Reader comments
101 ways to stretch your food dollars

Here is a suggestion | 1:11 a.m. April 16, 2008

Food prices are NOT too high. Here is a question - Do you have grass in your front yard? If the answer is yes, then food prices are not too high. If you have money, land, and time enough to waste on a plant that does nothing but act as a decoration, soak up water and make you mow, well, I guess you get what you deserve.

Nancy from Nevada | 3:26 a.m. April 16, 2008

I really enjoyed this article. The link to the USDA Food Stamp Recipe web site is over the top! Thanks for thinking of us kitchen warriors.

Victory Gardens for your Budget | 4:50 a.m. April 16, 2008

I agree, lawns are wasteful of resources and golf courses are the pinnacle of that wastefulness.

This is a great list of tips. I find myself with little more to add.

Comments continue below

Timj | 6:16 a.m. April 16, 2008

Food prices are too high...
And I don't have a lawn.
As far as the article goes, do the math on the yogurt. DN's numbers don't add up.

Home grown? | 7:59 a.m. April 16, 2008

By the time we added up the cost of water, fertilizer for the bad soil and other expenses, home grown vegetables were 10 times more expensive than store bought. The 'victory garden' concept is romantic but when you do the math it can be very expensive, especially if you have poor soil and an arid climate.
On the plus side, it did make for some of the hottest jalapenos I'd ever tasted.

Holly5 | 8:04 a.m. April 16, 2008

Bravo! Great ideas! I printed them out for my binder to refer to them later too.

HortDork | 8:21 a.m. April 16, 2008

Look at home vegetable gardens again--although start up cost are high with bad soil, a lot of the work only has to be done once. And consider growing more vegetables in less space--row gardening wastes a lot of space, and also water. Use drip systems to conserver water, or even water by hands. Veggies won't take more water than the lawn too. And fruit crops take even less.

Home grown? | 8:45 a.m. April 16, 2008

HortDork, I guess I should have added that wildlife made off with lots of our produce as well. Once the squirrels discovered that tomatoes were edible and reached through the wire to pick them, the garden was officially all over. Birds, squirrels, bugs, domestic pets dumped by people who no longer want them, you name it, they were in there munching in spite of the fencing. The volcanic ash dust/ soil combined with southern Utah water rates just make it expensive. Our fruit crops are riddled with worms, and the strawberries never ripen before birds take them. Even the pine nuts get stripped from our trees by pinion jays before we can get them. I admire the pioneers who had the fortitude to try to farm Southern Utah. They must have spent a lot of time shooing away wily hungry wildlife.

Anonymous | 8:41 a.m. April 16, 2008

We live in Metro SLC and have found an incredible value for our food dollar. It is a community co-op. $5.00 to join plus minimal volunteer time and AWESOME value on the food packaging. They have distribution centers all over the valley and are expanding continuously.

Find out more by doing a search for utah food co-op crossroads

Shopper | 8:42 a.m. April 16, 2008

Great article that goes beyond the fluff to give shoppers many options for saving money on groceries.
I do want to point out that the shopping lists at Pinching Your Pennies are free. They're available every week, for every store, at no charge.
Great job Valerie!

Centerville Food Co-Op | 9:18 a.m. April 16, 2008

I live in Centerville and participate in the Food Co-Op. It's a great way to save money on groceries and the food is wonderful! We especially like the Nutty Guys Snack Sampler - $11.50 for 4- 1 lb. packages of Nutty Guys! Can't beat that with a stick. And the Stone Ground's Whole Wheat Bread is the best! The Crossroads Food Co-Op is definitely worth checking into.

Granny | 9:35 a.m. April 16, 2008

Lawns are wonderful for children to play on, even to picnic on and relax playing a game. Lighten up!

As to gardens. Maybe they are a lot of work and expense and sometimes the produce isn't used. But a wise man (S.W. Kimball) once said. "It would be there if you need it."

For poor soil make compost. For instructions check your library, Internet, or garden store.

Yes, fruit trees are great. They feed the bees in spring, shade the lawn in summer and provide food.

No storage? Drying is the answer. There are many good books on how-to and inexpensive dryers. My mom used the sun with cheese cloth on the top to prevent bugs and flies.

Learn how to bottle fruits and veggies. If you don't have a garden there are plenty of places to buy in bulk.

