I am absolutely appauled at how high the food prices have risen lately. Aren't you? It's nothing short of highway robbery, in my opinion!
When I saw the prices rising so sharply, I went on the defensive! As I have mentioned in my other articles about how to live a stress-free, free-spirit type of life ( see article ), I am not one of those who worry about everything- I take action instead! I got creative in my cooking, I figured out some tricks to getting the most out of my money, and I even got hundreds of dollars of food for free!
And want to know a secret... I never clipped one single coupon or consulted a grocery store advertisement to do so!
I do plan to start doing that, though. I have read how consumers can combine the advertisements with in-store coupons AND manufacturer's coupons to get things virtually free. I will tell you how to do this in the last paragraph.
Tip #1: Get Creative in Your Cooking
Did you know that ground turkey is at least 30 cents cheaper (or more) than ground beef? If you fry it with a little vegetable oil and a little powdered beef boullion, it tastes EXACTLY like real hamburger?
Rice is an awesome food filler. Need to make a recipe stretch, or make people feel fuller quicker? I cook up big batches of rice. When the rice is perfectly cooked I take 1/2 of it out of the pan and use it as intended or add it to soups. The other half is cooked even longer. I pour more water into the pan and let it cook until it is mush. This mush can then be added to virtually any dish you are cooking. Yes, it can even be added to meatloaf! The rice adds bulk, makes your family feel full quicker, and gives them a healthy dose of fiber! When you are cooking your rice, do not add any sort of seasoning, not even salt, since you never know where or how you will need to use it. Ever heard of rice pudding? You should search for a recipe for it, because it is extremely cheap to make and absolutely delicious!
Learn how to make your own sauces. Forget the jars of alfredo sauce, make your own with milk, water, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and onion powder. Use salt and pepper to your preferences. Make your own gravy with a tablespoon full of corn starch and any flavoring of your choosing. If making white gravy, follow the same method as above, just omit the parmesan and go lightly on the seasonings.
Cook a big pan of beans, any variety. Repackage them into small freezer baggies or containers, then include them in your recipes instead of grabbing a can of beans. You will save 300% by cooking and freezing your own beans than getting the canned varieties.
Tip #2: Stretch Your Grocery Dollar
Do you know how to make potato soup? You can make a HUGE pan full for less than three dollars, enough to last your family an entire week! To make potato soup, peel, cut up, and boil as many potatoes as you like. Use a potato masher and mash a FEW of the potatoes, leave the rest in chunks. Leave a little water in the pan. Pour in enough milk to cover the potatoes, add a glob of butter, then season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. You can also boil a real onion in there if you want to, finely chopped.
Buy the big bags of chicken leg quarters instead of pre-cut pieces. Yes, they are messy. Yes, they are a nuissance. But they are well worth the money. Yesterday I paid less than fifty cents a pound for a 10 pound bag of chicken leg quarters. I cut up half of them when I got home, making family-sized portions of legs and thighs. The rest I boiled, taking the meat off of the bone and storing it in freezer baggies. I can now have chicken to include in any recipe, make shake-n-bake some night for supper, and I have an all-natural, healthy chicken stock to use for soups, gravies, or my favorite recipes.
Check out the "Angel Food Program." If it is in your area, it is well worth the money. This is a program that anyone, regardless of income, can participate. You are purchasing food at a wholesale price about two weeks before delivery. The food manufacturers deliver the food fresh to your distribution site on a specific day, ready for you to pick up. You can buy as many food boxes as you like! Angel food gives you a monthly menu, which consists of fresh vegetables and fruits, frozen and fresh items, meats, canned goods, etc. The food is sold in boxed sets, so each box will include all of the items on the menu. You purchase as many boxes as you want about two weeks before delivery, and then go to pick them up on the delivery date. The current price for an Angel Food box is $30 each, but the value of the food inside is about $75-$90, depending on your market. Angel Food is a non-profit program and is commonly distributed through an area church. If you do not currently have Angel Food in your area, perhaps you would like to spread the word and encourage a local church to start the program.
When it comes to the overall price of food, do your homework. Don't do too much though, its not necessary at this point. By homework, I mean for you to compare the prices of the same brands and types of food from one store to the other. In my area, we have three different large grocery stores. One store is Wal-Mart, the other is a family-owned chain called Reasor's, and the third is a discount off-brands store called Sav-A-Lot. I always shop at Wal-Mart if I can help it, I never step foot in Reasor's because their prices are outrageous, and Sav-A-Lot food is purchased only if I have no other choice. Sav-A-Lot is okay for some non-perishables, but I won't dare touch their meats or fresh vegetables! Reasor's thinks that their food is laced with gold or something, and literally charge a dollar more (at least) per item over Wal-Mart! So check around and discover who is cheaper in your area. Oh, for goodness sakes, do not get sucked in by ads for your purchases. Unless you are going to that store SPECIFICALLY and ONLY for the item advertised, you will wind up paying more than you intended.
Tip #3: Easy Way to Get Free Food
Now this one works for a fact, I know from personal experience. You will want to write a letter, either on the internet or via snail mail, to every single food manufacturing company who makes food you like. Comment on one of their food items, good or bad it does not matter. Tell them that you want to be included in their promotional lists or customer appreciation list. Ask them if they have any cents-off consumer coupons to spare you. You will be surprised how many of those companies will send you coupons for free food. And, I do mean, totally and completely free!
About a year or so ago, I got into doing this hard and heavy, to the extreme! I went to the store and would literally pull things off the shelf and then write down the contact information on a big spiral-bound, then put the items back. I had some people looking at me funny, but you know what? After going through the entire food side of the store, writing hundreds of letters via email, or send in hand-written notes to the manufacturers, my time was well rewarded. For the longest time thereafter I would go to the mail box every day and find letters full of coupons! A few times I even got big boxes of actual food items delivered to me by UPS! You see, the manufacturers want to know what you, the consumer, think of their merchandise. They want to know how you like, or don't like, what they produce and why. So take advantage of this little-known tip and get yourself some free food!
Tip #4: Use In-Store and Manufacturer Coupons Cooperatively
This is a tip that I have recently learned, and I want to pass it on to you. Some stores have store-only coupons in their advertisements or fliers. For example, Walgreens (a large food and drug warehouse chain) regularly provides cents-off coupons in thier weekly store ads. I have learned that consumers are allowed to use these coupons in conjunction with manufacturer coupons to get the item for next to nothing, sometimes free! You are in luck if the store also offers competitor price-matching or double coupons.
Good luck to all of you out there, and let me know how you were able to save money on groceries using my tips!
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