I was on Chow.com recently looking for easy, after-work recipes (love this website, if you're a foodie, definitely bookmark it!), and I came across a fabulous list of ways to save at the grocery store. I am in no way an accomplished chef or even come close to one (I once accidentally lit a bag of microwaveable popcorn on fire -- in the microwave), so when I perused the items on the list, some seemed like a far cry from what I normally do in the kitchen. Roast my own deli meat? Who am I, Martha Stewart? Definitely not, but after I got past the Betty Crocker stereotype of some of these tips, they actually aren't that hard or time-consuming, and best of all, they're very creative ways to save you money!
1. Pick and Choose Which Organics You Buy. Save on the items where buying organic doesn’t give you as much benefit, like onions and avocados. These crops retain the least pesticide residue (peaches and apples are the worst, according to the Environmental Working Group), so if you buy organic for that reason, you can feel OK about purchasing some conventional produce.
2. Skip the Deli Counter. It’s not very hard to roast your own turkey or beef for sandwiches, and you’ll enjoy substantial savings. Even precut turkey tenders are about $4 cheaper per pound if you roast and slice them yourself versus the $8.99-per-pound roasted turkey at the deli. Plus you can season it exactly how you like. If you’re not very well versed in roasting meat, invest in a cheap meat thermometer and you’ll feel a lot more confident.
3. Make Your Own Granola. Even in bulk, granola and cereal are expensive (Chow found them in the $3- to $8-per-pound range). Put a few cups of plain rolled oats on a baking sheet; toast them in the oven for about 20 minutes (stirring once); toss them with about a quarter cup of honey, some vanilla, a little bit of brown sugar, and a tablespoon of vegetable oil; then put them back in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes, and you’ll have a base to which you can add whatever dried fruit and nuts you want, like this recipe for peanut butter and coconut granola.
4. Buy Spices in Small Amounts. Spices are often used in very small amounts, so don’t waste money on the big jars at the grocery store. Instead, see if you can find what you need at ethnic markets, where Chow has found the spices packed in little plastic envelopes to be considerably cheaper. If you have a store in your area that offers bulk spices, buy only as much as you need. (I blogged on this phenomenon a few months ago here.)
5. Don’t Pay a Premium for Health Fads. Pomegranate juice is a darling of superfoods enthusiasts, bartenders, and chefs, but it carries a hefty price tag. Christie Matheson, co-author of Wine Mondays: Simple Wine Pairings with Seasonal Menus, suggests using less expensive cranberry juice (look for the highest percentage of juice), which has the same “tart, tangy flavor, lends a pretty scarlet hue to cocktails, and comes loaded with antioxidants.” It’s about $3 to $6 cheaper per quart.
6. Find Sparkling Alternatives. Real Champagne is expensive. If you want to drink some bubbles, Matheson suggests popping open a cheaper bottle of Spanish cava. It’s “made according to the same traditional method, and can be just as dry and delicious.”
7. Make Mock Maple Syrup. When things were tight growing up, this Chow.com writer's mom would simmer brown sugar with water and whatever spices were on hand (say, a vanilla pod that might otherwise be tossed after scraping) to make syrup for pancakes and waffles. It’s good, and it keeps you away from the nasty commercial substitutes out there if you can’t afford to buy the real stuff.
8. Create Snacks from Scratch. Prepared foods like pesto and hummus cost $4 to $6 for a tiny package, but they’re easy to make. For hummus, put a can of garbanzo beans in the blender with some lemon juice, garlic, salt, a dash of olive oil, and, if you have it, a dollop of tahini, then purée. You can throw in whatever else you like at this point: herbs you might need to use up, olives, roasted peppers, etc. Likewise with pesto: Skip the $6 package and buy a bunch of basil, then put the leaves in the blender with olive oil, garlic, salt, and a handful of nuts (pine nuts are traditional, but you won’t miss them if you use less expensive almonds or walnuts).
