Some Examples
When I find boneless, skinless chicken breast for $1.49 per pound, I buy 10 or 20 pounds, portion and prepare it for meals, and freeze for future use. When lean ground beef is $1.59 per pound, we buy 10 pounds, mix burgers and meatballs and freeze. If you’re not excited about buying larger amounts and freezing them, don’t worry. Simply sit down at the beginning of the week and take a look at the best prices around town – then plan your weekly menu around those items.
The Benefits
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Spend less.
By purchasing when prices are lowest, you’re saving the most you possibly can on these items. If you can plan your meals around the best sales at your store(or stores), you’ll avoid a last-minute trip for dinner ingredients (as well as the extra expense). -
Enjoy variety.
When you focus on sale fruits and vegetables, you can dig your family back out of the produce routine you may have unknowingly fallen into. Heather commented, "After a few weeks I noticed that I was coming home with a much bigger variety of fresh fruits & vegetables. By checking the sale list, I realized we could have fresh kiwis or kale for the same price as the boring apples & baby carrots I previously kept bringing home."
Based on an excellent suggestion by Amy on the MMS Facebook Fan Page, Stacey and I have been working on a list of best prices for meats and produce in the Macomb area. For now, it’s titled the "Macomb Fresh Food Price Chart" (though I’m open to your creative name ideas!). I’ve included basic items that are usually advertised on sale and listed 3 prices for each – an average regular price, an average sale price and a BEST PRICE (which I’ve tracked with the store name and date of the most recent lowest price – you’ll notice that produce is always priced lowest when it’s in-season). While this list is nothing fancy, it should help you to recognize a good price when you see one!