Being Booga

SHARE Colorado is a food co-op operating in Denver that makes groceries affordable for everyone.

Unlike most food programs that are need-based or require some sort of qualification, SHARE is open to everyone.

According to their web site, you can average a 50% savings - that is, if you purchase their “Classic Package” for $25.00 they say the same products in local markets would cost over $50! They have several packages available and you can even order specific items ala carte.

Not only will you save cash but you’ll save TIME - because the packages are put together for you - all you have to do is pick up your order at a community center or church in your neighborhood. Ordering is easy. You can call SHARE Colorado or use their web site. You can view the packages and even download menus that are created around that month’s food items.

They also state on their web site that are not there only to serve low-income families, but that everyone qualifies - “If you Eat, You Qualify”.

The program helps everyone save money on groceries so they can use their money elsewhere.

How the program works:
Those who wish to participate locate their local distribution center and order their grocery packages ahead of time. Then the items become available for pick up on distribution days at various locations in Denver neighborhoods.

There are similar programs in communities nationwide. The co-op in Colorado was formerly known as WORLD SHARE and is now SHARE Colorado and serves affiliate communities in an 8-State Region. I was told that there are similar programs / food co-ops in communities all over the US.

The program is largely run by volunteers, they only employ 6 staff which includes grocery buyers. They also rely on tips from volunteers on good information about grocery pricing. They purchase large quantities of food at a discount or at wholesale and pass the savings on to us by using volunteers to make it work each month.

You can get started right now by viewing the May packages and placing your order on their web site.

The APRIL Classic Package costs $25.00 and includes the following:

Organic Meatballs 12oz - Tex-Mex Skillet Dinner 44oz.(feeds family of 4) - Bratwurst 16 oz
Breakfast Sausage links 12 oz - Ground Beef xtra-Lean 1 lb - Hamburger Dinner
Potatoes(6 ea) - Onions(3ea) -Lettuce Radishes Tomatoes (2ea)nMangos (2ea)
Lemons (2ea) Oranges(5ea) Grapefruit(2ea)

It’s too late now to order the April package, but you can preview and order your grocery packages for May. The web site is http://www.sharecolorado.com

I’ve always been interested in Food Co-Ops as a great way to involve myself in the community and save money. SHARE Colorado helps me do both. I look forward to saving money, eating well, and participating in something in my community.

SHARE Colorado serves the following Regions - The links allow you to search for an ordering and distribution center by zip code:
South Dakota :: Wyoming :: New Mexico :: Nebraska :: Texas ::Kansas ::Oklahoma :: Missouri :: Arizona :: Utah ::

Other Sources of Information:
What is a Coop? :: National Cooperative Business Association
Coop Directory

Do you participate in a food co-op or grocery buyer’s club? Do you know of similar programs in your area? What are some more ways you know of to save money on groceries?

Please Comment!

I tend to have a pretty good instinct for what things cost and so I am fairly quick at spotting a deal. However, sometimes I’m wrong and I’m duped into believing I’m “saving” because either something is On Sale or I use a Coupon.

Scenario: $30 Food Budget for this week - needs to feed 2 people.

Now, I’m pretty resourceful, so I immediately set up a strategy for how we were going to accomplish this.

The first thing we did was take total inventory of the food we had in the house. I won’t bore you now but if you’re really interested you can see our inventory here. Basically, Ryan read off what was what, and I entered the information in the notebook.

Now, why is this important? It’s important because when you’re on a food budget it’s important to know exactly what you have to work with. I myself was surprised at how much we actually had in the cupboard, including leftovers.

Restaurants and businesses take inventory every week because:

1.) It helps minimize waste (first in first out)
2.) It helps them know what items to order
3.) It helps them track trends

NOW all this boils down to is COST CONTROL for a restaurant - and this is because when you are careful about controlling costs, you can have better control over the profit margin.

How to Do Food Inventory

Professional food-buyers also keep a price book.

Over time, a price book allows you to track pricing trends so that you can buy when the price is RIGHT. Using your price book data, you will know, over time, when a deal really is a deal, and act accordingly. Over time, using this strategy alone (Price Book + Weekly Inventory Control) you can shave several hundred dollars a year off of your food budget.

You can shave even more off your food budget by shopping certain stores for certain products. It’s the same concept as only shopping for the loss leaders at your major chain - you’ll save an average of 20%-35% by shopping this way - WITHOUT USING COUPONS!

