FarmerChick
Super Self-Sufficient
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WOW ETR your grocery savings are huge now after all that time!
thrift, or quality?
- Thread starter ORChick
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #22
See, this is why I like this site - you are all so balanced in your SS thinking. Those other sites - well, like I said, I lurk there sometimes, just to see what is going on, but really, they are often waaaay over the top.
My pantry is also for short term emergencies - our steep driveway sometimes becomes undriveable in the winter. Mostly ingredients rather than heat 'n serve. A few comfort items - commercially canned peas for DH, can you believe it? I heat up a can for him as a "treat"
. I like to cook many different kinds of food, from different ethnic groups, so instead of 25 lbs of pinto beans, for example, I have 5 lbs each of 5 or 6 different legumes. Similarly I have smaller quantities of various grains. And I have a large herb/spice selection to vary the flavors. I depend on my freezers a lot, and am trying to change that. Over the years my "minimum in quality" has risen with our income, and over the last 3 years - since DH's bout with cancer - it has risen higher. So I try to buy high quality ingredients, but use them in "peasant cooking" type meals to stretch them farther.
My pantry is also for short term emergencies - our steep driveway sometimes becomes undriveable in the winter. Mostly ingredients rather than heat 'n serve. A few comfort items - commercially canned peas for DH, can you believe it? I heat up a can for him as a "treat"
. I like to cook many different kinds of food, from different ethnic groups, so instead of 25 lbs of pinto beans, for example, I have 5 lbs each of 5 or 6 different legumes. Similarly I have smaller quantities of various grains. And I have a large herb/spice selection to vary the flavors. I depend on my freezers a lot, and am trying to change that. Over the years my "minimum in quality" has risen with our income, and over the last 3 years - since DH's bout with cancer - it has risen higher. So I try to buy high quality ingredients, but use them in "peasant cooking" type meals to stretch them farther.
Beekissed
Mountain Sage
I tend to go with Hanna Lees approach. I don't store food for a catastrophic event. Never have. No interest in it whatsoever.
I do, however, want to be living mainly out of my cellar by next year. The reason being is that the food is healthy, it's cheap and it lasts awhile. Saves me money and I love the satisfaction of being independent, especially food independent.
I don't buy foods I wouldn't serve my family just because it's cheap.....a truck load of Fruit Loops for a $1 would not even turn my head. WHAT exactly is IN those things?
And you are talking to someone who has been very, very poor and isn't too far from that now.
I have, however, in times of extreme poverty, fed my family Ramen Noodles. My youngest actually prefers them over any other kind of food, which weirds me out and so I will buy him some when we go to the store. But I still wouldn't stock my shelves with the nasty stuff just to have food on my shelves in the event of an emergency....and I think we all agree that Ramen Noodles has a shelf life of approx. 20 years, give or take.
I will stock up on staple foods now and again, but not because they are cheap. Actually, they are getting more and more expensive.
So, as to the original OP question: Mostly quality with some thrift thrown in...I never, never buy brand name just for the sake of getting "quality". If a product is good, I'll buy it. If a cheaper brand is just as good, I'll buy it before I would buy the name brand.
You're talking to a woman who~when asked by her son why he can't have Nike tennis shoes instead of some plain white ones~offered to draw a nice little Nike swish on the side of his shoes to make him feel better!
He was NOT amused.....
I do, however, want to be living mainly out of my cellar by next year. The reason being is that the food is healthy, it's cheap and it lasts awhile. Saves me money and I love the satisfaction of being independent, especially food independent.
I don't buy foods I wouldn't serve my family just because it's cheap.....a truck load of Fruit Loops for a $1 would not even turn my head. WHAT exactly is IN those things?
And you are talking to someone who has been very, very poor and isn't too far from that now.
I have, however, in times of extreme poverty, fed my family Ramen Noodles. My youngest actually prefers them over any other kind of food, which weirds me out and so I will buy him some when we go to the store. But I still wouldn't stock my shelves with the nasty stuff just to have food on my shelves in the event of an emergency....and I think we all agree that Ramen Noodles has a shelf life of approx. 20 years, give or take.
I will stock up on staple foods now and again, but not because they are cheap. Actually, they are getting more and more expensive.
