It’s always hard deciding how much to keep on hand without going overboard…….remembering that if it goes stale or spoils it it may not be as cheap as you think……..thanks for the tips
Keep track of the "best by" dates and if you aren't going to use it then donate it to a food bank. Most things are fine well past the "best by" date, sometimes for years.
i suggest starting with things you know you and your family regularly eat. Like for us, we eat rice every day so it is okay for us to buy rice in bulk and store them. Pasta noodles is another one of our staple. BUT Oatmeal or cereal on the other hand, we just store 1 back up or none at all because it is not our every day staple and I am sure it will just expire. Start making a list of things you always buy regularly so you can "shop 1 for now and 2 for later" whenever there's a sale 😊
Go for “shelf stable” items-things that don’t need much in the way of temperature control. (50-75 degrees is optimal). Then make sure your food is protected from bugs & mice. Most of mine is in 3-5 gl buckets or qt & half gallon jars. My initial goal is a one year supply of most shelf stable things.
Keep a calendar on the fridge and when you bring the food home. Put the dates on the calendar for perishables and you can see what will go bad first so you use those first.
Working on food preservation skills is also something that helps. All those tomatoes from the summer I couldn’t eat? Canned them. Made salsa etc. Grapes=juice. Freeze rhubarb. Freeze zucchini. Pickles. All that takes a lot of work and there’s a learning curve of course but it’s a skill our grandparents relied on to get thru tough times and I think it’s sad that that stuff has skipped a generation in many cases. Us millennial and gen-z people would be smart to look into how to do some of these things for ourselves
It isn't a "perfect" book, but I found "Cook Once, Eat All Week" very helpful in meal planning/ batch cooking. It really helped me in managing bulk cooking in a way that didn't feel like we were eating the same thing day in and day out.
Absolutely. When I lived in a very small one bedroom apartment I would store excess non-perishable food under my bed in a rolling storage bin. It allowed me to have a lot more flexibility in my grocery shopping.
As a way to use food before it expires, before I put it in the pantry, I use a sharpie to write the expiration on the front of the can/box/package, where it's easily visible. Then you can see at a glance if something needs to be used right away.
I tried to do cereal for breakfast when we first started homeschooling. My children were off the walls & absolutely nuts. Now, every morning is a real deal hot meal. But we're gluten & dairy free, so it gets complicated. Buying 1/2 cow every 6 months saves us tons of money.
With food storage, stock only what you like and will eat. Also rotate stock so the oldest is at the front of your shelves. I keep things that need to be eaten very soon in a separate bin. One in the fridge, freezer and storage. You will save a lot of $$$ by not wasting food.
I buy a quarter steer every year from a local small farm. It works out to 110-165 lbs of beef, depending on the original size of the steer. Total cost, including the butcher’s fee to cut & wrap the meat per your request (sizes of roasts, thickness of steaks, etc), is about $5.25 - $5.50 per pound. These days, that’s a good price even for ground beef when you consider this is grass-fed organic meat! And you can’t beat that price for a quality roast or sirloin steaks. Knowing my purchase is putting better nutrition on my family’s plates, plus supporting the family of a local farmer, is priceless. If I had more than 3 people in my family, I’d get a half or even a whole steer. But a quarter is plenty for us, and it doesn’t even take up half of the space in our chest freezer. And best of all, it’s the best-tasting beef I’ve ever had!
I grew up in a 1 income household as a kid. Soup at least once a week (called kitchen sink soup - everything left in the fridge went into this soup - within reason 😋) Lots of beans, rice, potatoes, casseroles, soups, stews,... with small portions of meat. I still as a senior with only two of us in the house - make things stretch for the budget. Clearance bins for meats (so that I can afford steak dinner for us 1-2 times a month), double up on store sales with digital coupons, stock up (with in reason) on our favorite can & dry goods, and actually not over buying items so that we can use them up before they expire.
A great tip for ground beef bought in bulk or even just a large quantity: When you bring it home, cook all of it, then drain it (but do NOT rinse it with water). Let it sit until completely cool and then portion out the amount you need per meal, put it into freezer bags, and freeze it. I flatten the bags out when I get the air out of them, which makes the thawing faster. This makes cooking things with it really quick. You can have tacos, spaghetti, etc. in so much less time if you do not have to cook the meat, especially if it is frozen raw. We have done this for years. Remember not to rinse it in water, that will cause freezer burn. We never, ever freeze raw ground beef. Also, you can precook hamburgers and do the same way, putting wax paper between each one in the bag. You can have a fully cooked hamburger in less than a minute.
Anyone trying this tip for the first time, test it with a small amount of meat! My whole family does NOT like pre-cooked meat so we could have ruined a bunch of food and wasted money if we had precooked it all.