9. Use Substitutions for Fancy Ingredients. Crème fraîche is a sour cream–like ingredient common in recipes like Chow's Savory Onion and Leek Tart and Winter Greens Lasagne, but it can cost nearly $10 per pound, and might be hard to find. Chow.com readers suggest using sour cream instead, or you can make this simple version suggested by Matheson: “Sanitize a small nonreactive bowl in your dishwasher or boiling water, combine 1 1/2 teaspoons of buttermilk with 1/2 cup of heavy cream, cover the bowl, and let it sit at room temp for 24 hours. Stir it and use it, or keep it covered in the fridge for up to a week.”
10. Chop Your Own Greens. Bagged salad mixes are a terrible value. Instead, buy a fresh head of lettuce, and when you unpack your groceries spend an extra five minutes washing, drying, and chopping it up, then store it in a bag in the refrigerator. It’ll be just as convenient, fresher, and cheaper. [Chow.com]
Showing posts with label produce. Show all posts
Showing posts with label produce. Show all posts
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Why does food cost more these days?
The increase in food prices has been a reoccurring subject I've noticed in many personal finance blogs over the last few months. Some gripe of the exorbitance of the matter and some offer solutions (which I even did recently), but do you know exactly why the cost of food has seen such an uptick?
The answer to that question may conjure up uncomfortable memories of you spacing out at your desk during the dreaded economics classes we were forced to take in the heyday of our youths. As the teacher droned on about something called "supply and demand," many of us had already checked out, hitting our mental "snooze" buttons as we daydreamed of the Jordan Catalano look-alike three seats ahead of us.
I admit, economics is taught all wrong to us in our formative years because it's the farthest thing from boring. In fact, it's downright fascinating -- and this is coming from an English major, people, so that's got to mean something. Consider this a non-boring, hopefully amusing brush-up in Econ 101: Why is the cost of food rising so fast?
The overarching answer lies in biofuels. Fuel, you ask? What does that have to do with food? Well, a certain type of biofuel -- called ethanol -- is a clean-burning fuel made from crops, such as corn. (Corn is a fundamental ingredient in much of the food we eat, but I'll get to that in a minute). Everything so far sounds peachy and green, right? Well, according to the American Coalition for Ethanol, pure ethanol cannot be used as a motor fuel by itself; instead, a percentage of it has to be combined with unleaded gasoline to fuel, say, a car. But greenies everywhere do tout the cleaner-burning gasoline as beneficial to keeping our environment pollution-free, although many studies also argue that it's an "energy neutral" fuel, since it takes much pollution in ethanol factories to make the fuel, but that's another subject unto itself.
The fundamental problem with ethanol is when it comes to the world's food supply. Because it takes crops like corn to make the fuel, that's less food on people's plates to eat and more food being grown to power cars. This makes food more scarce, which makes it more valuable when it's in a grocery store, hence the cost of it rises because it's worth more.
Just how much have food costs risen because of biofuels? According to a confidential World Bank report that was leaked by the Guardian this summer, biofuel was responsible for a 75% rise in food prices, and "has distorted food markets in three main ways:"
Politics aside, it is an inarguable fact that the rise of biofuels has sparked the onslaught of higher food costs because of it's all-consuming need for corn in the production process. Okay, so it makes sense now that the price of any food that includes corn syrup, corn starch or other corn-based products is rising. But what the rising price of things like milk, meat and eggs? Simple! Cows, cattle, livestock, chicken and cattle all eat corn feeds. Think of it as the great "circle of life." (Cue Lion King soundtrack.)
There are also other factors that add to the high-priced plight, such as nasty droughts and floods, an increased global population that demands more food, and higher fuel costs, which make cross-country truck deliveries from the farm lands of California or the Mid-West to your Safeway grocery shelf that much more expensive. According to the USDA Economic Research Service's (ERS) consumer food price index, food prices normally rise 2.5% per year. For year-end 2008, the ERS forecasts prices to rise 5% to 6%, which is obviously a huge jump.
