Shopping

I haven't gone down to look at tapes yet, but. Got everything else on my list done.  I grated a whole brick of cheese today adding some cornstarch to keeo it from clumping.  i havent tried that before.

SAFEWAYS had Tillamook for 3.99.  QFC had buy two sausage and get a biscuit package free.  Also SAFEWAYS had sirloin tips buy 1 , get one.  That makes dinner for three very fast and 4.00.  It used to be 3.50, but prices have risen.  Add a instant mashed potato and a veggie or salad and you have a dinner in five minutes flat for a little over 5.00.  I don't resort to that very  often, but his is a cheap alternative to ordering pizza or fish and chips when time crunched.

The strawberries were yuk at QFC again.  Beautiful at SAFEWAYS.  I didn't get to ALBERTSONS. We didn't need anything from the alternative stores so it wasn't worth the trip for eggs , apples, and muffins.

I found sour cream and cottage cheese for a buck as well as hot dog and hamburger buns.
I wound up spending my entire budget, but better luck next week.  I only bought fresh foods and the tip and sausage, , but I bought lots of fruit and dairy.

Finding things on sale, or finding what was on sale not fit to eat is why I usually do plans after I shop.  Had I only went to one store, I wouldn't have purchased strawberries.

We are still eating well on about 1/2 price.  Last nights dinner  was

Meat 1.80
Buns .50
Strawberries  2.00
Corn .66
4.96

In order to stay on about 70.00 for the typical two adult, two school aged children, dinners should average five dollars.  Breaking it down, your full budget is ten dollars a day.  By using leftovers, or a sandwich or salad for lunch and oatmeal or toast and fruit or youngest and toast for breakfast  you can make this work.

If you are on SNAP, your budget is about twice that.  Remember, though, pricing meals doesn't include the staples of butter, flour olive oil etc.  70.00 is a rock bottom guideline.  USDS STATS ARE BASED ON AGES OF FAMILY MEMBERS - and compensate for typical ages that tend to have hollow legs!  For practicality , I am working on a 2 adult, two school age children model, or three adults.  The stats are on the Internet and are within two months current.  Full  USDA stats are  146.00 a week.

It s a challenge to make it work.  It can be fun to see how creative you can be coming up with fun dinners.

Thanks for stopping by

4+1 =5

Better, cheaper, faster

Jane