Here it is Monday again. Yesterday I did not go to Rite Aid or Fred Meyers. Whilst there were some good buys at Freddie's, I didn't need anything. I made split pea soup , this time with new split peas. There were done in less time than the slow cooker recipe called for. I guess the lesson here os to buy just the amount of split peas that you can use in a reasonable time. We tend to go in cycles and like something for a while and then get tired of it and try something else. 'Y husband did go to Costco with my daughter and brought home bananas. They are cheaper there than anywhere else.
During the winter, some standard veggies are cheaper than other places at Costco because their prices are pretty stable year round.
One of the ways you can keep costs down is to go with the flow. In other words, when something os too expensive, find an alternative. Especially when the expensive thing is a perishable that is not at it's prime that time of the year. If you are out of something. Think outside the box. Out of bread for toasted cheese sandwiches, use tortillas and make quesadas. I buy them in bulk at Costco and keep them in the fridge.
One way we have been able to keep a low budget is that we went to two nights a week eating a vegetarian dinner. It was my answer to the droughts high prices on meat, especially beef. The USDA thinks that the high prices will still be here well into 2014, last time I checked.
Using leftovers wisely is another way to keep costs down. Mid week is the time to survey the fridge and use up anything that could be rapidly approaching the edge. Vegetable soup? I saw a recipe for lettuce soup. Pizza? There is a post on an earlier blog about almost free pizza. My co worker didn't hear well, she wanted to know who was giving away free pizza!?! lol.
There are still coupons out there for recipe starter. It makes them cheaper than scratch. The problem is that our dollar store doesn't have any left. The coupons used to be for .50 and that made them free.
There is a coupon out there for a dollar off cheese and it is a dollar at grocery outlet. It os circulating on Facebook. I didn't know that grocery outlet took coupons. I do know that big lots doesn't and they don't take snap either. You can at times find good free at the store with a coupon. If I find one, I will certainly tell you. I realize that not all of the people that read this are in the PNW. Your coupon matchup site should tell you of these. Be diligent and keep your eyes open. You never know where you might find a bargain.
The biggest thing in all of this is to know your prices. If you don't have a memory for numbers, write the prices down of your stock items. It's the best tool to stretch your food dollar. If you just buy the same things regardless of price, and just buy what you need for that week, you are shooting yourself in the foot. It's a good way to run out of money before you run out of month. You are throwing money away that you could be spending on a stockpile so that you have a cushion if something happens. You might have enough money in the bank, but preparing for that day that you're too sick to get out, you are home with a sick grandchild that can't go to school, the weather is not conducive of going out safely. It snows here, and we are crippled because of the high hills. It's so cold in Chicago today, people are being advised to stay home. It's good to have a stockpile of so,etching besides a jar of pickles. LOL. I'm not advocating hoarding a Nd you won't find 93 bottles of hot sauce on my pantry. You can laugh at the hoarders and the extreme couponers, or you can take the best from them and do it on moderation. Our grandmothers put food up for the winter. It was the thing to do.
Guess that's all. Thanks for stopping by
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Jane
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