All of these factors -- biofuel production at the helm -- have swirled together and gained speed, like a tornado of disastrous proportions, creating a perfect storm of rising food costs.
For an econ lesson minus the Jordan Catalano-esque eye candy, that wasn't so bad, was it?
For more on the confidential World Bank report, read the Guardian's story.
The answer to that question may conjure up uncomfortable memories of you spacing out at your desk during the dreaded economics classes we were forced to take in the heyday of our youths. As the teacher droned on about something called "supply and demand," many of us had already checked out, hitting our mental "snooze" buttons as we daydreamed of the Jordan Catalano look-alike three seats ahead of us.
I admit, economics is taught all wrong to us in our formative years because it's the farthest thing from boring. In fact, it's downright fascinating -- and this is coming from an English major, people, so that's got to mean something. Consider this a non-boring, hopefully amusing brush-up in Econ 101: Why is the cost of food rising so fast?
The overarching answer lies in biofuels. Fuel, you ask? What does that have to do with food? Well, a certain type of biofuel -- called ethanol -- is a clean-burning fuel made from crops, such as corn. (Corn is a fundamental ingredient in much of the food we eat, but I'll get to that in a minute). Everything so far sounds peachy and green, right? Well, according to the American Coalition for Ethanol, pure ethanol cannot be used as a motor fuel by itself; instead, a percentage of it has to be combined with unleaded gasoline to fuel, say, a car. But greenies everywhere do tout the cleaner-burning gasoline as beneficial to keeping our environment pollution-free, although many studies also argue that it's an "energy neutral" fuel, since it takes much pollution in ethanol factories to make the fuel, but that's another subject unto itself.
The fundamental problem with ethanol is when it comes to the world's food supply. Because it takes crops like corn to make the fuel, that's less food on people's plates to eat and more food being grown to power cars. This makes food more scarce, which makes it more valuable when it's in a grocery store, hence the cost of it rises because it's worth more.
Just how much have food costs risen because of biofuels? According to a confidential World Bank report that was leaked by the Guardian this summer, biofuel was responsible for a 75% rise in food prices, and "has distorted food markets in three main ways:"
- "By diverting grain away from food for fuel, over a third of U.S. corn is now used to produce ethanol and about half of vegetable oils in [Europe] go toward the production of biodiesel."
- "Farmers have been encouraged to set land aside for biofuel production." Land that would otherwise be used to grow crops to eat.
- "It has sparked financial speculation in grains, driving prices higher." As more grains are being used to produce biofuels, they become more scarce because they are in such high demand. The more in demand a commodity is, the more people will pay for it.
Politics aside, it is an inarguable fact that the rise of biofuels has sparked the onslaught of higher food costs because of it's all-consuming need for corn in the production process. Okay, so it makes sense now that the price of any food that includes corn syrup, corn starch or other corn-based products is rising. But what the rising price of things like milk, meat and eggs? Simple! Cows, cattle, livestock, chicken and cattle all eat corn feeds. Think of it as the great "circle of life." (Cue Lion King soundtrack.)
There are also other factors that add to the high-priced plight, such as nasty droughts and floods, an increased global population that demands more food, and higher fuel costs, which make cross-country truck deliveries from the farm lands of California or the Mid-West to your Safeway grocery shelf that much more expensive. According to the USDA Economic Research Service's (ERS) consumer food price index, food prices normally rise 2.5% per year. For year-end 2008, the ERS forecasts prices to rise 5% to 6%, which is obviously a huge jump.
All of these factors -- biofuel production at the helm -- have swirled together and gained speed, like a tornado of disastrous proportions, creating a perfect storm of rising food costs.
For an econ lesson minus the Jordan Catalano-esque eye candy, that wasn't so bad, was it?
For more on the confidential World Bank report, read the Guardian's story.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Spend less on better food
I had a dream the other night that I was floating down an aisle at Whole Foods.
