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Saving Cash on Food - tips that will actually save cash, not just give you a warm fuzzy feeling.

Hugh
2008-12-12 16:59:00 UTC

OK, a week or so I promised some sensible tips on how to eat more frugally whilst a) actually saving significant money and b) not depriving yourself unnecessarily.

In fact, it turns out I have rather a lot of tips, so here we go…

Freezer-Fu

Buy frozen meat and fish. Freezing is actually an excellent way of preserving food, and it has the advantage that the supermarkets can keep frozen food out for much longer than chilled. That means cost savings, which they can pass on. For example, frozen tuna steaks cost £8.30 per kilo at Sainsburys in the UK, as opposed to £14.99 for fresh.
Figure out what you can cook from frozen Canonically, you’re meant to defrost all food beore cooking it, but bollocks to that. It’s perfectly safe to cook appropriately-stored sous-vide food from frozen, so that implies that similarly reliable methods – like slow cooking and stewing – should cook fine straight from frozen, although of course browning will be harder. (Anyone?)
When you cook, do a fridge audit. If there’s anything freezable in there that goes off today or tomorrow, unless you know for certain you’re going to be using it, stick it straight in the freezer. This saves me about £4 a week, because my schedule’s unreliable and my memory’s less than perfect…
Catering pack + expensive stuff + small quantities = win My best food purchase by far this year, cost-wise, has been a big bag of frozen king prawns from a huge Chinese supermarket. It cost about £5, and contained an absolute ton of frozen king prawns – I don’t know how many, but I reckon about 2kg. I’ve been using half a dozen as the meat in a dish at least once a week for the past month and a half, and haven’t run out yet, working out at about £.50 per meal.

Putting the “Special” in “Special Offer”

Visit the supermarket at odd times And keep a note of the special offers that are out. Supermarkets have varied schedules for discounting items, and there’s often one “God time” per week when they suddenly massively discount a pile of stuff. Try Friday about 4pm.
Raid high-end supermarkets for special offers In the UK, Waitrose is an extremely expensive supermarket, the equivalent of Whole Foods in the US, I think. Even I would think twice about doing my weekly shopping there. However, several of my friends have noticed that they discount about-to-go-off items very, very heavily – to 20% of their cost or less. See if it’s true where you live, and if it is, go on a raid.
Don’t buy me because I’m special Before you buy a non-freezable special offer, check that you haven’t already filled up your needs for the next day or so. It’s easy to get carried away. If I did this every time, I’d save pounds on stuff that I buy in a fit of enthusiasm.

Taming the Shopping List

Snack before you start The oft-repeated advice is “don’t go shopping hungry”. However, sometimes Mr Life doesn’t help with that. You’ve got nothing in the fridge, you’re starving, and you’ve just left work? You’ve got to go shop. However, in this case, do a quick shop for something you can eat right now, eat it, THEN shop. Buying food for the week when you’re ready to chew on the shelves gets expensive.
Keep a count This one’s only for people who can hold numbers in their head. However, if you can – keep a running total of your spend in your head as you shop. That’s it – don’t try and optimise, don’t try and hit a fixed total – just keep a running account, and if you lose it, go through your basket and add it all up again. I don’t know quite why, but this massively reduces my bills.
Consider value over time Buy the expensive rice or the cheap rice? Well, how long will it take you to go through a packet? I never buy anything less than the top-quality rice, for example, because a 500g bag will do me for a month, and the extra 60p is worth it over that duration.
Keep high-quality essentials You can save a lot of money by making sure you never run out of certain things. For example, bread is about the cheapest snack-producing substance there is. If I’ve got bread – even really nice, artisan-made, expensive bread – in the flat at all times, I save a fortune on snacks at the shop. And if it’s really nice bread, I’ll not buy a sandwich whilst I’m out, because I know I can have a much nicer sandwich if I wait until I get home.

