Saving $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ !

[country gent]

Another thing that helps a lot is learning to cook for the number of people normally at your table. A lot of people throw a lot of food away. We fix a beef roast taters and carrots one night the next is beef and noodles then the third night beef gravy or hot beef sandwiches 3 meals from that one beef roast. Learning to cook in the right quanity and using left overs helps a lot.

[Soundguy]

Another thing is cost offset. We raise hogs, cattle and have dogs, rabbits and chickens. and No food product hits the trash can, we offset feed costs this way. Feed bought in bulk I cheaper too.

I dont run new expensive tractors, I have 2 fords from mid 50's to mow and load hay.

Being able to cook saves plenty $$

[GhostHawk]

When we buy, we buy in bulk, on sale, take it home, split it up into meal sized portions for the 2 of us, vacumn seal it and freeze it. Ideally with contents and date plain and easy to read.

We do eat a fair amount of rice, pasta. We will buy for example a 2 lb package of spaghetti, a jar of Ragu, a package of Mushrooms, and my prefered meat is half a pound of Mild Italian Sausage mixed with half a pound of ground beef. Cut and chop an onion, fry with the meat, slice and brown the mushrooms, combine all. I like to add extra fennel, a 1/3 teaspoon of sugar (helps cut the acid in the tommato) and all the garlic you can stand. Makes a nice big pot of sauce.

When your done eating package up remaining sauce, put in sandwich size zip lock bags for single servings, or larger for larger, freeze.

You can get 8 or more meals for the cost of 2. But, it does take some effort.

We buy a ham when the price is good, either have the butcher slice it into thirds or take it home and do it myself. (Bone saw, sharp knife) So you thaw a chunk of ham, have a slice of ham and baked potato for one meal. Maybe have a nice ham sandwhich out of it. Whats left I'll turn into from scratch scalloped potatoes.

Take a medium sized pot, fill with all the small potato's rolling around the potato bin, wash, cover with water, set to boil. Walk away for 45 min.

Come back drain, cool the spuds. Now I boil mine skins on, then use a paring knife to slip the skin off. Take your chunk of ham left, cube it up. Place in a bowl, I like to cook some of the juice out of the ham or it curdles your sauce. So couple tablespoons of water, place in microwave, heat on high for 1-2 depending on how much. When done drain, set aside.

When your potatoes are all peeled, ham is ready, take a large cassorole dish. Mines big, but not too tall. Pam it, slice potato's 1/4 inch thick into a layer that covers the bottom. Add a handful of ham, sprinkle it around into the cracks. Repeat until all is in there.

In a large sauce pan or high sided fry pan I put 1/2 stick of butter, turn on the fire, add flour until it is like wallpaper paste, starting to get sticky, and turning a light biscuit color.

Whisk in a bunch of milk. How much is always a guess. The good news is if your short you can always add more milk on the top of the casserole. Heat until the flour starts thickening. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour onto the layers in the dish, clean it out with a rubber spatula, use same tool to wiggle things around in the dish to remove any air pockets. Add milk if needed so all is covered.

Place in the oven for an hour minimum at 400 ish or until the whole top starts turning golden brown.

Left over ham, 4-5 pounds of small spuds, a dab of flour and a quart of milk just made 2-3 days of the best eating known to man. Your living high off the hog on penny's.

Plan ahead, only buy what you know you like. Try to plan shopping trips for when you have a little extra.

Stay away from frozen fast food, with possible exception of Turkey/chicken pot pies found on sale.
Most of it is loaded with stuff you don't want, does not taste great and does not fill you up, and costs too much. Your paying for convenience. That's expensive.

[44deerslayer]

Lots of stripped bass and walleye the wife and I depend a lot on deer meat and our garden can do well with that. We eat lots of left overs soups stews homemade pizza i even raise ducks for the eggs . it's milk bread toilet paper laundry soap dog food chesse that costs the most it's tuff even for two

[Blanket]

ramen noodles, rice and beans. Get some laying hens and free range them so you do not have to feed, an egg apiece per day. Get to know hog confinement managers and get the blind pigs or runts, ruptured hogs they will give them to you. Plant vegetables in a garden. Run trot lines for fish. Gig carp and coldpac it. Forget about hunting for meat unless you get landowners tags. Offer to work for a rancher or farmer in exchange for produce or an animal to butcher after said work is done. Barter work for what you need.

[Boaz]

Lots of stripped bass and walleye the wife and I depend a lot on deer meat and our garden can do well with that. We eat lots of left overs soups stews homemade pizza i even raise ducks for the eggs . it's milk bread toilet paper laundry soap dog food chesse that costs the most it's tuff even for two

A big reason I put this topic up is that food prices continue to climb , many of us are encouraged or hard put to make ends meet . Many are limited to available funds . Sharing saving ideas could help many of us . Good cheap meal recipes or meal plans might be a real help to many . Limited income is hard to deal with a lot of times . Been there -done that ...time will come back around .

