In my book, Real Food, Real Cheap, I outline dozens of ways to save money on your grocery bill, but the thing that will always save you the most is to avoid processed foods and get cooking. I hear so often that eating right and cooking real food from scratch costs more than using processed foods. It’s simply not true. Let’s take Thanksgiving dinner as an example.
I went to three supermarkets last week to compare the difference in prices between ingredients for a Thanksgiving dinner cooked from scratch and for a dinner made entirely of convenience foods. I calculated everything based on the lowest prices I found, taking advantage of sales and store brands.
Back at home, I opened my local newspaper to find a full-page ad from Walmart, advertising ingredients for Thanksgiving dinner for eight for less than $20, including turkey for $0.40 a pound. (A trip to Walmart revealed that the smallest turkey for $0.40 a pound was a hefty 21-pounder. I also learned that Walmart can’t sell turkey at that price in every state, so check it out before you go.) Here’s how it all shakes out, using the best prices from the four supermarkets:
A Made-From-Scratch Thanksgiving Dinner (for six people): Roast, whole, 21-pound turkey ($8.40 at the Walmart price or $11.88 for a more modest 12-pound turkey at $0.99 a pound); sage-cornbread dressing ($1.80), fresh cranberry sauce ($2.77), mashed potatoes ($2.51), gravy ($0), fresh steamed green beans ($3), mashed sweet potatoes ($1.32), cornbread ($1), and pumpkin pie ($3.77) with whipped cream ($1.39). Total cost: $25.96 if you go with the 21-pound turkey, or $29.44 if you buy the 12-pounder.
A Processed Thanksgiving Dinner (for six people): Prepared turkey roll with gravy ($10), packaged stuffing mix ($1.56), canned cranberry sauce ($1.67), instant mashed potatoes ($1.71), gravy from a packet ($1.19), green bean casserole ($5.14), canned yams ($5.58) with marshmallows ($1.29), cornbread ($1), and readymade pumpkin pie ($5.98) with frozen whipped topping ($1.50). Total cost: $36.73.
The Made-From-Scratch Thanksgiving Dinner saves you between $7.29 and $10.77, depending on whether you buy the 21-pound turkey or the 12-pounder.
Some stores give away turkeys to customers who spend a set amount for groceries in the weeks preceding Thanksgiving, so a free turkey means you would bring down the cost of the Made-From-Scratch dinner to $17.56, less than half the price of the Processed Dinner.
Also, a whole turkey, particularly a 21-pounder, will provide you with at least three meals: the Thanksgiving dinner, the leftovers (sandwiches, casserole, etc.), and a pot of soup made from the carcass. You can’t get that from a processed turkey roll from a box.
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday: Just cook dinner, eat, and be thankful for everything you have. Pretty simple. And simple, home cooking is the key to a feast that doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg. That’s something to be thankful for, too.—Carol Wiley Lorente
For more ways to save money on groceries, get Real Food, Real Cheap: How to Save Money on Your Food Bill and Still Eat Well, only $9.95 at www.FrugalLivingPress.com, or click on book title at right.
0 comments:
Post a Comment