In Moderation
Providing health, nutrition and fitness advice in moderate amounts to help you live your best life.
Rob: Co-host of the podcast "In Moderation" and fitness enthusiast. Rob has a background in exercise science and is passionate about helping others achieve their health and fitness goals. He brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the show, providing valuable insights on topics such as calories, metabolism, and weight loss.
Liam: Co-host of the podcast "In Moderation" and new father. Liam has a background in nutrition and is dedicated to promoting a balanced and sustainable approach to health and wellness. With his witty and sarcastic style, Liam adds a unique flavor to the show, making it both informative and entertaining.
In Moderation
Money-Saving Grocery Hacks That Actually Work
With SNAP benefits facing cuts and grocery budgets tightening across America, our deep dive into money-saving grocery strategies couldn't be more timely. Armed with a Buzzfeed list of 35 budget grocery shopping tips, we evaluate each recommendation on a scale from 1-10, separating genuinely helpful advice from less practical suggestions.
The standout strategies earning our highest ratings include making detailed shopping lists, checking price-per-ounce rather than just looking at sticker prices, and embracing store brands for substantial savings. We explore how ethnic markets consistently offer lower prices on produce and staples, while discount racks provide opportunities that blow past the conventional wisdom of "shop the perimeter." The simple act of organizing your refrigerator can prevent costly food waste, while bringing only cash to the store creates a physical spending barrier that curbs impulse purchases.
Our conversation reveals some surprising findings, including the effectiveness of requesting "rain checks" when sale items are out of stock, the dramatic savings potential of vegetarian meals built around beans and lentils, and digital coupon strategies through apps like Ibotta. We debate the practicality of extreme measures (buying an entire cow with friends?) versus accessible everyday habits that consistently save money. Whether you're shopping on a suddenly tighter budget or simply trying to stretch your grocery dollars further, you'll find practical, immediately applicable strategies to implement on your next shopping trip.
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Hey everybody, welcome to In Moderation After Dark, since we're recording, for me at least, at nearly 11pm.
Speaker 2:Rob has no idea what we're talking about Still light here.
Speaker 1:Oh weird, rob has no idea what we're talking about. I'm surprising him with the topic. So what we're going to be doing, rob, is ranking our favorite musicals 1 through 10. So if you want to start, off with my kind of number one.
Speaker 2:I'll go to Musicals, eh.
Speaker 1:Maybe there'll be some overlap. Who knows, hmm, number one musical. What do you got? Number one musical.
Speaker 2:Oh God, I'm going to have to go with Pirates of. Penance.
Speaker 1:That sounds like it's a real thing. That sounds like you did this before.
Speaker 2:That's the one with I am the very model of a modern major general.
Speaker 1:Okay, I have heard that in reference from other things Probably Family Guy or something dumb, I don't know. I guess I would say Hamilton, that's just a big one.
Speaker 2:Hamilton is a good one.
Speaker 1:That's a big one that comes to mind. Everybody seems to just love Hamilton. I'm going to be honest, I don't think I've ever watched it. It came on Disney Plus. I started watching it. I don't think I finished it. Everybody's going to get mad at me now, but anyway, that's not what we're actually talking about.
Speaker 1:Uh, if you haven't heard, there's like uh in this. If you're listening in the states, you probably heard there's like a bill and like they made uh, big cuts to snap, which is kind of what food stamps are called now. So there's a lot of people were like you know, budget's gonna be real, real fucking tight, you know. So I wanted to. I was like let real fucking tight, you know. So I wanted to. I was like let me look up what we'd like to do, the list here. I think it's fun, we have fun with it.
Speaker 1:I was like, let's say some like budget, grocery shopping. Um, uh, like recommendations. So I found this one from Buzzfeed. So you know it's good. Obviously, you know it's going to be top tier reporting if buzzfeed is talking about it. But there's like I don't know 35 of them or something. I figure we go through at least. Yeah, there's a bunch of them. It's. It's called I save 65 65 dollars doing it. Grocery shoppers are sharing their best money saving habits and this should be required reading right now, man, that whoever writes the fucking titles that's a long title.
Speaker 1:It's it's like back in the day, like I like to listen to history podcasts, and back in the day the book, the title of a book, would just be like the first chapter of the book. It would just be like 38 words and just like a history and it just would keep going. I'm like man, a little short and sweet, come on. I guess their, their brains, probably weren't ruined by, you know, social media, like ours is today, so you know it's what it is. But anyway, there's a bunch of these and I'm just gonna read them and you know we're gonna rank them one through ten because I say so. And why not? Ranking shit's fun, it's's your podcast.
Speaker 1:It's my part, I do whatever I want. First one you ready for this? Ready? Anything in the center aisles of the store I usually skip, except for a few exceptions such as baking and spice aisle, the tuna fish, the peanut butter, rice and beans Shopping mostly along the walls of the grocery store. That's where the produce meets. Dairy and eggs are okay. So this is something we've talked about before with, like you know, generally like eating healthy. Stick to those things, but like is that the best for saving money?
Speaker 2:I. I would argue not because, like right, canned food is, like they said, um tuna but all the rest of the canned food, all the rest of the frozen food, all the rest of the frozen food.
Speaker 1:Yeah right, I mean I guess frozen, We'll count frozen food on the end. But like, let's see what else in the middle, like noodles, pasta, right, Like pasta is super cheap. You can do a lot of things with pasta. You can even do like some of the pastas that are more protein fiber. But just like basic ass pasta Like, and you don't want to cut out all that I'll mention.
Speaker 2:looking at the sales, which? I'm sure we'll get into at some point here.
