Lower Your Grocery Bill & Keep Food Fresh Longer

Easily Lower Your Grocery Bill

 

There has been a steady rise in food costs over the last couple of years.  So we thought you would appreciate some tips on how to easily lower your grocery bill. We are going to share some conventional food-saving tips along with some out-of-the-box ideas that will help extend the life of fruits and vegetables.

 

How Often Do You Shop?

 

How often you shop affects your grocery costs. Limiting how often you shop may sound counterintuitive, but studies show the more often we shop, the more money we spend. Because we have lived out in the country for years, I shop once a week.  Shopping once a week does save money, gas, and time. Shopping less often will help with how often you have to buy gas, which is so expensive these days. If you are only shopping once a week, storage is a key factor in keeping your food fresh.

 

Storage Containers Keep Non-Perishables Fresh

 

Invest in some square non-BPA storage containers for your refrigerator and also for your pantry. Stackable non-BPA square containers have made my pantry storage so much more accessible. I can see grains, rice, oats, pasta, flour, and rotate as needed. While you are at it, go ahead and buy 5-gallon storage buckets that have airtight lids for longer-term storage items.  It has made a world of difference in being able to see what we have without hunting for packages in the pantry. Storing these items in hard plastic containers also keeps pests away and extends the shelf life of your non-perishable food items.

Green bags that limit fruit and vegetable off-gassing are a great way to keep food fresh longer. I invested in a lettuce keeper a few years ago, and my greens last for about two weeks refrigerated.

 

Lower Your Grocery Bill-Buy Local or Join a CSA Group

We have the luxury in Sonoma County to have local dairy, meat, vegetable, and fruit ranches and farms available for direct purchase. If you don’t want to visit a local farm or ranch, joining a CSA group is a great option. CSA groups connect you directly with the farmer or rancher. We also have CSA groups that provide animal proteins such as beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and seafood, which is available in Sonoma County. Many CSA groups provide eggs and dairy along with pantry and baked goods. CSA groups offer packages for all sizes of households, and single households can even benefit from a CSA membership. It’s a win-win; you get fresh local food, and you help support local farmers and ranchers.

 

We are so fortunate in Sonoma County to have Shone Farm in Forestville, which is managed by Santa Rosa Junior College and provides student-grown vegetable boxes. We also are home to the FEED BIN, a cooperative of local farms that provide CSA box subscriptions. Kitchen Table Advisors helps small local farms and ranches succeed through advisors and by providing CSA boxes to Sonoma, Napa, and Marin Counties. Local Harvest lists local farms and ranches on its website, where you can buy directly.

Visit your local Farmer’s Market; we have so many in Sonoma County. Farmers Markets are a great way to support local farmers and ranchers while buying and supporting local businesses. There are online resources such as Misfits or Thrive Market that can help you save about 30% over grocery store pricing, and they offer a good selection of organic foods and even gluten-free options.

 

Simple Food Storing Hacks

 

The following simple tasks can help save you money by keeping produce fresher longer:

• Take all twist ties and rubber bands off your fruit and vegetables before storing. Fruit and vegetables tend to go bad where they are compressed with a rubber band or twist tie first.
• Store fruits separately from vegetables because ripe fruit gives off ethylene gas, which spoils food faster.
• Store fresh fruit that isn’t ripe on your kitchen counter, and when it ripens, transfer it to the refrigerator. Try some green bags to keep your fruit fresher longer.
• Square plastic containers take up 25% less space than round containers in your refrigerator and pantry shelves.

 

Keep Eggs Fresher Longer

 

Eggs are expensive these days, and having an easy way to keep eggs longer will lower your grocery bill. Also, sometimes you might not use as many eggs as usual, and you don’t want them to spoil. Use a regular-size ice cube tray; silicone works best. Whip your eggs and fill each ice cube tray with your whipped eggs. Move to the freezer; when frozen, snap the frozen egg cubes out and store in a double-bagged non-BPA plastic bags.

Your eggs will store for up to a year. When you want to use them, one cube equals approximately 1 egg. Take the appropriate amount of egg cubes out of the freezer and put them in a covered bowl in the refrigerator overnight to thaw, and then use in any cooked recipe, including scrambled eggs.

 

Keep Leafy Herbs Fresh

 

Treating your leafy herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, and green onions, like flowers helps them stay fresh longer. Fill a vase or mason jar with a few inches of water, and occasionally trim the herbs except green onions, and replace the water.  They keep on the kitchen counter but do even better with a bag over them in the refrigerator.

 

Lower Your Grocery Bill by Keeping Avocados Fresh Longer

 

We love our avocados! But keeping them fresh longer was a challenge until I learned these tricks. The last tip also works with guacamole:

• Keep your avocados on the counter till fresh
• If you can’t use all your avocados, mash them or whip them, then scoop with an ice cream scoop, freeze in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. Take them out a few hours ahead and use them for anything that calls for avocados, including guacamole.
• An avocado will keep fresh longer with a slice of onion stored with it, as will guacamole. Say goodbye to your guacamole turning brown so quickly!

 

A Simple Hack to Keep Bananas Fresh

 

I have bananas on hand for smoothies, adding to pancakes and waffles, and to make banana bread. When you bring your bananas home, be sure to wrap the stem with a couple of layers of plastic wrap; it helps to keep your bananas from ripening so quickly.

Don’t store bananas in the refrigerator; it tends to make them go brown quicker. If you can’t use all your bananas or you want to use them for smoothies, freezing them whole is one of the best ways to keep them and use them later.

If you have a bunch of bananas ripening quickly and you don’t have the time to cook, you can mash them ahead of time. Use an ice cream scoop, and put mounds of banana on a parchment-lined cookie tray, and store them in about 1/2 cup increments in your freezer till you need to use them. Be sure to thaw your frozen bananas for cooking a few hours before use.

If you need help organizing your kitchen or pantry, be sure to give our talented team a call at 707-827-3316. We are here to get your home holiday ready with a deep clean before the weather turns stormy. You may fill out our FREE Estimate Form or give us a call at 707-827-3316, and one of our cleaning professionals will answer your questions and book your house or business cleaning.