With the debt crisis and the worldwide recession present, practically all family-food budgets, restaurants and the international culinary world have been affected in more or less degree.
[It's so difficult to shot a food-color-picture about banking crisis and recession 
.
I received this food-gift from a friend, perfect targeted for a foodie: a bottle with carrots, peas, red pepper and maize inside, the big surprise comes because I thought it was made here, but no.."Made in China").
This bottle can represent the different nuances and colors of the recession all over the world…as you guess, I like to try to establish connections among different things…By the way, I've added some spoons with semi precious stones to spice the photo up]
Let’s continue – between family, friends and “friends of friends” spread in the world; I haven’t precisely encouraging news about global recession. These first hand news I’ve, (not from internet or newspapers) come from real people in North America, Europe, South America, Middle East and Asia – the entire world – less Africa ( I don’t have some friend or family there yet!).
For example the unemployment in Spain is bigger than 3 millions of persons (the worst in Europe), that is equivalent to my whole country Uruguay without jobs (we’re in Uruguay, 3 millions approx.)
However, lets think positive and with concrete actions. From the point of view of foodies and/or home cooks, I recommend you to read this article of Savory Tv: Top Chefs Offer Money Saving Tips for Home Cooks
I want to sound out the views of my readers on how is their situation and if it’s affecting them (maybe isn’t affecting, much better!)
Is the Recession Affecting Your Culinary/Food Budget?
- Less delivery, more homemade food
- Reducing all the budget not only food
- Affected but food is untouchable
- Avoiding fancy ingredients
- Always ingredients first quality
- Less eating out at restaurants
- Cross fingers I haven’t been affected
- Other: say it in comments!
Please vote on the left & up of your screen and share your comments about this poll!
Note: My poll about food passion as culinary career or for pleasure? has ended with lots of comments! In the next post let’s analyze the interesting results obtained. Stay tuned!
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Hi Gera,
I dedicate a blog to recession-strategy grocery shopping and cooking and the responses I'm getting are phenomenal — it seems Everyone is trying to shop and eat well for less, me included
The misconception is that cutting back of grocery expenditure means eating rice and beans, which of course isn't true; one just needs to be strategic.
For example:
1) plan ahead 2) write a list 3) buy whole foods not packaged 4)buy produce in season 5) use coupons (for whole foods not packaged)
5) cook and eat and home 6)eat leftovers for lunches 7) avoid wasting food … the tips are endless!
Louise Ross,
http://www.markettomouth.blogspot.com
http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/15_Ways_to_Recession-Proof_Your_Health.htm
heres an article I wrote on this issue lol Rebecca
We cook in batches…buy lots of stuff on sale and then cook a lot over the weekend, exploring new dishes. Then we may slack off a bit until sales pop up. We're definitely eating out much less, so cooking tons of food feeds you much longer anyways.
Thanks for the shout out Gera! It was a really fun article to write, and nice to discover the chef secrets!
Cheers!
I don't go out to eat, rarely eat meat or fish, make everything myself and look for seasonal/regional produces…
Cheers,
Rosa
I've always been a frugal shopper, so my habits are not affected much by the budget.
I splurged on cherries today b/c they were on sale!
You did a super job of "recession photog."
As for how it is affecting us…well, we tried switching over to Walmart for our weekly groceries, but we don't like the quality. We gave up. So I have to admit, I turn a blind eye to it and thank goodness we are both still working.
We definitely eat out less and actually our restaurant meals are limited to special occasions and travels. I do focus on quality ingredients on shopping but try to plan ahead at least a little.
Wow! Thanks for sharing…….
I find that buying in bulk when it's sale helps tremendously in terms of saving money. You get more for your money when buying in bulk.
I also plan ahead on what meals I will make for the week. Also having bulk food also reduces trips to the supermarket since you already have it on hand therefore you're not spending too much money.
Yes, we don't eat out at as many fancy, high-end restaurants like we used to. We look at price tags more frequently. We check the paper for sales and coupons. The upside is I'm trying a whole lot of new recipes at home, and when we do go out for an expensive dinner, we appreciate it and savor it more than we might have before.
Not much has changed for us, food-wise because we try to be careful shoppers for staple items, then stockup whenever gourmet and specialty items are on deep discount.