Speaker 1:And when you're on a budget, like fucking, get yourself some ramen. Man, like if I'm on a budget, I'll get some ramen, you know I'll spice it up with some other things, right, you try and add other things to ramen, but like that's, you know it's when you're broke and you need something. It's like 20 cents or whatever it is. So I don't know whatever it is. So, yeah, I, I don't know. I mean for in terms of just like eating healthy, that's a, you know, good advice.
Speaker 2:but like for saving money. I give that a three for saving money. Yeah, that's, that's. I'm not too impressed with that. I would be more impressed if they had said, uh, shop the discount shelf, yeah right and it just mine's in the middle.
Speaker 1:I wouldn't even be able to go there if it wasn't for that all the deals I get. I wouldn't even be able to go there if it wasn't for that All the deals I get I wouldn't even be able to do that. Who would I even be anymore? Number two if you have trouble with impulse spending, shop with cash Going in with only $25 or $50 to spend on the next three days keeps you from buying unnecessary things. I could see that. I can see this one. I think just kind of having a budget in general is really good that I can see this one.
Speaker 1:I think just kind of having a budget in general is really good. If somehow you haven't, uh, listened to dollar tree dinners, definitely go follow her. You know she doesn't just do dollar tree, you know she does walmart and chozy, all like budgeting tips and stuff. And she goes in with like a little list with how much money she's going to spend and then she writes down like each thing like I'm buying this and it costs this much, buying this costs that much. So she kind of has a little tally as it goes on. I think that's smart. So, like you know, if it helps just to have that cash, then I think that's cool.
Speaker 2:But like just having a budget's probably good yeah, I could see it um being beneficial for uh people with like adhd that either might forget their list or just might forget to write their list.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think this could definitely be helpful for a group of you know, for some people. I think that could be. Really. I would give that an eight. I think that's a good one.
Speaker 2:I was thinking seven.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I, I, I think overall. I mean maybe my bar is low from the other one. Anyway, number three be organized in your, in your fridge. Sometimes I tend to buy lots of food just to shove it in the back of the fridge and forget its existence while I remember it, or when I remember it, it's already expired. A huge waste every time.
Speaker 2:I do have a struggle with this.
Speaker 1:You put stuff in there and I don't realize it's back there, until I eventually move some stuff, I'm like, oh damn, that's messed, that's not good.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't know what the best thing to do with, like I'm still trying to figure it out myself like rotating things, moving stuff, just like. Do I write it down?
Speaker 2:I'm terrible writing things down, so I'm probably not going to do that and this is going to be a bigger issue for families because they're going to have a more stocked fridge a bunch of you got a bunch of food you're putting.
Speaker 1:Everybody has their different food, right. They're like oh little timmy likes this food and susan like right. So, like you know, that's tough. I feel like maybe just like once a day just looking in your fridge and be like all right, listen, is there something in here I can use?
Speaker 2:or or, like you know, make sure it doesn't go off, probably worth doing it before you go grocery shopping as well just go to the fridge and rummage into the back and be like okay, I have this, I don't need to buy that yeah, right, right, because I do that with some foods.
Speaker 1:Now, usually foods I do with like are dried lentils, so it's like whatever I have, a bunch of dried lentils, the last meat till the apocalypse, you know. But like you probably got to check before you leave, make sure you already have that like oh, I bought carrots again again.
Speaker 2:I already have carrots.
Speaker 1:Whatever it is, I don't know. I just see carrots in this picture. The picture is there's only like eight things in the fridge, so it's like you really nobody's missing anything in this anyway.
Speaker 2:That's my fridge, that's a single person's fridge.
Speaker 1:I've got, milk I've got soda.
Speaker 2:I'm not missing anything.
Speaker 1:That's your plan. Just have less food in there. I give that an eight Again. I like it. Yeah, I'm going to give that one an eight too.
Speaker 1:I like that my grocery, my grocery, my grocery. It's just weird to say my grocery in that grocery store, like, I guess, just say my grocery. That sounds weird. My grocery offers delivery for a modest yearly sum. Oh, they pay per year. The delivery is at no additional charge. I buy nearly all my groceries this way. The prices are the same as in the store, right, I don't do any impulse buying, I guess that's true, saving quite a bit.
Speaker 2:I mean I could still see people impulse buying on a website.
Speaker 1:Maybe just you know, walking by, you're like, oh, I need that hubba bubba, hubba bubba, my car doesn't spend time in the parking lot, uh, getting dinged. I mean, wait, getting how many? What groceries are you going to that your car's just fucking getting dinged while you're in the parking lot. Get a. You should probably go to a different one. Uh, and I save on gas, which I guess I get the gas yeah, I imagine it would pay for itself in the gas money.
Speaker 1:It also says tipping is not permitted. Oh, thank God I don't have to tip those. That was the real problem here. So I think I mean, if it's around the same price and I guess it saves you from impulse, I feel like that comes down to are you an impulse buyer? And if it helps you with that, then yeah, I could see it. I could see it. I see it. Especially people you know you have trouble with, you know mobility issues and whatnot, like that, and I totally get it. But just for like not going there, I don't know, then you can't really shop this stuff. For can you still shop the deals, I guess, online?
Speaker 2:they probably still have deals listed out on the discount rack.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no dice, I give that a one. I said any any one of these that I miss out the discount. Rack a record. If that first one gets a one, it gets a one.
Speaker 2:Oh I, I I'm 50, 50 on it. I'll give it a five. It's like it's hit and miss it's fine.
