Ericka Cohen's Article in the Bellingham Herald

I want to thank Ericka Pizzillo Cohen for her article, “Penny-Wise, but Health Foolish – Eating low-nutrition food now can lead to problems later” that appeared in the July 16 edition of “Primetime” in the Bellingham Herald. Ericka saw my blog and asked me to collaborate on an article to help seniors save money on food costs. You can read her article at http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/07/16/2596935/eating-low-nutrition-food-now.html.

I sent Ericka a copy of Survival Recipes, a booklet of food tips and recipes for people who are trying to manage on whatever food they can find from whatever sources; some of the material for her article came from the booklet. The recipes are unique in that they tend to be pretty undemanding about specific ingredients or quantities, which made the booklet a challenge to write.  In a future blog I’ll attach a copy; watch for it to be posted to this blog in the near future.

New Bellingham Store Takes Food Stamps (EBT Cards)

A new produce market in Bellingham – Goods Nursery and Produce – has just been certified to accept EBT cards. The more produce markets, the better! You’ll find Goods on 2620 Northwest Avenue in the Columbia/Lettered Streets district. Check out their website at www.goodsproduce.com.

Saving Money on Food, Part 2

·       Meat is probably your most expensive food item, so it’s a good idea to learn ways to stretch it to a maximum. Watch for inexpensive cuts of meat to go on sale, then purchase as many pounds as you can afford. Trim off the fat and cut into 1” chunks, then freeze until you decide to cook the meat in a recipe. Defrost.

·         My big money-saver with meat is to buy cheap but lean cuts of meat on sale, trim off the fat, cut into little cubes (about 1") and put into freezer bags, then use as needed. I utilize this meat in soups, stews and casseroles. Since cheap meat tends to be tough, one way to tenderize it is to cook it in a crockpot with the rest of the ingredients for the meal. If you happen to have a food processor, you can also chop it into ground meat and use accordingly.

·         A money-saver for fish -- sometimes sandwich boards appear around town with an announcement of fish or shrimp for sale at the Bellingham Marina. Follow the sign's directions and you will find a fisherman selling freshly-caught seafood off a boat. Sometimes you will find significant savings over purchasing from a market.

·       Purchase spices in bulk from the Co-op or from grocery stores. You can purchase spices and other ingredients used in South Asian recipes at the International Video Store, which has Asian ingredients in the back of the store.

·       Instead of eating frozen dinners, take-out or restaurant foods, use your freezer to stock entire meals that can be microwaved when you don’t feel like cooking. People who don’t particularly like to cook will find it more enjoyable if they listen to a book on tape or CD or while they prepare their food. If you cook on Sunday afternoons, KUOW radio (94.9 FM) has a series of storytellers that make the work fly by.

Another way to make cooking more pleasant is to get together with one or more friends. Each person puts in his or her share for the cost of ingredients, then you prepare the food together and divide up the finished products. It works best to make one or two main dishes, a side dish and a complex carbohydrate dish such as a mixed grain pilaf. 

Make enough of each recipe for six or more servings, then put each serving in a freezer bag with the name of the dish and the date inscribed in permanent marker pen. Flatten each bag and squeeze out all the air, stack flat until they are frozen, then you can stack the bags upright so they take up less freezer space. You can save money on freezer bags if you belong to Costco or purchase them on sale. Reuse the bags by carefully washing and thoroughly drying. 

·       Dried herbs and spices are cheapest when purchased in bulk in small quantities so they stay fresh. Yes, herbs and spices do go stale, and stale flavoring agents don’t make very tasty food. You can find herbs and spices at the Co-op and in some grocery stores. The most expensive way to purchase them is in little bottles in the supermarket. On the other hand, buying huge bottles at discount stores is not a good idea unless you use huge quantities of a particular spice; you’ll only end up with something stale and flavorless if it’s still sitting in your cabinet a year later. By the way, an herb is a leaf such as tarragon, while a spice is a seed such as aniseed, or part of a flower such as cloves.

Saving Money on Food, Part 1

Saving Money on Food, Part 1

Now that fruits and vegetables are coming into season, it might be a good time to explore some ways you can save money on produce. Here are a few ideas:

·       If you have a bit of earth around your house or apartment, try planting some vegetables and herbs you enjoy. It’s a good idea to include vegetables that grow through the winter and can be continually harvested, such as chard and kale, in addition to your favorite summer vegetables. You might have to rip out a bit of lawn if you have no existing area for growing vegetables. Renters should check with their landlords before changing the landscaping in case they need permission to do this.

If you have no land at all but just a bit of porch or a concrete walkway, you might purchase some large pots, then add compost and vegetable starts or seeds. Make sure your pots are large enough to support the root system and large enough that they won’t completely dry out in the summer, particularly if they’re sitting on concrete with no shade available.

