I've been thinking about groceries today.Specifically, the 'necessities' vs the 'extras'. What do you consider an extra? Any food which is already baked/assembled/portioned out? When I really started thinking about it, I realised a seriously large part of my grocery budget revolves around certain convenience items. Not always ready-made meals either, although they've dug themselves out a little niche in my cart over time too. I'm talking about things like pastry, muesli bars (granola bars), crackers, icy-poles (popsicles), anything pre-crumbed, spaghetti sauce, microwave popcorn, pretzels, pre-cooked deli chickens, even - gasp! - bread. The list goes on and on...
Now, sometimes it makes perfect sense to steer clear of the convenience foods. You can instantly see that jug of pancake shaker mix is going to be more expensive than mixing up your own batter from scratch. But other things are a lot more 'grey'. For example, I buy pasta sauce (500g/17 ½ oz) on sale for $2 a jar, about what I need to make a spaghetti bolognaise dinner for 4 adults or 2 adults, 3 kids. I could buy tomatoes and puree them, but tomato prices are significant enough at the moment that this might actually be more expensive. I could buy canned tomato puree and add my own spices and onion, but the price works out almost the same. And we like our brand of pasta sauce. So I'll continue to buy it, but I'll buy it smartly, often buying 8 or 10 jars at a time at the sale price (it usually retails close to $3 a jar, so I'm saving $8-$10 each time I buy multiple jars - and pasta sauce is something we always use). And as for bread, I can make my own slightly cheaper than the store-baked stuff, but I can never achieve the same number of slices. So I have to make twice the bread at home, for twice the work, for a price that is on par with the store - so it begins to make far less sense.
So my question to you all is two-fold.
* Which convenience items do you buy regularly, and why? Are these items cheap in your area? In Australia, coupons are non-existent, but we have weekly grocery sales, making certain items at least reasonable in cost.
* Which convenience items would you NOT spend good money for? What alternatives do you use?
Pipe up lurkers!
Cheers,
Lizzie
3 comments:
Hmmm - I think the main "convenience" food we buy is icecreams - we buy a pack of mini magnums and mini drumsticks. I buy them for portion control, partly. One mini is about 100 cal which is acceptable as far as my diet goes. Also, if we have icecream treats in the freezer - we'll eat them; instead of going to the servo and buying a couple of full sized drumsticks (more than twice the price and twice the calories).
Also, I buy Taco kits. I was suprised to discover that the kit was actually cheaper by about $1.
And custard - I not only buy it pre-made, I buy the smaller, more expensive cartons. Yep - waaaay cheaper to make, but I would need to make it in advance, as the kids like cold custard. Also I'd need a crystal ball - they don't want it every night! Which also explains the smaller carton. A small carton will do for two meals for the two of them, they'd have custard twice a week, and you can leave a carton open for a week... So actually is more economical to buy it that way, strangely enough!
Hrrrm what else do I buy? Jar of passata - for the same reason as you. It's the right consistency for pizza sauce and some pasta sauces and it's about $1.70 a 700ml bottle! Cheap as chips, mate!
I could also make biscuits rather than buy them - and I'm planning to this year. BUT a home made recipe makes a bazillion biscuits, and they go soft or we get sick of them. It's the whole 'half an egg' that's got me baffled!
Also, we buy apple puree. I could make it, I have loads of half eaten apples about the place. BUT it's the time factor (and that's also how I murdered one of my very bloody expensive saucepans! And $70 for a saucepan buys a LOT of little tubs of apple!).
I discovered I can buy chicken tenderloins direct from the chicken killers (Steggles here) - BARGAIN! The last box I bought was $42 for SIX KILOS. They're $14 a kilo at the butchers. Because I have the tenders, I make chicken nuggets that actually do have 100% chicken instead of a lot of filler.
So that's a convenience food I *wouldn't* buy!
I hardly buy many convenience items as I am gluten intolerant, have a soy allergy, and am just too lazy to read every single package I pick up looking for both of these items on the itty bitty ingredients list. Gluten and soy are in pretty much everything, even things you would not expect, and also under "hidden" names. (I have had several experiences of products listing "gluten free" on the front, only to discover gluten in the ingredients. Grr. I am paranoid now!) I luckily *really* like baking & cooking, so I would much prefer using time doing that, rather than an insane shopping trip spent doing what I described above. Oftentimes I make food for the freezer so I have "safe" food available when I am too sick/tired/busy/whatever to make breads, meals, and snacks.
I do very occasionally purchase allergy friendly convenience foods, but this is only during a time when I *need* to (new baby, illness, etc) or when I find said items on deep discount. One of our grocery stores marks down their natural foods section on Thursday mornings, so we are there every week. ;o) The cost of premade allergy friendly baked goods is *insane* especially as we are able to buy bulk grains, sweeteners, and many other items from a local co-op at great discounts.
I think when it comes to convenience food versus cooking, not only the price of the food should be factored in, but also the value of our time. Sure, maybe honey whole wheat bread could be baked for 30 cents less than buying a loaf from the store, but is saving 30 cents really worth it? Know what I mean?
I agree with Mrs Brigham & Harriet- the value of your time has to be considered and the whole taste and texture.Homemade bread doesn't have the same texture & taste and may go to waste.
I use pre made pasta sauce ,limited biscuits and some convenience meals but mostly hoem cooking with mixture - chop my own chicken but add a jar of $2 sauce I bought on special -cook rice or pasta.
Custard - the time factor of making it every few days would not be worth it for $ 2 500ml carton and milk anyway is $1 for 500mls (some brands).
Time is my biggest enermy - to make your own pasta for example is not practical for me at $1 packet.
I use frozen peas, sometimes beans but other vegies are usually fresh.
Everything in moderation.
I crumb my own chicken too - rarely will I buy 100% nuggets.
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