Home Menus Venues Weddings Pictures About The Red Walrus Contact Us Free Quote	Stretching the Grocery Dollar As we all have seen the grocery prices going up and the packages getting smaller, knowing how to grocery shop is more important now than in the past 20 years. The following tips were adapted and revised from www.imustbedreaming.com with thanks to Jamie. We learned these tips when we first moved out on our own, but many have forgotten them. Tip #1 is “make a list.” I can’t tell you how important this first part is. By making a list, I don’t just mean make a short list of what you’re out of or think you want. Think about what meals you’re going to prepare at home in the next couple of weeks or so, and how many times you’re going to need the more costly items, like meat and fresh produce. Meal planning is step one in paring down your grocery bill considerably. It doesn’t need to necessarily be formal meal planning, but at least have a general idea of what you’re actually going to use this grocery cycle. We all know the cliché: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Well, in this case it’s not just a cliché, it’s a truism. Tip #2: “use coupons.” Stop groaning. How much would you have to save by using coupons in order to consider it “worth it?” $5? $25? I usually save about $15-$20 just by using coupons that take me perhaps 10 minutes to print and cut out. You can find coupons all over the place. They come in the mail, in packaging of items you buy, on the back of last week’s grocery receipt, in fliers and in the newspapers. But today, more importantly, coupons abound on the internet. Try Smartsource, Coupons.com, and even your local grocery store. Often they have coupons on their website. Tip #3 is “don’t be a slave to the idea of shopping at the same store all of the time.” Many people, myself included, tend to like one grocery store over another–but that preference can be costly, and unless we’re talking about produce, the quality of the goods is generally the same. Frosted Flakes are Frosted Flakes. Tip #4: if there are two grocery stores close to each other, compare their fliers. I’m lucky enough to have two competing grocery stores directly across the street from one another, so splitting my grocery list to take advantage of both sales on the same day often saves me an extra $20-$30. That’s almost a half tank of gas! Tip #5: buy in bulk whenever possible. You may think this doesn’t apply to you if you’re single or only buying for the two of you, but that’s why we have freezers and neighbors. Items like granola bars, popcorn, and other dry goods can be purchased at Costco or Sam’s Club for a fraction of the price, and will last you 6 months or more. The advantage of buying in bulk, obviously, is that you reduce your unit price. So you’re paying 20 cents for that bag of Orville Reddenbacher movie theatre butter microwave popcorn instead of 40 cents per bag. If you keep your eye on your unit price, you will save money. Tip #6: don’t be afraid of “Store Brand” products. I can honestly tell you that the Kroger’s brand of “Honey Bunches Of Oats with Almonds” tastes no different, as far as I can tell, from the Post brand of the same cereal. Except the Post box will cost you $1.50 more. For the box? Not today. I hope these tips help your grocery budget in these economic times. Remember – PLAN/CLIP/FREEZE/THINK and you will be amazed as the savings amount. Budget Saving Jeera Chicken Recipe This serves 2 adults with two lunch portions for leftovers, so call it 3-4 servings. •2 Tbs oil, blend or canola •4-6 chicken tenders (a pound altogether) •1/2 an onion, cut in half and then sliced ,br> •2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed •salt and pepper to taste •2 tsp curry powder •1 12-14 ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk •1-2 tsp curry paste •1 can diced tomatoes •1 Tbs dried basil •Major Grey's mango chutney Start your rice cooking. For 3-4 people, use 1 cup rice and 2 cups water, plus 1/2 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 20-25 minutes. If it gets done before the curry is done just turn the heat off and let it sit a bit. Heat the oil in a pan at a medium heat. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. Add the onion and garlic to the heated oil and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the curry powder and cook another minute. Add the coconut milk and stir; then stir in the curry paste. (You can use red or green curry paste.) Cook another few minutes, stirring. Add the chicken and cook at a simmer until the chicken is done, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook till heated through. Stir in the basil. Serve over rice with pita bread.