1. Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is

    Photo of Cindy BattlesThis year may be the year I resolve to put my grocery shopping money where my mouth is and stop frequenting Taco Bell drive-thru twice (or thrice) a week for their rice and bean burrito.  Not to say that their burrito is evil per se (though it is tasty and addictive).  It’s just not sensible financially when I could be spending about the same on bags of rice and beans and some flour tortillas at my local supermarket and always have these staples on hand at home. 

    Remember the old adage about shopping the perimeters only of your supermarket?  There’s something to that. Carefully plotted out, a healthy eating plan can be as inexpensive or more so than fast food where McDonald’s meals can now top six dollars. (I may have gotten the salads, which are also pricey, but I’m an avid scanner of their whole drive-thru menu.)

    “It’s a total myth that eating healthy is expensive,” according to dietitian Katherine Tallmadge, author of the book Diet Simple. In fact, she holds, “it’s the cheapest way to eat. The fat, the salty, the sweet, that’s the expensive stuff.”

    With my resolution firmly in hand (clutching my reformed grocery list, that is) I did some sleuthing at my local Price Chopper Supermarket and found out that a large bag of potato chips can cost anywhere from three dollars to $5.99.  For the same money, I could buy several pounds of fresh potatoes with nutrients intact and many possibilities for preparation.

    So I am now buying things like a lot of quite small and skinless cuts of chicken, those full of protein beans I love (I tell myself, “Don’t head for that drive-thru, Cindy!”) and fruits in season when they’re cheapest not to mention freshest.

    Getting on track with healthier eating can save me money in the short term, but it has the potential to save me money in the long term as well.  Studies show eating right and regular exercise can lower prescription costs and medical costs can decrease as well.

    Exercise can also improve conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease.  That translates into better overall health and fewer doctor visits. 

    Well, catch you later.  We might bump carts in the fresh veggie aisle.

    Cindy

    - - - - - - - - 

    Cindy Battles is a freelance writer based in Rutland, VT, winner of the National Disability Institute’s 2008 Blog Contest and a regular contributor here on the Real Economic Impact blog.

  2. Get to Know the Unit Price! Today’s MoneyMondays tip

    Check out the unit price of an item to find the best deal when buying bulk items like toilet paper & paper towels.

    This is a MoneyMondays repost from March 23, 2011!

    Buying in bulk is often described as the best way to get value for groceries. Sometimes, that is true. Sometimes it isn’t. The best way to shop for value in groceries is to shop unit prices. The unit price is listed on the shelf sticker next to the price of the product. It tells you what an item’s cost is per pound, gallon, ounce, etc.

    Photo of a Grocery Store Shelf, focused on the price sticker for olive oil

    (photo via Carrots ‘N’ Cake)

    Comparing unit prices will tell you if you’re getting a better bargain as the sizes get bigger. When the best unit price is found in a very large package, you also have to decide if such a large amount of the product is right for you. Will you use all of it? Will it expire before you get a chance to use it? Can you store such a large amount of rice/mayo/paper towels?

    Take a look at this great blog post on unit price shopping to learn more, complete with examples and pictures.

    - - - - - - 

    “MoneyMondays” is a text message campaign powered by Infield Health. Sign up to get tips like these to your phone every Monday! Text REITMM to 69302. Remember, standard text messaging rates apply.

  3. Add pencils to you grocery list! - Today’s MoneyMondays tip

    When checking out grocery store weekly circulars for food deals, also check out what school supplies you can find.

    School Supplies on Sale at Giant - Backpacks, crayons, lunchboxes, pens, glueSuper stores like Target and Walmart aren’t the only places you can find great deals on school supplies. Local stores like pharmacies and grocery stores often have seasonal aisles packed with merchandise. Just this week at the Giant in my neighborhood, I saw things like crayons buy one get one free and some well priced backpacks. The cost of the items aside, finding some of your back-to-school needs a the grocery store can help you save in other ways - it can save time and fuel costs by preventing more trips to more stores. Check to see if your favorite grocery store provides circulars online and check out the back-to-school items!

  4. Get to know the unit price! Your MoneyMondays tip.

    Bigger is not always better. Compare the unit price of different sizes of an item to find the best deal. 

    Buying in bulk is often described as the best way to get value for groceries. Sometimes, that is true. Sometimes it isn’t. The best way to shop for value in groceries is to shop unit prices. The unit price is listed on the shelf sticker next to the price of the product. It tells you what an item’s cost is per pound, gallon, ounce, etc.

    Photo of the price label for a bottle of olive oil which shows in large print the item price of $6.69 and in smaller print the unit price of $50.67

    (photo via Carrots ‘N’ Cake)

    Comparing unit prices will tell you if you’re getting a better bargain as the sizes get bigger. When the best unit price is found in a very large package, you also have to decide if such a large amount of the product is right for you. Will you use all of it? Will it expire before you get a chance to use it? Can you store such a large amount of rice/mayo/paper towels?

    Take a look at this great blog post on unit price shopping to learn more, complete with examples and pictures.

    - - - - - - 

    “MoneyMondays” is a text message campaign powered by Infield Health. Sign up to get tips like these to your phone every Monday! Text REITMM to 69302. Remember, standard text messaging rates apply.

  5. Five (Cheap) Ways I Made It Through The Blizzard

    A few weeks ago, the “blizzard of 2010” struck here in Vermont. Some might be annoyed by being stuck in the house for a few days, but to me it equals saving! Not going out? Not spending money!  I was lucky enough to be able to make a well-timed pre-snow trip to the supermarket, so I got to enjoy a bit of comfort food while snowed in.  

    As someone who loves watching the Food Network, I felt like I had some ideas for food that would be great for curling up on the couch while letting it snow, snow, snow.  And I didn’t have to spend a lot of money to have an enjoyable snow-in. There were five things that got me through the blizzard:

    1. Hot Chocolate

    I enjoyed some Harry & David’s Peppermint Hot Chocolate, a gift I received this year, but I love most of the cocoa you can find at any grocery store. Winter and cocoa just go together.  Makes a nifty dessert with a topping of real whipped cream for pennies.

    2. Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Whether it’s slices of wrapped, orange American cheese or elaborate concoctions with Vermont Grafton cheese (a splurge), mustard and onions, the snowbound love a good grilled cheese sandwich.  For traditionalists, add that bowl of steaming tomato soup. Dinner under $5.

    3. Tuna Noodle Casserole

    Can of tuna, can of mushroom soup, some noodles and crunched potato chips for garnish.  What’s cheaper or better?

    4. Canned Soups

    My gourmet friend Sherry taught me the trick of doctoring soups, adding potatoes and herbs to New England Clam Chowder and ham chunks to split pea and ham.  There’s something about soup that is soul-satisfying. And wallet-loving. 

    5. Macaroni and Cheese

    I prefer Paul Deen’s Food Network version of Mac and Cheese (because of the sheer amount of butter - she is a woman after my own heart!). There are many MANY Mac and Cheese recipes to be found on the internet and even old cookbooks.  Try epicurious.com or another favorite of mine, Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. Whichever you choose, this wins Best Reasonably-Priced Comfort Food by far. You can go cheap or you can splurge, if you can.  As we say in New England, serve wicked hot.

    Stay warm out there!

    - Cindy

    - - - - - - - - 

    Cindy Battles is a freelance writer based in Rutland, VT, winner of the National Disability Institute’s 2008 Blog Contest and a regular contributor here on the Real Economic Impact blog.