Random Stuff

Buy expensive lunches Pre-made sandwiches consume cash like you wouldn’t believe. If you don’t have a subsidised canteen at work, you’ll save more money by making up your own lunch than you will by cooking your own dinner a lot of the time. To help with that, buy Nice Stuff that you can assemble, meaning that your lunch isn’t just cheaper than the local Tesco Metro’s offering, it’s nicer too. (Yeah, this takes some time. However, it’s a lot less than a lengthy cooking process.)
Ramen FTW Start with a decent ramen packet – Indomie do fantastic Nasi Goreng and other Indonesian noodle ramen bases. Fry some onions – spring or regular – garlic, ginger, chilli, and a bunch of other veg, plus half a dozen frozen king prawns, scallops, regular prawns, or something similar. Fry or boil an egg if you can be arsed and it’s appropriate to the type of noodle. Prepare noodles as per the packet. Mix together, add the egg, and bingo, instant, lovely noodle dish, cheap, fast, tasty. Total cost? 1 egg (about 30p these days), 1 pack of ramen (30p), some prawns or whatever (20pish), some cheap veg (20pish). Meal for a quid.
Essentials Try and find a meal that you like that doesn’t cost much or require anything other than canned, frozen or long-lasting food. My staple is pasta with onions, garlic, sweetcorn and canned tuna. Gorgeous and cheap. Keep the makings of that in at all times, in case of “oh, shit, I’ve run out of everything” emergencies that would otherwise send you running to the takeaway.

There’s probably more, but that’s all I can think of for now. Think there’s something on there that’s not very helpful? Got a tip I forgot? Any favourite cheap+easy+tasty recipes? Comment below!

Comments

Dougal Stanton | 2008-12-12 19:50:10 UTC

Why does cooking stuff from frozen, rather than just taking it out the freezer in advance, save money?

I would recommend learning to cook with pulses, beans and the like. Vegetarian books are great for thrift, in this regard. Pulses and legumes cost nearly nothing (especially in bulk) and make a fine meal. Bit of curry powder, some onions and a potful of red lentils make enough dal to last for nearly a week. Cook up a portion of rice (again, negligible cost) and you’ve a meal fit for royalty. And a large dollop of each in a tupperware container will heat fine in a microwave at work the next day. (Warning: may induce flatulence.)

BTW, saw you yesterday! Ha! I have now collected two Kamikaze Chefs and just need one Kamikaze Chef and a Petunia to complete the set ;-)

Dougal Stanton | 2008-12-12 20:12:49 UTC

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention something about Waitrose.

It seems that the branded products which most supermarket regard as “premium” or “luxury” are cheaper in Waitrose than other places, because Waitrose don’t regard them as special so they don’t add a premium to the prices.

Obviously this is something you have to investigate in whatever supermarkets are nearest you, but it has borne out for us. If something’s at the top end of the range in Scotmid it might be cheaper in Waitrose.

Robert J Lee | 2008-12-12 23:41:32 UTC

@Dougal: I read that as you’re more likely to eat frozen food if you cook it straight from frozen. The big problem I have with freezing food is that it goes into the freezer then gets ignored until the freezer needs defrosting; this doesn’t save money because I’m still buying real food. Removing food hours before you want to eat it requires planning, which isn’t always easy when I get up in a hurry and don’t want to risk being late for work; maybe I’m just disorganised…

My tips:

I’ve found that the best way to save money is to cook for multiple people. It tends to cost less to cook for two people than it does to cook for each person separately, mostly because you are buying bigger quantities of food.

I’ve also noticed that fruit is often sold both loose and bagged. Sometimes the bags are cheaper, and sometimes loose fruit is cheaper, even for the exact same fruit. UK shops always show the price per kg on the label.

Jeremiah Blatz | 2008-12-13 01:17:34 UTC

Also good to point out that in most supermarkets (at least in the US), almost all of the “fresh” has been previously frozen, then thawed. So, if you buy the frozen fish, it will actually be fresher.

Hugh | 2008-12-13 16:32:33 UTC

Robert, Dougal – you’re correct. The reason why I recommended finding ways to cook straight from frozen is indeed that otherwise, frozen stuff can be a pain unless you’re a) organised and b) know when and where you’ll be eating more than 24 hours in advance.

Dougal – YES! Lentils and pulses are truly excellent for cheap food. Thanks – I knew there was something I’d forgotten.

Jeremiah – I didn’t have a cite for that, so didn’t mention it, but I believe that’s true in the UK too. It’s certainly true for things like king prawns.

Robert – Good tip on the fruit. Applies to veg too, sometimes even more so.

Suzi | 2008-12-13 21:20:52 UTC

How about shopping on line? You can see what you need as your cupboards are there and you can keep an eye on the price of things. Some times you get free delivery vouchers and if you go over budget you can remove items from you basket. Great for folks who have no car to lug home juice/tins/bulky items.

We normally buy meat in bulk and split it into potions big enough for two (which helps on portion control) before freezing. Luckily my partner is good at removing meat in the morning before he leaves for work to let it defrost, ready to cook when we arrive home from work.

