Why Is Your Grocery Bill So High?
By villageanne
@villageanne (8553)
United States
March 27, 2007 10:18pm CST
Do you ever wonder why your grocery bill is so high? Well the companies have to prepare the mixes and then they have to package them. They have to pay their over head cost such as rent or electric bill. Then they have to pay someone to do all the things listed plus they have to pay someone to deliver it to the warehouse. The warehouse pays someone to deliver it to the store. The store in turn has to increase the price to pay over heard costs plus employees to stock the shelves and run the registers for you to finally make the purchase.
Now do you still wonder why your grocery bill is so high? Well you can decrease the cost drastically with a little planning and preparations. For instance, you purchase cake mixes, bisqick mix, taco seasoning mix, biscuit mix, pie crusts or pie crusts mix, hamburger helper and so many more mixes that are probably on your pantry shelf right now.
If you take a day every two weeks and make all the mixes yourself. You will save so much money and your food will be healthier. You will be eliminating all the preservatives, MSG and you have control over the salt that is added. Now you may also save money on your medical bills because you may reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol not to mention all the stress of seeing how much of your household money is spent on groceries.
You will see a significant difference in your grocery bill in one month or less. Not just a few cents but a lot of dollars, depending on what you purchase.
I have published many discussions and will be publishing many more with the directions to make your own mixes. What kind of mixes are you interested in learning about?
I also have recipes to use with these mixes.
Just like purchasing a commercial mix with directions on the package. You will need to have the directions to use the mixes that you make yourself. Are you ready to save money that you can use to pay your bills with and still be able to eat the foods that you eat today?
11 people like this
29 responses
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
28 Mar 07
I am I am--- Lets go with the simple ones first--
Meatloaf mix-- I always buy the package-- I can never remember the seasonings to put in..
How about taco seasoning next...
I've never made a cake from scratch-- My favorite is dutch chocolate..
I can't wait to see your recipes and make your own mixes. I love saving money- But I also like convenience and fast dinners-- being that I work full time- So I would have to make these up ahead of time.
I can't wait for more!
2 people like this
@dbzfan (253)
• India
28 Mar 07
Well in Our Country is not That High as u Think.
For Example -If i Go to The Main Market.
Tomatoes Come at 5.Rs Per Kilo.
In Our Country 1$ = 45.Rs,Which Means IF u Came in Our Country u Can Buy Almost 9 Kilograms Tomatoes at Just 1 Dollar.
Its Cheap,ts Fresh and Healthy Also Friend.
2 people like this
@KetanGulati (579)
• India
28 Mar 07
well mine is a bit different scene actually..... whenever I am away at home -- i realise that i am getting short of money and expenses are increasing so I should rather be cutting them-- so that I protect myself frombeing cut down before the end of the month.... but then at the same time, wheneer I go the supermarket -- thinking that I am only going to purchase the minimum of the things -- which actually are required..... but then once when I am i the market, I would never be bothered about the expenses, and whatever good I like,,,, just for my fun and actually greed of things-- i purchase themm -- -though it has never been so bad that I had to finally turn up bankrupt before the month end, but I am always left with nothng to save actually....
1 person likes this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
28 Mar 07
What a wonderful discussion.+'s across the board,lol! I would love to start making my own mixes! Where do I start! I would really like to be able to make my own cake mixes,something biscuit or taco mix. I 'd be so happy! I do prefer to make my own stuff.It really bothers me all the stuff they put in our foods.You are so waycool!I'm ready to save money!
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
28 Mar 07
sorry! typo! i meant something like bisquick
1 person likes this
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
29 Apr 07
I have posted recipes for everything that you have mentioned in this comment. I do make my own mixes and it is cheaper and taste better. I have posted alot of homemade hamburger helper mixes. If you cant find them, let me know and I will look them up for you. Thanks for you compliment.
1 person likes this
@66jerseygirl (3877)
• United States
29 Mar 07
I forgot to mention hamburger helper
1 person likes this
@daisygirl124 (56)
• United States
28 Mar 07
A great way to save money is to combine purchases with friends at a wholesale club like Sam's or Costco. Get several of your friends together, only one of you needs the membership. Make of list of the things you use most often. Use this to create a shopping list. Then go to the warehouse club once a month, get enough for all of you, then split it up when you get home. It requires a calculator and a big truck, but it can be done. Also, if you know any nearby canneries or dry pack facilities, you can get food at really great prices and pack it yourself for added savings. Check out the web site www. mormon.org and look under provident living. There are some great ideas to save money.
@villageanne (8553)
• United States
28 Mar 07
I am a Mormon and I have gone all over the state to teach others about saving and being prepared. Thanks for you comment
@nancygibson (3736)
• France
31 Mar 07
I don't think I've ever used a packet mix in my life except once when I got one free through the door. It was for a chilli mix, and it was ok, but so lacking in flavour compared to how we usually make it. We buy all our spiced by the kilo and keep them in huge kilner jars, and have a big granite pestle and mortar so we can very easily throw together whatever flavourings we want for a meal. I think thos packets are a total rip off and make people believe cooking is hard. I would ban them without a seconds hesistation.
