So, I continue to strive to find ways to save money on food. I am still clipping and printing coupons, but only for things we NEED and SHOULD be eating, rather than just good deals. I've started searching online for more organic coupons. Going to specific sites for brands we like, such as Seventh Generation and Organic Valley has resulted in awesome coupons!
The last 2 shopping trips I have planned my meals for 2 weeks, made my lists and shopped accordingly. I am using a lot of the "tips" I've gotten, such as stocking up when items are on sale. I try to shop at Trader Joe's as much as I can, but, unfortunately, we don't have one very close to our house. Fred Meyer is very near by, as is Safeway, both of which have a pretty good selection of organic and un-processed (is that a word??) foods. They also both have sales, so I stock up when things when this happens. Trader Joe's doesn't have sales, but I have been doing a lot of price comparing and their constant prices are actually really good. Their prices are often the prices of other stores' sales. (did that make sense?) And almost every item in their store comes in an organic version, which is great!
Trader Joe's is also fantastic, because they only have one or two choices for each food. So, if I need diced tomatoes, for example, there's one type, one can, one brand. I don't have to sit there and waste time deciding which one to get. Occasionally this can be annoying (for example, if they only have one size and it's WAY more than you need), but for the most part, it's great! And my favorite part is that everything in the store is made so much better than most foods in regular grocery stores. I am a big reader of ingredients on food labels. You will not find things like "high fructose corn syrup" at Trader Joe's. Even their "junk food" is healthier. The ingredients are all things you can pronounce and recognize. They taste better! And you don't have to support those huge coorporations! It's great!
After 2 different shopping trips of buying only organic foods, I feel that I'm still helping our family budget. My Fred Meyer trip 2 weeks ago cost us $115 for 2 weeks and yesterday's trip to Trader Joe's cost $74. (for 2 weeks) I think I'm going to try Whole Foods next time I need to buy organic chicken or ground turkey, when I see them on sale. We decided (well, I decided and Nelson was in total agreement) that part of our tax return is going to pay for a chest freezer, so I can stock up even more when things are on sale and cook even more meals ahead of time, so we avoid going out to eat because I get too lazy to cook!
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