[PampGal]

Ok, this is not an original thought but it's such a good question I knew you'd love to share your answers:

With the cost of groceries climbing daily, what quality food will you continue to purchase despite the high cost?

Your initial response might surprise you ...

[QuilterInVA]

Fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poulty and fish.

[meowee]

I'm with Quilter . . . without the meat and, other than salmon, my fish is seafood like scallops and shrimp . . . definitely add yogurt to the list, too.

[tater tash]

I'm a student so I've been successfully grocery shopping frugally for awhile! But tomatoes have gotten rather expensive, but I won't stop buying them. I use them in everything! Non-fat yogurt and Fuji apples are little life sources too =]

[JayEll]

I rarely change what I buy because of price, but I sometimes will go for the store brand instead of the name brand, or I'll buy more bulk packages.

Jay

[Bobbolink]

I agree with Jay, I buy whatever I want. I don't pay any attention to prices, It's like filling your gas tank, you need it so just buy it.

I rarely change what I buy because of price, but I sometimes will go for the store brand instead of the name brand, or I'll buy more bulk packages.

Jay

[TryItDiet]

I'd probably go with the basics, that being (for me) peanut butter, whole grain bread, fruits & veggies.

[chickybird]

low sodium v-8 juice. I love it, but a six pack is pretty high here...
Also strawberries and peaches!

[Bobbolink]

This was taken off the "Cheapskate" site:

Grocery Shopping Styles: Get One

I tell you, the high cost of food these days is enough to take your appetite away. To beat the high cost you need to adopt and perfect a specific shopping method that fits your temperament and lifestyle--and then stick to it tenaciously. It's not difficult. What it takes is dogged determination. Your reward will be good food, cheap.

THE COUPONER. The method is pretty simple, and those who adhere to this style of grocery shopping are just one clip short of being fanatics. That's what makes this method work.

The rule is simple: Shop at the best supermarket in town but buy only items that are on sale AND for which you have a coupon. Now, you get that sale price, plus the coupon value, and that makes for very cheap shopping. It's not easy, but once you get the hang of it, it's not difficult at all. Especially if you "hire" a helper. You can use the free site, TheCouponMom.com, to help you discover what's on sale in a store near you.

You can also do the sure thing and join TheGroceryGame.com, which is the primo site for serious couponers. It will cost you $10 every eight weeks, but you're going to save so much money that $1.25 per week will be chump change. Personally, this is the only way I will coupon because I'm just not that good at it myself. But with The Grocery Game? I could qualify to be coupon queen. NOTE: You can get a four-week trial membership for just a buck, which I highly recommend.

THE CHERRY PICKER. There are some people who, no matter how much help is available, simply cannot abide the idea of clipping, filing and remembering to use grocery coupons. That's okay. You may find "cherry picking" to be your method of choice.

Cherry pickers know that nearly every food store has weekly specials, and the sale items that are dirt cheap are priced so low they are actually less than the store's cost. Stores do this to lure customers through the door, in hopes that person will buy more than the "loss leaders" and pay full price for them. But cherry pickers are shrewd. They buy only the loss leaders from several stores.

It's easy to find the loss leaders if you watch the sale flyers carefully, or go to a site like MyGroceryDeals.com to track all the sales of all the stores in your area. You can make your lists ahead of time then stop off when you are in the vicinity.

THE REBEL. Most of us are conditioned to assume a grocery store or supermarket is the place to purchase food. That would be wrong, especially these days when lots of retailers are getting into the food business--and offering amazing deals.

Most dollar stores are now offering canned goods and other non-perishables--some even have refrigerator and freezer cases. Drug stores like Walgreens are now competing with supermarkets on milk (much cheaper where I live) and non-perishables.

Have you checked the food aisles at Target? Rebels know that cereal, snacks, cake mixes and a plethora of other items at these kinds of discount stores are much cheaper than elsewhere. Many even take coupons. Rebel shoppers also take advantage of local farmers markets because the prices, while already low, are often negotiable.

No matter your food-shopping style, now's the time to hone your skills and sharpen your method. If you've never really thought about it before? For you, my friend, it's time to get stylin'!

[meowee]

Cute article BOBBI . . . other than my staples and personal 'must-haves' . . . guess I'm a "cherry-picker" and always have an eye on the specials every week.

[Beverlyjoy]

This is a good question!

I think I'll stay pretty much with what I've been doing.

That being said - last week I told the store clerk to forget the cherries when they turned out to be $12 for two pounds.

I too am looking at store brands more and more. This time of the year...the farmer's markets have great prices too.

[Bobbolink]

Beverly...Wow! You have lost a lot of weight, how long to drop that much and what kind of plan do you follow?
About the cherries, that is outrageous. I wouldn't pay $12.00 either. Every year our local Christian teen hangout, "The Rock" sells Colorado peaches as a fund raiser, I did purchase 1 1/2 cases for $41.00 but it's for the kids. I have a 16 year old grandson that frequents the place.
Have a good one!

[meowee]

Indeed, $6.00 a pound is excessive for cherries. $3.00 is my limit or they definitely stay in the store.

Although, like you, BOBBI, I do overpay for a case of oranges and one of grapefruit every winter because it's a local school fundraiser.

[yoyonomoreinvegas]

Tomatoes and grapefruit for sure and I'm a really annoying label reader. I'll pay more for something that doesn't have artificial sweeteners or HFCs even if there is another brand on sale. Oh yeah, and my frozen, unsweetened berries - they've gone up to around $5 for a 1 lb bag so I use less in my yogurt now to stretch them further but still gotta have 'em.

[retiredone]

I think I would call myself a Cherry Picker/Rebel. I study the flyers and shop 4 different stores. They're all close to each other so I don't lose the bargain in gas prices. I also buy foods at non-traditional stores (dollar stores, discount, Walmart, of course).

In the summer I usually don't buy oranges as they aren't really that nice and are outrageously expensive. I stick with orange juice. In the winter I often won't buy lettuce because when it goes up to almost $5 a head I eat coleslaw. I don't buy fruits that are out of season, such as cherries, peaches, strawberries unless there is a good sale on them. There's lots of other fruits to chose from.

But all that being said, if I really want something I just buy it and try to forget what I paid for it.