I visit 3-4 supermarkets every week anyway so I can keep up with the sales, and also get some staples and little luxuries at the local dollar store.
We actually made a weekly menu an we try to respect it as much as we can. It definitely helped cut costs, but it also improved our diet.
I guess the recession did have a good effect on our eating habits.
This spring we also transformed our garden into a vegetable garden so in the summer we will have fresh veggies from our own yard.
I used to believe that gardening was difficult, but it is actually very relaxing and fun. It's great to spend time outdoors doing things that matter!
Less eating out at restaurants is our main way of saving on the food budget!
Due to job loss, we have had to slash our budget across the board, not just food. However, I am finding that part of the budget to be the most difficult to reign in. We have cut out the majority of our restaurant dining. I am also avoiding expensive ingredients and substituting ingredients instead of making a run to the market when I don't have something.
@Louise Ross
You've the perfect blog about this theme! Agree with all the tips and always it is possible to improve & extend in time the food budget. Thanks for coming by Louise!
@Chow and Chatter
Wow so nice and useful article how true all the points! Good done Rebecca!
@The Duo Dishes
Interesting approach to cook in batches, I didn’t think it – the freezer is ideal for that!
@SavoryTv
A funny and attractive article that I'd link out
@Rosa's Yummy Yums
To look seasonal/regional products is the best way to have fresher & lower price ingredients!
@Jessie
Yes you're right! Bulk purchases save you money and time very important today both
@Olga
Frugal shopper Olga? With the delicious recipes you've, you need constant tasty products for your cooking
Ohh cherries, a future ice cream with them??
@Applecrumbles
Isn't easy to change habits and find quality-food at reasonable prices. This problem applies to all the countries, in mine too!
@5 Star Foodie
To eat out less at restaurants is very common, my case also. Sometimes cooking is like chemistry, you need quality to obtain a successful culinary definition
@Femin Susan
Thanks for your visit Susan!
@Carolyn Jung
Nowadays the general rule is that fancy restaurants can have fewer diners! Cooking at home is the trend to save and when you eat out, you really appreciate, even, more than before!
@Hugging the Coast
This is savvy and useful. I visit several supermarkets per week also seeking good food and better if it's a gourmet-delicacy with a interesting price
@Mihaela Lica
In recession times you really walk more and perhaps your eating habits can change in a positive way like your case
Gardening implies fresh vegs/fruits often on your kitchen and you know rightly the origin!
@Cajun Chef Ryan
Agree Ryan! Owners of restaurants must be very creative to retain their customers!
@Donna @ Way More Homemade
Job loss is unfortunately very common everywhere. Cut budgets often are painful and difficult tasks, but substituting ingredients is a good measure to begin, at least, in the kitchen. Thanks for stopping by Donna!
Sorry to hear that
I buy local produce through a farmer cooperative. Buying whole foods as opposed to processed foods also lowers the food costs!
I make nearly all our meals, but that's mostly due to where we live (in the middle of nowhere). I'd say that most of the food (not all, but most) recipes on my blog are low-budget.
People need to learn how to cook. It's a basic skill that is often overlooked.
I usually buy in bulk, and compare prices bwn grocery stores. Also, I rarely buy canned beans…I prefer to buy dried beans in bulk to cook. And I only buy items on sale.
I would love to eat out more, but sadly, that's not the case anymore…:-(
hello gera
usually i dont go out to eat nor ne of my family member but occasionally we do. use to shop during weekends specially when there is a sale and buy everything in a bulk enough for two or three weeks as to save time and money.. in this way i can enjoy making my home made food with my family and spend most of the time with them
cheers!!
I voted Gera-so interested in the results!
For me is keep it simple and use as many local produce as possible. The other thing is I grow my own vegetable and fruit, but then not everybody has yard, so I am lucky in that way.
Cheers,
elra
There are many who think that tightening their budget means they have to sacrifice flavor. How sad for those people!
It is an opportunity to work with more spices and discovering cooking techniques that turn lesser cuts of meats into delectable, tender tidbits.
Your article should be a nudge for cooks to explore new avenues, or aisles, in the supermarket. The plethora of spices and seasonings that can turn bland to exciting is available if only they grab it off the shelf.
Planning is key, but don't put a lid on creativity. Plan to purchase one new spice a week and learn how to use it!
