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[cranefly]

I seem to spend a crazy amount of money on food every month. I've looked for online tips but they're so basic (use coupons, use generics, etc.). Any tips from forumites for saving a little money at the grocery store?

I'm single, with a dog. I find fresh fruit and vegetables to be very expensive (I live in Canada, so "in season" or buying local is only for a couple months in the summer).

I walk to the store to save on gas and make sure I don't buy more than I need (no more than I can carry!)

I admit convenience food buying needs to be cut back-- I'd love some great recipes that are cheap and QUICK and easy to make, that don't mean eating the same leftovers for a week straight afterwards. I don't own a lot of kitchen utensils, and nothing electric except a microwave and hand blender.

[sciencephd]

I like COSTCO for food.  They are in Canada.  Even though you are single, there are many non-perishables that can be purchased in quantity.

And in my area, the "dollar stores" have started carrying quite alot of produce.  This results in substantial savings.

You mentioned not having many utensils...dollar stores are gold mines in the area of utensils.

A rice cooker and a 50 pound bag of rice, some chicken or beef (purchased from costco and then frozen), and some vegetables will take you a long way.

[magistra]

What about freezing?  If you have a decent freezer, you can make a big pot of soup, stew, spaghetti sauce, casseroles, etc. and freeze them.  That way you're not stuck with leftovers for the rest of the week.  It's cheaper in the long run.

Chicken is your friend.  So are the big bags of noodles, rice, and beans.  Gather a list of ten basic, cheap casseroles you like -- it's easy to play with the ingredients so they cover all the food groups and are pretty cheap.  I like a good tuna noodle casserole with frozen peas -- tasty and cheap.

Sandwich stuff instead of convenience meals.  Just as easy, but better for you.  Can be taken to work.

But I hear ya on grocery prices, especially fresh stuff.  And forget about gas -- why is milk more than $4 a gallon?

[mrchimples]

I seem to spend a crazy amount of money on food every month. I've looked for online tips but they're so basic (use coupons, use generics, etc.). Any tips from forumites for saving a little money at the grocery store?

They may be basic but they're highly effective.  My wife and I plan our meals based on what's on sale in the local grocery.  We buy in bulk and freeze what we need to.

Impulse purchasing will kill your budget, as can shopping when you're hungry.  Write up a list and stick to it as best you can.

As for cheap and simple recipes, look for Mark Bittman's "The Minimalist" column in the NY Times.  He's written a big, fat, yellow cookbook as well.

[dept_geek]

Consider purchasing a crockpot/slow cooker. Then you can buy larger cuts of meat, and larger bags of potatos & beans and make some stews, soups, etc that can be frozen. Then you can take a frozen block to work for lunch & microwave for a hot meal. Cheaper & better for you than boxed foods. Use resealable plastic containers to store the food. Thye go from freezer to micro with no problem. Over the weekend, you can make 2 or 3 meals (that serve 4-6) and have enough food for lunches for most of the month. Doing this, I save 20-30 USD a week because I don't buy anything at work. Supplement with a salad and you are good to go.

[scheherazade]

I have a long, varied list of cheap meals.  I cook every night, and I cook healthy food (for the most part), plus I do all the shopping.  I do a major grocery store trip every two weeks (when we get paid).  Before that trip, I plan out two weeks' worth of dinners, including many recipes from the "cheap meals" list.  If we're short a bit that week, I plan more cheap meals (sometimes all).  I shoot for an average of $10 per dinner, which is pretty good for a family of four.  Take a close look at the things you cook.  Are you using recipes with expensive items?  Sometimes, for quality purposes, you need expensive brands; other times, generic is fine.  Know which is which and make adjustments.  Do you cook a lot of beef?  Beef is expensive these days; use more chicken.  Salmon is generally inexpensive for seafood fixes.  Buy the "value packs" of meat instead of a lot of smaller packages - just break them up into smaller portions using freezer bags when you get home.

