What are you doing to offset food costs?

While it may sound silly, I have been doing things lately in this category-chopping up the ends of tomatoes, and freezing for future use. Casseroles, soups, etc. I am also chopping up old and ugly celery, par boiling, and freezing. Food is so expensive these days...what are you all doing to offset the price of food?

I've also been using up limp vegetables by making soup.  Casseroles are a good idea. 
 
I haven't been buying much meat and I've been eating more chicken.

Petty theft!

 
I've also been stretching meals with the addition of pasta.

Mar-the addition of pasta is a no-no if you are diabetic.1/4 cup of pasta is the norm... add more vegetables!!!
I know times are tough, I even joke about eating cat food......

Add more ice to my afternoon libations....
 
Reduce portion size of individual meals....
 
Pay more attention to the  'left-over' dishes  in the refrigerator ( example- Spag and meat sauce for breakfast!)
 
Make fewer FF runs during the week. (A burger here, a Burger there adds up!)

It's just me, and I shop pretty frugally, so I've been doing a few things to offset costs. I pretty much stay away from boxed/pre-processed food, don't eat out nearly as much, check for sales on meat (or buy cheap cuts and dress them up), and have been controlling portions (where I'd eat two pork chops, I'll have one now), not just for my health, but to stretch a meal out. I can spend around 8 bucks on a meat and two sides, and have it last me for two meals. I shop almost every day  (I have several grocery stores convenient to me), as I prefer to eat fresh meat and veggies as opposed to canned or processed, so I don't have a lot in my cupboards or freezer.
 
I'm more concerned about my health lately anyhow having recently turned 40, so I've been taking steps to improve my eating habits, which has consequently made things easier on my wallet. Less money spent on junk/snacks, smaller portions, and fresher food.

I switched from Bench & Field to Eagle Pack.

Ann, cat food is expensive!
 
I've been giving the dogs carrots instead of treats.  They now hate me.
 
I only put about a 1/4 cup of pasta or less in my meals.  I cook it up ahead of time and have it in the fridge along with the fruit flies.
 
 

A big pot of soup beans along with a corn pone is about the best way to stretch the weekly food budget.  I always freeze any left-over pieces of ham or bacon and use it when cooking the beans.  Sometimes I fry my cornbread in bacon grease instead of baking it.

I have also been frequenting the 99¢ store more.  Ours has good produce but rude customers.

My SO has been vegetarian for about 6 years now. I used to make 2 meals but I just don't buy meat anymore. Once in a while I think about a steak on the grill at home and then I go to the store and see the price and realize I am happy with beans/rice/fish. I do eat meat if we eat out on the weekend but only if I have a coupon or it's an affordable place. The 2 of us can eat a great breakfast at a local place for around $10. I always get the corned beef hash but we only do this once a week. That's my meat fix plus and occasional Portillo's Italian beef. All of $5.

Pay more.

I'm with Mike.

Trying to avoid processed foods and eating out as much as I can.
Trying to eat more fish like tuna and salmon,though when shrimp is on sale I
get a half pound. H.E.B. has a sale on boneless,skinless chicken breasts, so may get some and cut them in half  and freeze them.I want to plant a garden, just got to find someone with a tiller .Would beat trying to dig it up by hand,unless I do it over the winter. Being diabetic,got to stay away from eating out and processed foods,since they have hidden sugars and sodium,especially when you eat out.

MikeS.


Pay more.

jeepguy


I'm with Mike.

Which is apparently why he's paying more!

I am buying less stuff and less other stuff.  Being more careful when I go to the grocery store, too; I dont really need a 9 dollar bag of Halloween candy, the kids will have too much already.  Buying less prepared stuff at the store as well.

It's not anything new, since money has pretty much always been tight for us. But I rarely buy anything that isn't on sale in the weekly ad. I also try to plan out menus for the week so I can buy (for instance) a package of celery and use it up before it has to be thrown away. Leftovers usually get put into divided plates and into the freezer for lunches/dinners at work at a later time. We also usually buy meat in the family pack sizes and divide it into freezer bags, because it's pretty much always cheaper per pound.