@@AGoldieDog32876 Ours doesn't last long, because we use it quickly, but reading different sites, it should be good in the freezer for 3-4 months. I make my packages as thin as possible when I squeeze out the air and so when I open the bag it usually crumbles into pieces. I put it into whatever skillet or pan I am going to use to make the meal and it takes just a couple of minutes from frozen to ready to eat. For hamburgers, I generally heat them individually for about 30 seconds, turn it to the other side, and heat for another 30-40 seconds, checking the temp of the outside of it every 20 seconds or so. It will really depend on the microwave you are using. Hope this helps
@@Mary-pr4kx I agree, as with any meal. My husband once said he could never eat a }rozen burger. So one night I cooked some and then substituted two of the frozen ones for the cooked ones. He had no idea until after we had finished. I asked how the burgers were and his reply was "Really good." He was quite shocked when I told him it had been frozen. LOL. It may not be true for everyone, but for him, it was all in his head. He still is not a fan of reheating burgers, but as he is the chief cook in our house he does use the frozen ground beef in all our other meals. 😊
This also works with other meats! When I have a bag of chicken, I’ll usually cook the whole thing and then shred and freeze the extra. I wouldn’t recommend freezing big chunks (then you have to defrost them), but shredded meat can usually go straight into a skillet or pot of soup or whatever.
I agree the importance of budget! Early last year I went through our spending on just food alone. We were shocked at the 1500 a month I found and obviously decided to track better and stick mostly with grocery pickup. (Having realized the power impulse buying had on us, going into the store) Happy to report most months are half that cost now!!!
Condiments at Costco vs a discount store is an incredible difference. The discount stores can be 1/4 of the price or less. Definitely watch prices carefully.
I think some of the best times to shop are at the end of seasons, holidays, game days/events, clearance arwa, couponing, and store discount days like 5 dollar fridays
I’m in the senior/elderly category but thanks to inflation & huge rent increases in the past 2 years, I’ve had to go back to part-time work and budget, budget, budget. When I started seeing how bad things were getting, I realized my food budget was the only place I could possibly cut expenses. I made it a game. How low can I go?!? I live in a small apartment but I’m fortunate to have a garage and keep a small freezer in the garage (3.5-4 CU but perfect for one person). I keep it stocked to the brim. I make lots of soups/stews/chilis and freeze portions. I’m also lucky in that I truly love all sorts of beans -pintos, lentils, red beans and rice, peas and rice. I rarely eat “just” meat (except for my every 2-3 week splurge on a small steak). Rather, a pound of ground beef is used in spaghetti sauce, casserole, or soup. An 8 oz piece of sirloin makes 4 servings of sukiyaki with other veggies. And yes! As a single person, I shop Costco almost exclusively. Rarely shop elsewhere other than a good sale. (Bought a 7 lb pork butt on sale for $0.99/lb this AM. Will cook in crockpot, freeze portions, use for tacos, enchiladas, pork soups, etc). As you mentioned, Costco is great for long shelf-life items. But also, they recently had frozen chicken nuggets on sale for $5.99. I broke them down into 6/freezer bags, ended up with about 14 bags. About $0.50 per meal for meat. I know this is long, but let me add one more example…Costco sells frozen Chicken Voila! Google recipe. So easy, MUCH cheaper, and much healthier to make at home. Taste better, too.! I ALWAYS keep an inventory of items in freezer and on shelves to include expiration dates. Easy to forget about things. I’m gluten-free and limit carbs so I make all sweet treats - chia seed pudding, rice pudding, tapioca (my latest addiction!), etc. Bottom line, my grocery bill (food items only) is $140-$150/month and some months, I get as low as $125. I’m stocked for 5-6 months except for perishables, have a very varied diet, and eat MUCH better than I have in years past. And yes, I definitely meal plan from my freezer and shelves. One more thing…except for Kirkland potato chips, I absolutely never eat “junk” food, no cola drinks - water or iced tea only, coffee in AM, no “bars” of any type (full of who knows what). If I want something like that I make it. Thank you for sharing. I also love sharing my ideas with others. Especially seniors. We’re all in this together.
AI is controversial but let me tell you, I made a comprehensive list of my pantry and freezer then I asked Chat GPT to give me a months worth of food based on what I had on the list and then some desert/baked goods ideas, then a shopping list and in less than 15 minutes I had a meal plan that only required me to buy 5-10 things beyond our fresh foods. Meal planning was always something I put off because it just took me forever to do but this made it simple and all I have to do is keep up my inventory.
Great tips! In addition to the "shop seasonal" tip, I stock up on turkeys and baking goods in November. Butter is one food item I buy in Nov. and freeze for future use.
A way you can still get your kids the squeezy yogurts is to freeze them.Hide them in the freezer.Thats what I did and it worked! Yogurt is such a great way of getting protein in kids that I wasnt giving that up.
Meal planning is so important for your budget and for your work load. I often start with the meat/protein item in the meal, what is on sale at my local grocery store PLUS what do I have in my pantry/freezer? That protein is probably the most expensive part of the meal so plan around that. I am a newish subscriber, your videos are so helpful.
I live in Europe. I always start to check sales and plan our meals after that so I use those ingredients that will be cheaper. (And I also stuck up those items that we eat regularly.)
People forget these systems help beat inflation, we weren't effected by inflation for a year because of our food storage. To me it's safer buying long term food storage than having money you can't spend if things go wrong.
