How are you coping w/ rising food prices?

[LuxLiving]

Welcome stressedmama, I shop at Aldi's too - with my list and menu in hand.

[LuxLiving]

Right Aleta - on this month's Stock Up shopping list is more corn oil, popcorn, oatmeal, rice, flour, coffee, various pastas, canned meats and jarred cheese products. All which will likely be rising in prices soon if they haven't already.

No, I don't cook or bake w/corn oil. The boys use it to make home-made on the stovetop popcorn. I use EVOO for everything else.

[mom-from-missouri]

The list is outdated, at least in my area, you can't buy the honey, sugar, peanut butter or wheat for $5 anymore.

[Aleta]

mom-from-missouri: I think that you take the $5 and buy what you can. I'm sure that a few months ago could have bought more. Also, some areas are less expensive than others. In the list , they said whatever you had left over to put it away for the next week. I take that to mean that some items might be higher the next time.

I don't really think that you can keep up with the grocery prices right now. I try to buy items when they are on sale and with coupons.

These lists are a good starting point and you can change and adjust them as you must.

[LuxLiving]

Sure inflation just eats our lunch doesn't it?? I think you might assume that you need to double the amount to $10 and you could probably achieve the list on that amount...AND then put whatever you don't spend back in the kitty to be used for the next go round.

[mom-from-missouri]

The first time I saw the stock up list, it was $3 a day!!

I have done it and sort of still do, but I add more soups and other canned meats besides tuna, such as ham, salmon, neat sticks and chicken. I also added rice, corn meal, oatmeal and various dried beans.

Then, I also buy fruits and veggies by the case if we have used up what we grew or to to supplement the garden. This list alone has no fruits or veggies, which is why the have the vitamens on the list.

I also saw this list in another publication where they added items to be bought, such as fishing license, line and hooks (no mention of a pole-was a basic list). I guess they figured you could supplement as it also had a guide on mushrooms, nuts and plants that could be gathered and eaten for free.

All good information for us-never know what the future holds. In America we are lucky. In some countries they still gather their food wild...

[LuxLiving]

Sure, there are lots more extensive lists out there - this was just a starter.

[mom-from-missouri]

I think this list would be an eye opener to some people-such as those who I get behind line in at the stores -- you know the ones--their carts are full of chips, soda, beer, twinkies, and 100% prepared meals.

It is a good list of the basics. Sort of like the supply lists when pioneers went west!

[Aleta]

LuxLiving: Thank you. It is a great list and if there are any others out there that have any other lists, maybe they can post them.

My husband is Latin and therefore - I have to stock up on Latin related foods as well including the on the stove expresso pots. So, every one's lists are different.

[LuxLiving]

For those interested in more info about food storage = this lady has some good monthly buy lists inside her older newsletters. It is written from an LDS perspective. For the record, I'm not a LDS, but there is loads of good info in her archives.

NurseHealer.com

Here's another short list:

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently directed the release (April 2007) of a new pamphlet on food storage titled "All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage" The counsel they have given is to obtain a three-month supply of food that is part of your normal diet, store drinking water, have a financial reserve and store a year's supply of foods that will store for extended periods. The following is a guide to obtaining a three-month supply of foods in your normal diet.

One Month Supply
of Shelf Stable
Grocery Store Purchased Foods
For one person
Based on the MINIMUM (1600 calories) recommendations in the Food Pyramid

18 ounce box oatmeal*
1 pound rice*
20 ounces pasta*
5 pounds flour*
1 pound popcorn*
34 (15 ounce) cans vegetables
26 (15 ounce) cans fruit
2 pounds Velveeta
4 (12 ounce) cans evaporated milk*
3.2 pounds powdered milk (powder to make 4 gallons)*
1 jar (18 ounces) peanut butter*
4 (6 ounce) cans tuna
4 (5 ounce) cans chicken
4 (5 ounce) cans ham
8 (15 ounce) cans cooked dry beans*
oil*
shortening*
nuts
sugar*
syrup*
jam*
molasses*
salt*
*also considered a “basic” food storage food

NOTE: For a 2400 calorie diet, add 1 more box of oatmeal, 1 pound of rice, 40 ounces of pasta, 1 pound of popcorn, 17 cans of vegetables, 8 cans of fruit, 1 can of chicken, 1 can of ham and 5 cans of cooked dry beans.

[Aleta]

Lux Living: Thank you for all of your research to us. These are all great guides to go on.

[ceejay74]

We use coupons some, and stock up when there's a good deal. My husband is gaining an encyclopedic knowledge (all kept in his head) of which product is cheapest where (of the four places readily available to us as non-car-owners).

