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Grocery Shopping

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guest2toototwo

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I am wondering why there is not a thread about grocery shopping. I mean, most people can get a paycheck, a loaf of bread, and some peanut butter as basic needs, yes. But, there's so much more to this. I mean, im assuming people pick up habits and little tricks through practice? or everyone has their own ways of going about it.

what kind of lesson or tips can you give out?
 
tips on gorcery shopping?

hmm. i guess the best tip is to know thy store. and make a list. that way you dont forget things and can make a plan not to waste too much time (or money on impulse buys).

and most importantly, do not go shopping while hungry. it is a surefire way to buy waaay too many ingredients that will just clog up the refrigerator until you finally decide you arent really going to cook some thai/indian fusion dish you once saw on the tv....
 
Find the best places to get everything.
Ex. I found this fruit stand where I get all my fruits and veggies. Much better quality than a regular grocery store. Often times bakeries will also have better deals and better quality breads and whatnot.

Make a list of what you need. This includes planning in advance. Do you want to make pad thai in the next week? Well get the ingredients.

When you know what you make often (ex. I will always need... margarine), I'll keep an eye on those sales. If it's a good deal, I'll buy it in bulk (if you CAN... obviously for fresh fruits and veggies it's hard). When my favourite brands of Tofurkey sausages go on sale, I get a few packs.

Make sure you aren't hungry when you go shopping.

Avoid impulse buys. Those things at the cash register? You don't need them!
 
farmers markets are the bomb.

shop the perimeter of the grocery store.

day olds for the win.
 
kingme said:
tips on gorcery shopping?

hmm. i guess the best tip is to know thy store. and make a list. that way you dont forget things and can make a plan not to waste too much time (or money on impulse buys).

and most importantly, do not go shopping while hungry. it is a surefire way to buy waaay too many ingredients that will just clog up the refrigerator until you finally decide you arent really going to cook some thai/indian fusion dish you once saw on the tv....
Click to expand...

Ya impulse buys are a bitch
 
it all starts with spices for me, gotta get it from an organic market not that irradiated crap they sell in the supermarkets. i'll buy big bags of whatever's fresh, dose it out into smaller containers for immediate use and keep the rest sealed in mason jars to keep fresh.

herbs are key too, prefer to get those wherever they're freshest and buy as much as you can get then wash them in one go, shake the water off, roll them up into ziploc bags like you're rolling a fattie and then put in freezer and you have fresh herbs on demand that never wither.

goat cheese is fucking delicious. i've honestly never had any type of goat cheese that wasn't superior to dairy cheese. you might have to go out of your way to find a good goat cheese supply, but it's worth it. i go through a fair bit of goat feta since they come in convenient half-kilo bricks and are great with eggs or salads in any quantity. goat feta lasts literally a year in the fridge, so you can buy 2-3 kg at a time and just make it a staple food if you like. lactose-intolerant ppl can also enjoy it.

vegetables that don't get much exposure and are easily washed (eg. Bell peppers) don't need to be organic as far as i'm concerned but for stuff that grows close to the ground and has nooks n crannies i would go with no less. for meats and eggs usually i'll go with "organic"/free range but i don't eat that much meat so the quality is worth the price difference. if you've seen Food Inc. or docos like that you wouldn't eat the store brand stuff either. what they're allowed to and actually do put in that stuff is so disgusting and definitely not reasonably fit for human consumption.

onions and garlic are must-haves for any sort of legit cooking (in addition to spices, ofc), carrots and celery and other root vegetables can come in handy for big hearty meals like chili/stew and the remains you can still use in soup so they're good to have in the fridge and then you're pretty much forced to make some tasty, wholesome food with them.

mushrooms are often overlooked but they're really popular with beef and you're likely to find some sort of beef and mushroom dish at any restaurant. they're easy as shit to dice up and either sautee with something tart (eg. wine) or add to a soup or stew.

random advice:

talk to the fuckers at the store and get their shipments schedule, go for the foods you want on the days they get them fresh, especially for staples like bread and eggs.

buy strange shit like endives or artichoke and figure out how to use them

find a market that goes to great lengths to procure fresh, exotic fruits and buy all your fruit there. seriously, supermarket fruit is seldom ever better than shite, no sense wasting your money on it there when there's a market out there that can supply you with grapefruits sweet as oranges and mangoes that will make you forget you're sober.

freeze anything you don't plan to eat within the next two days, and don't buy raw meat or fish when you haven't figure out what you're going to do and whether you even have time for it.

