Is Eating at Home Cheaper?

Photo by miamism, via Flickr.

We all want what's best for our families. That goes without saying. But, there are times when we may have to choose price over quality when it comes to food. I don't know anyone who actually believes Chicken McNuggets and a small fry counts as a balanced meal, but it (usually) does cost less than buying a pack of chicken fillets and fresh vegetables, and you don't have to cook. So, how can you eat at home and save money?

First of all, you do need to compare the quality of the food you are making to the quality of food you would be getting at a restaurant.

Example: A Happy Meal costs roughly $3 (according to my .25 second Google search since I haven't actually been to a McDonald's since high school...) and an entire bag of Tyson's chicken nuggets can cost you less than $5, and that contains 3-4x the number of nuggets you would get in a Happy Meal. So that is easily a $6-$9 difference! Just keep in mind that these are both heavily processed meals, meaning that they provide little nutritional value.

The initial cost of cooking at home may be higher, since you are accounting for equipment, condiments, and spices, but once you are down to replacing only what is missing from your inventory, it can absolutely be the less expensive option.

Tips for grocery shopping:
1. Check online grocers for your staple foods. This will prevent you from browsing and picking up more food than you need. You will also save time and money because these foods will be delivered right to your door and many offer free shipping and/or discounts like Amazon's subscribe and save program. I also like this idea because you can compare prices without leaving the couch.

2. Come up with a weekly/biweekly/monthly grocery list. It is possible to do your grocery shopping for the month in one trip. Once I try it, I will let you know how it goes. :) This is the list I plan to shop from once my family is in Texas, courtesy of cavemanstrong.com. Again, this will help you from getting off-track and making any impulsive purchases.

3. Subscribe to a "deals and steals" newsletter. I get weekly updates from forthoodsavers.com since that is tailored to what will be my local shopping area. There are tons of local, regional, and national coupon newsletters available online! (I will try to investigate the legitimacy of some bigger websites in the future.)

4. Sign up for newsletters or coupon clubs from grocery stores you visit most frequently. I am a part of the Publix Baby Club and I get really valuable coupons (including BOGO and FREE products) every quarter for baby-related items as well as some "family" related items. For example, I just got $1 off coupons for fresh meat and deli items, which are extremely hard to find.
     And for my military mamas, don't forget to sign up for the Commissary Connection. The Commissary Rewards Card also recently became available worldwide. If you use one, leave me a comment and tell me how you like it!

5. This is the oldest trick in the book, but ONLY shop the perimeter of the grocery store. My husband and I have made a habit of hitting the produce, meat, and dairy sections on our trips. That way we aren't tempted to try out the new Ben & Jerry's flavors or pick up some donuts for an "easy" breakfast. (Because scrambling eggs is just so hard...)

Make it Paleo *Review*

The Food Lovers Kitchen was one of the first websites I visited while researching paleo meals and nutrition. Their website is incredibly easy to navigate and full of useful information. The recipes are separated by course (breakfast, entrees, sides, treats, etc.) and they even have menus for planning special occasions like football games, Thanksgiving, summer cookouts, and birthday dinners.

I was given a copy of their cookbook Make it Paleo to review for you guys, and I have to say I really was impressed. I found several cheap and easy recipes that I could try without even needing to make a trip to the grocery store. I read in a few reviews that some of the recipes were too simple. How is that possible? As a mother, the most basic things tend to slip my mind, and yes I am one of those people that needs a recipe to make bacon and eggs. :)

I love that (as someone new to paleo) you can find recipes to replace meals that tend to be considered staples in most homes. I can still eat waffles and pancakes for breakfast! There is also plenty of useful information in the front of the book for someone just starting out on this path including:
- a list of seasonal fruits and veggies
- a basic overview of what foods do and do not fit into a paleo lifestyle
- essential ingredients for paleo cooking and baking

It was really difficult to narrow down which recipes to try out for this review, but I decided to build my menu around seasonal produce and stick to my skill level and cooking preferences.
For dinner, I made pot roast in the crock pot with turnips, onions, celery, and carrots. It was seasoned with a bouquet of fresh herbs, which made me feel fancy. It called for parsnips, but I won't lie. I had no clue what a parsnip looked like and I was too embarrassed to ask, so the roast was sans parsnip. (Now I know, it's kind of like a brown carrot.)

The 2.5lb chuck roast fed six people with no leftovers.

 

*fresh*

I made mashed cauliflower (to replace mashed white potatoes) and they were delicious! I don't have any pictures, but I think you can paint a mental picture here. ;)

Amazing meal. I am clearly *not* a food photographer.

For dessert, again I wanted something seasonal and not too complicated. So, we had baked apples. They tasted just like a healthier version of apple pie. I cannot wait to make them again! Even my dad, who doesn't eat fruit, ate the whole thing.

Cheap, easy, healthy, and delicious! Can't beat that.

Overall, we had a successful meal and it was simple enough for someone like me--the dummy who catches a paper towel on fire while trying to wipe down a gas stove... while it's still on. It was also inexpensive. I fed six people (including my hungry Army man) on less than $50.

Prep/Candid pics. Just because:

 

In the kitchen. What my brother would call "a woman's place."

Hubby, chowing down. (Ignore all the non-paleo condiments please...)

The whole family. Clearly, I am not *any* type of photographer. 

Tl;dr - If you are considering paleo, you NEED this cookbook. Like I said, it is very user-friendly. Great for beginners. Lots of information without being overwhelming.

Where to get it: The Food Lovers Amazon Store. It's $19.01, but you can also purchase the Kindle edition for $9.99 if you don't mind being deprived of the food photos.

Also: If you're not ready to purchase, at the very least, you need to download their myKitchen app for Android and iPhone. It includes 400+ recipes and you can customize weekly meal plans and shopping lists. Great for those days when you can't decide what to make!

Southern Savers

I went through an "extreme couponing" phase last year in which I memorized the coupon and discount policies for every grocery store in the tri-county area. I got over that as soon as I realized Publix doesn't double coupons in Florida. (Bummer, right?) However, I did still find Southern Savers to be an extremely valuable resource.
Yes, it is called Southern Savers, but the site includes national chains (like Target, Wal-Mart, CVS, and Whole Foods) as well. The ads are updated regularly and include "Deal Ideas" which group coupons together for the maximum savings.
If you are new (or just completely oblivious) to couponing, the site also offers an explanation of the system and strategies you can use to get the most out of your efforts.

I just wanted to share this blog with you guys because I found it to be not only extremely helpful, but also very easy to navigate. So, check out Southern Savers and utilize the information Jenny works so hard to provide on your next shopping trip!