apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Purchasing more store brand items
Using coupons
Less expensive ingredients
Eating more leftovers

I'm making more of an effort to use up everything I buy, when normally some of my produce would end up going to waste. Buying what's on sale and working meals around those items helps, too.

I just love that picture Dana. So much said in that image. :)

I generally just make do without meat, use a lot of mushrooms and tofu instead, and bulk things out with more grains. I used to scramble three eggs for my partner and me for breakfast, but I've cut back to just two and we eat them on toast instead. This way I don't have to cheat on my egg lady:
http://www.culinate.com/articles/opinion/rethinking_our_food_priorities

I've really been into savory pancakes lately; if you use whole grain flour, they're filling, a great way to eat a variety of veggies,they're really economical, and oh yeah, they taste delicious. Especially with a fried egg and sriracha. :)

I've noticed the biggest difference with cheese. We normally don't buy much meat (every other week?), so the cut in fancy cheese is the one that hurts a bit. Otherwise, we eat pretty frugally, anyway.

So glad I paid for this year's CSA before the recession really hit, though.

Actually I conciously decided that I would cut back everywhere BUT the kitchen. I would rather be able to buy whatever I want foodwise, than have new clothes or whatever. But I have always had a waste not, want not philosophy with food, so that comes in handy too.

Actually, if anything I'm probably being a little more spendy in the kitchen because we're staying home more and eating out less...

What a joyful kitchen!

Mostly, I'm just trying to be more careful in my shopping and in my cooking. I'm actually eating few leftovers these days and focussing on cooking meals that are just enough for one or two.

I'm making more lunches at home, so: Buying more sandwich ingredients.

I'm planning my meals more and shopping for just what I need (less impulse buys), and making sure to waste nothing.

I will never sacrifice my Kerry Gold butter though!

None of the above. I love to cook, but I hate to bake. i have been baking bread rather than spend $3-4 a loaf.

We decided to cut back on meat as well as cook more meals at home. Our inspiration is Mark Bitmann's Food Matters. It was my husband's idea (buying and using the book) and since his vegetable palette is so limited, this is a challenge. So far, lots of stir-fries are helping out.

I'm trying to use up things in the pantry more, and buying only produce and very raw ingredients (dried beans instead of canned). I stopped buying yogurt and cheese and am drinking more milk instead. I'm buying the cheaper, non-imported hummous, though if I had a food processor/blender/anything, I would just make my own instead.
I'm also trying to do a better job at eating my own frozen leftovers rather than taking a Lean Cuisine to work for lunch. It would help if I froze leftovers in single-serving sizes...
I was doing pretty well with this plan except now it's Passover and I had to be wasteful and throw out my opened chametz (1/4 loaf of bread, a few tortillas that were still good).

Sorry to say for us it's the organics going by the wayside. I'm hunting up "quasi" organic products now, like all-vegetarian feed eggs or hormone-free milk that are not actually certified organic. The price is significantly less, though still more than standard.

I am trying not to waste food, but it is hard. i have an unopened half gallon of milk that just past expiration date. I know it's probably still good, but it icks me out. Been buying at the farmer's markets, though. I am going to more local grown than organic. Using up what i have, both fresh and pantry are slowly becoming the norm. Need to stop the impulse eating out, though.

For some reason, I can spend the 3-4 dollars on local Broguiere's milk, but I can't get myself to spend the 5 bucks on a dozen cage free eggs. I wonder how broguire's keeps their cows, because cruelty free/ improved living conditions trump local and organic. Anyone know about that?

* Using what I bought and not letting anything go to waste - that means EVERY bit in our CSA box

* Using more dried beans, lentils, quinoa, etc

* We try to plan out meals to be efficient

* Buying in bulk and from coops (the "right now" need means breaking down and paying more sometimes)

We live communally with some friends and we have been brainstorming on more ways to save and be efficient

I'm definitely planning more meals that will provide leftovers: casseroles, quiches, stratas, panades, etc. Definitely less meat, and I'm being more adventurous in terms of making dinner up based on what's in the cupboard, rather than buying to a specific recipe.

in addition to watching overall waste - packing up dinner leftovers for lunch the next day instead of just throwing everything in the fridge willy nilly, freezing vegetable scraps for soups or braises, taking care of fresh herbs to make sure they last as long as possible - we've also had to cut back on the organic produce.

-Joined a CSA
-Less waste, use everything I buy
-Leftoveeeers
-Store brands
-Bulk stuff in season, then can it!
-No processed food
-I still rock the organics as much as I did before.
-Eat less! Lol.
-Growing some veg here at home.

My thrifty concern is less with the economic crisis and more with our regular old finances.

I still eat organics especially for produce. I'm making more things from scratch--at least yogurt consistently so far.

I always emphasized legumes heavily but now I do so even more, I think.

I'm being more careful about getting cheap leafy greens, like kale, chard, and romaine. Broccoli seems to be incredibly expensive and spinach is quite expensive too--although I haven't yet gotten into the habit of using frozen.

I gave up cooking meat in general... I mostly ended up wasting it anyway.

But meanwhile we're trying to up our veggie intake, which is expensive.

I'm getting fewer gourmet extras... not that I forbid myself from getting them, but I'm focusing mainly on the basics.