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Learn to Cut Your Food Bill 50% or More 7-7-08
Dr. Dupree's Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste
So
the price of food has gone up about 8% in the past year, according to the
federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Stop your complaining! As my mother always
told me, "I like my whine in a glass, but not at the dinner table."
I'd have more sympathy for a lot of Americans who are upset about soaring
food costs if it weren't for the fact that most of them can reduce what they
spend on food by about 25% if they'd only do as my mother also told me: "Shut
your yap and clean your plate!" (Now you know where I get my gifts for both
language and tact.)
Prepare for shock and awe (and national embarrassment): According to government
sources, roughly 25% of the food Americans buy goes to waste. That's about one
pound of food, per American, per day -- thrown in the trash. Sadly we've crossed
the line from Land of Plenty, to Land of Waste.
Last week one of our readers suggested 10 easy ways to reduce food waste (thanks
Mrs. Green!). Here's five more ways to cut your food costs -- and your carbon
footprint:
* Shop for groceries no more than once every two weeks. Time and again, studies
confirm the obvious: Q.) How to keep yourself from buying too much stuff? A.)
Shop less frequently. Grocery shopping is no different, but the key is to shop
smart in order to avoid spoilage. Cook two or three meals' worth of each recipe
at the beginning of the two-week period, and immediately freeze the extra
portions for the second week. Freeze any meat that you won't be eating within
the next 48 hours.
Use up fresh fruits and vegetables first, and then supplement them with
just-as-healthy frozen as you get into the second week. Check expiration dates
on dairy products before you buy them; in most cases you can find products that
will remain fresh for two weeks or longer. The idea is to always USE UP what you
buy before you shop again.
* Think layovers, NOT leftovers. Raise your hand and repeat after me: "I
solemnly swear to consume the remaining portions (if any) of meals I failed to
previously consume within 24 hours of my failure to consume them." Eat 'em for
breakfast, pack 'em for lunch, or host a hors de-yester-jour happy hour with
friends.
* How to handle restaurants. Establishments are frequently guilty of "over
serving" in order to justify higher prices (call me a cynic). So order only from
the appetizer menu or split a single ginormous entrée. And remember, doggy bags
and leftovers have replaced Gucci bags and makeovers; green -- and cheap -- are
the new cool.
* Social therapy. I can't see myself ever paying for therapy (although my poooor
wife has offered more than once to take up a collection for me). The best
therapy for curing wastefulness is not only free, but it even helps others who
really need it: Volunteer one day out of the year at a local food kitchen for
the needy, and then see how much food you throw away.
The raising, processing, packing, distribution, sale, and waste disposal
associated with the food we eat -- or don't eat -- leaves a Sasquatch-sized
carbon footprint on old Mother Earth. Save your money, save the planet ... just
shut your yap and clean your plate.
Comment:
These tips will also save on garbage. We use only 1/3 of our garbage bin a week, everyone else uses 1 1/2!
Here are my bonus hints:
*Buy less prepackaged foods. These cost more and contribute to waste. The biggest cost for the natural food household is meat and produce. You can cut costs in other places to allow you to keep your current foods.
*Do stock up on sale if it is something you always use and will store indefinitely.
*Get coupons from your favorite natural brands. You can buy all you want and order the exact ones you want (so many available) for such a small cost. $2 off coupon for Cascadian Farm costs 10 cents! Or call them and visit websites. I save $100+ a week this way.
*Order your organic and grass fed meats from Blackwing in a bulk order and save 30-40% over store prices. 5% off your first order available, call for code.
*Make your shopping one stop. With the cost of fuel this is very important. Running to 3 different stores can cost $20 in gas. This can be accomplished by switching stores or ordering online. I switched from Wal-Mart, Wild-Oats, Pet Smart, Sam's, Authority, Home Depot and Akins to Reeser's and Sam's by shopping online at Petsmart and Blackwing. Shopping online at Petsmart isn't as costly by mail as you might think. Free shipping over $50 and specials, you might save over going into the store anyways. As you can see, I had to find a new grocery store and change a few brands but the gas savings really add up. Petsmart Coupon: save $10 off $70 purchase Code: julyperks and also earns $5 Gift Card.
*Grow your own produce whenever possible. This is so inexpensive and you can grow enough for yourself or a small family easily inside your home or on a patio. Get organic seeds and information online. Even Tomatoes grow inside in the winter in sunlight or with a grow bulb. The added health benefits of indoor plants saves on winter medical bills. Start a neighborhood garden!
*Invest in produce green bags ( Debbie Myers or Dollar Store) so your produce lasts twice as long.
*Live in the country? Your neighbors may how eggs and milk. Join a cow share to get wholesome raw milk.
*If you drink almond milk, making your own is so easy, costs so much less and is raw and healthier. You can also make it organic which is hard to get in the store. Average quart price is $2.69 make your own $1. $1.50 for Organic.
Almond Milk Recipe:
1 cup Organic Raw Almond or other nuts
4 cups cold distilled or ionized water or more to taste
1/2 tsp. Singing Dog Vanilla Extract
1-2 Packet Stevia or 2 dates, or 1 tsp honey
Soak almonds overnight in filtered water (you can skip this step if in a hurry). Drain. In blender add almonds a few at a time into the top hole of the blender lid and process until all almonds are mealy.
Slowly add cold water to almonds while blending. As mixture blends and almonds float at remaining ingredients. Blends until light, creamy and frothy.
Strain milk to remove almonds for a smooth store bought taste. But to keep all the vitamin E, phytonutrients, magnesium, potassium and protein leave the almonds in. Keep in the refrigerator up to 3 weeks.
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*Switch from high priced and chemical laden laundry products. Use a laundry ball and dryer balls for much cleaner softer clothes. Save $1000's over the lifetime of the balls.
*Afford the good organic liquid hand soaps buy buying our 7oz foaming soap pump. The foaming soap pump uses only 3-6 squirts of the liquid soap to create 7 ounces of silky frothy foam soap. I mall bottle of hand soap that cost $7 now lasts 1 year instead of 1 month!
*Stop buying paper towels and spray cleaners. Use Wondercloths instead. Blue scrubs, yellow is a chamois, and silver is light scrubbing. Perfect for all hard surfaces including windows. No soap required. When dry makes the perfect dusting cloth. These are not the same ones you get in the store. Those become hard, collect all the lint and sharp materials from the laundry and lose their static cling with washings. Use the cleaning vial in a spray bottle of water for all you cleaning needs. Add essential oils for fragrance and disinfection.
*Keep Silver Biotics and ASAP Gel available for all illnesses and injuries. Save $1000's in doctor's visits!
*Save $1000's over the lifetime of the unit when you buy a water ionizer. No more hauling or having large bottle delivered. No more filters, canisters, contracts etc..