So, as to the original OP question: Mostly quality with some thrift thrown in...I never, never buy brand name just for the sake of getting "quality". If a product is good, I'll buy it. If a cheaper brand is just as good, I'll buy it before I would buy the name brand.
You're talking to a woman who~when asked by her son why he can't have Nike tennis shoes instead of some plain white ones~offered to draw a nice little Nike swish on the side of his shoes to make him feel better!
He was NOT amused.....
miss_thenorth
Frugal Homesteader
How 'bout, --get the best that you can get for the lowest price that you can get? That sums us up. We are sale shoppers, so I seriously stock up when things go on sale. I have never paid full price for a can of veggies or anything like that.
As for household items, I find a happy medium works best. I won't buy a cheap mixer, but I won't buy the top end model either. the cheap one, well, you get what you pay for- it won't last so it is not money well spent, whereas the top of the line one would be more than I need. We basically go for mid range quality of household stuff. At first hubby wanted top of the line for everything. here's a funny story that bites him in the butt all the time. When we were first married, we got money from our wedding. We went to buy a TV, and he had to have the best. I argued with him, saying we didn't need one that good or expensive. Well, he bought the TV, and 13 years later we still have that TV and it works just fine--as good as when we first bought it. Thing is, he wants a big screen, and I say NO WAY, not until this one dies!
I wont compromise on quaility for my family, but I will be patient and wait for sales for pretty much anything. food, furniture, clothing etc.
As for household items, I find a happy medium works best. I won't buy a cheap mixer, but I won't buy the top end model either. the cheap one, well, you get what you pay for- it won't last so it is not money well spent, whereas the top of the line one would be more than I need. We basically go for mid range quality of household stuff. At first hubby wanted top of the line for everything. here's a funny story that bites him in the butt all the time. When we were first married, we got money from our wedding. We went to buy a TV, and he had to have the best. I argued with him, saying we didn't need one that good or expensive. Well, he bought the TV, and 13 years later we still have that TV and it works just fine--as good as when we first bought it. Thing is, he wants a big screen, and I say NO WAY, not until this one dies!
I wont compromise on quaility for my family, but I will be patient and wait for sales for pretty much anything. food, furniture, clothing etc.
I try to be careful with every penny, especially now. But I do shoot for the on sale happy medium! Sometimes I have tried the cheapest house brand, and it has quite good. Sometimes I am disappointed, so I stock up when the brand I want is on sale.
I do draw the line at obviously inferior food! We are in hurricane country, so I stock up every spring and I now only get what we really will eat in the fall if no 'canes blow in. Because after the first season we threw out a LOT of food- it really was in the category of "I would only eat that if there was nothing else". Learned my lesson there,
Funy thing though- I once won a Kitchenaid stand mixer in a grocery store drawing. I was disappointed that it was just the basic model, but thrilled to have it all the same. Years later, I checked the mixers out on Consumer's Reports website- and the basic one beat all the fancier Kitchenaid mixers!
Now, I try to do the research and find a balance between thrift and quality.
I do draw the line at obviously inferior food! We are in hurricane country, so I stock up every spring and I now only get what we really will eat in the fall if no 'canes blow in. Because after the first season we threw out a LOT of food- it really was in the category of "I would only eat that if there was nothing else". Learned my lesson there,
Funy thing though- I once won a Kitchenaid stand mixer in a grocery store drawing. I was disappointed that it was just the basic model, but thrilled to have it all the same. Years later, I checked the mixers out on Consumer's Reports website- and the basic one beat all the fancier Kitchenaid mixers!
Now, I try to do the research and find a balance between thrift and quality.
dragonlaurel
Improvising a more SS life
Farmfresh - I've heard about eating cherries for arthritis. Fresh is best, then frozen or dried. Not sure about canned.
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I like the way you approach this and you explain it well:
"First it is better to eat the best food possible and not waste any than it is to buy the cheap stuff just for flavor sake. After all, eating delicious foods is one of the true joys of life, so why compromise your life for money. Instead learn better cheaper ways to acquire that delicious food, like growing your own!"
"A healthy diet made up of fresh high quality foods helps us to stay strong and healthy and THAT will save you money."
"I faithfully inventory and rotate all of my freezer goods and pantry stores.
