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Thread: What have you done to combat food price increaes?

  1. #31
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    Gregg:

    We like the taste of rutabagas, and I add them same time as potaotoes. If you are asking if we add them as herbs for flavoring stock, no. I think there are better herbs available for that use. Also, our chicken bones (especially wing "tips") typically have seasoning clinging to them from when they were grilled or roasted. That seasoning dissolves in the stock.

    I need 2 days to make stock from poultry bones, because I chill it overnight. Then the bad fat can be skimmed off, and the good stuff is jelled underneath.

  2. #32
    Senior Member mtnlaurel's Avatar
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    Here is a "DUH, you haven't been doing that all along" trick I figured out recently.

    French Toast is a hit here at the house, so we have been plowing through the syrup.

    I really try to stay away from the HighFructoseCornSyrup when I can.... making syrup a luxury item (and I'm sure it will become even more so with the past warm winter).
    I was reading labels at the store and picked up a bottle of 'Lite' Syrup out of curiosity - the first ingredient is Water.
    I'm sure everyone in the grocery saw the lightbulb appear over my head in aisle 9.

    I've been buying a Log Cabin syrup product that contains real Maple Syrup and a few other naturally occurring things....
    I promptly went home and cut it with a little more than 1/3 water and no one has even noticed!

    I no longer buy juice - milk or water are the choices for the kids, homemade lemonade or homemade hot chocolate are the treat-drinks, iced tea or water for me
    We've gotten our processed foods waaaay down --- based as much on taste as $$. I can hardly stomach that stuff anymore.
    I found we were going out to eat 'to cheat' -- so I started making 'cheat stuff' at home -- nachos, etc.
    Meat is becoming more of an every so often thing -- more bean (dried) meals that I can get multiple meals out of.

  3. #33
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    We're fortunate to live within pickup distance of a bulk organic supplier of flour, grains, beans, dried fruits, nuts, etc. (they supply major groceries, breweries, etc. as well as selling retail) We've been upping the meals that use these products, making more bread and tortillas, chili, oatmeal, granola, etc. For example, the organic whole wheat flour, freshly milled in our own state, can be as cheap as $0.60/lb sometimes, which really adds up when husband loves sandwiches, french toast, etc. They state where each product was grown/milled, so we can choose to only buy things that are from our region if we like. Combined with a spring-summer-fall garden, this saves a lot of money for us.

  4. #34
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    The only thing that has changed for us is that we are on weight watchers and don't eat a large variety of food. Our food bill is much lower now. It still is expensive for how little we buy!

  5. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aqua Blue View Post
    I have been thinking a lot about how much groceries have increased. Sometimes it really worries me and I don't feel nearly as food safe as I used to. Is it an issue for you? Have you changed the way you buy groceries?

    1. I pretty much only buy marked down meat now.
    2. I totally stopped buying pop,
    3. I used to treat myself to bought cookies (oreos) now and then, ... I have started occasionally baking cookies(once a month), but I freeze them and only allow myself one at a time.
    4. I did my first order of Bountiful Baskets and felt it was a good deal for the price...
    5. because I used to have a big garden, but the hand arthritis makes that impossible.
    6. I have started looking for recipes to make things at home rather than buying them.
    ***One was for homemade corn syrup.
    *** I also recently found a recipe for "ice cream" using canned milk. I am not a big ice cream eater, but once in a while I get a craving.
    7. I have been trying to make more groceries. (processed food?)
    8. I started making my own coffee creamer using powdered milk
    9. As far as bread goes, I have been trying to eat less for health reasons and what I do I pretty much is homemade.
    10. I too like candy, but I have stopped.
    11. We had gotten into the habit of eating out usually fast food....
    12. My grocery bill has actually been down a little since the beginning of the year. Somewhat from eating less and using stockpiled things, but someI think because of the changes I have implemented. What changes have you made?
    When we started tracking everything, down to the penny, I would take out the grocery receipts and put down each food item in my spreadsheet. I found that we were spending too much on sweets, from soda (pop) to candy to cookies and ice cream. We were spending too much on chips, meat, and processed foods. This was way back in 2006, 2007.

    We took that stuff out. When we moved into our RV, it had a very small refrigerator and freezer, so most of our stuff was dried foods that could be easily stored.

    I found out that I needed to eat gluten free, so we have pretty much cut out the breads and pasta and ramen noodles, instead going with rice and beans. Tomato sauce and rice seems very similar to tomato sauce and pasta, and can be better for you (and cheaper). Especially when you, either make your own sauce or get sauce for cheap and then add veggies to it.

    We have pretty much gone with so little meat. We tend to do a crockpot of beans, and put either a chicken breast or pork piece in it. Then add rice and lots of veggies, and that is our lunch for several days. We do like our deli meats, going usually high end and only having a slice or two a day.

    Lunches are the big meal for us. We have sometimes eggs for lunch too, if we are off, for brunch. Of course with lots of veggies and salsa. Sometimes bacon bits used sparingly. And we like our cheese - usually cheddar.

    But our breakfast and dinners are usually fruit/veggie shakes, with lots of extra ingredients. I have lost a good amount of weight by doing this, even with visiting friends and family. Our dinners are usually a 8-16 oz shake (filled with oranges, apples, spinach or carrots, frozen berries, limes, etc.) and a half bag of microwaved popcorn with parmesan cheese on it. We got an expensive blender to keep this weight off and it is working well for us. It means lots of fruits and vegetables and we do have our salty snacks. Usually peanuts but then we also eat almonds and walnuts (raw, not salted).

    We have to have the salted stuff, as we live in the high desert, and lose salts very easily. When hiking that is most people's downfall, they do not eat enough salty snacks.

    I noticed you are making stuff that is still processed...why not just go with half and half or whole milk, and then use less? DH uses a french press (real cheap to get one) then ground coffee, and adds hot chocolate and either 1/2 & 1/2 or whole milk. Why suffer with the caffeine of choice? Make it taste as good as it can, and enjoy that cup. It keeps you focused for the rest of the day.

    And a garden - couple of things, we do sprouts, all different kinds. It is great for those that cannot have a big garden, gives you the nutrients that you need and you get your veggies. We can then make them into stir fry, or I do wheat grass and it can be put into the shakes. We also put them into soups. I am trying to make them into the salads, but I would have to have a larger quantity, but will experiment this summer. And summer is a great way to go. You might try helping out someone else, and getting a few things, or joining a share group to get veggies. it might be cheaper or more healthy that way.

    Quote Originally Posted by treehugger View Post
    Making and using a price book, shopping from the grocery store sale flyers, cooking and baking mostly from scratch, and buying in bulk where reasonable, are all strategies I have been using for the past 2 years that keep our grocery bill within our tight budget.
    Kara
    Totally used a price book, have now gotten it down to a price sheet of all the foods we eat and where to get them. But I am going to have to start bringing a calculator, they keep switching the amounts. I have it priced out by oz and lb or gallon, but then they have it by Liter or pint...vexing!

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