Never Too Festive: Parenting with More Joy & Less Mom Guilt

22. 6 Ways to Save Money on Your Grocery Bill this Fall Without Sacrificing on Flavor

• Elizabeth Hambleton

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Have you ever wondered how you can slash your grocery bill without sacrificing taste or nutrition? Join me, Elizabeth Hambleton, on this exciting episode of Never Too Festive, where I share tried-and-tested tips from my extensive experience running a food pantry and shopping for 50 families each week. Discover how simple tweaks—like making meat a smaller component of your meals or using costlier ingredients more sparingly—can lead to significant savings. We’ll reshape traditional meal structures and introduce you to a world where every dollar counts, yet your meals remain delicious and healthy.

We also dive into the art of strategic grocery shopping and mindful meal planning to minimize food waste and maximize your budget. Learn why bulk shopping at stores like Costco might not always be a good idea and get practical advice on buying specific quantities from places like Central Market, Whole Foods, and Sprouts. Get inspired by creative leftover recipes and the smart use of small-quantity spices to prevent waste. Don’t miss our shoutout to Jenn Eats Goood on Instagram for fantastic budget-friendly meal plans, especially from Trader Joe's. Tune in and transform your grocery shopping habits to make the most out of every meal!

Check out Jenn Eats Goood (This is her YouTube. You can also find her on IG.)

Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome to another episode of Never Too Festive. I'm your host, elizabeth Hambleton, and today we are talking about ways that you can save money on your grocery bill without sacrificing on flavor. No matter where I go, I feel like people are talking about how expensive groceries have gotten and how they're looking to simplify their grocery routine while still making delicious, healthy food for their families. So if you are looking for tips to make this part of your life easier, this episode is for you. Hey there, mama, and welcome to Never Too Festive, the podcast where we celebrate the extraordinary in everyday motherhood. I'm Elizabeth Hambleton, your host and fellow mom, on a mission to help you rediscover your sparkle, redefine your style and reclaim your sense of self.

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In the midst of motherhood mayhem, do you ever feel like you've lost touch with the stylish, confident woman you used to be before kids? Are you tired of living in yoga pants and feeling like you've gone from thriving to just surviving? Well, mama, it's time to reclaim joy, creativity and style, while embracing the fabulous mom you were meant to be. So grab your iced coffee and join me as we embark on a stylish adventure together, because here on Never Too Festive, there's no such thing as too much sparkle, too much flair or too much celebration. Get ready to shine bright and live your most fabulous, joyful life, because you deserve it.

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So most of you probably don't know this about me, but I have actually been involved with running a food pantry in our local community for the past couple of years. Last year I was in charge of the food pantry and I personally shopped for 50 families weekly. So if you can imagine shopping for 50 families plus, of course, I shopped for my own family then you can imagine I learned a thing or two about stretching a dollar, because when you were buying in that kind of quantity, even small changes can really add up, and it was such an eye-opening experience for me to see that the way, if I'm buying 50 of something, even a small change can add up. Well, that's true for your family too, because there's roughly 50 weeks in a year. So even small changes can really add up to big savings if you have sort of a little bit of insight into how to do them, and the focus today is on things that are easy and simple, because I know that meals are a pain point for so many of us.

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I am certainly not saying that I'm a food blogger of any kind, but I have tried a lot of things, both for myself and for families that I serve through the food pantry, and I wanted to share some tips and tricks that have worked and hope that some of them are easy to implement for your family. They're all going to be really flexible ideas, so it's not like direct swaps where you're like, oh, I don't actually eat that food, I don't need to swap it. These are all ideas that are pretty broad that you can apply in your own way for your own family, because I know we all have such different eating styles, eating budgets, things that we like to eat, things we don't like to eat. So the goal here is tips that everyone can apply and really help their family with. And easy, because it is fall and I know we are all so busy my family is busier than ever this year, so easy is top of mind. So, without further ado, let's jump into the tips Number one. Let's jump into the tips Number one.

