I was in the grocery store yesterday and was talking with a lady in the dairy section about the rising cost of food. She was very upset that her kids were eating her out of house and home. She just was not able to keep up with feeding them with the rising cost of food. Her buggy was loaded down with convenience food items and there were no coupons in sight. I asked her if she minded if we discussed what she was buying. She was very eager for help.
So we talked about cheaper snack items she could be choosing that would be more filling than the pizza bites and the pot pies. We also talked about filling dinners that could be turned into snacks.
I also suggested that she should actively involve everyone in food prep and the problem of rising food cost. I told here there is nothing wrong with making them own up to the cost of feeding them.
The number one cost a lot of time is due to waste; let them know that waste will not be tolerated. I told her not to go cold turkey from the usual items but to gradually cut back buying the prepackaged items.
The following are some suggestions that I gave her:
I could come up with more but we were in the middle of the grocery store.
Thanks everyone!
By notwrong
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By
04/05/2010
Along with using coupons, don't forget store brands. They are often the same quality as national brands and cost MUCH less. My sister used to work for a large packaging manufacturer, they sent name brand packaging and store brand packaging to the same food manufacturers. When an order of canned goods was completed for the national brand, the store brand labels were fed into the same canning machine and production continued. The store cans were filled with the same product, the only thing that changed was the label on the cans. Not all products are handled this way, but many are. Makes you think, doesn't it?!
By
04/05/2010
Thank God for what you did for that lady! I have always been a thrifty consumer. I buy meat on sale, and if I don't use it immediately, I put it in the freezer. When it's time, if I don't have a lot of time, I put the meat on the stove in a pot, add water, and cook it that way, then I put the pot in the fridge, and skim all the fat off the next day. Then I make a meal out of it.
I've noticed noodles being expensive in the stores, I have a recipe for homemade noodles. Also, I stay away from all the "prepared foods," I've noticed they don't satisfy my hunger like my own home made foods. And that could be a reason the kids are always hungry.
One time, my neighbors relatives kids came over, and said "We're hungry. Do you have any ice cream or other snack?" I gave them a little snack, then asked them what they'd eaten. They said their mom took them to a fast food restaurant, and fed them. When their mom showed up, I asked her about it, and she was seemingly innocent, and did not understand that taking her kids for a fast food meal was not the way to keep them filled up.
I honestly don't understand all of the fast food meals, because I grew up on basic, home cooked meals. And after eating some fast food meals, I can tell you, that home cooked meals are much more satisfying, and full of more nutrients, than fast food.
While studying, and on my own, I started buying frozen food dinners. After a few days, I needed to eat at least two frozen food dinners, rather than one to satisfy my appetite. I started finding chicken in the store that had a lot of recipes for the oven, and used those instead of the fast foods.
Now that I am older, I much prefer cooking at home to fast foods.
I hope you mentioned fresh veggies, fruits, and nuts for kids to snack on, rather than those other snacks.
By
04/04/2010
I understand that completely. I currently work in a grocery store as a cashier and I see a lot of people just turn their noses up at coupons. These folks also buy a lot of convenience foods since a lot of them do not know how to cook healthy meals. I use coupons every time I shop and my bf is happy at my savings.
By
04/03/2010
A town near me had classes once that were designed to teach those on food stamps how to stretch their money and I was surprised at the basic common sense things people had to be taught. Everybody could use some tips, not just food stamp users. I was taught to shop around the outside of the store. The inner shelves carry the canned and packaged foods which are not as good and cost more...but they're easier!
By
04/03/2010
Your tips are 100% perfect! And now she'll "fix" her family and tell her friends, and your advice will help more people than you'll ever know! Thank you for doing that and sharing it with all of us! Hope I get the same opportunity.
By
04/02/2010
But why the kool aid? Artificial color, chemicals and even with less sugar it is still a sugary drink. Ice water is so good.
By
04/02/2010
Great tips! Here's another. I used to give my kids homemade popsicles. They called them Swamp Water Pops. I made lemon-lime koolaid, cutting the sugar in half. I dissolved in this, one container (8 oz) of frozen orange juice, slightly thawed. Stir to blend. Freeze in ice cube trays or popsicle plastic or 2 0z bathroom paper cups. Real yummy and cooling in hot summer and good for you.
Nancy
By
04/02/2010
What great tips you gave her! It was very kind of you to help her.
I worked in a grocery store several years ago, and my husband has since he was 16 (he is a meat department manager), and we both lament how much money people waste buying convenience foods. Many people would sigh and moan about the high cost of groceries while filling their buggies with Lunchables, pre-packaged snack cakes, name brand cookies instead of store brand and those wee-tiny super-expensive frozen dinners made for children. No wonder!
I wish that there was some way to inform folks en masse on how to be a thrifty shopper... too bad not everyone comes here to thrifty fun!
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