Simple Ways to Cut Your Food Bills by Up Tp 50%

Weather Report: “Eat better, Save Money–Simple Ways to Cut Your Food Bills by 50%”

The Weather Report this mid-week presents this title from a Mother Earth News magazine article “Cut Your Food Bills In Half” by Barbara Pleasant (February/March 2009).  The article provides  some valuable ideas and direction on saving money on family food purchases and usage.  Here’s some of what Ms. Pleasant had to say:

First, analyze where you’re now spending your food dollars. Keep several weeks food receipts and don’t forget to save and add-in your restaurant receipts.

Ms. Pleasant suggests “there are three paths to follow: develop a food-efficient diet, keep a food-efficient kitchen, and spend your food dollars as wisely as you can.”

• Path#1. Follow a food-efficient diet by: a) eating mostly plants such as vegetables, fruits and grains. This could save you 20% over a diet centering around meat. b) Choosing pastured meat, dairy and eggs, especially organic, would increase food safety and nutrition. c) Improve snacking ’Smarts’ by making your own such as pita chips or bagel slices. d) Use locally abundant foods in season. and e) Eat whole, eat plain.
• Path#2. Run a food-efficient kitchen by: a) Cooking and eating at home thereby saving a lot of the one-half of the total food dollars American’s spend eating out. And b) Make big batches at your cooking efforts (2-4 meals) and freeze several meals in freezing containers: i.e. soup and chili. This saves time and money.
• Path#3. Spend your food dollars wisely by: a) Taking your lunch, b) Make your own wine and beer, c) Work with local CSA’s (CSA = Community Supported Agriculture: a food buying club linking neighborhoods and regional farms in a direct market relationship). d) Work with a local food co-op and reduce your food bill by donating hours. e) Use coupons for brands you like — check on-line for coupons too. f) Buy co-operatively in bulk; items such as whole grains, flours and peanut butter. And last, g) Glean in season.

Ms. Pleasant ’s article has a small but very important section of her article devoted to the subject of wasted food: “How Much Do You Waste?”

This section reminds us not to waste leftovers and gives us some ideas:

a) by incorporating them into things like omelets and soups.

b) Make your own broths and stocks.

c) Freeze leftovers from meals.

d) Bring home leftovers when you eat out..

e) Clean out your refrigerator at least once a week. 

f) Have a food rest day periodically, “… during which the head cook gets the day off, this encourages active refrigerator foraging by other household members.”

The author gives the reader valuable information and guidance in her article and acknowledges after it’s conclusion that she provides no way to actually use, via cookbooks etc., a great deal of her information. Please let us here at Prudent Home offer some help:

–The More-With-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre. A 25^th anniversary edition of, “Recipes and suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world’s limited resources” Definitely family oriented and a Five Star Rating at Amazon.

–The New Laurel’s Kitchen: A Handbook for Vegetarian Cookery and Nutrition by Laurel Robertson, et al . Money, planet and life-saving with a 4.5 star rating at Amazon.

–The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn. While this book isn’t technically a cookbook is a book that can save you money in buying, preparing, storing, and using food as well as those items generally found in the kitchen. This book is also an encyclopedia of living frugally in almost every aspect of our lives. This book is a “must have” in these difficult economic times. A 4.5 star rating at Amazon.

All of the books we’ve mentioned above we own, use and recommend here at Prudent Home.

Until next time, keep your eyes on the horizon as the weathers changing fast.