I’m curious what your process is to use the items in storage and how you rotate foods. Maybe it’s less of an issue with so many people. With just 2 of us, I have a hard time using all of some items in six months. I’m working on identifying things I need to use up and creating meal plans around them. That has been the best help.
. You need to plan meals from your refrig/freezer/pantry. Buy just what you need to complete those meals. After you get those items, than look at loss leaders.
I buy foods that can stretch over a few meals, such as pasta, lentils, beans and prepare meals with those. also, keep a working pantry and “shop your pantry” prior to going to the store.
I love shopping the clearance areas in my grocery store. If I’m lucky, I’ll find meat, milk, bread, and cheese for 1/2 off. The “damaged goods” area is usually a dud at my store though-if there’s a tin of coffee with a huge dent in it, and it’s only like $1 cheaper, I’ll just buy my regular coffee.😅
What a great idea to make sandwiches in bulk and freeze them. We have quite a small freezer, so we have to be very conscious with what we put in there, but having some pre-made meals instead of just random frozen legumes sounds very wise :) I will certainly check out your video on healthy breakfasts.
Love the videos. Always great to rethink grocery and prepping strategy. Making on the calendar every 6 months to do a thorough check of everything in the food supply is helpful. Make sure you have everything you need, that nothing had spoiled, become infested or expired and make a note of anything that you can keep an eye out for specials to top up.
We had to get real with our budget heading into retirement 🤔 I had a pretty good idea of the budget, thanks to my mom teaching me good budget habits 👍 Thanks for sharing and a good reminder when sometimes we forget👍❤️🤗
Due to my diabetic family, we can’t do all the pasta, rice, oatmeal, flour, potatoes (you know, meal fillers). It makes it pretty difficult to stock a food pantry.
@@ktrayan1those are all high carb too. One of our six children was diagnosed with type one a few years ago. In order to keep his sugars in a healthy range he needs to avoid all grains. We do have a stock of meat/fish which helps but since besides meat/fish he eats fresh veggies we make a stop every two to three days.
I have been a Type 1 diabetic for most of my life and I have NEVER been told not to eat grain by any endocrinologist or diabetic educator. Type one is controlled by insulin so if I am consuming a grain that is higher in carbs, such as rice, then I would adjust my insulin. Where did you get that information? @@ashleysmith4386
I find budgeting for groceries the most difficult budget to stay on top of because you don’t know how much everything is costing until you get to the checkout line. Grocery pickup isn’t really a thing here. Any tips?
Do you have access to local grocery sales ads either in the mail or online? I use those to plan my meals/purchases and especially for the meat portions. I'm sounding like a broken record...today my local store had "digital only" pork butt roast on sale for $0.99/pound. Bought one, almost 7lb, $6.88. In the crockpot, will freeze and can use in many meals for just me - tacos, enchiladas, even with sweet potatoes and turnip greens. (Southern girl here! LOL)l That's how I absolutely have to do it. Otherwise I'd starve.
This is why I mostly do grocery pickup. You can see your total as you're adding items to your cart. If you don't have that option, add it up as you go in the store. Use your phone or get a small calculator.
Love your tips! Got some great suggestions here ❤️ Did I miss your posting of the make-ahead breakfast sandwiches? I would love to know that little recipe!
I hope you see this post. Go to Acre homestead. I watch this young woman Becky. She has a website where you can find all of her recipes. She has recipes for breakfast sandwiches as well as baked oatmeal that contains protein to keep you full. She also has recipes for homemade granola. She's a gardner as well. Hope this helps, Debbie
How about for the people who have no extra money for anything? Never mind getting a food stock pile accumulated. The working poor. They struggle pay check to pay check. It's a good chunk of people in North America. Food bank usage is at an all-time high. It's a different world from 3 years ago.
@jennh4714 I understand. See my (very long) comment posted today. I'm a 74 YO senior and inflation and rent increases have hit me hard the past 2 years...to the tune of an increase of almost $6500/year (just rent/utilities/insurance - NOT food). It's been painful. I plan meals to the nth degree, shop sales or bulk. Zero fast or junk foods or soda drinks. Water/coffee/iced tea only. Absolutely never (except potato chips! LOL) Basically cook from scratch, freeze. NO leftovers tossed. They are eaten even if I'm sick of them and even if just dibby-dabs. They fill my belly. See my comment about buying the pork butt on sale today...crockpot cooking (little electricity), divide into portions, MANY meals for about $6.50. Stock pile? I started by buying just a few extra items every time I went to grocery. Did I need 2 cans of tomato sauce? Bought 4. Next week, bought the huge 5lb bag of rice. I also use store brands on things purchased at Walmart or HEB. I know it's tough. Specific questions? Ask. Many will help.
