Portion Size- The Stealth Saver

1. Portion size matters. Keep your meat portions to the "right" size (3 oz/size of a deck of cards) and fill the rest of your plate with cheaper things like big salads, other veggies, fruit, and starchy things like pasta, rice, potatoes, beans, bread.
   
2. Since we cut back on meat, sides are fair game for eating all of. Hey, they're cheap, fill up!
   
3. Serve your food on small plates. You'll take less when there isn't all of that empty space to fill.
   
4. Protect your leftovers. My husband used to eat into the entrees we'd meant for leftovers, so we now either portion that out right away (before serving) or decide together how much of the main course needs to be left untouched.
   

Saving on Cleaning, Paper Products, and Disposables

1. In the past we've bought our cleaning supplies from the dollar store, but now we are moving to natural cleaners instead (baking soda, washing soda, vinegar, borax, etc.) which will be on par with dollar store prices, if not cheaper.
   
   
2. We rarely use paper towels; instead we use small rags (cut up old t-shirts) as one-use and wash cloths (we keep them in a canister so they're not unsightly). Fewer things to buy over and over, fewer things to throw away!
   
   
3. We also are moving towards cloth napkins instead of paper. It makes every meal feel a little fancier, too.
   
   
   
4. For parties, we bust out real dishes, glasses, and flatware instead of buying disposables. The only cost is running the dishwasher an extra load and the only waste is dirty water. Plus, it is fun to get use out of wedding presents we rarely use - like special green plates just for desserts or a whole set of glasses just for cordials [what were we thinking :)].
   

Food Shopping- Part 1

Our grocery budget is $250 per month*, but we are under enough that we can afford to do Let's Dish 2-3 times per year. Since we live in a high cost of living area (DC 'burbs), it amazes me that we keep things at this price, but I track our spending every month so I know that I'm not deluding myself :)

Here are some of our strategies:

1. We cut coupons and pair them with sales found in print ads and on couponmom.com.
   
   
2. I shop with a calculator and calculate the cheapest per unit price. Calculating the unit price is the only formula for knowing if generic or brand name on sale plus a coupon is cheaper.
   
   
   
3. When calculating unit price watch out for packages that look to be the same size but actually contain different amount of product (e.g. the meager but delicious Yoplait Whips v. normal Yoplait)
   
   
4. We mostly drink water, so no soda or coffee costs. (Okay, okay, when soda is on super sale we do stock up for parties.) We do get one thing of juice and milk per week.
   
   
   
5. We almost never buy prepared foods and try to buy to minimize the packaging in what we buy (environmental concern as well). If the price comes out about even we try to go with the less packaging choice. For example, purchased pudding cups versus making my own is about the same, price wise. But, if I make my own then there is almost no waste. Plus, though pudding isn't the most amazingly fun thing to make, it is free entertainment (at some level right?). :)
   
   
   
6. We cook in large quantities and freeze the leftovers in lunch and dinner-size portions. Once you get a good stock going variety isn't an issue. Fewer recipes means fewer ingredients bought. It also means fewer dishes to wash – saving water, soap, time etc.
   
   
7. We repurpose food so that nothing goes to waste. Leftover salad becomes sandwich lettuce the next day, an extra chicken breast goes on top of a chef salad for lunch, etc.
   
   
   
8. We don't buy things if they aren't at the best price. For example, that means we only buy chicken when it is <$2 a pound. When it is that price we stock up. If it is over that, we just don't buy it. We use our freezer and pantry to load up on good deals.
   
   
9. Knowing the best price is worth your time. We kept a price book for six months. I compared the prices for the same, cheapest per unit item at several different grocery stores. That way I would know if a sale was really a deal with stocking up on. We also learned which sales were worthwhile. For example, in our area $0.50 yogurt is a normal sale price, so that is our "best price". We won't buy yogurt for more than that unless we need a yogurt splurge for some crazy reason; $0.33 yogurt is truly a sale; and $0.25 yogurt is worth some serious fridge space.
   
   
   
10. When stocking up on dairy deals buy low or no fat items. They have a really long shelf life. Fat = spoilage
    
    
    
11. What can you buy in a large quantity for cheap and then make into you own convenience food? For example, we buy 2lb of blocks cheese and shred it with our food processor or Kitchen Aid with shredder attachment. We then put the shredded cheese straight into the freezer and pull out handfuls as we need it (it defrosts almost instantly). When we buy those huge family packs of chicken breasts, we separate them into our own cooking-size packages before freezing. While the chicken is out for repackaging, we trim them. No expensive pre-trimmed Perdue for us! When I cut off the white stuff, little bits of extra, good, pink chicken tend to come off, too. I put all of those good bits in a separate freezer container for a quick stir-fry or chicken nuggets meal.
    
    
    
12. What can you grow instead of buy? If space permits, consider gardening for cheap food and a cheap hobby.
    

*No, we don't eat out a ton to keep our grocery budget low :) Our dinging out budget is $80 per month for eating out together. Any lunches out come from our fun money (a set amount we each get to spend or save each month without being accountable to the other for it), but we each only eat out about once lunch per week.