Re: grocery shopping on a budget

[Guest guest]

That's great, thanks for sharing Darlene!

 

Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Clipping coupons is only part of grocery shopping on a budget.

Rethinking your approach can be healthier for your family and easier on your

wallet.

By

Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III,

MD, MPH

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Like

most of us, , a mom of four in Jordan, Minn.,

watches her budget when she writes out her grocery shopping list. does

her homework before she even sets foot in the store.

“We

watch for loss leaders [major discounts] in our store flyers and stock

up,” says. “For example, our local grocery store was selling

a gallon of orange juice for $1.99 [it’s usually $4.50.] We bought four

gallons, knowing our kids would drink all of it within a week.”

is proof

that grocery

shopping on a budget doesn’t have to mean soda

and junk food. All it takes is a little bit of creativity and you, too, can

feed your family

more nutritiously for less.

Grocery

Shopping on a Budget: 9 Ways to Shop Healthy and Save Money

1.              

Plan,

plan, plan. “If a

family or head of household can take an hour to plan a week’s worth of

meals and make a grocery shopping list and another hour to grocery shop, then

the family can be good for a week,” says A. Rael, RD, a

registered dietitian and health education consultant at the University of New

Mexico’s Employee Health Promotion Program in Albuquerque. This is a

win-win situation as food prepared at home is generally healthy

and less expensive.

2.              

Buy

in bulk. Whether

it’s choosing a “family size” pack of skinless chicken

breasts and freezing what you don’t use right away or one large

container of nonfat yogurt instead of individual servings, buying big can equal

big savings.

3.              

Cut

those coupons.

“Clipping coupons and shopping sales will never go out of style,

especially when there are many mouths to feed,” says Amy Berns, RD, a registered

dietitian with Medical Network One’s Michigan Institute for Health

Enhancement in Trenton. Coupons are everywhere these days, from local flyers to

the Internet. Check individual food companies’ Web sites for discounts,

rebates, and coupons you can print yourself.

4.              

Shop

the perimeter of the store. Most stores are organized with packaged foods in the

middle. As much as possible, stick to the outer areas where you can find the

healthier fruits and vegetables, meat, and dairy. Also, while these foods may

seem expensive, be sure to consider actual serving sizes and how many meals you

can get from one purchase. “Produce may appear expensive at the

outset,” says Rael, “but it can be part of a meal or a snack. Many

people see ‘$3.99 per pound,’ but don’t think about how that

pound could potentially be spread across several meals or people.”

5.              

Try

some substitutions.

Instead of expensive and less healthy beef, buy more chicken and pork. Beans

are another good source of protein and are usually much cheaper than meat. Fish

can be bought frozen or canned to cut down on cost as well.

6.              

Try

the “IKEA” style of eating. That means “some assembly required,” says Koff, RD, a registered dietitian in private practice in

Los Angeles. “Rather than buying the salad already made, buy the pieces

and assemble it yourself. Instead of the ready-to-eat pasta dish, buy the

sauce, the cheese, the meatballs, and some organic frozen vegetables.”

Not only is it less expensive to purchase items individually, but you will also

be avoiding the preservatives used to increase a packaged food’s shelf

life.

7.              

Skip

the snack foods.

Products like chips, cookies, and soda are unhealthy and represent an

unnecessary expense for shoppers looking to save money. Popcorn, dried fruits,

and nuts are good, nutritious substitutions for chips.

8.              

Go

local and buy in-season.

“Look for fresh local and in-season produce as this is usually more

affordable than choosing imported produce,” says Palinski, RD, a

registered dietitian in private practice in northern New Jersey. “If

fresh produce seems too expensive, try choosing frozen or canned. It is more

affordable and has a longer shelf life. To cut down on the sodium content of

canned vegetables, try rinsing them before cooking and serving.”

9.              

Be

creative. Whether

it’s trying a new recipe with ingredients bought using coupons or putting

a new twist on an old favorite, shopping and preparing different foods can be

fun

 

-- Take Care, Vi

[Guest guest]

http://www.cheapcooking.com/That's good info, Darlene.  Thanks for sending it.  To go along with that, this cheap cooking site is very good.  A blog goes along with it.  Just use the above address with blog at the end.

 

Grocery Shopping on a Budget