Saving Food Dollars at the Co-op
added 02/06/08
by Mary Saucier Choate, M.S., R.D., L.D.
Appearances can be deceiving. When people shop at the Co-op, they are sure to see gourmet products and the gourmet prices that go with them, but a closer look at what’s on the shelf can lead a shopper to excellent savings while at the Co-op.
I say this with confidence because this spring I was fortunate enough to have two dietetic interns work with me, gathering data for a class I teach on how to save money on food purchases.
The interns, Meredith Strafach of St. Joseph’s College in Connecticut, and Leslie Bock of Keene State College in New Hampshire, collected data and compared costs of products and of eating out vs. preparing food at home. The differences were significant.
Imagine saving 40 percent a month on groceries, even before any sale prices are added in. In addition, by changing your meals from restaurant purchases to homemade ones, the potential savings could add up to $200 per month. It has been an eye-opener!
In-Store Savings
We looked at 20 grocery items and compared the price of the name brand, store brand (usually Shurfine), and bulk price per pound or per quart for liquids.
We selected staples such as olive oil, pasta, breakfast cereal, rice mix, peanut butter, juice, flour, and spices. Comparable choices did not always exist in all three categories, but by far, we found that choosing bulk or store brand items resulted in savings from 12 to 72 percent, averaging about 40 percent.
The key to big savings is using the unit price tags, found on the shelf edge for nearly every product in the store. This tool, which allows you to compare pound to pound and quart to quart prices of a product, helps you to see quite clearly which is the better buy. Selecting by the price on the package can be very confusing. A lower price might be the result of a smaller amount, not a better buy.
Hurray for Homemade
The second part of our project compared the cost of preparing foods at home with dining out: at quick-meal stops such as a donut shop or convenience store for breakfast items, at a convenience store or quick-service restaurant for a sandwich at lunch, and at a fast-food restaurant or convenience store for a burger or pizza for supper.
Hands down, the cost of eating home-prepared meals saved nearly $170 a month. Additional savings of nearly $60 a month could be realized by drinking tap water instead of bottled water or soda with a meal.
Time = Money
Time can be a factor, but even preparing a few meals a week at home is a step towards savings and better nutrition. The Co-op Cookbook offers healthful delicious meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. The Co-op’s new Express-lane Dinner program is even quicker with the menus designed to be ready in only 20 minutes!
Shopping with a list, having a general game plan of meals for the week, planning to make extra to freeze for a super quick meal on busy nights, and not shopping when hungry are additional ways to save money on food. With this plan, more meals can be homemade, timesaving, and healthful, while saving money to boot!
Meet Jolene Labonte
It’s not easy keeping the big and busy Co-op Merchandising area organized. In fact, it was so difficult that not long ago we realized someone special needed to help us with it. Fortunately, Jolene agreed to take on the job, and we’re lucky that she did. Jolene has been at the Co-op for a long time. She’s smart, friendly, and super organized. She spent years helping customers at our Service Desk, and was so good at what she did she was given more responsibility. Now she assists our Merchandising Director and Assistant Director, and with her help all of our merchandisers can more easily do what they do so well.
Killdeer Farm
Spinach from Liz and Jake Guest’s Killdeer Farm is often one of the the first Upper Valley-grown vegetables to arrive at the Co-op in the spring—and it keeps on coming, fresh and tender, into November. The Guests’ skill and passion for farming stems from the back-to-the-land movement of the 1970s. They sell certified-organic arugula, varieties of red and green lettuce, cilantro, carrots, and potatoes to the Co-op as part of their diversified farm operation.