Right there with you on this... Afterthought, but I'm adding it first: Hunting season is coming up and deer meat freezes pretty well. One could get 40-80 lbs. of venison from just one deer depending on its size. Okay, original thoughts: My town doesn't have a grocery store, so I have to either drive to the next nearest town and pay a bit more at the register or drive twice as far to a larger one with cheaper groceries but after gas has saved me nothing. Last year, I started using the Saturday Dollar General coupon (the $5 off $25) and all I get is then strictly stockpile (not every weekend). It has definitely come in handy, especially when it was time to buy school supplies. This year, I was able to use what was stocked up for meals and some of that month's grocery money then went to back-to-school stuff. I try to only cook the way my great-grandmother and grandmother taught me (eh, 95% of the time) which may not save time but does save money (but I listen to youtube while cooking).
@@KateinTexas Hello fellow Texan! DFW metro area here. I'm not a hunter but that is an EXCELLENT tip for those who are. One dressed deer would save a family a bundle of $$'s. Budgeting is tough but can be done. That's why I said I turned it into a game..y personal challenge.
Meal plan based on what you get from the food pantry and healthy food that’s on sale each week. If you find an item you use regularly on sale don’t buy just enough for this week, buy enough to last a month or more. Eventually most of your budget will be going to restocking your freezer or pantry with sales instead of having to pay full price for everything. I like to meal plan monthly based on what I already have and then shop the sales each week to restock for future months.
A big part of that is not knowing how to cook and buy food that's actually cheaper per ounce but will go further. The problem isn't money so much as time and ability...which are also both in short supply for the working poor. You're right, it's hard to save at that level. Those in a position to help someone in that socioeconomic bracket gain a little breathing room to gain some skills or have groceries that are cheap and healthy ought to do so. But that doesn't mean those who do already have some of that wiggle room shouldn't start gaining those skills and that food storage.
This was awesome. I knew most of these but really only implemented a few since its just my husband and I now and kids are grown, however, there's no reason not to do them, even on a smaller scale. Who doesn't love to save!! I've gotten my money out of my vacuum sealer that's for sure! Works great for individual portioned items and when I buy my meat in larger quantities.
Curious how you include your less frequent purchases say like your azure order or im my case Sam's (things you buy in bulk meant to last for a bit before you buy more)
My last purchase of the month is usually azure or a stock up Costco trip. I try to save a quarter of the budget for that. But goodness, I have nowhere near as big of a family as they do! 🤣
This may be a hard request. A long time ago you posted a recipe. I think it was a chicken crackpot recipe and it had cream cheese and ranch seasoning. I thought I printed it but can't find it. Can you possibly give me that link? Thanks!!!!!!
I shop organic only and I spend 140 a week for one person. Maybe I could spend worse but if I buy an vitamin supplement one week that can be 30 dollars alone. I use to spend 80 dollars but as you know prices have gone up.
I eat only organic. It’s 140 a week for one person. It use to be 80 dollars. I could probably go lower. But I buy what I want. I don’t want to eat the toxins in our non organic foods. And of course the GMO’s I don’t want either. If I ate regular foods with the toxins etc… I could shop at ALDI ….because ALDI does have cheap prices but for me I would rather spend more money on organic. Also, I do know Aldi has some ORGANIC products but only about 9 products and no variety so that’s a no. I also grow some things. It’s a whole lot healthier than store bought .
I make soooo many zucchini and corn recipes in summer, soups in autumn, and definitely feel I keep things seasonal. I just got that app, but then saw you had a promotional offer code referral that I did not use. I am sorry!!
sorry i respect for you trying... but the things you add seem normal to me... buy things on sail even if your family dont like it... being aware of items in the season.. its normal to me.... we are trying to find how we can survive healthy.. no idea how america thinks but europe knows these things..
@@Lisa-ym1si Yeah. Like it would be possible to learn all the ways to save $ in less than 20 minutes, right? This person would get bored after 15 minutes of making a menu! geesh
It’s always hard deciding how much to keep on hand without going overboard…….remembering that if it goes stale or spoils it it may not be as cheap as you think……..thanks for the tips
Keep track of the "best by" dates and if you aren't going to use it then donate it to a food bank. Most things are fine well past the "best by" date, sometimes for years.
i suggest starting with things you know you and your family regularly eat. Like for us, we eat rice every day so it is okay for us to buy rice in bulk and store them. Pasta noodles is another one of our staple. BUT Oatmeal or cereal on the other hand, we just store 1 back up or none at all because it is not our every day staple and I am sure it will just expire. Start making a list of things you always buy regularly so you can "shop 1 for now and 2 for later" whenever there's a sale 😊
Go for “shelf stable” items-things that don’t need much in the way of temperature control. (50-75 degrees is optimal). Then make sure your food is protected from bugs & mice. Most of mine is in 3-5 gl buckets or qt & half gallon jars. My initial goal is a one year supply of most shelf stable things.
Keep a calendar on the fridge and when you bring the food home. Put the dates on the calendar for perishables and you can see what will go bad first so you use those first.
Working on food preservation skills is also something that helps. All those tomatoes from the summer I couldn’t eat? Canned them. Made salsa etc. Grapes=juice. Freeze rhubarb. Freeze zucchini. Pickles. All that takes a lot of work and there’s a learning curve of course but it’s a skill our grandparents relied on to get thru tough times and I think it’s sad that that stuff has skipped a generation in many cases. Us millennial and gen-z people would be smart to look into how to do some of these things for ourselves
It isn't a "perfect" book, but I found "Cook Once, Eat All Week" very helpful in meal planning/ batch cooking. It really helped me in managing bulk cooking in a way that didn't feel like we were eating the same thing day in and day out.
