I’ve been reading a lot this week about various forms of the Congressional Food Stamp Challenge. In case you missed it, the goal is to buy a week’s worth of food for less than $31.50, the average weekly benefit for a food stamp participant. While the intent is to raise overall awareness of the effects of hunger and poverty, it also got me thinking more about rising food costs in general. It’s not only those relying on subsidies that have had trouble keeping up with prices at the grocery store. Even relatively cheap staples such as peanut butter are now becoming too expensive for many families. In times like these, it may be best to rely on a few “friends” to help save your budget:

Planning is your friend

Perhaps your best friend is planning out as many home-cooked meals as possible for the week. Leftover dinners that can be reinvented as lunches come in especially handy. It takes some time and effort, but comparing your personal preferences and schedule to the weekly store sales pages can really help maximize your grocery dollar. Additionally, clipping (or printing online) coupons and taking advantage of store doubling policies can boost your buying power. Using fruits and vegetables that are in season is another (and delicious) way to eat healthier, for less. Finally, it’s not always easy, but avoid shopping on an empty stomach to cut down on costly impulse and junk food purchases.

The freezer is your friend

Take advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon to make a double batch of a simple recipe that can be stored for later use. Yummy foods like lasagnas, casseroles and soups (or chili) are easy to make ahead of time and freeze well. If you still have room in your freezer, consider buying certain foods, such as larger cuts of meat or whole chickens, in bulk when they’re on sale. If you don’t mind doing a little extra work, you can save quite a bit of money

The dollar store is your friend

Various discount/dollar stores have become very popular with shoppers throughout the economic downturn. They generally have a surprisingly large stock of name brand foods, often at steep discounts. I’ve found that they can be especially good sources of pantry-type foods, like rice, pasta and canned goods. Cooking basics, such as salt, pepper and spices, are also available at a fraction of the cost of typical retailers. Some discount stores, such as Aldi, even carry meat and produce, though you may have to pay extra for conveniences like carts. If you don’t have a dollar store in your neighborhood, you can still save money by buying generic/store brands whenever possible. These often have nearly identical tastes as name brands, with significant savings due to cheaper packaging and advertising costs.

But good health is also your friend

I haven’t yet tried to complete the Food Stamp Challenge, but I’m considering it. I can’t help but wonder, though, if the spirit of the Challenge – and food stamp programs in general – tend to lose sight of the benefits of healthy eating and a balanced diet. It seems that relying on highly-processed, high-sodium foods might save your budget – but would result in other serious long-term costs, namely poor health and higher medical bills. The biggest challenge of all is to make healthy, nutritious foods as prevalent as costly, convenient foods, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods.

What tips can you offer to survive the Food Stamp Challenge?

Photo by: Yuya Tamai

Photo: Cap001

Saving money in this economy can be a challenge. Many of us have already cut out big purchases and trimmed our budgets as much as we think is possible. But saving even a few bucks here and there really adds up. Here are five easy ways you can save a little extra money this year:

What are your favorite tips to save money?

Beef And Black Bean Chili

When the weather starts to get colder, one of my favorite things to do is make a batch of spicy, homemade chili. It’s delicious, the ingredients aren’t very expensive, and I can throw everything into one pot and forget about it until it’s ready. That’s especially handy during football season: start a batch in the morning and it’ll be perfect by halftime.

I tend to play around with the recipe quite a bit based on what I have on hand, or what’s on sale. This version uses both beef and black beans, but you could leave out the meat and add more beans for a tasty, vegetarian version. It also freezes pretty well, so you could make a batch when you have some extra time and heat it up for a quick meal when you’re busy. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1.5 lbs, beef, cut into small cubes (use what’s on sale, or the pre-packaged “chop suey” or “stew” cuts to save time)
• 1 tablespoon, canola oil
• 1 tablespoon, kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons, fresh ground black pepper
• 1 large vidalia onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon, garlic, diced
• 28 oz, low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 canned chipotle pepper, diced
• 24 oz, salt-free tomato sauce
• 4 tablespoons, favorite chili powder (adjust for desired heat level)
• 2 tablespoons, cumin
• 1 teaspoon, cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon, cocoa powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 30 oz, canned black beans, rinsed
• Optional toppings: shredded sharp cheddar cheese, corn chips, scallions, sour cream

PREPARATION:

1. Mix cubed beef with canola oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Brown in small batches over medium heat in a 4-quart, cast iron dutch oven. Transfer browned meat to a dish.

2. Dice the onion and sweat over medium heat until tender (about 10 minutes). Add garlic during last minute.

3. Return the beef to the pot and add chicken broth and chipotle pepper. Stir. Cover and simmer over low-medium heat for 1.5 hours.

4. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, cocoa powder and cinnamon stick. Stir. Cover and return to simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Turn off heat and remove cinnamon stick. Test seasoning and adjust, as needed. Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, mash the beef until shredded (should fall apart rather easily). Stir in black beans, cover and let sit for another 15 minutes.

6. To serve, spoon into a bowl and top with shredded cheese, corn chips, scallions and sour cream, or your favorite toppings.

Serves about 8