[toallmy]

I'm not a preper but growing up in the country side we just always seem to stock up on things , buying in bulk , and not being wasteful goes a long way . As mentioned above leftovers are always eaten and creativity at that and they are delicious . There is so much I want to say , but I have to get ready for work I will be back .

[54bore]

I picked up a small buck a few years ago that i witnessed get hit, it looked like a straight on head/neck shot with the ladies right front fender. I threw him in the back stil kickin, ran him home and peeled the guts and hide from him, one front shoulder turned out to be bruised up, but i was able to save most of it. This happened early one summer morning, it was getting hot during the day, letting it hang was NOT gonna be an option, i quartered it and we made room in the refrigerator. I decided to make summer sausage out of him, made right around 50 pounds.

Elk and Moose are a big deal around here if road killed, people go get them in a hurry! Not so much the deer, i see lots n lots of deer go to waste. Been about 5 years ago that Idaho allowed picking up road kill game. If its fresh and not twisted into a pretzel, why not?

[William Yanda]

Locally, Aldi's and Save-a-Lot offer less expensive alternatives to Wegman's and Tops. Additionally, cooking from "scratch" and avoiding ready to eat offerings are less expensive and sometimes healthier choices. There are also choices like soups and casseroles that are cheaper alternatives to meat, potato, vegetable and salad for a meal. No dessert helps the budget and my waistline.

[dragon813gt]

If it's not on sale I don't buy it. I've built up a good stock over the years so I can afford to wait for it to be on sale. I should use coupons but I don't. You can save a lot of money if you're willing to spend the time to clip and use them.

For meat I buy from local farmers in fairly large chunks. It all gets sealed in food saver bags and put in the deep freezer. Lasts well over a year this way. I don't like to keep the freezer completely full in case of a power outage. I figure a few months worth of food is good enough.

Canned goods can be hit and miss. Sometimes the generic brands taste better than the name brand. Other times it's worth paying a few extra cents for the name brand. Regardless I only buy when on sale.

I don't buy bread. I will make a loaf a day when I'm home. I really need to cut it out of my diet but it tastes to good. And making it is a lot cheaper then buying it. Downside is it doesn't last. It's only good until the day after.

The main way I save money is I do the shopping myself. If I let the wife do it she comes home w/ bags full of junk and nothing was on sale. I don't even let her go w/ me. I ask for her a list and may get one or not. No list means she doesn't get anything she wanted. And make sure you shop w/ a list. Seems very basic but many people don't. Go through the pantry first and see what you actually need. This way you don't waste money on items you already have.

[castalott]

quote:

[COLOR=#333333]I don't buy bread. I will make a loaf a day when I'm home. I really need to cut it out of my diet but it tastes to good. And making it is a lot cheaper then buying it. Downside is it doesn't last. It's only good until the day after.

Guy I met at a hamfest claims bread has ground (powdered) glass in it now. ( Southern Illinois) Something is up for sure as the bread does not go stale in weeks... But it is not edible either. I try different brands and throw it away missing one or two slices...

Potato chips taste good but one small bag having a potato in it costs $3.29 to $4.29 around here. Can't afford stuff like that but rarely. I have seen people with a cart full of soda, chips, and other frozen and non frozen junk food and the bill is way over $100. And they have no good food at all.

The closer you eat to God's garden, the more money you will save and the healthier you will be. Being healthy will save A LOT of $.

I also find I feel a lot better " the less I eat" ( within reason).

Eating healthy to save money could take up this entire website.....

Dale

[EMC45]

Prices do keep going up! I am feeding 5 on one income. My 11 YO son eats like an adult and is almost as tall as me. What I like to buy is Ramen, rice and pasta. You can doctor up those just about any way. Avoid processed foods. Not the best for you and cost ineffective. When I was in Ga I was shooting squirrels in my MIL's yard and my own yard and eating those. Fishing, hunting and gardening are all ways to make the dollar stretch. Aldi's, bread banks, scratched and dented, etc. I like store brand for a lot of items. Doesn't have to be name brand on a lot of stuff for me and my family. I know what ever you decide Boaz, you will give thanks and be grateful.

[jcwit]

I've noticed Ramon Noodles mentioned more than once. I also like them, but a word of caution, check out their sodium content.

Same goes for most all processed food.

Per Dr. orders, I'm only allowed one (1) hot dog or brat a month. "Sodium again"

[runfiverun]

I probably shop a bit weird.
if stuff is on sale I calculate how much we could use by the expiration and buy that much.
we might go to 2-3 different stores when we are down in town and sometimes go back to the first to pick up those 3-4 things they had cheaper.

our shopping can be a bit on the weird side where i'll buy 3 cases of corn, a box of ketchup, a cooler full of frozen veggies, and 4 cases of mac-N-cheese because it was all on sale.
I won't have to buy any thing like that again for a whole year, and can buy 40 lbs of chicken or pork, or 50 packages of Bacon, when it comes on sale next month.
it all rotates through.
the bulk buying can present a umm slight variety problem at times but there is always food down stairs.

