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.

The $4/gallon of gas has made me change my habits. I used to do an errand a day because that's all i have the energy to do. but i can't afford to do that at these prices.

And I also do what I can to care for my elderly parents. They are in their 80s (Dad has Alzheimers and Mom is the caretaker). My mother still drives but pretty much only to the local grocery store. So when I come for my weekly visit, I am met at the door with a list of places she needs to go to, and a list of people to phone for her (she is hard of hearing so i make phone calls for her, too) This starts with a 50 mile round trip to their house, plus whatever mileage gets added depending on where she wants to go that day.

Tomorrow I'll take Mother to her cardiology appointment - an extra 40 miles for me to drive. i often have to take a nap at their house before heading home. That puts me at the height of rush hour traffic to return home, but what can you do?

We're trying to get respite care for my mom, and of course I have to be there for interviews with prospective aides for my dad. Oh well, regardless of how hard the trips are getting for me, it's easier than when we lived in Virginia! At least i'm local.

And in addition to all this, we are applying for Medicaid for my dad, and that may involve multiple trips to the lawyers or other stops to help with the paperwork regarding that process. It's been 8 months so far and we're not done yet! if anyone wants details, PM me - and i'll be glad to share.

So the rest of the week I pretty much stay home and if there are errands to be done, i wait for the weekend and my husband & I go out together.

Asi es la vida!

It's amazing how quickly things can change. It was just a short time ago Canadians used to cross the border to fill up their gas tanks...those that lived close to the border. Not anymore, and no immediate reprieve in sight. I don't even know what the cost is anymore. It cost me $60. last time I filled my tank compared with a $40. fill up 6 months ago, compared to a $20. fillup when I was working....5 yrs ago. I'm thinking about buying a donkey. It would keep the grass under control, I don't need a license to ride it, and I'd have someone to talk to when I'm lonely. The only drawback is I'd have to leave Tuesday for my Neuro apptmt on Thursday!

Rosebud

this may sound crazy, but I've relatives who (in the past) had a couple of goats to eat the grass. they live in the country with a lot of land. and the goats kept the land cleared and ate just about everything.

Jean - the University of Washington recently used a herd of goats to clear wide expanses of lawn on campus; they were rented from a company called "Landscape Goats" . . . !!! cracks me up every time I think of it!