The first of many recession-inspired shopping tips: Whole Paycheck (I mean Foods, lol)

Being unemployed in our recessionary economy has turned me into a bargain hunter and penny pincher like I've never had to be before. When I was employed I didn't have the time to search out bargains and find new ways to save money. Now it's become almost a religion. In my travels I have discovered many money saving shopping tips that I've realized would help others who are searching for similar ways to stretch a buck. The wisdom I've gained is valuable and I hope to be able to pass it along to help others in a similar situation. There are many budget advice givers online but I know that I have discovered many strategies that have never been written about before. Here's hoping you get something out of them!

OK, for my first tip, I'd like to remind everyone that bargains often hide themselves right in front of us or in places we'd least expect to find them. Scouring the sale flyers of the supermarkets every week is a given, but did you know that some legendary high priced markets offer perpetual "loss leaders"? Take for example Whole Foods. Their "house brand" butter and milk are cheaper than in many supermarkets. Plus their chopped garlic is much cheaper than anywhere else, including Trader Joe's. In addition, when they have a sale, it's often better than the supermarkets, too. I picked up crushed San Marzano tomatoes for $2.00 a can a few months ago on a blow-out sale.

My advice is not to avoid what we all affectionately call "Whole Paycheck", but to use some simple strategies to prevent falling into their price traps. One is to make sure you look online at their sale flyer before you go there. To be forewarned is to be forearmed! Make note of what you want in the sale flyer and zero in on those things to the exclusion of other things. Of course, don't buy it if it's not a true bargain. Also, keep a mental note of the things that often go on sale there and check them out. Graze by the meat, poultry and fish counter to see what's on special. Keep in mind that their products are often of better quality than you can find in most other markets and that when it goes on sale it's often at a really fantastic price. And of course, don't forget the "loss leaders".

Here's another tip: Put down those tongs and step away from the prepared food counter! It's one of Whole Foods' biggest traps! The prepared foods at Whole Foods are way overpriced and if you are on a tight budget it's likely out of your price range. Don't be seduced by it no matter how much you want that piece of cheesecake! If you absolutely need something at the salad bar or food counter, make sure it's something that will actually SAVE you money in the long run. For example, if you only need a few leaves of lettuce to complete a dish, by all means, go for them instead of buying a huge head of lettuce that you don't need. Use your judgment here and exercise restraint. Remember that you're paying by the pound and that just because something is heavier doesn't mean it should cost more than something that's lighter.

While I can't take credit for this next Whole Foods tip as just about every budget guide you read will tell you this, I will advise you not to forget the bulk bins, because you can often save money there. Even if the bulk bin price is not a huge bargain or is more per pound than in a prepackaged item, it's often more of a bargain to you if you only need a small amount of the stuff. Take for example a recipe that I did a few months ago that called for half a cup of dried apricots. If I had bought a package of dried apricots in any store it would have had more than I needed in it and cost me more than twice what I paid for them out of the bulk bins at Whole Foods. And how often would I ever need dried apricots again? The excess would probably sit in my cabinet forever until they spoiled. So the lesson is that even if the per-pound price is higher at Whole Foods, if you only need a small amount of it and don't foresee needing it again in the near future, it's still more of a bargain to you if you buy them from the bulk bins.

Indian Inspired Curry Chicken Salad

After experimenting with a chicken masala recipe that I found online I ended up looking for other ways to use the ingredients since they are so delicious and can be combined in many tasty ways. Here are the ingredients for a delicious Indian inspired chicken salad that I made just today:

In a bowl, mix together the following:

Boneless, skinless cooked chicken breast meat chunks

chopped celery

chopped scallion or onion

very small amount of garlic/ginger paste (or just a clove or two of chopped or grated garlic plus a small amount of grated ginger)

chopped cilantro

light mayonnaise plus an equal amount of either plain yogurt, sour cream or fromage blanc

squirt of lemon juice

curry powder to taste

chicken masala or garam masala powder to taste

Indian chili powder to taste (you control the heat)



Serve on your favorite bread and enjoy!