Bountiful Baskets or other food co-ops..

[mrsabbott]

Anyone on here use Bountiful Baskets or other food co-ops as a means of saving money? It is always a challenge for me to try to figure out a way to feed our family healthy foods on a limited budget. I've just started doing Bountiful baskets and was wondering if anyone else used them and what their feedback is on it.

This was my 2nd time with BB.. because it originates out west, we do have to pay a higher shipping/delivery fee then normal. I don't like that you don't get a choice of what is in your baskets.. like this time we got onions and mushrooms which we won't use at all. Also, the green beans were moldy and we had to send them back, although we will get comped next time I think.

You can get various add ons.. juicing packs, breads, tortilla wraps, granola, etc.. You can even get cases of in season fruits. This time, I got the basket, the organic bread, and the granola. You definitely get your money's worth and then some on their foods. We LOVE the bread and granola and the produce isn't bad either.

We've looked into local co-ops but before BB, the only ones were in Louisville, which is a far drive. We'd lose money in gas to pick it up, y'know?

Anyhoo, I think it is worth a look for those of us on a budget!

 

[LovesTimone]

Not sure what kind of outdoor space you have, but have you thought about growing some items on your own, at home?

Even when my DD was very little and we live just the 2 of us in an apartment, on a tight budget, I had a small balcony/patio area, everything was in small pots. I started with Herbs, Basil, Rosemary, and a cherry tomato plant. Then we moved and had a really large patio area, and here where I learned that you can grow almost anything in a pot. I had every Herb that you could possibly think of along with Tomatoes, radishes, bell peppers, green onions, green beans, pole beans ( at different times) Strawberries, yellow summer squash and zucchini. My Grand-dad was a gardener, so I guess some things rubbed off on me. Some plants are runner plants (Beans, Squash, Strawberries) so you will need to accommodate for this, a simple plants cage will work, . Local garden centers will normally have some-one who can help you. There is a little cash out put at the beginning, but the pot can be reused over and over, and the soil can be mixed with new to cut down on cost. Even today when it is just DH and I have a garden of pots on my deck.

Also it is super rewarding to grow your own food, it is almost like therapy for me everyday to take care of them. Bragging right are pretty sweet too.,

Also have you though about making your own bread? Granola? this is so much cheaper than ordering it.

Is there a Whole Foods store near you? if not maybe there is one near a food Co-op and you could make a day of it, maybe have a lunch out somewhere for the day.

 

[scrapquitler]

Anyone on here use Bountiful Baskets or other food co-ops as a means of saving money? It is always a challenge for me to try to figure out a way to feed our family healthy foods on a limited budget. I've just started doing Bountiful baskets and was wondering if anyone else used them and what their feedback is on it.

This was my 2nd time with BB.. because it originates out west, we do have to pay a higher shipping/delivery fee then normal. I don't like that you don't get a choice of what is in your baskets.. like this time we got onions and mushrooms which we won't use at all. Also, the green beans were moldy and we had to send them back, although we will get comped next time I think.

You can get various add ons.. juicing packs, breads, tortilla wraps, granola, etc.. You can even get cases of in season fruits. This time, I got the basket, the organic bread, and the granola. You definitely get your money's worth and then some on their foods. We LOVE the bread and granola and the produce isn't bad either.

We've looked into local co-ops but before BB, the only ones were in Louisville, which is a far drive. We'd lose money in gas to pick it up, y'know?

Anyhoo, I think it is worth a look for those of us on a budget!

You might want to look into joing a CSA (Community shared agriculture) with a local to you farm. You pay a fee up front at the beginning of the farm season, then every week, you get a share of whatever crops the farm is harvesting that week. It's local, seasonal and often organic. I belonged to one last summer and got tons of great fruits, veggies, herbs, eggs and flowers. You can find one near you at: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

 

[ski_mom]

http://www.communityhelpingscoop.com/

Here is a link to the group I belong to. It's for the St Louis area and they have a lot of pickup locations. I live about an hour from St Louis and they bring a delivery to my town every 2 weeks.

They offer a basket which is $21.50 I believe and then you can purchase many different add-ons. You also don't need to purchase a basket to buy toehr add-ons. Everything I've gotten seems to be a great deal for what you pay for it.

I would assume there are similar groups in other parts of the country.

