Food is too expensive!

[Aalia]

How can we cut back on the cost of food and still eat well? We are a family of three living in Vancouver B.C., and having enough quality food is always a huge stress for us. ( We're living off $1700 a month right now as I want to stay home with our three year old son, and my partner is on EI trying to decide what he wants to do with his life..ahhhhh!)

Is it really cheaper to have a soymilk maker rather then always buying soy/nut/rice milk?

Is a bread maker cheaper then buying bread?

What about keeping a few chickens for eggs? Are they hard to take care of? How many eggs does one chicken produce?

We're trying to avoid eating canned and processed foods.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[forHISglory]

Chickens are not hard to take care of, but it is a commitment on your part to be there to feed, water, lock the door, etc. You would have to weigh the cost of a dozen eggs against the cost of chicken, the feed, etc.

A breadmaker is not cheaper, usually. You can make it from scratch without a machine, which eliminates the cost of the machine, or you can find day-old outlets to get cheap bread.

I am unfamiliar with the cost of alternative milks,so am of no use to you there!

As far as avoiding canned and processed food: Not all canned food is bad for you. And that can provide some cheaper veggies and fruits. Just carefully read ingredients to see if it meets your standards.

I understand your desire for a healthier lifestyle, but you may need to make some compromises until you have a healthier budget. I don't know how your money compares to the American dollar, but I would think that your income is rather low. Do you have any food programs there such as Share, Angel Food, or even food stamps? That would stretch your food dollar a little more.

[Aalia]

Yeah, our income is super low right now. We have a room mate so our rent is only $675, and we don't have a car, cell phones, we wash every thing on cold and hang to dry, and we buy everything at the thrift store that we can..But because my son and partner are both very active and thin they need to eat a lot!
I will look in to the food bank because I don't think we can cut costs anymore right now.

Maybe buying bulk rice and beans will cut costs as well?

[larabelle]

Lots of beans and rice...lots of casseroles with little meat and lots of lentils

[Grainlady]

- You can make your own milk-alternatives for much less than purchasing them using a regular blender at home. I'd suggest checking the library for the book: Not Milk...NUT MILKS! - by Candia Lea Cole (if they don't have it have them get it through inter-library loan), as well as doing searches for recipes on the Internet. You'll find lots of recipes for making them yourself. Rice milk and almond milk is very easy to make. Personally, I avoid anything with soy in it, so I'm not familiar with it.

-Eggs are inexpensive around here this time of the year, but when they get expensive (usually in the winter) I use powdered whole eggs, you can find sources on-line.

Although chickens will do well on kitchen scraps, you will need a source for chicken feed and that's not cheap. If you are tender-hearted, I'd suggest NOT getting chickens because part of having them for eggs is eating them for meat. I honestly don't think chickens are cost effective over buying eggs unless you have a very inexpensive source for chicken feed.

-Sprouts (made at home with grains and beans) are a mainstay in our diet for an inexpensive source of vegetables. Unless we have fresh lettuce from the garden, we use bean sprouts instead of lettuce as a topper for sandwiches. I consider sprouts our only REAL source for fresh vegetables in the winter - our little garden-in-a-jar. I also keep herbs growing inside and outside all year long. They are an excellent inexpensive source for nutrition. I use parsley dried and fresh. Chives are great as a substitute for onions. Both are easy to grow.

I also like to grow as much food as I have space for. My brother-in-law just told me about "gutter gardening" that I may give a try this fall for some fall crops: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/g...-empire-083350 I would NEVER attach gutters to our house for this purpose, but we've worked out a rack we could adapt to this simple method. I've grown lots of things in pots and planters when I didn't have enough garden space.

-I bake all our breads, but I also mill my own flour for the ultimate nutrition only found in freshly-milled flour, and keep hundreds of pounds of wheat in storage as a very inexpensive source for flour. I realize not everyone can do that, but I can make all kinds of things with wheat besides flour. It's a huge staple in our diet. I can make a loaf of bread for 50-cents (U.S.). I make my own wheat sprouts, Cream of Wheat Cereal, cooked wheat, bulgur....

A great bread substitute that's easy to make are tortillas. Here's a fun and easy recipe: http://kansaswheat.org/general.asp?id=332

A bread machine is a wonderful convenience - I use mine at least once a week for making dough and then make the dough into all kinds of things - breads, burger and hot dog buns, dinner rolls.... I make my own English Muffins, pizza crust - everything. I never buy baked goods at the store.

