Food hacks to deal with rising food prices/inflation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t been so affected by the price increases, maybe $10-15/week because I’m a nanny and one of the DCUM poors. I just refuse to pay $4.50 for bagels when they used to be $2.50, so I don’t buy bagels. Same with bread. I’ve cut out a lot of things I used to eat, just because I won’t pay the price increases and now make food from scratch. I feel like the poors will fare better, only because we know how to tighten our belts more than DCUM with their designer goat cheese.

I'm. a long time budget shopper and I tend to agree, however, my big challenge has been that I've used the sale/buy ahead strategies for years and the sales are no longer there. Most staples were on a 6 week sale cycle (or sales around certain holidays). So I would always buy butter when it was on sale for the lowest price and get enough to last until the next sale or buy enough baking supplies during the pre-christmas sales to last for 6 months and that strategy is just not working anymore.

I agree. I used to do this strategy, but the stores don't do sales like they used to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the poors and pretty much only buy generic EXCEPT for canned tomatoes. I used to live in Italy and still splurge on the good cans, because they make an enormous difference. Everything else is Walmart great value

Please tell me which canned tomatoes you buy. My garden was a disaster this year. :/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t been so affected by the price increases, maybe $10-15/week because I’m a nanny and one of the DCUM poors. I just refuse to pay $4.50 for bagels when they used to be $2.50, so I don’t buy bagels. Same with bread. I’ve cut out a lot of things I used to eat, just because I won’t pay the price increases and now make food from scratch. I feel like the poors will fare better, only because we know how to tighten our belts more than DCUM with their designer goat cheese.

Interesting take. I am rich + I never bought a bagel over a dollar. Total ripoff.

Please let me know where you can buy a bag of six bagels for one dollar. I will wait.

Go to Lidl. 6 everything bagels for $1.49. Use for breakfast with cream cheese at my house. Also makes good sandwiches

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven’t been so affected by the price increases, maybe $10-15/week because I’m a nanny and one of the DCUM poors. I just refuse to pay $4.50 for bagels when they used to be $2.50, so I don’t buy bagels. Same with bread. I’ve cut out a lot of things I used to eat, just because I won’t pay the price increases and now make food from scratch. I feel like the poors will fare better, only because we know how to tighten our belts more than DCUM with their designer goat cheese.

Interesting take. I am rich + I never bought a bagel over a dollar. Total ripoff.

Please let me know where you can buy a bag of six bagels for one dollar. I will wait.

Go to Lidl. 6 everything bagels for $1.49. Use for breakfast with cream cheese at my house. Also makes good sandwiches

Great tip!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on a fixed income and have been bulking up on vegetables and eating a lot of soup, stew, and beans. Rarely eat milk, eggs, bread or meat, since it’s become so expensive. Lentils and black beans are still cheap, so with lots of veggies and herbs, my meals are delicious and I’ve lost 40 pounds since January! I couldn’t afford weight watchers anymore, but I used what I learned along with being poor, and I’m almost at my goal weight. I grow my own herbs and they make such a huge difference!

Wow-- good for you! Forty pound loss is amazing.

[Anonymous]

This is where my Jewish grandparents from Hungary taught me some hacks. Stuffed cabbage - mix ground beef with rice and roll in cabbage leaves with a tomato paste-based sauce. Sauté shredded green cabbage and onions until caramelized, add salt, mix with flat egg noodles. Make a pot of chicken soup and add dumplings (basically made with just flour and water) and lots of veggies like turnips, parsnips, celery, carrots. Brisket which doesn’t require the most expensive cut of meat, and serve with roasted or boiled potatoes. I thought of all of this as comfort food of my people, but they were poor, and this was how they fed their large families in expensively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is where my Jewish grandparents from Hungary taught me some hacks. Stuffed cabbage - mix ground beef with rice and roll in cabbage leaves with a tomato paste-based sauce. Sauté shredded green cabbage and onions until caramelized, add salt, mix with flat egg noodles. Make a pot of chicken soup and add dumplings (basically made with just flour and water) and lots of veggies like turnips, parsnips, celery, carrots. Brisket which doesn’t require the most expensive cut of meat, and serve with roasted or boiled potatoes. I thought of all of this as comfort food of my people, but they were poor, and this was how they fed their large families in expensively.

Beautiful memory?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is where my Jewish grandparents from Hungary taught me some hacks. Stuffed cabbage - mix ground beef with rice and roll in cabbage leaves with a tomato paste-based sauce. Sauté shredded green cabbage and onions until caramelized, add salt, mix with flat egg noodles. Make a pot of chicken soup and add dumplings (basically made with just flour and water) and lots of veggies like turnips, parsnips, celery, carrots. Brisket which doesn’t require the most expensive cut of meat, and serve with roasted or boiled potatoes. I thought of all of this as comfort food of my people, but they were poor, and this was how they fed their large families in expensively.

Beautiful memory?

Sorry- meant! Not?

[Anonymous]

I'm planning around what we already have.
Check sales.
Buy less so less gets thrown out.
Leftovers for lunch instead of throwing them out of the fridge.

[Anonymous]

Surprised no one mentioned joining with friends + family to share meals/food/shopping.

[Anonymous]

I'm always surprised how inexpensive bananas are compared to apples, grapes, etc. Sadly, I don't like them very much.

[Anonymous]

I live near a food pantry that has a produce stand outside for anyone to help themselves to. I’ve spoken with the executive director and she has no problems with people who don’t qualify for other benefits taking produce. I live in a rural area and it’s locally grown and a lot of it is perfectly good, just too small/misshapen/too ripe for the growers to sell. Lots of onions and squashes right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm always surprised how inexpensive bananas are compared to apples, grapes, etc. Sadly, I don't like them very much.

Good point! Why is a banana less than twenty cents in many places and an apple over a dollar in a lot of places? And, grapes are ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the poors and pretty much only buy generic EXCEPT for canned tomatoes. I used to live in Italy and still splurge on the good cans, because they make an enormous difference. Everything else is Walmart great value

Please tell me which canned tomatoes you buy. My garden was a disaster this year. :/

San Marzano, and if I can’t find those then Pomi, but SM is the best! I’m on a serious budget but I always splurge for good canned tomatoes and high quality balsamic vinegar. I blame living in Italy!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the poors and pretty much only buy generic EXCEPT for canned tomatoes. I used to live in Italy and still splurge on the good cans, because they make an enormous difference. Everything else is Walmart great value

Please tell me which canned tomatoes you buy. My garden was a disaster this year. :/

San Marzano, and if I can’t find those then Pomi, but SM is the best! I’m on a serious budget but I always splurge for good canned tomatoes and high quality balsamic vinegar. I blame living in Italy!!

Forgot to add that Mutti is also good, especially for passatta!