Anonymous | 9:36 a.m. April 16, 2008

Glad that someone finally realizes hype. Brown eggs are no more nutritious than white eggs. It's the hen, not the feed, that makes the color. Great article. We only spend about 10% of our income on food, try living in Asia where some countries spend up to 50%.

Anonymous | 10:00 a.m. April 16, 2008

I agree the food co-op through Crossroads Urban Center is a great money saver. I also like purchasing a share from a csa for frsh local produce. Farmers markests are another great place for cheap and tasty produce.

Egg producer | 10:26 a.m. April 16, 2008

About the eggs--you're right, brown eggs are no different than white eggs. If you're worried about the color of eggs, look on the inside--the darker the yolk, the more nutrients. The uncooked egg, if the chicken is fed correctly, should have a firm dark yellow or orange yolk with the a firm white that is gathered around the yolk. IF the white spreads out when cracked, it is either old, or lacking in nutrients, or both. (To check the age of your egg, the air bubble in side the end of the egg shell should be a bit smaller than a dime).

If you're concerned about the feed your eggs are produced on, go to most feed stores such as IFA and you'll find that the chickens are fed on "processed animal protein" (i.e. ground up dead animal parts, chicken feathers, or culled baby chickens). Molasses, vitamins and antibiotics are sprayed over the "protein" to entice the chickens to eat it, provide nutrients lacking, and protect the chickens from eating food that might cause disease.
To Be Continued. . .

Egg producer | 10:34 a.m. April 16, 2008

. . . Continued

I have been involved in the ï¿½chicken businessï¿½ since the early 1960ï¿½sï¿½both in egg production and meat production. If you are interested in growing your own, you can have a few chickens in in your yard, depending on where you live. For example, in Protland, Oregon (in the inner city) you are allowed 3 chickens per yard. Chickens are quite easy to raise too. Ask your local extension service for information on raising chickens. Also, if youï¿½re interested in increasing the nutritive value of your chickens/eggs, LeLand Mills outside of Spanish fork Utah, or places like it, have good feed thatï¿½s meant for chicken diets.

Hope this helps--

Good Luck!

Brenda | 11:13 a.m. April 16, 2008

Food prices are too high, so is everything else. I'm a single working mother, I feel like I'm getting priced more and more out of life. I also rent so I don't have much control over what grows in my yard, although I do have to do the yard work.

Marilyn | 1:59 p.m. April 16, 2008

Making your food from scratch is a great way to save on groceries. It takes time, but definitely tastes better than prepared foods. My grandmother's recipe for home made chicken noodle soup, including home made noodles has been a favorite with all 7 of my children.

To Marilyn | 3:13 p.m. April 16, 2008

So what's the recipe?

Anonymous | 3:31 p.m. April 16, 2008

I follow alot of these tips already since I try to feed my family a local and organic diet. Going organic is costly so I cook alot of things from scratch instead of buying processed foods. My family also does not eat high fructose corn syrup which is in almost everything these days. I do think salad dressings taste much better when made fresh. I no longer buy bottled salad dressing, bbq sauce, and other such things. You'd be amazed at how much better tasting food is when its not processed.

Kells Bells | 3:27 p.m. April 16, 2008

Refilling water bottles is actually bad for you because it leaches chemicals from the bottles over time. It's better to invest in a Nalgene bottle or a knock-off at Target. They are unbreakable, freezable, and safer.

interesting | 3:39 p.m. April 16, 2008

Thanks for the article. I find myself agreeing with all since I already do it all. Didn't learn anything new but I am glad others did.
I am not after buying the cheapest food but good food for less. Some of the ideas, day old bread kind of deal, don't seem real good. Make your own bread, doesn't take long but is much better. Grow what you can, make it from scratch, buy organic if you can, you'll eat less because it is so much better and more filling. We have chickens and a cow and a garden and eat very little meat. No flu or colds around here.