[Boaz]

I probably shop a bit weird.
if stuff is on sale I calculate how much we could use by the expiration and buy that much.
we might go to 2-3 different stores when we are down in town and sometimes go back to the first to pick up those 3-4 things they had cheaper.

our shopping can be a bit on the weird side where i'll buy 3 cases of corn, a box of ketchup, a cooler full of frozen veggies, and 4 cases of mac-N-cheese because it was all on sale.
I won't have to buy any thing like that again for a whole year, and can buy 40 lbs of chicken or pork, or 50 packages of Bacon, when it comes on sale next month.
it all rotates through.
the bulk buying can present a umm slight variety problem at times but there is always food down stairs.

Yep ! Totally agree , we do bulk (within reason) buying on common items . I have always said tolit paper is a good investment as an example .

[pete501]

I see a lot of people saving their money by using EBT card (food stamps). They buy name brand stuff, the high price snack/junk & processed food while our family pinches pennies looking for close-out close-dated food. I tell the checkers that EBT stands for EveryBodys Taxes.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I think we found a topic that everyone can agree on...that's kind rare here, LOL.
Buying in bulk seems to be the theme of most posts so far...which is very logical and I do the same for the most part.

I have a different situation about to arise...it's a story about opportunity...but still on track with the OP's theme of saving money.

Three years ago, my City started a long term project (10 year plan) of rebuilding the utility infrastructure (streets, sewer,water,storm sewer). This summer, my neighborhood is about to rebuilt. The assessments will be high, nothing I can do about that. While they do the streets, there may be opportunities to have those crews do sides jobs, like rebuilding private driveways. I'd like a new cement driveway and maybe a new cement parking pad. That'll be expensive. I've been waiting to hear which construction company wins the bid. Since I am recently retired, I'm thinking of contacting the winning bidder and offering my services for security or just plain old part time help of running errands or whatever (but obviously not hard labor)...with the intent of swapping, my labor for cement work. Most of these construction companies are from out of town, employees are from out of town, even just having a friendly connection in the middle of the neighborhood, to watch over their equipment over the weekends would be worth something?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

This is a great thread subject, something that is of interest to almost everyone. I have some random thoughts:

Living like some of these fellows do, on a farm or ranch, is really the way to go if you have the land and the youth to work it. I was raised that way, the livestock, garden, fruit trees, and I ate and helped provide so much venison that I can't stand to eat it today.

But some of us older--well just old--guys are dependent on the supermarket. So when I buy one can of something I buy two and set one aside. As most canned goods are edible for 20-30 years you save money over the long haul just by virtue of the fact that prices continue to go up.

Lots of times they'll have a sale like "buy 4 of this item and get this price." If you're familiar with what the price of 1 is, then that may be a saving.

A peculiar thing I have encountered several times is that when you buy more of something it is supposed to cost less, but sometimes when you look at the smaller unit it figures out to be less expensive to buy two or four of them. Usually it's because they raised the price on the larger quantity item and forgot to go back and adjust the price of the lesser quantity item.

I've got a goodly reserve supply of rice and beans, but I occasionally see a doctor who is of Chinese origin. He told me that diabetes is becoming an increasingly serious problem in China because they eat so much rice which is mainly carbohydrate. So beware and aware.....

So called "loss leaders" can be good. "2 lb. blocks of medium cheddar cheese, regular $6.99 on sale for $4.99, limit 2 per customer." So I buy my 2 blocks and have my daughter stop by and get 2 more blocks. It freezes well.

There are a few items like pasta that are still very inexpensive, keep for a long time, and can be fixed in hundreds of different ways.

Bulk is good, but savings at Costco are questionable. Still, I always get a package of their all beef hotdogs that they serve at their lunch counter and four of their four lb. butter packs.

I'm just not much of a coupon person, but I observe the ladies in the checkout line that use them seem to do quite well. But, it also seems like a lot of the stuff they get a savings on with the coupon requires a bulk purchase of something that I wouldn't like or use.

[bob208]

we grow our own. plus we have not been in a large grocery store in years. we go to aldi which a discount grocery store. also go to grocery outlet which has discontinued and buy outs. we stock up on meat when they have the one and 2 dollar off on packs that are getting near the sell by date. then there is the b&b which is run by Mennonites. they have a lot of bent and broken lots. in the summer they have a lot of fresh off the farm.


also the wife had bariatric surgery. she does not eat much. me I went to a smaller plate and only use it twice a day. so we are not eating as much. some weeks we spend more on dog and cat food.

[opos]

Living where I do near the lovely village of Tijuana and having a huge number of illegals and minority folks on welfare and food stamps in our area...and looking at the "girth" on most of the welfare recipients...I'm sure buying food that other people pay for through taxes is the answer to living a large life....ever notice while they are blabbing on their Obamaphones that there isn't a skinny or needy looking one in the bunch? Look at the protesters carrying signs wanting us to trash the Constitution and give them more "entitlements"...all fat as hogs at the slop trough...they got the way to beat hunger.