What are your best tips?
Robin in Chicago
We will also have a garden next year, which will save tons of $$.
I think people don't realize they don't need much space to have a garden
(even an apartment balcany can work!).
We also have our own chickens for fresh eggs, to eat and sell.
Grow your own!
Seriously, for what it costs me to plant & maintain my organic garden each growing season, the most I could buy from the grocery store would be a couple week's worth of fresh fruits & veggies, but I can harvest from my own gardens from early Spring through late Fall & in much greater vareity. If I get really ambitious, I can put out cold frames & continue the harvest right through winter, too. If you don't have room for a big garden, you can still grow a lot in a few containers by a window or on a patio/deck.
For buying grains, I like to buy in bulk because it is cheaper and the cheapest I've found for high quality whole grains is our local food co-op (you don't even have to be a member to buy from them). Next best is buying out of the bulk bins at Whole Foods Market. If you can set up a local buying club, it's even cheaper to buy in bulk directly from a supplier yourself, but they have minimum orders, so you do need a lot of people to be able to buy that way usually.
If you buy meat, look for local farmers to buy in bulk from, even if local means a day's drive to the farmstead. We have a number of local farms around here and are able to buy beef, lamb & chicken in bulk that are also being raised organically & sustainably (pork is also available, but we don't eat pork). If I plan my meals well, I can usually get just the right amount to last us most of the year. And if we're really lucky, we'll get a deer or two to add to our freezer, too.
beans and we don't do them enough!!!! They are so cheep and good for you. Plus make them from their dried form and they are even cheaper. An easy way to make them is in the crockpot, make them ahead of time and then freeze them in freezer bags so they are ready for your recipes. Here is a link to how to make them in the crockpot.
Menu planning also seems to save us a ton
We have a garden and that helps out a lot in the summer. I also buy what is in season if possible and plan my recipes for the week to include several of the same ingredients . So for example if a soup I make calls for celery, I will make a casserole that I can use the rest of the celery in so I have very little waste. I may use leftover meats for a stew or soup the next day.
fresh produce from farmers market, I have a small garden on porch with herbs, tomatoes, and I grew some strawberries. Next year I will do more. I also buy meat in bulk from costco;s, sam's club or grocery store and make smaller packages, I buy canned tomatoes, pasta, or what is on sale in bulk. I use coupons also.
I wish we had a good farmers market! The one in our town is a joke with one vendor and the prices are way more than the grocery store. Even the one in a nearby big city is way more expensive than the grocery stores here.
Quoting MamaPeanut:
Farmer's Markets!
Most towns and cities do them on a weekend morning. Their prices are often much lower than the grocery store, and they are quality, locally grown fruits and veggies. :)
Ind. health department confirms 13 measles cases- yikes!
- rkoloms
on Aug. 30, 2010 at 5:41 AM