How to Cut Food Bills by 25 Percent or More
Manage Your Budget While Improving Your Diet

By Nancy Loughin
Observer Food Editor

I admit I was skeptical at first, but it's true. Beth Anderson has proven that she can lower grocery expenses by as much as 25 to 40 percent, while at the same time improving her family's diet.
Here are the facts. In January her grocery expenses were $256, to feed a family of four very well. Her total monthly expenditure at the grocery store is about $250 to $280--and that includes everything from paper products to cleaning supplies. She spends about $60 to $70 per week at the checkout. Here's how she does it.
"I only buy what is on sale--the store's loss leaders are advertised each week. As I say, their loss leaders are my big gainers. Each Wednesday I go through the sale ads for five different stores--Giant, Super Fresh, Magruder's, Shopper's, and Safeway--and I make a list of those items that are on sale that I use that are good buys. That takes about 10 to 15 minutes."
But how does she know it is a good buy? It takes time, maybe several weeks, and attention to detail. She has a keen recall of how much things cost on sale, and she has set an upper limit of what she will spend. If it is higher than her price, she will walk away. The most she will pay for ground chuck is $1.69, for center cut pork chops $2.49, for eggs $.69, for 5 lbs. of sugar $1.59, for whole chicken, $.49 per pound, for chicken breasts, $.99, for pasta, $.50 per pound, for coffee, $.99 and so on. She recites costs and ounces off in a steady stream--she is a master in spotting a good deal.
"You see, sales go in cycles. It will be on sale again. The trick is to purchase it in quantity, stock up when the price is great, and have enough to last until the price drops again." She has a huge pantry, two freezers and two refrigerators, plus additional storage in the basement. She sets her weekly budget for shopping and sticks to it. "Some weeks I only spend $15, because there was just nothing worth buying, and some weeks I don't even shop." The other must is shopping with a list and using coupons. She only buys from a list, because impulse purchases add up. "Don't buy it just because you have a coupon if you don't use the product," she adds.
It does take time to get started, but it is worth it. "You see, when you cut your food bills, you are saving after tax dollars, which is real savings." As she figures it, with so many fixed expenditures for families, cutting food bills is just about the only way a family can really save money each month. And she adds, for most people, "Where else is there to cut?"
By her calculations, it takes about seven weeks to get started, because of the need to stock up at first. It also takes that long to get to know the sales and prices, and to do comparisons between stores. The cost per week will average down after seven weeks.
She simply doesn't buy if it is not on sale, and she plans her menus around the sales. The family eats well--roasts, meat balls, homemade fajitas, barbecue chicken, rich stews, egg rolls, you name it. They eat little or no convenience foods, and avoid fast food entirely. "I watch a lot of people in stores buying stew beef for $3.99 per pound. People just don't realize that boneless sirloin steak, on sale this week for $2.66, is much cheaper, more tender and is easy to cut up. People should look at the price per pound, not just the price on the package."
She tries to get more than one meal out of a purchase--which just takes planning--but tries not to cook more than her family will eat, otherwise they will get really bored, bored, bored with leftover lasagna for 4 nights out of seven. As for detergent, buy the one on sale. "Tide, Cheer, Fab, Cascade, and Sunlight all work the same. I have tried them all. I think the name brand on sale is the one to buy." She also uses generic bleach, ammonia and orange juice, as well as one all-purpose cleaner, such as Mr. Clean, and dilutes it in a spray bottle to stretch it. "It cleans just as well as full strength," she adds.
Other kitchen musts are good knives for deboning chicken, a large freezer and freezer bags. "You would be amazed at how simple it is to debone a chicken breast--you just need a good sharp knife," she says.
Beth was the head of operations and underwriting for a major insurance firm before she chose to stay home with their two children, Clarke, age 10 and Meredith, age 8. She now enjoys volunteering at her children's school, St. Joseph's. Her husband, "O.L.," works for Crawford and Company. When they moved here two years ago, she had just resigned from her job. "My first trip to the grocery store here was a real shock. We had just decided that I would stay home to be with the children, and I was so depressed when I saw the prices of everything that I came home and cried. That's when I started this, and it works. The family also recently purchased a home computer, where Beth plans to keep track of her expenditures.
"I have often thought of teaching a course in this--people just don't realize how much money they can save with a little bit of planning." Seeing her grocery receipts is believing.

Fajita Marinade
1/4 cup salad oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
Garlic to taste
Black pepper
Oregano
Ground cumin
Combine all ingredients, and adjust seasonings to taste. Marinate chicken or beef in mixture. Take meat out and stir fry with onions and green peppers. Serve with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with sour cream, salsa, etc.

Chinese Fried Rice
(Great with leftover pork, beef or chicken.)
1 1/2 cups rice, cooked and refrigerated for one hour
3 Tbsp. oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cooked pork, chicken or beef, cut in short, julienne strips
Optional: ham, celery, carrots, mushrooms
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. MSG
Cook rice and chill for one hour. Heat 1/2 of oil in a frying pan. Add eggs, and pour them out in a thin layer covering the bottom of the pan (don't stir). When they are cooked, remove them from the pan and cool, then cut into thin strips. Add remaining oil to pan and heat and add onions and meat. Cook and stir just until heated. Add cold rice with remaining oil. Stir in cooked eggs and remaining ingredients. Heat thoroughly. Makes 8 servings.

Quick Quiche
1 pie shell, baked
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. flour
Dash nutmeg
1/2 to 1 cup of your choice: bacon, crabmeat, broccoli, etc.
1 cup grated cheese, your choice
Bake pie shell. Mix eggs, milk, salt, flour and nutmeg together in a separate bowl. In the warm crust put your choice of meats and vegetables. Top with cheese, then pour liquid over all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 40 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for 20 minutes or until done.

Spanish Rice
2 Tbsp. margarine
1 cup rice
1 15-oz. can tomatos, chopped
2 cups liquid reserved from tomatos plus water to make 2 cups
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Garlic clove, minced
Salt to taste
1 green pepper, chopped
Cumin seed (optional to taste)
Oregano, dash
In a saucepan, brown raw rice in margarine until lightly browned. Then add rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed (about 25 minutes).

Garlic Parsley Potatoes
3 lbs. medium size red potatoes, unpeeled, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley, divided
Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. Layer half of the potato mixture in a lightly greased 12 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 of parsley over top. Layer remaining potato mixture on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until tender. Uncover and sprinkle a little bit more parsley over the top if you prefer. Makes 8 servings.

Elfo's Special
(Makes 2 servings.)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 lb. shrimp, diced
3 large mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz. spaghettini
1/4 cup freshly grated romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat butter over moderate heat. Saute shrimp and mushrooms for 1 minute, add garlic and saute 1 to 2 minutes more, until shrimp are almost done. Add hot drained spaghettini to the skillet, along with 3 Tbsp. of cheese, salt and pepper. Toss carefully until very hot, but do not allow butter to brown. Place in a warm serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve immediately.

Savory Chicken
4 chicken breasts, with bone
1/2 can chicken broth
1 4-oz. can mushrooms, or sliced fresh if available
1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine
Dash of salt, pepper, granulated garlic, paprika
Chopped green onions or one large onion
2 tsp. savory
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, paprika, chopped onion and savory. Add chicken broth, mushrooms, and white wine. Place in a baking dish, cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.