We eat a lot of fresh vegetables (and not always local).  Don't sacrifice health for convenience or discounts if you have the option.  Know which fresh vegetables tend to be cheap and incorporate them frequently.  In fact, a vegetarian meal can be cheaper than a chicken meal if it's planned correctly.  And, if you are in the store and happen to see, say, asparagus or something on sale, grab it!  Replace something else that would have been a side dish, or have a meal that you can recall easily.  We use frozen vegetables maybe three times a year or so.  That's it.

I find that often one-pot meals, such as soups and stews, are frequently cheaper than your meat/potatoes/veggie meals.  You can get a lot of interesting variety with them, as well.  What do you eat often as your starch?  If you eat a lot of potatoes, consider eating a bit more rice.  It's cheaper.  Again, substitute more expensive ingredients with cheaper ones, such as the chicken for beef suggestion.

If you can afford a big, expensive trip, Costco or Sam's Club is a good place to get meat and other stuff in bulk.  I have no experience with Costco, but the meat at Sam's Club comes in huge packages and is pretty good.  So is their produce, but obviously you can't buy three month's worth of that!  We'd go to Sam's, buy a ton of meat, instant oatmeal, rice, etc. - whatever we used frequently or could store - break up the meat when we got home, and be set for a few months.  In fact, we got a big deep freezer for exactly that purpose.  We will stock up on canned food we use frequently - tomatoes, olives, jam, peanut butter - if it's on sale, as well as boxes of pasta, cereal (man, cereal is expensive!) and such.

I have a ton of cheap recipes, as I mentioned, but they're all in larger quantities than you would need.  I can pull out some of the simpler ones that can be scaled down, though.

[atalanta]

Cranefly, I'm in Canada too, and also find my grocery bills to be painfully high. Here are a few meager ideas:

Several stores in my area (SaveOn and IGA) have "15% off day" once a month. I write it in my calendar and go shopping at 8:00 AM (since I don't teach until 11:00). I go over their ads beforehand and make a careful list. Since I often buy things that are on sale AND 15% off, it's better than Costco.

A few years ago I spent some time writing down all the meals that I prepare regularly. Then I made a list of "cheap meals". If I force myself to plan meals a few days in advance, I can make sure that at least every other dinner (or two out of three) are from the "cheap meals" list. Our cheap meals often involve beans or lentils or eggs, and rice or pasta or tortillas.

What do you like to eat? If you enjoy eating beans or chickpeas sometimes, invest in a pressure cooker. It's much cheaper to buy them dried and in bulk rather than those silly little bags (or cans).

Fortunately I love root vegetables, and they ARE available all year round even in Canada. So in winter, we eat a lot of potatoes, yams, beets, carrots, parsnips, etc. All except the yams are local.

I like to make homemade soups. Soup with bread can be a terrific cheap easy meal.

Here's an easy cheap meal. For a super basic curry, you can start out with any prepared curry powder.

Chickpea curry

One chopped onion
Two cloves garlic, minced
cooking oil
1 Tbsp curry powder
cayenne pepper
One can* of chickpeas, drained [or better yet, one cup of dried chickpeas, cooked in your pressure cooker!]
One can* of diced tomatoes
Cooked rice

Saute the onion in oil until it starts to brown around the edges. Add the garlic, curry powder, and a little cayenne (as desired). Cook for two minutes more. Add the chickpeas and tomatoes. Heat through, and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over rice.
Optional: Stir in half-cup of yogurt and heat through before serving.

*sorry I can't remember the volumes in mL or ounces.. just use "medium" sized cans. Both cans should be about the same size.

[pippin]

Any time I have leftover bones, I make soup. Just throw in a couple of carrots, a couple stalks of celery, some chopped onion and chopped parsely and a small amount of barley, and you have a delicious meal with vitamins AND fiber -- all based on something you would otherwise have thrown out.

[pippin]

P.S. Fried rice is very good, too, and can make a little leftover meat go a long way.

[atalanta]

P.S. Fried rice is very good, too, and can make a little leftover meat go a long way.

Yes! Fried rice is on my cheap meals list. You can also use up any tiny amounts of leftover vegetables that are wilting in the 'fridge.