Love was there, along with Lola, who was walking along on her hind legs next to us like a two-year old. I remember I looked like a brunette Olivia Newton John circa Xanadu, wearing a delicate white dress that lazily danced with the indoor, yes indoor, breeze, and I remember being happy. No, it wasn't because I was the lead character in Xanadu (I'm obsessed with musicals, no matter how cheesy), nor was it because at one point I got to chat with ex-Mexican president Vincente Fox in the freezer section and Aretha Franklin in the produce aisle.
I remember being happy because I got to throw whatever I wanted into our cart without even glancing twice at the price. And that includes fancy wines and exotic cheeses, two of my favorite things. I woke up mid-float, as I was placing a giant wheel of Jarlsberg Swiss in our cart, to the sound of what I thought was Lola eating our cat Money Penny (false alarm! they were just fighting.)
After I broke up the scuffle, I got back into bed with a bevy of questions. Why did buying any food I wanted -- non-generic at that! -- light the fires of my satisfaction? Why were Vincente and Aretha in my dream? And most important, why was I a floating character from Xanadu? It dawned on me as I nodded back off to dreamland that I might never know the answers to the latter two questions, but the former was obvious.
As humans we have basic needs -- air, water, shelter, clothing (optional, kidding!) and food. Now I can and do skimp on lots of things in my life in the interest of saving money. I don't care about owning some no-name music player over an expensive one, or buying generic aspirin to get rid of a headache. But even though I'm guilty of being a miser, I hate skimping on good, quality food just to save a pittance. I like my wheels of cheese from Switzerland and not Wisconsin,thankyouverymuch.
I could easily go to Whole Foods right now and buy whatever I wanted in cash, but that nagging saver in me always coaxes me into a cheaper alternative, usually Trader Joe's. No offense to Trader Joe's, I love their seasonal pumpkin butter (among other things), but the overpriced pumpkin pie at Whole Food's is simply divine.
But we're budgeters, and budgeters shop accordingly, with or without the Queen of Soul. The more I dwell on it, the more I see no reason why us savers can't also feast like kings at the table of name-brand excess, so I've devised some ways to spend less on groceries as a whole and (hopefully) get better food to boot:
Spice up your life. Whenever I prepare a meal, the key ingredients I use are spices and seasonings -- I like a palatable kick to my food. The best way to inject a little chutzpah in your chow is with herbs and spices, but if you've ever stood in front of the spice rack at Safeway and surveyed your options by price, they quickly dwindle down to the cheapest: salt and pepper. Yawn. If you're like me and like sprinkling some excitement in your life -- er, food -- then why not check out a local ethnic food store? Asian, Indian and Persian grocery stores all carry loads of different spices that I've found are actually more pungent and tasty than what's carrier at their American counterparts. And some spices, such as saffron, aren't even carried at regular supermarkets. Tack on the fact that many foods cost significantly less when they come sans spices and sauces, and you'll quickly find that adding your own zest can't be financially beat.
A study by Columbia University found (in dollars/ounce) the following price disparities between McCormick's spices and ethnic food brands (respectively):
Develop meals around sale items. Okay, so maybe you want your McCormick's and refuse to compromise. That's fine, then only buy McCormick's when it goes on sale or is discounted with some sort of club card. The same goes with everything else you end up shoveling down your gullet. Browse online at the grocery store's website and look for the best food deals. (Don't forget to browse the paper ads, too. You know, those junk mail inserts you throw away as soon as you take them out of your mailbox?) Map out what meals you are going to eat by planning ahead and buying the products on sale that week. The best thing about this method is that you don't have toforgo brand-name foods because they, like their generic little sisters, also go on sale quite frequently. You just need to be on the lookout for when they do.
Once you've written down about a week's worth of meals made up of fabulously discounted, quality food, you'll be armed and dangerous with a realistic grocery list to use once you're traipsing around with your cart. Sticking to your conscious, thought-out list will dissuade you from all the extraneous purchases you might have dumped in your basket otherwise. The end result? You'll have quality "meal food" (real food, aka not all snacks), which you won't have to fret over price-wise because of your pre-shopping research. A glut of impulse buys are never fun once you get up to the register and wonder why your total is so high. Hey, if we can spend hours looking for the best deal on a trench coat, then by God we can apply that same zeal to a can of tomato sauce!
