Want a lower grocery bill? Check out these tips as a recession looms
We keep hearing that a recession is looming.
If you’re thinking about reducing the cost of prep, consider your grocery bill—especially after food prices rise through 2022.
First, learn to think differently about ingredients. And consider the geography of the grocery store. Visit areas that you may not visit frequently, such as B. the frozen section, and make inexpensive staples regulars on your shopping list.
With a little creativity and culinary guidance, you can turn simple ingredients into great meals while saving some dough—money, not the flour-based kind.
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1. Look for frozen foods
The frozen department can serve grocery shoppers well while they’re looking to save. A lot of good options live in the frozen aisle — and they last a long time, too, further pushing your dollar down.
Frozen vegetables
Pioneer Ree Drummond told USA TODAY if you’re trying to scrape pennies, buy frozen vegetables instead of fresh.
“You can use frozen vegetables so many times,” she says. “You can save so much money by knowing what you buy in the produce department, substituting frozen foods, and the quality is almost imperceptible when you’re making a soup, stew or casserole.”
The frozen variety is just as nutritious as fresh vegetables and lasts infinitely longer. Stack bags of peas, corn, broccoli, diced potatoes, sweet potatoes, and mixes like peppers and onions.
It’s all about what you do with them. USA TODAY’s Food Editor Jennifer McClellan rarely takes her frozen vegetables from the microwave to the plate because soggy, bland foods aren’t her thing. For example, frozen broccoli florets are transformed in the oven. Ice melts to soften them, then a dose of Parmesan and lemon juice turns them into a hearty, bright side dish that you’ll keep coming back to.
Frozen dough is your friend
Other frozen foods beyond veggies can also make a big difference, Drummond says.
“For example, I love things like frozen bread dough,” she says. “(It) can turn into a giant pizza crust, it can turn into little calzones — you can do so many things with frozen bread dough. And if you buy freshly baked bread, you might spend more money.”
Frozen Pork Shoulder
If you’re supporting a lot of people, or you just want to cook once and eat for a week, then pork shoulder is hard to beat (plus, the USDA predicts that the price of pork will increase less than other meats).
Not only is pork shoulder a large cut, but it’s also more forgiving than lower-fat cuts like pork chops, which can dry out quickly. You can cook pork shoulder in a slow cooker, pressure cooker, oven, grill – pretty much anywhere – and it will be delicious.
Look for deals in the meat department
Protein is where the wallet often gets hit, says Drummond. Therefore, she likes to optimize her expenses in this area.
“I love going to the meat counter and finding the deal,” she says, noting that it’s almost always a family pack of chicken thighs — which she thinks is the best part of chicken because they’re considerably cheaper than Chicken breast.
The Food Network star added that when she gets a package of ribs or chicken, she breaks the package down, repackages it, and freezes whatever’s left.
Don’t be afraid of canned goods
It’s understandable that not many canned goods are coveted straight out of the can. We don’t recommend digging into a can of meat with a spoon (though feel free if that’s your thing – we don’t judge), but we do want you to give compacted protein a shot, and we’ve got something Kitchen-tested suggestions.
One thing to keep in mind – you don’t usually need to add salt as many canned foods are high in sodium.
Canned Shredded Chicken
Like frozen vegetables that are added to recipes that call for their fresh counterpart, canned chicken can be incorporated into most shredded chicken dishes. However, we advise against adding it to soups as it can break down a bit in the boiling liquid.
We recommend using it in a quesadilla for a quick lunch or to make a quick chicken salad with mayo, celery, onions and peppers.
Tuna in a can
If you’re not a chicken lover, canned tuna is low in fat and high in protein and contains omega-3 fatty acids. I eat it with a dollop of mayo and chopped pickles and onions for a quick tuna salad, while my kids love it in an old-school tuna casserole.
canned beans
Beans are a cheap and easy ingredient to add strength and nutrition to any meal (even for breakfast — just add a few pinto beans to your burrito and you can use fewer eggs while keeping protein levels high). They’re packed with fiber, which most of us need more of, as well as iron, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, and many other goodies.
Canned tomatoes
Don’t underestimate canned tomatoes. While fresh is delicious, canned tomatoes are great for simple chili or pureed in tomato soup.
Buy dry goods that stay good for a while
Having staples in the pantry that stay good for a long time can help reduce food waste and add value to your groceries when you only plan on eating a little at a time.
rice
Rice is tied with honey, vinegar and Twinkies in the category of things that don’t expire. That means you can easily buy in bulk to save even more money. Rice is amazing because it shines on its own or as part of a dish.
dry beans
Dry beans are even cheaper than their canned cousins (although the canned variety takes less time to cook) and allows you more control over flavor and texture.
pasta
It might seem like an obvious choice, but sometimes that’s the best choice. Process egg noodles, ground beef and low-sodium mushroom cream into stroganoff. Add the lemon, butter and Parmesan to the penne. And who could resist a simple Spaghetti Bolognese?
Noodles have a long shelf life and can be made into many different shapes, worth keeping in the pantry.
Think about where you shop
It doesn’t matter what you buy when grocery shopping. There are some grocery stores that have higher prices than others.
Pay attention to the prices you see in one market versus another. Check out the flyers before you pick up your bags and head to the store – where the deals are makes a difference. Plan accordingly. Sometimes a little extra thought on the front end makes all the difference when it comes time to pull out your preferred payment method.
Get a grocery store membership
Some club warehouses offer memberships for customers looking for discounts.
Sam’s Club, Costco, Walmart+, and Kroger have club memberships that can help you get even more money out of it.
And although club memberships come with an annual fee, there are ways to get that money back through discounts throughout the year. Some clubs, like Costco, offer certain programs with a percentage payback to customers for qualifying purchases. And others sometimes have sign-up offers for in-store purchases that make up the cost of the first year of membership.
Contributors: Christine Persaud and Elsie Boskamp, Reviewed