Cheap and Easy (food, that is!) Part 1

Groceries – Meats, Starches, and Fats are things to stock up on. We buy them in bulk and package in manageable sizes on our own. The meats typically last a month to a month and a half. The starches last 3-4 months, and the oils last even longer. Then diary and fruits/veggies are bought weekly to eat fresh.

Meats – Miguel and I buy our meats at Sam’s Club. We pay $30 a year for a membership there, and it saves us a ton of money. When we get our meats home, we divide them into portion sizes that we’ll use to make dinner with and put them into freezer bags. Then, we can freeze the meats until they are needed, and it greatly reduces the cost of meats. The following meats will last a long time.

Must haves:
6 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast – around $10. (approximately 15 chicken breasts)
6 lbs ground beef – around $8
Tuna, Chunk light, 10 6 oz cans -- $5
To eat like a king:
Round steak, 6 pack – $12 – They are really thick, so I only eat half for a meal, then use the other half for lunch the next day.
3 lbs frozen salmon fillets – around $13 – I consider salmon to be the filet mignon of fish. Each bag yields about 12 filets, and they keep for a long time.

Starches – Again with the Sam’s Club. I love Sam’s Club. I hate their ethics, but their prices are hard to beat when you are in college (or just got out of college as Miguel and I did) and are sticking to a budget.

Must haves from Sam’s:
8 lb bag of spaghetti -- $4
6 lb bag of penne rigate -- $3
Buy it, but not at Sam’s:
1 lb bag of brown rice -- $5 (lasts a long time)
1 lb bag of wild rice -- $5
Whole Wheat Tortillas -- $2

Fats –
Canola Oil, 16 oz -- $4
Olive oil, 16 oz -- $5
Heart healthy butter substitute (I like Fleishmens) -- $3.

Fruits and Veggies – We don’t buy these at Sam’s Club, unless we buy canned or frozen. I typically buy whatever I’m in the mood for. Here’s this weeks veggies:
1 red onion
1 lb white onions
3 lbs potatoes
3 yellow squash
2 zucchini
2 red peppers
8 oz mushrooms
1 package of spinach
1 lb snow peas
1 lb green beans
1 lb asparagus
All said, I spend around $20 on veggies at a local supermarket. I can get this much for about $5 less at our local farmer’s market.

Dairy
2 gal milk -- $3
Yogurt – 40 Cents a container
Parmesan Cheese -- $5 (We buy the huge container from Sam’s and it lasts forever)
We don’t eat a lot of other cheese, but you can usually cheeses on sale for around $3-4/pound)
Eggs, 1 doz -- $1

Others –
Spice Rack -- $20 (Look at Big Lots, Family Dollar, Sam’s Club. We found a $20 one with all the containers filled)
Salt/Pepper – $8 (Again, at Sam’s Club they sell huge things of pepper and sea salt in their own grinders for $4. They last forever)
Canned crushed tomatoes -- $1.50/can
Bars -- $5-$8 (At Sam’s they had a 15 pack of Luna bars for $5, or you can get about 30 South Beach Diet High Protein Bars for $8)
Broth -- $2/big can or box
Flour, sweeteners as needed
Vinegar, big bottle -- $2
Dijon mustard -- $2
Salsa -- $2

Okay, so all told, I’ve got around $150 bucks of groceries listed here. But the thing is that most of this food is going to last about a month, sometimes more, then you’re just paying around $20-30 a week on milk, eggs, and fruits/veggies. You can basically make whatever you want with this stuff.

Check back later for my next installment, cooking made easy.

NIIICCCEEE!!!! Thanks for sharing! :)

EDIT: I use the following website as a guideline when making out my grocery list. It's a website that provides a list of what is considered the world's most healthiest foods and then it has a link on each food item with information on all the nutritional properties and benefits:

List of The World's Healthiest Foods

http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

Well, I don't think I, personally, agree with your staples list, but thanks for putting this together! :)

how rude. i find it very through. That takes alot of time and effort to put together. so thanks i will definately give it a shot. how's about some meal idea's to go with it? thanks a boatload.

Aw, Howie, what am I missing?

