Let's face it...times are tough for everybody. Not only have food costs skyrocketed, (remember when a hundred bucks in the supermarket used to be alot?), many of us are facing pay cuts or, even worse, unemployment. Add to that, declining property values, rising insurance premiums and taxes....well, I'm sure you already know how important it is for most of us to find ways to save a few bucks.
Some of our expenses are pretty much etched in stone...mortgage, car payment, etc. But, the grocery bill is another story. That's a major chunk of our budget that can be significantly reduced. Now, I'm not talking about clipping coupons or traveling all around town from store to store to save a few cents. For me, the time and effort involved just isn't worth the small savings. I do of course keep my eyes peeled for sale items and good quality store brands (you may be surprised at how good some of them are). In addition to that though, I've done some homework and came up with a few very effective money savers.
1. Check the sales circulars from your local supermarket before you go shopping. Plan your weekly menu around those sale items. If top round is cheap this week, my family is going to be eating some Beef Stroganoff and/or Beef Au Gratin for dinner.
2. Find ways to use up those leftovers. Yesterday's Sausage & Peppers can go into today's Italian Sausage Soup. Chop up that leftover Meatloaf and put it in the Spaghetti Sauce.
3. Buy in bulk. Meat, especially, is significantly less expensive when purchased in family sized packages. You can divide it up into smaller packages and freeze them or, if you want to save some cooking time during the work week, make up larger batches of foods that can be frozen into smaller portions and re-heated. Emeril's Chili is a great recipe for that.
4. Make some stock. Homemade stock can add wonderful flavor to so many dishes and is much cheaper than boullion or powdered soup bases. Check out how to make Great Soup Stocks.
5. Buy cheaper cuts of meat. Quite often you can replace more expensive cuts of meat with less expensive ones without sacrificing quality at all. For example, instead of stew meat for Beef Stew, you can use any beef roast that you find on sale. Just trim it and cube it yourself. Not only will it come out quite nice, but you can use the trimmings in the stockpot.
*Check out this great little cookbook. It's full of delicious money saving recipes.