Speaker 1:Uh, I never go number five, I never go to the store without a list. This might seem obvious, but it's a lifesaver. I plan my meals for the week, check what I already have, uh, in the pantry and fridge. See, hey, there we go, and then write down only what I need. Uh, it helps me avoid the impulse buying blah, blah, blah. Another thing I do is look for sales and discounts. This one gets a 10.
Speaker 1:This one already gets a 10, we go I check the weekly flyers and clip coupons when I have time. Sometimes I even use those store apps. Right, yeah, they do have, like Kroger and whatnot has an app that you can get like weekly digital deals. It's kind of a pain in the ass I've been. I've tried like downloading it and getting it but like linking it to my card. It's just, it's annoying.
Speaker 2:Anyway, I even use those.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you have them?
Speaker 2:We've got what's it called Nielsen Home Scan and if you join that, basically when you purchase stuff you just scan it with your phone and you get points which you can redeem for gift cards.
Speaker 1:Yes, so we have I've talked about it before there's a woman that does a lot of budget stuff and she uses Ibotta, i-b-o-t-t-a, ibotta and that's just like an app where you put in, like it gives you deals for, like certain products. You buy that product, you put it in, you scan your receipt and then it gives you money back or points towards things and that sort of stuff. So I think it mostly gives money back. So, like those things I think could definitely be worth if you're trying to save some money. Uh, you know, check the discounts. Obviously love that. Uh, and like I think the list is good.
Speaker 1:I started, I have what's it called. I actually started, you know, the list on my, my phone for the first time ever because I have like all these recipes and I saved my favorites and I go and then I try to look at each video, like oh, I need that for this. I'm like this is stupid. I just need to write down what I have. Any list that's the name of it. Any list is what I use, not a sponsor, and it just gives me my grocery list and I add it and then like when you, you just tap it. Like I just tap this, like I had almonds. I tap it and then it crosses it off. It just like it's still there, but it's crossed off.
Speaker 1:So I know I have it and I technology I know it's neat, instead of, just like you know, pen and paper or whatever, like I I think I think that's cool, so I like this 10 yeah, I'm going with a 10 on that too uh number six choose one or two stores near you with uh generally good prices and use them for most of your shopping. Don't go all over town, space permitting.
Speaker 2:Make fewer, larger trips hmm so I mean you say this one's gas, this one's funny. For me, being a small town person, it's like, okay, I, I only have one store here in town that I can go to. You're pigeonholed into that, yeah. So I don't know what to how to view that as a city person.
Speaker 1:For me because I do have, you know, lots of the ones around me I have, kind of the ones I do more of my shopping at, Mostly Kroger, Like Aldi, I love Aldi. Like Aldi in the States and also in Europe, Um it's, it's got the some of the best prices, but they don't, like really have everything you need. Is the problem they not like you know a bigger store that has you know, like, oh, I need this spice or whatever it is that, like Aldi is just not going to have. So I don't know, like, I guess you save money on gas, but like, do you save that much by just not going multiple times? I, I don't know, Maybe I'm just I'm biased because, like, I go to the store a lot since I'm always like, oh, somebody tagged me this recipe, Now I need I don't know like salmon roe or something weird. Aldi's not going to have that off to.
Speaker 2:I feel like if you're worried about gas, you may as well just get the delivery though. I guess, I don't know, that's like a four, I give that.
Speaker 1:A four, I give that a question mark because I right you're going to take my ratings where I just stopped giving, I just stopped rating things out of ten, because I was just like I don't even like. People were asking me about my scale, like what is your scale intake?
Speaker 1:I'm like I don't fucking know and I'm like I like it or I don't like it, or like I like it but it's too much work. So now I just say that I'm like I like it, but it's too much work and I'm not gonna make it again out of 10. And I think people resonate more with that because they're like yeah, that's pretty much where I'd be, it could be a 9, but if it's too much work, then fuck it. They're like oh well, then you could knock down your rate. No, that's too much work. I'll just tell you what I think about it out of 10.
Speaker 2:There's no, you don't know what a 7 out of 10 means, right it's generally good, but not great. I guess it doesn't tell me that it's too much work. It's just a second out of 10. Okay, well, it could have been too much work. It could have not been that great.
Speaker 1:I'm just going to tell you what I mean and then just say out of 10. And then I would just start to say out of 10 for like anything at the end I'm not even talking about food. I'm like it's a good workout out of 10. I don't know, this is dumb. But I Number seven eat before you go to the store. When you're hungry, everything is tempting. That's fair. Yeah, I think that's fair. I think that's good advice. Let's give this like a nine. It's solid advice.
Speaker 2:I think people yeah, that's when you, that's often when you do that impulse buying, I think, like walking past the chips and you're kind of like, oh, I'm snacky, yep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think even if you're going to the store, like having something with you, like you know, snack on something to the store, right? So you're like not super hungry it's like you. You're like oh, I don't have time to sit down and have a whole meal or something like that. Often like I was just finishing right here a nuri protein shake or whatever. So, like my wife and I you know, april and i- I like to chew gum.
Speaker 2:My, I find, you know, some people say gum makes them hungrier, some for me it doesn't make me hungrier, so it depends I've had people, I've heard people say both thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it kind of just works for you I don't know, I haven't man one.
Speaker 1:I don't even know what last time I chewed gum was, but like you know what I like fucking hard candies, because I'm 90 anyway. Uh, number ace. Plan ahead if you need uh cream for one dish, find another dish that will use up the rest of the cream within a few days, and this kind of goes back to not wasting food, which I think is solid. So, like, even for me, like I'm like doing all these recipe reviews, I'm like, oh, I have this. Like is there another recipe that like takes this because I need to use it for something? If not, I'll just have to figure something out on my own. So I think this is very solid advice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a little bit into the meal prep a little bit. Yeah, just dips the toe in, I guess.
