Stretching you budget for me is cook lots at one time a freeze, freeze, freeze!
Purchase things at an insanely low cost that is if your lucky enough to find those buys, purchase lots if you can
some tips
Re: some tips
Here are a few tips of mine, pretty obvious ones, but still:
-Buy fruits and vegetables in season. Meats can be bought seasonally as well.
-Avoid buying processed foods and try to make as many foods as you have time to make yourself, from scratch.
-Don't buy more food or prepare more food than you can reasonably expect to use within its shelf life.
-Can or freeze items you use often, such as chicken stock, tomato sauce, etc., especially if you can grow your own vegetables or garden.
-Buy fruits and vegetables in season. Meats can be bought seasonally as well.
-Avoid buying processed foods and try to make as many foods as you have time to make yourself, from scratch.
-Don't buy more food or prepare more food than you can reasonably expect to use within its shelf life.
-Can or freeze items you use often, such as chicken stock, tomato sauce, etc., especially if you can grow your own vegetables or garden.
Re: some tips
Stretching a budget for me includes coupons, sales and making walmart price match other stores ads. I also buy in bulk so I pay less per pound and section it out for meals. I garden, and can and freeze those items. I try to use all my leftovers. I also once a month go through my freezer and see whats in there. Not just the meats, but what tidbits, I have tucked away and forgotten about.
- HeatherFeather
- Posts: 2558
- Joined: Wed Oct 19, 2011 6:07 am
Re: some tips
I do use coupons when I can, although I/m often lazy about clipping them and forget a lot. Coupons almost always save me money on household, health, beauty, so I have to get better about that. It is like wasting $10-30 per trip without coupons on those items.
I try to mainly rely on paying attention to sales, stocking my freezer with my own prepped items, and watching out for clearance items.
I also don't only shop at one store - I buy certain things in the stores that give me the best deals on certain items I am after. I don't do some horrible all day trip to 6 different stores or something, I just go to the usual store each week, plus make a trip to just one of the other stores for my specific items.
I make very good use of all leftovers in my house - I try very hard to never waste them. I plan out my meals for the week assuming at least 2 nights will be based on leftover foods, often turning the leftovers into a totally different meal.
I almost never buy in bulk, since I ended up having too much food lying around that would spoil before we ever got around to eating it all. That negated any savings, so I only buy in bulk if I am certain we'll use it up quickly.
I try to mainly rely on paying attention to sales, stocking my freezer with my own prepped items, and watching out for clearance items.
I also don't only shop at one store - I buy certain things in the stores that give me the best deals on certain items I am after. I don't do some horrible all day trip to 6 different stores or something, I just go to the usual store each week, plus make a trip to just one of the other stores for my specific items.
I make very good use of all leftovers in my house - I try very hard to never waste them. I plan out my meals for the week assuming at least 2 nights will be based on leftover foods, often turning the leftovers into a totally different meal.
I almost never buy in bulk, since I ended up having too much food lying around that would spoil before we ever got around to eating it all. That negated any savings, so I only buy in bulk if I am certain we'll use it up quickly.