[quote=AN][quote=flu]The first step to saving a lot of money off or your groceries is shopping at places like Zion Markets off of clairemont instead of places like Vons or Ralph’s at full price.
I think the last time I was there at Zion, I bought 3lbs of peaches for like 89 cents total, when Vons and Ralph’s were selling peaches for like $1.50 per pound…
And yes folks, they were USA peaches, not grown in China…
You can get 4.4lb box of Korean grape for $7.99, 7lb of lobok for $0.99, 3lb of Fuji apple for $0.99, 4lb of Kabocha squash for $0.99, 2lb of persimmon for $0.99.
As for those who say, you can’t have steak and potato and live with that budget. Of course you can’t. That’s like saying I can’t afford a house in Carmel Valley while making $100k/year, so it’s impossible to buy a house. There are many ways to live with your budget. You just have to open your eyes and your mind.[/quote]
We don’t eat steak and potatoes except for once a month or two. Our standard fare is chicken, fish, turkey (ground), veggies, fruit, and dairy (this is expensive and “bad for you,” apparently, but we aren’t going to give up dairy or coffee). We not only try to stay away from potatoes as much as possible, but also try to keep other starches, like pasta/noodles, at a minimum. So, our diets are largely protein and produce. Admittedly, we do not nibble tenderly on a small portion of salad…I’ve been known to eat a whole Pyrex bowl full of salad filled with herbs, healthy lettuces, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, carrots, celery, olive oil, salt/pepper, and balsamic vinaigrette (a staple of mine). We are not dainty eaters, even though we eat mostly healthy foods. It’s not cheap.
We don’t have a Zion Market around here, unfortunately, and all of our grocery stores probably practice that “pricing discrimination” where people in nicer areas tend to get better food/produce for a higher price. Our local Henry’s used to be better priced, but since the merger/buyout/IPO, it seems to have gotten more expensive.
Thanks for the recipes, AN. I’m still striving to become more like you and UCGal as far as grocery shopping is concerned, even if I never get there completely.