[magistra]

Frozen vegetables can actually be better for you than fresh.  The minerals start leeching out immediately, but they're usually frozen right by the fields, so the minerals are packed in (I know this is particularly true for broccoli).  Obviously you want the fresh stuff, but I always have this nagging feeling that if I'm not eating a salad I haven't eaten vegetables.  Frozen veggies can be good and good for you, and it's a great way to fill out a soup, stew, or casserole.  A box of frozen vegs, some rice or noodles, maybe a can of mushroom soup, some of whatever else you have in the fridge, and cheese on top!  How it tastes depends on your improv skills, but it combines nutrition, speed, and cost effectiveness.  No ramen necessary.

Oh, and oatmeal.  You can get the big thinks of generic quick oats for nothing, and it's very filling.  Oatmeal will get you through the day.  You should also consider keeping nabs (the cheese crackers) or granola bars in your desk.  Not terribly nutritious, but cheap and it'll keep you from the vending machine.

[siduri]

Buy tortillas--even really good ones aren't usually that expensive.  You can stuff anything you want in a tortilla, even cheap ingredients like eggs, potatoes, rice, beans, etc., and make a very quick, yummy meal.  Good way to make leftovers seem new again as well.

[navelgazer]

1. If you're concerned about eating locally and how animals are treated, you should stay away from most chicken. If that's not your biggest concern--and I totally understand if it isn't--chicken is a great value meal.

2. Bulk bins (even at Whole Foods) and Indian stores can be a great source for lentils, beans, rice.

3. What I made for dinner.

CUBAN BLACK BEAN SOUP
3-4 quarts water
2 cups dried black beans (you can soak beforehand if you're worried about, um, gas)
1/2 cup olive oil (I never use this much, but it's the recipe)
10 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped parsley (this will be $$$ but you can't use dried)
1 28-ounce diced tomatoes (the big size)
1/2 cup brown rice (uncooked)
salt & peppers

1. water to boil, put in beans, oil, garlic, red pepper, bay, parsley
2. cook over medium for 1 hour, stirring
3. add tomatoes, cook for 30 minutes
4. add rice, salt, pepper
5. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently. If beans are not soft at end, keep on going. (Note, you want the beans to be soft, and soaking for just a couple hours ahead helps.)

Serve!

(Even with the parsley, this meal cost us 8 dollars--round up to 10 for energy costs and the spices. We will get 5-7 meals out of it.)

[marlborough]

I am in a climate where eating in season would be a joke, too (or if you ever wanted a banana).  I do the Sam's Club/Costco thing every couple of months and end up with a 20# box of yams or potatoes that get worked into everything, along with dried beans, big bags of pasta and rice.

One key to this is prep and storage.  Buy durable containers that you like and are the right serving size for you and commit to bringing things home and dividing them up into useable units.  A giant jar of spaghetti sauce will sit in the back of the fridge, but divided into 20 ziploc bags in the freezer, will last until you want it again.  Dried beans require some croc-pot or forward planning, but you get used to it.

Online, the extension services in just about every state have extremely easy "how to freeze" charts and ideas to store food.  I know I am not competent to can, but I quit wasting bananas when I figured out how to freeze them and bake with them later.

You may live near a CSA--local farms you buy a share of and get produce from during the growing season.  I do this as a single person and freeze most of it (I bought a little Sears freezer for the basement) to use throughout the rest of the year.  I still have bags of kale and beets I am tossing into everything in preparation for the produce to start rolling in about May.  This (and the containers) are an expense upfront, but pay off big in the long run.

Some CSAs also do eggs and organic meat.

Omlettes and baked egg pancakes (dutch babies, if you are not an omlette-pro) or quiches are cheap and you can fill them with whatever you have little bits of sitting in the fridge.

I fall back on the basic world staples--you can curry and stir fry anything, or you can stuff it in a tortilla, make soup or bake it in eggs. 

Mark Bittman has a great World Cookbook for all this kind of stuff, along with his How to Cook Everything.

[atalanta]

Every once in a while a google the phrase Cheap Easy Meals. I always find a few fresh ideas.

Here's a list of cheap healthy meals from a blog called "the frugal law student". Check out the comments that follow for additional ideas.

http://www.frugallawstudent.com/2007/09/05/12-meals-that-are-easy-cheap-and-healthy/