How to Save Money on Food

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Discover budget-friendly ways to save money of food without sacrificing nutrients or flavor.
Discover budget-friendly ways to save money of food without sacrificing nutrients or flavor.
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Sharon Astyk illustrates how we're living beyond our means and offers strategies for creating stronger homes, better health and a richer family life in
Sharon Astyk illustrates how we're living beyond our means and offers strategies for creating stronger homes, better health and a richer family life in "Depletion & Abundance."

Depletion and Abundance(New Society, 2008) by Sharon Astyk explains how we are living beyond our means with or without a peak oil/climate change crisis and that, either way, we must learn to place our families and local communities at the center of our thinking once again. Astyk presents strategies to create stronger homes, better health and a richer family life. In the following excerpt, she provides solutions for saving money on food while still providing delicious, nutrient-rich meals.

How to Eat Cheap

And, like everyone else, I buy food too, something that is increasingly tough on the pocketbook. Food prices are up dramatically, and some staples, such as flour and milk, have doubled or more in price. I store food in fairly large quantities, so our family is still eating on older prices; but I’m not convinced that the crisis has occurred, so we will end up buying more.

How do you cut back your food budget when things get tight? Well, your friends are going to be beans, lentils and grains. They are nutritious, tasty, simple, accessible and store well. If there’s any way you can come up with the money, buy them in big bags — a minimum of 10 pounds; 50 is better. Whole grains and dried beans store nearly forever (brown rice is an exception—white stores better, but is less nutritious). You say you can’t use 50 pounds of beans? I bet you can—over five years. They will still be good, just need a bit longer to cook. You have to think ahead a bit and soak the beans or throw them in the slow cooker or on the back of the stove the night before.

Your other friends in the fresh food department are root vegetables and cabbage. At the grocery store, these will be among the cheapest items available. If you can get to a farmers’ market or farm stand, they will be even cheaper. Again, bulk is better—my local farm stand is selling cabbage at 10 heads for 10 dollars. Even a single apartment dweller might eat cabbage twice a day — raw in a salad, then sautéed with garlic and pepper. Three heads will last two weeks sitting on the counter in place with reasonably low heat. If you can afford your fridge, two more heads can be crammed in.

  • Published on Mar 21, 2016
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