How I save money at the co-op! (Part One)

I made the mistake of saying "We buy all our food at the co-op". I must clarify that statement: We buy 90% of our food at the co-op. We really do, and we have actually been saving money doing so! It is amazing, Brody at first was not sure we could do it, but after 3 months of co-op shopping, I have made my case and no more complaining from him!

I have been asked how we do it, and so here it is my guide on how to save money at the co-op, and to eat healthy! I am going to do this in segments. Part 1 will be just basic on how to save grocery shopping, Part 2: how to save at the Co-op, and Part 3: A complete rundown, step by step, with my full grocery list and amount spent on our actual next shopping trip. PLEASE!! Ask questions, post comments, even call me if you have questions or want to get together and go as a group.

Part One: How to save on every grocery shopping trip!

First here are three things that if you are not going, you should do! These 3 things will save you money on matter where you shop!

1. MAKE A LIST!!! We have all been told many times that a grocery list will save to money and time. It is true! Do it. Even if you never ever shop at the co-op or think I am a crazy non shaving, liberal hippie (I have plenty of friends that will vouch otherwise!) MAKE A LIST!

2. NEVER GO GROCERY SHOPPING HUNGRY!!! Always eat first. This prevents you from deviating from your list and just grabbing whatever looks good. The only time I EVER do go 'hungry' is when I have to go shopping to make dinner, but I make sure I have a list, and before check out I go through the cart and see what is not on the list and ask myself, "Is this because I am hungry?" 9 times out of 10 it doesn't get purchased.

3. COUPONS!!! The co-op always has stuff on sale and they have coupons, this is the best way to try something new. Most grocery stores send out flyers on what is on sale. There are even sites like Coupons.com where you can find coupons for almost everything. I know that coupon clipping takes time, and is hard to start doing, but 50 cents off yogurt adds up. Sales are great too. Just because you like one kind of yogurt, if a different kind is on sale try it (only if it is cheaper than your normal!)

Here are some other helpful tidbits:

Shop the parameter. ~ The healthier food is the non processed food. The smaller the ingredient list the less cheap processed garbage is in it. Apples are apples, pre-cut apples have preservatives which a)cost more, b) are packaged in plastic and shipped from who know where, and c) do not taste as good as a real apple.

Frozen vegetables. ~ What a time saver!! I love vegetables but sometimes you cannot find a good price on some. Frozen chopped vegetables are the answer. Their price rarely changes and they last a little longer than fresh. Plus most frozen vegetables and fruits have been IGF (individually quick frozen)! This means that they were picked at their ripest state the flash frozen for maximum freshness.

Canned goods. ~ We get a mixture of canned beans and dry beans. We also get canned tomatoes and other commonly used (at least in my kitchen) goods. I get these for a few reasons a) food storage, b) quickness, and c) price. Canned goods last for a LONG time (The expiration date is an guideline. Unless cans have been dropped, dented, are rusty, or are bulging they will last for 5+ years) Cans are fast! They are great to have on hand to make soups, rinse and toss on a salad for extra protein, or even cook with rice for the perfect protein! Plus to top it all off canned food is CHEAP! A can of beans for 75 cents, that is enough protein for FOUR PEOPLE! Add a side of rice and some steamed vegetables Dinner in 30 minutes!

Make your own bread. ~ Seriously this does save money! For the same cost of buying bread for a month you can make bread once a week for a SIX MONTHS! You do not need a bread machine, just an oven, and large bowl, a good wooden spoon, and a bread pan. You do not even need a stand mixer. Making bread is a great thing to do on Sunday, it is relaxing, and really does not take too much effort.

Say No, to meat every meal. ~ I know this is hard, but meat is the MOST EXPENSIVE grocery item you are buying. Even changing one meal a week to a completely vegetarian meal will save you money. I am not saying eat tofu (that stuff is nasty!). Once a week have bake potatoes and salads, or red beans and rice with a steamed vegetable, or make spaghetti without the meat. There are so many possibilities! Just have fun with it. Try new foods, you will be surprised at what you like!

So what are the benefits to changing how you shop? Well first off, you will save money! Other than that it varies from family to family and even person to person. We have at least 3 vegetarian meals a week, we also only have two meals a week where meat is the main portions of the meal. Eating like this follows the Word of Wisdom pretty well. To be honest, since we have changed to eating this way, I have been able to lose weight and keep it off, eat less by getting fuller earlier, and my mood swings that come with that wonderful female cycle are less noticeable. Overall, we are loving life and the food that carries us through!