Our Great Store Deal | 3:40 p.m. April 16, 2008

We got 140 boxes of Kellogs Corn Flakes, 12 boxes of baby wipes, and two binkies for a grand total of $24.00. That was a great day.

mother on a budget | 3:51 p.m. April 16, 2008

here in the uk prices of food are rising very quickly but i have to say that i swear by the deseret cook book. we are fortunate that for me travelling to different stores is easy as they are all located in the same area, not scattered around a large valley. all of our eggs are brown!! think of us as we are already dealing with a $10 gallon for petrol (gas)! it is scary here as it looks as if the whole economy is going to go belly up, lets hope that we have decent crop returns this year!

bhparkman | 5:18 p.m. April 16, 2008

You can grow all your grains on 20 X 110 feet of level land. We can get roughly 7-9 bushels [1 bushel = ~60 lbs.] a year with our land. Double that if we're growing oats or millet.

After the grains are harvested, we start the first crops 'til August, and then onto winter crops.

Check also with your zoning, as many cities have outlawed self-reliance. Most cities in SL county attempt to control what you do with your own land.

Self-reliance is a great thing if you really put in the effort. But self-reliance doesn't win votes.

How sad. | 11:54 p.m. April 16, 2008

Hey, how sad it is that here is the US we have some people trying to save a few cents on food when we are spending billions in Iraq. I have visited countries like Australia, New Zealand, England, Canada, Sweden etc, etc and none of these countries have the poverty like here. So how then is the US the number one place to live in the world?............ well, according to our leaders.

annoymous | 7:05 a.m. April 17, 2008

According to the "Secret" there really is enough to go around--for everyone. If they can send man to the moon, land them and with all that tech.that we now possess- they can put back into the soil what it needs to feed us all.

Karen | 8:03 a.m. April 17, 2008

You don't need a bread making machine or kneading machine to bake bread, although these can help. Good old-fashioned kneading by hand still works great! Homemade bread dough not only makes yummy bread but can also be used for rolls, pizza dough, scones etc. Another tip for baking bread is to add some ground soybean to your wheat flour before mixing it. It adds protein and makes wheat bread even more healthy. My mother grinds equal parts of wheat and soy in her wheat grinder then uses equal parts of the wheat/soy flour and white unbleached flour to make her homemade bread.

LisA | 8:26 a.m. April 17, 2008

Bacon grease on popcorn?? Thanks, but, I'll pass.

Anonymous | 8:28 a.m. April 17, 2008

Here are a couple tips my mom taught me:

When you've boiled chicken, let the water boil down somewhat and then freeze the chicken bullion that is left over. It makes great gravy or soup base for another day. Also freeze the ends of celery then chop in small pieces and add to soup.

In the olden days, they saved the water they used to boil potatoes to use it in their bread. It adds more vitamins and helps it rise better.

If you make breaded chicken and have left over crumb mixture, freeze it since its had chicken rolling in it and will go bad in the fridge. You can use it another day

Laurel | 1:55 a.m. April 18, 2008

How excited I am at this list! My husband sent it to me with the intent of my learning at least one new thing (which I did). However, I truly already do most of these things anyway! Let me say, it is a 'mindset' ... and it's not a 'cheap' mindset either. Think of it more as being frugal, which means using every bit of everything you have as much as possible. The tips of fruit smoothies, or kids meals for yourself, or buying meat in bulk and freezing in smaller bags, all great. If you adapt these things to your conscious, with practice it soon all becomes unconscious, and better habits all around, and therefore a more practical and efficient way to feed one's family, handle the money, and plan ahead. Thanks for the list! I'm feeling very justified right now :) (The best part of all this, if YOU set the example to your children / friends / family / etc., and pass these tips along, think of the impact you can make to so many people who will be grateful later for the things they've adapted to their lives too ... It's a beautiful thing!)

JC | 10:27 a.m. April 21, 2008

Buying hamberger in bulk can be a time saver if you can take the time to prepare several meals at one time and then freeze them. Examples are: meatloaf, vegetable meatballs, lasagna, spaghetti sauce (if you make it from scratch). It makes mealtime on a busy schedule a little less stressful when you can just take it out of the freezer and put it in the oven or microwave.

Anonymous | 10:00 a.m. April 22, 2008

Here's another reason to following these back-to-basics food tips: If your kids go on LDS missions to Third World countries, they will have to eat whole grains and unprocessed foods anyway. Better to get used to that sort of diet now. Plus, it's cheaper and healthier.

Bunny got Blog | 8:50 a.m. May 28, 2008

I think you have given some pretty good advise here and also it is healthy I think to make your meals at home.Fresh is always better.

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