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This is, I think, a really key one that if you grew up in the 90s like me, is different from how maybe you grew up eating. I grew up eating a very, let's say, stereotypical sort of square American meal where there was kind of a large meat of some sort that was the center of the plate and then two veggies, or like a starch and a veggie and a roll, and it was very traditional for the most part of like there was always a meat that was like the main thing. If you are looking to save money, cutting back on meat is definitely a really quick way to see significant savings. I am not in any way saying that you need to go vegetarian or buy meat alternatives, which can sometimes be just as expensive. But one quick and easy way to eat a little bit less meat is to think of recipes where you use meat as a smaller portion of the meal or almost as the garnish. And what do I mean by that? Instead of serving like a grilled chicken breast with a side salad and rice or something where every person at the table is eating a full chicken breast, thinking of recipes where the meat is a smaller portion of what you're eating and you have more veggies and other things can really help reduce how much meat you need to buy. So recipes like that would be soups.

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If anyone follows Emily Henderson, the interior designer, she does soup-tember. She's been doing it for a really long time. She's very into soups and I do that with my family, where we kind of welcome fall in our house with what I call soup-tember. One year we really did soups like every night for almost a month, did soup like every night for almost a month. And the cool thing about soups is that you usually use a lot less meat per person, making them a very economical choice. Also, it's a great way to get more veggies to your kids, because a lot of times when they're cooked in with other things, they're not as obvious to children, because I know my kids, if they're just staring at a pile of broccoli, are like, yeah, no, thank you. But if they can have veggies that are cooked in all together, they're much more likely to eat it.

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If it's with maybe meat and cheese and potatoes or rice or whatever's noodles, whatever's in the soup potatoes or rice or whatever's noodles, whatever's in the soup then it can make it a lot easier for kids to find it palatable. And it's not just meat. This can. This theory also goes for any other ingredients that are expensive, like cheese or dairy or seafood. Would be the same way, like you're going to eat fewer shrimp in a seafood gumbo than if you would if you just had sauteed shrimp as an entree. So things like soups are a great way to stretch your meat or seafood type of budget.

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Another way is a loaded potato. This could be a sweet potato, which is probably a little bit healthier, or like a baked style potato, things like that, where a lot of the filling this isn't coming from the meat, the meat is almost like a garnish. So you could even combine these ideas and make a chili loaded baked potato. And if you think about if you had a baked potato and you put a scoop of chili on it and maybe some shredded cheese, maybe sour cream, maybe green onions, whatever you like or your family likes think about how much less meat you're eating in that meal than if you sat down and had a steak or something like that, or even a hamburger. That's going to be a lot more red meat than you would get if you had chili on a baked potato. So tacos can be this way, depending on how many other veggies you put in. Anything where you're kind of assembling like a soup, a taco, sometimes sandwiches, can achieve this too. A loaded potato, anything like that, is a great way to stretch your meat budget and think about meat as less of the star of the meal and just a component. And also, when you're eating less meat, you tend to eat more veggies, so that can be also a really healthy way to eat, which is an added bonus.

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Number two, building on the meat idea if you are really wanting to eat a good amount of meat in your meal but you're wanting some a little bit less cost with it, try opting for ground varieties. Ground meats, especially for beef, are going to be a lot cheaper than most of the other cuts. The other thing you can do is any of the meats that you would put in a crock pot like a butt roast or shoulder roast or any of those kinds of like less expensive meats can cook down really well in a crock pot over. They're like especially good for fall, I feel like, because you can make something warm and like a pot roast or again, soups, things like that. Any kind of things where you cook down a tougher cut of meat is going to be a lot less expensive than if you buy a cut of meat that's meant to be served on its own as kind of the star of the plate, so anytime you can swap out a steak for a ground, even a chicken breast for ground chicken. It's going to be a lot cheaper.

