I shop Aldi’s for basic food staple items. I watch the other stores ads–Schnucks, Shop ‘n Save and Dierbergs for their specials and I don’t buy
more than I need. I especially like their 10 items for $10 and I also
clip and use coupons. Since I live in an apartment without a balcony or patio I have no way to grow any fresh produce so I take advantage of the
farmer’s markets. The produce is reasonably priced and it’s fresher so it
tastes better and lasts longer.

I like to buy cheap in-season produce at local farmers markets. I make a big batch of soup, eat what I want and freeze the rest. Minstrone soup is especially good for this!

There is a good basic way to approach things in the St. Louis area: 1. Go to Aldi to get your basic foodstuffs like milk, eggs, bread, etc. 2. Go to Shop ‘N Save to get the other things you can’t get at Aldi like certain brand name goods you really want over the generics. Check for the $10 off $50 or more purchases at Shop N Save on certain Thursdays to make your $ go farther. Shop N Save just released it’s own organic food line called “wild harvest,” so this may be a good solution for the healthy or organic food purchaser instead of Whole Foods.
Save-A-Lot is like a combination of Aldi and Shop N Save where you have a limited choice of generic and brand name goods at reasonable prices, but no real organic items, whereas Aldi has over 95% generic brand content.
Also, Trader Joe’s is much cheaper than Whole Foods Market for healthy items, but doesn’t have as much selection.

Another recommendation is to rotate your purchases each weekend. One weekend, go to Aldi and the next, go to Shop N Save or Save-A-Lot. The reason is that you usually need to go at least once a week to replace spoilable foods, and this way you get to get whatever you need each week.

I just found out about a program called Angel Food Ministry that I am going to try next month (too late for this month). You pick up the food on one designated Saturday morning per month. They have a menu which lists exactly what you will get for only $30 (lots of meats, veggies, milk, eggs, etc.). It appears to be enough food to get quite a few meals out of it, plus they offer add ons. For June, it is 6.5 pounds of meat perfect for grilling (steaks, ribs, brats) for $20 (you have to buy the basic package first). There are various locations in the St. Louis area and you can search by zip code. Check out their website at http://www.angelfoodministry.com.

There are some great suggestions here. I’ll second the Costco recommendation.

We shop Costco maybe twice a month to stock the pantry or when we want something special like seafood. We go to Save A Lot and Shop n Save for weekly trips. We always make a menu for each week and stick to it. I would be willing to bet dinner for myself, my wife, an 8-year old and two toddlers isn’t much over $10-$15. We also stay away from junk food, sodas, and alcohol. If you really look at it, you can easily do without 80% of the stuff in a typical supermarket and still eat healthy and well. What doesn’t get eaten at dinner becomes lunch the next day.

And don’t forget that gardening season is upon us. Anyone can grow tomatoes, beans, and herbs with very little effort. I’ve known people who garden on the roof of their apartment building!

Now that Wall Street, the globalist corporations, the illegal and facist Federal Government and privately owned and run Federal Reserve system, have cheated American’s out of Trillions (that’s with a T) of dollars, we all have to tighten our belts so that Wall Street and the others can do to us all over again? That’s basically what this blog is all about isn’t it? The prices are due to speculation not shortages, so playing the game and tighten our belts is rewarding them for their behaviour when in fact we should be grabbing ropes and torches and hanging ALL politicos and corporatists from the most convenient lamppost.

To Lisa:

Listen up you piece of filth! The angelfoodministry program is for those hard hit. Not for losers like you that are trying to save a buck so they can keep up the payments on the Denali and the Lexus and the McManion. Get a life loser and quit stealing from the poor!

Find the Angel Food Ministry near you. You get a lot of food for a low price. They also have meat and chicken packages so you can stock up. My family hardly buys any meat at the store anymore. We just use Angel Food Ministries for most of the meat we buy.

Angle Food Ministries is for anyone. It does not matter how much you make. They do not have people checking how much money you have. I just hope that I do not get told off like Lisa did. In this time of everything costing more, we all need to cut corners. Do not judge people because of what you think they may have. By the way, my family and I have made $10,000 or less the last two years.

To Lotsie:

I forgive you for your judgment of me. If you would have checked the Angel Food Ministry website before being so mean-spirited, you would see that it is for anyone, regardless of income. You know nothing about me. I am basically the head of a one income household. My husband is disabled and I am his caregiver. I go to work everyday in fear that he will have a seizure by himself at home and die because no one is there to roll him over on his side so he doesn’t choke. We cannot afford a home healthcare provider to watch him. I do not drive a Denali, Lexus or a McManion (whatever that is). My car is not a luxury car by any means. The home we own is a mobile home because that is all we could afford. We live in a mobile home park because we cannot afford our own land. We live paycheck to paycheck and have huge medical bills because of my husband’s health problems and my own health problems. Although my employer “provides” health insurance, I have to pay a huge monthly premium with a huge yearly deductible. My income has to pay the mortgage, pad rent, insurance, utilities, gasoline, and provide food to put on the table.

You are in my prayers and I sincerely hope that God will bless you and give you the desires of your heart.

Lisa