5 Things I Stopped Buying at the Grocery Store

5 Things I Stopped Buying at the Grocery Store

Hi!

I hope you like this couch-hang version of the show! Thanks for watching!

This is a non-exhaustive list of some of the things I buy at places other than the grocery store.

I love grocery shopping, but when I can find something cheaper, better quality, and sometimes more convenient elsewhere? I'm in!

Here's the recipe for the laundry detergent, courtesy of my mom:

1 cup borax 1 cup washing soda 1 bar of soap grated. Toss it all in the food processor. 1 - 2 tablespoons per load. Super simple 😁😁

A little about me:

I'm Paula, and I started How To Make Dinner because dinnertime is my favorite time of day. (Except on weekends, when it's breakfast, but you get the point.) I love winding down at the end of the day with some delicious dinner.

My dinnertime strategy - Keep it simple and delicious, and don't use too many pots and pans. Learn to cook with me and you'll be the master of quick and easy dinners that will please everyone.


Like food? Me too! I share food photos and ideas for MORE easy dinners to make on the socials:

Catch new videos every Wednesday, except between seasons when I take a 2-week break.


Production by Hristo Stoev & Paula Hingley
#HOWTOMAKEDINNER

[HowToMakeDinner]

Hi! A bit of a different vibe this week - no cooking! How do we feel about this departure?

[AshleyWilliams-nhtx]

Green onions. So easy to grow and will often overwinter in our coastal climate. I got sick of throwing out slimy bunches of onions after only using one or two for my recipe. Now I always have them on hand!

[milenastoeva]

Can relate 😁 I can spend like 4 hours in the store just reading the back of the cans and packages, comparing and just "chillin'" 🤭🤫

[yannisgfcooking]

Nice Tips 👍. Thank you for sharing this video 🙂. Have a nice day!!!

[immacooku]

OXO products as a whole are pretty good. Their tongs are better then most I’ve used in a professional kitchen. Their whisks are very good too.

[glendahingley]

The laundry detergent thing has been brilliant for me. *strong feelings alert* I hate the "scents" of the detergents (even some sensitive skin/allergy free ones stink to high heaven), hate being forced to use a measured amount (pods!), hate all that plastic! So measuring a couple of things and grating a bar of soap into the food processor every month or so is a breeze AND it works as well or better than the stinky store bought stuff. Full disclosure, we have nice soft water here, so your mileage may vary if you live in a hard water zone. PS - a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar in the rinse cycle and you are pretty much done with fabric softener, as well.

[stevensteven]

Perfect segue to your new exciting set of affiliate links on your website to useful well built stuff we can buy! Hooray! We liked this Lots! I too just love grocery stores. Mostly though I do 'salvage' grocery stores. Just bought up a bunch of salsa super cheap. Great vibe guys. Thank you!

[kellycrete]

Hello from another west coast girl. I am also new to your channel. Nice to see and hear from a local gal. Two things that I have not purchased from a grocery store for years is jam or fruit spread and also salad dressings also premade pasta sauce or premade frozen meals. I am on the verge of retiring and will have more time to make so much more at home. Thanks for your content.

[kaiju_k]

Thank you for posting this, I know you guys are on a break but what a treat <3

[davidjuarez]

i dont really cook, but for some reason, i can't stop watchin ur stuff. ur so funny w/out even trying. def gonna do the no detergent thing.

[Taricus]

Asian supermarkets are really good for finding tea too ^~^

[emmabaron]

Just found your channel and I really like your content so far. I like your chill personality and humor. Subbed, keep it up. :)

[kathym]

My kitchen stores have gone out of business over the last three years. It's a big loss. I'm glad I spent so much time in these stores outfitting my kitchen while I had the chance. My funnel from Amazon is arriving today. 🥀

[thereseo]

I so can relate to beeing ”one of those weirdos”. :-) Preferably if I’m alone and have no ”deadline”, of course. When it comes to things I don’t buy in the grocery store any more, I would say the number one thing is broth/stock. I make my own (which means that our freezer is always packed with saved chicken bones and seafood shells), since the taste really is incomparable. Thanks for the great tips, I will definitely check the coffee solution out - though I’m not sure that service is available in my country. And thanks for a great channel, I like your calm and unpretentious way, and the cooking is ”clean” and uncomplicated, yet very tasty. Regards from Therése (from the country that ”invented” the fabulous rutabaga ;-) )

[aciarnable]

Alfalfa sprouts! They're pretty expensive and they're so cheap and easy to grow in a mason jar at home.

[BatmanBurns]

just found your channel, really liking it

[robinchown]

I don't buy paper towel or tissues. TP is fine to blow my nose and I use cheap tea towels instead of paper towel. I prefer natural fibres and white so I can bleach them in the wash.

[evagallon]

I've not bought mayo since I saw your homemade mayo videos👍That's so true about herbal teas, buying it loose at specialist stores or online is so much better for all kinds of reasons. I grew up drinking loose herbal teas so I may be a little biased lol. I recall my mum used to leave fresh mint leaves to dry out naturally by a window...I'll admit I've yet to do that myself haha. Thanks for the laundry powder recipe. I've been using a 'laundry egg' for the past ten years or so but I'll try making my own🙂

[johndough]

Organic produce - I'm lucky enough to live in an area with a lot of local small scale farmers. There are many options from co-ops, to community supported agriculture to farmers markets. Some farmers even do direct sales to the public thru produce stands. The produce is much higher quality (generally), much fresher and most of the time less expensive.

Another nice thing about using local resources when possible is that you can develop a relationship with the vendors. I juice a lot so I don't really care what the produce looks like. I worked out a deal with a farmer to buy the stuff he normally wouldn't sell. He gave me a great deal, makes a little money and gets rid of stock he'd have a hard time selling. Win-win for both of us.

[NyttAura]

I have DEFINETLY made homemade laundry soap using a recipe very similiar to yours, and it indeed last a VERY long time! Smelled nice and fresh too and was a great feeling doing a load for literal pennies. Thank you for pointing out how overpriced and lousy kitchen tools are from grocery stores also. I take a lot of pride in having good supplies so these have always been an absolute sin to me.

As far as savings go, shampoo is one I had a workaround for. Some health food stores actually sell bulk shampoo that you can just get refills on and are often cheaper!