Things we can't afford anymore

[spinbaby]

We're fairly well off in that we kept our jobs through the Bush years, even though we make only about 3% more than in 2000. Tonight I went for groceries with a list and a budget. I didn't come back with everything on my list.

Here's what I came back without:

Beef--the smallish pot roast planned for the weekend was about $13.00.

Pam--at $3.99, I'll grease and flour my pans.

Wheat germ--$5.25 for a small jar.

Brand-name flour--King Arthur cost $4.79. I bought the store brand for $3.08.

Almond extract--when did it get to be $6.79?

Lemons--79 cents each.

I'm just stunned by grocery prices. We're not nearly at the point of subsisting on rice and beans, but we're feeling squeezed. I can live without lemons and wheat germ, but I worry about the poor. I'm going to find some money for the food bank this week.

[malta blue]

The prices at the market have been concerning me

for weeks.

I don't usually go with a set budget, but I know what I can afford, and lately I have had to leave luxury items behind and even the actual groceries. Like you, I left the Pam on the shelf the other day.

[spinbaby]

7. We're going to leave a lot on the shelf

We don't buy much convenience food but we do eat well. Lately prices for foods that we consider to be part of a decent diet have been out of sight. More and more, I'm having to decide--walnuts or wheat germ, lemons or lettuce, beef or pork. Only couple of years ago, I'd have just picked up what we needed without thinking twice about it.

[HockeyMom]

1. Add roast chicken

$13.00 for a 7 lb. roaster.

[knitter4democracy]

39. Wow. Really?

At Horrocks here in town, a 4lb chicken is about four bucks. Amish chicken, too.

[phantom power]

2. For what it's worth, expect it to get worse.

ignoring market noise in the signal, it's probably going to get worse for the rest of our lives.

[superkia]

32. You are correct, the numbers only climb. If we continue to use the...

federal reserve for our worthless paper, inflation will continue to rise and are debts to them will only get higher. Instead of using our own money backed by gold or something of worth, we BORROW paper, backed by nothing and ALL of our income taxes go directly to the few elite bankers to pay some of the interest and never get out of the debt. Its all a scam and most have no idea how our money system works. Most think our income tax goes into our system, it doesn't, thats why we have a few other legal taxes:

* Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
* Capital gains tax
* Corporate income tax
* Estate tax in the United States
* Excise tax (includes taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages)
* Federal income tax
* Federal unemployment tax (FUTA)
* FICA tax (includes Social Security tax and related programs)
* Gasoline tax
* Generation Skipping Tax
* Gift tax
* IRS penalties
* Local income tax
* Luxury taxes
* Property tax
* Real estate tax
* Recreational vehicle tax
* Road usage taxes (Truckers)
* Sales tax and equivalent use tax
* School tax
* State income tax
* State unemployment tax (SUTA)
* Telephone federal excise tax
* Vehicle sales tax
* Workers compensation tax

[Horse with no Name]

3. This is a wonderful organization for the people who don't qualify for assistance and fall through

the cracks. It might be church based...but when you are hungry, I can't see how that matters.

www.angelfoodministries.org

Here is the April menu:
2 lb.
Fully Cooked Meatloaf
1 lb.
Beef Fajita Strips
3 lb.
Breaded Frying Chicken
2 lb.
St. Louis Style Ribs
2 lb.
Lasagna Dinner Entree
1 lb.
Gourmet Sausage
1 lb.
Fully Cooked Meatballs
16 oz.
Broccoli

15 oz.
Refried Beans
12 ct.
Tortillas
26 oz.
Pasta Sauce
16 oz.
Pasta
6 oz.
Pancake Mix
16 oz.
Fresh Carrots
3 lb.
Golden Yukon Potatoes
4 oz.
Chicken Noodle Soup (Makes 64 oz.)
4 lb.
California Oranges


Dessert Item
ALL THIS FOR THE LOW COST OF JUST $30

APRIL SPECIAL #1
7.5 lb. Family Variety Grill Box - $20.00
(2 lb. Meaty Baby Back Pork Ribs, 2 lb. Thick Cut Country-Style Pork Ribs (4 x 8 oz.), 1.5 lb. Thick Cut Sirloin Filet (Baseball Cut 4 x 6 oz.), 1 lb. All Beef Patties (4 x 4 oz.), 1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage)

APRIL SPECIAL #2
4 lb. New York Strip Box - $19.00
(4 lb. New York Strip Steaks (8 x 8 oz.))