After taking your inventory you will know what you NEED to buy at the store in order to make complete meals out of everything by purchasing some key ingredients.

Next, food shopping list in hand, scan the sale ads for your favorite stores and try to match up with coupons.

Don’t be afraid to NOT use coupons, because often times when you’re really strapped for cash it’s a better deal to buy a smaller portion, the store brand, or even shop elsewhere. In our case, I acted on instinct and decided to check the ethnic shops before stepping foot in my major chain every day grocer (King Soopers and Safeway, here in Denver).

BOTTOM LINE:

We saved 26% by buying several of our key items at the ethnic shops, due to their every day prices being cheaper! Now, I knew that my Asian Market was a lot cheaper than King Soopers on things like rice, noodles, condiments. I decided to check them out more thoroughly, and after shopping there then shopping at my Mexican Market, I discovered that their prices are a lot cheaper on staple items, and we were able to meet our budget.

I believe the concepts here can work for any major metropolitan area. Look to your off-the-beaten-path ethnic shops in alternative neighborhoods for lower prices.

Want to know, on-the-fly, about the best deals in Denver? Follow me on TWITTER, (http://twitter.com) Follow: boogawooga

I’ll be posting price checks and deals! Click Here to learn about / join TWITTER (it’s Free). You can stay updated via text messages from Twitter, or follow the chatter on this web site. You can also join in, and post your own deals.

BOTTOM LINE:
For Details on what Denver stores netted us the 26% savings as well as a Price breakdown by item, click HERE.

Happy Bargain Hunting / Food Budget Stretching!~

Drastic Times, Drastic Measures. We have a food / grocery budget of only $30 this week. Our strategy #1 is to take a complete inventory of everything we’ve got on-hand.

Here’s our food inventory - Week of April 13, 2008:

Pantry & Canned / Packaged Food:
1 lb sugar
4 lb flour
baking powder
baking soda
peanut butter
7 oz jalapeno peppers (pickled, whole)
12 oz roasted salted peanuts
1 6 oz can tuna
1 25 ounces Honey Nut Cheerios
1 25 ounces Cinnamon toast Crunch
1 box Cheez-it Duos 14.5 ounce
Pancake Syrup
3/4 loaf of bread

Freezer:
Meat:
1 package Cheddarwurst - 1 pound
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 lb. corned beef brisket

Other in Freezer:
18 ounces cookie dough
1/2 gal ice cream
Various Zip Bags or containters, containing:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped chilis in adobo sauce
1 cup diced celery (for soup stock)
1 cup frozen mystery sauce (tomatoe?)
1 pound frozen sweet potato soup

Fridge
Dairy:
1 dozen eggs
1/4 gallon milk
1/4 cup cottage cheese
15 ounce Country Crock margarine
1/4 cup sour cream

Condiments:
Just a little mayo (about enough for a sandwich)
yellow mustard
1/4 cup grape jelly
big jar dill pickles
big bottle red hot sauce

Produce:
1/2 cup diced onions and celery
1/2 whole onion
1 cup diced carrots

Leftovers:
8 leftover cheesy dill dumplings
1 cup leftover basmati rice, cooked
soup pot full of leftover sweet potato soup
1 cup leftover pasta salad
1/2 cup peas
3 leftover biscuits

Dry Produce Storage:
2 large sweet potatoes w/ small eyes - need to eat soon
18 medium red potatoes w/ eyes - need to prepare / eat soon
1 shiny red apple
4 large bulbs garlic

Dry Spices, Condiments and Mixes
Soy Sauce, 5 oz Super Lucky soup mix, Cinnamon sticks, thyme, thai seasoning, crushed red pepper, wasabi sauce mix, zest blend, italian seasoning, garlic powder, lemon pepper, salt, pepper

Pasta / Rice / Beans (Dry)
12 oz. soy beans
8 ounces veggie rotini pasta
16 oz. rice noodles
25 lb jasmine rice, New Crop 2008
1 cup basmati rice
4 cups jasmine rice, store brand

Other: (Cooking Oil, Drinks and Drink Mixes - Tea Bags, etc.)
15 ounces Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 ounces grapeseed oil
200 ml asian hot oil
Ground Coffee
tea bags (a ton)

What meals can we make with these ingredients? Any ideas? Do you take a food inventory? With these ingredients on-hand, and a budget of $30, do you think we’ll be okay? Please comment!