Re: more ideas to save $$ on groceries?
Carrie Kimball
I also find the price book really helpful- more so than couponing and such. I got the idea from the Tightwad Gazette books which I highly recommend for anyone on a budget. You will laugh a lot, you will find her approach to childrearing nauseating at times, and for some of us her approach to nutrition is terrible. But the books are chock full of amazing ideas for repairing things, using alternatives to buying a new widget and she totally revolutionized my grocery shopping and yard sale-ing technique. I started using the price book after reading her books, and it has been great.
I also wanted to mention dumpster diving. Places like Trader Joes and Whole Foods throw away an unconscionable quantity of food sometimes for no apparent reason, sometimes because its the sell by date and even though its still good for 10 days they have to throw it away. And this is AFTER they have already donated food to charities. Sadly, a great local spot recently switched to a trash compactor... I personally feel like in a world where more than half the people are starving, it doesn't bother me to potentially "tresspass" for five minutes and salvage food. If I don't feel I can eat or use the food, there is no shortage of hungry families in my neighborhood to pass it on to.
If you live rurally, you can make relationships with farmers and get on a list to help them harvest or prep for market day- I did this with baby in a backpack- and you can also get called to come and pick surplus on short notice, like the night before a frost. Gleaning orchard grounds is another option- when stone fruit hits the ground, it isn't able to be sold and usually rots. Many orchards have no problem if you come in and sweeep the ground of food that will otherwise rot provided it isn't visible to customers. I have friends who regularly do this with apples, and without permission, to distribute apples to the kids in this neighborhood who are hungry most of the time after school.
I also have worked at grocery stores that offer employee discounts of 20% or more to help with groceries. Even two 4 hour shifts a week can add up to lots of savings on food when you add in the free giveaway food you walk away with. I used to work two nights a week when my oldest was a baby, and then one weekend day a week when I had two kids and it pretty much covered the groceries every month.
carrie
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I also wanted to mention dumpster diving. Places like Trader Joes and Whole Foods throw away an unconscionable quantity of food sometimes for no apparent reason, sometimes because its the sell by date and even though its still good for 10 days they have to throw it away. And this is AFTER they have already donated food to charities. Sadly, a great local spot recently switched to a trash compactor... I personally feel like in a world where more than half the people are starving, it doesn't bother me to potentially "tresspass" for five minutes and salvage food. If I don't feel I can eat or use the food, there is no shortage of hungry families in my neighborhood to pass it on to.
If you live rurally, you can make relationships with farmers and get on a list to help them harvest or prep for market day- I did this with baby in a backpack- and you can also get called to come and pick surplus on short notice, like the night before a frost. Gleaning orchard grounds is another option- when stone fruit hits the ground, it isn't able to be sold and usually rots. Many orchards have no problem if you come in and sweeep the ground of food that will otherwise rot provided it isn't visible to customers. I have friends who regularly do this with apples, and without permission, to distribute apples to the kids in this neighborhood who are hungry most of the time after school.
I also have worked at grocery stores that offer employee discounts of 20% or more to help with groceries. Even two 4 hour shifts a week can add up to lots of savings on food when you add in the free giveaway food you walk away with. I used to work two nights a week when my oldest was a baby, and then one weekend day a week when I had two kids and it pretty much covered the groceries every month.
carrie
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Beth Fleming
Carrie Kimball <ckmidwife@...> wrote: Happy New Year, everyone!
I thought I might pick your brains a bit....I am interested in building a work-related web site and know very little about how to go about it. I googled and found a bunch of "web site building" sites that offer the templates and a click and drag feature that makes it look very uninitimidating (all for about 10$ per month!).....Have any of you used these templates and if so, found any particular company better than others?
Thanks in advance for the input!!
Peace,
Beth in MA
Unschooling Mom to Frances (9), Will (7), Catherine (2), and Grace (6 months)
www.6uvus.blogspot.com
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I thought I might pick your brains a bit....I am interested in building a work-related web site and know very little about how to go about it. I googled and found a bunch of "web site building" sites that offer the templates and a click and drag feature that makes it look very uninitimidating (all for about 10$ per month!).....Have any of you used these templates and if so, found any particular company better than others?
Thanks in advance for the input!!
Peace,
Beth in MA
Unschooling Mom to Frances (9), Will (7), Catherine (2), and Grace (6 months)
www.6uvus.blogspot.com
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Nicole Willoughby
Sadly, a great local spot recently switched to a trash compactor... I personally feel like in a world where more than half the people are starving, it doesn't bother me to potentially "tresspass" for five minutes and salvage food. If I don't feel I can eat or use the food, there is no shortage of hungry families in my neighborhood to pass it on to.
So I would put the food in a clean trash bag and set it out on the side of the building and a couple of guys knew to come look for it. That way there was less risk of them getting sick or hurt from trying to dig it out but I was going around getting fired.
Nicole
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>It used to make me so sad...years ago I worked at stop and go and there was a homeless camp not to far away. We were told we would get fired if we were caught giving the throw away food to anyone because they didnt want to be liable if someone got sick.
So I would put the food in a clean trash bag and set it out on the side of the building and a couple of guys knew to come look for it. That way there was less risk of them getting sick or hurt from trying to dig it out but I was going around getting fired.
Nicole
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