APRIL SPECIAL #3
4.5 lb. Stuffed Chicken Breast Combo - $18.00
(1.5 lb. Cordon Bleu (4 x 6 oz.), 1.5 lb. Broccoli Cheese (4 x 6 oz.), 1.5 lb. Chicken Breast Kiev (4 x 6 oz.))

HOLIDAY SPECIAL #4
Senior Convenience Meal Box - $18.00
(Five Delicious Individual Dinner Entrees with 2 sides each: • Grilled Chicken Breast w/ Rice & Gravy, • Salisbury Steak & Gravy, • Macaroni & Cheese, • Chicken Tetrazzini, • Beef Chili Macaroni Casserole: Includes five breads, milks, margarine, and desserts.)

[w8liftinglady]

8. thank you for providing that link-

I run into hungry patients/families/co-workers almost daily.I'm with you-even if it's church-based-it's for the common good.

[jwirr]

18. Also don't for get SHARE which is also a good food program for

anyone who wants to participate.

[pamela]

40. I've heard great things about Angel Food Ministries.

I frequently read a forum for full-time RVers, many of whom are on a very tight budget. They swear by the Angel Food program. I haven't tried it, mainly because we are trying to get away from packaged food and eat mostly vegetables and lean protein, but if I had kids, I'd be all over that. It looks like a great way to stretch the food budget.

One of the best things about the Angel Food program is that there is no need assessment and they actually seem to encourage everyone to use the program, no matter their circumstances.

Thank you for posting this. I've started to post it in GD several times but I was hesitant since I haven't tried it myself. I know there are a lot of people having trouble with their food budget though, so this kind of information is invaluable. I hope folks will check and see if there is an Angel Food program near them and, if not, check with local churches to see if it's something they may be interested in. It seems like a win-win program for everyone involved.

[youthere]

91. I did some comparison shopping with the Angel Food program

here in our area and found that I can purchase the same amount of groceries (of similar quality) for less money, plus there's an awful lot of stuff on the menus my family simply won't use (like the prepackaged stuff). Given food costs vary, I'm sure in some areas it's a terrific deal...but it's a good idea to doublecheck.

[RebelOne]

70. My neighbor buys from them

and since she gets so much food for such a small price, she shares it with another neighbor, who is a single mother with 2 small children.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Aldi's. If you have them. I've been shopping there for years.

Also Save A Lot. Again if you have them. I have never really bought store brands, unless for convenience. Yes, it sucks. But you can get a bag of 5-6 lemons at Aldi for a buck.

[WCGreen]

6. I shop at Aldi's..

They are a subsidary of Trader JAcks, I believe...

I also bulk up at COSTCO...

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. I found myself buying too much at Costco anymore.

It is hard to shop for 3 over 4 for some reason. Especially when the 4th was a big part of the eating done at this house. I do buy TP and soap and stuff there. I love Aldi's.

[spinbaby]

11. I've never seen lemons at our Aldi's

They seem to have an extremely limited and kinda sad selection of produce. I do go to them for some canned goods and for some other dry goods like crackers.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. That's unfortunate. We have a whole row of produce.

Even bagged salads and such. Last week that had endive.

[msongs]

5. wow the lemon tree in my front yard is a gold mine! nt

[CoffeeCat]

10. my husband bought me a Myer lemon tree...

...for Christmas. We live in Iowa, so I hope we can keep it alive!

It's about three feet tall, and it has lots of flowers all over it.

I hope it bears fruit, that would be so cool.

Do you have lemons on your tree now? Wow, that is amazing that
you have a lemon tree in your front yard. Mine is in my dining room. :D

[murielm99]

12. There are some good ideas in this thread.

The angel foods ministry and Aldi's are good ideas. I go to a food program called SHARE. There is no requirement that you be low income to participate in SHARE.

Other areas have food co-ops and farmer's markets. If possible, grow some of your own food, too.

I know things are getting out of hand. I am glad my kids are grown.

[Duer 157099]

14. Well I just got some of those "green" fruit/veggie bags

hoping to make my produce survive longer. I hear they work, we'll see.