Coupons. Before you click "back" on your browser at the site of this word, hear me out. To many of us the word "coupon" has a negative stigma associated with it ... usually it conjures up an image of an elderly woman on a balmy Sunday afternoon, clipping coupons on her lanai in Dade County, Florida. Scratch that. If speed dating, reality TV and Crocs can be dubbed "cool" by the populace, than so, too, can coupons. If you're spending the time even perusing websites (like moi's ) for tips on how to save money, than you have the time to clip/print coupons. Combine them with the aforementioned deals you find online when you craft your cuisine list and head to market. This can save you between 20% to 50% on your next shopping trip!
Nix the bottled water. When I was a grad student in Boston I did not own a car. A true California girl through and through, the prospect of having to lug groceries home on the subway versus my car (which was at my parent's house) was heartbreaking, but I learned to deal. What I never learned to deal with was carrying gallon jugs of water -- two at a time -- up the slick and snowy street like some medieval punishment for being thirsty. I like to think I'm not high maintenance, so yes, I had tried my apartment's tap water multiple times before this hilarity on ice ensued, but it always tasted coppery -- like someone had plunked a few pennies in my glass. Gross, and probably not healthy. In my metal-tasting-induced haze I failed to see the long-term cost benefits of filtering my water, and instead took the easy way out and hit the bottle.
Think about it: A basic PuR faucet-mountable filter costs $37 and filters 100 gallons of water. Filters cost about $26 to replace (cheaper in bulk). Twenty-six dollars sounds expensive, till you realize you that in the long run you'd only be paying $0.26 per gallon with this PuR method, versus $1.25+ per gallon of Crystal Geyser and other brands. Bring on the filtered water!
Buy in bulk. "Duh," you say. But I'm not just talking Costco here, people. You can get marvelous deals on organic goodies such as chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, oatmeal and trail mix by foraging for them in bulk bins versus packages. I read an example recently that said a Safeway canister of Sun-Maid seedless raisins with a net weight of 24 ounces is $4.99 (equal to $3.33 per pound). You can actually get raisins cheaper at Whole Foods, where raisins -- organic, to boot -- are $2.99 per pound in the bulk-bin section. Remember to look past the price tag when shopping for food, and instead focus on the unit prices (i.e., the price per ounce, price per pound, etc.). This will give you a more accurate view of how much items actually cost.
Farm it yourself, kind of. Farmer's markets are excellent places to cheaply snag many staples of a well-rounded diet, such as fish, fruits, vegetables and breads. (Sadly, those vital Oreos will have to be bought elsewhere). Farmer's markets are cheap because the produce comes direct from the farmer, so there are no middle-man transportation costs, including store-clerk salaries, long-distance trucking costs, refrigeration costs and big-store utility bills. The cost of all those extra measures is built into an item's final price in a grocery store, where freshness is also usually lacking. Farmer's markets ensure cheaper, higher-quality fruits and veggies.
If farmer's markets aren't your bag, you could always sign up with CSA, or community-supported agriculture, which is becoming quite the hip thing to do these days. What happens is you subscribe to a farm on a weekly or monthly basis, and they give you a full box of fresh produce once a week (usually $25 per box). Although most don't deliver, there are general pick-up sites you can visit. This process not only gives you the freshest, highest-quality food direct from the farm (so it's cheaper), but it also saves you time that you'd otherwise spend thumping melons at Safeway and standing in line to be rung up. For more information and to find a CSA near you, visit LocalHarvest.org. Meat can also be pretty pricey, but not when you're buying through CSA! For a list of organic, grass-fed meat ranchers, visit EatWild.com.
