coupons and store specials--especially the store manager specials. It helps to be a flexible chef who can make do and be creative with diverse foods.
Today, I saved more than $9 by purchasing store specials.
I've found vegetable sources of protein to cost less than animal sources. Likely healthier, too.
I have multiple good grocery stores in my area -- and I have time as I am retired. So I am a "cherry picker"and drive to several stores and buy mostly all their sale items. Just checked the Harris Teeter weekly flyer which comes out on Wednesday and see they have chicken leg quarters for 99 cents. I will buy a big pack and freeze some. They also do the BOGO (buy one get one free) and you don't have to buy two -- you can get one at half price. They have yukon gold potoatoes at BOGO and the larger Quaker Oats -- will buy both of those. I also go to Aldi and Lidl -- their produce is good and much cheaper -- especially the 3 packs of romaine. We eat a lot of salad. Also my VERY picky husband has decreed that the LIDL raisan bran passes the test -- he usually will only eat Kellogs which is ridiculously expensive. The LIDL brand is half the price. But I like to grocery shop so not everyone would enjoy my method.
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