Got em on ebay, around $10 for 20 bags (reusable, too)

[ScreamingMeemie]

16. My dad uses them and says they work great.

[wildeyed]

23. I use those.

They work great. I buy bulk produce when I can and put half in the green bag for later.

[Caretha]

77. Economical & better than salads in a bag

I wanted to add a tip in here for salad lovers. I'm single and can't eat all the "salad in a bag" stores sell before it goes bad, plus it's expensive. Here's my recipe to make a huge amount of salad all at one time, and it never goes bad before I can eat it all.

In grocery stores here you can by 3 heads of romaine lettuce packaged all together - I purchase one of those for approximately $2.50, plus a 1 10 oz bag of broccoli slaw (julienned broccoli, carrots & red cabbage) for about $1.50. Then cut up all the the lettuce with a bread knife (cross-wise about 1/2 - 1 inch thick). Toss the lettuce and the broccoli slaw together in large bowl. Tightly pack it in a 1 quart plastic bag (you can use 2 bags and give 1 to a friend) and store in the vegetable bin in the refrigerator. You can add tomatoes - avocados, etc. to it when you are ready to serve. This recipe makes about 10 times as much as you can buy in the pre-packaged salad mixes at the store, and it won't go bad on you. One more tip - do not wash the romaine lettuce, it has already been pre-washed and it will cause the salad to wilt in the bag if you do.

[youthere]

81. Another tip...

If you put a folded paper towel in the bottom of the bag or bowl that you store the lettuce in, it will also last longer. This works great for other greens too...I love fresh spinach, but I'm about the only one in the family who eats it so needless to say, one of those bags takes awhile to get through...I use the paper towel trick and a bag can last about two weeks with no spoilage...just store in the fridge paper towel side DOWN.

[Mike03]

15. Great thread.

Just off the top of my head:

1. Most organic fresh vegetables and organic nut butters (almond, specifically).

2. Organic nuts.

3. Out of season fruit, especially the healthiest berries.

4. My nutritional supplements. Last week I cancelled my account to my vitamin and supplement provider. I was spending a fortune on those products.

5. Olives. For some reason, they have become obscenely expensive.

[spinbaby]

17. I love blueberries

We get them frozen in a three-pound bag at Sam's Club. The bag is over $8.00 now so they're a luxury item.

[Mike03]

19. My mother also advised that I buy the berries frozen rather than fresh.

That sounds like good advice.

I paid four dollars for four and a half ounces of blackberries the other day (multiplied by four).

Blueberries are hard to get now where I live for less than six bucks for five ounces.

[knitter4democracy]

43. Come visit us in August--we're not far from blueberry country.

Mom and I always take the kids blueberry picking every summer and put up as much as we can. Then, towards the end of the season, we each get a ten pound box. Nummy!

Here's our fave farm:
http://www.leducblueberries.com/

[Obamarama]

52. Leduc's ROCKS!

We put away a ton of blueberries from Leduc's every summer. We freeze them and put them on ceral, oatmeal, in blueberry coffee cakes throughout the year. we also pick and freeze strawberries, cherries, raspberries and peaches. Living in the Michigan fruit belt has its advantages :-)

[knitter4democracy]

80. I hope it's a better peach year this year.

Last year with that freeze, our usual orchard lost all of their peach crop (Shultz's in Mattawan). I have some cherry jam from last year that I'm pulling out after we use up the strawberry jam that's open. Freezer jam all the way, baybeee! :)

I love living here. We get the best asparagus, the best strawberries, the best peaches, the best apples, the best food by far. Do you guys get Avalon Farms? We love them!

[lpbk2713]

21. I usually get my vitamins from Walgreen's when they have a BOGO sale.

** Buy One, Get One Free.

I don't know if they are any good or not but they don't seem to be doing me any harm.

I wish I knew of a website that gives ratings of different mfgr's vitamins.

[Obamanaut]

58. You might find something useful here

http://www.usp.org/USPVerified/dietarySupplements/

I get my supplements from www.puritan.com and order when they have a buy one get two sale.

I have no financial interest in anything in this post

[lpbk2713]

59. Thanx, I'll check it out.

:hi:

[RebelOne]

71. Puritan's Pride is the only place I ever buy vitamins

You can't beat the prices. Sometimes there will be a buy two and get three free sale.

