Shopping for savings: Making sure your stomach stays full without emptying your wallet
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The weekend is here and often that means a trip to the grocery store but with prices the way they are right now, no one can blame you if you are facing the shopping with some dread.
There are ways to stock up and save.
Plus, who doesn't love a good bargain?
The more important question, however, is what can you safely stock up on?
As you work the aisles of the grocery store, you want every penny to count so let's start with those expensive eggs, if you find a deal you can stock up with, do you have to worry about the best-by date?
"You can go up to a month after that, I've personally used them after a month maybe in baking," explained Penn State Extension's Mary Alice Geddings. "They do lose some flavor and quality, they taste fresher the closer they are to that date."
Another stock-up item, if you find it on sale, is beef.
You can put it in the freezer and it's good for a year or more.
"It does not hurt the safety, it affects more the quality when you freeze," she said.
Geddings said her grocery always has chicken fairly cheap so she buys the multipacks and freezes the breast individually, which again, makes it good for a year or more.
The key is getting those times in the freezer within a day or two but if you find a good deal, it can be a real saving in the long run.
Now, let's look elsewhere in the store - canned goods tend to get a bad rap in the longevity category, unnecessarily.
"There's a lot of good products that are canned that last long and they do provide nutrition and eating canned vegetables and fruits are much better than eating none at all," Geddings said.
Stores are always offering canned goods deals and Geddings said canned goods are still good after the best-by date.
"Corn and green beans and peas for up to two years after the best-by date," she explained. "Rember, that best-by date is [about] peak quality and flavor and has nothing to do with safety."
Then there are their frozen cousins, which also last forever.
"Sometimes canned products have a better texture when you cook them frozen," Geddings said.
She also said if you want to save money but still find pleasure in your meals - check out MyPlate.gov.
"It has budget-friendly shopping, budget-friendly recipes, and a lot of those recipes include canned products," she said.