This is one of my favorite cookbooks. It is really budget friendly but even more so it’s very easy to make budget friendly swaps.
Absolutely. When I lived in a very small one bedroom apartment I would store excess non-perishable food under my bed in a rolling storage bin. It allowed me to have a lot more flexibility in my grocery shopping.
You can go broke, saving money. I read that but don’t remember who said it but it helped me tremendously!!!!
As a way to use food before it expires, before I put it in the pantry, I use a sharpie to write the expiration on the front of the can/box/package, where it's easily visible. Then you can see at a glance if something needs to be used right away.
For a lot of things it’s a Best By date, not an expiration date. It’s still good long after that date.
I’m planning to use a calendar to keep track
I tried to do cereal for breakfast when we first started homeschooling. My children were off the walls & absolutely nuts. Now, every morning is a real deal hot meal. But we're gluten & dairy free, so it gets complicated.
Buying 1/2 cow every 6 months saves us tons of money.
With food storage, stock only what you like and will eat. Also rotate stock so the oldest is at the front of your shelves. I keep things that need to be eaten very soon in a separate bin. One in the fridge, freezer and storage. You will save a lot of $$$ by not wasting food.
I saw a TH-camr put her pantry shelves a foot or so away from the wall so she could stock from the back. Genious!
I buy a quarter steer every year from a local small farm. It works out to 110-165 lbs of beef, depending on the original size of the steer. Total cost, including the butcher’s fee to cut & wrap the meat per your request (sizes of roasts, thickness of steaks, etc), is about $5.25 - $5.50 per pound. These days, that’s a good price even for ground beef when you consider this is grass-fed organic meat! And you can’t beat that price for a quality roast or sirloin steaks. Knowing my purchase is putting better nutrition on my family’s plates, plus supporting the family of a local farmer, is priceless.
If I had more than 3 people in my family, I’d get a half or even a whole steer. But a quarter is plenty for us, and it doesn’t even take up half of the space in our chest freezer. And best of all, it’s the best-tasting beef I’ve ever had!
I grew up in a 1 income household as a kid. Soup at least once a week (called kitchen sink soup - everything left in the fridge went into this soup - within reason 😋)
Lots of beans, rice, potatoes, casseroles, soups, stews,... with small portions of meat.
I still as a senior with only two of us in the house - make things stretch for the budget. Clearance bins for meats (so that I can afford steak dinner for us 1-2 times a month), double up on store sales with digital coupons, stock up (with in reason) on our favorite can & dry goods, and actually not over buying items so that we can use them up before they expire.
A great tip for ground beef bought in bulk or even just a large quantity: When you bring it home, cook all of it, then drain it (but do NOT rinse it with water). Let it sit until completely cool and then portion out the amount you need per meal, put it into freezer bags, and freeze it. I flatten the bags out when I get the air out of them, which makes the thawing faster.
This makes cooking things with it really quick. You can have tacos, spaghetti, etc. in so much less time if you do not have to cook the meat, especially if it is frozen raw. We have done this for years. Remember not to rinse it in water, that will cause freezer burn. We never, ever freeze raw ground beef.
Also, you can precook hamburgers and do the same way, putting wax paper between each one in the bag. You can have a fully cooked hamburger in less than a minute.
Thanks for the helpful tip! How do you recommend defrosting and how long can you keep that in the freezer? ❤
Anyone trying this tip for the first time, test it with a small amount of meat! My whole family does NOT like pre-cooked meat so we could have ruined a bunch of food and wasted money if we had precooked it all.
@@AGoldieDog32876 Ours doesn't last long, because we use it quickly, but reading different sites, it should be good in the freezer for 3-4 months.
I make my packages as thin as possible when I squeeze out the air and so when I open the bag it usually crumbles into pieces. I put it into whatever skillet or pan I am going to use to make the meal and it takes just a couple of minutes from frozen to ready to eat.
For hamburgers, I generally heat them individually for about 30 seconds, turn it to the other side, and heat for another 30-40 seconds, checking the temp of the outside of it every 20 seconds or so. It will really depend on the microwave you are using.
Hope this helps
@@Mary-pr4kx I agree, as with any meal. My husband once said he could never eat a
}rozen burger. So one night I cooked some and then substituted two of the frozen ones for the cooked ones. He had no idea until after we had finished. I asked how the burgers were and his reply was "Really good." He was quite shocked when I told him it had been frozen. LOL. It may not be true for everyone, but for him, it was all in his head. He still is not a fan of reheating burgers, but as he is the chief cook in our house he does use the frozen ground beef in all our other meals. 😊
This also works with other meats! When I have a bag of chicken, I’ll usually cook the whole thing and then shred and freeze the extra. I wouldn’t recommend freezing big chunks (then you have to defrost them), but shredded meat can usually go straight into a skillet or pot of soup or whatever.