 

[LMN]

We tried Bountiful Baskets for the first time a few weeks ago. Lovely produce and my DH and I were so excited. But it ended up just being too much food. DH and I and our 3 kids just couldn't eat it fast enough and most of it spoiled. I didn't sign up for it last week. Makes me really sad because I think it is a great program. If they offered a 1/2 basket, maybe that would be a better fit for our family? If I can find another family to split a basket with me, then we might try it again.

 

[kymom99]

We tried Bountiful Baskets for the first time a few weeks ago. Lovely produce and my DH and I were so excited. But it ended up just being too much food. DH and I and our 3 kids just couldn't eat it fast enough and most of it spoiled. I didn't sign up for it last week. Makes me really sad because I think it is a great program. If they offered a 1/2 basket, maybe that would be a better fit for our family? If I can find another family to split a basket with me, then we might try it again.

Would you consider donating some of it?

 

[wiigirl]

We tried Bountiful Baskets for the first time a few weeks ago. Lovely produce and my DH and I were so excited. But it ended up just being too much food. DH and I and our 3 kids just couldn't eat it fast enough and most of it spoiled. I didn't sign up for it last week. Makes me really sad because I think it is a great program. If they offered a 1/2 basket, maybe that would be a better fit for our family? If I can find another family to split a basket with me, then we might try it again.

x2

 

[scrapquitler]

We tried Bountiful Baskets for the first time a few weeks ago. Lovely produce and my DH and I were so excited. But it ended up just being too much food. DH and I and our 3 kids just couldn't eat it fast enough and most of it spoiled. I didn't sign up for it last week. Makes me really sad because I think it is a great program. If they offered a 1/2 basket, maybe that would be a better fit for our family? If I can find another family to split a basket with me, then we might try it again.

Can you freeze some of the items? Or make extra meals and then freeze those for later?

 

[scrapquitler]

We tried Bountiful Baskets for the first time a few weeks ago. Lovely produce and my DH and I were so excited. But it ended up just being too much food. DH and I and our 3 kids just couldn't eat it fast enough and most of it spoiled. I didn't sign up for it last week. Makes me really sad because I think it is a great program. If they offered a 1/2 basket, maybe that would be a better fit for our family? If I can find another family to split a basket with me, then we might try it again.

Can you freeze some of the items? Or make extra meals and then freeze those for later?

 

[mrsabbott]

We do have a garden. This year we grew tomatoes, green beans, peppers, an Brussels sprouts. Last year, we did broccoli, zucchini, and cucumbers. I am allergic to the zucchini plant (not the vegetable) so I can't grow it anymore. My body reacts to it like poison ivy. Nasty reaction.

When I was a SAHM, I made my own bread and stuff. I work full time (up at 4:30a, work by 6a, off by 2:15p, pick up kids from school, homework, dinner, baths, maybe a load of laundry, then it's bedtime at 8pm and I'm too tired to bake or make granola) and am looking for a healthy yet inexpensive way to feed my family. I imagine there are lots of us out there who have the same issues! . And Whole Foods is just way out of our price range..

The fruit in the baskets are the first to go. Cukes, lettuce, and tomatoes are next. I will eat up the squash within a few days. Our baskets rarely last a week, although I did slice and freeze up some peppers.

 

[LJSquishy]

My sister-in-law and I have shared a few Bountiful Baskets before. We live in Washington State so they are local to us. I'm no longer interested in getting them because like you, some of the produce arrived moldy. I've purchased about 6 baskets and 4 of them have had an issue (such as mold). I always purchased the Organic basket and it's a good value if you don't ever shop for sale items, but if you're a "smart" shopper, it's not really a good value. Plus, you have to pick up your basket on a Saturday at 8am!

I'm not a picky eater so I enjoyed the variety (except for the fennel we got once, I hate the black licorice taste) but my sister-in-law has a picky family so I was always stuck with onions, bell peppers, etc and since we shared one basket, I took those items and "traded" her my share of other produce so it wasn't as exciting for me as it would have been had I purchased my own basket.

Bountiful Baskets is probably one of the worst co-ops. I've heard numerous complaints of moldy and/or bruised produce, and also the produce seems to only last 2-3 days before it spoils. I can buy organic produce anywhere else locally and it lasts much longer. Also, a lot of the produce are "seconds". For example, sometimes the apples are super tiny...like the size of an egg. Sure, they taste fine, but you have to cut up 3 of them to equal one regular apple.