Speaker 1:

So something of something like a taco, you could do a chicken fajita or a steak fajita, or you could do a ground meat taco either chicken or pork even, or beef, any of those would work. A ground taco is going to be a lot less expensive than any sort of steak or a chicken breast type taco. So just be creative. Even if a recipe calls for a certain cut of meat, a lot of times you can swap it out. If you make any sort of bowl type dinners where it's like a taco bowl or some sort of Asian stir fry bowl or any of those kinds of things, even if they called for flank steak, you could totally swap out to a ground meat and save some money. So number three this is one that I personally could be a lot better with.

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But I tend to buy mostly fresh food, which can be good and I think tends to be, you know, fairly healthy and stuff. But number three I had on here that frozen is your friend, and the reason frozen can be very economical is that you don't have as much pressure to finish it all at once. The problem with fresh food is that a lot of us tend to waste parts of it. I know this is especially true with herbs and produce and veggies and stuff. You buy a zucchini or you buy a cucumber or you buy anything like that, and you only need half of it for any given recipe. Well, the other half I know in our fridge can sometimes just sit there and then if we don't have a good strategy for how to use it, it ends up going bad or we eat just like part of it but there's still part that doesn't get really used very well.

Speaker 1:

So the benefit of buying frozen when you can is that you can just use whatever portion you need and then save the rest for making that recipe again in a week or two or even a month, so you don't have to use all of it at once. This is especially good for things like frozen fruit. If you do smoothies or things like that, fruit can go bad so quickly and it's expensive a lot of times these days. I mean blueberries this week at our grocery store were five dollars for a pint, so you really don't want that stuff going bad. If you buy frozen, then it's a great way to just use a little. They're often picked at peak freshness, so they really are a good, healthy equivalent. It obviously doesn't work for every recipe but again, if you're doing things like tacos or soups or stews a lot of those fall comfort recipes where you're cooking the item then you can get away with frozen a lot of times and it's a great swap.

Speaker 1:

On a sort of a related note, frozen is only helpful if you do actually go back and use the second half of the package that you bought the first time. So this isn't like an official tip, but it is important to keep in mind. Keep a clear inventory in your mind or on paper, however you want to do it of what you have on hand. Aim, when you make your meal plan for the week, to use something up that you have already started. If you try every week to use up something you have, then that cuts the cost of your shopping trip this week something you have then that cuts the cost of your shopping trip this week and it also helps you make sure that those half bags of pasta in your pantry or frozen, you know, sweet potato chunks in your freezer aren't languishing and going to waste and just staying in there so long. By the time you really pull them out, their freezer burnt and you don't want to use them, so you do need to go back and actually finish the bag to get the full value of that tip. Number four buying in large quantities or bulk quantities isn't always better, and this is actually kind of related to what I was just talking about. If you go to Costco and you spend $10 and you get I don't know whatever five pounds of sour cream, that might be a really good price per pound, but if you can't actually finish that much before it goes bad, you haven't really saved money.

Speaker 1:

I think that finishing things is like a huge issue for most of us and statistically a ton of food gets wasted in the US. A lot of that is in restaurants, but it's also in houses. A lot of us have trouble finishing things and I get it because I've totally been there and sometimes you think your kids or your husband are going to eat something and then it turns out not to be anyone's favorite and I know we've certainly gotten stuck in that position. So no judgment on that. I get it, we've all been there. We are trying to improve in our house, but we are certainly not perfect. Things sometimes do not get finished.

Speaker 1:

But don't be sort of lured in by the idea that, oh, this is such a great value, because you just really need to be realistic with yourself on, is it something that I need that much of and can I finish it before it goes bad? There probably are things where it is worth it and it's a great value, like maybe I don't know sliced cheese or something. Your kids eat it every day after school with crackers and you really could go through a Costco-sized tray no problem before it goes bad. Or if you're entertaining, then those bigger quantities can be a really good value. I know when I'm entertaining I like to go to a place like Costco because I can get a lot more for a good value. But day to day you don't always want to buy the bigger amount. And also, counterintuitively, sometimes the price per unit, like the price per ounce or the price per pound, is not always better in the bigger sizes, especially if you're using coupons or there's a buy one, get one half off or something that can actually come out to be a better price if you get a smaller container.