Speaker 1:Um a little bit.
Speaker 2:Yeah. The opposite of that would be to just skip anything that requires anything. Fancy, yeah, but that depends on. You know some people like especially with autistic people they like to eat the same thing over and over again and then they switch to something else and eat that over and over again.
Speaker 1:I think it's just like yeah, if you find something, it is true, because a lot of things are just bought in a big container and you're like man, when the hell am I going to use this If it's not something like Roche, it goes for a while.
Speaker 2:I hate when the sales are always like the family size sales Buy two, get one free or whatever, and it's like I don't need three of these. That's the whole thing.
Speaker 1:I'm a single person. I need one. Yep, I still just buy them. I bought, like I don't know it was like 10 boxes of like honey nut Cheerios for April Not that long ago, because it was like buy five and get each one for a dollar, and I, not that long ago, because it was like buy five and get each each one for a dollar, and I was like I'll get 10 for 10 or something ridiculous.
Speaker 1:So you know I had a whole bunch of my basement, but like they're good for over a year, yeah, at least they've got a good uh long expiration on them. Yeah, yeah, shelf life. So it's got the shelf life, then I'm like all right, I'll, I'll do it.
Speaker 1:Uh, okay, so I think that's. I think you're playing ahead eight. It's number eight on the list. I give it an eight. Number nine look for the store brand or in-house brand. Yes, many stores, supermarkets and online shops sell groceries and food items of their own brands. Right, I give this 10. I always love shopping. We all have the things right. People are like, oh, I need Heinz ketchup or whatever. Totally, I fuck with that I. People are like, oh, I need heinz ketchup or whatever. Totally, I fuck with that. Like, I get it. I'm. I'm about, um, uh, the, the blue diamond almonds, fucking love those things. Uh, I'm gonna pay for that, unless it's on the discount. Right, then I'm getting a whole bunch of this, which I think I still do. Uh, but, yeah, the store brands. Most of the time it's like just as good, man, I get the, the off brand.
Speaker 2:Like, uh, frosted mini wheats or whatever there's a lot of occasions where it's made in the exact same factory.
Speaker 1:Yep, same place, and they just put a different box on it. 10 out of 10. Love that Number 10, though partially, prepare your meals in advance. Try to do some preparation like marination, marination, chopping the vegetables, mixing the spices required for cooking and other things that can help you speed up cooking.
Speaker 2:How is that?
Speaker 1:saving me money. I don't know. Not wasting things, maybe just being less waste. When cooking gets easier and quicker, you are less tempted to buy from outside. Okay, so that's the end of it All right, so I guess you just buy. You eat out less. That's the idea of saving money.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:I guess I get that Having some things partially prepared so it's easier to throw it together. So like you cook a bunch of chicken in the oven and then you have chicken ready for whenever. I see a lot of people do that. They use little hand mixers. You know those hand mixers and they put the chicken breast in there and they shred it up and then they have shredded chicken. I did that once. Chicken was fucking everywhere. Every ounce of my kitchen was covered in cooked chicken. I was like this is, and so then like they're like oh yeah, get a, a paper plate and then put the little tong thingies or whatever they are, the little blender, whatever's, through that and then have that as a shield. I'm like I, this is, this is a lot man that's getting a little too much yeah I don't know I just mean, at that point, just get a food processor.
Speaker 1:I'm just gonna get tofu or grinder because I'm lazy, it's easy, I just take it out of the package. I don't know. So like I, I guess, partially prepared things I I give that's like a seven or an eight. Like I I get it, I think, having some things kind of just, but also having like those like, um, vegetable mixes or something right like the frozen ones, just having that and like that's already partially prepared and I didn't have to do jack squat for it yeah, and that goes back to our center house.
Speaker 1:There just the, yeah, the canned food, the frozen food mm-hmm, I saw I, I like that idea. But, uh, number 11, I always, uh, I always make a list, right, thank you, we already said list and I check my list against the weekly sales. Yes, yes, blah, blah, blah. Uh, I'll hold off on buying that. I, if pantry items go on sale and I know I'm low but not out, I'll stock up, I guess.
Speaker 2:All right, so stocking up, yeah if it's got a long shelf life there's long shelf life.
Speaker 1:Totally get it. I always check the expiration date. That is true. You should probably check it, just make sure it's not. But like you know also, you know it's not poison after best buy isn't poison after whatever date you know, so it's. I'm still eating these like lentil pouches that are like past the best buy date, but like it's still good, like it's in a little seal pouch, it's fine. Uh. But I do like the idea of stocking up. I give that idea an eight.
Speaker 1:I like that yeah, particularly with toilet paper right, like those sort of things that are last, yeah, but stock up when you can. That's why, and that's why it's kind of like expensive to be poor. Right, because, like when you only have like twenty dollars and you're like, oh well, that's, I don't have the money to buy it. When it's on sale Now I can only buy a little bit, and next time it won't be on sale and then I'll be paying. So that man. You know, being poor is expensive, which just sounds stupid, but it's true. Um, number 12, I check the cost per ounce yes, the items on sale aren't always the cheapest.
Speaker 1:That's 10 out of 10, 11 out of 10. Yes, um, because, yeah, like you, you see, like, even like a bigger container, you think a bigger container might be, uh, cheaper or something. But you look at per ounce you're like, oh, yeah it's not cheaper or something.