Bountiful Baskets turned me off of co-ops...mostly because I can just go out and buy the specific items I need and save money.

 

[LovesTimone]

We do have a garden. This year we grew tomatoes, green beans, peppers, an Brussels sprouts. Last year, we did broccoli, zucchini, and cucumbers. I am allergic to the zucchini plant (not the vegetable) so I can't grow it anymore. My body reacts to it like poison ivy. Nasty reaction.

When I was a SAHM, I made my own bread and stuff. I work full time (up at 4:30a, work by 6a, off by 2:15p, pick up kids from school, homework, dinner, baths, maybe a load of laundry, then it's bedtime at 8pm and I'm too tired to bake or make granola) and am looking for a healthy yet inexpensive way to feed my family. I imagine there are lots of us out there who have the same issues! . And Whole Foods is just way out of our price range..

The fruit in the baskets are the first to go. Cukes, lettuce, and tomatoes are next. I will eat up the squash within a few days. Our baskets rarely last a week, although I did slice and freeze up some peppers.

My girlfriend just told me that she has been making granola and buying the products at Sam's. I never really thought about that as a option. Just thought I would share. This same friend has started, once a month cooking like crazy, she makes sauce's, soups, chili, stew, some casseroles, bread, pie's, muffins etc... and then freeze's it all for use during that month. She enlist the kids to help her, this is their stay at home Saturday or Sunday, They also work on other projects, in the house, or homework projects, whatever needs to be done around the house. Her kids have a tons of after school activities and she works from 7:30 to 1:30 she said so far this method has saved quite a bit of time and money. Maybe if you cooked and froze some off the options in meals, such as banana nut bread, or apple muffins, or pineapple salsa, use the tomatoes in a red sauce. Then you could save time and use all of the baskets offerings so that they don't go to waste. Just a suggestion.

 

[mrsabbott]

Not a bad idea.. I haven't been to Sam's club in awhile, but maybe I could find some good deals on bulk stuff and make up a few meals ahead of time!

 

[nunzia]

I just found out we actually have a Bountiful Basket pick up place here so will sign up, People I know who use it are very happen with what they get and the quality.I checked into the CSA thing and one one farm was listed and that was 5 years ago and I never heard of it. I find SAMS to be pretty expensive for some things and that is over an hour away. So..I'll give Bountiful Basket a try.

 

[LovesTimone]

Not a bad idea.. I haven't been to Sam's club in awhile, but maybe I could find some good deals on bulk stuff and make up a few meals ahead of time!

So I called my friend back to get some more info on making your own granola, and what she cooks on their "Cooking Day" . While talking to my friend she said she use's cereal in her granola, she said it's a lot cheaper to use it, and her kids like it better, so a win...win with that. She uses everything from the "healthy " cereal's to like a Chex Cereal, even Cheerios, and Special K, she has this air tight bin with a scoop and they just baggie it up and go.

On the cooking day, which is today (Sunday) here's what she had on her list that they were making:

Very Large pot of Red Sauce - for spaghetti, meatball subs, and baked ziti

Homemade meatballs - around 200 or so - then she divides then up baggies and in the freezer they go.

Chili - for chili with toppings and chili mac

Muffins - she make one large batter and then divides up and mixes other things in to create different flavors - apples, blueberries, chocolate chips

Granola

Cookies - again using one basic batter and then just adding in whatever.

Green Bean Casserole - Broccoli Casserole - Corn Bread casserole -

Chicken Pot Pie -

*Note* on the Casserole and Pot pie, she put them together but does not bake them, she freeze - thaws in the frig, then adds the toppings, or crust when she is ready to use them.

Homemade Chicken Soup - 15 bean soup with Ham -

We are Sam's member, but for some reason we really don't go into that area. So I did stop and check it out, our Sam's had large bags of dried cranberries, and then another mix with cherries and cranberries, raisins, apricot's, lots of different nuts, sunflower seeds and a bag of some kind of oat clusters, not quite sure what this is.

 

[mrsabbott]

Thank you LovesTimone!

I have made "snack mixes" with dry cereal, pretzels, nuts, dries fruit, etc.. It is different then granola though.

I am thinking I should attempt a menu plan, but our meals tend to involve a lot if fresh produce and whatnot. Although, I am tempted to double batches when I make chili or soups and freezing them for later.