Love was there, along with Lola, who was walking along on her hind legs next to us like a two-year old. I remember I looked like a brunette Olivia Newton John circa Xanadu, wearing a delicate white dress that lazily danced with the indoor, yes indoor, breeze, and I remember being happy. No, it wasn't because I was the lead character in Xanadu (I'm obsessed with musicals, no matter how cheesy), nor was it because at one point I got to chat with ex-Mexican president Vincente Fox in the freezer section and Aretha Franklin in the produce aisle.
I remember being happy because I got to throw whatever I wanted into our cart without even glancing twice at the price. And that includes fancy wines and exotic cheeses, two of my favorite things. I woke up mid-float, as I was placing a giant wheel of Jarlsberg Swiss in our cart, to the sound of what I thought was Lola eating our cat Money Penny (false alarm! they were just fighting.)
After I broke up the scuffle, I got back into bed with a bevy of questions. Why did buying any food I wanted -- non-generic at that! -- light the fires of my satisfaction? Why were Vincente and Aretha in my dream? And most important, why was I a floating character from Xanadu? It dawned on me as I nodded back off to dreamland that I might never know the answers to the latter two questions, but the former was obvious.
As humans we have basic needs -- air, water, shelter, clothing (optional, kidding!) and food. Now I can and do skimp on lots of things in my life in the interest of saving money. I don't care about owning some no-name music player over an expensive one, or buying generic aspirin to get rid of a headache. But even though I'm guilty of being a miser, I hate skimping on good, quality food just to save a pittance. I like my wheels of cheese from Switzerland and not Wisconsin,thankyouverymuch.
I could easily go to Whole Foods right now and buy whatever I wanted in cash, but that nagging saver in me always coaxes me into a cheaper alternative, usually Trader Joe's. No offense to Trader Joe's, I love their seasonal pumpkin butter (among other things), but the overpriced pumpkin pie at Whole Food's is simply divine.
But we're budgeters, and budgeters shop accordingly, with or without the Queen of Soul. The more I dwell on it, the more I see no reason why us savers can't also feast like kings at the table of name-brand excess, so I've devised some ways to spend less on groceries as a whole and (hopefully) get better food to boot:
Spice up your life. Whenever I prepare a meal, the key ingredients I use are spices and seasonings -- I like a palatable kick to my food. The best way to inject a little chutzpah in your chow is with herbs and spices, but if you've ever stood in front of the spice rack at Safeway and surveyed your options by price, they quickly dwindle down to the cheapest: salt and pepper. Yawn. If you're like me and like sprinkling some excitement in your life -- er, food -- then why not check out a local ethnic food store? Asian, Indian and Persian grocery stores all carry loads of different spices that I've found are actually more pungent and tasty than what's carrier at their American counterparts. And some spices, such as saffron, aren't even carried at regular supermarkets. Tack on the fact that many foods cost significantly less when they come sans spices and sauces, and you'll quickly find that adding your own zest can't be financially beat.
A study by Columbia University found (in dollars/ounce) the following price disparities between McCormick's spices and ethnic food brands (respectively):
- Nutmeg. $3.54 versus $0.50.
- Cumin. $2.79 versus $0.25.
- Cardamom. $5.99 versus $1.
- Cinnamon. $2.13 versus $0.25.
- Chili Powder. $1.75 versus $0.31
Develop meals around sale items. Okay, so maybe you want your McCormick's and refuse to compromise. That's fine, then only buy McCormick's when it goes on sale or is discounted with some sort of club card. The same goes with everything else you end up shoveling down your gullet. Browse online at the grocery store's website and look for the best food deals. (Don't forget to browse the paper ads, too. You know, those junk mail inserts you throw away as soon as you take them out of your mailbox?) Map out what meals you are going to eat by planning ahead and buying the products on sale that week. The best thing about this method is that you don't have toforgo brand-name foods because they, like their generic little sisters, also go on sale quite frequently. You just need to be on the lookout for when they do.
