Save Money on Groceries with the $1 per pound rule.

[keepsmiling]

Sometimes it's cheaper to buy prepared foods... I honestly cannot buy and cook a chicken for less than a Costco one- by the time you add in the utility cost and the value of time.
And to find fresh fruits and veg under $1/lb could be difficult for sure. You'd be pretty much limited to bananas and the occasional sale on grapes. I do make a point of shopping the clearance racks for things like peppers and can sometimes score those pretty cheaply- slightly battered perhaps...

[momofthree]

Meat is pretty much impossible to find for $1 or less per pound, but it's a great rule for other foods! I limit my meat to $2/lb max and fresh fruits/veggies to $1/lb max. That said, I live in a largely agricultural area (CA), so fresh produce that is in season is pretty cheap since it doesn't have to be shipped in from out of state. Also, I live in a fairly large city, so there are lots of stores that I can shop at (at least 10 different chains within 2 miles of my home). I literally go to each store and buy their super sale items and then leave without buying any regular priced items. For people in rural areas where there are only 1 or 2 stores to choose from it would be next to impossible to strategize this way to achieve maximum savings.

Making foods from scratch is also a great way to maximize savings. I can make the equivalent of 24 jars of spaghetti sauce from scratch for less than $10 and it's MUCH more delicious and healthier than any premade sauce from the store! Most of our meals (to feed 5 people with at least 1 meat dish and 1 veggie dish) cost less than $5 total including spices/condiments, etc. And, let me tell you how delicious homemade french fries are! Super cheap and a huge hit around here! Yes, it takes more work than buying a bag of frozen fries from the store, but the cost savings and health benefits of little changes like that make a huge difference!

[IamOld]

It's a small little point, but I would add that getting a freezer also helps. Mine paid for itself in about three months. It's a lot easier to stock up on meats, cheeses, breads, baking items, frozen entrees, and bulk items when they're on sale. It also seems to help reduce the number of trips made to restaurants and fast food joints because there's always something in there that can be defrosted for a meal. I find that I cook a lot more stuff from scratch now that I'm watching food costs. It's more work but I like the fact that I know all of the ingredients that go into each meal and there aren't any preservatives or other additives that can't be pronounced. And homemade bread? Yummo! I definitely don't feel like I've lost anything by shopping-on-the-cheap. I never aimed for the $1/lb, but that's right about where I landed anyway.

A freezer is a good idea! I wish I could cobble together 250 or so bucks at the same time, as where we live I could by "half a cow" (which would last us like...good grief...like 4-5 months!!!) - but it's always that we don't have the 250 "extra' at the same time...maybe once we're in 13, (no more lawyer payments :-) save a up a few bucks...:-)

I love homemade bread!! BUt, sadly, I'm not home long enough to make it...

[Peeps]

It's a small little point, but I would add that getting a freezer also helps. Mine paid for itself in about three months. It's a lot easier to stock up on meats, cheeses, breads, baking items, frozen entrees, and bulk items when they're on sale. It also seems to help reduce the number of trips made to restaurants and fast food joints because there's always something in there that can be defrosted for a meal. I find that I cook a lot more stuff from scratch now that I'm watching food costs. It's more work but I like the fact that I know all of the ingredients that go into each meal and there aren't any preservatives or other additives that can't be pronounced. And homemade bread? Yummo! I definitely don't feel like I've lost anything by shopping-on-the-cheap. I never aimed for the $1/lb, but that's right about where I landed anyway.

[IamOld]

HHM< again with all due respect, in DC it is not possible. I don't live there but my employer has offices there, and I know from both personal and experience of long-distance coworkers, that is simply impossible. I'm sorry, I'm just speaking from personal experience, but "lunchmeat" for sandwiches, the CHEAPEST, bologna is over $1/pound. Even at Walmart...

Well, the guy that actually came up with it (or, at least published it) lives in Washington D.C., would you consider that a large Metro Area, a rather expensive place to live.

The point is to try, not make excuses. But you are correct, food inflation is a problem; however, part of the challenge is to ADJUST your eating habits to fit within the rule, not make excuses to buy things you "want" to buy and simply say the budget is impossible. The budget IS possible.

