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Bear in mind that if you stock up on dry staples like beans, rice, flour, cornmeal etc during this time of year mice will do anything in the world to make their way inside your house, via the garage, laundry room, mudroom, porch or other 'staging' area... and they can even gnaw through plastic packaging. Mice are drawn to the warmth, then stay for the food!
I use large plastic tubs, and stack the sacks into the tubs, on shelves in the pantry.
Buy only what you can use before the food in question spoils; you're not saving any money by throwing food away. If you don't bake, there's no point in buying a lot of flour when it's on sale, etc.
On sale is better, but if you're near a store like Aldi, you can buy staples very inexpensively.
The quality of store-brand food varies, as you've discovered, and the only way to find out what's good is through trial and error. Stuff like flour and sugar shouldn't be an issue -- just read the labels carefully to make sure there aren't any weird additives.
With canned goods, you can go nuts when there's a sale because canned goods are edible indefinitely as long as the can is not damaged: bulging, rusted, large dents, and any and all dents near the seams of the can.
If you have dark, dry, cool storage, so much the better because it will help keep the food longer. Those popcorn tins from Christmas are great for storing flour, sugar, baking supplies, raisins, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tarajane2013
We are retired now and want to live as cheaply as we can so we can have "play money". Play money is when we put gas in the truck and go for a cruise with a bag of chips and a pop. I'm in KY. Go ahead, make fun. I have all my teeth and gradgeated !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What stock items do you have in it and do you ALWAYS buy on sale ? I really prefer name brand foods, I have had some bad store brand canned foods like a tomato vine in a can and the quality just wasn't there.
What I stock up on and what you stock up on will vary, as we like different things.
I buy on sale or in bulk as much as I can.
Never heard of "a tomato vine in a can" and I would guess that an item like that cannot ever have high quality!
The thing with store brands is to buy one and try it first.
Carry a can opener, a spoon, and paper towels in your car. If you suddenly find some unknown brand of can goods at an incredibly good price in your supermarket -- buy one can. Go outside and sample it.
If it's a tomato vine in a can, like you experienced, then you're out about $0.50. If, on the other hand, it's perfectly good, then go back in and stock up.
I figured out to do this a couple of decades ago when my store had "Raider brand" green beans for $0.10 a can. I stocked up. And I ended up tossing them because they contained hard mature bean pods canned with vines.
That's going to look a little weird---sitting in your car eating from various cans----what if you don't like it? What do you do with the remainder---go toss it in the dumpster? You will look like a homeless bum! Hope you don't value your car's interior too much!
Better, if you find a great sale on an off-brand, buy however many you can, and save the receipt. If the first can is bad, return the rest, most grocery stores accept such returns. Better than smelling up you car with old tomato cans!
It also depends where you live. Being 9 miles from a big store, I tend to buy more canned goods in the winter, just in case we get snowed in.
I cook & bake a lot so keep flour, baking soda & powder, etc. on hand. I look for spices on sale & am willing to pay full price if I need them. I do not buy off brand spices.
I do buy frozen vegetables on sale.
My main rule is to keep at least 1 back-up of everything. And buy what you use most when you see it on sale.
(about buying one can of something on sale, then sampling it in the parking lot)
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryleeII
That's going to look a little weird---sitting in your car eating from various cans----what if you don't like it? What do you do with the remainder---go toss it in the dumpster? You will look like a homeless bum! Hope you don't value your car's interior too much!
Better, if you find a great sale on an off-brand, buy however many you can, and save the receipt. If the first can is bad, return the rest, most grocery stores accept such returns. Better than smelling up you car with old tomato cans!
I shop at the same locally owned supermarket regularly, and pretty well know all of the employees, and we chit chat. So they've kind of concluded I am not 'some homeless bum'. I just use plastic a grocery sack laid out in the trunk of my car and a couple of paper towels to do my sampling. Have never soiled anything.
I just do this procedure whenever they have some huge sale on something that is not their regular store brand.
You know, the special truckload sales on weird sounding name canned goods. Raider Green Beans. Luscious Lulu Corn. Worldwide Fame Blackeye Peas. Southern Belle Mushrooms. Diplomat Tomatoes. The 'off' brands. Who knows where they get some of those names from, but they are often, uh, unique.
Anyway, 'Why not?' just stock up, and then if a hundred cans of Zanzibar's Best Hominy turn out bad, just take them back? Because I'm a little old lady, not some weight lifter guy.
That's going to look a little weird---sitting in your car eating from various cans----what if you don't like it?........
