• How to cut your grocery bill in half (Part one)

    Posted on April 27th, 2009 Saver Queen 11 comments

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    I’ve heard some friends ask recently how to cut back on their grocery bill.  I have many ideas, so here is the first of a series on how to trim back your grocery bill.

    Choosing the right store, stocking up on sales, and using a local food box are great ways to start. 

    But it doesn’t just matter when or where you shop, it matters what you buy. And maybe even more importantly, what you don’t buy.

     
    The best way to cut back on your food bill is to eat a simple but healthy diet of rustic foods and foods made from scratch.  The more processed foods you buy, the more expensive your bill.

    Here are a few of the foods that  I consistently buy when I go shopping:

    - Local & cheap veggies including potatoes, carrots, celery, broccoli, aromatics and apples.  These kinds of foods are versatile, affordable and easily turned into hearty meals.

    - Beans (dried are the cheapest but we also buy cans because of the convenience factor) as well as dried lentils and canned tomatoes that can be turned into soup bases, curries, pasta sauce or pizza sauce.

    - Rice

    - Whole grain crackers 

    - Dairy (I usually have coupons for milk, yogurt, butter, sour cream and certain cheeses) and eggs.

    - One or two cheap cuts of meat

    - Baking supplies

    What I don’t buy (and make from scratch, instead):

    - Bread, pitas

    - Snacks, such as hummus, guacamole, salsa,  granola bars or dips

    - Muffins, cookies, desserts

    - Sauces & Salad dressings (such as curry sauces, pasta sauces, gravies, cooking sauces, etc)

    - Canned soups, chicken or vegetable stock

    - Junk food (chips, chocolate, pop)

    - Cleaning supplies

    Eliminating processed foods, especially the ones I mentioned here, such as the junk food, deserts, and pre-made sauces that have high mark-ups, can save you money right away. 

    This cabbage & white bean soup recipe, described below, is the perfect example of a rustic, homemade meal, complete with homemade bread. Thanks to 101 Cookbooks for this easy, cheap and very tasty recipe! It’s one of my favourites!

    Rustic Cabbage Soup

    Ingredients

    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    a big pinch of salt
    1/2 pound potatoes, skin on, cut 1/4-inch pieces
    4 cloves garlic, chopped
    1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
    5 cups stock* Saver Queen’s note - use a homemade stock for a super-cheap soup, or buy beef broth instead!
    1 1/2 cups white beans, precooked or canned (drained & rinsed well)
    1/2 medium cabbage, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons

    Stir in the garlic and onion and cook for another minute or two. Add the stock and the beans and bring the pot to a simmer. Stir in the cabbage and cook for a couple more minutes, until the cabbage softens up a bit. Now adjust the seasoning - getting the seasoning right is important or your soup will taste flat and uninteresting. Taste and add more salt if needed, the amount of salt you will need to add will depend on how salty your stock is (varying widely between brands, homemade, etc).

    Warm the olive oil in a large thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the salt and potatoes. Cover and cook until they are a bit tender and starting to brown a bit, about 5 minutes - it’s o.k. to uncover to stir a couple times.* Saver Queen’s note: I recommend cooking at a lower temp, or else the potatoes might burn.

    Serve drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a generous dusting of parmesan (or blue!) cheese. Serves 4.

    What do you buy and what don’t you buy when you go to the store?

    The Saver Queen

    Groceries, Recipes
     

    11 responses to “How to cut your grocery bill in half (Part one)”

    1. Money Funk April 27th, 2009 at 19:04

      Great post. You are right that by eliminating the junk food we can save a lot. If I had the time to eliminate many of those I’d be a happy camper, but trying to find time to bake all that good stuff is tough for me. Hmmm… something to work at. :)

      Thanks for the recipe. I love 101cookbooks. And I think I have everthing on hand to make this today. yum!

    2. Virginia April 27th, 2009 at 21:39

      I’m looking forward to hearing what you do for cleaning supplies. I am trying to cut way back on the frighteningly high grocery bill. I think the first thing that is going to help a lot is moving away from the grocery store and not going on quite such a frequent basis!

    3. Bee April 28th, 2009 at 03:44

      Great post.

      Besides being economical, homemade snacks, desserts and sauces are generally tastier and healthier too! I like knowing what I eat: no artificial colouring, preservatives etc.

    4. Maddy April 28th, 2009 at 07:55

      Wonderful post!

      The other thing I don’t buy (aside from those on the list, which is nearly identical) is herbs and spices from the grocery store. Bulk stores are far, far cheaper (generally under $1 for enough spices to fill a small jam jar), and of the same (and sometimes better) quality.

    5. Katie April 28th, 2009 at 09:18

      Great post.

      Just wondering where you are coming across coupons for milk and butter. I’d love to shave some pennies off that section of my list.

    6. Saver Queen April 28th, 2009 at 14:52

      Virginia, there was a guest post on my blog a while back by The Frugal Girls with a couple of homemade cleaning recipes:

      http://saverqueen.com/2009/03/03/guest-post-my-homemade-cleaning-solutions/

      I also found this to be useful - 20 ways to use vinegar.

      http://simple-green-frugal-co-op.blogspot.com/2009/04/20-household-uses-for-vinegar.html

      Vinegar-water solutions are very handy and cheap and will go a long way towards cleaning your home.

    7. Erran April 28th, 2009 at 15:26

      I’m impressed that you make your own bread. I wish I could make my own bread. I also wish I could make my own snackys - brownies, cookies, etc. - but I need to buy some baking utensils. Can’t believe I haven’t so far…guess it’s on my list among the hundred other things I need for my place.

    8. Saver Queen April 28th, 2009 at 15:39

      Erran, I lack a lot of basic baking equipment as well. You can do a lot with very little though. Don’t feel like you need a complete kitchen before you start. Also, I am planning on getting a lot of what i need from flea markets, yard sales and thrift stores this summer.

    9. ter April 28th, 2009 at 22:10

      I would love your granola bar recipe!

      I make alot from scratch too. Though I do have an addiction to coca cola and if I just cut that out I would (a) lose weight and (b) save money.

      I guess I’m saving money now that I’m buying groceries for one instead of three. :(

    10. Virginia April 29th, 2009 at 08:54

      Thanks for those tips. We just moved from an apartment into a house (Hurrah!) and vinegar was my best friend while I was cleaning. My mom always swears by baking soda and it does get rid of the grime, but I prefer the germ-killing acid of vinegar myself. I’m hoping to make some laundry soap if I can ever find some washing soda locally.

    11. Saver Queen April 29th, 2009 at 09:46

      Virginia - I want to try making my own laundry soap too! I want to try dishwasher detergent as well. I’m pretty much using up my existing stockpile from months back and now intend on making my own after that. Congrats on moving into a house! :)

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