How to save a little money....

Food budgeting has been weighing on my mind.  I am always looking for ways to shop more efficiently, but lately, my skills and knowledge have been challenged.  I recently became a volunteer teaching kids how to cook on Monday afternoons.  My volunteer role is to buy all our necessary ingredients at the grocery with a set budget.  At first, I wasn't sure I would like this role (I wanted to be the teacher after all!), but it has already taught me so much.  I have to be honest...I always prided myself on being pretty good grocery shopper.  I buy most of my flours, grains, sugars, and beans in bulk, and I have been able to buy organic produce without going too far over budget.  Yet, ever since I started buying ingredients for the class on a very small budget, I have come to realize that I can do even better.  Since I only have a small amount of money to spend buying groceries for the kid's cooking class, I have had to spend a lot of time at the store measuring, counting, and weighing ingredients in order to come in under budget.  Suddenly, those prices per pound meant something serious.  I have had to be careful about the amounts that I buy: getting too little means that not everyone gets enough, but buying to much means that food is wasted.  I also have to be conscious of all the food choices available: can I buy organic produce even though it might cost a little bit more?  Should I buy fresh or frozen or canned?  If I buy a little more now, could we use it in a later class?

All these questions got me thinking and I realized that I could be doing this in my own life.  I started asking:

1. Does any food go to waste each week?  Am I throwing out produce that I didn't know what to do with or not eating all the leftovers?

2. Am I reaching for unhealthy foods in my pantry because I don't have healthy options available?

3. Am I prepared when I go shopping?  Or am I buying what looks good at the time?

4. Are there items in my pantry that I haven't used, but are still edible? Could I use that instead of buying something new?

I have answered "yes" to all these questions at one time or another.  In the past few months, though, and along with my volunteer budgeting project, I have learned how to start saying "no".  Recently, I have noticed that my fridge isn't full of extraneous produce or very old leftovers.  My pantry is somewhat clutter-free.  I still need a lot of practice, but here are the few tips that I've learned that make food budgeting an easy habit to get into.



1. MENU PLANNING

This has been one of the hardest steps for me, but I think it is the most essential.  In culinary school, we were taught that throwing food in the garbage was basically like taking dollar bills out of your wallet and throwing them in the trash.  That image has stuck strongly in my mind.  And I think that eliminating waste starts before you even set foot in the grocery.  Planning eliminates the chance of buying unnecessary ingredients, and it can also help to steer you away from unhealthy options.  
So, before I even go to the grocery, I like to take a quick look at my cookbooks, or even surf the Internet (tastespotting.com) for ideas and recipes.  Even finding two great recipes that you know you'll be able to cook that week is a good start. I like to look for at least two meat/protein dishes, and also have some salad ideas on hand.  After I have recipes, then I can easily make a comprehensive grocery list.

NOTE: It's great to include amounts on your list, too.  For example, you can put zucchini x3, milk x2, rice 1# (pound).  That way you know exactly what you need.

1.5 CHECK YOUR PANTRY BEFORE YOU GO

This is pretty self-explanatory, but it's a good reminder to look in your pantry/freezer/fridge and see what is still usable.  Maybe if you have an overabundance of rice, for example, you can build your menu around using it up.  Or you just won't have to buy more rice!


2. BUY ONLY WHAT YOU NEED

This is a step that I have only recently implemented.  My volunteer job has taught me that I should literally count how many carrots, apples, or zucchini that I need for a recipe.  There is no need to buy three zucchinis if I only need two.  This might only save you a few cents...but it all adds up!  This is especially important in the bulk section.  You can save a lot of money buying in bulk because many of the ingredients are cheaper, but you can also choose what amount you want, instead of  paying for a large amount in a pre-packaged alternative.  This means using the scales that are so graciously provided, and so often ignored.  I know that I would really load up on bulk items in the past, but I quickly realized that I wasn't saving money...in fact, I was spending more than I really had to.  And some of it would never be used.  It is better to stick to smaller amounts that are actually going to get used.

NOTE: Buying bulk spices is an especially great way to save money, and keep them fresh!

3. DOUBLE THE RECIPE (OR TRIPLE OR QUADRUPLE...)

I like to find recipes that I know we want to eat a lot of, then I try and make enough for two days.  If I make one recipe for dinner one night, there is usually enough for breakfast, lunch, or dinner then next day.  This saves cooking time, and money.
Another great way to use your doubled recipe is to freeze the extra.  Or, for example, if I'm making lasagna, I'll assemble two, bake one, and freeze the other.  That way, I'll have dinner on hand when I need it.

4. SET A SPECIFIC FOOD BUDGET AMOUNT 

This one is probably common sense as well, but a set amount will help buy only what is necessary.  I like to set my budget to a weekly amount and I try my best to stick to it.  I don't always succeed, but I do look over my receipt every week to see where I went over budget.  Could I have bought less of something?  Did I cave in and buy something I shouldn't have?


5. SALES/FLEXIBILITY/COMPROMISE....AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHOP SEASONALLY!

Every time I go into the grocery, there is something that trips me up.  If I have a recipe that calls for broccoli, but broccoli is too expensive, I tend to buy it anyway.  I could just leave it out of the recipe, but I have learned that flexibility is good to have in these situations.  Is there another ingredient on sale that I could add in instead?  Maybe cauliflower or Brussels sprouts?  This is where you can get creative and move away from the recipe's guidelines.
One of the major things that helps me not be surprised by prices at the store is to shop seasonally.  If you know what produce (or even meat!) is in season, you are more likely to find it in abundance, and at cheaper prices.  If you Google "seasonal produce" there are tons of charts that are available that show what fruits and veggies are in season when, and in what part of the country.  I printed one out for myself and taped it to my fridge so that I could have a reference when deciding what to cook.

I hope all these tips help.  Many of you are probably conscious of these tips already and could probably teach me a thing or two! Though, I find that repeating them helps me stay focused and prepared.  I find that my shopping trips are super easy and fast, plus once I get home, I know exactly what every bit of food is going to be used for.  And I know for certain that the money I did spent didn't go to waste!