Speaker 2:but you look at per ounce you're like, oh, it's not, it's nice. When they have it on the label on the shelf It'll be like right above or below the price and it'll say X amount per whatever freedom unit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly 142 miles per 18 Fahrenheit, I don't know. So yeah, you're like oh, it's cheaper, I go with that. So I think that's very smart. Check the price per ounce. I like that. 10 out of 10. 13, shop your pantry first. Take a few things out of your cupboard, fridge and freezer. What do you need to make with these meals? Okay, so just looking at like okay, I need to use these up. What do I buy at the store to use these with? I like that. I like that. You have like pasta, like there's. They show a picture like somebody has like pasta. Oh, they have stevia. Fuck this. This gets a zero out of ten. I don't like this. From this picture. I hate stevia.
Speaker 2:It tastes gross like it yeah uh but yeah, it's pretty often you'll find pasta or something in the back of the shelf, right yeah, there's like well, it's like ramen in here yeah, like. So, yeah, you find that stuff.
Speaker 1:You're like what can I work with this? Totally get it like it. I like that 10 out of 10. Um, we're about halfway through here 14 at least half of what we buy is on sale. Love that. Our little groceries. Uh, weekly sales that come out on wednesday through the following monday. I'm there on Wednesday. Oh okay, I my store. I don't know if my store has like a set few days that they're like most of the stores around here are Thursday Interesting.
Speaker 1:I actually don't know. I'm just there so often, I just check, but like that's smart to know that it's on a Wednesday. I like that. Jan Steinman, good job. 10 out of 10. Check your deals when do they come out? 15. Meal plan based on what will spoil first. For example, if you bought fresh strawberries, you should include them in every meal until they are gone. Yeah, especially fucking berries. Man, you turn your head and you're like, oh, moldy shit, I like that. Definitely. Check what's going bad, use it up. Love that nine out of ten um 16.
Speaker 1:In the us it seems there is a fair amount of product that is rejected by larger grocery stores for aesthetic reasons. This is true, a bell pepper that is half eat, half, half eaten half green and half red.
Speaker 1:That's half eaten. It's not good. You probably don't want that. Uh, and this produce is still often sold at small independent grocery stores. In both california and maryland I found mexican groceries where the produce is half as much as, uh, as safeway, I think. Yeah, so, like, there's definitely like delivery services as well. They're like oh, this, we, we deliver you a box full of like misfit, you know, potatoes and shit. Like I think that's cool. Um, and yeah, so there's definitely a discount outlets. I've shopped at a bunch of those and yeah, like, like I said, like you know, expiration dates are too big of a deal, but some of them are like real past expiration date, so you want to check that if it's like way past it, that it doesn't taste so great anymore.
Speaker 2:Um, that also goes back to the uh discount shelves, because you know a broken box, they can't put that on the regular shelf. But exactly, it's just a broken box fuck it who gives.
Speaker 1:I'm not eating the box, um in both. So, yeah, I, I like that. I think this is really good and shopping at like mexican grocery stores, asian grocery stores I've seen a lot of like asian. I've been to some asian ones that are like really good, um, so I think shopping at one of those like more ethnic stores awesome, love that. 10 out of 10 again. Yeah, uh, number 17 buy in bulk when it makes sense. Yep, so they've shown a picture.
Speaker 2:Yeah yeah, buy in bulk when you can sense Yep.
Speaker 1:So they've shown a picture Yep Buy in bulk when you can. I think that's when you can is the key there. Obviously you can't always, but I think when you can. Very solid advice 18,. I've observed many friends who will purchase bulk items at stores like Costco, sam's Club and the like, but will buy twice as much as they would normally use. So if an item like a super large bag of broccoli is five dollars a bag but you throw half of it away, right, okay. So again this comes back to right, like what's shelf stable and whatnot, because yeah, broccoli, I have bought the giant things of broccoli or salad and then you end up throwing half of that out, which is not great, you know. So I think that really comes out. Or like the potatoes like I love potatoes, but sometimes it's like a 10 pound bag of potatoes.
Speaker 2:I'm like I can't, I went to that.
Speaker 1:These are gonna get eyes in them before I can finish that. I don't care if it's five it's.
Speaker 2:It's hard for me to buy those things as a single person. I'm not gonna go through an entire bag of potatoes unless I'm eating potato every single meal for the next like every meal, not just every day.
Speaker 1:Every meal. Like that's a lot of damn potato, like what's? It's like five pounds for 350 or 10 pounds for five dollars. Like oh, well, then it should be cheaper in the long run. But like no, they go bad, you throw them out, so I'm gonna pay for the 350, for the five pound bag, uh number. So yeah, I think that's 10 out of 10. I like that, I'm just everything. 10 out of 10, 10 or 1. Now, it's my scale is 10 or 1. Those are the only two options. Look high and low, not in the middle. The most expensive items are usually put on the shelves where you can easily see them and reach them. Some of the less expensive items may be on the higher or lower shelves. Is this something you've experienced? I'm trying to think really this is.
Speaker 1:It kind of just seems to, yeah, like I, I don't know like, I'm trying to like like go through my grocery store and see, like you know, like, where the more expensive items are, but I feel like it's just a little all over the place. I guess if you notice that, that gets a one for me. That wasn't one one I, because it doesn't fit my what I'm used to uh, number 20 years sometimes the stores.
Speaker 2:The store brand stuff might be on the bottom shelf but like yeah, I don't often it's not there's expensive items in the middle man.