Check with friends and relatives and see if there is anyone who has one they don't use and would sell you cheap. Check thrift stores and garage sales. Then I'd suggest the book, Bread Machine for Dummies by Glenna Vance and Tom Lacalamita for not only great user-friendly recipes, but a great book of general information on the subject for anyone just getting started making breads in a bread machine.

-I'm a whole foods person and keep our diet simple, which keeps food costs low. I am careful of serving sizes of foods, as well as avoiding food waste (the most expensive food we buy is food we waste). I use frozen foods because imported produce is never "fresh" and lacks nutrients from being picked green and long transportation and storage time. Frozen foods are picked ripe and processed for the freezer immediately. When the budget is tight, there's nothing wrong with using inexpensive canned goods.

I purchase inexpensive tomato powder and use it as a base for tomato sauce, tomato paste, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, tomato base for soups... http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/tomato-powder (check the Internet for prices).

-Avoid buying empty-calorie snack foods. Make your snacks wholesome foods that fit in with your daily food requirements.

-Avoid single-serving sizes of foods. It's less expensive per serving to buy a jar of applesauce, rather than purchasing snack-pak sizes... ALWAYS check those unit prices. It's less expensive to buy frozen 100% concentrated fruit juice and add your own water, than it is to buy ready-to-serve juice found in the refrigerator case.

-Look for sources for free food. People are always sharing their garden bounty. I think an inexpensive food dehydrator is a good investment. I dehydrate seemingly "tons" of free-for-the-picking fruit every fall. We snack on dried apple slices, use them for making applesauce and other apple desserts. We use dried zucchini slices instead of potato chips. One zucchini plant will provide a LOT of food. Rather than wasting produce in the refrigerator, you can dehydrate it and incorporate it in soups and casseroles. When I find discounted produce at the store, I'll often dehydrate it. The over-ripe discounted fruit I'll make into fruit roll-ups. I dehydrate sweet potatoes in the fall when I can usually get them cheap or free and make it into sweet potato powder. Instant mashed sweet potatoes by adding boiling water.

-I rarely purchase anything from the grocery store that isn't a loss leader, on sale, discounted, a manager's special, and possibly have a coupon for. I have built a large stockpile of food on a very limited food budget ($50/week for two adults), and "shop at home" when making up my menus. I only spend 1/5 ($10) of my food budget on meat each week and try to keep to $2/pound. Even canned tuna can be expensive when you figure out what it cost per pound.

-Cook from scratch.

[Mckeekitty]

We have had chickens in the past, and enjoyed the experience. When chickens are about 5 months old, they will start giving you a nice suopply of eggs (approximately 1/day per chicken). But after 3-4 years, production starts to ebb. We never slaughter our chickens, so we often have some old ones who are done giving eggs. We use the chicken manure for our gardens (aka Poor Man's fertilizer...it is GOLD). But like a previous poster stated, they require a commitment, and I don't think they are necessarily cost-efficient.

We do grow vegetables. If gardening isn't your thing, I would encourage you to support local farmers at farmer markets and roadside stands. The thing with gardening is that when a vegetable crop is ready (tomatoes, cukes, beets, garlic, etc) it comes in a sudden BURST. As such, you might consider canning, freezing, or otherwise preserving your produce for future use. When I first started gardening, I concentrated on only two, easy-to-grow crops...basil and garlic. With those two crops, I am able to make a year's worth of pesto (you will need olive oil, parmesan, pine nuts or walnuts, and a little lemon). But pesto freezes beautifully.

I recently purchased a crock-pot (slow cooker) and as I type I'm preparing chicken stock. It will (hopefully) yield 3 quarts of broth that, when frozen, will last 3-4 months. This will be the base for soups and other recipes. The cost for all the ingredients (chicken thighs, carrots, celery, onion, garlic) came to $5.00. Far cheaper and more nutriitious than canned broth. And the kitties and dog will enjoy the chicken meat for weeks!

Kudos to all the ways you have cut back...no car, no cell, no dryer. You clearly have the right attitude and a spirit of frugal creativity that will serve you well!

