Friday Focus

It's Friday. I'm exhausted after working two double shifts., I'm getting too old for this stuff. But, we went on vacation, and others need to go too. We trained a new gal so things should get better; and she is younger. LOL

We will go,shopping today, but not for much. We don't need much and I am working on averaging for our big summer months of good buys. ALBERTSONS has chicken noodle soup for .50 a can limit 8. We like chicken noodle soup for lunch sometimes in the winter. I'll have to make room in the pantry. We start making soups more in the fall and winter, so it should be paring down soon. QFC has mega deals that have coupon matchups. I don't need any of these, but if you do, it is a good time to stock up. I usually can score close to 70 percent off. There is snack crackers and the holidays are coming, Cheerios, and bars. September is coupon month,so there are unusually high coupons out there, dollar wise. They are first come, First served, so get them early.

using coupons that match up with sales can be a great budget booster. I don't buy a lot of the ready made stuff,because it can be a great budget breaker. I do buy a few things that are hard or too time consuming to make.
Just like other times in life, you have to pick your battles. A lot of things are easy to make and take minimal non passive cooking time. Those are the things that I cook from scratch. I usually do the math I'd I am in doubt. I buy crackers and I buy protein rich breakfast bars. I am diabetic and it is a good way to be able to measure my carbs and protein for a balanced fast breakfast or snack. Imonlynbuy them when I can get a good deal with coupons and sales. That's called coupon matching. When you have a store sale or coupon and a manufacturers coupon, you can double dip. It's a real money saver.

Things I buy ready made.

Peanut butter
Crackers
Refried beans ( I saw a recipe for refried beans that was simple,but I can't remember where! )
Instant mashed potatoes
Cake mix
Chicken noodle soup
Tomato soup in a box
Cheerios

I don't buy any of them unless they are on a good sale or I have a good sale and a coupon.
We don't use a lot of peanut butter, cake mix or cheerios. I just started buying cheerios when granddaughter came.
On a good sale, these things are cheaper than making them from scratch.
When in doubt, do the math. If you are going to make a couple of bucks an hour, it's probably not worth your time to make something from scratch. But, my daughter and I have done the math a few times , and we have "made " 200 dollars
an hour before -- now that's well worth our time. Another consideration is whether or not scratch is a lot more healthy or has a lot more food value in it. As is the case with hamburger meal boxes. The new ultimate boxes have more food value, but they are more expensive too. I haven't done the math, but suspect that you are still better off with scratch. Figure out what different sauces have in them and keep them in a book. That's about all you are buying when you buy a mix-- either a pasta salad or a hamburger dinner. It's usually simple ingredients. Many state with a white sauce. It's a really simple thing to master if you haven't already. I know they stopped teaching home EC in schools. It's a pity that home ec and handwriting has gone by the way side, in my opinion. I digress...

there are some skillet sauces on SALE at ALBERTSONS for 1.49. Really? That is more than the meat that you put them on in some cases. Sauces are not that hard, and many times they are a few cheap ingredients. If you haven't already read my piece on hamburger meal boxes, please do it is a real eye opener. Before you buy a mix or meal box, read the label including the nutrition facts and ingredients. Ingredients have to be listed in order of volume. Of something has cheese in it, it should also have cholesterol. Cholesterol is a dirty word in some households, but lets be realistic. I never knew a cheese I didn't like, and I never saw a cheese that didnt have cholesterol. LOL.

Almost anything you need to know you can google on the Internet!
It has saved my many a time or given me peace of mind.

granddaughter had a visit from the Fire department at school yesterday. Someone smelled gas, so the kids were evacuated. She came home saying fireman come. Fireman come! I guess they were impressed with the red trucks. Turns out it was some paint fumes from down the street.

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Jane