[wildeyed]

20. It is mind blowing.

I expanded our veggie patch this weekend. I always thought of it as a hobby, not a way to get significant amounts of food, but after looking at the grocery bills these days, I am revising my thinking on the subject.

[Mike03]

22. A few other afterthoughts:

Water! I used to always get three to four gallons of distilled water when I shopped, but lately that has gone onto my "can live without" list even though we have high levels of a number of toxins in our water, locally, particularly arsenic (and, I'm told off-the-record jet fuel).

There are some things that I buy no matter what and just store because they are good supplies in the event of some sort of unforeseen event in which food is not able to get to where we live:

Canned organic beans (which are cheap)
Salad dressings that don't have to be refrigerated
Canned fish
Raisans
Nuts that don't spoil quickly
Nut butters
Whey protein or other forms of powderized protein such as soy
Whole grain cereals
Almond milk, because it doesn't have to be refrigerated

On Edit: I apologize if this is too far off topic. Just some ideas that seemed peripherally relevant to this discussion.

Rec!

[RebelOne]

72. To purify your water, buy a Britta or Pur water filter pitcher.

I won't drink the water that comes out of my tap. I even filter my dogs' water.

[NMDemDist2]

24. yup, groceries have been going through the roof for a few months now

I have lettuce, radish, carrots and broccoli seeds in the ground and go out daily to cheer them on to sprout asap. in another month I'll have corn, beans, peas, melons and maters going too

I am just about convinced to add 4-6 hens to the acre, both for eggs and weed control and I have been stocking up on flour for months and freezing it since I make most of our bread and cookies/cakes from scratch

luckily for me (and the planet) we are in the middle of range cattle land so our local beef is quite affordable since most of them aren't sent to a feed lot before slaughter. they roam the range then straight to the slaughter house

hubby's job is good but 30 miles away. gas is a big amount each month but they just changed his schedule so he only has to commute 14 or 15 days a month (switched to 12 hour shifts) instead of 20+ so that should help

it's scary out there and getting worse

[wildeyed]

27. Ooooh, chickens, cool.

I have considered it. We are in the city, but I think you can get a permit for chickens. Do you need a rooster? I think the neighbors might not appreciate the early AM wake up.

[NMDemDist2]

36. i don't think I need a rooster and with that few hens, he'd wear them out and

beat them up

from what I understand you need about 10+ hens per rooster

here's a good thread on it in Rural/Farm forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=268&topic_id=1072&mesg_id=1101

[youthere]

82. You don't need a rooster unless you want chicks.

the hens will lay with or without him.

[uppityperson]

49. Freezing flour. That's a great thought. Going to Costco soon.

And getting more chickens this spring so can chunk out the flock a bit more. Need to get some silkies because they make great moms for any type chicken chicks.

[NMDemDist2]

50. when i had a Costco, i'd buy in the 40# bags then transfer it to the big ziplocks

I used the last of it a year later and it was fine

[uppityperson]

87. That's what we were thinking of doing.

Package them so they won't pick up any moisture and in usable sized packages.

[Contrary1]

66. I have resorted to freezing just about everything...

It's just me and my husband, so it's been easy so far. I have a bag in the freezer just for veggie leftovers. When I collect enough green beans, corn, peas, I make soup or stew.

I save leftover spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, buttermilk, barbecue, whatever. If you freeze it flat, you can break off a chunk as you need it. I buy milk on sale and freeze it. Very little goes to waste here. If it is something we can't use, the opossums, raccoons, or feral cats get it.

It is a rare week that we have more than one kitchen-size bag of trash go out to the curb.

Now, if someone can just come up with a feasible use for cat litter... ;)

[angrycarpenter]

25. I love beans and rice.

I was raised in the deep south and I love some of things that many seem to think is just pitiful.

I love a big pot of collard greens or turnip greens, with a whole package of bacon in it.

Pinto beans and cornbread is one of the best things that hillbillies ever came up with.

Buttermilk biscuits are a gift from god.


I cook nearly every night and I love my own cooking.

[w8liftinglady]

30. I love greens,too-but can't make them turn out right

I like them seasoned...but mine always taste bland.

[angrycarpenter]

35. salt, pepper, mustard seed, celery seed, pepper sauce,

put in twice as much as you think you need. cut the midrib out of all leaves. cook for at least four hours adding water as needed. An hour before dinner half fry a pack of bacon and put it and its fat in the greens.