Should you be physically unable to do the digging and bending involved in gardening, try bartering. Seek out a volunteer to barter their labor in exchange for something you can provide, such as some home-cooked meals. Conversely, if you have no gardening space but are in good physical condition, seek out a homeowner or farmer who will exchange food for your hard labor in the garden.

·       When local fruits are in season, drive around on weekends in growing areas and look for people – sometimes children – with little stands in front of their homes. You can often find very good prices this way.

·       Watch for U-pick farms and call for prices, hours and picking dates. Depending upon the farm, you may save only a modest amount of money or you might see significant savings. If you are planning to can or dehydrate large amounts of produce, be sure to check into farms in neighboring counties, but make sure the price of your gasoline is offset by significantly lower food prices or it won’t be financially worthwhile.

·       When you are lucky enough to find fruit at a very good price, purchase enough so you can freeze some for the winter. Berries are the easiest fruit to freeze as you can simply wash, let dry, then put into freezer bags. Other fruits need some preparation such as cutting, adding lemon juice or ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) or Fruit Fresh© to prevent browning, then adding a bit of sugar or honey to preserve the quality.

·       If you like jams or fruit toppings, try purchasing over-ripe, reduced-price fruit and cook it down in a crockpot, which can be purchased from second-hand stores such as the Goodwill or at yard sales. Slowly cook the fruit, to which you can add sugar or honey to taste, until it becomes thick. Use this as jam or as a fruit topping for yogurt, or in a dessert.

·       Watch for sales at supermarkets. For immediate need, try produce stands such as Joe’s Garden (http://www.joesgardens.com/) (which also grows their own food), Goods ( or Youngstock’s (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/youngstocks-country-farms-nursery-and-produce-bellingham). Bellingham Grocery Outlet (http://www.groceryoutlet.com/Bellingham-WA/) oftenhas good deals on produce. Another place to consider is the Oriental Market, which frequently sells ripe fruit at lower prices than you can find elsewhere.

·       Look into the possibility of purchasing a share of CSA – Community Supported Agriculture. Farmers all over the country solicit subscribers for CSAs, which are delivered weekly to a central location where you pick up your box containing a variety of vegetables, greens, and possibly fruits or nuts as they come into season. Prices and number of weeks in a CSA vary from farm to farm. People living alone can split a CSA with another individual, or ask about purchasing a half share. You get at least three bonuses when you purchase a CSA – first, the food tastes better because it’s really fresh. Second, your food is likely to contain more nutrients than produce that has been shipped and sitting around for days waiting to get purchased. Third, you will be supporting our local farmers, so your money stays in the community. For more information, check out this website: http://sustainableconnections.org/foodfarming/eatlocal/2011-csa-list/at_download/file

Have You Considered a Used Appliance?

In the late '90s I moved into a small house in North Bend with an empty space for a stacked washer/dryer.  The house also contained a tiny, raggedy-looking refrigerator. I decided it was time to move beyond landlord-style refrigerators and laundromat clothes cleaning, but I didn't have enough money to purchase any large appliances. But I was in luck -- I happened to run across a recycled appliance store in Bothell, and I was impressed with their offerings.  They would even deliver, which was essential as I lived several miles away. For $200 I was able to purchase both a large, more-contemporary refrigerator and a washer/dryer combo.  When I moved to Bellingham I had to sell the washer/dryer as there was no space for it in my apartment, but the refrigerator is still going gangbusters. Both were excellent investments.

What is your own situation? Perhaps your refrigerator no longer maintains a safe temperature or your washer can’t get your clothes clean.  When you have a limited income, replacing one of these appliances can represent an impossible expenditure.  We are fortunate in Whatcom County to have a store that not only salvages and restores used appliances – it provides on-the-job training and volunteer opportunities. 

Appliance Depot is a project of ReUse Works with a number of job training partners in the community.  Since their inventory is continually changing, you might stop off at their store to get an idea of what your appliance might cost and what is available at the moment. 

You can learn more at their website: http://www.reuseworks.org/index.php

Save Money on Gas

The price of gas continues to rise and it becomes increasingly difficult to find the money to keep our cars on the road.  I recently discovered a few websites that indicate the lowest gas prices in Whatcom County.  Here are three:

http://www.internetautoguide.com/21-3-1772-48/gas-prices-whatcom-county-washington.html

http://www.motortrend.com/gas_prices/32/washington/whatcom/

http://www.internetautoguide.com/21-4-9999-1772-48/gas-prices-bellingham-washington.html

I would suggest that you compare the gas prices on all three sites. Write down the lowest prices indicated on each site before you drive to the gas station to fill up, and then note how the gas prices compare with the website prices.  You will soon be able to decide upon a favorite site.