And yes! Rice! I just purchased a 20 pound bag of enriched white long-grain rice for $8.99. There are only two of us, but I intend to store the rice with great care to keep bugs away. Our vet told us that rice is great for our dog's diet (good for digestion and "binding"). And we love rice.

[Contrary Housewife]

It's hard for me to suggest where to cut back without knowing what you are buying now. Grainlady has a lot of good ideas, and we follow many of them too.

Where you are living now you can probably plant some easy vegetables like lettuce, radishes and greens if you have any yard space.

For vegetables at the store I shop the sales. Last week it was cantaloupe, broccoli and salad mix. This week it is going to be cauliflower and green beans.

Buying staples in bulk (beans, rice, flour, sugar, pasta) can save you money in the long run, but you must have dry, safe storage for it. You don't want to find in 5 months you have bugs in your flour....

You might try to find a bread maker at a 2nd hand store or yard sale. However you don't need one to make home made biscuits, muffins, or quickbreads. But if you have a good supply of day old discounted bread near you it may not be worth your time to make your own.

[Persimmon Lace]

Several years ago we began eating in season, growing our own and then we started eating locally. We don't eat fresh produce that is shipped to Oklahoma from far off. In the winter we eat whatever I have put up in the freezer. Corn on the cob, cabbage, green beans and so on. I have also been able to overwinter alot of greens in the garden.

I have 1/2 of a hog that was pasture grown and is being butchered by the Amish for an excellent price. When I finish paying for it, all said and done it will be about 2.00 a lb. I also buy pastured beef and chicken from the farmer's market.

I have 2 chickens and they give us more eggs than we can use sometimes!

I am one of those that believes that the frozen produce is good and that canned goods are the same as those you've canned yourself, they do save money and provide veggies when fresh local produce is not available. Processed is processed. Delmonte green beans are green beans, water and salt which is precisely what a home canner would use.

Start cutting back somewhere and go as low as you can. If it's too low then add back some things.

[Aalia]

Wow! Thanks for all these great tips..I'm so happy I found FV

[sabrelvssammy]

we have a little local 'mom & pop' shop 1/2 mile from me that i try to shop almost daily for the 'specials'.....

the marked-down meat bin- i am a vegan so i don't eat any of it but i buy dh pork (chops, cutlets, 'stew' , etc) for pennies on the dollar and immediately freeze...

while the chicken breasts don't go to the mark-down bin i do keep a package of two on hand and buy that when it is on sale at $1.99lb

the 'rotten-produce cart'...(while the produce is not really 'rotten' that is what we have nicknamed it....) having worked in this store for a few years i know from experience that most people generally will not buy bruised, water-marked, or anything that is not 'shiny-bright'...so the store moves it to the 'cart' for people like me and marks it down 50-75% off...
when i find these gems i buy them up and if they are in dire straits i go ahead and use them in that or the next evenings meals...sometimes i can freeze the items for later use...

then i head over to the clearanced bread rack where i grab up the loaves of whole wheat bread for .69 a loaf and store them in the freezer...the majority of bread eaten is this wheat bread...(toasted or buttered and garlic'd for a side w/pasta dishes and the like)...sandwiches, toast for b-fast...

other than that we keep canned/frozen veggies on hand for when we are low on fresh (generic of course)...lots of rice/beans/lentils/pasta... its amazing what you can whip up with those items...

we drink only water and tea around here (tea bags are .99 for 100)..i always keep tea ready to drink in the fridge and i like lots of hot tea...even in summer.... dh does drink milk (a gallon about 2 x's a month) and also coffee but very little so a can lasts 6 months around here...

i do not buy anything that i haven't gotten a less-than-normal price on and the majority of our meals are from 'clearanced items' and since dh and i are not 'foodies' that works ok for us....for the two of us i might spend $100 a month on food...(and that is for items that will always be in the cabinet/freezer... usually not 'single-serve sizes'...

i almost always buy generics (we don't have many options for coupons in this small town)...i do shop 3-4 places to get the best prices for these items as they can vary greatly from store to store....

i have put a garden in to stretch the food dollar even further but i admit that i do not have a 'garden thumb' and usually ruin the whole thing before its over...and unfortunately although we do have a farmers market the prices are not that cheap (i know...they are better for you)...but right now in my life i am trying to get away from debt...so sacrifices have to go somewhere....

