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Why I Don't Include Prices in the Recipe File
One of my most frequently asked questions about my shopping method is whether I can provide a grocery or shopping list that shows the prices I pay for groceries.
The answer is NO.
My menu is created based on what I have on hand in the fridge, freezer, pantry, what is ready to harvest from the garden and what I have home bottled/frozen/dehydrated from my garden and fruit trees. It's based on what I've bought on sale and in bulk. It's based on what loss leaders I've taken advantage of and what sales I've found locally.
What I have on hand in my pantry and freezer is not necessarily what you would have on hand in your home. It would be completely useless and counter-productive to list "What to Buy" in a grocery list as I have no idea what you have on hand in your home. What I can purchase here, locally (I try to only shop locally) may be considerably different than what you can purchase in your area and vice versa.
I have a standard shopping list, one for winter/spring and another for summer/autumn. There are some things on those lists I only buy once a year, in bulk. There are other things I buy quarterly, monthly or weekly depending on need.
I don't publish prices because not everyone has access to the same suppliers I do. Not everyone is prepared to buy 50 kilos of wholemeal spelt flour to pay $2.56 a kilo or 30 kilos of rice to pay $1 a kilo. Not everyone wants to buy meat in bulk once every three months, and by "bulk" I mean bulk - 2.5 kilos of anything except spices isn't bulk - it's just a large packet.
Every household and family is different. We all eat different meals. We all eat different quantities of food. Some families have picky eaters to cater to. Some families have food allergies and intolerances that need to cared for. Some families live hours from the nearest grocer. Some families spend part of the year isolated due to rains or even floods. There are families with young children and babies whose needs are different to a family with four hungry teenagers or a household of two retirees or a single.
Those things make a difference to what you buy and the prices you pay.
I make as much of the food we eat as I possibly can from scratch. I buy ingredients more than food. I also spend time all year round preserving food by bottling or drying or freezing. I spend time looking for the very best prices I can for the food I do buy.
Cooking everything from scratch and preserving makes a difference to what you buy and the prices you pay.
I grow most of our vegetables. The things I don't grow I buy from a local market gardener/green grocer. I always buy meat and poultry in bulk from a meat wholesaler. In fact I buy just about everything in bulk.
Where you shop makes a difference to the price you pay.
I run a grocery slush fund I use to stock up on super specials so I very rarely pay full price for anything.
The question was asked a few weeks ago for me to check the prices quoted in a newsletter. Those prices were absolutely correct.
The reader couldn't buy any of the ingredients for the prices quoted and felt a failure at meal planning and grocery shopping.
And that is the main reason I don't include prices on recipes or give a shopping list, especially one with prices.
The answer is NO.
My menu is created based on what I have on hand in the fridge, freezer, pantry, what is ready to harvest from the garden and what I have home bottled/frozen/dehydrated from my garden and fruit trees. It's based on what I've bought on sale and in bulk. It's based on what loss leaders I've taken advantage of and what sales I've found locally.
What I have on hand in my pantry and freezer is not necessarily what you would have on hand in your home. It would be completely useless and counter-productive to list "What to Buy" in a grocery list as I have no idea what you have on hand in your home. What I can purchase here, locally (I try to only shop locally) may be considerably different than what you can purchase in your area and vice versa.
I have a standard shopping list, one for winter/spring and another for summer/autumn. There are some things on those lists I only buy once a year, in bulk. There are other things I buy quarterly, monthly or weekly depending on need.
I don't publish prices because not everyone has access to the same suppliers I do. Not everyone is prepared to buy 50 kilos of wholemeal spelt flour to pay $2.56 a kilo or 30 kilos of rice to pay $1 a kilo. Not everyone wants to buy meat in bulk once every three months, and by "bulk" I mean bulk - 2.5 kilos of anything except spices isn't bulk - it's just a large packet.
Every household and family is different. We all eat different meals. We all eat different quantities of food. Some families have picky eaters to cater to. Some families have food allergies and intolerances that need to cared for. Some families live hours from the nearest grocer. Some families spend part of the year isolated due to rains or even floods. There are families with young children and babies whose needs are different to a family with four hungry teenagers or a household of two retirees or a single.
Those things make a difference to what you buy and the prices you pay.
I make as much of the food we eat as I possibly can from scratch. I buy ingredients more than food. I also spend time all year round preserving food by bottling or drying or freezing. I spend time looking for the very best prices I can for the food I do buy.
Cooking everything from scratch and preserving makes a difference to what you buy and the prices you pay.
I grow most of our vegetables. The things I don't grow I buy from a local market gardener/green grocer. I always buy meat and poultry in bulk from a meat wholesaler. In fact I buy just about everything in bulk.
Where you shop makes a difference to the price you pay.
I run a grocery slush fund I use to stock up on super specials so I very rarely pay full price for anything.
The question was asked a few weeks ago for me to check the prices quoted in a newsletter. Those prices were absolutely correct.
The reader couldn't buy any of the ingredients for the prices quoted and felt a failure at meal planning and grocery shopping.
And that is the main reason I don't include prices on recipes or give a shopping list, especially one with prices.