Saving money on food

As mentioned in my column today, the big culinary push this year will be how to save money when shopping for food. One approach, as I mentioned, is to stay flexible when visiting the markets and change menus fast -- on your feet, as it were. All the better to take advantage of good buys and specials you may encounter.

But, of course, there are plenty of other ways to proceed as well. I hereby open this space to hear your thoughts. I'm looking for really original ideas. We all know the same ol' same ol' stuff -- like not shopping when hungry or with distracting kids. This is getting to be serious now. Who has ideas that work -- and are different?

Comments

[bobbycat]

Preserving foods by canning and freezing is the old standby, of course, and hardly 'new' - unless you've never done it.

Something I haven't seen is a local canning calendar that tells me when everything is in season. I forget when local strawberries or rasberries come into season. When can I buy a bushels of Roma canning tomatoes for a few bucks. Is it Sept or Oct??

The new vaccuum plastic bags will revolutionize freezing foods by putting an end to freezer burn. The vaccuum machine is a one-time cost but the bags are pricey. Lots of guys I know use them for venison.

What about the baggies that work without a machine, just an air valve? Do they work as well? Are they cost effective?

For emergency canned food supplies, I shop at Aldi's. The food is often B-grade, but I don't care if my green beans contain a few stems or the peas aren't perfectly uniform.

[warren]

I'm a big fan of salad bars, but not for what you might think.

For example, since I'm usually cooking for myself, I just made some chili. Instead of buying a bag of celery, a whole onion, etc., it's much easier to raid the salad bar and get a few spoonfuls of whatever you need for that dish. No waste, no leftovers you might not use in time, just what you need when you need it. I probably spent on assorted ingredients what I would have spent on celery alone.

Pizza toppings? No problem. It's cheaper to get a handful of pepperoni than to buy a whole bag. Olives, mushrooms, peppers, onions, it's usually available. A bag of cheese, some dough, a can of sauce, and it works quite well. Especially for me, since I'm really sensitive to sodium in the frozen pizzas. (Actually, the aforementioned sodium problem prevents me from buying about 75% of the prepackaged stuff, so I'm ahead no matter what.)

Foodsaver bags: got the machine, love it. Get family packs of chicken on sale, divide it into single servings, seal, freeze. Well worth it, especially now.

[Beth Rosner-Kew]

I must heartily disagree with all due respect to bobbycat over the quality of Aldi's food. When Aldi first entered this market several years ago, I will concur that some of their foods were adequate at best, however there has been a complete turnaround in quality. I do all of my primary grocery shopping at Aldi, with fill-ins coming from sales at other stores. But why would I pat $2+ for a can of Chunky Soup when I can get the exact same thing labeled "Country Cupboard" from Aldi. Aldi now has a double price guarantee that will refund your money and replace anything that is not of highest quality. There are als omany items at Aldi that they stock as standard fare which would cost an exorbitant amount at another store. So, I shop Aldi for most things, scan the ads to see if I can get a better bargain on something elsewhere (particularly with coupons), and get things like Health and Beauty Aids at the dollar store. Dollar General carries their own brand of most over the counter medicines at a fraction of the cost of a drug store like Walgreens or Rite Aid. And in summer, Tuesdays and Thursdays will find me just off of Payne Avenue in North Tonawanda for fresh produce, or on Bidwell Parkway on Saturday mornings. But to reiterate, anyone who doesn't shop Aldi is throwing their money away.