Hi Gera, The recession hasn't yet affected my food shopping. But I always use up leftovers, stock-up when things I use often are on sale, and shop in my natural food store where I can buy nuts, rice, beans, and dried herbs from bins, making the price much cheaper than packaged. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!
I'm all about getting no name brands at a fraction of the cost… Costco Kirkland brand is one of my faves.
I try to keep my grocery bill at a reasonable level, and we only eat out once a week anyways. So my habits haven't changed all that much.
Gera, great poll, definitely very pertinent for these trying times.
I have to say that – knock on wood, cross my fingers, cross myself – I haven't been affected by the recession. But I've always been frugal and thrifty, so I seldom eat out and I always shop for good-value ingredients (quality-yield/price). Eating at home is SO much cheaper than eating/ordering out… maybe that's why I've been less affected than others, because I've saved a few pennies beforehand!
Twitter: vindee
Recession is a pain to deal with but thankfully it hasn't hit us too hard here. In fact our economy has turned around & is on the mend already. But I ma cutting down on fancy imported ingredients. That's a luxury I am cutting back on!! I love that first picture…Made in China LOL!!
Like many here, we've cut back on eating out and I try to plan my menus so that I buy only what I need. With that said, cooking at home has turned out to be great! I'm developing new cooking skills and trying more recipes. By being careful with what and how much I buy, I'm able to purchase good quality ingredients and our meals at home have been really quite satisfying. I hope that even when things turn up, this will be a habit that we will continue!
Great Post!
* Plan ahead.
* Make a list (very important)
Eating out less for us.. esp. fancy places. We are not compromising on food quality at home. looking for deals & coupons in stores is another way.. which i usually do not do with food.
hi
in france, it's really difficult.
a lot of poeple loose her job beacause the companies close.
people are sad, gloomy and not believes in the future.
for me, I prepare everything I can : yoghurt, bread, pizza, viennoiseries, jam ………….
il's really a pleasure for me not a constraint.
Plan ahead and go shopping with Coupons save save save as much on food… Homemade meal are more delicious any way
Have a wonderful day !
This is really amazing. I'll try buying this online. With the convenience of online shopping, it is hard to imagine a time without it. Since the Internet came into being a lot of things have changed, shopping is one of them. Products and information that use to be difficult to obtain or find, is now easy to find by anyone who has a computer. Internet shopping popularity has increased as more retail stores offer online shopping to their customers. Among the items that are very popular to buy online are high fashion handbags, quality shoes, and other accessories.
OK, I'm lame and only responding now. But I am totally with you on this list. Eating in is not only a great way but a healthier (often…or can be) and more delicious (often…or can be) way to truly dine! Plus you can wear your PJs to the table…if you want to eat at a table!
The rise in food prices have been affecting us. We never go out, and a meal is always meant for two days. Leftovers are a must right now. Buying in bulk does help, but prices are rising too fast for that to be effective anymore.
David would love you to read..Healthcare Equipment Helps Man Cope with Broken Leg
Luckily, i haven’t been affected when it comes to food. We still have the budget to eat in fancy restaurants but i do feel the effect of recession. Thanks for sharing!
Gera: you wrote this article in 2009, but… do you realise how it is still so actual?. Recesion or crisis in Spain is even worst, the amount of unemployed people has highly being increased up to this date. We are having elections for a new government next sunday, but winds of changes even if govern changes, only will attend to increase new taxes and get everyone poorer.
Well just to add you already got a connection with Africa:Guinea Ecuatorial, in the times where this african country was a Spanish colony. THings there are not much better but people is happy. They have petrol, but no money, money belongs to governor’s family. The country is slowly developing, they always had crisis, so any small change is always a great change.
Well being sincere I do not make many receipes with: Mariscos, langostas, delicatessens…, they are not realistic receipes, nowadays it is not affordable to run a home economy with such style of expensive food.
Gera you should change the date of this post: IT IS EVEN MORE ACTUAL in this current year 2011.
Best regards.
Begoña
Twitter: sweetsfoods
I know how bad is the situation there. I expect that can improve but the global economy isn’t good and on Europe with Greece, Italy, Ireland and now Spain don’t help at all.
Hope on 2012 to have better news….
The best for you Begoña!