SAVE MORE $$ on Fruits and Veggies! | Budget Grocery Shopping Tips

[@Roxy111166]

New subscriber, Brooke sent me! I am 56 and worked in food service and restaurants for many years, but you just blew my mind about weighing the bags of potatoes!! That's what happens when you just trust the stores! LOL! Love your tips and had to laugh about being in the Northeast and having 3 fruits or veggies in season! I live in Vermont so I hear that one loud and clear! Thank you for sharing your information!!

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Right? The first time I heard the potato trick I was *floored.* Welcome!!

[@isidoravujosevic]

Here in Europe we are still used to buy produce on green markets and/or directly from small family farms, which is even cheaper if you buy larger amounts. For instance, we used to buy honey for entire year, like 52 jars since we ate a jar per week, and we got huge discount and home free delivery. I used to buy vegetable oil or soy beans directly from small producer, and it was much cheaper than in stores. I am surprised you don't have food outlets at food factories that offer large discounts, especially if a package is damaged. Food in such stores is around 30 percent cheaper than in the supermarkets and sometimes they have ridicilous sales like baby cereals for 15 cents a box because of short expire. 😀

[@hannah5161]

I hope your channel blows up with subscribers! You’re personality is great and you’re quite funny! Best of luck to you and thanks for the great tips!

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

You're so kind! It's nice to know I'm not just over here making myself laugh 😂

[@hannah5161]

🤣

[@bmedve3427]

@Homegrown_Hillary You definitely have great delivery for my type of brain! I am binge-watching your videos back into the past, thinking, "if onky Hillary could have been my school teacher for all sorts of topics!!!" Thank you for all you're doing, the way you're doing it. It's great you're having fun while at it. You're so worth watching even beyond all the frugal tips. Plus a lot of your little side-notes are an unexpected extra that makes your thinking so helpful! Thank you again!

[@cathybrown6221]

Great tips! A frugal tip I have doesn't have to do with buying food but preparing is if you bake a casserole why not bake 2 & freeze one for later or bake anything to eat or freeze later. No need to heat up that oven for just 1 casserole dish or 1 cake when you can fit more items in there. I try to be frugal in all areas of living. Great videos!

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

ABSOLUTELY. Plus you only have to do dishes once that way!

[@melissachochard4242]

Great tip!

[@lifebeyondthesalary2458]

IF someone offers you free food… take it!!! Leftovers from church dinner/potluck/etc, veggies fresh from the garden, eggs, etc. we have several families that have chickens & farms/gardens & you’d be surprised how many times we (the congregation) gets told if we want free XYZ to go to the front desk & get some for ourselves!!! IT’S AWESOME!!!

[@Heathmah]

I checked out your channel after Brooke recommended you and I am so happy I did. Enjoyed your tips. The weighing the sack of veggies tip is so true! I love the look of your kitchen - great idea having that rack on the wall holding your spices.

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Thank you! I hunted for MONTHS before finding that style on Facebook marketplace. It's my favorite!

[@JustBrenda55]

@@Homegrown_HillaryI love that spic rack too!!!

[@jonicabeird4657]

Brooke sent me. Love your channel and your vibe. Subscribed!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Welcome aboard! 🥳

[@MsDoglover02]

I started shopping in the Latino market by my work. The pet sitter recommended it for chicken necks which we both feed raw to our dogs but now I buy rice, potatoes and other produce too. I check out the flyer every two weeks and shop for me also. I recently picked up those bouillon cubes you mentioned in another video. I live alone and cucumbers spoil quickly for me. I recently started buying those small Persian cucumbers and putting them in a wide mouth glass jar in the fridge. They last so much longer! I also had a relative tell me to wrap a banana in a paper towel and put it in the fridge. I forgot about it and found it about 5 days later. It was still nice and firm. I used the paper towel to clean up poultry drippings on the counter. :)

[@MotoM0nk]

She is so entertaining and educating

[@carlapoorman8137]

I'm coming over from Brooke, on Southern Frugal Momma, and while I am waiting on my third canner of meat today!!(24 pints of chicken and 7 pints of venison). I I'm loving your channel and have subscribed!! Great energy and positive attitude!

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

You go, girl! I have yet to succeed in canning but love hearing about everyone else's successes. 31 pints of meat is INSANE!

[@carlapoorman8137]

@@Homegrown_Hillary thank you! It was a daunting task for two old farts like us but pedaled through it!!

[@andycaptsp]

I don’t know how I found you, but love your channel and your personality! You are straight to the point and cute with your presentation.

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Aww, shucks! Thanks!

[@TheSkepticalCat]

My dad gardens like crazy, and he's always giving away buckets and buckets of stuff in the summer. He's definitely a good friend to have (as long as you don't have to live with him, lol).

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Yes!

