The rising cost of gasoline is impacting my grocery bill! I have been stunned by the increase in the cost of my groceries, particularly fresh produce, dairy and other perishables in recent months. The purpose of this thread is to discuss some of the strategy's we can use to make our food dollars go further.

When I was a kid we had a large garden on one side of the yard that produced a good part of the potatoes, cabbage, carrots and other vegetables that got us through the winter. Some were stored in sand filled bins, and some were canned. Bread was baked from scratch, and treats were rare. Both my parents had lived through the depression. I don't want to be the Parkie that cried "wolf", but I guess that's what I'm doing. Many of us live on disability incomes, and making every penny count is rapidly rising on my list of lifeskills.

Here are some of the things I am implementing to st-r-e-t-ch my resources:

1.Go to the grocery store with a list. If it's not on the list I don't get it.
2. Make a large pot of soup out of stuff I would have thrown out in the past.
3. Keeping a Plastic bucket in the freezer to hold things for soup or stew that
won't last until I'm up to making another pot of soup or stew.
4. Stripping all the meat off the bones off chicken /turkey etc so I can use
bones for soup stock.
5. Go grocery shopping with a friend so only one of us is paying gas.
6. Using a spatula to clean out that peanut butter jar or jam jar.
7. storing and returning all recycleable cont, to get my fee's back.
8. Staying out of stores when possible.
9. Taking good used clothes to a consignment store.
10. Borrowing books from the library, not buying them.
11. Buying computer paper etc now, because It's cheap for students.
12. Buying Bulk from Costco and splitting with a friend.

These are a few of the things my mother would have done and it's time to do them again.

By the way, Christmas is coming -start thinking about it now.

Please add your thoughts to this thread. Things are going to get worse before they get better, and I'm not being negative...I'm being real.

dear rosebud,
I look on the products of things I buy, to see if there is a www.
if there is I look for coupons?
I have a small list BRB...if it helps -because you are a Canadian eh?

www.kashi.com -usually you must register so you can print the coupons off on your printer
www.organicvalley.coop
www.seventhgeneration.com
www.naturespath.com
http://www.stonyfield.com/
then this is coupon sites?
fatwallet.com -the free forum...
thats all for me?

I drive alot less, and I plan my routes so that I get all my stuff done without making a special trip somewhere..Like if theres a store on the way to a specific destination, I will stop on the way..When gas was $3 a gallon it used to cost me $36 a week..Now at $4 Im only spending $27 a week

When I grocery shop I look for sales, where as before I didnt pay a whole lot of atention to it..Theres alot of stuff I wont buy unless its on sale

Ive also been trying not to put the AC on unless I have to in the day time..I cant sleep without it at night..And I dont leave lights on all over the house anymore either

Its really tough to stretch out that SSDI check

1. turn your AC up til it is warm, but comfortable
2. I drive one of my daugters cars, instead of my Suburban; 25+ miles per gallon as opposed to 12-14 MPG.
3.water just enough to keep your yard green.

My dad and cousin fed the whole extended family out of a 1 acre plot and gave a lot of it away. Farming is hard work but if you make a small manageable-sized plot, it is doable I grew corn and pole beans for a number of years. Hydroponic is easy and low maintenance too. It is perfect for those who live in an apartment.

We have 5 kids and a family friend living with us, so we don't have to split our Costco bulk purchases. You might consider going to the local wholesale produce market. You can split the produce up with your neighbors. it is amazing how much markup there is by your local grocery store.

Charlie

I've cut way back on driving, combining as many tasks as I can at one time and simply just staying at home more. When buying groceries, I never buy anything unless it is on sale or I buy the store brand.

I am amazed at how much the price of gas and groceries has really changed my buying practices!

A little over a year ago I traded my Dodge Ram P/U (10 mpg, on a good day ) for a Scion Xb (32 mpg ) The payments for the Xb are higher but I save more in gas than the increase in the payment.

Even @ 32 mpg, @ $4+ per gallon my trips are planned. The days of just going out for a drive are just memories.

I use on line bill pay from my bank, save a little on stamps and a trip to the post office.

Watch for newspaper ads offering to sell you a new car for thousands less than sticker price. if the ad keeps running head for the dealer. you can cash in on their bait and switch. my last new car purchase was for $8788.
window sticker more than $13,000+.

Expect to be told to go away. if that happens go home and call the manufacturer, and the newspaper running the bait and switch.
a couple of weeks later you can buy at the advertised price. I have bought new proteges, a sentra, and a ford montego this way.

another opportunity for no haggling new car purchase is to watch for a dealer to write in big letters on the windshield a bargain price.

small cars have improved safety. if one suits you it will more than pay for itself in fuel savings. my $8788 sentra goes 40 mpg. compared to 20 mpg the savings on gas would be about $l0,000 on l00,000 miles at current prices.
japanese imports are so dependable ive spent nothing on repairs now
having 109,433 on the odometer, it has never failed to start and go.

davos
b 1936
dx 2000
stage 2-3

If you can find one, I recommend the Toyota Avalon. It is a full size sedan that seats five comfortable adults and gets 35 mpg - the best in its class. Mine is a 1996 and hasn't given any trouble.

Use the web to search within a half day's drive. And look for areas where businesses have dumped a big lease on the local market. I drove 300 miles to Atlanta because a big company had saturated the market and there were a couple of dozen in the north part of the city's used car lots.

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A friend took a trip with her sister in the family AVALON...impressed she had to have one too.

davos ...... PS Thanks for the idea of showing data.
b 1936 ..... Also info on meds and supplements you take.
dx 2000.... I'm taking most of the same plus isradipine an
stage 2.5.. simvastatin already needed for high cholesterol
.............. and hypertension.

I've seen many Amish patronizing salvage groceries. i dont know if they buy the pop tarts for a dime or fancy bottled dressing for a dime.
microwave popcorn 25 cents.... they probably grow their own popcorn.
a box of several hundred "nutrition bars" for $6. the cashier checks every item and i've never had to return anything for refund. look for a well
lighted and good management stores with genuine bargain prices.

did you know DOLLAR GENERAL is building combination supermarket and
current misc.

my mother used to make dresses out of print feed sacks.

an elderly friend said her mother could take a pound of butter and a pound of lard and make it taste like 2 pounds of lard.

one time friends who were coming for dinner called to cancel. mom said
"oh darn..and i put 2 eggs in the cornbread !!!..."

davos