Restocking the freezer, one piece at a time.

OOPS!  Someone , or a goblin, left the freezer door open or the freezer malfunctioned.    Needless to say, we took six bags of meat and ice cream and pizza to the dump.   It's not worth taking a chance eating food that may be spoiled and risking health of family members.  

So, I start over.    I will post as I go along for those that are just starting to stock on a dime,  

Today, I went to Costco.   The only stock  thing I purchased was shrimp.
Then to QFC where I bought one package of cod and sale ice cream.

I don't want to load up the freezer until I am  sure it's not going to malfunction.

Tomorrow I will go to Fred Meyers,  chicken is on sale and I can debone chickens.    I'm only going to stock ice cream and veggies in the downstairs freezer Until I am sure it works properly.

I haven't restocked pizzas because they were to high priced.

We can eat the meat in the upstairs side by side and replenish with loss leaders in time.


Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from  a different perspective. 
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food  for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until ot goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you  use  on a weekly basis. 


This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week. 
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level. 

You often are paying 1/2 price for your food.   This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget.   You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by cooking more efficiently. 

 Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.