Weekly Meeting Topic: Grocery Shopping and Tips to Minimize Food Cost

Tonight's meeting was about food shopping tips - what foods to look for and how to save money. I'll share what we discussed in addition to my own shopping strategies.

1- Make a list: If you do not know this about me, you don't know me very well. I'm an avid list keeper. I love lists. I'm not even kidding when I tell you I have lists of lists. My shopping list is so organized, I wrote a blog about it long ago. The list in that blog is from 2006 or earlier, my database has changed as my food choices have changed. And I have since spent hours fixing it to correspond to the aisles of Key Food in Brooklyn, instead of Stop & Shop in Yonkers. The application I use is called Splash Shopper (part of the Splash Data suite), which I cannot recommend highly enough. Even if you're not as organized as me, keep a list handy all the time - it really does help make sure you get what you need and keeps you focused when you're in the store.
2- Filling Foods: You likely know this, but I will mention it anyway - filling foods are the healthiest for you and will give you the most bang for your buck. The way most supermarkets are layed out, typically the most nutritious, good-for-you, filling foods are along the perimeter. That's where the produce, bread, dairy and proteins are kept. The middle aisles contain mostly processed foods and non-food items. Of course there are exceptions, but think about your own store's layout. Don't let them tempt you into going down every asile if you don't need to.
3- Bring Your Own: This applies to anything- breakfast, lunch, snacks. Common sense will tell you that the food, and the points, are in your control if you bring your own food to work or anywhere else. And you'll likely spend much less making your lunch, snacks, breakfast, coffee, etc than you would if you bought it on the go.
4- Buy Bulk: This one I do not really agree with. In theory, it could work - You may pay less per portion when buying in bulk. However, if you do not respect the portion sizes, or if the item is perishable, you are likely throwing away money and eating too much. (And in NYC, our living space is much smaller and pretty precious, so buying in bulk is not really practical.) I also read, in Mindless Eating, that we tend to eat more when we know we *have* more. So I'm not sure buying in bulk is necessarily a good thing... but I'll let you ponder that one for your personal situation.
5- Frozen and Canned Goods: The leader reminded us that frozen and canned vegetables can be healthier than fresh because they're frozen/canned right after being picked. The problem with produce is it begins to lose its nutrients after it gets picked. "Fresh" produce is usually a few days old by the time we get it. I'm going to keep this in mind and not be so anti-frozen and canned (note: with canned food, you should rinse it thoroughly to remove the excess sodium). But I also plan to take advantage of the amazing Farmer's Market as many times as possible with my friend, Diana, in Brooklyn.
6- Beans Vs Meat: This is obviously not an issue for me, but the leader pointed out that meat is several dollars per pound, where a can of beans is about a dollar a can/pound. So for a fraction of the price, you can get a high fiber, delicious, high protein meal using beans as your protein source; saving yourself a few bucks, and maybe saving a few animals from the slaughterhouse a year if you make the switch on a regular basis.
7- Do It Yourself: Another no brainer- you can usually make a dessert/meal, etc for less than you would pay to get it on the outside. Not only that, but it's fun! I never used to cook. I only started about 5 years ago and I love cooking now. It's exciting to produce something fun and delicious that you will enjoy, and even more rewarding when you get to share it with others. It's like a creation, a work of art, that you get to enjoy eating when you're done with it! Even if you've never cooked before, start small - use recipes until you have a little more confidence. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just start small and have fun with it.
8- Buy in Season: This is also fairly obvious. Produce in season tends to cost less and it tastes much better. There is nothing wrong with an off season splurge if you're really in the mood for soemthing, but be prepared to pay more and perhaps not get the full taste you are expecting.
9- Portion Control: Of course we all have portion control issues or we would not be here :) But to make any product last 'longer' - use the recommended portion size. That way you should get the number of portions that are listed on the box.
10- Coupons & Circulars: Cut your coupons, check the weekly circulars, use the store discount cards. Save $$ wherever you can. Also- check your receipt to make sure the items scan for the correct price - especially when they are on sale. I always check and fairly often, I have to go to Customer Service to get the price adjustment. It's worth it to pay attention.
11- Store Brands/Generics/Lower Shelves: Store brands and generic items usually cost less than name brand products. Of course you still need to compare price per unit to be sure. And there are those items where we might be fiercely brand loyal and not willing to swap with a no frills brand. That's ok, but swap where you can. Also, look at the items along the lowest shelf. These tend to be the most cost effective - they are there because they could not afford the 'prime' shelf space (eye level). That's right, these companies actually pay the supermarkets to stock them *and* pay more for premium shelf space.
12- Shop alone and not hungry: You may not have the luxury of shopping alone (without kids or a bored spouse), but if you can, try to do it without the distractions they might bring. And of course, we all know that you never, ever shop on an empty stomach.

That about covers what we discussed in the meeting and my opinions on all of the items.

Coincidentally, I have been photographing my food on the check out line @ Key Food lately, so why not showcase it here? This is just the food I bought at Key Food. I also buy some food at a local organic food store, The Garden, weekly (typically: aloe vera juice, spinach, avocado, almond breeze, shallots, vegetarian products) and Whole Foods by my job, monthly (typically: greek yogurt, cottage cheese, vegetarian products, canned beans, flax seed oil, and most recently - organic oatmeal, kashi)

06/07/09
(Note the box of organic Steel Cut Oats! My first box, thanks to so many of you recommending them!)

05/24/09

05/17/09

Mmmmm doesn't that look heavenly? I love looking in my basket or at my food on the conveyer belt and thinking "I eat like a healthy person. I *am* a healthy person! Go me!"

To end the meeting, our leader told us this "Pad your pockets, not your waistline." Good advice, indeed.

Have a great week, everyone!

PS: This has nothing to do with anything, but I'm showing it off here anyway- I met Judah Friedlander (of VH1's Best Week Ever and NBC's 30 Rock - my favorite show!) in Grand Central Terminal last week. How awesome is this? Good thing I looked fantastic! (I need to work on my modesty, I know...)