At that time I will simply be bartering my knowledge for food to eat. The knowledge is what I am storing the most of ... that stuff won't rot on the shelf! "
HannaLee- "I only stock up on what we actually eat". and "I stock basics that can be made into quite a few simple, tasty meals."
- Me too.
Ohiofarmgirl- "there are some things that we wont/dont stock. why by 50lbs of white rice when you can buy beans and barley instead?? or better yet - grow them yourself"
-I would like to make and store healthier versions of dry mixes for stuff like pancakes, corn bread, seasoned rice, etc.
Missthenorth- "We basically go for mid range quality of household stuff".
- Makes sense
- You get some nicer features without paying for the label. I only buy the fancy brand if it is made to last for a lifetime. I also prefer to have a mechanical gadget over an electric version of whatever it is.
-
I like the way you approach this and you explain it well:"First it is better to eat the best food possible and not waste any than it is to buy the cheap stuff just for flavor sake. After all, eating delicious foods is one of the true joys of life, so why compromise your life for money. Instead learn better cheaper ways to acquire that delicious food, like growing your own!"
"A healthy diet made up of fresh high quality foods helps us to stay strong and healthy and THAT will save you money."
"I faithfully inventory and rotate all of my freezer goods and pantry stores.
At that time I will simply be bartering my knowledge for food to eat. The knowledge is what I am storing the most of ... that stuff won't rot on the shelf! "
HannaLee- "I only stock up on what we actually eat". and "I stock basics that can be made into quite a few simple, tasty meals."
- Me too.
Ohiofarmgirl- "there are some things that we wont/dont stock. why by 50lbs of white rice when you can buy beans and barley instead?? or better yet - grow them yourself"
-I would like to make and store healthier versions of dry mixes for stuff like pancakes, corn bread, seasoned rice, etc.
Missthenorth- "We basically go for mid range quality of household stuff".
- Makes sense
- You get some nicer features without paying for the label. I only buy the fancy brand if it is made to last for a lifetime. I also prefer to have a mechanical gadget over an electric version of whatever it is.
hwillm1977
Almost Self-Reliant
lol... I LOVE LOVE LOVE ramen noodlesBeekissed said:I have, however, in times of extreme poverty, fed my family Ramen Noodles. My youngest actually prefers them over any other kind of food, which weirds me out and so I will buy him some when we go to the store. But I still wouldn't stock my shelves with the nasty stuff just to have food on my shelves in the event of an emergency....and I think we all agree that Ramen Noodles has a shelf life of approx. 20 years, give or take.
The problem I have is that I love them stirfried with chicken, veggies, seasame oil and thai chilies... so I buy the 20 cent noodles and add $5.00 worth of extra ingredients to make them edible...
We buy what's on sale, but I shop at bulk stores and we eat depending on what meat is on sale that week. We plan way ahead and stock our freezer with pre-prepped meals (that I make in freezer bags every Sunday afternoon, not processed frozen dinners). I will not compromise on quality for price, and although we live below the poverty line we do not have to compromise. It takes planning, time and a little effort... but we eat wholesome, natural food (except for those ramen noodles... they are my weakness)
I'm not planning for an apocalypse, so I don't have years of stuff stocked... we are slowly prepping for a move to a hobby farm, we're at the 'build a road to our land' stage now... once there we would like to be entirely self sufficient, but it will take us years to get to that point.
The one thing I don't scrimp on is toilet paper... I like nice toilet paper
chipmunk
Lovin' The Homestead
Bee, I've done the same type of thing to my poor, longsuffering DD! Many dramatic sighs and eyerolls later, I'm proud to say she's grown up able to pinch pennies until they yelp, too.- Thread starter
- #29
"... and I think we all agree that Ramen Noodles has a shelf life of approx. 20 years, give or take."
20 years - well, maybe ... if the pantry moths don't find them first. I don't think I have eaten ramen noodles since I found that pack with the pantry moth worms in it ....
20 years - well, maybe ... if the pantry moths don't find them first
. I don't think I have eaten ramen noodles since I found that pack with the pantry moth worms in it ....
sufficientforme
Almost Self-Reliant
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That reminds me of a funny story. My brother-in-law opened a bag, prepared the Ramen and then noticed the worms he had been eating. He still gets when he talks about it!
He said it was only about 4 months old, it must have been at the market awhile.
when he talks about it!He said it was only about 4 months old, it must have been at the market awhile.