[tsuki]

54. Use pepper vinegar to taste.

Also, cut your collards in strips, dry them thoroughly (I use a hair dryer,) then fry them. They turn dark green and crispy. Toss with an equal amount of salt and sugar (bout one tsp.) Better'n popcorn.

[Horse with no Name]

46. I buy the ends of bacon--it comes in a box but has just ends and pieces

It has many uses...I can flavor a pot of beans, cook it up for breakfast or sandwiches (it isn't pretty but who really cares?), and I like to take some cut cabbage, sautee it in butter, throw in some bacon, salt and pepper for a scrumptious meal.
The end pieces cost about $6 and it is well worth the money.

[cbayer]

26. You may not have one, but Trader Joe's offers really good value

They buy directly in bulk then put their own label on many of the products. You can't really go with a list, as what they offer varies. I can usually get what I need for about 60% of what it would cost at a major chain store.

[Mike03]

29. Trader Joe's is a fantastic place

They were headquartered a couple miles from where I lived when I was in Los Angeles. Now I'm seventy miles away from my nearest TJ.

It truly is a wonderful franchise. The quality is good to very good (not great) and the prices are sensational.

[AlCzervik]

37. me too, i buy a lot at Trader Joe's and they have way non meat alternatives

available then my local market and their prices are just really good.

[Yavapai]

45. Yes, I buy a lot of "two buck chuck"

to help me forget about the "BUSH CRIME FAMILY"!

[tavalon]

88. I haven't been back to my Trader Joes in a while

I have celiac and honestly, I have relied on Whole Paycheck for too long. PCC, even though it's great, is also uber expensive. I need to stop relying on convenience foods and start cooking again. Working 12 hour nights has made it feel hard but oh well.

[question everything]

57. Am disappointed that they stopped carrying the cheap $0.99 gallon jugs of water

Every emergency plan, whether for earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes calls for having water in hand, in case the main line has to be turned off.

At first, we would keep one of those 6 gallons container that just sat and we finally emptied it when we moved out. So we decided to have on hand a six pack of 1 gallon water that we drink and recycle.

When we used to shop at SAM's we would get the six pack there. But we switched to COSTCO and one of the first disappointment was the lack of the gallon jugs, only individual small bottles. Then we would buy the six pack at Trader Joe's but, it, too, is now carrying only smaller bottles of water or something super expensive from New Zealand, or Fiji.

So back to the supermarket where they still carry $0.99 gallon of water, for now.

[better tomorrow]

69. and now they have hormones and drugs in it, too......

more for your money....

[OwnedByFerrets]

28. Let me tell you how bad off we are.....

we have been forced into buy our groceries at walmart.:grr: :grr: Never say never! I said never and now Im eating my words....and food from wallyworld.:puke:

[classykaren]

34. dont feel bad about it

While youre there tell quietly some employees about the wonderful web site what up walmart

[Mike03]

44. I'm doing that more and more too

That is a huge issue in my town. In fact, it might be worth a separate post, because it seems to be a widespread phenomenon.

I live in a very small town with two well known name brand grocers and Wal Mart, and the last two times I've shopped at the groceries, they have been nearly empty. They are also running ads nonstop. Wal Mart is filled with shoppers.

[youthere]

84. If you have a Dollar Tree or something similar in your area...

check them out...a lot of times they'll have cheap staple items, juices, crackers etc for super cheap ($1-go figure) I buy tea there all the time.

[AlCzervik]

31. i wished you lived near me, i have a lemon tree thats gone insane, i picked off

78 yesterday alone and there's more on the way.

[Saturday]

33. I guess I should consider myself lucky....

we have a huge grocery store I shop at that has great prices. I bought a cantalope today for $1.50, 5 oranges (medium size) for $1.00 and a gallon of OJ for $3.19. You can get flour on sale for 99 cents at times. Even Brand name cans of vegtables are only 47 cents.

[spinbaby]

41. Bought flour lately?

It seems to me that as recently as last year, I could regularly find flour at 89 cents for five pounds, assuming I wasn't picky about the brand. The good King Arthur stuff was around $1.69. It's really skyrocketed and most of this increase has been in the last month or so. Last week I was in a store that had sold out of all-purpose flour altogether. I bake a lot but don' really have room to store flour, so I've really noticed this.

