Eliminating The Grocery Store

Grocery costs are one of the largest expenses my family faces, especially nowadays, with prices spiraling upward. My husband and I finally put our respective feet down and began working steadily to eliminate the "middle man," the retail grocery store.

We contacted a local farmer and, using some windfall money, we ordered a side of grass-fed quality beef. My grown daughter went in with us on this to make it more affordable for both households, but quarter sides are also available if you don't have anyone to go in with. It worked out to just under $600 for each family. The per pound cost came out to about $4 a pound - that's for all cuts. The meat we got completely filled my standard-sized freezer before I took my daughter's portion to her. They were going to dispose of the fat only I requested all of it and the suet because I will use it to make soap and/or tallow candles. We requested the soup bones as well. A good place to look for a farm near you is http://www.localharvest.org/. I highly recommend grass-fed beef as it is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which most people don't get enough of.

We are already scheduling to purchase a half pig from a nearby meat cutting company. They quoted $1.79 a pound for fresh meat, with 50 cents a pound additionally for any smoking we want to have done. They told me that an average half is about 200 pounds, so we are going to split again with my daughter, but the meat company would have sold us a quarter as well. We plan to get as much bacon and ham as we can. I asked about nitrites and they don't use them. They use Vitamin C instead, which is a natural nitrate. So, for about $2.29 a pound, we will be getting all natural bacon without the harmful preservatives.

I am just starting to look into finding a direct source for free-range chickens and other poultry and farm fresh eggs.

We started a garden as well, to provide fruits and vegetables for our family. Yes, I purchased seeds, but I was also able to use seeds remaining from previous years in some cases. Seeds last a while. Don't assume they aren't good because they are a couple of years old. Check before you discard. To test for fertility, put seeds inside a folded paper towel and keep damp. If they sprout, you know they are still good.

Also, I do an easy method of composting that works for me. Basically, I dig a shallow hole and pile vegetable kitchen waste, non-seeded weeds, leaves and the like into it. Every once in a while I throw some dirt over it. Every once in a while I water the pile (almost never). :o) And in 6 months to a year, it still makes itself into compost without my fussing.

We are still in process of clearing for the vegetable garden we'd like to have and still planting various edible fruit-bearing plants, so we are supplementing this year by going u-picking for berries, cherries, apples, etc. I've already put up sliced strawberries and strawberry freezer jam. My goal is to have enough jam to last through the winter, which I was able to do last winter. We took the grandkids and made an outing of our strawberry u-picking. We paid $1.50 a pound for the strawberries and had a great time.

To further supplement our fruits and vegetables, we joined a nearby Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm as work share members. Basically, that means for four hours a week for twenty weeks I go to the farm and work. I chose morning shift, 8-12 on Saturday. My husband stays home with our youngest and they have fun together while Mom gets a break and some exercise. Oh, and free fruits and vegetables in abundant quantities, valued at about $600. We are not having to purchase these in the retail grocery at all. With both a CSA share and a vegetable garden, I'm able to freeze some of the bounty for the winter.

I located a milkman service at a dairy in our area. Now, once a week, we get whatever dairy products we want delivered directly to our door for less than we would pay in the retail grocery store. I'm usually home, but you don't have to be there to get deliveries as they have an insulated box they put things in. The milkman bills once a month.

We go to Costco once a month for things like coffee, artisan breads, dishwasher detergent, and oatmeal. (We make it a special treat to pick up lunch there, and it usually costs under $10 for all three of us.) I'm also considering finding out how I can order grains and other items in bulk, in order to get as close to the farmer as I can. Because that's where the savings usually is.

By Janalyn from Snohomish, WA

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