Every family is unique–I’m thinking not many households have the pair of dogs you do. (I bet they are cutie pies) WE all have different shopping habits, food preferences, and so on.

I’m no shopper, either. I like to take a list, get what’s on it and GET OUT! Then I can get home AND COOK! grin

Your comment is great and thanks again for coming by!

Warmly,
Mother Connie

Some things I buy are, 52lb bag of dog food. Meat, usually marked down. Potatoes, onions, garlic, bread, I like the hoagie rolls 6 in a pack to use like french bread or slice and toast for cheese spread. Butter, eggs, sugar, flour, crackers. Tillamook cheese to name just a few items.

I almost never buy processed food, cokes, or chips. I like to bake so buying the large package is better for me. Some items are cheaper some not but I don’t like to shop so this keeps me out of the stores except for milk and fresh veggies.

I freeze most things and wrap the meats in freezer paper. Like the 2lb pack of breakfast sausage is cut into slices and I wrap 3 to a pack. Bacon is cut in half and packaged 4 slices per pack for a meal.

I also have a chihuahua and a mastiff so that dog food last about a month, no wasting. I think you need to decided what you buy and how you shop to see if a warehouse club is right for you. Another factor in my case is I get a free membership. I had thought if I no longer received one I would join. I’ve since changed my mind and would more than likely change the way I shop.

This feels like the “old days” when we all hung out over the imaginary back fence and neighbored.

Throwing food out is just out of the question, isn’t it? Morphing one meal into another gets to be an art form and it saves TONS of cash.

I think it’s hysterical that you 3 shopped in the same store. It really IS a tiny little world we live in, in many ways.

You make salient points, as usual, MikeMax and it is so good to have you weighing in once again.

I can’t WAIT to see what you come up with next…I got a food calendar for Christmas and it is all so high end that I have made very few of the dishes so far. But it’s great reading and fun to daydream…

Speaking of morphing one meal into the next, I made the dumplings I posted and used the leftovers to make the eggs n veggies that Polysammo sent the next day. OH OH OH Talk about DELISH…

Hurry back. There’s no danger of fire in my hair now. grin/giggle

Hugs
Mother Connie
PS/ I have always spent part of Wednesdays cleaning out the fridge. No science projects in our kitchen…grin…and NO WASTE.

I think the point was if you are throwing away food, you either bought too much (so buy less) or you’re not using up your leftovers, which she also mentioned. I have heard different percentages for the amount of food thrown away. Throwing away food is like flushing money down the toilet! Either cook less or eat leftovers.

The past couple of months have been tight at our house, due to a huge unexpected vet bill in the same month as Christmas, property taxes and income taxes due (in lieu of withholding). I made a huge above-and-beyond effort to use up food in the house, leftover and otherwise, and it made a difference, not only in the amount of food discarded (just about zero) but also in the cleanliness of my fridge! This one really does make a difference! It’s also amazing what you can leave out of a recipe or substitute if you don’t have all of the ingredients on hand!

One last thing about Costco: I rarely buy their fresh produce or meat, although I bought a bag of clementines the last time I was there. I don’t like the way their meat is cut and I can do better on grocery store sales. Also, their produce is excellent, but the packages are much too big for our family of 3 to eat without spoiling. Again, I can do better on grocery store specials. Their decorated sheet cakes are an outstanding deal (and delicious!) if you ever happen to need such.

You are SO CORRECT about every family being different…as in unique. For example, I would no more use Splenda than I would eat arsenic by the spoonful and we would NEVER microwave any food. KNOWING what the family likes and KNOWING what you can afford – both of these are key.

It seems to me that Jill made some cogent points; but those points will differ, depending on our points of view.

I appreciated Jill’s contribution because it made my life easier; I appreciate YOUR comment because I have missed you so much I was afraid my hair would burst into flames.

Thank you so much, MikeMax. YOU ARE DEARLY LOVED.

Hugs
Mother Connie

Every family is different. Buying even one big-ticket item a year can save the cost of the membership. I know what items I save money on, and I go to Costco about once a month to buy them. I go with a list and I am rarely tempted by anything else…just like at the grocery store. (OK, I’m tempted by the Skinny Cows). For me, these items are: low fat cheese, #10 cans of sliced peaches and applesauce, frozen blueberries and strawberries, lowfat microwave popcorn for DD, Splenda, niacin for DH, and big jars of garlic, dried parsley, cinnamon, seasoned salt (as needed–usually run out of one of them about every other month). We used to save a ton on milk there, but they changed the shape of the jugs and we don’t like them (tend to spill easily). I’m sure I’ve forgotten several items, but these are all items that are MUCH cheaper at the warehouse than at any grocery store.

Also, I fill my gas tank anytime I am there, or close by and needing gas (even if I’m not going inside). I save between .05 and .25 per gallon, depending on the price of gas. We buy 95% of our gas at Costco (but don’t go Friday afternoon or Sunday after church).

As for dragging an unwilling family to Costco–are you kidding??? It’s all I can do to leave them home!