I could take my scanner to my garden….
Given the economic crunch I know we’re all trying to save money these days(!). I find it hard to do so sometimes when I’m also committed to eating healthily and buying fresh local produce. Because of course hotdogs & fruit roll-ups (blegh) are cheaper than anything free range or organic!
Back in the stone ages when I was a college undergrad and I took a nutrition class, our teacher recommended that the best way to stay healthy and spend less on groceries was to skip the middle aisles (read: processed foods) and only buy items on the periphery of the market (produce, dairy, bulk grains, etc). Of course it’s not that easy!
One way we’ve saved money and lived closer to our values over the past few months is to subscribe to a CSA plan that offers a weekly “veggie box” of fresh produce from a local farm (produce in image above is just a sampling from one week of goodies). I plan our meals so we eat 2 or 3 dinners and several lunch salads from each box. Yum!
I came across an article today that discusses how the author cut her grocery bill by 75% without having to sacrifice buying organic and healthy items and though you all would appreciate reading it and seeing if you could save as much, too.
Another idea I’m toying with is hosting regular potlucks where everyone cooks a dish to share–which would save me some cooking time and I’d get to enjoy the variety of others’ culinary efforts. This idea appeals to me on several levels–because I love spending time with friends and I think sharing the mealtime workload makes a lot more sense than everyone individually cooking well-rounded meals.
As long as you’ve dropped by, why don’t you drop your best grocery money-saving tips in the comments for all of us to benefit from!
Photo by John