Speaker 1:

So just try to be aware of your own really buying habits and consumption habits and before you just get something, thinking, oh, surely this is a good deal stop and ask yourself are we really going to finish this? Do I have a clear goal in mind for it? Also, places like Costco can be hard because you go and you spend $200 or $300 and then you come home and you're like I don't have a full meal here. It's too random. When you buy in bulk at places like that and you just kind of get what sounds good, you can end up with a lot of redundancies like, say, too much cheese and dairy and then no fruits or veggies to go with it or something. So, especially in bulk, that can really add up quickly.

Speaker 1:

And just know, I like to shop at places where you can buy very specific quantities. So for us that's a place like Central Market. Whole Foods is like that. I think Sprouts can be like that Because, for an example, if I'm making a Cobb salad and I only really need three pieces of bacon because I'm going to crumble them on top of the salad, it is actually a lot cheaper usually to just buy three slices of bacon from the butcher counter that they'll wrap up for you, rather than a whole package of bacon, because that's exactly the kind of stuff that can go bad sitting in your fridge when you don't have another plan for it. So just know that there are places where you can buy exactly what you want.

Speaker 1:

Spices are the same way especially with the holidays kind of on the horizon Any place where you can buy the little bulk spices where you just scoop out a little tablespoon at a time like you probably don't need an entire $8 jar of nutmeg every year, but it goes bad if it just sits in your pantry. So if you go to a place where you can buy just a scoop of the spice at a time, it can really save a ton of money on spices, because sometimes it's hard to try a new recipe because it has too many ingredients that you need and you don't want to buy the whole jar of all of them. If you know of a grocery store where you can buy by the scoop for spices, that can be a great way to try things out. And then, if you know you love it and you're going to make it all the time, maybe you do want to invest in the full jar of spices, but when you're just trying stuff out or it's more seasonal. That can really help you from ending up with half-used jars of stuff that you end up tossing by the time the next holiday season rolls around. Which that brings us to number five.

Speaker 1:

Have a plan. The more you can plan out what you're going to eat ahead of time, the more you're going to save on your grocery bills and the more sanity you're going to save in the grocery store trying to make decisions. Having a plan definitely cuts down on food waste because you can see kind of sit down and say, ok, if I'm buying a cucumber for a recipe on Monday, think through like how could I use this other half of the cucumber on Wednesday or Thursday? Maybe you know, if you're making Greek pitas and you want cucumber for that on Monday, you could have a side salad on Wednesday where you slice some cucumber in it or something Like. Think creatively about how you can use all of the like leftover halves of things that you buy. Also, this helps you use up things you have in the pantry.

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Make a list of what you have in your pantry. Or even, when you're making your meal plan for the week, go look in your fridge, go look in your freezer and just like physically look and say what's in here, like, oh, I have some sour cream I need to use up, or I have I don't know half a thing of bacon I need to use up. What could I do with those things to help get them used and get them out of here before it goes bad? Because if you just sit down and just think of recipes randomly, there's a good chance you're not going to use up what you have on hand and then it gets wasted. And nothing is worse for your food budget than just food you never actually ate, like that's always going to be wasted money. Also, having a plan cuts down on impulse buys.

Speaker 1:

If you go to the grocery store when you're hungry, it can be super easy to add you know, random stuff to your cart and then you get home and don't have a real plan for how you're going to use those or when you're going to eat them. And that's when stuff can kind of languish in your pantry. I know if you shop with your children that can also be an issue where they'll be like I don't want to get this or can I have this random thing for my lunch and you know, perhaps a certain amount of that is okay for you guys and your family, but you don't want to get too many random things. I know my son will do this. He'll just ask for really random stuff. It isn't like it's one thing of just like oh, can I have goldfish for my lunch? Okay, sure, that's like a standalone item. But if you like, can we get shrimp this week? But I've already planned all the dinners like no, because I don't know when we would eat them and when would we use them. So those kinds of impulse purchases end up a lot of times getting wasted or causing frustration in our house.