[HHM]

Well, the guy that actually came up with it (or, at least published it) lives in Washington D.C., would you consider that a large Metro Area, a rather expensive place to live.

The point is to try, not make excuses. But you are correct, food inflation is a problem; however, part of the challenge is to ADJUST your eating habits to fit within the rule, not make excuses to buy things you "want" to buy and simply say the budget is impossible. The budget IS possible.

[IamOld]

HHM, please believe me I don't mean to disagree with you BUT - in large metro areas, this is NOT possible. Where I live you CANNOT - repeat - CANNOT find fruit under $1 and change per pount, meat?? Good grief for $1/pound? Maybe 20 years ago! Unfortunately for those of us in large urban centers, this is not realistic...

Walmart - yes, they usually have one or two fruits for under 1/pound, but they'll also rot before you get it home!

I shop at the CHEAPEST store around here, plus use coupons, etc etc etc, but for two adults and two near adult kids, if it's under 200/week, I'm happy!

ALso, with all due respect, bread, by itself, isn't "bad" - and I can by store brand for 99 cents or 79 cents per loaf.

No dairy...again, that's hardly realistic. What all this shows is that food inflation, which is at 10% now, has been astronomical over the last few years...

I'm sorry to sound even "bitter" but I face the reality of trying to feed a family week after week after week.

4/3/11

The Rule: Only buy items that have a per unit price of less than $1 per pound.

First, let me give credit; this rule comes from Jeff Yeager and his book, The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches. The rule is fairly self explanatory, if the food item cost more than $1 per pound, don’t buy it. This rule is surprisingly effective when it comes to both saving money and eating healthy as it cuts out about 70% or more of what’s available at grocery stores, mostly the stuff that is bad for you anyway.

At $1 per pound, that pretty much cuts out any processed foods (e.g. prepared meals like Healthy Choice, Stouffers, etc), the entire freezer section except for bulk vegetables, the cereal aisle except for maybe generic, bulk cereal, practically all dairy is eliminated, many unhealthy starches (breads), and so on. Okay, I know what you are asking, what is left? The freshest, most delicious part of the grocery store remains.

This rule is particularly useful for fresh produce as it requires you to buy that which is in season, which is not a bad thing. In-season fruits and vegetables are cheap and it doesn’t require any searching, grocery stores put these items on the front page of their flyers. You can usually find meats that satisfy this rule, and other staples such as beans, rice, and bulk grains can be had for under a $1 per pound.

However, you still need to be health conscious as there are items in the store that are under $1 per pound but have little or no nutritional value (i.e. soda).

Try this rule for 2 weeks and see how it goes.

P.S. for conversions, 16oz = 1lbs

http://www.**********.com/blog/2011/...er-pound-rule/

[HHM]

4/3/11

The Rule: Only buy items that have a per unit price of less than $1 per pound.

First, let me give credit; this rule comes from Jeff Yeager and his book, The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches. The rule is fairly self explanatory, if the food item cost more than $1 per pound, don’t buy it. This rule is surprisingly effective when it comes to both saving money and eating healthy as it cuts out about 70% or more of what’s available at grocery stores, mostly the stuff that is bad for you anyway.

At $1 per pound, that pretty much cuts out any processed foods (e.g. prepared meals like Healthy Choice, Stouffers, etc), the entire freezer section except for bulk vegetables, the cereal aisle except for maybe generic, bulk cereal, practically all dairy is eliminated, many unhealthy starches (breads), and so on. Okay, I know what you are asking, what is left? The freshest, most delicious part of the grocery store remains.

This rule is particularly useful for fresh produce as it requires you to buy that which is in season, which is not a bad thing. In-season fruits and vegetables are cheap and it doesn’t require any searching, grocery stores put these items on the front page of their flyers. You can usually find meats that satisfy this rule, and other staples such as beans, rice, and bulk grains can be had for under a $1 per pound.

However, you still need to be health conscious as there are items in the store that are under $1 per pound but have little or no nutritional value (i.e. soda).

Try this rule for 2 weeks and see how it goes.

P.S. for conversions, 16oz = 1lbs

http://www.**********.com/blog/2011/...er-pound-rule/