I agree the importance of budget! Early last year I went through our spending on just food alone. We were shocked at the 1500 a month I found and obviously decided to track better and stick mostly with grocery pickup. (Having realized the power impulse buying had on us, going into the store) Happy to report most months are half that cost now!!!
Condiments at Costco vs a discount store is an incredible difference. The discount stores can be 1/4 of the price or less. Definitely watch prices carefully.
I think some of the best times to shop are at the end of seasons, holidays, game days/events, clearance arwa, couponing, and store discount days like 5 dollar fridays
I’m in the senior/elderly category but thanks to inflation & huge rent increases in the past 2 years, I’ve had to go back to part-time work and budget, budget, budget. When I started seeing how bad things were getting, I realized my food budget was the only place I could possibly cut expenses. I made it a game. How low can I go?!? I live in a small apartment but I’m fortunate to have a garage and keep a small freezer in the garage (3.5-4 CU but perfect for one person). I keep it stocked to the brim. I make lots of soups/stews/chilis and freeze portions. I’m also lucky in that I truly love all sorts of beans -pintos, lentils, red beans and rice, peas and rice. I rarely eat “just” meat (except for my every 2-3 week splurge on a small steak). Rather, a pound of ground beef is used in spaghetti sauce, casserole, or soup. An 8 oz piece of sirloin makes 4 servings of sukiyaki with other veggies. And yes! As a single person, I shop Costco almost exclusively. Rarely shop elsewhere other than a good sale. (Bought a 7 lb pork butt on sale for $0.99/lb this AM. Will cook in crockpot, freeze portions, use for tacos, enchiladas, pork soups, etc). As you mentioned, Costco is great for long shelf-life items. But also, they recently had frozen chicken nuggets on sale for $5.99. I broke them down into 6/freezer bags, ended up with about 14 bags. About $0.50 per meal for meat. I know this is long, but let me add one more example…Costco sells frozen Chicken Voila! Google recipe. So easy, MUCH cheaper, and much healthier to make at home. Taste better, too.!
I ALWAYS keep an inventory of items in freezer and on shelves to include expiration dates. Easy to forget about things. I’m gluten-free and limit carbs so I make all sweet treats - chia seed pudding, rice pudding, tapioca (my latest addiction!), etc. Bottom line, my grocery bill (food items only) is $140-$150/month and some months, I get as low as $125. I’m stocked for 5-6 months except for perishables, have a very varied diet, and eat MUCH better than I have in years past. And yes, I definitely meal plan from my freezer and shelves. One more thing…except for Kirkland potato chips, I absolutely never eat “junk” food, no cola drinks - water or iced tea only, coffee in AM, no “bars” of any type (full of who knows what). If I want something like that I make it.
Thank you for sharing. I also love sharing my ideas with others. Especially seniors. We’re all in this together.
AI is controversial but let me tell you, I made a comprehensive list of my pantry and freezer then I asked Chat GPT to give me a months worth of food based on what I had on the list and then some desert/baked goods ideas, then a shopping list and in less than 15 minutes I had a meal plan that only required me to buy 5-10 things beyond our fresh foods. Meal planning was always something I put off because it just took me forever to do but this made it simple and all I have to do is keep up my inventory.
That's actually not a bad use of the technology.
Great tips! In addition to the "shop seasonal" tip, I stock up on turkeys and baking goods in November. Butter is one food item I buy in Nov. and freeze for future use.
I would never have thought to stock up on butter in November! Is it usually on sale?
Yes, all the things for holiday baking.@@KellyLeAnne
Love this tip! Hadn’t realized butter would be on sale then!
A way you can still get your kids the squeezy yogurts is to freeze them.Hide them in the freezer.Thats what I did and it worked! Yogurt is such a great way of getting protein in kids that I wasnt giving that up.
Meal planning is so important for your budget and for your work load. I often start with the meat/protein item in the meal, what is on sale at my local grocery store PLUS what do I have in my pantry/freezer? That protein is probably the most expensive part of the meal so plan around that. I am a newish subscriber, your videos are so helpful.
My tip - get all the catalogues with the special offers, also online & various apps for your phone
Wow- I am super grateful for the tip of buying food in season! I am now “aware” and will plan meals accordingly 😊 so I don’t have to pay more 😅
I live in Europe. I always start to check sales and plan our meals after that so I use those ingredients that will be cheaper. (And I also stuck up those items that we eat regularly.)
I always include a recipe that has rice and beans every week!
Your segment on making breakfast in bulk makes so much sense. I am going to take this tip to heart right away. Such a helpful video.
If depression is coming? Before needs to buy less expensive items. Great your information .Good Wishes for Good Natures .
People forget these systems help beat inflation, we weren't effected by inflation for a year because of our food storage. To me it's safer buying long term food storage than having money you can't spend if things go wrong.
I’m curious what your process is to use the items in storage and how you rotate foods. Maybe it’s less of an issue with so many people. With just 2 of us, I have a hard time using all of some items in six months. I’m working on identifying things I need to use up and creating meal plans around them. That has been the best help.
