A New Post! Whee! Also, Groceries

A lot of folks have been talking about what they eat, how they eat it, and why. What they buy, what they grow, what they make. As I will be moving soon, I'd like to have a solid idea on my shopping budget so that I can actually save money like I'm supposed to -- instead of eating out a lot.

Food Pyramid Style!

Grains:
-- Maseca to make tortillas -- retardedly easy folks
-- rice in bulk
-- maybe buy bread and freeze it -- or get into making bread (buying day old?)
-- oatmeal and other hot grains
-- cornmeal in bulk
-- flour and such for my forays into baking -- I really can't see my baking cupboard diminishing

Vegetables:
-- when in season, I will shop at the farmers markets
-- frozen veggies are great in stirfrys and soups
-- perhaps I will be able to actually plant this year?
-- root veggies in bulk (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, etc.)
-- canned tomato products

Fruits:
-- canned fruits such as applesauce, pineapple rings, perhaps pears, etc.
-- ... maybe splurge and buy oranges for lunch en route to work?
[N.B. I'm terrible at incorporating fruits and veggies into my life]

Dairy:
-- cheese -- maybe I'll learn how to make it! Would that save me money? ... I could see milk being a hell of a lot cheaper than cheese...
-- powdered milk, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed are all shelf stable and should be staples
-- eggs definately, perhaps milk?

Protein:
-- dried beans in bulk
-- buy meat in large quantities when on sale, and freeze (it makes for an easy meal when you pull a hand cut chop out of the freezer and pop it in a frying pan with spices)
-- sausages are usually cheaper, so buy large quantities of those, and freeze as well
-- soy products? I'm not sure

Misc.:
-- lard, shortening or butter
-- sugars in bulk -- honey? maple syrup (not my fave)?

And with that, I should be able to give myself 4 or 5 small meals a day, which is what I need -- and if I usually have reconstituted beans available, I'll be able to get my protein easily (of which I need a lot -- I burn through carbs too fast).

A lot of this requires pantry storage, or some other form of storage, such as freezer space. And then to factor in my doomer requirements such as having food and water stored for six months worth of living... eesh. We'll see what's possible.

Dea-chan