Grocery Spending 101

Cutting the cost of the grocery bill.  Where there's a will, there's a way.  It's almost become a game to me now.  How many meals can I squeeze out of the same ingredients?  How little "dough" {ha!} can I get away with "forking" {ha again!} over at the checkout line?  How do I pull off this curtailing of ingredients {let's face it, its the only way to really cut cost...buy fewer items} without sacrificing flavor?  Much to my husband's dismay, I'm not really one for leftovers.  After the second meal of the same dish, I'm ready to move on.  Which is odd considering I have a rotation of the same lean cuisines every day for lunch.  But that's lunch. Dinner is to be savored! 

These questions fluttering about in my brain led me to do some researching, some planning. I began to linger a bit longer in the grocery store to ask myself, "how much do we really need and what will just get tossed or make its way down the disposal?" "How can I buy little but stretch it out?"

I've successfully pulled off some great meals using my new money saving mentality.  I'd like to share a few ideas with you...

*Tip 1: Rely on your staples:  There's a party in your pantry!  Get in there! Pantry items such as flour, sugar{white and brown}, panko, canned veggies, baking powder, dried pastas, rice, orzo, canned sauces, chicken and beef broth, olive oil, balsamic vinegar {my fave!}, worstershire, soy sauce and hot sauce, jar of pesto, jar of olives, honey, your spice rack/drawer {pull out the cumin and coriander every once in a while!}, canned salsas, canned beans, anchovies, canned tuna...all those items are at your disposal and last a while!  Hard to imagine all that moolah you've spent on these staples just sitting there and not getting used to their full potential.

And in the fridge, of course, ketchup, Dijon mustard, regular mustard, mayonnaise, bbq sauce, milk, eggs, cheese, butter and whatever your other refrigerated items are that you use constantly. And don't forget your freezer!  Frozen meats and fresh veggies, you can even freeze bundles of fresh herbs in airtight bags to use in soups/casseroles later.  All of these staples are a buy once and keep {with the exception of milk and free range, organic eggs} for a month/months, the canned items in your pantry, even years!

You truly will be surprised at how many items are already in your home that you can use different ways.  Then, when it comes down to those extras that are necessary and at the core of your dishes~ meats, vegetables, and other sides~you'll spend less money each week by only purchasing what you don't already have at home. 

*Tip 2:  I for one, as I'm sure many of you have, forgotten take "inventory" of items already in the fridge and pantry.  Have you ever come home with a brand new huge pkg of flour and there is already one opened {but sealed} half-used bag in your pantry? Or purchased yet another carton of sour cream when the one in your fridge is still fresh?  Taking such inventory is essential in the quest to save.

*Tip 3: Buy two different types of meat, for example, ground beef and a rotisserie chicken. {My apologies to vegetarians} Then, use only those two types of meat you choose for your meals throughout the week.  Not the same flavors, not the same menu, just use the same meats. 

Some examples of ground beef and rotisserie chicken dishes...

Simple Example:  Ground Beef.  Saute entire package of ground beef, with half of it, you can prepare simple spaghetti, but save the other half in a separate container without any seasoning, then you can have it two days later in, say, a stuffed bell pepper.  Simply cut top off pepper and remove the flesh and seeds, Spanish minute rice into microwave, season the beef with spices {use cayenne pepper and cilantro to give it the depth of a Spanish flavored dish}, 1/2 can of diced tomatoes, squeeze of lime, mix all together with cheese, stuff the pepper with this mixture and pop into the oven.  Completely different flavor using the same main ingredient: Ground Beef.  So you have two things to purchase, the meat and the bell pepper, as the other items are more than likely your staples that you already have on hand.

Good ole Uncle Ben's Spanish Style 90 second rice!

Husband Approved and Enjoyed Example: Rotisserie Chicken. Buy a cooked rotisserie chicken, slice up the whole shebang.  Reserve one half of the slices for another meal.  Use the other for chicken nachos {your extra purchase is the tortilla chips since you probably already have the cheese, salsa, sour cream, canned black beans}.  Dylan and I are all about spicy foods so jalapenos in the jar are always on hand and last forever! For your reserved chicken, make BBQ chicken pizza.  Here, our only additional purchase was the pizza crust and one green pepper.  The BBQ sauce already a fridge staple, the cheese as well, the spices from our spice rack ready for use, and the onion in the pantry.  Again, totally different flavors using one rotisserie chicken.

Brush crust with olive oil, spread 1 cup BBQ Sauce over crust, layer the chicken you've shredded or diced,
 then diced pepper, onion, spices of your choosing {ours: oregano, rosemary, crushed red pepper},
then mozzarella cheese, into oven for 15-20 mins at 400 depending on your crust size. 

*Tip 4: Let your garden grow.  Plant your own veggies and fresh herbs.  Even if you don't have garden space, get large containers and plant cherry tomatoes, green peppers, jalapenos, whatever you desire.  Thyme, rosemary, sage, mint, all the herbs you can imagine!  This way, you're shopping in your own garden vs a grocery store for veggies and herbs.  I'm working on the layout of our garden now, then onto prepping and planting time!

*Tip 5: Think of the flavors that make your family happy and tailor these tips to your lifestyle and food choices. You get the gist.

May your tummies stay full and your bank accounts too!  Hope this helps : )