Food hacks to deal with rising food prices/inflation

[Anonymous]

We try not to waste anything. Half a tomato left? Chop it up and throw it in a freezer bag in the freezer. After a few of those, you'll have the "two tomatoes, chopped" for your soups/curries/etc., recipes. Same with onions, those bags of kale or spinach you think are on their last legs, etc. It really adds up when all these things cost so much now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I haven't bought grapes for a while.

[Anonymous]

Bacon is rare around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We try not to waste anything. Half a tomato left? Chop it up and throw it in a freezer bag in the freezer. After a few of those, you'll have the "two tomatoes, chopped" for your soups/curries/etc., recipes. Same with onions, those bags of kale or spinach you think are on their last legs, etc. It really adds up when all these things cost so much now.

Yes I also do this with veggies! Also when I accidentally defrost or can’t use chicken or ground Turkey in time for a meal, I will cook and freeze it to use in soups and chilis. When I make too much pasta, I freeze it and use it for a quick meal. Also freeze sauces. Nothing goes to waste!

[Anonymous]

Save your chicken bones and vegetable scraps, place in bag or container in the freezer, and then pop out when full and make stock. It's essentially almost free.

Make your own coffee and tea, and don't buy any premade drinks (soft drinks, carbonated water, bottled water etc..) unless they are a special treat.

Eat a meatless meal at least once or twice a week.

For meals like stir frys I cut the meat in half and add more vegetables that are on sale, or work with the recipe.

Plan meals around what is on special, not the other way around.

[Anonymous]

I’m a nanny and my hack is eating at work. My bosses are millionaires and have a chef. I used to be picky and bring my own food, now I just eat whatever is prepared for myself and the kids. 3 meals a day, so all I have to buy are snacks and food for the weekend. Didn’t realize what a big job perk this was, until I needed it. My bosses arent from the US and think it’s rude to turn down food, so I’ve just accepted it. They also send me home with leftovers and I’m so grateful!

[Anonymous]

The less we shop at normal chain groceries, the better. I refuse to eat beans due to inflation. We had our beans period of life in younger years and I'm not going back. We just buy less and less at Safeway, and more from local vendors. I also grind my own beef, bake my own bread, make my own waffles, biscuits, pancakes, and granola. We also dropped down to beef 2 days a week, and replaced that with fish. I never though fish would be cheaper, but here we are! So we do beef 2 days, fish 2 days, chicken 1 day, maybe pasta 1 day, and carryout 1.

[Anonymous]

For those of you who use a freezer, do you have a back up generator? If not, what happens when you lose power?

[Anonymous]

I incorporate frozen and freeze dried produce since those are the best balance of cheap and healthy. We do some things fresh, but especially anything that is going in a soup is going to be frozen or freeze dried. Thrive Life is a good source for the freeze dried stuff. I’ll roast 2 whole chickens, have meat and gravy one night then turn the dark meat and gravy into a pot pie with frozen veggies, shred the white meat over hearty salads, make the bones into stock and make a soup with real stock and use freeze dried veggies and chicken bits and rice to make soup, then freeze some of the stock to make things like butternut squash puree soup on a weeknight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who use a freezer, do you have a back up generator? If not, what happens when you lose power?

This is the reason I haven't bought a big freezer here - the power goes out too often. And falling for the buy 2 get 3 ice cream deal is a guarantee that our power will go out.

[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!!

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

OMG, I so get your OP! I had to resort to Hoppers Crab truck (the horror!) and not to the best ones from the Seafood stop up north in Fallston.
Ruined blue crab experience for me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who use a freezer, do you have a back up generator? If not, what happens when you lose power?

This is the reason I haven't bought a big freezer here - the power goes out too often. And falling for the buy 2 get 3 ice cream deal is a guarantee that our power will go out.

A big freezer which is not opened will stay ok for many hours. We have only lost food once or twice. Well worth it to be able to stock on good sales.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Here’s a “hack” for you, OP.
Stop eating so much meat.

I came here to post the same thing.

This, OP. For so many reasons, you should be eating less meat.

Did you read her post? The OP doesn't even eat meat - this is for her DH and it sounds like he's cutting back.

Thank you for reading carefully! Yes, this is OP + I have not eaten meat for 30 years. And, I know a lot of people (especially men) who still want to eat some. We just stopped eating certain foods this summer such as avacados- once they hit $3.00- I just said "no". We are also just eating less in general.

OP, this is what is included in a popular Omaha Steaks Value Freezer Filler:

4 (6 oz.) Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignons
4 (5 oz.) Butcher's Cut Top Sirloins
4 (5 oz.) Air-Chilled Boneless Chicken Breasts
4 (6 oz.) Omaha Steaks Burgers
4 (3 oz.) Gourmet Jumbo Franks
4 (4 oz.) Caramel Apple Tartlets
1 (3.1 oz. jar) Omaha Steaks Seasoning

This gives you 100 oz. of meat, or 6.25 lbs. It is currently 53% off, which means it is "only" $169.99. Let's assume that they are the most expensive apply tartlets and steak seasoning on the planet, and together they cost $45. You are still paying $20/lb for all the meat included, and the majority of it is hot dogs, burgers, and chicken.

If you think this is a hack, I really don't know what to tell you. You'd be better off eating all the $3.00 avocados you can find.

I wait for the semi-annual sale that offers much better deals than that and I do not buy extras like apple tarts- I make them. So many naysayers. And, what did other posters have to bring up politics? Take that to the political forum. I grew up poor with ten kids in my family, so I know how to stretch a budget. Now, my dh + I are well off because we have always lived below our means.

OK - so what's your average per-pound cost for meat?

If you are citing "buying Omaha steaks on sale" as an example of stretching a budget, I am guessing that it's your DH who is responsible for your family's financial success.

That would be sexist to assume. I am a lawyer + husband has MBA. No college loans/no parental help. We worked during college + respective law school/MBA school periods.

How's it sexist, if it's based on what you wrote?

With every new post, you make yourself seem more clueless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a nanny and my hack is eating at work. My bosses are millionaires and have a chef. I used to be picky and bring my own food, now I just eat whatever is prepared for myself and the kids. 3 meals a day, so all I have to buy are snacks and food for the weekend. Didn’t realize what a big job perk this was, until I needed it. My bosses arent from the US and think it’s rude to turn down food, so I’ve just accepted it. They also send me home with leftovers and I’m so grateful!

Nice! My kid works at a company that offers free food. She figured it saved her $10k a year.