[@kittykrueger3529]

Great tips! Buying in season and preserving them saves TONS. I'm a definite canner. I dehydrate most root veggies and can all other fruits and veggies. Scraps go into making/canning broth or turned into eggs (fed to chickens) or bacon (fed to the pigs) or compost. I use a lot of lemon juice preserving fruits (like apples and strawberries) in the fridge. Soaking things like wrinkly cucumbers for a couple hours, will rehydrate them into original state. Tomatoes last longer with the stems on. Bananas last longer if you put foil or saran wrap over the stem bunch as that's where theyre pulling oxygen from that makes them spoil faster. Keeping stems on everything or covering them helps preserve a little longer. Save peels from fresh fruit (or fruit that has spoiled) add a tablespoon of sugar in a jar and cover with water and loosely top and you'll have fruit vinegars in 6wks, saving on cleaning products.

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Interesting! So when you dehydrate your root veggies, are you then typically rehydrating for soups when you’re ready to eat them? Or something else?

[@kittykrueger3529]

@@Homegrown_Hillary it varies. I par boil potatoes (keeps them from turning black when dehydrating) then slice them. I use those for casseroles. Dehydrated diced potatoes are rehydrated for frying. Dehydrated carrots, I add to soups or feed to the rabbits (we raise rabbits for dog food) in winter. Dehydrated beets and turnips are rehydrated for livestock feed in winter. Same with kale. Dehydrated cherry tomatoes for casseroles and sauces when rehydrated. I'm allergic to onion so I grow and dehydrate those to add to my husbands meals without compromising mine. Garlic is dehydrated and turned into powder. I just get creative.

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

@@kittykrueger3529 Thanks! One of my goals is to really put my dehydrator to good use this garden season, so I’m trying to get as many ideas for used as possible. Fried, rehydrated potatoes sound goooood haha

[@kittykrueger3529]

@@Homegrown_Hillary thee best dehydrated food ever is dehydrated watermelon. You need parchment paper on the dehydrator trays otherwise it's a sticky mess but sooo much better than fruit rollups and fruit leathers. Dehydrating can be fun. Definitely space saving. You can even boil your potatoes and mash them- just don't add milk or butter, dehydrate and run through the blender for instant mashed potatoes without fillers. Squash and zucchini can be dehydrated and ground down to flour to make hidden veggie pastas or cakes. Dehydrated blueberry or strawberries go great in pancakes/waffles. Puree them and dehydrate (on fruit roll up trays in the dehydrator or parchment paper cut to fit) for fruit rollups. Everything dehydrated can be rehydrated.

[@Chnacatsnflr]

I love the ethnic markets in my area; we have several. Recently bought fuji apples for 25 cents a pound!

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

That's a crazy good price!

[@JustBrenda55]

Oh my gosh, I love your channel! I subscribed a while back and while going through my list to unsubscribe to several, I must have unsubscribed to yours. Sooo glad I saw it again! I’m back, catching up and taking notes!😢 thanks!

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Haha I’ve done that before. Good thing that algorithm is keeping an eye out for us all 😛

[@melissasmith7069]

Brooke suggested your video and it was a blast and loaded with great advice. Thanks you just got a new subscriber .

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Thank you so much!!

[@tinablair2206]

New Subscriber. Good information. My best advice is to inventory fridge produce before meal planning and before shopping for more. I also make great "kitchen sink" soup or stir fry to avoid waste. Canning is my passion and saves so much money and helps me eat healthy foods that are quick to prepare at meal time As far as dehydrating vegetables and fruits, my 2 favorites are apples and mushrooms.

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Absolutely! My pre-shopping fridge inventory is sometimes the only thing separating that bag of spinach from a quiche or the compost pile, haha. And I’m always so impressed to meet canners! Go you!!

[@judiklaus5291]

Brooke sent me. Great tips. I love the flyers.

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Aww, thanks! She’s such a sweetheart!

[@ptcreations8947]

We here in WV have Giant Eagle stores, and a new program Flashfoods. Yiu can buy groceries at like half price! Things that are getting close to date, or just needing GONE. I get the produce boxes, random veggies and fruits. Got one today, has 2 avacodas, 4 coffee t peppers, will save the seeds and prep the rest for dehydration or the freezer. And scraps get put on the freezer for future stock! Love it

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

I’m so jealous! I’m on the waiting list for FlashFoods, whenever they decide to come to stores in my area. I’ve heard such good things!

[@megboulden8130]

Loved the tip of weighing the bags of the pre-bagged food, so obvious, but never thought of it! I love your energy too! Blessings with delivery of baby!

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Thank you! No 'labor day' yet, but the blessings are much appreciated :)

[@jennifergragg1850]

New subscriber here! This is the 1st video of yours that I have watched and I love you already!! Thanks for some great tips!! 💜💜

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Aww thanks! Happy to have you aboard!

[@samanthadudley6412]

My grandpa use to grow a garden every year and we would have so much extra stuff after everyone in the family would get what they wanted and my grandma would freeze and can all that she wanted to, then my grandpa would try to give it away if someone was willing to come pick it and take it home but they wouldn't do it but wanted my grandpa to pick it and give it to them but the only way he would pick it for people was if he sold it to them and then he would charge them less then what they would pay at the grocery stores.