Once you've written down about a week's worth of meals made up of fabulously discounted, quality food, you'll be armed and dangerous with a realistic grocery list to use once you're traipsing around with your cart. Sticking to your conscious, thought-out list will dissuade you from all the extraneous purchases you might have dumped in your basket otherwise. The end result? You'll have quality "meal food" (real food, aka not all snacks), which you won't have to fret over price-wise because of your pre-shopping research. A glut of impulse buys are never fun once you get up to the register and wonder why your total is so high. Hey, if we can spend hours looking for the best deal on a trench coat, then by God we can apply that same zeal to a can of tomato sauce!
Coupons. Before you click "back" on your browser at the site of this word, hear me out. To many of us the word "coupon" has a negative stigma associated with it ... usually it conjures up an image of an elderly woman on a balmy Sunday afternoon, clipping coupons on her lanai in Dade County, Florida. Scratch that. If speed dating, reality TV and Crocs can be dubbed "cool" by the populace, than so, too, can coupons. If you're spending the time even perusing websites (like moi's ) for tips on how to save money, than you have the time to clip/print coupons. Combine them with the aforementioned deals you find online when you craft your cuisine list and head to market. This can save you between 20% to 50% on your next shopping trip!
Nix the bottled water. When I was a grad student in Boston I did not own a car. A true California girl through and through, the prospect of having to lug groceries home on the subway versus my car (which was at my parent's house) was heartbreaking, but I learned to deal. What I never learned to deal with was carrying gallon jugs of water -- two at a time -- up the slick and snowy street like some medieval punishment for being thirsty. I like to think I'm not high maintenance, so yes, I had tried my apartment's tap water multiple times before this hilarity on ice ensued, but it always tasted coppery -- like someone had plunked a few pennies in my glass. Gross, and probably not healthy. In my metal-tasting-induced haze I failed to see the long-term cost benefits of filtering my water, and instead took the easy way out and hit the bottle.
Think about it: A basic PuR faucet-mountable filter costs $37 and filters 100 gallons of water. Filters cost about $26 to replace (cheaper in bulk). Twenty-six dollars sounds expensive, till you realize you that in the long run you'd only be paying $0.26 per gallon with this PuR method, versus $1.25+ per gallon of Crystal Geyser and other brands. Bring on the filtered water!
Buy in bulk. "Duh," you say. But I'm not just talking Costco here, people. You can get marvelous deals on organic goodies such as chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, oatmeal and trail mix by foraging for them in bulk bins versus packages. I read an example recently that said a Safeway canister of Sun-Maid seedless raisins with a net weight of 24 ounces is $4.99 (equal to $3.33 per pound). You can actually get raisins cheaper at Whole Foods, where raisins -- organic, to boot -- are $2.99 per pound in the bulk-bin section. Remember to look past the price tag when shopping for food, and instead focus on the unit prices (i.e., the price per ounce, price per pound, etc.). This will give you a more accurate view of how much items actually cost.
Farm it yourself, kind of. Farmer's markets are excellent places to cheaply snag many staples of a well-rounded diet, such as fish, fruits, vegetables and breads. (Sadly, those vital Oreos will have to be bought elsewhere). Farmer's markets are cheap because the produce comes direct from the farmer, so there are no middle-man transportation costs, including store-clerk salaries, long-distance trucking costs, refrigeration costs and big-store utility bills. The cost of all those extra measures is built into an item's final price in a grocery store, where freshness is also usually lacking. Farmer's markets ensure cheaper, higher-quality fruits and veggies.
If farmer's markets aren't your bag, you could always sign up with CSA, or community-supported agriculture, which is becoming quite the hip thing to do these days. What happens is you subscribe to a farm on a weekly or monthly basis, and they give you a full box of fresh produce once a week (usually $25 per box). Although most don't deliver, there are general pick-up sites you can visit. This process not only gives you the freshest, highest-quality food direct from the farm (so it's cheaper), but it also saves you time that you'd otherwise spend thumping melons at Safeway and standing in line to be rung up. For more information and to find a CSA near you, visit LocalHarvest.org. Meat can also be pretty pricey, but not when you're buying through CSA! For a list of organic, grass-fed meat ranchers, visit EatWild.com.
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