Recently, I came across this post in my RSS feeds, which got me to thinking. As a WellDone! Chef, frugality is part of my job description.
The WellDone! (Frugal) Shopper
What is the first thing you think of when you get that grocery flyer in the mail? “Chuck it!” Perhaps you pass by a sign in the supermarket that shouts SALE! BUY ME NOW!! BEST PRICE!!! Is it no surprise that the number one expense that gets cut in these hard times is food? Hardly.
Photo 1089123_70224712 courtesy of stock.xchng
So, how does the average Joe save a lot of money when they go grocery shopping? A quick google search yields some not-so-surprising results. Almost all of the blogs, magazine articles, forum posting all basically say the same thing. I won’t even repeat them here, I will let you find that out for yourself.
What makes this post different is I am not here to regurgitate all that loose verbal stool. How does the WellDone! Chef! save money while he shops at home? Well, he treats it just like he would when he is purchasing from his suppliers at his restaurant. What follows is a no-nonsense list about shopping the chef way, which by extension, is the frugal way. (After all, how do you think we make our salary with all those expensive dishes?)
Eat what is in season. This is so simple, and yet, we ignore it. I can almost hear what you are saying. “Jason, I live in Canada, and right now, gravel and snow cones are in season. How the hell am I supposed to live off of that?”
Have no fear. I did not say you had to buy off of Joe Farmer. What you want to do is buy the items that are at their peak, because they are usually cheaper at that time of year. You are better off to buy your strawberries at the peak of the season, even if they are available year round. Their commute to you table is a short one, so they will be full of flavor. Have you ever eaten a strawberry in December? They taste like the cardboard they are packed in.
If you have trouble wrapping your head around what is in season, try this handy web tool to find out.
Check all sources for what you are going to buy, then make your menus on that. This one is easier than it sounds. In the cheffing business, we have a harder time than you all when it comes to suppliers. You receive flyers all the time that tell you what is on sale. What you need to do is base your menu off of that. If you see that chicken is on sale at the local A&P, then make sure you have chicken on the menu a few times. Perhaps broccoli has just come in, great! Chicken with broccoli.
Shop around. A lot of people swear against this, with the logic that, “they just do not have the time.” Of course they don’t. See, they are buying all sorts of convenience stuff, stuff that is not on sale, and stuff that ought to be outright illegal to charge. Why? They have no time. Probably because they are working so hard to pay for all the extra money that they are spending to save time. Ironic, no?
Try to buy local. Try farmers markets, or even farmers themselves. You will be pleasantly surprised how much you can get, and at the quality you will receive as well. See, the farmer is infinitely prouder of his produce than that minimum wage kid stacking vegetables in the produce section.
Food Cost! This is a sticky subject. Listen up. If you were to have a job where you ass is on the line by how much you are spending on food, and you bought all your stuff at the same place to make it easier on you, would you fire yourself? I would. If you are realistically budgeting $100 per person for a two week period, then that amounts to $7.15 a day to spend on everything food wise. That’s drinks, food, everything. Quite a challenge. If you follow these steps, it becomes easier.
Bigger is not necessarily better. Are you getting a sweet deal on that 20 pound bag of potatoes. One you cannot pass up? Good for you, unless those potatoes go rotten. Now, throwing half the bag away is no longer a good deal, no matter how much you paid for them. Either split them up with someone, or bite the bullet and pay a few cents extra for a smaller product. This ties in a bit for the next point.
Cheaper is not necessarily better. What? You did hear me right. See, those 99ยข red peppers are not a good deal if they go rotten in your fridge after a day. They look okay, but sometimes they are so old that they rapidly decompose, and take everything else down with them. Savings? Nope, waste. You’re fired at that point. Quality always trumps price. Write that down. Five times. Now get a tatoo. Never forget that. Contrary to what other sites/people tell you, if you are spending any amount of money on a product that you will eventually throw away, you are not being frugal.
Learn how to hack up meat. This is the most controversial hint. Sure, we have no time to do this right? Here’s a quick test. Take a look at some chicken breasts next time you are in the meat section of the market. See the price on those bad boys per kilogram? Now, compare that to the price of a whole chicken. Wow. Remember, every time a butcher puts a knife to the meat product, the cost doubles, and sometimes triples. I giggle when I see those nicely done up pork roasts with the convenient spice rub already on them. Look at the price, and you might die on the spot. 4 times as much as normal prices. Here’s the kicker. The product is usually on its last legs, and they are manipulating it even more, and charging you for it. Crazy, huh?
That is what I can figure for now, and more will be coming at a later date. I have given a lot of things to think of here, so it is only responsible of me to follow up on this later. Look forward to more frugal tips that you may not have seen before.
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