Speaker 1:

If you need some inspiration on meal planning, I do follow a girl on Instagram that I really recommend. Her handle is Jen Eats Good. I'll link it in the show notes and she does Trader Joe's budget meal plans, where she'll give you a Trader Joe's budget meal plans, where she'll give you a Trader Joe's list for the week and all of the ingredients you need and then she'll tell you exactly how much it costs and her breakout like by meal and all of that stuff. So it's a cool resource if you are looking for inspiration. Even if you don't make what she makes exactly, you can take her recipes and adapt them, swap things out or buy that same basic ingredients at a different store. I don't think it has to be Trader Joe's, but that's a cool resource. There's lots of people on Instagram that do different kinds of meal plans budget meal plans so just get some inspiration. I know sometimes when I am feeling uninspired by food, I just need to look at someone else's ideas and just take some time to feel inspired again, and then I'll have more motivation to stick with my meal planning.

Speaker 1:

And then number six is think strategically about where you shop. Realistically, you cannot get everything on sale. I've seen people make that as a suggestion or a comment like oh, shop on sale. Okay, that's good in theory, but I find it possible in reality because you know Target has milk on sale, but then, I don't know, walmart has crackers on sale and Kroger has chicken on sale and Tom Thumb has this other thing on sale. You cannot possibly optimize all of the sales. So I would say do not stress yourself out about it. If you can find a like, if there's a place where you typically shop, it's not a bad idea to look over what's on special that week before you make your meal plan, certainly, but I would not drive myself crazy going all over town chasing sales.

Speaker 1:

But what I do do is stock up on staple items at cheaper locations and then buy my meat, dairy and produce at a more premium place. So what do I mean by that? If I know I want to make, let's say, chili this fall, I tend to want, you know, like beef that doesn't have the hormones and all that stuff. So I'm willing to pay a little bit more for my ground beef. But I offset that expenditure by buying like store brand or generic brand beans at a place like value in any given meal is going to be maybe different from what I do or someone else does.

Speaker 1:

But look at the things you buy regularly and just be strategic about it and think what could I stock up on the next time I'm at a place that has cheaper groceries? I know Target just reduced their prices on thousands of grocery items across stores to try to be more competitive with Walmart. After having shopped for a food pantry, I will say Walmart prices are cheaper. I can't totally knowledgeably speak to the quality of each exact item. I will say Walmart tends to be a little cheaper. I don't buy a ton of groceries there for myself, I just tend to be in Target more often, but they have lowered a lot of their grocery prices to be more competitive.

Speaker 1:

So stock up on some of the pantry staples at a place like that and then you can fill in with fresh meat or fresh produce when you are making your actual meal, because a lot of times you can get canned things on a good premium or if it's a place like Target, they'll have those five dollars off a forty dollar food and beverage purchase or whatever those kinds of promos. So that's a great time to stock up on some of your shelf stables at a good price and then you'll know they're in there. You'll have a running start when you're trying to meal plan and you can add in your fresh elements, your dairy, your meat, your produce, and have a really healthy and delicious meal on the table quickly. So I hope that those six ideas helped get your wheels turning on how you can save money this fall making cozy recipes that are still full of flavor but don't break the bank. So if this was helpful, share it with a friend who you know also struggles with meal planning, because I think it's all of us really at the end of the day, and if you have a favorite recipe, you should tell me about it. Feel free to text me in the show notes. I would love to know what you're making this fall.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for joining me today on Never Too Festive. I hope you are leaving feeling inspired and refreshed. If you've loved what you've heard, don't keep it to yourself. Share this podcast with a friend who could use a little extra sparkle in her life. And hey, while you're at it, why not leave a review on your favorite podcast platform? Your feedback helps us continue to grow and inspire more women like you. Have questions or feedback you want to share directly with me? Simply click the link in the show notes to send me a text. I'd love to hear from you. Until next time. Remember, all we have is today, so let's choose to live our most fabulous, joyful life together.