Quote:
Originally Posted by Mavourneen
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7. Don't be afraid to purchase marked down meats and fruits. This one tip - and for some people, a psychological hurdle to overcome - can be a big one. If you are going to cook ground beef tonight, or will be able to cook it immediately upon returning home...why would you purchase the meat full price? Walking past the "seconds" area of the vegetable area...why would you purchase a pristine piece of fruit for full price when you can get the same piece of fruit with an easily removable bruise on it for 1/2 price?
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I wanted to share why I buy marked down produce. I bought 8 bags of markdown produce at $1.49 a bag. (the following is from the frugal chatter thread here:
http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/t...twad-tips.html
We eat a lot of fruits and veggies, but the other reason is the savings.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Foggy 
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So for: $11.92 I got this much produce:
17 white onions
3 red onions
5 avocados
7 nectarines
3 apples
3 mangoes
6 oranges
3 sweet potatoes
2 Idaho baking potatoes
The list above at regular price would have been:
- 17 white onions - this is equivalent to 3 bags of yellows @ $3.29 ea but white onions are usually $1 more per bag or sold individually by the pound
- 3 red onions - $1.29 lb
- 5 avocados $1.49 ea
- 7 nectarines $1.39 lb
- 3 apples - $1.39 lb for loose ones
- 3 mangoes $1.69 ea
- 6 oranges $4.99 for a bag which had 6 -8 oranges in it
- 3 sweet potatoes $1.69/lb
- 2 Idaho baking potatoes (sometimes shrink wrapped as one for $1.19)
So that is easily over $47.00 worth of produce there if bought from the other bins instead of the markdown rack.
That gave me a savings of over $35.00.
So don't be afraid to check out those markdowns. Sometimes it's just a bag that got opened, fruit may have a blemish (bruise spot, etc.). Buying markdown produce can greatly help in your grocery budget for fresh fruit and veggies.
If you can find more than you can eat fresh... consider dehydrating (make fruit leather, or fruit chips, dry and chop for granola and trail mix), freezing (slice or chop and freeze), or canning it (make fruit butters, can in a light syrup).
You can make fruit salad and use it as a nice light dessert or light breakfast -- top with yogurt or eat plain. Or Make a Fruit Parfait --- just fill a water goblet or wine glass or parfait glass if you have them about1/4 to 1/2 full with fruit, top with yogurt (plain, vanilla, etc. of your choice) then top with homemade granola. You could make these the night before and use for breakfast the next morning too for a nice , light breakfast in the summer (or anytime really).
Avocadoes - make guacamole and freeze it in 1 cup portions or 2 cups if you have a larger family like mine. It freezes great!
Onions - use old nylon stockings (pantyhose) to store your onions - cut the legs off the pantyhose and you'll be using those. Put in one onion, tie a knot above it, and continue up the leg doing that until you can put no more in the stocking leg. Hang the stocking of onions in your pantry area (the cooler, darker is better). When you need an onion, snip the stocking just below the knot starting from the bottom of the stocking. This will open it up to get that onion out but leave all other securely in place.
You can slice and dehydrate onions too. When dry, just break them up and you've got dried onion flakes for soups, dips, etc. WARNING: dehydrating onions emits a very strong onion smell so if you can set the dehydrator outside, it will help with not making your house smell like an onion.
Taters can be made into french fries and then frozen or made into hash browns and frozen.
If you buy markdown meat, you can freeze it immediately or use it for a meal that night or have it ready for meals in the days to come.
- Cook it all at once, and freeze meal size portions. Chicken can be ready to go for tortillas, stir fry, etc.
- Make up cooked ground meat mixtures and freeze those (have ready to go meat mixture for sloppy joes, tacos, taco salads and more - just heat and eat)
- roast can be put in the crockpot and cooked, then pulled apart and add bbq sauce (have for supper or lunch or freeze in meal portions).
02-28-2011, 08:18 AM
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