There are certain things that I buy in large amounts every month so that my kid and I don't run out of food before the end of the month. Those things include a 5 pound bag of rice, a flat of 36 eggs, a huge canister of quick cooking oats, 2 big jars of peanut better, and a huge bag of all purpose flour so that I can bake various things or make pizza dough. Sometimes I buy a big bag of Idaho potatoes for $1.99, or a bag of onions or a big head of cabbage. Basic things like this are like a warm blanket over your stomach, because if you have at least rice, eggs and veggies, you're never really out of food. What kind of stuff do you stock up on every month to stretch your food dollar?
Agreed, it's much the same in our house whenever we're able to...that's one thing I really like about Costco, and a lot of the time we'll get really big bundles and split them up between our houses with friends and family so we both have a lot for a really good price. I'm right with you on the rice and flour, we usually have a fair amount of dry cereal and oatmeal, too. We get a ton of pasta in our house, and cous cous. I feel like having things like that around is a good backdrop for your meals...then you just add in the protein and/or veggies and you've got a full meal.
I make sure that we have enough rice. It is the staple food here, so I really can't let it run out. Hmm I also make sure that we have canned sardines and cooking oil. I don't really need to stock eggs because my dad has a poultry farm. Vegetables are also not good because I do not want them to rot.
Every month I buy eggs, milk, pasta, rice, bacon, and cheese as stapes. Everything else I add on depending on what I plan on making in the upcoming weeks. Usually that includes meats like chicken, pork, and beef. If I happen to find a staple on sale I'll stock up and store away/freeze the rest.
I buy eggs, bread, milk, cereal, pasta. rice, beans, canned fruit, and canned veggies every month. I usually have to work my way through the more expensive stuff that I like best. But, at least I know I will have healthy food left over at the end. Freezing bread helps to make it last longer.
I make sure I am always stocked up on crushed tomatoes, and pasta, as well as Romano cheese. Push comes to shove, a big bowl of spaghetti is always comforting to eat, and filling. I also stock up on some fresh Italian bread too. Some of the other things I will always buy: 5lb bag of potatoes or a 2lb bag of frozen fries Eggs Chicken breasts and thighs (bone in, skin on) Ground beef Boneless pork chops 2-3 bags of frozen vegetables - usually a pepper & onion blend, and a brocrolli/carrot/cauliflower blend, and some spinach Flour tortillas Rice Better Than Bouillon soup bases, as needed Soy sauce, as needed Deli lunch meats and cheeses, usually a pound of some meat, and a pound of sliced cheese 2-3 bags of salad mix Black beans Kidney beans Canellini beans A couple of boxes of Iced Tea bags Butter & Oil as needed Turkey Sausage for breakfast Pre-cooked bacon English muffins Natural peanut butter Grape jam Orange juice A bottle of salad dressing, as needed Several cans of El Pato brand chile sauce and jalapeno sauce Green onions Garlic Parsley Cilantro Limes Lemons Escarole Cabbage Mushrooms (canned if I am tight on money) Jalapenos Red onions White onions Cucumber Tomato Croutons Shredded cheese Olive oil Canola oil Hamburger buns Veggie burger patties I think that about covers it, lol. Plus I may buy a couple frozen meals for when I am really not in the mood to cook or not feeling well.
Ohio Tom, your shopping list is making me hungry. Cilantro is a luxury around these parts. But, it is a really flexible herb that adds a certain "je ne se quoi" to otherwise bland foods. It's so hard to eat healthily on a tight budget! Even with all of the new taxation on so-called unhealthy foods, produce and nutritious lean protein is still very expensive.
The first thing I noticed was the boxes of iced tea bags. We drink a lot of iced tea around here because it averages out to about 25 cents a pitcher, depending on the brand. The only drink that's cheaper than that is plain tap water. We never get tired of iced tea.
I usually buy lentils, quinoa, aduki beans, spelt, soy milk and sometimes eggs or tins of fish. With those ingredients handy in the pantry, it's easy to just add a few fresh vegetables and herbs to create a quick and satisfying meal. I always get very creative when I am a little short of food, forever trying out new combinations and experimenting with whatever I have available.
Peanut butter, jelly and bread must be in the house all the time. After that we get eggs, cheese, yogurt and oatmeal are things that we keep in the house all the time. The list is longer than the few items I listed but these are the must haves.
My main staples are: Green lentils, black beans (uncooked), pinto beans (uncooked), various canned beans, tomato sauce, spinach, lettuce, roma tomatoes, veggie meat, grapeseed extract oil, and a tub of chocolate cat cookies from Trader Joe's. I also stock up my spices. I don't like to run out. I always buy cumin, tumeric, rock salt, California garlic powder (a Trader Joe's thing), cinnamon black pepper corns and Emeril's Essence if I can find it.
Wow yall are some stocker uppers! Mostly what I buy in big bags is potatoes. There are so many things you can do with them: hash brown, baked, boiled, fried, in casseroles. I'm sure there are some I am forgetting. I am a couponer and I really never run out of much. I buy toilet paper in huge quantities when it is on sale and I have a coupon, but that's not food. Why pre-cooked bacon? Isn't that horribly expensive? I've never bought it myself. Next year I am going to try to grow a lot of our fresh fruits and veggies.
I don't have a monthly list, but I have a number of dry/non-perishable foods that I always make sure I have well stocked. My thought being that should something happen financially, I would not run out of food for a while even if I had to wait for a paycheck or something. Pantry essentials for me: Beans--white, garbanzo, mung, black eyed peas, lentils and split peas. At least a large crock pot's worth of each Brown rice Minute rice (in case of power outage, can be eaten after soaking for while) Flax seeds Quinoa Corn meal Soy sauce Tea and coffee I also try to keep at least 2 bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer, usually a bag of California mix and a stir fry mix.
My main staples are the following: Bag of rice if I'm out -Ground Beef -Boneless chicken Breasts -Strawberries/Bananas/Grapes -Onions/Broccoli -Spinnach -Two loaves of bread -PB/and J if Im out -1 LB of turkey and 1/2 a LB of Roast Beef -Provolone cheese I pretty much make sure to get these things each month. And I'll add on to it with some junk food and other impulse buys that looks good to eat at the time.