[Zookeeper]

62. I bought flour recently and thought the price had gone up by...

a quarter to a third. 'Still cheap, I guess, but that's a huge increase.

[knitter4democracy]

38. There's canola spray at our BigLots for a dollar right now.

They had flour and almond extract, but I didn't see the other stuff.

We have Horrocks, a great farm-market-like store in town where I got our lemons last week, and they have pork tenderloin this week for $1.99 a pound. I get wheat germ in bulk at the natural food store, but I can't remember the price.

The best advice I ever read in the Tightwad Gazette was to keep a price book. I've found that BigLots and the bakery outlet kick most everyone's butt when it comes to food prices, and the food's still good. Then Meijers and Horrocks and one of the natural food stores in Kalamazoo for the rest. Buying bulk there saves a good bit.

We're definitely squeezed, but I found that the price book really helped. Making up our dinner list for the week and shopping only for those things unless I found a great deal on something I could store easily have cut our food budget by a huge amount, too.

[madrchsod]

42. the war is what we can not afford anymore

[Bigmack]

47. Beat me to it! ......

All those nice new shiny toys the military wants? Can't afford them.

Those (at least) 750 military bases overseas? Can't afford them.

Those maimed veterans? Can't afford them.

When are the people going to recognize that the military is spending the US to death?

[Habibi]

53. And yet somehow

money is always found for those things . . .

Meanwhile people go hungry, and homeless.

[kittykitty]

48. Let me recommend www.nutsonline.com. Wheat Germ: $1.99 lb

They are located in Newark, N.J. They ship UPS or Fed Ex. They carry TONS of stuff, all kinds of nuts, naturally,and grains, spices, candies, snacks and mixes. For instance I use a lOT of cinnamon on my oatmeal, and have to pay over $2 for a little shaker of McCormicks cinnamon. I just bought ONE POUND of cinnamon for $2.99.

They sell everything by the pound. Depending on where you live, shipping costs can add up. But if you live in the East or Mid-Atlantic it is reasonable. But the most amazing thing is the speed with which you receive your order. If I order in the evening, my order is often shipped that night and delivered to my doorstep in central PA the next day! I usually choose Fed-Ex as the deliver on Saturdays. Also I think they are a bit faster. The charges for UPS and Fed-Ex are identical.

Check it out http://www.nutsonline.com

[SoCalDem]

51. team up with a few friends and share the cost

My friend and I do this all the time.. Cuts down on cost and the potatoes in the 20# bag are always bigger & better than the marble-sized ones in the 5# bags..

We found a great deal on sugar at costco and divvied it up..

I have bought spices at Big Lots too.. I even scored SAFFRON once..(I love saffron, but it's about the most expensive spice on earth)

[Habibi]

55. I'm very fortunate in that

I have a public market that consists of local growers and small-time produce distributors, so I can get "fresh" produce and regionally-produced dairy products at good prices, and I've recently discovered Aldi's, which has some kick-ass prices on staples like cooking oil.

I don't begrudge anyone shopping where they can get the best deal. Would love to have a Trader Joe's here in upstate New York, but we have some pretty good alternatives.

But yeah, grocery prices are appalling. I'm afraid for my community. Going to suggest to my Unitarian church that we consider setting aside a bit of the land for a community produce garden, and hold workshops on food preservation.

[MilesColtrane]

56. I paid over $4.40 for a 2 quart container of soy milk yesterday.

Add the price of cereal and that's making for a damned expensive breakfast these days.

Whoever the Democratic nominee is would be smart to keep in mind the slogan of Bill Clinton's '92 campaign team.

As things get worse Hillary or Obama should remember that "It's the Economy Stupid". Voter's pocketbooks are THE most politically important issue in the 2008 race. (Should be the continuing war/occupation, and it's sad that it's not, but there it is.)

[Xenotime]

60. Exactly Soon it will cost too much to stay healthy...

creating an even greater rift between the rich and the poor.

[NuttyFluffers]

61. a tangent of things i can no longer afford: petty bickering

other than that i cannot afford my beloved routine sushi binges. i'll start having to make my own... :(

[better tomorrow]

63. We don't seem to have much problem here yet because....

Winn Dixie has a rash of buy one get one offers this week, especially on meat. We stocked up. Hubby just went to the store and got cookies 10 / 10.00 and they had chips 10/ 10.00 and soda 10/ 10.00. But, you are right, people who don't have choices or competition in their areas and the poor can't exist on cookies, chips and soda.....