Well, it's what works for me. I forgot fruits, which we buy frozen, mostly, because I'm not too much of a sweets person, and typically don't eat a lot of fruits. Sorry for leaving that out!

No, I'm sorry. I'm not trying to detract from you. It is a good list. :) Thank you for getting this and Part 2 together :)

Actually, one suggestion :)

Sit down and look at your favorite recipes. What do you LIKE to eat? Make sure you have the most used ingreients at all times. :) If you don't eat beef, don't buy it. If you eat Boca Burgers often, stock them up :)

I don't know if one list works for everyone, but you can make your own, based on what YOU like to eat :)

I posted in the daily chat, but I'll reply here as well.

Howard, as the original poster, I take no offense to what you posted. I've posted what works for me, in response to people who think eating healthy is expensive. I like simple foods, some don't.

You're a leader in this online community, and I look up to you, Howard! You're an inspiration and a role model, but you're not rude!

Where do you live & shop because it seems your groceries are a lot cheaper than mine!

Live in the Chicagoland area (yeah, that's right, I'm rockin the suburbs!), and I shop at Sam's Club for things I listed for Sam's Club, Big Lots for a lot of the non-perishable items, and the local grocer for fresh foods.

Hey gret, it's true that meat can be very expensive, but you don't honestly need alot of meat in your meal. Look for alternate sources of protein to add to your dish, or eat during the day, so you can spend less on meat. Alternate sources of protein include nuts and seeds, dairy, beans and most soy products :)

We buy, at most, 1 1/2 lbs. of meat a week :)

Disagreeing with food choices is not rude.

Also, my suggestion on meat is canned tuna in water or olive oil.  Those are very affordable when on sale.  They go on sale for 3 for $1 sometimes here.  Oh I see you have it on there already. Hehe

We bought a vacuum sealer and it has paid for itself three times over. We even seal heads of lettuce - it really does keep them fresh for longer!

I bought one off someone's moving sale.  I haven't figure out how to use it yet!  Teach me, Kathy!!! Lol

It's not the expense so much as it is my husband! Ha! He's the cook in our house, and a great on I might add. But he's convinced that a balanced meal includes meat or fish to go with our veggies and starch.  Is this bad for a everyday? A typical meal at our house is either fish or chicken breast, veggies such as green beans, squash or zuccinni, and maybe pasta roni, mac & cheese or rice or something. (I know that's not great, but my daughter loves it!)  Occasionally we'll do tacos or the bean pita pizzas (recipe I found here- great!).

No, meat isn't bad for you. It's a food, no more or no less. Meat DOES have cholesterol and saturated fat, but.. cutting off the visible fat (or having fish) makes it better :)

Your list is almost like mine.  I buy less meat and fish and more dry beans and whole grains, so my expense is a little lower.  A pound of pinto beans, bought in a local supermarket, is .49 for Goya Brand.  I get brown basmati rice from Whole Foods Market for about $1.10 a pound - more than white rice or regular brown rice, but so good.  I also buy the more expensive brand of frozen vegetables because I like them (Hanover Petite are my favorites).

We can all benefit by making a careful list of staples and shopping from that list.  It helps avoid impulse shopping and over spending, and saves time because we don't have to shop as often.

edited 7/10/2009 - wow, have prices gone up!  That .49 pound of beans now costs $1.79.  No wonder I always feel poverty stricken.

New favorite frozen vegetables - steamer bags.  Not too expensive if you wait for a sale.

Gosh I wish I lived near a place like that. My milk is $3.46 for 2 L. You pay less for 2 gallons!

Thanks. I was just talking about trying to compare prices at Sam's. It's about an hour from here but I have five kids and can use all the bargain and tip ideas. Thanks for hard work you put into both your tag items. Gratefully appreciate it.

I have a family of 6 right now. I stock up with most items on your list. Thanks! Finding home cooked meals as I do and enjoy at times is difficult. But our foster kids for the most part don't like home cooked meals because if it doesn't come out of a box or a bag....they won't touch it! I have to be very inventive with them. It's very difficult at times to get them to eat good stuff! I love Sam's Club!

Those Prices are Crazy Go Nuts! Ive never seen any thing like that!