Saving Money . . . a la Mala

Every time you look in the newspaper or online, another company or person or government agency happily informs you that the dollar in your pocket is not really yours, it’s theirs. Just when you think that there is no way for your intelligence (and your pocketbook) to be further insulted, you are told that your city absolutely must charge an additional 1.5% sales tax, that the proposed tax reform will benefit the rich (while you will have to continue working two jobs just to survive), and that the price of gas has not yet plateaued.

What to do? For almost any family unit (we range from three to seven, depending on who’s around), a major expense is food. We live in Puerto Rico, and food prices tend to be higher here than in other parts of the United States (yes, Puerto Rico is part of the United States). Thus, while you contemplate a third job or a small loan that will enable you and yours to continue living the life to which you are accustomed (eating!), remember that cutting costs is a necessary survival strategy.

When getting serious about reducing your food bill, you need to be clear on something: Saving money at the supermarket means making compromises—on quality, on convenience, on variety. But with some planning and discipline, you can reduce the pain of these compromises to a manageable level.

Let’s go shopping!

Forget name brands. No more Heinz Ketchup, Green Giant frozen corn, or Matrix shampoo. Most supermarkets have their own generic brands, which can save you a few cents here, a few cents there; it adds up. Sometimes you must choose between clean, luxuriant hair and clean hair.

Stay away from beef and lamb; (skinless) chicken has more protein and is less expensive (a nutritional as well as financial tip). Lean pork is comparable to chicken in protein and calories, and the price is not much higher: Go crazy! If you like fish (another health tip: Learn to like fish), go to a fish market. A hassle, I know, but the prices—and the fish—are usually better.

When all available parents, caregivers, what-have-you work, prepackaged foods are ideal in terms of convenience. However, that $14.00 frozen lasagna can be made with ingredients that cost $8.00 or less. You can buy a “bag” of salad for $3.00 or $4.00 but making it yourself will cost less than $1.00. If time is your enemy and you must buy something that is ready-made, grab a box of no-brand macaroni and cheese and, at home, add onions, bell pepper, and chunks of chicken. This combination of ready-made and added ingredients has the benefit of being simple, inexpensive, and (somewhat) healthy. While such a meal is not either gourmet or in the top 10, nutritionally speaking, it is a reasonably priced and tasty alternative that at least approaches the adjective “healthy.”

Always check prices. I used to carry a calculator with me, as well, but have become accustomed to adding things up in my head. With or without an electronic aid, though, you need to check prices with the same diligence that you check your phone (oh, yeah, that has a calculator, too). Many stores also show the price per measuring unit on the price tag. That is, the cost per ounce of that 17 oz. bottle of Goya olive oil is probably listed. That makes it easy to decide which is a better buy, the Goya or the 16.9 oz. bottle of Bertolli’s extra virgin. At any rate, sales happen. Stay on the lookout for five cans of tomato sauce for the price of four (for example) and other such discounts.

Buy what you know you will use. Have you ever looked at how much food most families throw away? My wife loves peaches. The first time I bought her this expensive (in PR) item, I thought I was being prudent by purchasing only four of the delectable fruits. Over the next week, she ate two; the others had to be thrown away. Big waste. When possible, I buy perishable items in small quantities: one onion, two or three potatoes, one medium-sized tomato. Be aware of what this means, however. Your cost per weight is usually higher. Per ounce, a 5 lbs. bag of potatoes is less expensive than the two or three that I recommend buying are. For my family, the few are better than the many because we don’t use potatoes in many of our meals. If the opposite is true for you and your family, go ahead and buy the bag.

Along with the “buy what you will use” maxim is the “don’t be afraid of leftovers” rule. Many people turn up their noses at food that comes out of a plastic container. I would point out that I don’t see much difference between the above-mentioned frozen lasagna (aluminum cooking tray and cardboard top) and a plastic container of yesterday’s rice and chicken. Either way, it starts out cold and ends up hot (thank you, oh gods of microwave). Leftovers do two things: They make sure that we are efficiently using every dollar that we spend on food; they add a degree of convenience to our rapidly-becoming-inconvenient lives! Long live the reheated meal.

Frozen juice is much easier on the wallet than is the (more convenient) gallon or half-gallon container full. In fact, if you are serious about saving money on food, you will have to redefine the word “convenience.” As I mentioned above, it is usually less expensive to buy individual ingredients than the finished product. The inconvenience of slicing and measuring and cooking leads to a “convenience” in your overall budget: More money is conveniently available.

When you purchase an item that is to be used for a specific meal, such as Vienna sausages for arroz con salchichas, make sure to inform your family that this item is not intended to appease an individual’s munchies. Such a strategy is not always successful, of course, as that flash of hunger tends to be more compelling than Mami’s or Papi’s admonition.

A final word. I am notoriously cheap (but you can call me frugal). The word “maceta” should have my picture after it in the dictionary. But— Good nutrition is expensive. Period. Almond milk (unsweetened), which is much better for you and your family than is the direct-from-the-cow stuff, costs about $2.60 per quart vs. $2.95 per half gallon, respectively. You have to strike a balance. How useful is it in the long run to save money by buying and preparing crap? (Have you ever noticed that the price of a gallon of milk is almost triple that of a two-liter bottle of Coke? What is that all about?) Obesity, a huge (no pun intended) problem in PR, has a “price” that is far reaching and extends beyond the monthly grocery budget. The balance to which I alluded is not just about the day-to-day question of “Do we have enough money to eat this week?”; it also is also concerned with the “Do we have enough health to make it to, and past, 70?” issue.

In the end, be smart, be cheap, and learn to balance the price of health with the expensive notion of health at any price.