[Vision2020] Smart shopping

[Rachel Rausch]

"I'm wondering if smart shopping is a skill others never learned?" (Saundra
Lund)


I cannot resist adding my two-cents worth here.   I really do think that
wise consumer shopping IS a learned art.     I often observe shoppers in the
stores purchasing high-dollar, low nutrition foods, or simply opting for the
quick-to-prepare foods.  You might pay the same for a single frozen entrée
(as an example) as what the cost would be to make the same food and have
enough to serve it to 6 people.   The convenience is great, but many people
do not know how – have not been taught - to cook!   I was raised in a home
that had the advantage of a stay-at-home mom who knew of necessity how to
make a food dollar stretch and keep a family of seven well-fed, and I never
ate Ramen!

It is a lifestyle, though, and not convenient, so one must weigh the
options!  Soda?  We only had it at Grandma’s house when she made 7up floats,
with the exception of a rare trip to the A&W drive-in for a gallon of root
beer (yes they had them!) -  and it was cheaper that way.   

Mixes (cake/muffin/rice, etc.) were never used unless we made our own,
restaurants visited less than once a year.  All “treats” were homemade
(bread pudding, sweet rolls, cookies, cakes, pies, etc) and my dad made
popcorn in a pan on the top of the stove every Sunday evening.  (Compare the
price of bulk popcorn with microwavable variety.)  We didn’t buy canned
soups; they were made from scratch.  Macaroni and pasta: no prepackaged
dinners, ever!  Fast food?  For us, fast food was pancakes we whipped up
quick and served for supper!   

So what did we eat?  Besides the fruits and vegetables we grew, the meat we
raised,  the milk and butter we often had, we purchased staples such as
uncooked rice/pastas, beans (dry, not canned), potatoes, dry milk (for all
baking), flours, sugars, cornmeal, oats, yeast, salt, eggs, saltines, and oh
yeah, Velveeta for macaroni and cheese.   Typical meals were things like
navy beans and cornbread –  usually once a week, chicken and dumplings or
homemade noodles, spaghetti with homemade bread, (canned) salmon patties, or
cabbage, potatoes, carrots and onions cooked with (canned) corned beef

Lots of good-for-you stuff, supplemented by veggies from the garden (or
pantry shelf that we all helped to can.)  

 Ever enjoy thinly sliced cornmeal mush (now it is sophisticated “Polenta”)
sautéed till crisp and golden and served with syrup? The cost is cents,
especially if you buy your cornmeal in bulk – the other ingredients of this
dish are water and a little salt.   Or have homemade bread warm from the
oven?  Slather it with homemade apple butter and you have heaven.

Sunday dinners were special because we set the table with the good dishes
and silverware, and all sat down together.   I still think that a pot roast
or potato soup on china tastes better!   

The more refined/processed the product, the higher the cost, and often the
less nutritional value.  I would venture that most do not shop this way
(making everything from scratch and cutting out all “luxury” items).  It
takes tremendous planning to start the crock pot stew in the morning, or
make waffles ahead and freeze them, or keep nutritious snack items (such a
cut up vegetables that were on special, or dried or fresh fruit – again
because it is seasonally available) handy for a quick snack.  

So
I don’t have to watch my pennies the way I did when my kids were small,
but I still tend to shop for “staples” instead of “recipe ingredients” and I
save a bundle.  I don’t feel so bad indulging in my “good coffee” habit
 I
also take advantage of bulk (especially nuts, craisins, spices and yeast) at
WinCo.   I also comparison shop, (though we don’t have the advantage we used
to in AZ; every week there were coupons in the paper that could be doubled
and even tripled at the chain grocery stores, such as Safeway – which was
great if the item was on your list.)

A very “down” side is time.  I happen to get real enjoyment in preparing
food for those I love, so I don’t usually mind the commitment of time.
(While I work 40 hours a week, I no longer have youngsters at home)  I
realize many, many people trying to keep their families fed don’t know how
to shop/cook the way I learned, or delight in cooking and baking with what
is on hand.   This is, however, an alternative way to making a limited food
budget stretch even if you don’t have a cow or a garden!    

Rachel Rausch