Stretching the Food Dollar

Meta Givens recommends "memorizing this brief chapter."

From The Modern Family Cookbook (1958).

I think The Shopper's Creed speaks for itself. Give it another read.

The Creed begins a four page chapter devoted to helping "you to become a better manager," because in 1942 (when the book was first published) running a home was a job that a woman was expected to take pride in doing well. There are six tips for stretching the food dollar. 

"Make it yourself!" cautions that 

It is poor economy to buy cooked meats, cakes, cookies, jellies, preserves, pickles and the like.

Not only are you paying for the food, but also for someone else's time and labor.

"Shop around" notes that

By buying each food where it is least expensive and best for the price, you will save pennies every day-- and if you take care of the pennies, the dollars will last much longer.

Thrift.

"Cash-and-carry"-- Well, the days of credit-and delivery grocery stores are long gone. But I'll have you know the fellows at the Piglet still take our groceries to the truck for us! The folks at Supercenter don't do that!

Keep reading for more good advise.

"Buy in quantity" recognizes something every prepper knows, a ten pound bag of sugar costs less per pound than a five pound bag. "More or less the same principle applies to fresh foods, too... ." If you are able to buy and store in quantity, you'll save a little each month.

When added up at the end of the year, this will amount to a tidy sum to spend on the occasional extras which make living a little more luxurious.

So... you are supposed to defer treating yourself to a luxury until you've saved the money to afford the luxury? Wow. What a radical idea.

"Budget your income" acknowledges the practical problem of buying in quantity: you need a quantity of cash. There is only one way to solve this problem and that is to have a budget and follow it "scrupulously." The recommended system involves a "careful account" of a month's actual expenditures, followed by division of the next month's income into proportions to meet the large expenses. She recommends using labeled envelopes! Just put the cash you've budgeted for food for the month into an envelope. It's all there. You can dole it out on 10 pound bags of sugar or a bushels of apples as you see fit.  Very Dave Ramseyesque. This system

has the advantage of being based on past experience of your family, rather on the theory of some remote budget-planner who has never had to deal with Junior's shoes or Sister's tooth-straightening.

"Have your own garden" 

The advantage to be derived is more than just the saving of a few dollars; it is that the kitchen garden will supply perfectly fresh foods-- something which most people who raise nothing for themselves seldom experience.

No argument from me!