What is the price of a pkg of diapers today? That is another area I worry about. Kids running around in soiled pants....

[lonestarnot]

65. The store I go to does that buy one get one free deal too.

So I bought two and got ripped off for the deal because in real small print it said you had to buy 5 to get the deal. :eyes: Should have put on the 25 cent readers. LOL

[PA Democrat]

73. Don't feel badly. Sometimes the store rips you off even when you DO read the fine print correctly!

My local grocery chain had General Mills cereals for $2.00 a box, plus they still do double coupons. In addition there was a promo where you got a free gallon of milk if you bought 4 boxes of cereal. Only problem, the store's computer didn't have the free gallon of milk programmed into it. I went to the office, they refunded me the money for the milk. I went into the same store a few days later, to stock up on more cereal while the deal lasted. Same problem, still no free gallon of milk.

I wonder how many people didn't notice that they were ripped off?

[lonestarnot]

79. Arg...

I'd like to think not many in that if they were aware of the deal, they checked to make sure they actually received it.

[lonestarnot]

64. I studied the sale flyer and saved $50 + Bought nothing that was not on sale.

Used coupons too. And I also got lucky in that the bare cupboard needed whatever was on sale. LOL :toast:

[trthnd4jstc]

67. I had a craving for Chicken. I had to wait a few weeks.

I am not proud that I eat meat. I do not do well without a certain amount of protein. I went about 3 weeks without eating chicken. I am with you about given money to a food bank. Once a get back on my feet better, I will give some money to a food bank also.

[better tomorrow]

68. I have to admit.....

I had to reconsider buying hair color this month....decided it is getting to be a "luxury" thing. Just not ready to go all gray.....not yet anyway....needed toilet paper instead. :)

[youthere]

86. You can have my hair color when you pry it from my cold dead hands...

LOL..SOMEWHERE I have a home recipe for hair coloring for dark hair. It's not a dye, it's more like a rinse or grecian formula. If you're interested, let me know.

[annonymous]

74. I have cut back on buying fresh produce

I no longer buy bell peppers. The green ones are 99 cents each and the colored ones cost $2.99/lb or more. Cucumbers and fresh mushrooms cost too much as well. Milk costs $3.29/gallon so I buy it less often than I used to. I will try to plant more stuff in my garden but only have a limited amount of space (6' x 9'). I will be buying seeds and planting them this weekend.

[MadHound]

75. A suggestion for buying meat.

Go out to the country, get to know a small farmer, and buy your meat in bulk(you'll need a freezer). We've been doing this for awhile, just bought a quarter beef from our neighbor, and it cost us 2.34 a pound, no matter the cut of beef, KC strip or lean hamburger.

Not only do you get cheap meat, you also get to know where your meat came from and what went into it. One of the selling points for me was that I knew the beef was grass fed with no hormones.

Sure, it's a bit of a hassle, but it's worth it. Check around in small town, rural newspapers and you can usually find ads for this.

[knitter4democracy]

83. We did that with bison last summer.

It cost us $3.34/lb for half a bison. Totally worth every penny. That's also how I found the local butcher who does a lot of the small family farms in the area. I'm going to see what I can get for Easter there.

[calico1]

76. A lot of farmers have switched from planting wheat to

planting corn, because of the ethanol demand. That is one of the reasons for the high flour prices.

If you have a freezer, grab a bag whenever it's on sale. I can still get King Arthur and Bob's Red Mill for around 2.99/bag which isn't bad since I prefer them. I have white, whole wheat pastry and white whole wheat, and I just grab another bag whenever I see a good price and can fit it in my budget.

I am Puerto Rican so rice and beans is something I grew up eating. There are so many different varieties of beans. You can make bean soup, white rice with beans over it, rice and beans cooked together. Lots of ideas. Together they make a complete protein. Think of doing veggie dishes a few times a week. You don't have to eat meat every day.

Pam is expensive. Even when it was cheaper it was expensive. Invest in one of those silicone brushes or a pastry brush and just brush a little oil on your pan instead of paying through the nose for Pam.

