New Places to Shop for Food

By Cindy, of CindysPorch.net

Republished, with permission, from Cindy's free e-newsletter, 10/28/2008. To sign up for Cindy's newsletter full of great tips for rich, frugal, DO-don't-BUY living, click here.

Grocery stores are a wonderful thing. In one spot, we can find nearly everything we need to feed our family. But after awhile the grocery store gets boring. "Same old, same old." If we are not careful, we find our eyes wondering towards the prepared foods in the freezer section in hopes of finding something interesting for supper. It's OK to have a couple of these meals handy for those nights when the schedule goes crazy, but if you start to rely on prepared foods night after night – CHA CHING CHA CHING!

Who says the grocery store is the only place to BUY food for your family?

Finding new sources of food in our community has been like a treasure hunt. We have lived here for five years and we are still finding new gems. Just a couple weeks ago, my husband and I discovered a bulk food store that we never knew existed! We were like kids in a candy store. WOW! This store is going to help our family save money.

Who says BUYing groceries has to be boring?

Often, I will go with a friend and we will spend a few hours on a Saturday finding new places to shop. (YES, I still bring a list!). It is like exploring the world in one day. We go through the Mediterranean food store, the Italian store, the German store, the Dutch store, the Japanese store, the Chinese store, the French Bakery, the local Farmer's Market, the organic farmer's stand, and whatever else looks interesting along the way.

The amazing thing is that I find many of our family staples for a fraction of the price in these "specialty stores."

My husband loves it when we come home with a pile of "ethnic" ingredients so he can try something new (I am not sure what we are going to do with those duck eggs he picked up last week that are sitting in the fridge right now – hmmmmm?).

Our local deli has freshly sliced sandwich meat at 20 – 50% less than the grocery store (plus they have an amazing poppy seed loaf that I just love!).

The Italian store has the best olive oil, olives, oregano (except for ours that we grow and dry from the garden), and pasta. Again, much of this is the same price or even slightly less than in the grocery store (some of it is more however, so you have to know your prices!).

This year, I have discovered how much I enjoy a cup of hot tea in the afternoon. Our local grocery store has a pretty good selection of teas, but wow! I couldn't believe the assortment at the Mediterranean food store. And would you believe, they had some of the same teas as the grocery store for $1.00 less per box! They also have really great chocolate (which I love - so I have to get in and out really quick LOL).

The bulk food store was a real treasure. They had dried peas, beans, cereals, flours (even the 100% rye flour that I had been looking for and couldn't find in our local grocery store), baking supplies, spices, and more. Judging by all the people in this store, they are busy, so the product turns over regularly. (Stay away from buying the cookies however, they take on the taste of all the other foods and spiced in the store).

Here's a hint for those of you who do a "little" bit of holiday baking (that would be me LOL). Find out if you have a bulk food store in your community. If yes, then look through your recipes and find out how exactly much dried fruit and spices you really need. Then only buy what you need and leave the rest in the store. That will save you from finding a half filled container of candied fruit in your pantry the following July (been there, done that). If you do a lot of baking, check the prices, your supplies may be a lot less at the bulk food store. My dad had a yen for pickled pumpkin (something he hadn't eaten since he was a child). So my mom, not having a clue how to make pickled pumpkin found a recipe online. They went to the bulk food store and bought 16 cents worth of cinnamon sticks, 12 cents worth of allspice, and a couple other ingredients (only what she needed). My mom felt a little embarrassed, but she didn't want to buy whole jars of these spices since she doesn't use them regularly and they would just sit there. The owner of the store didn't mind. He said, "You'll be back when you need more." The pickled pumpkin? It was OK, if you like pumpkin and pickles mixed together. My dad loved it and so did my kids.

My European heritage gets a real workout when I go into the German and Dutch stores - childhood memories of spiced cookies, wonderful sausage, rye breads, cheeses and more. It is so neat to cook a supper with the same ingredients that my grandparents would have used when they still lived "in the old country." It is even more wonderful to share these foods with our children. Not everything is hamburgers and fries!

Our Farmer's Market and most of the local farmer's stands have closed for the season. I am hoping that I froze enough of the fresh veggies to last us through the winter. However, if you live in a part of the world where freshly grown local veggies and fruits are still available, then enjoy! Usually this food costs a fraction of what it does at the grocery stores. Also look for packinghouses or distribution centers where you also may be able to purchase fresh fruits and veggies. I can buy apples five minutes from my home for about 30 cents a pound nearly all year round. It always amazes me to see people from my neighborhood paying $1.50 a pound (or more) for their apples in the store. They never knew we had a packinghouse so close to home.

Do you have a facility in your community where they "make food" – pasta, juices, canned goods, etc? Find out if they have a "store" on site where locals can purchase foods at a lower cost. Some of it may be "seconds" and the only thing wrong with it is that the wrong label was attached.

Are you close to the ocean? Is there a fresh seafood outlet? If yes, then I am envious. I love seafood! Perhaps you can save a bundle on the "catch of the day."

Keep your eyes open for new places to shop. The food we eat is a gift. If grocery shopping, meal planning, and making supper has become more of a chore than a treat, then call up a friend and go exploring! Delis, butcher shops, bakeries, health stores, coffee and tea shops, ethnic stores, fresh food markets, and even pharmacies are a treasure trove of exciting meals just waiting to be discovered!

(Imagine my amazement when I discovered that milk was the cheapest at our local pharmacy located next door to the grocery store.)

You don't want to go hog wild BUYing a bunch of stuff that you will never use. Start small – perhaps one new meal per week. Explore. Get the kids involved. This past summer, my youngest cooked up a "Gilligan's Island" supper using our Jamaican cookbook as inspiration. (We all had to dress up - my husband and I were Mr. and Mrs. "Howl") Use the Internet or the library to find new recipes. Call up your Swedish grandmother and ask her for her special meatball recipe that you remember enjoying as a child. I am still on the hunt for my grandmother's recipe for Dutch raisin bread. She passed away many years ago and no one in the family has the recipe (so sad, because it was the best ever – she used to give away about 50 loaves every Christmas to friends and relatives – complete with a red bow wrapped around it!).

Watch the prices. If it is too expensive, leave it in the store. Me, I've discovered that the more I shop OUT of the grocery store, the more I save. And you know what? I've even picked up a few "prepared" meals from these specialty stores that are stashed away in the freezer and cupboard for those nights when "life happens" and you need something quick and easy.

There is more to food than what is in the grocery store. And who knows, you may even save a few dollars along the way. Have fun with this.

Take care of you,

Cindy

Note from KOA editor: For a list of Rochester, NY-area Farmer's Markets, click here. We have made a special page dedicated to the types of specialty food stores that Cindy describes, for our area. Find that ever-growing list by clicking here. Please send suggestions for the greater Rochester area to suggestions@kidsoutandabout.com. Thanks!

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Cindy is owner of CindysPorch.net. Her inspiring free newsletters and wealth of resources on her web site make it possible for families to adopt a new approach to their finances that leads to a richer experience of life. To sign up for Cindy's newsletter full of great tips for rich, frugal, DO-don't-BUY living, click here.