Stupid title. I know, I know. Sooo if you think of something better, please feel free to let me know. I promised a while back I would write a series of articles dealing with ways to save without even lifting a pair of scissors to a P&G insert (I threw up in my mouth a little when I wrote that, but I know you're too busy to clip coupons and quarterback deals so I'll swallow my pride).
"Effortless" Savings. Saving without having to sacrifice movie night with your significant other or spending your Sundays waiting in line at CVS before the Coupon Nazi rolls in. Therefore, in the spirit of saving slothly, I now turn to the two areas that are the most difficult for even the most seasoned couponer to find a deal on, produce and meat.
Produce and meat are expensive items because of the costs to grow plants/raise cattles and the cost to transport them from their place of origin to your dinner plate without spoiling. Unlike canned goods, dry goods and cleaning items, produce has to be picked at just the right time to make sure it makes it from warm weather areas that grow the item (ex. California) to areas that demand it (CA to NY or OH for example). Therefore, the costs of any losses due to spoilage are born on the consumer.
Meat, on the other hand, is a different story. Meat in the USA is subsidized by the federal government, so we really never pay the true costs of raising a calf from a zygote to a rib eye. Many of you may feel like meat is expensive, but without government subsidizing meat production, we would probably pay a much heftier price for our burgers.
Is your head spining yet? Well, without further ado, here are some tips on saving on Produce & Meat.
1. Shop the Sales ONLY- Drop that recipe for Lobster Bisque. Gear your weekly dinners towards meat and produce that's on sale in your store ad you receive each week. Write down the prices for many of the common items you buy and then wait for a sale to hit. Stock up on the meat and place it in the freezer.
2. Produce in Season- I know many of you have heard about the sustainable food movement. Buying strawberries in December is expensive because they're not growing in subzero weather. Gear your tastebuds to crave pomegrantes in the fall and blueberries in the late spring/early summer. If you can't live without strawberries, freeze some the next time you encounter a good sale and then eat them in December.
3. Manager's Special Meat- A common misconception among many shoppers is that Manager's special meat is meat gone bad or not of very high quality. For the most part, this couldn't be further from the truth. Stores are mandated by law to sell meat during a certain window of time. This window doesn't mean the meat is bad, it just means they have to pitch it. Stores will often mark down the meat by 50% to get customers to buy it and mitigate losses. My advice to you is to be sure to either freeze the meat or eat it right after purchasing it.
4. Attend a Farmer's Market or join a Farmer's Co-Op- Even in the midwest, we have farmer's markets on the weekends where local farmers bring their produce. Produce brought into the market is often cheaper because you aren't incurring the costs to transport food. The farmer brings the produce directly to the market for you to purchase. Another benefit of purchasing from a farmer's market is the fact that the produce is often ripe and ready to eat. Farmer Co-Ops are also a great resource for produce.
5. Meatless Mondays- Recently released reports have shown a relationship between red meat consumption and adverse health risks (see "All read meat is bad for you"- LA TIMES ). This won't stop me from digging into a delicious skirt steak, but it does give me another reason to curb my meat spending. Try a vegetarian spin on a classic dish like beans only chili or substitute tofu for chicken in stir fry. Tofu is one of my favorite non-meat foods because it soaks up whatever flavors you add to your dish and has plenty of protein.
Well, I'm off to the gym to shake off my Dijon Salmon induced food coma (Mmmmm Salmon). Hope this helps! Happy Tofu Tuesday to you and your family :D!
P. Manolos
"Effortless" Savings. Saving without having to sacrifice movie night with your significant other or spending your Sundays waiting in line at CVS before the Coupon Nazi rolls in. Therefore, in the spirit of saving slothly, I now turn to the two areas that are the most difficult for even the most seasoned couponer to find a deal on, produce and meat.
Produce and meat are expensive items because of the costs to grow plants/raise cattles and the cost to transport them from their place of origin to your dinner plate without spoiling. Unlike canned goods, dry goods and cleaning items, produce has to be picked at just the right time to make sure it makes it from warm weather areas that grow the item (ex. California) to areas that demand it (CA to NY or OH for example). Therefore, the costs of any losses due to spoilage are born on the consumer.
Meat, on the other hand, is a different story. Meat in the USA is subsidized by the federal government, so we really never pay the true costs of raising a calf from a zygote to a rib eye. Many of you may feel like meat is expensive, but without government subsidizing meat production, we would probably pay a much heftier price for our burgers.
Is your head spining yet? Well, without further ado, here are some tips on saving on Produce & Meat.
1. Shop the Sales ONLY- Drop that recipe for Lobster Bisque. Gear your weekly dinners towards meat and produce that's on sale in your store ad you receive each week. Write down the prices for many of the common items you buy and then wait for a sale to hit. Stock up on the meat and place it in the freezer.
2. Produce in Season- I know many of you have heard about the sustainable food movement. Buying strawberries in December is expensive because they're not growing in subzero weather. Gear your tastebuds to crave pomegrantes in the fall and blueberries in the late spring/early summer. If you can't live without strawberries, freeze some the next time you encounter a good sale and then eat them in December.
3. Manager's Special Meat- A common misconception among many shoppers is that Manager's special meat is meat gone bad or not of very high quality. For the most part, this couldn't be further from the truth. Stores are mandated by law to sell meat during a certain window of time. This window doesn't mean the meat is bad, it just means they have to pitch it. Stores will often mark down the meat by 50% to get customers to buy it and mitigate losses. My advice to you is to be sure to either freeze the meat or eat it right after purchasing it.
4. Attend a Farmer's Market or join a Farmer's Co-Op- Even in the midwest, we have farmer's markets on the weekends where local farmers bring their produce. Produce brought into the market is often cheaper because you aren't incurring the costs to transport food. The farmer brings the produce directly to the market for you to purchase. Another benefit of purchasing from a farmer's market is the fact that the produce is often ripe and ready to eat. Farmer Co-Ops are also a great resource for produce.
5. Meatless Mondays- Recently released reports have shown a relationship between red meat consumption and adverse health risks (see "All read meat is bad for you"- LA TIMES ). This won't stop me from digging into a delicious skirt steak, but it does give me another reason to curb my meat spending. Try a vegetarian spin on a classic dish like beans only chili or substitute tofu for chicken in stir fry. Tofu is one of my favorite non-meat foods because it soaks up whatever flavors you add to your dish and has plenty of protein.
Well, I'm off to the gym to shake off my Dijon Salmon induced food coma (Mmmmm Salmon). Hope this helps! Happy Tofu Tuesday to you and your family :D!
P. Manolos
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