Keeping Grocery Bills down...article. Help please!

As an alternative to casseroles/cans o' stuff, meals like beef stroganoff, chili, and various stir frys can be good lower cost meals.

You still get the meat/veggies, but can stretch it by using a cheaper cut and the big eaters still get the full feeling due to the accompanying starches.

I discovered this wonderful meat while browsing the 15.00 steaks and expensive chicken, it's called pork. Two chops already pounded out for 1.50 at Publix. It's an amazing thing.

I've also regressed back to simpler times by dumping all the expensive stuff that has crept into my purchase list over the last few years -

Starbucks has been replaced with the Folgers 'vat of coffee'
previously frozen seafood replaced fresh
chicken replaced steak
pork replaced chicken
no special fattening extras - ice cream, chips, etc..
publix brand cheeze in place of name brand cheeze

I also now pay more attention to the WinDixie savings tags under products, searching for the ones I'll get the best discount on.

Funny though, my grocery bills are still higher than they were in 2002. So I'm still searching for better deals.

menu changes and adaptive shopping..

I read helpful advice in Consumer's report and my family has adapted with relative ease. First, buy store brand products when available. Store brand products are typically produced for a major brand, ie., Delmonte, Doles, etc, and whatever is left and not purchased by Name brand is sold under store brand labels.. Same quality, lower cost. Second, do not serve proteins, beef, chicken, etc., as a main dish but reduce the portion of meats and use them as additions to stir fry, crockpot dishes. We do not need as much in our diest as we were told growing up. Oh, and find out what day your grocer culls his produce selling items with minor blimishes or that have be on the shelf up to their sale date and marks them for quick sale. And lastly, control your own shopping schedule...You can get a huge reduction on turkeys, etc., the day after Thanksgiving. Smoked turkey is good anytime. Take advantage of the market don't be tied to it

I started trying a lot of Publix brands. A word of warning! Go brand name on the vanilla wafers.
Also, Super Target. I buy their organic milk, their alternative to cheeze its, and their tortilla chips are grayt. you get more in the bag and it ziplocks

Target's Archer Farms private label has been consistently good- you can pronounce everything in the ingredients list and the price is reasonable for a premium product. I just wish they'd bring back the olive oil potato chips. They are missed.

beans and rice! delicious!!!
leftover meals are great!!

Aleo - I think menu planning is key. I am trying to get back into that habit. used to do it every week and would be able to have a good grocery list, stick to it, and then stick to the menu for the week. having a whacky schedule with a kid makes the menu planning harder to do. but surely it can be done. My mom always checks the paper for sales on meats, etc. using coupons can get out of hand so I never do, but maybe I should look into using them more.