@ElusiveButterfly (45940)
• United States
28 Mar 07
I am glad to have connected with you my friend. You have saved me quite a bit in money by making my own mixes. The waste that goes into the landfills also is a problem when you have to toss out empty containers. Using a mix that you make at home and storing them in reusable containers is great.
@cblackink (969)
• United States
1 Apr 07
That's great advice. I generally steer clear of all those types of products anyway. If you stop and look at the ingredients in a lot of them, it might scare you. A lot of the cornbread mixes and biscuit mixes contain aluminum, which is supposed to be something they've found in high levels in Alzheimer's patients. Something to think about.
1 person likes this
@AskAlly (3625)
• Canada
28 Mar 07
I would be interested in the mixes that you mentioned above. I have never seen a mix for a cake. I think I have something different stuck in my head. Sort of like the decorative jars that are given away at Christmas, with hot chocolate, cookie mix etc.
I would really like to add these mixes to my MyLot cookbook. Yes I truly do have one!
@lightningMD (5931)
• United States
28 Mar 07
AskAlly check out hillbilly housewife.com....there are alot of recipes on there on how to make your own mixes...from cake to shake and bake...and lots in between
@badpenny (741)
• Lancaster, Texas
29 Apr 07
As the wife of an independent trucker, I know that the cost a lot of things have gone up strictly because of the cost of fuel. We can do something about this, too. Consolidate trips, and if you can, carpool with a friend or family member for trips to the grocery, etc. If we all strive to use less fuel, the lesser demand will force fuel companies to lower their prices. As long as we continue to drive indiscriminately and waste gasoline, fuel costs will continue to soar, which will drive up the costs for everything else.
Last year, hundreds of Independent truck drivers were forced to sell their trucks and find other employment because they could not afford to keep fuel in their trucks.
Yet, fuel prices continue to rise because we are using our cars more.
Our driving habits are not only adversely affecting our pocketbooks, but are also destroying our environment. Respiratory cancers have risen significantly in non-smokers, and this is all caused by the pollutants we release every time we drive our cars.
Wake up, people! We are destroying our world and costing ourselves way too much money by all this unnecessary driving. Our grocery bills are just the tip of the iceberg!
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
28 Apr 07
I do not use cake mix, biscuit mix, hamburger mix, etc. I make my own creations, make my cakes from scratch and yes I could save a bit not using so many eggs, but I do not care much for that shortening type cakes. Yet our grocery bill is high. If you live on the West Coast, you can get fruit and vegetables at cheaper price, but here in the Prairies in winter, unless you happen to love cabbage, rutabaga, and carrots, the fresh fruit and veggies plus the salad stuff comes from Chile in South America and before summer from California and Florida. We use lean hamburger rather than regular because it is better -another higher cost, organic products are higher than regular products, I use a name brand laundry detergent instead of the store brand, I use flurescent light bulbs that are more expensive than incandescent lights. So the grocery bill can be high in spite of not using the mixes.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
31 Mar 07
With cake mixes, compared with home made cake with the exception of sponge and angel food cakes, the cake mixes are better. That is probably because you use cake flour instead of all purpose floor. I find making a pie crust mx rather easy if you use the one with the vinegar and egg. When we were first married and when we started our family, we had a recipe for home made bisquix mix which was just for making biscuits and waffles, but we sort of improved on the latter by beating in egg whites. As for hamburger mix, you have to find what spices they have to get the same taste. You could search for copycat recipes. Actually our grocery bill is high because of toilet paper, High Efficiency detergent,sandwich meat, my husbands denture powder, and stuff like that. We seldom buy mixes. My husband thinks it is high because I bought organic lettuce instead of the regular kind.
1 person likes this
@dhouston (417)
• United States
16 Apr 07
My grocery bill has always been under control because I have never used mixes and manufactured "food". I don't own a can opener (but have top quality knives) because I make everything from scratch. I use only fresh produce and eat the seasons. My food is organic, from Amish farms through a CSA that brings the freshly slaughtered meat and harvested produce into the city. I also buy from the stalls at the Reading Terminal Market. The fish is fresh off the boats there, too. I have never had any use for mixes, "helpers", canas, frozen stuff and boxes. Yiou'll never find me in the middles aisles of the supermarkets--if you find me there at all.
1 person likes this
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
29 Mar 07
So much great advice as usaual. I appreciate the effort and time you put into your posts and answers. Thank you dear. I'm rating you again + as I always do. Please do not change.
1 person likes this
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
28 Mar 07
You are so right there are ways and means to cut the grocery bill. The store bought mixes are much faster and when you're young and both of you are working it is a very tempting way to prepare a meal. Since I havenot been working I have actually had to do the home made thing more and in fact that's all I do now and I have to say it tastes a whole lot better and is no doubt the better food choice as well. Take care...
@xenatessmocker (339)
• United States
28 Mar 07
I agree all those prepackaged food are too expensive.
1 person likes this
@kaperkitty (1097)
• Canada
28 Mar 07
I would certainly agree agree the price of groceries is insane just this morning i went for them..I bought some pre made honey garlic sauces and gravies and things ..I would love to learn more how to make some mixes from scratch especially health wise. I don't think all those additives can be good for anyone count me in for sure hon ..what an awesome discussion your rate an A++ by me
hugs
Cheryl
