Shopping for Food If you make $12.00 an hour and work 40 hours a week, how much money do you earn???? Now take away 31% for taxes. What is left? The average person should budget 15% of their net income on groceries. HOW MUCH CAN YOU SPEND????

How can you save money? Make a list and stick to it! Avoid impulse buying. (items you didn’t plan on purchasing and don’t need) Shop only once a week. Use coupons when possible *Don’t purchase items in bulk, if you don’t plan to use them before them expiration date. Shop at discount stores (Meijer, Woodman, or Wal-Mart) when possible. Avoid overpriced convenience stores. Learn to mix and match convenience foods with scratch foods.

Saving money continued… Names and Labels Matter Name Brands- Expensive (Kellogg) Store Brands – Cheaper (Jewel/Chef’s Kitchen) Generic Brands –Cheapest (Usually associated with white and yellow OR yellow and black labels.

What is a convenience product? Convenience product= food that has been commercially processed to make it more convenient to store or use. i.e. frozen pizza, broccoli in cheese sauce, shredded cheese and sliced bread, slice n’ bake chocolate chip cookies. Advantages: Saves time Longer shelf life (storage time) Easy for the inexperienced cook to prepare

Disadvantages…. Higher cost associated with convenience products. (As you pay someone else to prepare it = Labor costs) Contains preservations used to prolong shelf life. Some may be harmful to your health (Can cause health-related illnesses) More often than not, contain larger % of fat and carbohydrates. (Again, can cause health-related illnesses) Flavor usually does not compare to homemade or scratch.

Definition of a Product from Scratch.. “right from the beginning, or with nothing having done previously.” (Encarta Dictionary: English) Reference to Food: “using basic ingredients instead of a prepared mix.” (Encarta Dictionary: English) i. e. I made chocolate chip cookies from scratch, and the recipe called for 2 c. of flour and 1c. of sugar.

Convenience or Scratch Must you choose. No they can they easily be mixed and matched by the consumer to meet their individual and family needs.

Reminder: When eating healthy balance your food choices. Incorporate appropriate amounts from each food group into your diet, including: fruit, vegetable, meat, dairy, grains and limited fats). Don’t overindulge in high fat, high calorie convenience products. Learn to mix n’ match convenience products with food made from scratch.

Making pizza from scratch can cost you about 38¢ a serving Making pizza from scratch can cost you about 38¢ a serving. Purchasing it ready to cook from the Deli case at the grocery store can cost you about 57¢ a serving. Depending on the brand, you can get it even cheaper in the freezer section for about 46¢ a serving. These are all much cheaper options than getting it from a fast-food place, which is about $1.23 a serving.

As a consumer…. You must weigh the pros and cons of convenience products…. Which is more valuable? Time, taste, money or health. Can you choose? Will you choose? Wise consumers will learn to mix and match convenience products with scratch to meet their needs. This is a trick you will acquire with life learned lessons.