It's a lazy day today. I worked virtually all day on food yesterday. The pantry is cleaned and the chicken is deboned and chicken stock made. I got 14 meals from 11.75 worth of chicken breast, that's considering we use a whole chicken breast a meal. These breasts were over a pound a piece. Three of us eat chicken. I also cut up cantaloupe and veggies for our pasta dish for dinner.
I am researching sloppy joe recipes. I'm still liking my recipe from the 70s. Hambirger, catsup, dry mustard, water, and liquid smoke. We always have liquid smoke because my husband makes beef jerky. I have purchased catsup for as low as .75.
My target price for catsup is a dollar. I can always get the name brand catsup at the tree. During holiday weekend sales, it can be cheaper. Alberways had it for .80 if you bought ten if their items a couple of months back, I got catsup and vegetarian refried beans,
When there is a sale like that, I watch to be sure everything is at a RBP. Refried beans are cheaper by a few cents at Costco, but they don't carry vegetarian.
Surprise, I'm over budget last week for groceries. I restocked the freezer pretty much. Double coloration of beef and a quadruple portion of chicken. Not to mention some shrimp and cod. But, we will make it up with not buying meat for several weeks, I don't need a protein rotation, Pinto beans are still the cheapest at the tree, but I have only found them at Edmonds. The other trees don't seem to have them. Maybe seasonal?
I am seeing u tubes where the person preps ingredients for a weeks worth of meals making it easier to cook quickly at mealtime. I am also seeing where freezer meals are some for as much as a months worth of cooking. I usually cut something up, especially of it is getting too ripe. I can get it in green cartons and stop the ripening. Obviously, we eat that first. Washing the sink or a dedicated pan and filling it with vinegar water to clean veggies makes sense to do all the fresh produce at one time. I use a dedicated scrubber brisk and disinfect it with vinegar after each use or out it through the dishwasher.
Yesterday, we made chocolate rice crispy treats. There is a bog difference between prices for marshmallows. My target price is a dollar. Again, they are always a dollar at the tree. Usually a dollar at Winco. I have seen them for as much as 25 percent more. That's a lot when you are on a thrifty budget. Cocoa crispies are not on sale a lot, but you can get the, in bags at Winco. I keep them in a Tupperware type container. Air is the enemy of freshness. My target price for butter is two dollars a pound. I have seen it for 2/9.00. And, it wasn't from Ireland. LOL.
The biggest step in groceries on the cheap is to know prices and set boundaries on discretionary items-- things you don't have to buy. Buying things at RBP and reducing waste is the key.
I have target prices on things -- my top dollar, so to speak. If something is more than my target price , I don't buy it and I would prefer to get ot at a RBP. Every month dairy goes on a good sale t Fred Meyers. I stock as far ahead as the pull dates will dictate. My back up plan is Costco on anything that we can use up before the pull date. I check pull dates and adjust meal plans to use up things. Being diligent about reducing waste is the second key factor in reducing your food costs.
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.
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