I do miss living in Puerto Rico when we had a lime tree and almost all the neighbors did. We would get sacks of limes which a lot of people use interchangeably with lemons, especially when they turn yellow. I have lived here again since 1987 and it still pains me to PAY for a lemon or a lime!

I scour ads from all the local stores. If lemons, eggs or anything like that is on sale, I stock up as much as I can. My local Big Y had 18 egg carton eggs 2 for $4. So I got two. I give the dogs eggs and we eat them a few times a week plus I bake a lot so that was a good deal.

If you live in New England or NY, see if there is an Ocean State Job Lot near you. They have a lot of good buys there. They carry the whole line of Bob's Red Mill too, and at good prices.

http://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/osjlprod/locate/default.aspx

[dysfunctional press]

78. learn how to shop.

first of all, don't shop from a list, unless you've already scanned the sale ads, and made the list from that.
buy things that are on sale, and plan your menus with those items- not the other way around.
stock up when things you know you'll need are on sale- when pot roasts are sale, buy one or two and freeze them.
we eat very well, but it isn't bankrupting us because we shop very well.

[youthere]

85. A couple things:

Pam-make your own...a little canola oil and some liquid lecithin (from a health food store) in a spray bottle. It'll cost you about $3.99 for the ingredients and you'll have the equivalent of about 10 cans of commercial Pam.

Meat- as one poster suggested, find a local farmer and buy it "on the hoof" and have it processed OR find a meat locker service in your area...a lot of times you can buy a 1/4 or 1/2 a beef from the locker. The drawbacks are that you have a large outlay of $$ at one time to pay for the meat, and you have to have freezer space, but the meat is much cheaper per/lb. Most lockers will also sell various cuts of meat..they are almost always frozen,rather than the saran wrapped stuff in the grocery store, but usually much cheaper.

Wheat Germ, flour etc: Check around your area for a food coop. I live in the middle of nowhere, IA and there is a coop within an hour's drive of me...so there's probably going to be one accessible to you too, you'll just have to look. You can usually buy stuff like flour, meal, nuts, and grains in bulk MUCH cheaper (and a lot of times it's organic too). Even if it's a little out of the way, get organized and go once a month to stock up.

Asian and Hispanic food stores...cheap cheap cheap! Good way to stock up on basics like masa, or sesame oil or rice or beans etc etc etc...some of them even have pretty respectable produce sections that are much cheaper than chain grocery stores.

Amish/Mennonite communities...if you are fortunate enough to have one within even a couple hours of you it's worth the drive. Often they have their own surplus style stores, most of them have bakeries and creameries and butcher shops. Even if they don't have them, there will be places you can purchase locally grown produce, eggs, meat and baked items for a very reasonable price.

Farmers markets..I live in Iowa so these are actually a luxury we only have in the warmer months but when the markets are in full swing I never buy produce anywhere else. At the height of tomato season I can buy enough tomatoes to can about 20 qts plus enough for eating for around $25. This is a great way to supplement what we grow in our own garden and is a lifesaver if you have a failed tomato crop like we did last year.

"Dollar" Stores and Overstock outlets...A lot of time they carry pastas, cereals, spices and canned goods for next to nothing...assuming you aren't a slave to name brands. Well worth checking out from time to time.

I found it really helps if I can plan at least a month or two worth of menus..I can shuffle things around as I find bargains, but it helps to keep me from spending money on "a good deal" only to have it end up in the trash.

If you don't have, consider buying: A Freezer...nearly everything can be frozen...even milk and eggs (not in the shell). Plenty of containers..check yard sales and goodwill. A vaccumn sealer would be nice, but not necessary (you have to keep purchasing supplies for it. I freeze stuff in glass canning jars, tupperware, or if all else fails, I do what grandma did...wrap it in plastice wrap and then newspaper.

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

89. Comparison shop, and use coupons...

You can get a lot of coupons online, and there are several sites out there that show you how to maximize them. Also, check with the stores in your area to see if they do double or triple coupon days. Most places will also price match...if Wallyworld has an advertised sale, but you'd rather go to Target or Kroger, they'll usually meet or beat a sale price.

[PsciStudent]

90. subsidies part of the problem

We can thank ethanol subsidies for some of this. Rising ethanol production due to government incentives is pushing prices of corn-related food products higher like soft drinks (high fructose corn syrup anyone?) and beef (higher cost of feed).