Apologies for being away from the blog so long, guys! Long story short, I moved to Philly, had the Murphy's Law moving experience from hell, and it took me a while to get caught up enough to start blogging for fun again! Again, I'm sorry!
With that said, this post is on how to painlessly cut your grocery bills without clipping coupons, watching sales circulars like a hawk, or generally expending any more time and energy than you need to. Eating at home is one of the best ways to cut out a lot of the unnecessary expenses related to overly frequent take-out meals and trips to local restaurants. Generally, it's quite a bit healthier as well. Of course you probably know this already, but the time and energy it takes to make a healthy meal at home after a busy day can really make this task seem like just another chore you'd rather not have to bother with. Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to eat healthily, cheaply, and well when you're pressed for both time and cash!
I'm going to set this post up a little bit for easy scanning/reference. First, I'll discuss how best to cut your grocery bill without poring over websites and fliers just to save a buck or two on a can of tomatoes.
In general, shopping for generics is a great idea, but I do remember more than a bit of irritation several years back when my cartload of generic groceries equaled what my mom had spent feeding a family of four back in the late '90s. I understand that prices rise and all that, but that amount seemed like an absurd spike for a 10-15 year period. The best and easiest way to get around the typical grocery store markups, even on generic items, is shopping at certain discount stores that cut out the unnecessary frills (e.g. carrying several different brands of the same product, larger spaces that require higher rents, hiring paid baggers) that lead to those inflated prices. I'm partial to shopping at Aldi, myself. Save-A-Lot is another nationwide chain based on a similar business model, and Grocery Outlet is another such venue based largely on the West Coast.
I can get about 90% of my foodstuffs from these places, and the other 10% is usually easily found at a typical supermarket. (It should be noted that I won't eat cheap food if it's lousy, so take my word for it -- you'd likely be hard-pressed to determine a difference in the food quality between the products from these discount stores and the traditional grocery store brands out there.) These places are a great way to knock 35% or more, easily, off your typical grocery bill without a fuss! For those on the tightest of budgets, here's the Hillbilly Housewife's guide to buying enough food to feed your family for $45 a week, and for vegans like myself, here's a link to the Vegan on $3.33 a Day blog.
Additionally, using a crock pot is a great way to put a really healthy meal on the table if you a.) don't have a lot of time on your hands, b.) aren't the greatest cook when it comes to traditional methods, and c.) would like to save a bit of cash by eating in more often. I use a programmable crock pot in order to make sure that the setting automatically reverts to a very low/warm temperature if I get absentminded about things. (Plus, I'm a bit paranoid about accidental fires.) As far as recipes for the crock pot are concerned, I'm totally in love with the easy, doable, and family-reviewed ones that Stephanie O'Dea posts on her blog, and the lovely lady has penned two different books on the subject, should you prefer a more traditional interface. Hopefully, this gives you a great and easy place to start from when it comes to painlessly eating in more often; this Oatmeal comic doesn't have to apply to you!
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