I read the weekly grocery ads and shop the specials.  I'm a cheap date, love homemade hamburgers and most dishes made with ground meat, and ground chuck goes on sale fairly often.  One-pot meals like red beans, stews, spahetti sauce, and chicken cacciatore work for me where I can freeze into smaller containers, and cook rice or pasta as needed with them.  We had a cold front come through last week which lasted all of about three days, and made a large pot of beef vegetable soup, even after I gave containers to a neighbor and Dad, still had enough to eat it for a couple of days, and freeze into smaller containers.
 
Brown bag both lunch and drinks for work.  Avoid the frozen dinners and packaged dinner mixes both for the sodium content and expense.
 
For 1-2 people, Sam's $5 rotisserie chicken is a good deal.  I shop after work, eat it for dinner with a side the first night, take all the meat off of what's left, makes good sandwiches from the breast meat.  Last time I made stock with the bones, and a jambalaya with the leftovers, with enough breast meat saved on the side for sandwiches. 

You all are awesome with your responses!! Bob is actually much more in tune with eating leftovers...luckily he likes lots of carbs-rice, noodles, potatoes..Right now, with my new job-they ENCOURAGE tasting , so I am pretty full when I get home.

mar52


Ann, cat food is expensive!
I've been giving the dogs carrots instead of treats.  They now hate me.
I only put about a 1/4 cup of pasta or less in my meals.  I cook it up ahead of time and have it in the fridge along with the fruit flies.

Save Money! Cook up a pot of Fruit Flies!

I find the $1 value items at the fast food joints are cheaper than buying and preparing food from the market.
Not as good but cheaper!
JUST HIT 6100 POSTS!

About 3 years ago, spouse and I overhauled the way we eat.  Besides losing a combined total of about 90 lbs., our expenditures for food dropped too.
 
We eat three meals each day and have a treat of nut bread, cake, etc. at about 8 P.M.  No snacks and we didn't realize how much we spent on them until we stopped buying them.  A pitcher of homebrewed iced tea has taken up residence in the fridge instead of sodas.  If we're having pork chops, I make two of them  - no more "one for the pot" so fewer leftovers. 
 
We've experimented with new ways to make beans and grains and use cheaper cuts of meat.  These beans and vegetables were braised low and slow with a meaty $1.29/lb. fresh pork hock.
 

 
1/4 lb each of grilled chicken hearts and stretched out shrimp = one 2011 version of surf and turf.  
 

 
Old recipe books have directions for making croquettes, stratas, crepes and timbales - all interesting ways to stretch the food supply other than casseroles.
 
Salad bar profits are based on the idea that the consumer will add relatively high-weight items like tomatoes, dressing, and broccoli to their container.  Buying 40 or 50 cents worth of lightweight baby spinach leaves to add to a
pot of homemade soup is more cost effctive for me than buying an entire bag of them. 
 
With food prices ascending as quickly as they have been, if you want to maintain the same diet you've been used to eating for years, you'll have to pay more.  But if you're willing want to try new menus, foods and cooking techniques, it's not that difficult to spend less. 

That pork hock plate looks like some real comfort food!
 
Brad

I forgot to buy a pork hock!
 
I went to Pavilion's yesterday to pick up a chicken and a pork hock.
 
I bought the smallest (cheapest) whole chicken I could find which cost $6.38.  I'll make another pot of soup which becomes many different types of meals as I extend it and pull out the chicken.
 
The largest already cooked rotisserie chicken at Costco costs $5.  Why am I buying them raw?

Eating out less.  I've really enjoyed making more meals at home.

Lovely photos, RubyRose!!!
Carlton-, I agree-we eat out so much less now! We splurged and ordered a pizza and garlic bread the other night-23.00, however, we ate 2x with that meal.Still expensive!!!

I just read that price of peanut butter is going to skyrocket really soon.  Worst peanut harvest in 30 years.  So went out and stocked up on the Jif. 

Thanks for the tip!

Mar52 - whole chickens this week are $.59 a pound, but the weather is still in the 80's, and I don't want to heat my kitchen up from roasting.  When it's cooler, yeah, I love roast chicken, but those Sam's rotisserie chickens this summer were a godsend.