. You need to plan meals from your refrig/freezer/pantry. Buy just what you need to complete those meals. After you get those items, than look at loss leaders.
I buy foods that can stretch over a few meals, such as pasta, lentils, beans and prepare meals with those. also, keep a working pantry and “shop your pantry” prior to going to the store.
I love shopping the clearance areas in my grocery store. If I’m lucky, I’ll find meat, milk, bread, and cheese for 1/2 off. The “damaged goods” area is usually a dud at my store though-if there’s a tin of coffee with a huge dent in it, and it’s only like $1 cheaper, I’ll just buy my regular coffee.😅
Oatmeal for breakfast 3to 4 x a week was what my mother raised 5 kids on. Super healthy and super good
What a great idea to make sandwiches in bulk and freeze them. We have quite a small freezer, so we have to be very conscious with what we put in there, but having some pre-made meals instead of just random frozen legumes sounds very wise :)
I will certainly check out your video on healthy breakfasts.
Love the videos. Always great to rethink grocery and prepping strategy. Making on the calendar every 6 months to do a thorough check of everything in the food supply is helpful. Make sure you have everything you need, that nothing had spoiled, become infested or expired and make a note of anything that you can keep an eye out for specials to top up.
We had to get real with our budget heading into retirement 🤔 I had a pretty good idea of the budget, thanks to my mom teaching me good budget habits 👍 Thanks for sharing and a good reminder when sometimes we forget👍❤️🤗
Due to my diabetic family, we can’t do all the pasta, rice, oatmeal, flour, potatoes (you know, meal fillers). It makes it pretty difficult to stock a food pantry.
Could you stock up on bulk meat? Could help cut down on food costs, even without the dry goods.
What about farro, brown rice, lentils, buckwheat, barley? You can’t stock up a years worth but maybe a few months!
@@ktrayan1those are all high carb too. One of our six children was diagnosed with type one a few years ago. In order to keep his sugars in a healthy range he needs to avoid all grains. We do have a stock of meat/fish which helps but since besides meat/fish he eats fresh veggies we make a stop every two to three days.
I can and pickle a lot of veggies, I wonder if that would help y'all stretch things.
I have been a Type 1 diabetic for most of my life and I have NEVER been told not to eat grain by any endocrinologist or diabetic educator. Type one is controlled by insulin so if I am consuming a grain that is higher in carbs, such as rice, then I would adjust my insulin. Where did you get that information? @@ashleysmith4386
Please do a video on water glassing eggs
I find budgeting for groceries the most difficult budget to stay on top of because you don’t know how much everything is costing until you get to the checkout line. Grocery pickup isn’t really a thing here. Any tips?
I've started adding everything up as I go. Yes it takes a bit longer but I had the visually of what I was spending
@@juliemontique1342Same! Also a good idea to get your kids involved so they can focus on the "game" instead of getting bored and into trouble!
Do you have access to local grocery sales ads either in the mail or online? I use those to plan my meals/purchases and especially for the meat portions. I'm sounding like a broken record...today my local store had "digital only" pork butt roast on sale for $0.99/pound. Bought one, almost 7lb, $6.88. In the crockpot, will freeze and can use in many meals for just me - tacos, enchiladas, even with sweet potatoes and turnip greens. (Southern girl here! LOL)l That's how I absolutely have to do it. Otherwise I'd starve.
Once you go shopping enough you can estimate how much things are going to cost and keep an estimated total.
This is why I mostly do grocery pickup. You can see your total as you're adding items to your cart. If you don't have that option, add it up as you go in the store. Use your phone or get a small calculator.
Love your tips! Got some great suggestions here ❤️
Did I miss your posting of the make-ahead breakfast sandwiches? I would love to know that little recipe!
I went looking as well.
I hope you see this post. Go to Acre homestead. I watch this young woman Becky. She has a website where you can find all of her recipes. She has recipes for breakfast sandwiches as well as baked oatmeal that contains protein to keep you full. She also has recipes for homemade granola. She's a gardner as well. Hope this helps, Debbie
How to eat clean, healthy food that is not processed?
How about for the people who have no extra money for anything? Never mind getting a food stock pile accumulated. The working poor. They struggle pay check to pay check. It's a good chunk of people in North America. Food bank usage is at an all-time high. It's a different world from 3 years ago.
@jennh4714 I understand. See my (very long) comment posted today. I'm a 74 YO senior and inflation and rent increases have hit me hard the past 2 years...to the tune of an increase of almost $6500/year (just rent/utilities/insurance - NOT food). It's been painful. I plan meals to the nth degree, shop sales or bulk. Zero fast or junk foods or soda drinks. Water/coffee/iced tea only. Absolutely never (except potato chips! LOL) Basically cook from scratch, freeze. NO leftovers tossed. They are eaten even if I'm sick of them and even if just dibby-dabs. They fill my belly. See my comment about buying the pork butt on sale today...crockpot cooking (little electricity), divide into portions, MANY meals for about $6.50. Stock pile? I started by buying just a few extra items every time I went to grocery. Did I need 2 cans of tomato sauce? Bought 4. Next week, bought the huge 5lb bag of rice. I also use store brands on things purchased at Walmart or HEB. I know it's tough. Specific questions? Ask. Many will help.
