Sunday, January 25, 2009

Green on a budget.

A long time ago some douche bag politician said that America is the only country whose poor people were fat. I don't remember who said it, or in what context but this has stuck in my brain. Well of course they are fat! Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and quality meats are freakin' expensive! You know whats not expensive? The McDonalds dollar menus. And the Wendy's dollar menu, and the Arby's 5 for 5, and KFC....need I go on? Take a trip to the grocery store and compare- what's going to feed a family for less? Canned food, boxed food, stuff with lots of crap and not alot of substance.

So whats a person to do?

I start by doing an exauhsting and neverending tour de grocery shopping. If I make it sound terrible, it's because it kinda is... however the family just can not afford convience anymore. What ever, here is what I do...
1. Shop the warehouse stores first. I go to Costco for staples, and the occasional organic surprise: Boca Burgers, organic frozen vegtables, free range organic eggs, organic bread and peanut butter. If I have some one to share it with, I'll buy the organic fresh produce- otherwise it's a waste.
2. Clip coupons: No every Sunday is a winner, but I'll get some pretty sweet deals every now and then.
3. Shop the generic brands- Both Cub and Rainbow have their own Organic lines, and truly the deals are good, and the taste is good. How can you lose?
4. Make frequent visits to the outlet, closeout, and overstock stores, like Big Lots. Sometimes you find things you need and actually use! Once I found Tom's of Maine toothpaste for $2.00 a tube (reg. 4.99 and up)- I now have enough toothpaste to last until next year. That same trip I also spied a ton of 7th Generation products for half their retail price. I also found West Soy plain soymilk at the Dollar Tree, and it wasn't even expired!;)

Your not going to cut your grocery bills in half or anything, but comparison shopping is really the only way to save.