Speaker 1:I've seen some damn things. I'm like 20 for what? Like I, uh, what is it? Um that? That? That blue blue spirulina shit man I bought that. I was mad I had to pay like 20 bucks for that. So expensive um, use rewards card. Use a rewards card if your store offers them by engaging weekly deals. I don't know many Like.
Speaker 2:I don't?
Speaker 1:There's stores that have like so, like, oh, so like. Okay, kroger actually has those little card that like that's how you get the discounts in the store and then you save on gas as well. So I think that's kind of smart. So when I go by, you know, save it up. You go by, buy gas, you get a dollar off gas. I'm like all right, that's cool. So I think I think if they have a store card, you might as well use it, right, if it's one of those ones that's free. Um, let's just say, just be careful with this approach. If you are spending an extra ten dollars on an item that you don't need to save ten dollars, well, yeah, I don't want. Okay, moving on, I give that. Now I break my scale. Five, uh, uh. Invest in herbs and spices. These will make food uh, no matter how cheap more exciting, fair. Yeah, good job, joe gear. Geronimo, geronimo, geronimo.
Speaker 2:Joe Geronimo.
Speaker 1:Is his name. Joe Geronimo. G E R O N I M O. Geronimo, geronimo. Geronimo. G-e-r-o-n-i-m-o. Geronimo Geronimo, geronimo Martinez, joe Geronimo. His name is Joe Geronimo. I need to know everything about Joe Geronimo.
Speaker 1:Okay, social media find us Joe Geronimo. I'm copy pasting it right now. The rest of this episode will no longer be about saving money. It is about who the hell is Joe Geronimo Martinez? I have a picture of a bunny on SoundCloud, a Quora question from someone. Maybe Joe Geronimo Martinez passed away in recent days of congestive heart failure in Yorkshire. Oh boy, I don't think this is the same one. How many Joe Geronimo Martinez's are there? Apparently a lot, apparently more than one, which is I didn't expect that.
Speaker 2:I wouldn't have expected that.
Speaker 1:I guess, like Joe Martinez is like those are common names, but sure Am I. Maybe I'm just saying that wrong and I'm just dumb, but whatever, yes, joe, you're right, the spice is very good. 10 out of 10. Number 22, if something goes off in a shop, it's their problem. Something goes off in a shop, it's their their problem. If it goes off in your house, it's yours. Don't buy food that you're going to throw away so like if it's already spoiled. It's fairly easy to judge when you ate all of the previous week, for instance. No, no one throws away bacon or steak, but perhaps. Uh, but. But perishables and impulse buys that might be a good idea. Uh, don't get thrown away, okay, I mean, I guess, yeah, just don't throw away food.
Speaker 2:Don't throw away food. Don't buy spoiled food.
Speaker 1:Bro, it's from Joe Geronimo. I shit you not. It's Joe Geronimo Martinez. It's the same dude. You're just getting the. Is it the next one? Joe, all right. No, the next one's not Joe, all right. So Joe says get spices, and don't buy things that are just going to immediately go off. I guess Sure. And don't buy things that are just going to immediately go off, I guess Sure. We're with you, joe. Number 23. Use the 60-30-10 grocery rule and spend 60% of your budget on fruits and veggies and 30% on protein, such as dairy fish and meat. The remaining 10% can be used on snacks and extra stuff that you might need. Remaining 10% can be used on snacks and extra stuff that you might need. 60% of your budget on fruits and veggies. That's, bro, unless you're buying green beans and shit fruits and veggies can be expensive.
Speaker 2:I also feel like if you're shopping frozen fruit and veggies, you're going to be getting a better deal.
Speaker 1:It might not be 60%, I don't know I guess like, okay, the 10% on like snacks we all like have been there right when you look at your cart and half of it's like 50% of it's snacks and you're like this was not the best choice, these are not the best choices I've made, so that I get, but like I don't know if you need the 60, 30, I'm iffy on that.
Speaker 2:I'm iffy, I give an iffy I feel like I would spend way more on protein hmm, yeah, I guess how much depends on the price of protein, I don't know.
Speaker 1:I'm yeah, I don't know about that one. I like the snack thing. I get uh number 24. If you live in a city, go to ethnic neighborhoods and shop in the markets there. Yeah, a plucked chicken will naturally cost more than one you plucked yourself. I'm not kidding, really, albert cool. But in general the produce and meat will be much lower, lower priced, than at the big chains. Yeah, no, I do agree, though, like the ethnic uh stores, like mexican, asian, all that stuff, they really do have good deals. Like man, like even something like ginger, like I was, I bought it like an asian uh store and I got like pounds of ginger for like pennies. I was like this is, this is way less than normally I spend. So I think they have some really good deals. If you have one of those, definitely check it out, and they have some if you have one of those yeah right, a lot of people won't have one, but like you know, they, they.
Speaker 1:If you go in there, like what's this? That's interesting, I bought, uh, oakley, um, a bunny that was carrying. It was like a stuffed bunny that was carrying a banana, or maybe it was a plantain, I don't know, but it was cool and she's like why was a bunny carrying a banana I don't know.
Speaker 1:They were carrying a whole bunch of different things and I was like, just pick one. And she got the one that was carrying a banana and I was like plantain or whatever it is. I was like, okay, cool, pretty much any stuffy we get, though our dogs just eventually rip it up, so I don't even know why I keep buying them at this point. But you know that's what it is she wants you like. You're like when you have a little child that wants a stuffy like okay, five dollars for a stuffy anyway.
Speaker 2:Uh, no one actually money saving technique don't have children yeah, don't.
