SENIOR LIVING BY TAMMY C. VAUGHN, AGING SERVICES INC.
Lowering Your Food Bill
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here are many causes for our budgets to be tight right now. One area is our food budget. Once a month, shopping is a far less expensive way to purchase food. When trying to save money, your diet may look slightly different from what it usually does. Remember, your goal is to eat as well as possible within a strict budget. Here's how to navigate the basic food groups so you will know what to look for and how to trim your costs while you are shopping.
CANNED TUNA - This pantry staple of- salads, soup, or casseroles. You don't need fers a convenient (and cheap) way to add to get fancy. Just go with the plain, ordinary much-needed protein. Think Tuna Casserole! green heads of cabbage. PRODUCE: APPLES - If the price is reasonable, grab a large bag of apples. Keep them refrigerated to extend their life as long as possible, and you can always turn any extras into homemade applesauce.
FROZEN VEGETABLES - When they are on sale, you can sometimes get bags of frozen vegetables for as little as a dollar each. If you have freezer space, this is the way to go. Great ones to have on hand are peas and carrots, green peas, corn, cauliflower, broccoli, chopped spinach, Brussels sprouts, mixed CANNED FRUIT - Get fruit canned in the vegetables, and green beans. With an aslightest syrup possible or fruit canned in juice, sortment of frozen vegetables, you can make so you are not overeating sugar. Canned fruit great stuff. is an excellent addition to pancakes, waffles, or oatmeal. Reserve the juice for baking. CANNED TOMATOES - Get a variety of whole, crushed, stewed, and diced ones. BANANAS - You can make so many wonder- These can be used in soups, chili, casseroles, ful things with bananas…smoothies, banana and sauces. Canned tomatoes are a nutritional bread, good for you ice cream sliced with powerhouse. A can of stewed tomatoes with peanut butter. Bananas are great for creating a dab of butter and salt and pepper makes a treats! great quick lunch.
PROTEIN: MEAT - When your budget is super tight, don't expect meat to be the main dish. You don't have to go vegetarian, but calorie for calorie, meat is very expensive. Use less meat than you usually would and make it an ingredient instead of the star of the meal. Go with less expensive cuts, such as stew beef, 70/30 ground beef, chicken quarters, and chicken thighs. You can also buy an inexpensive beef roast and an inexpensive whole chicken that will get you through several meals if carefully CARROTS - Pick up one of those huge bags portioned. of grown-up carrots, peel them, and keep them in a bowl of water in your fridge for yummy and EGGS - are a very inexpensive and healthy healthy, snacking. source of protein. Many stores have huge flats with thirty eggs for a very reasonable price POTATOES - A couple of bags of potatoes grab a few of those and think about breakfast can get you through a rough time. Potatoes for dinner. are filling and can be cooked in many different ways, and most folks love them. Leave the PEANUT BUTTER - Grab a huge jar and, if peel on for added fiber. Store them in a cool, possible, for one that is more natural. These dark place away from onions for the longest will have fewer additives or high amounts of life. Even when they are sprouting eyes, you sugar. Think outside of the usual peanut but- can still eat them. Just cut out the sprouting ter sandwich. Celery sticks with peanut butter parts. and apple slices with peanut butter are some excellent choices. ONIONS - A big bag of onions will help you flavor up your home cooking during the month. BEANS - These are highly nutritious and convenient. Beans can be used in soups, refried CABBAGE - Depending on the time of year, a beans, bean dip with veggies, etc. The dried few heads of cabbage will get you far for very beans have the more significant savings. little money. You can use cabbage in coleslaw, 16 | MOORE MONTHLY | MAY 2022
BREAD, PASTA, and RICE Find a quick healthy bread recipe that you like online and make your bread. Flour and water are relatively cheap. Purchase Pasta in different shapes and sizes and keep them in jars on a shelf. You can purchase rice in substantial quantities at your local grocery store. Doing your shopping once per month will help keep you from making those impulse purchases that always seem to hop into the cart. It will be easier to keep track of your spending if it is all in one big trip. With each trip, you will predict what you need to run your household for an entire month, so this gets easier each month. With this kind of planning, you can cut your future grocery bills by buying only what you need to get you through the month. Enjoy the process!
