We asked you recently how you save money on groceries without compromising quality. Hundreds of readers shared a buffet of interesting tips, including one reader who “asks my Mom to buy me groceries” (Brennan Gage of Austin, Texas), and another who stopped buying meat to save money but “slathers everything in cheese instead” (Jim Cassius in Madison, Wis.).
Most folks we talked with know that cooking and growing your own food is the best place to start, and they round out the cost savings by buying in bulk, preserving food and planning meals conscientiously. What follows are some of our favorite nuggets of advice. Go forth and save!
Neighborly Advice
Relying on neighbors strengthens social capital in your community, and may keep some capital in your pocketbook, too.
- Holly Best Parker splits a share in a community supported agriculture (CSA) program with pals in Little Rock, Ark.
More Is More
Incorporating items that add bulk to meals is a quick way to save while boosting nutrition and the number of servings.
- Missy T. of Forth Worth, Texas, tosses all manner of odds-and-ends, such as leftover scraps of veggies, into delicious, easy stir-fries.
- Kelly Evans of Oceanside, Calif., often cooks with “fillers” (such as rice, celery and onions) that add flavor and texture to dishes.
- Diana Nelson Varnes of Montague, Texas, adds oats, brown rice and potatoes to dishes that call for a filling.
- Mandy Lange of Boise, Idaho, sometimes substitutes beans for meat in recipes.
- Though he admits he’s “easily a little more bean-crazy than the next guy,” Keith Berner has promised to host “Bean Fest 2011” in Brooklyn, N.Y., to spread some of the bean love he got directly from a local farmer in the form of a cost-efficient, 50-pound bag of dry beans.
- While sipping on a pricey glass of wine at a restaurant in Alexandria, Va., Jenny Noble Anderson suddenly gasped, “This is the equivalent of four bottles of Trader Joe’s budget wine! Two Buck Chuck, my friends. Husband aside, the only man that never lets me down!”
Post your own suggestions in the comments section below!
Photo: TIM NAUMAN PHOTOGRAPHY/www.timnauman.com