Right there with you on this... Afterthought, but I'm adding it first: Hunting season is coming up and deer meat freezes pretty well. One could get 40-80 lbs. of venison from just one deer depending on its size. Okay, original thoughts: My town doesn't have a grocery store, so I have to either drive to the next nearest town and pay a bit more at the register or drive twice as far to a larger one with cheaper groceries but after gas has saved me nothing. Last year, I started using the Saturday Dollar General coupon (the $5 off $25) and all I get is then strictly stockpile (not every weekend). It has definitely come in handy, especially when it was time to buy school supplies. This year, I was able to use what was stocked up for meals and some of that month's grocery money then went to back-to-school stuff. I try to only cook the way my great-grandmother and grandmother taught me (eh, 95% of the time) which may not save time but does save money (but I listen to youtube while cooking).
@@KateinTexas Hello fellow Texan! DFW metro area here. I'm not a hunter but that is an EXCELLENT tip for those who are. One dressed deer would save a family a bundle of $$'s. Budgeting is tough but can be done. That's why I said I turned it into a game..y personal challenge.
Meal plan based on what you get from the food pantry and healthy food that’s on sale each week. If you find an item you use regularly on sale don’t buy just enough for this week, buy enough to last a month or more. Eventually most of your budget will be going to restocking your freezer or pantry with sales instead of having to pay full price for everything.
I like to meal plan monthly based on what I already have and then shop the sales each week to restock for future months.
A big part of that is not knowing how to cook and buy food that's actually cheaper per ounce but will go further. The problem isn't money so much as time and ability...which are also both in short supply for the working poor.
You're right, it's hard to save at that level. Those in a position to help someone in that socioeconomic bracket gain a little breathing room to gain some skills or have groceries that are cheap and healthy ought to do so. But that doesn't mean those who do already have some of that wiggle room shouldn't start gaining those skills and that food storage.
This was awesome. I knew most of these but really only implemented a few since its just my husband and I now and kids are grown, however, there's no reason not to do them, even on a smaller scale. Who doesn't love to save!! I've gotten my money out of my vacuum sealer that's for sure! Works great for individual portioned items and when I buy my meat in larger quantities.
Great ideas! Would you consider doing an updated snack video?🙂
Can you link that video please, Angela
Curious how you include your less frequent purchases say like your azure order or im my case Sam's (things you buy in bulk meant to last for a bit before you buy more)
My last purchase of the month is usually azure or a stock up Costco trip. I try to save a quarter of the budget for that. But goodness, I have nowhere near as big of a family as they do! 🤣
This may be a hard request. A long time ago you posted a recipe. I think it was a chicken crackpot recipe and it had cream cheese and ranch seasoning. I thought I printed it but can't find it. Can you possibly give me that link? Thanks!!!!!!
I shop organic only and I spend 140 a week for one person. Maybe I could spend worse but if I buy an vitamin supplement one week that can be 30 dollars alone. I use to spend 80 dollars but as you know prices have gone up.
Spend less
Loved this thanks Angie!
Can you link the make ahead breakfast sandwich video please? I don't see it
Awesome information. Thank you!
You always worked hard
I make ready made Lasagne for the evenings where time isn't on My side
I eat only organic. It’s 140 a week for one person. It use to be 80 dollars. I could probably go lower. But I buy what I want. I don’t want to eat the toxins in our non organic foods. And of course the GMO’s I don’t want either. If I ate regular foods with the toxins etc… I could shop at ALDI ….because ALDI does have cheap prices but for me I would rather spend more money on organic. Also, I do know Aldi has some ORGANIC products but only about 9 products and no variety so that’s a no. I also grow some things. It’s a whole lot healthier than store bought .
Where did you get that beautiful sweater?? ❤
Walmart has a similar one, but it has a deep V-neck. I think it is No Boundaries.
Love Azure Standard!
I make soooo many zucchini and corn recipes in summer, soups in autumn, and definitely feel I keep things seasonal. I just got that app, but then saw you had a promotional offer code referral that I did not use. I am sorry!!
Enjoyed.
Is Rocket money safe to put your bank account on?
Good tips
Foster parenting: Rewarding & exhausting!
👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
sorry i respect for you trying... but the things you add seem normal to me... buy things on sail even if your family dont like it... being aware of items in the season.. its normal to me.... we are trying to find how we can survive healthy.. no idea how america thinks but europe knows these things..
Was very interested in listening to your tips, but video is way to long.
Why not just pause and watch the second half later then 🤷🏼♀️
It was only 20min?!?
Short attention span theater...
@@Lisa-ym1si Yeah. Like it would be possible to learn all the ways to save $ in less than 20 minutes, right? This person would get bored after 15 minutes of making a menu! geesh
Love to see you in Salt Lake City!! 🩷💙🩷💙 with a mocktail of pf course 😂 such a fun show!