[Incognito]

I've saved lots of money by buying bulk foods from Superstore.
I buy raisins, dates, dried beans & peas, several types of rice, soup powder, and much more.
I've developed some basic cooking skills in using these products, and have some good casserole and homemade soup recipes.
When I bake and cook, I store some of it in the freezer.
Bulk foods are easily stored in quart-sized glass jars in the cupboard.
The money saved adds up over time, and in addition to that, the food is much tastier and healthier to eat than processed foods.
I've also stockpiled food in my freezer; and I've gleaned from grocery store bargain bins and made fruits into jam, jelly, juice, sauce, puddings. When veggies are on sale, I buy lots and then cook them up in soups, stew, casseroles, and freeze the excess. There is always food on hand this way, and no temptation to overspend.

My monthly food budget is now $50 - $100, in Manitoba.
While stockpiling with coupons, I spent about $200 + per month, but now I have my cupboards, etc. full-up. I can now cut back drastically on grocery spending, and start using up my stockpile slowly. I am shopping only to replenish it when the sales are exceptional with coupons, with only minimal purchases for fresh produce, milk, eggs, etc.

[frugalfranny]

Some great ideas.......keep posting gang.

Don't think I can add a single thing but will be able to learn with this one.

Thanks to all who have posted..........super info.

[Aalia]

We went shopping at our local Asian stores today (Indian and Chinese...We live in a mostly Asian community in Vancouver B.C.)

They all have tons of bulk stuff for a fraction of the price of the other super markets! We saw and bought nuts, lentils, all sorts of beans, peas, spices, brown rice, black tea, sugar, dish soap..Produce, cheese, bread, and 2 bags of large wraps ( $1.49 for about 20..At the super market its about $5 for 8 small wraps!!!) for making burritos. We spent $25, and this food will last us about 3-4 days..We might have to spend another $15-20 this week to get a few extras to go with the food we got this today, but it's nothing like before where we were spending about $25 for a day and a half of food!!
Desmond ( my man) and I are are so excited about finally going into the Asian stores that are only 4-8 blocks away from us, and discovering that we don't need to pay soooo much money for very basic foods.
Yahoooo!

[Thevail]

Whent he budget is tiny.. the frugalista must be like a zen shopping master...

Calm... don't freak out, it causes bad decision making

Alert... never miss an opportunity knocking, or a problem slowly creeping up on you.

Purposeful... do the best you can with the resources and information you have on hand to remedy the situation, and never forget to look one level deeper for the cause of the problem, then attack that with the same determination.


This is the frugalista's thinking CAP

First look for free food...
Food banks, Gleaners association (not sure what they call it in Canada), church "pantries", excess produce from people's gardens that they are giving away.

Then look for cheap food..
Salvage grocery stores for dented cans, or slipped labels. Restaurant and business supply type places for 25# bags of rice and 10# boxes of pasta. And loss leaders at local stores. (but make sure you go in.. buy the loss leader... and immediately walk DIRECTLY OUT of the store.)

Keep a supply of Budget Basics.. pasta, rice, potatos, those little flavoring/gravy/cheese sauce packets (buy at salvage grocery or when on sale 10 for $1), cans of tomato sauce for spaghetti etc. cans of cream of anything soup for a casserole base.

Meat is the most expensive part of most food budgets (assuming the snack monkey isn't on your back). Buy in bulk when on sale. Most meats can be chilled until semi solid and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Then portion out the cubes for different meals (mileage will vary by family obviously) and store in ziplock sandwich bags and freeze. Try to get an assortment as the sales rotate.

Eventually you'll be able to go a week or even a month without buying anything except the few "fresh" things you really need like fresh veggies, eggs, etc.

Chickens are great, but not cost effective unless you butcher and eat them. Sad, but true.

They are even less effective in northern climates where the days get dark and short pretty quickly because it shortens the hens "laying season" unless you use an artificial light in the hen house to keep them laying. But running the light for a week costs as much as a dozen eggs so....

Then they can also freeze to death without good solid feed over the winter and a heat lamp.

I'm fairly sure the path to frugal hell is paved with un-used breadmakers, I'm just saying..

Best of luck

[strezzed]

Everyone I talk to these days is saying complaining about the increase in the price of food over the last 6 months. Just wanted to commiserate with you.