Saving Money on Potatoes

Tips and ideas for saving money on Potatoes as suggested by the ThriftyFun community.

Prep Potatoes for the Fridge

I live alone and do not use a lot of potatoes. To keep from having to throw some of them out, I peel the potatoes, cut into bite size pieces, rinse with cold water, put in a container, cover with water and put in fridge. I take out however much I need as I need them. Saves a lot of work every time I want some. I would change the water every couple days until they are used up.

By Linda

Check The Dollar Store

Where we live, they have bags of potatoes at the 99 Cent Only stores. I was able to buy a 5 lb. bag. They also have other vegetables there, we always buy organic romaine lettuce and also bunches of bananas.

By Dawn

Don't Store Near Onions

I got this tip from a friend after I was complaining about my potatoes and onions always going bad before I could use them. I guess that they both interact with each other, encouraging them to go bad earlier. So now I keep the onions separate and they both last a lot longer. Also, if you have too many potatoes and no cool dark place to store them, you can put them in the refrigerator. Just make sure that you let them get to room temperature before using.

By Jess

Check Local Produce Warehouses

We live near a produce warehouse and the public can buy 50lb. #2 potatoes for $5.00 a box. Also, they have had oranges and some veggies for $5.00 a box. This is a very good deal, because they have red potatoes most of the time.

By Malinda

Menu Planning

One of the ways I save with potatoes is my menu. If I am going to have boiled potatoes, I boil more than a few so there will always be leftovers. The next day, the leftovers are reheated and seasonings are added. For more flavor, I might add sour cream or grated cheese or both and mash them for Mashed Potatoes.

If there are still leftovers the next day, I'll add a little flour, some diced onions and a beaten egg. Stir it all together, shape into patties and fry them for Fried Tater Patties.

I've also taken the left over boiled potatoes, cut them into chunks, and added other leftover vegetables, some beef broth or chicken broth, it's a personal preference thing, opened up a can of diced tomatoes and made vegetable soup.

Potatoes are the most versatile vegetable we have. It's a breakfast food, lunch or supper. You can make appetizers out of them. They are just the handiest item on the grocery list. Now that is how I save money on potatoes.

By Bertha Baird

Storing, Using and Growing Potatoes

This may not be what what everyone is looking for but it has worked for me. I bought 2 vegetable bags from Current (currentcatalog.com) for $9.98. One was for onions and one for potatoes. These are not the green bags that can only be used 10 times, they are heavy drawstring bags with a zipper in bottom of one side. I got these in November and have not had any potatoes or onions sprout or rot! This is saving me a lot.

I can buy potatoes when on sale and not worry about them going bad. I watch ads for "buy one, get one free" and can usually buy 2 5 lb. bags of potatoes much cheaper than a 10 lb. bag.

Also if your family doesn't like instant mashed potatoes (like mine), I make mine half and half. It stretches my real potatoes a lot further. I started out using 1/4 instant and slowly went to 1/2 and they haven't noticed. I am also finding new side dish recipes for things less expensive. Or trying side dishes with potatoes and different other ingredients that help my potatoes last longer.

The last thing I am trying is growing my own this year. I planted some and they are coming up nicely. I hope this will save me a little on the groceries this year!

By Lisa Otts

Here are more useful pages:

• Growing Potatoes
  http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf54111762.tip.html

• Freezing Potatoes
  http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000995.tip.html

• Freezing Mashed Potatoes
  http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf12257802.tip.html