Speaker 1:If you're tight on cash, don't get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. That's their money saving tip, oh shit. Number 25, use leftovers so nothing goes to waste. Yeah, we've already talked about this. A month. Yeah, don't use leftovers, right? Thanks, craig. We've already gone over this a few times. It's just Craig. We don't even have his last name Fucking. We have Joe Geronimo Martinez over here. They're giving us all names, this guy's Craig. Thanks, craig. Craig, I give it a one because we've already seen it a bunch. Number 26. Fruits and vegetables in season are usually cheaper and fresher than those not in season. Try to plan your meals around seasonal produce. I think that's fair yeah, yeah, that's fair like oh, this is cheaper.
Speaker 1:These berries now are on sale because they're in season. Totally zarita, zarita. I like that 10 out of 10, um. And then like, oh yeah, like farmer's markets and stuff you get some good deals at farmer's markets if you have one. So like there's one, there's one here, um, not too far from us, like downtown grove city area, uh, where I live in columbus, and it's like we get a bunch of different stuff. That's really cool, like you know, like I haven't even seen that, I, I.
Speaker 1:So yeah, if you have farmers market farmers markets are one thing that are common in yeah definitely, like you know, things only grow for like two months out of the year for you guys, but like those two months, you gotta get the the watermelons when they're there. I don't, I, I don't know, but oakley's been chowing watermelons. She wakes up. I just cut up a bunch of watermelons. She sits there just like just it bowls more, more, more watermelon. All right, you eat as much water, watermelon and raisins, like you know what. Sure there's worse things to be really into. So eat your watermelon and raisins, all the sugar. 27. Eat more vegetarian meals.
Speaker 1:Lentils and beans are way less expensive than meat. Fair man, like, fuck, I talk about all the time Beans, man, lentils, just so cheap. Like if you get it dried, they're basically paying you to take it away. Uh, and even like canned, it's still very inexpensive and I think the so a lot of people I think is just like well, I, I don't want to give up meat, like I, I like it. I'm like, listen, I get it. Mix it together, man, do, like you know, do, do the ground beef and lentils mixed together, make a chili that has some ground beef and a bunch of beans, whatever it is that sort of stuff, right? Yeah, vegetarian meals are just like cheaper, like the, the, the plant proteins are usually pretty, pretty inexpensive. 10 out of 10. Uh jim good job, jim good Jim 28. If you see something on sale but the grocer is out of stock, ask for a rain check.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's actually a good one, good for 30 days. Rain checks are given out as an incentive for you to return to the store. How do they even, howard, howard, how are they even doing this? You come back and you're like, oh, I asked about this last week, or something like what they?
Speaker 2:write it down yeah. That's weird I think I have a rain check for chicken somewhere around here.
Speaker 1:I never I've never done. I've done a lot of like savings and stuff Never asked for a rain check on something like that.
Speaker 2:It's rare that I see someone's sale that's like just completely out, but like when it happens, I'm just like, okay, well, find something. I think it's more likely to happen in a small town, because like we don't get that much right, right, that's fair, but yeah, when it when you see a really good deal and they're out. Yeah, ask for the rain check rain check got it.
Speaker 1:Good job, howard, 10 out of 10. Use a calculator. Stick to your list, uh, and use a calculator as you shop to stay under budget fair. I like that, you know you. Just I was talking about writing it down but you could just do it each time like six, six dollars plus 480, whatever, right, like the whole time. That way, you kind of know.
Speaker 1:Yeah I think that's good re, good job re. 10 out of 10. Uh, looks like we only have a few more. A few more. Yeah, let's go. We only got a few more. I think that's good. Uh, on tuesday I saved over 65 dollars on my grocery uh bill by using coupons. Uh, the total bill was 253.
Speaker 1:I paid 185 total sold on coupons that was a good total Sold on coupons, that was a good saving, totally sold on coupons and using the online system for my favorite grocery store to have additional coupons on their online system. Yeah, I think having coupons. How often it seems like now a lot of things are digital, right, they have the app or something. How often are you actually clipping, actually cutting out coupons and stuff?
Speaker 2:I'm assuming that's still around. I haven't seen that happen for a while, but there's definitely apps that you can like digitally clip it and then they usually can scan it either when you're at self checkout or regular checkout.
Speaker 1:Did you ever watch extreme couponing? No, it was a TV show show I think it's like tlc or some shit. Like I got addicted to extreme couponing, like the whole people. Right now there's some people listening like dude, extreme couponing.
Speaker 1:Like you get addicted to that show because these people they have this entire fucking like binder, just like set for what they're getting and they find an item that has a coupon and an in-store thing and an online thing and they subtract these three things and like you're getting money back when they do it right. So you buy something that's like 85 cents and you have 50 cents and 30 cents and 20 cents and then you're getting money back because you have all these things add up right. So you they buy like just like a hundred of them and they have like all this basically store credit and they're buying all these things and it's coming off of like that with the store and some stores won't do it and they'll go in like I only have 23 and I'm buying 800 worth of things, hopefully this works, and you're like, oh shit, that's wild.
Speaker 1:oh yeah, that's crazy. Look up, just go on youtube and just look up like extreme couponing, like I'm sure they have just like clips of it or whatever. Like I got it. I was like, oh, what's gonna happen next? They're bringing it up, they're almost there. But I was, I was into it, I was, I was invested with these people. It's like, yeah, because you're everyone's with them, right? They're like, oh, they're saving so much money, they're giving it to the big box store or whatever. Oh, it was dumb. I absolutely loved every minute of it. 31,. Create a menu that revolves around inexpensive ingredients, like rice pasta, for example. If you are unsure of what the costs of food are, visit the grocery store, walk the ais aisles and take note of all the food that interests you and what they cost. Then determine what is inexpensive to you and set a budget for the entirety of the menu or just one dish okay I mean so yeah like we were talking about pasta's cheap.
