Saving Money In Hard Times

We're all looking for ways to cut costs and stretch our dollars! Here are some ideas for saving money without depriving yourself. Here are some tips on saving money:

Shop in the bakery early in the day for mark downs on day-old items.
Shop in the meat department late in the day when items about to go past the "sell by" date go on sale. This meat is perfectly safe and can be frozen to be used later.
Buy store brands. The quality is often the same as brand names but they're less expensive since they don't pay big bucks for TV and print advertising.
Avoid processed foods. They may be convenient, but they're more expensive and less nutritious. Look at websites like Epicurious.com for quick meal recipes--and past recipes on this blog.
Clip coupons. Look for free items, that you will actually use, and stores that double or triple coupons. There are also websites with downloadable coupons, but beware of getting on a mailing list that generates a lot of unwanted mail.
Compare prices: look closely at the tag on the shelf which has the price per unit. Sometimes a package that looks cheaper is actually more expensive per item.
Buy in Bulk. Things cost less if you buy larger quantities. But, don't buy things just because they're cheap. Unused food is wasted money.
Make a list and stick to it--avoid grabbing miscellaneous items on a whim. Grocery stores know consumers do this so they load up the check out stand with profitable items.
Eat your leftovers. Surprisingly, some people toss their leftovers which wastes money. Freeze servings of your cooking for easy meals later. This also saves you from having to buy pricey packaged frozen meals.
But don't deprive yourself. Like choosing a diet to lose weight, you need to have food that you enjoy. If your diet is so harsh that you feel deprived, you'll end up overeating. So, keep a few things you like, like wine, in your budget. A nice bottle of wine makes a meal special. Dress up your table with candles and toast to a "meal out" at home! Another wine savings idea: our Recession-busting Grand Tour Wine Club.
Eat lower on the food chain. Meat and seafood are expensive and some include unwanted saturated fats. Grains, beans, soy and nuts are protein-rich without artery-clogging saturated fat. Check out past blog entries for meatless recipes!
If you eat meat, eat less. The average American eats 50% more protein than recommended. The USDA defines a serving of ground beef as 3 ounces (less than 1/5 of a pound). An example of a good dollar-stretching strategy is to make a meat dish and eat half your normal portion, then keep the rest for leftovers another day--two meals for the price of one!
Save your red wine leftovers. If you have a bit of wine leftover after a few days that is getting vinegary--save it and use if for salad dressings. I keep refilling a bottle with leftover red wine and sprinkle my salads with it, fines herbes, salt, freshly ground pepper and good olive oil. Delicious and less expensive than store bought.