Share your tips for lowering grocery bills here! :D

[Farmfresh]

Well MY city doesn't follow all of the normal city rules either. That is one reason I can still tolerate living here for another day or two.

Livestock is still legal in my city... LOTS of regulations... but still legal. Since my city is in the Midwest we are surrounded by farms and farmers. It is relatively easy for me to find a farmer that raises grassfed beef or home raised pigs for me to buy and a family owned processor to pack them for us, which by the way is yet ANOTHER way I save on my grocery bill.

I would SO prefer the country life, but at least I am surrounded by farmers. I don't know how you folks on the coasts can stand it.

 

[Ldychef2k]

I used to tease that people who are not really familiar with California think we are 1000 miles long, 100 feet wide, and all beach !

I actually live in the central San Joaquin Valley, which is (or was, now that the government has shut off our water) the agricultural heartbeat of the nation, and in some respects the world. While I live on a busy intersection, less than two miles away in three directions are working farms or ranches. My dad was a walnut rancher after he retired from civil service at 55. Our family has raised all manner of crops, including the first generation which lived here 150 years ago, and grew potatoes.

We grow an enormous amount of citrus, cotton, corn, stone fruit, grapes, watermelon, nuts, olives, avocados, sugar beets, berries of all kinds, and more that I cannot remember.

And no, the Chamber of Commerce doesn't pay me under the table! LOL Our family has been here six generations, so I guess I am just a talker.

 

[Farmfresh]

Good to know. I was starting to feel sorry for all of you.

My info about California is limited to what my SIL tells me. He was raised in the OC and I think lived on the beach. I guess he still does - since he is stationed there (CA) in the Navy right now.

 

[Ldychef2k]

Well, if he is stationed in Lemoore, he knows all about us now ! If not, he may not know that this kind of country exists in California:

This is the southern San Joaquin Valley. Towns are ten to 50 miles apart. You are seeing mostly citrus trees in the foreground.

I am feeling proud of my area this morning, I guess ! LOL

There is a town a few miles from here that every February hosts the largest agricultural and ag equipment show in the world. We get quite an influx of international visitors, which always is fun. You can read about it here: http://worldagexpo.com/

 

[cjparker]

Yep, it's amazing how much beautiful farmland and ranching there is in California. To many people, Calif is either LA or San Francisco, with no real grasp of the wide variety of climates and cultures. I lived in Santa Barbara for quite a while, then a small town named Paso Robles. Both areas have a heavy ag base, though the tourism in Santa Barbara is far more familiar to most people. The area around Hanford, Lemoore etc, is amazing. Salinas area is as incredible as the days when Steinbeck was roaming the hills.

I now live in SE Washington, which is very comfortable for us. I prefer the Santa Barbara climate, but console myself by growing scads of lilacs, which would never have bloomed in SBs semi-tropical climate.

As for lowering grocery bills when living in the city, one of the easiest things to do is to spend a couple hours on the weekend preparing much of the coming week's dinners. Baking a meatloaf, chicken, lasagna, etc all at once not only makes the dinnerhour easier, but also saves on electricity or gas because the oven is only on once for several days worth of meals. I also used to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce and freeze it in four-serving sizes.

 

[Dace]

Beautiful photo Lady!

I am living on the outskirts of the suburbs, but only about 5 miles from the closest grocery. I can tell you I will never live the SS life that I REALLY want as it is not what Hubby wants. He wants a nice home in an upper middle class neighborhood and is working like crazy to make that more of an upscale neighborhood!

I do not work, so I always laugh that I am just along for the ride and I will be happy where ever we end up. If we do land in a more upscale neighborhood, you can bet that I will do my best to find a home which offers a compromise....a little of what he wants and a little of what I want.

I love to can, I love to make things myself, I love to cook from scratch and serve whole foods to my family, I want a nice garden and fruit trees, I really want to keep my chickens and adding in a pen for a pig would be a dream, as would a bee hive.

Someone has a great quote in their signature.....Blooming where I am planted. That is my motto!

 

[Farmfresh]

Well, if he is stationed in Lemoore, he knows all about us now ! If not, he may not know that this kind of country exists in California:

You probably have it pegged! Stationed in San Diego and lived in LA!

I am definitely going to show this to my D1. That little Midwestern Farm girl does not want to move to California.