We stopped buying as many little extra treats and stick to the menu/shopping list much more strictly.

We moved to juices from concentrate rather than bottled (this has saved a TON of money).

We no longer buy wine or liquor with our grocery budget; if someone wants it they have to use their spending cash for it.

We frequent the farmer's market in summer and intend to buy more this year and freeze what we don't use immediately.

I'd cut back somewhere else before I cut back on eating fresh, local and/or healthy food. My family has made some drastic changes in lifestyle, but one comfort is the enjoyment of great quality food. Americans have the option of much cheaper food than the rest of the world but a lot of it is cheap in nutritional value as well, and we'll pay elsewhere down the line if we don't splurge a little on fresh fruit and veg in the grocery store.

[disneysteve]

One thing I've started doing (inspired by a different thread) is digging into the pantry and freezer more and trying to use up food we already have. We've already found a few instances of recently buying an item only to discover we had a package of it buried and forgotten in the closet. By using up existing stock, we avoid spending on that item entirely.

[JanH]

Originally Posted by Aleta

For Hurricane time, I start buying earlier than the June start date. For sure you won't like what's left over when a hurricane watch and warning is announced. You certainly won't like the long lines either.

We've already started stockpiling for hurricane season, too. Don't forget things like toilet paper which goes into short supply during a hurricane watch! And we stockpile stuff for cleaning supplies and garbage disposal, repair supplies, and keep our cars filled with gas. And a little of the types of medicines you might need for illnesses.

This is a great reminder to do this year round and plan for a longer term. I get so lax after the hurricane season is over. Thanks for the reminder!

[clubneary]

I try to make a dinner menu for 2 weeks at a time. I sit down on Sunday with the store fliers and check to see what type of meat is on sale. I will pick 2-3 types of meat, poultry or pork and use those as my base. I then search on Allrecipes.com or through my cookbooks to find recipes that use these types of meat. I make the rest of my shopping list with items needed for the recipes and things that are on sale. I try to match coupons with what is on sale and have noticed a small savings. I am doing the CVS thing too but find that I buy things I don't really need b/c I will get extra bucks. I am trying to stay away from that.
I am also thinking about planting a small vegetable garden this spring.

[Aleta]

I've noticed that the CVS thing (extra bucks ) can be a trap if you are not careful. Lately, I've gone there and spent very little only because the items that were on sale were items that I wanted in the first place.

[LuxLiving]

Why I am concerned...
Food Prices and Supply News - The New York Times

[mom-from-missouri]

I got a mailer from the county extension office yesterday.

They had been tracking the increase of prices in fuel and foods in our county. Of what they tracked, the cheapest went up up 17% and the highest (milk) went up 27% from last March 31.

I also now bake all our bread. Even if I buy the frozen bread dough loaves I save us money. They are 6 loaves for $2.98. Or I can make it cheaper yet from scratch.

Last week I peeked at the bread at the store. The cheapest loaf they had was $3.07.

I know many have suggested the day old bread outlets and such. But we don't have one here--the nearest is 27 miles away, and I do sometimes go if I am already in that area, but their prices have gone way up too.

[scfr]

Thanks - So many great ideas!

I have never lived near an Aldi's, but you can bet I'll be checking it out if I ever do!

If you manage to squeeze a few dollar's out of the food budget, do you carry it over or do a little extra stock up? In the past, I would have said carry it over, but given the way prices are rising I think a little extra stock up makes more sense right now.

[Saving in So Cal]

I am pretty much doing what everyone else is doing. Planning menus, sticking to lists, shopping sales, stockpiling deals, using up what's on hand, and eliminating extras. Although it's been hard, I have really reduced my impulse buys.

For bread, I have been buying fresh french and sourdough bread in the bakery section (costs about $1.25 a loaf, frequently less).

Milk is a bit of an issue, since I like to buy organic. I buy shelf-stable vanilla soy milk for myself, which is a little bit cheaper, and I am going to switch to powdered for baking.

We also still buy bottled water and I am considering one of those faucet filter devices if I can talk my husband into it. He likes a particularly brand of water, so it won't be easy.

Since we have good weather, we have already started a garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and herbs. We had mixed results with last year's garden (pest problems), but are hopeful we'll do better this year. We have an apple, an orange, an almond, and an avocado tree, as well as blueberry bushes, but none of them will begin producing for another year or two. We'd like to eventually grow most of our own produce, but we're a long way from that goal. In the meantime, we try to stick to buying what's in season.