About This Blog

Stores in Whatcom County that Accept EBT Cards

I was asked by a local nonprofit agency to assemble a list of Whatcom County stores that accept EBT cards (previously known as Food Stamps).  I called each store to confirm that they would accept the cards.  If you don't see the name of a favorite store and you think it accepts EBT cards, please send me the store's name, city, address and phone number. I will call the store and will add it to the list once it confirms that it accepts EBT cards.

Acme

Acme General Store, 2035 Valley Hwy

Bellingham

Albertson’s Food & Drug, 3210 Northwest Ave

Axton Northwest Market, 5692 Northwest Rd

Bellingham Public Market, 1530 Cornwall Ave

Community Food Co-Op:

315 Westerly Rd

1220 N Forest St

Costco, 4299 Guide Meridian St

Cost Cutter:

275 E. Sunset

4131 Meridian St

Deals Only NW, 2331 James St

Dollar Tree, 300 Telegraph Rd

Euro-Market, 3151 Meridian St #117

Europa Foods, 3908 Meridian St

Ft Bellingham Market & Deli, 1383 Marine Dr

Fred Meyer:

800 Lakeway Dr

1225 W Bakerview Rd

3767 Brownsville Dr

Giffords Corner, 2404 Elm St
Goods Nursery & Produce, 2620 Northwest

Grocery Outlet, 1600 Ellis St

Haggen Food & Pharmacy:

210-38^th St

1401-12^th St

2814 Meridian

2900 Woburn

Highland Trading International, 2517 Meridian St

Kwik Stop Market, 1400 W Holly St

K-Mart, 1001 E Sunset Dr

La Gloria Market, 4140 Meridian St

Marine Drive Market, 746 Marine Dr

Nelson’s Market, 514 Potter St

Oriental Grocery Store, 2517 Meridian St

Park Manor Shell, 3208 Northwest Ave

Rite Aid:

220-36th St

222 Telegraph Rd

1225 East Sunset Dr

1400 Cornwall Ave

3227 Northwest Ave

Samish Way Shell, 125 S Samish Way

7-Eleven Store:

1300 Lakeway Dr

2400 Alabama St

3209 Northwest Ave

Silver Beach Grocery, 609 Northshore Dr

Super Store, 2019 Harris Ave

Target, 30 Bellis Fair Pkwy

The Market, 3125 Old Fairhaven Pkwy

Trader Joes, 2410 James St

Valley Market & Deli, 1945 Lake Whatcom Blvd

Walgreens:

477 W Horton Rd

1070 E Sunset Dr

4090 Meridian St

Wal-Mart:

2797 Lake Whatcom Blvd

4420 Meridian St

Youngstocks, 2237 James St

Blaine

Bay Center Market, 8050 Harborview Rd

Beachwood General Grocery Store, 5000 Helweg Rd

Crazy Dazy 9, 347 D St

Dollar Tree, 1733 H St

Rite Aid, 1733 H Street

Deming

Everybody’s Store, Hwy 9 Van Zandt

Everson

Dobson’s IGA Market, 3705 Mt Baker Hwy

Everson Rd Apple Market, 210 E Main

Ferndale

Dollar Tree, 1859 Main St

Express Lane Gull, 1846 Main St

Ferndale Mini Market, 2085 Main St

Haggen Food & Pharmacy, 1815 Main St

M & M Delta Grocery, 1306 Birch Bay Lynden Rd

Rite Aid, 5655-3rd Avenue

7-Eleven Store, 2090 Main St

Walgreens, 1901 Main St

Lummi Island

The Islander Store, 2106 S Nugent Rd

Lynden

Bosman’s 76 Deli Mart, 112 Front St

Eastside Market & Deli, 1011 E Grover

Hinotes Corner Kwick-Stop, 6911 Hannegan Rd

Midway Country Market, 6896 Guide Meridian

North Wood Market, 1501 E Badger Rd

Rite Aid:

8090 Guide Meridian Rd

8156 Guide Meridian Rd

Safeway Store, 8071 Guide Meridian Rd

The Market, 8130 Guild Meridian Rd

Maple Falls

Maple Fuels Shell, 7797 Silver Lake Rd

Point Roberts

International Market Place, 480 Tyee

Sumas

Bromley’s Market, 315 Cherry St

Cross Road Grocery, 7802 Silver Lake Rd

Where to Save Money on Basic Necessities in Whatcom County

This was the first resource list I created and distributed to the members of the WorkSource Whatcom Job Club.  I welcome additions and updates to this list.


