How To Cut Your Weekly Food Bill
Practical Ideas for Saving Money on Weekly Shopping Bills
Jun 20, 2009
Today, most large supermarkets carry nearly every fruit and vegetable imaginable, and while they are nice to have them available, you pay the price to have them shipped. Items such as fresh berries are nice to have fresh for recipes during the winter, but at a cost of four to five dollars for a just a handful, it is more economical to buy a large bag of frozen berries for the same amount or even less money. The same applies to seasonal vegetables. If for a winter supper you plan on having green beans with a meal and find that the winter cost is $1.49 lb then head over to the frozen food section of the supermarket and get a two pound bag for only a few cents more. That works out to almost half price.
In Season Fruits and Vegetables
If it at all possible, always buy fruits and vegetables loose instead of packaged. Many times the store managers will pages produce so that the outer pieces look just fine, but the inner pieces are bruised or starting to rot. It is also advisable to look for reduced or marked down fruits and vegetables. As long as they are just ripe and not starting to go bad, they are fine for immediate use, freezing or preserving. Fruits such as apples, peaches, plumbs, berries, cherries and bananas are great items to freeze for later use in recipes. Green / yellow beans, peppers, carrots and squash all freeze nicely.
Best Value For Meat Prices
For generations turkey has been set aside for special occasions like Christmas or Thanksgiving because of the high prices throughout the rest of the year. During the holiday season is when the best prices on whole birds can be found and that is the time to stock up. Buy an extra turkey or two during the holidays and keep it frozen. During the summer months the frozen turkey can become an inexpensive BBQ`d feast for a dozen people at a fraction of what it would cost otherwise.
Beef is another way that the smart shopper can save in the supermarket. Stewing beef, flank steak and other cheaper cuts of meat cost between 10-30% less than what are considered to be choice cuts of meat. The only difference is the amount of time that they need to be cooked. For example, Stewing beef can take 2- 2 1/2 hours to cook until it is tender, but if it is marinaded before it is frozen, it only needs the same amount of cooking time as a more choice cut. Today's top chefs are raving about the benefits of cheaper cuts of meat such as blade and flank steaks and roasts. The cheaper cuts have nice marbling, thus enhancing the flavor.
Freezer Staples
Fill empty freezer space with everyday food staples like bread, milk, cheese and freezable bakery items. Avoid freezing items such as cottage cheese, cream, salad greens, uncooked potatoes custards, puddings and previously frozen meats. Just remember that when frozen food is thawed it should be frozen right away.
Look For Store Brands
Generic or "store brands" are seldom ever given a prominent place on any display shelf, but they are there and available at a fraction of the cost of national brands. They do not have the fancy labels or packaging that the big name products do, but they are just as tasty. Quite often they come from the same producer as the big name brands, but the stores will never tell.
Best Before Dates
Best before dates are placed on foods according to Health and Safety Laws. Responsible retailers will do their best to sell foods before these dates, but if they go a day or two over, some will sell at reduced rates to eliminate stock. It is up to the consumer`s common sense to decide if it is safe to buy it or not. Dairy products for example have different warning signs than wheat products. If bread has signs of mold: leave it. If cheese has mold, it can be cut off and safely consumed. Beef, lamb, pork and poultry (unless discolored) should be safe for a few days past the "best before date" where you may not want to buy fish or shellfish when it has past it`s expiry date.
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