Speaker 1:Rice is cheap, so like if you can make a bunch of meals around the games.
Speaker 1:Yeah, beans right like I've had a lot of uh people's comment on my videos. Like I'm asian, I have to have rice with every meal. I'm like hey dope, like that's just cheap. Get a bunch of rice, just like a ton of it, and then you can make a bunch of the different meals with it. Like rice is versatile, I love it, I love it. So I think 10 out of 10. Chef john oh shit, we got a chef in here. Let him put the chef first. Uh, almost, uh, 32. If you eat meat, buy what's on special this week and freeze it, oh yeah, then meals around it for the rest of the week. I like that. Evelyn, free. Uh, you know, like if, especially if it's like on the discount rack and it's going bad, and like, well, it's going best, buy in two days.
Speaker 2:Whatever you freeze it, you take it out when you need it and if it is on special and it's not there, get a rain check, get a rain check man Apparently.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I like that idea. As long as you got the freezer space, throw it in there. My freezer's fucking just bad, anyway. 33, save leftovers and make soup, Even bones that have been gnawed on by the family members. Maybe even bones that have been gnawed on by the family members, maybe not the dog, all right, thanks, um, evelyn, again, damn girl. Uh, it can be boiled up for trendy bone broth, otherwise known as stock. Uh, so yeah, I think, um, oh, what was it? I just got tagged in the video. I was gonna try and make something with it. She, she was making like garbage fajitas, which is like you just make like a fajita, but with whatever is in your fridge. You know that's going bad.
Speaker 2:You just throw it in there like hey, dope love that, like yeah obviously it's easy yeah, throw everything if you, if you have a crock pot, great. If you don't go to a thrift store, you'll probably find one yeah, true, like the kitchen and just take all your stuff, that's you know about getting close to going bad. Throw it in the pot, make a soup yeah, thrift store has a lot of different.
Speaker 1:I bought like my toaster there I eventually did a new one that was but I also got like an air air popper for like popcorn for like a few bucks or something like that. So, like they have some, they have some stuff. Thrift store. Thrift store. 10 out of 10, liam, that's what I'm, that's number 36 anyway, 34. I keep, uh, a supply of pantry staples bought in bulk, like several varieties of rice, dried beans, cornmeal, flour, nuts, condiments, dried fruit. When I make a pot of beans, rice or polenta, who's buying cornmeal in bulk? Pearl York is buying cornmeal in bulk. That's what I got when I make a pot of beans, rice or polenta.
Speaker 1:I make enough for three or four meals and freeze it. Freeze in meal size portions, all right, yeah, I mean you get a bunch of stuff, make meals and then freeze it. That's meal prep. That's meal prep. So buy a bunch of staples and meal prep. I like that. Yeah, I like that idea. Is the last one? Pearl York? No, it's not All right. Last one, last one. And finally, share with friends. You can save by buying in bulk at warehouse stores or at sale prices. You can go a step further and share these bargains with friends. If I buy a three pack of toothpaste at Costco, I sometimes arrange to share the cost with my family. Damn, who is that?
Speaker 2:Jim's going in.
Speaker 1:I like this.
Speaker 2:He's fucking.
Speaker 1:He's, he's, he's, he's really he's getting the whole family. I love it.
Speaker 2:I mean for those of you who who really love meat and you're. You're like yelling at us about all our bean talk. You want to save on meat? Go in with a friend and buy a cow.
Speaker 1:Buy a whole cow.
Speaker 2:Damn, you can. You can buy a cow, get it butchered. You know you split the cost with friends. Each person gets a portion of it. Throw it in the freezer. I would have no idea where to start on buying a whole damn cow.
Speaker 1:That's wild. Will you just go up there you pick one, like, hey, bessie over there, that's what I want.
Speaker 2:I don't know. There are ranches where you can you put them on a train For, but ranches where you can you know the animals there are for butchering yes, I know the train's going in the background. The animals there are for butchering and so they'll have, like they'll have, the normal herd which is going to go for all the big corporations, but they'll have a couple set aside that are for people to come purchase.
Speaker 1:I've never rain check and buying cows to bring to a butcher. I've never heard of this. That's it's. That's definitely so. I probably just stick with beans.
Speaker 2:Beans are easier but like I guess, if you beat me, go buy a cow.
Speaker 1:I don't. Oh man, that's nuts All oh, man, that's nuts all right. Well, that's that's it. Um, do we give it okay? It says what do you think? Do we give it a thumbs up a heart? Oh, there's, uh, there's the like duh emoji. You know the duh emoji. That has just as many as as the hearts does. Then the other ones, the laughing one and crying one, don't have any. It's got 29 thumbs up a heart and the duh emoji. Do we give it the duh emoji or what do you vote?
Speaker 2:The crying emoji, the head exploding emoji the angry emoji, the nervous emoji Definitely the head exploding emoji.
Speaker 1:Okay, we gave it one head exploding emoji. They were the only ones that our minds are blown from this list. Yeah, slits Somebody. The person who wrote this list is like finally somebody's mind, megan.
Speaker 2:My mind was blown by Joe Geronimo.
Speaker 1:Joe Geronimo. Well, yeah, get out there, don't spend some money and also don't be your worst.
Speaker 2:Don't be your worst.
Speaker 1:Oh shit it's 47 minutes.