Appliances

Appliance Depot:  used washers, dryers, ranges, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, microwaves.  802 Marine Dr, 527-2646

Bartering

Trade your goods and/or services with another someone who has goods and/or services you need.  This costs neither of you any money at all.

Babies & Children

Half Pints Children's Consignment:  used infant’s & children’s clothing, books, toys, strollers, car seats & baby gear.  2701 Meridian St, 734-0880

Little Bugs:  used children’s clothing, toys & furniture.  2400 Yew St, 756-0507

The Little Red Wagon:  used baby’s & children’s clothing, toys, books & baby gear.  1889 Front St, Lynden, 354-7955

Tots to Teens:  used clothing for babies, children & teens; toys, baby gear.  1740 LaBounty Dr #2, Ferndale, 383-0919

Wee Ones Reruns:  used children’s clothing, toys & furniture.  1938 James St, 733-6794

Books

Eclipse Bookstore:  used books.  1104 11th St, 647-8165

Henderson Books:  used books.  116 Grand Ave, 734-6855

Library sales:  used books.  Check with your local library for dates and locations.

Michael's Books:  used books.  109 Grand Ave, 733-6272

Village Books:  used books.  1200 11th St, 671-2626
Whatcom County Public Library System: Instead of purchasing books, why not check them out for free? We don't need to own books to enjoy them.

Building Materials

RE Store:  used building and home improvement materials, fixtures.  2309 Meridian St, 647-5921

Clothing

Better Than New:  new & used clothing for women, men & children.  405 E. Holly St, 933-4647

Buffalo Exchange:  used clothing for women & men.  1209 N. State St, 676-1375

Clothes Rack:  used women’s clothing.  1905 James St, 738-7759

Keiko.Keiko:  used women’s clothing.  2518 Meridian St, 303-2249

Labels Women’s Consignment Store:  used women’s clothing & accessories.  1512 Ellis St, 738-0333

Labels Women’s Consignment Store #2:  used women’s clothing & accessories.  436 W Bakerview, 676-1210

Project Hope:  free interview clothes for women & men; requires appointment.  205 South BC Ave, Lynden, 354-4673

Re-Threads:  used women’s clothing.  1311 Railroad Ave, 733-2610

Salvation Army, Family Services Department :  free used interview clothes for women & men. 2912 Northwest Ave, 733-1410

The Sharing Shop, Opportunity Council:  free interview clothes; requires appointment.  1111 Cornwall Ave Ste C, 734-5121

YWCA Back-To-Work-Boutique:  free used interview clothes for women; requires appointment.  1026 North Forest, 733-9143

Clothing and Miscellaneous

Assistance League of Bellingham Thrift & Gift:  used clothing for women & men; household items, furniture, electrical items, books, toys.  1322 Cornwall Ave, 738-2803

Bellapalooza:  used clothing; bicycles, sporting goods, household items, 2404 Meridian St, 255-2010

Goodwill:  used clothing for women, men & children; household items, furniture, electrical items. electronics, books, toys.  1115 E Sunset Dr, 752-2080

Salvation Army:  used clothing for women, men & children; household items; furniture; electrical items; electronics, books, toys.  1515 Birchwood Ave, 733-1350

Value Village:  used clothing for women, men & children; household items; furniture; electrical items; electronics, books, toys.  3990 Meridian St, 733-2333

We Care of Whatcom County:  used clothing for women & men ($3/bag, $5/2 bags); used furniture.  3550 Meridian St Ste 2, 647-5415

Wise Buys Shop:  used clothing for women, men & children; furniture, housewares.  1224 N. State St, 734-0202

Electronics

ReLectronics:  used  computers, printers, scanners, faxes, other types of electronic devices. 

 2422 E. Bakerview, 734-1235

Safe and Easy Recycling:  used computers, monitors, televisions, cell phones, electronics; a participant in the State Recycling Program. 4131 Hannigan, 715-3279

Food and Household Items

Deals Only:  beyond-expiration-date food staples, cleaning supplies, household items.  2331 James St, 671-5152

Furniture

Hardware Sales Office:  used office furniture, file cabinets, desks.  2012 King St, 734-4888

Miscellaneous

Pace's Salvage:  Insurance salvage:  furniture, electronics, food, clothing, tools, gift items.  4092 Pacific Highway & 4233 Guide Meridian, 738-0510

Personal items

Above and Beyond Shop, Hope House, Catholic Community Services:  provides hygiene, personal care, diapers, school supplies, light bulbs, soaps and supplies which cannot be purchased with food stamps.  Call to set up an appointment. 676-2178 x 4005

Compiled by Aurela Sequoia

Last updated July 2010