[@athenabennett9615]

Hello. I really like your content, and I was kinda wondering what channels you like to get some ideas from. I'm in my twenties, and I'm trying to save up towards my own decent house faster. I just want to find out as many ways to be as frugal as possible, not only to have my own space, but also to be more contented with what I have. Ive found that if ive put work or time into something, or if I've saved money doing something, im generally more grateful for what I have, because i have a better idea of it's worth, and how useful it can be. I have found a lot of your content to be really useful, especially when making my own lunches for work. Im kinda nervous while typing this commentary because this is the first time I've ever posted a comment on any KZbin video at all. Im super glad i found your channel 😊

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

I'm HONORED! Thank you! I'll be honest, my best, go-to source isn't a channel at all. It's a book from the 1990s called, "The Complete Tightwad Gazette." It's available in most libraries, but I think I also have a link to it from Amazon in the description of this video, too. There are plenty of KZbin channels with good tips, and plenty with engaging styles, but I have found precious few that exist in both worlds. If fast-paced presentation style doesn't matter to you though, I've found Hope & Larry over at the channel "Under the Median" to be incredibly insightful and thorough (in addition to funny) and willing to show their experiments. I learned a lot from Jordan Page from "Fun Cheap or Free" many years ago, too. Finally, I LOVE that point you made about frugality helping you be more contented. I don't think about how valuable that is often enough. Thanks :)

[@Becka034]

I love that you shared the Farmers Almanac link! I am in Pa and going to be part of a Homesteading gathering talking about frugal meal planning by eating in season. You are so right if you Google it, the results are silly! Potatoes every season? Not helpful lol

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Well THAT’S a cool topic for a gathering. (And who doesn’t like hanging out with homesteaders?) Wish I knew of something like that near me!

[@Becka034]

@Homegrown Hillary this is the first of its kind in our area. I am actually scared to death🤣 to do it, but I wanted to be part of the first one! I am doing 2 talks Kitchen Cottage Herb Garden and Frugal Seasonal Meal Planning. My hubby is doing one on supplemental chicken feed ( sprouts, meal worm farms ect.). I really enjoy your videos! And for the record, I don't think you talk too fast😅

[@Viriatha]

I actually prefer frozen berries over fresh from a store, every time. They're all ripe, none of them have gone bad, and they'll last for-darn-near-ever in my freezer. AND they're often cheaper per ounce than the fresh options, even in season.

[@nanasplacepaula]

Great advice!

[@porterlockwood2032]

Sent by Brooke - You are just adorable! I see Hannaford labels , a fellow Mainer maybe? Looking forward to being a subscriber and browsing your videos. Best to you and new baby ❤

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Eyy, eagle eye! Welcome, fellow Mainer!

[@lexirowe3151]

If you have a 99 cent only store or Hispanic focused markets in your area that’s the place to get dirt cheap produce, bread, rice and dried pinto beans. Also know your market and where your produce is coming from. I’m in Arizona and almost all of grocery store profits from Mexico so we get avocados and tomatoes pretty cheap year round. Potatoes not so much which is awful because I love potatoes 🥔

[@karensprague6381]

Checked your channel out because Brooke suggested it 😉 Your video was very informative and fun watch 😊 Saw the sign with the state of Maine on it. Are you from Maine ? My husband and I were true maniacs until 2006 when we had to move to Florida due to health reasons.

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Yes! Great to meet other Mainers! (I say you can still call yourself that even if you've exchanged Nor'easters for hurricanes, haha.)

[@vickig2907]

New subscriber. You are just adorable. Great tips. Looking forward to watching your channel grow and getting to know you.

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Thank you! So happy to have found such nice people on the internet :)

[@nosticker4u862]

I’m newly a single mom at 43. Loving your channel. Trying so hard to stretch my dollar and make smart choices. Seems so overwhelming at times. Thanks for your helpful videos. Question- what do you think of Krazy Coupon Lady?

[@Homegrown_Hillary]

Oof. Big hugs your way- that's got to be a massive transition. And yes, trying to figure out all the tricks and gel them together was massively overwhelming for me when I was starting out, too. Many tears spilled over misunderstood coupons! As for KKL, I love a lot of their stuff. If I'm ever going to check out a new store or see if a coupon exists for something I already want to buy, I'll almost always check out their site. However, I found that I couldn't go on KKL to *browse.* It ended up making me feel major FOMO and anxiety that I wasn't saving as much as I could because I wasn't...idk, rushing to Target for $19.99 markdown sheets, ya know? Plus, KKL doesn't offer much context for the sales they share, in my experience. If Dollar General says "these are 50% off!" that's just what KKL will repeat, without noticing the same product was actually 25% lower last month, and now they've raised the "original" price just to make the "sale" look bigger, if that makes sense. You got this!!

[@tao831]

Brooke sent me