Debt Mutiny!

“Ever consider what pets must think of us?
We come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul -
chicken, pork, half a cow.
They must think we’re the greatest hunters on earth!”
Anne Tyler

Meal planning can help you keep food expenses down and save money on gas by making fewer trips to the grocery store.

Cook and eat entirely from your stocked pantry; on busy days plan to prepare a slow cooker meal. When you have some extra time, cook large amounts to freeze or use later in the week. Purposefully plan to use leftovers in second meals.

Eat smaller portions of meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, and build the main part of your meal around vegetables, salads, rice, noodles and grains. Always supplement meals with breadsticks, biscuits, rolls or corn bread. Frozen prepared dough is a less expensive alternative to ready made varieties.

Typically, red meat is the most expensive part of anyone’s weekly grocery budget. If you cut down on how often you serve it and you’ll see an immediate reduction in your food bill.

Buy only what’s on sale each week, then stock up and freeze to use later. Meat will generally keep well in the freezer for 6 months or more. Be sure to keep track and rotate your inventory for optimal freshness.

Whole chickens are a good buy, as well as whole turkeys around the holidays. When you have leftover chicken, pull it off the bone and freeze it. Cut beef strips or tips out of steaks that are on sale for stir fry or stew. Buy quarter, half or whole pork loins when they go on sale. Cut 2/3 of the loin into chops and save the other 1/3 for a roast.

Stock up on fruits and vegetables in season, when they are least expensive, and freeze or can the excess. When buying produce by the pound, make sure it is dry. If it has recently been sprayed with water it will weigh (and cost) more. Prepackaged produce is not always equal in weight, check the scales for the biggest packages. Check large bags of produce carefully to make sure they aren’t bruised or spoiled.

Keep an inventory of what you have on hand and make sure nothing spoils. Store fruits and vegetables separately to slow down the ripening process. If fresh fruit is too expensive, buy frozen or canned fruit packed in water.

Store brands have nearly the same ingredients and are much less expensive than their name-brand counterparts. Use nonfat dry milk for drinking, cooking and baking. Use regular or quick-cooking oats rather than instant oats. Buy 2-liter sodas instead of cans. Even better - eliminate soda altogether!