explore oddball condiment combos. pickled beets with horseradish are actually pretty interesting. legit sauerkraut (just salt + cabbage) is healthy as fuck and goes DAMN well with beef stew or weiners.

that's all i got for now. it seems like a lot but with shortcuts and the fact that a lot of stuff can be reused in a number of dishes it's not as daunting to resupply as it seems, just have to find your rhythm and then you'll be capable of the zen art of shopping without a list and never having anything go bad on you ;)
 
The more you shop, the better you get at finding the best deals. A little sleight of hand action can save you some money too ya know wat i mean? Haha
 
Fruit and vegetables that are in season are always cheaper.
 
what they do in europe is make kompot and fruit brandy with all the surplus during harvest time and then there's enough fruit and drink to keep everyone sauced through the winter.
 
My 2 cents..

Never ever EVER shop on a Tuesday.. I don't know what it is, but ppl are just stupid on Tuesdays!! Plus, it's after the Sunday ads and right before Wednesdays. Sometimes they don't have what I want on Tuesdays too, but if I have to go in, I go in for strictly one meal ingredients then get out.. But again, that's just my opinion ;)
You think I'm crazy, but just see, the next time u shop on a Tuesday, take note. Then shop on a diff day, u will see a difference!
 
Always check slickdeals.net for free/cheap stuff. Eat before you go.

And always put at least 1 thing back before checkout. There's always atleast one thing in your cart you don't need.

No candy cell phones nor astronaut bread!!
 
Health wise, a good tip is to stick to the outer edges of the store where the coolers and produce and deli are located and keep away from most of the inside, which is where the packaged goods are generally housed.

I have to make a list because I have absolutely no appetite due to depression, so I have to force myself to shop and buy food that looks gross to me. But a lot of people insist on going on a full stomach as the temptation to overspend is less if you're not hungry.
 
Also, making a meal plan and knowing exactly what you'll need for the week is a great way to not only save money but also reduce food waste. Make a large pot or pan or meal and portion it into containers instead of buying frozen or packaged dinners; healthier and way cheaper.
 
Eggs are close to the healthiest thing you can eat. Bacon goes well with them as well.
 
Don't go around 5 pm. The reason should be obvious.
Don't go during mid-day. You want to avoid 3-carters and screaming children.
Don't shop at stores where most of the customers are fat. You don't want to eat what they're eating.
It's best to go late at night or relatively early.
Never use a cart. Don't buy more than you can put in a hand basket. This will keep you from making impulse buys, buying junk food, and other things you don't need. You want to be able to use the express counter if there is one, and you can almost always do this if you only have a basket.
Always go when you're hungry. If I've already eaten, I only buy the 1 or 2 things that I first think of then I start thinking of what I'd rather be doing and then I need to GTFO.
Go 3 or 4 times per week so you'll always have fresh fruit and vegetables.
Find the best markets for individual items.
Try to shop at places that are within walking/cycling distance so you don't waste time commuting. This will also help keep you from buying things you don't need.
Don't go to big chain stores during the first week of the month because that's when food stamps are distributed.
Make a list on paper or in your head if you're going to do something complicated.
 
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Make a large pot or pan or meal
Click to expand...
My wife was always good for that. She would fill up this big ass pot with various vegetables,beans, vegetables, soups, etc. and it would last a whole week usually.
 
harmacologist said:
farmers markets are the bomb.

shop the perimeter of the grocery store.

day olds for the win.
Click to expand...

i also check the reduced merchandise section first. especially if i am grabbing stuff for a meal i plan on cooking that day.

loyalty cards are good for savings, lots of stores let you rack up gas discounts for every $100 you spend at the store. if you don't want the store to track your shopping habits, give fake info on the application or tell the cashier you will take the application home to fill out.
 
When there is something that cost say 2.50 and they have a deal that says 10 for $1 meaning each one is a buck. You do not need to buy 10 to get the $1 price, you just have to get more than one :)
Also, you already have things at home. Make a list of what you "need" then look at what you have and make things that will use what you have as part of the meal and write that down. Then do NOT buy anything that is not on the list.
If you drink milk, get WHOLE milk NOT 2% or 1%. When they take the fat out to make it 2% they add in 4 times more sugar. Your body only uses the sugar it needs and turns the rest into FAT. But your body will burn almost all of the fat thats in the milk because somes fats are actually good for you. Read the labels and you will see they just trade fat for sugar and sugar is worse.
 
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