What not to buy at the grocery store

you can't believe everything you read.   There have been several articles about what not to buy lat of that have been misinformed.   The one that enraged me.  Is a picture of two cake mixes that were being recalled.     " that will get you to think twice before you buy a cake mix,".    The cake mix contained bike metal four that they found  contaminated,     It had nothing tondo with the cake mix,,,,,it was the flour and if you made a cake wit flour, you would have the same problem.  

Now, had they complained about preservatives or sugar, it might have made more sense,  I usually have a couple of cake mixes on hand.  We don't eat it on a regular basis.   We are more likely to eat popcorn or ice cream.

Five things nit to buy at the grocery store.  

1. Personal heigene products.    They almost always are high prices.  Most basics are better off bought with coupons amd rewards at Walgreens or CVS.  I have purchased some things where they lay you to take them out of  the store.   Sanitary pads are cheapest at Big Lots.  Things like deodorant and shampoo and toothpaste.    There are some name brands at the dollar tree,   Make sure you check where they are made or what the target market is. Toothpaste going to Mexico has more flouride in it.  Make up is included in personal heigene,   
2. Paper products.   They too are cheaper at the large drug chains or bog box stores with coupons,  
3. Batteries.    Batteries are best at Costco. 
4. Kids toys. Hands down.    Besides it being dangerous for kids to think they get  a toy every time they go  into a grocery store, they are often cheap crap at a high price.   
5. Laundry detergent without a bog coupon,   It's almost always cheaper at Costco or the chain drug stores with coupons,    I have seen three dollar coupons on a five dollar product lately.  Ain't no better price than free.  I have got laundry detergent for as little as a dollar a month with coupons and free.  

Never say never.   There are always exceptions.   Again, know your prices.   

1) not all the time  is prepackaged produce more expensive.  Mushrooms are sometimes cheaper.   Places like Costco and Aldi only sell packaged.  

2) black olives are cheaper  sliced. There are more in a can, and less water.   

Basically, grocery stores sell groceries best.   Stick to the basics, your bottom line will be better. 

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 Perspective . The  emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. 

It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person. 

  You spend more time on the planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end  by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.