I do that: keeping a spoon and a fork in my car. I'm 30 mile from the closest shop and as much as 150 miles from one of the stores where I shop. It's not economical to return food items.
One of the places where I shop has rapidly changing stock and if something good comes in, it gets sold out fast, so often I can't go back and buy more of an item.
If I don't know what it is, I buy one, taste it, and then go back for more if I like it. I don't do that with cans because I know what brands are good for the items that my family uses. But I will taste ice cream and open other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. I'll taste new flavor of snack foods.
Sometimes I still lose out. I bought two packages of cheddar jalapeno tamales. Frozen, so I couldn't sample, and they are delicious. Of course, even though I rushed back, there haven't been any more.
If you open a can and don't like it, all stores keep a trash can by the door. Throw it out and don't buy more of it. If you live close by, you can buy a lot of a new item and return it, if you don't mind spending the time to stand in line and the gas to get there.
Congrats on your new journey. I have been reading some of your posts, and questions. You have had some of my favorite frugal posters answering you here. OregonWoodSmoke is all time Fav...LOL as we could be twins. I do my shopping the same.
I was a Mod at a top coupon board, and still part time Mod. I was also a top gun couponer. Meaning I had them paying me back many times, and used the bonus G cards to buy gifts.
Now.... I stock in bulk, cook from scratch, have a top notch pantry and stocked freezers. Yes freezers. I save more hands down this way, and really only started it for health. Saving has been a huge bonus and I save so much time. I make just about anything from scratch and it is gourmet quality. I always cooked, baked and gardened but got on the coupon kick. Got off and never looked back. Most places I shop are quality bulk, and I prefer to put the money into the best meats, organic, etc and can do that with my savings. It is work to garden, can, produce auction, buy in bulk and cook but my family loves it, I love the variety, health benefits and saving tons. I can make or bake just about anything. I roast my own coffee beans, love to shop at Aldi's and this is coming from someone who knows all the stores sales, brands and coupons. If you have a bulk store, you can stock up on rice, nuts, beans etc but you must store them properly in food grade buckets and some things in freezer so they don't go rancid (ie nuts, brown rice etc). I buy organic olive oil ( from aldi special buy) in bulk as well as Caputo 00 flour ( from Italy) for my pizzas and pastas.
I thought I should add have a small lot, until I move to new house I bought and have grown over 100 tomato plants, melons ( vertical), have fruit trees etc. I use a permaculture, and a very intensive method. I have medicinal herbs, and culinary as well.
We all have different tastes, needs, families and allergies not sure what will work for you. Just thought I would throw some suggestions out there. If you coupon, join a board, match the sale to coupon for maximum savings.
Buy using the 6 week sale cycle, look into bulk buying, butcher prices for better cuts cheaper, if you have a pantry keep it stocked with basics for baking and cooking. You then can make whatever you want, whenever. I freeze berries, homemade meals I make, meat and veggies, stocks, broths, etc. I garden, can, dehydrate, produce auction, and again saves me tons.
Best wishes to you! Find what brands, things and stores work for you, plan and maximize it to your specifications.
Wow, you really take it to a new level. Thank you!
Living in an apartment, I don't have all the room & no extra freezer. But, I have scored some good items on Brad' s list also. It's another good site to look into.
Wow, you really take it to a new level. Thank you!
Living in an apartment, I don't have all the room & no extra freezer. But, I have scored some good items on Brad' s list also. It's another good site to look into.
You have more room than you think you do.
Under your bed? Behind the couch? In a closet? stop thinking that food can only be stored in the kitchen.
Of course, you will need to make sure that your food is protected from bugs, etc. I repackage anything that comes in paper or cardboard. At the least, store those items in rubbermaid tubs.
And remember, stocking up is only frugal if you know that you like to eat everything you stock. I aim for a 3-month supply of everything I use. You can start out by buying two of everything - whether it's on sale or not - and when you've used up the first one, buy two more. Rinse and repeat.
It also is a big help to get analytical. Choose a target. One month supply? six month supply? Then inventory what you use, and decide how much you need to buy to meet that supply target. I keep this info on a spreadsheet, and I keep a copy of that spreadsheet on my cell phone. Also on the spreadsheet - that item's cost at specific store(s). Keep the prices updated, then when you see a sale advertised, you'll know whether it's a really great deal or not.
Rotate what you buy - use the oldest dated food first.
Besides freezing and canning, look into drying. Dried food requires a lot less room and no electricity to store.
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I don't have all my teeth! 
