Those of you who live in New York (and maybe some of you who don’t) know what I’m talking about when I say that groceries can be insanely expensive. I’m sorry, but how could the Sex and the City ladies afford all those shoes and clothes and cocktails?
If my life were a TV show, you’d see my character dressed in the usual uniform of black and boots, feeling up the avocados at one of the sketchy markets in Hells Kitchen. Armed with a list, of course.
I’m lucky to live close to several places offering reasonable prices on produce and staples like oatmeal, rice, and milk. Granted, the quality is nowhere near what you get at Whole Foods, but you often pay a fraction of the cost for the same items on the shelves at well-lit supermarkets.
If you’re ever in the area, Stiles Market is great for fruits and veggies, and the Big Apple Meat Market is a good place to stock up on things you don’t feel like paying top dollar for. I’ve also found that fruit stands often have really fresh stuff at fair prices, and sometimes you can even get the “nice-face discount.” I also love Whole Foods and Trader Joes because they tend to have better prices than other big stores.
While it makes me feel like an old lady, I clip coupons, and always look for bargains. Sometimes I’ll pick ingredients for dinner based on what vegetables look good or what kind of pasta is on sale. It also helps to go for seasonal produce. Sometimes I wonder if it would be harder to live and cook well on a budget if we ate a lot of meat, but even then, the Big Apple Meat Market seems to cater to carnivores on fixed incomes—their “meat room” is an experience-and-a-half.
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