Paul Kaye | 2008-12-14 04:49:39 UTC

Following on from Robert J Lee, I noticed that I would often forget the identity of items in the freezer. This is especially the case with soups or items in containers that frost up. I’d never get round to defrosting them as it’s difficult to plan a meal when the main item/ingredient is a mystery. It may sound a bit OTT but I’ve found that 5 seconds spent labelling food before I freeze it has made me a much more efficient freezer user.

Hugh | 2008-12-14 11:33:25 UTC

Paul – yeah, that’s a really good point. Permanent marker for the win. I’d also recommend writing the date of when it went in there – otherwise, I sometimes feel like I’m entering a lottery when I defrost the stuff…

Suzi – I’m not sure how much shopping on line reduces food costs – I imagine it cuts down on impulse buys, and it certainly lets you buy in more bulk. Anyone?

Louise Dennis | 2008-12-14 13:15:33 UTC

I reckon shoping online mostly saves money though it depends a bit on how prone you are to impulse buys and how much getting to the shops costs you. It’s certainly worth it for anyone in the habit of taking a taxi to the shops.

In Edinburgh there is also a value in getting someone else to carry the shopping up all the flights of stairs.

Stephanie | 2008-12-14 15:43:53 UTC

Could you please clarify the Nice Stuff that you recommend buying in bulk for lunches? Since falling pregnant, I’ve become a picky eater (well, pickier than normal) so if there’s not leftovers in the flat, I’m very tempted to wander out of work at lunch time and get a ready meal or salad… (or, rarely, an sandwich. Bread is a bit hit & miss at the moment in terms of whether or not my stomach identifies it as "food").

Marc | 2008-12-17 04:36:55 UTC

Last time I checked here in the Northeastern US, it was more expensive to shop online (via the market that has online shopping) than to go to the local store. Between delivery fees and being expected to tip the delivery person, it wasn’t adding up to monetary saving. There may be regional difference here.

Buying some long-storing staples in ludicrous bulk quantities via Amazon or the like has worked out for me, but for the bulk of my shopping it just doesn’t seem worth it.

For produce, of course, I wouldn’t trust them to deliver quality produce.

(BTW, I love your CAPTCHA)

Hugh | 2008-12-17 11:39:32 UTC

Stephanie – the Nice Stuff very much depends on what you like – particularly if you’re currently pregnant. For me, it would include very good bread from an artisan breadmaker, parma ham from the local deli, good brie, goat’s cheese, and other cheeses from the same deli, avocado, good olives, decent cold free-range chicken, Thai-style noodle salads (made up beforehand), and king prawns inna bun.

My best advice, however, is to pick up a copy of Nigel Slater’s Real Fast Food (linked over here), which is full of suggestions for quick lunches. I keep meaning to just start at the front and work my way through it, one meal per lunchtime – I’m sure it would be a tremendously pleasant and educational experience.

Stuart Carter | 2008-12-17 21:08:23 UTC

something I never got into when I lived in Edinburgh was home canning/preserving. It is significantly easier, cheaper, and more practical to preserve it yourself in the USA than it is in the UK.

I have a set of shelves in the basement – about 6ft by 6ft, more or less – and I have so far filled 3 half shelves with lime marmalade, picalilli, green tomato chutney, and a whole bunch of different jams. As well as being fun to make, they make great stocking stuffers and presents at Christmas :)

Nerrida | 2008-12-20 15:42:19 UTC

I learned to make burritos as a student, from this recipe: http://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/nutrition/recipes/survival_I/soups_and_salads2/spicy_bean_burritos
Nowadays it’s my “Essentials” recipe (just the beans – not the bread). It’s super-healthy and it’s pretty easy to vary it.

* use dried beans or lentils instead of canned beans. almost any type of legume works. * change the spice mix, and it becomes Indian-ish, or leave out the spice and add a pinch of herbs (dried thyme is yummy with lentils) * use dried chilli instead of sauce * throw in some bacon cubes &/or vegetables from the freezer * use Asian-style fried shallots if you don’t have onions * it goes well with canned fish too

Hugh | 2008-12-20 16:05:45 UTC

Nerrida – darn, that page has moved. I echo your love for burritos, however – embarassingly, I’ve never learned how to make them, so I’m going on a hunt for that recipe.

Stuart – I must admit, the idea of canning gives me The Fear. I just know too much about botulinus from studying sous-vide stuff, I suspect. Is it actually a problem, or are there fairly common-sense rules to follow?

pajh | 2008-12-20 16:51:50 UTC

Works fine for me. Try this .

There’s some good other stuff on that site, too.

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