Just a vent.....

Someone on another blog thread made the statement that couponing is just a way to fill a void and build ones self esteem!

It probably shouldn't effect me, I probably shouldn't take that personally.   But it made my blood boil.

Couponing only fills the want for us to have toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, soap, and laundry soap without spending our hard earned money or dipping into savings.  

There is a certain amount of pleasure when you walk out of a store with 22.00 worth of things you really need and suddenly it clicks in your husbands brain, he stops dead on his tracks, and says, we paid 1.09 for that!    You can get that stuff cheaper than retail at Costco, or Walmart. But I doubt you would get it for 1.09!

I don't spend a lot of time couponing.   Some of that  time is spent also watching a three year old play.
I do make a lot of money doing it.   Ibotta takes a couple of minutes while putting the groceries away.   It also should make toilet paper arrive on my doorstep for FREE!   There is something about the word  FREE that excites me, when it is not a free water bottle from the fair!   LOL.


FREE means I don't have to spend money on some of our necessities , so we can have some luxury items, like a date night with friends or an outfit from the Goodwill!

To say someone is sick and a hoarder  for stockpiling so they can make both ends meet is just plain over reacting to outrageous reality TV that not reality.   Like, OMG, I have two boxes of Bisquick!

One time, our family was in crises on a holiday.  My husband and children ate the holiday dinner at Denny's .   I never want  to be in a position, that I can't feed family because I don't have food in the house.    I wrote this blog because I know some people on snap don't know how to cook and shop and run out of money before they run out of month.   No child should suffer the insecurity of having empty cupboards.    SNAP is there to alleviate the problem; it only can work if people can know how to manage their grocery money.    Writing cookbooks will help-- only of the food is regular food--not food from MARS that the family won't eat!  

The statement I heard that said they told their toddler they didn't have fruit because they were saving to buy organic doesn't resonate with me........any fruit is better than no fruit!  



Just saying....

Really cheap inspiration for meals.

I always watch  for ideas for low cost dinners .  These cookbooks were 40.00 retail and I got them for a dollar each at the Dollar Tree.  Remember you can omit or substitute ingredients that are pricey, or make scratch white sauce imstead of expensive soups.

Blog series: what to do with pork loin - VOL4

Ok. Pork loin can be found at this period on time for 1.79 to 2.00 a pound.   I try to stay close to two dollars a pound average for protein.   Some things are higher, some not so much.   If you buy one bulk thing a week when it is on a true sale and buy enough for a months worth of THAT meal, you will save money and time.    I try for a half a loin because three of us eat pork.   If there are only full loins on Sale ,consider splitting the cost with family or a friend.  

Pork loin is  versatile.  The difference is that some things I buy, I cook ahead.   Some of the pork, I do not.  

Five things to make with Pork loin :

1. Cut a 1/2 inch slice if the end, and set aside, the cut enough pork chops for a couple of meals.   There are a lot of crock pot and other recipes out there for pork chops.  My favorite is to make a stuffing with a little chicken broth, dry bread cubes, and a chopped up apple, poultry seasoning.   Put in a greased baking dish.   Brown the pork chops on both sodes, and add to the baking dish . Finish  off in a 350 degree oven I til the pork chops are done and the stuffing is warm.   
2. Cut off a two pound section for a roast.   You can roast that the day you bring it home or shortly after.  More later.   *
3. Cut the first slice and the end pieces into cubes for stew
4. Pot pie,
5. cooked cubes  over rice,potatoes, or noodles.   ( same as stew beef)
6. Sweet and sour pork over rice  ( same as chicken ) 
7. Fried rice 
8. * After you have a dinner of roast pork! slice it thin and make BBQ pork sandwiches.   

You can freeze the pork sliced thin, or use it for a second meal the same week.   

Pork chops can be frozen as well as the cubes with some of the juice from baking.   

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share, and follow 

Jane 

Chicken pizza on five dollar dinners

Dinner: chicken and peppers pizza 

Ingredients 

Individual pizza crusts (2.00 for 4) 

Olive oil 

4 tsp tomato paste 

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

Mild peppers , chopped 

1 large slice cooked chicken breast, cut  into small cubes.  

White cheese 

Hear oven to 450 while assembling pizzas. 

Turn oven DOWN to 425 and bake 7-10 minutes, or until crust is brown on bottom and cheese is melted.   

The ads for Wednesday

Here are the ads for Wednesday.  

QFC. - this osma two week ad .   Keep it.

Grapes,1.28
Draper valley chicken ( local) .99
Berries 2/5
Milk .99
Frozen veggies 1.00 ( 10-12 oz) 16 is better.
Corn 2/1


Albertsons , then Safeways.   These ads are almost identical.   Same ad agency?      Wouldn't surprise me if the two stores merge.   We are supposed to get a Winco at the first of their fiscal year.   That would be March, I believe.  

15 percent beefm3.99
Grapes 148
Milk 2/5@@

.88 sale
Refried Evans
Pasta sauce
Canned tomatoes.   The best deal here is the pasta sauce.  
Corn 2-1

Safeways

.88'sale,
Diced tomatoes
Pasta sauce
Refried beans
Grapes 1.48
Corn 2/1

Haggens
Ragu 2/3@@
Freshestta @@ pizza 3.99


That's About it


I would check ibotta and coupons.  


Thanks

Jane

Oatmeal- a healthy way to start your day.

18 servings of instant oatmeal is 3.99 on sale at grocery outlet.   92 servings of oatmeal is 7.99 at Costco.   That breaks down to .22 each for instant and .09 each for scratch.   Scratch takes no more time or energy to make.    

Instant 

1) measure water and place in  bowl.  2) open package and pour into the water3) place bowl in microwave,  program microwave and push  start button.   

Regular oats 

1) measure 1 cup water 2) place water in bowl.  3) measure 1/2 cup oatmeal and place in bowl.   4) program microwave for 1-1/2 minutes and push start.   

I keep a 1/2 cup measure in the canister.   

 Two and a half  servings for the price of one.  

Fred Meyer haul... What to do with what you got

I spent just at 25.00

I got
Strawberries, raspberries, grapes.
Milk and sour cream
10 yoplait with a dollar coupon
A almost six pound Foster farms chicken
Fruit will supplement breakfasts and or fruit salad for a dinner.  






I bought orange and vanilla yogurt for Popsicles and yogurt parfaits,  
Chicken will net two dinners  from chicken breast , a BBQ chicken dinner, amd chicken soup.  

Sunday ads

Not much here.    The smart source is in the paper, but johnsonville sausage and Kens  salad dressing.

Fred Meyers has

Foster Farms whole chickens .99
Grapes 1.28
Tomatoes  .99
Cheese on coupon is,not a bargain.    Do the math.   They are betting  you aren't.
Ground beef 10 percent 3.99
Milk .99@@
Broccoli .9lettuce .99
Cucumbers 3/2
Onions, radishes 2/1
Corn 2/1
Berries 2/5

That's about it.,,

Heritage chicken breasts are 1.99 .  when I asked they couldn't tell me where they came from. I found out that heritage is a Tyson  product.  


Thanks for stopping  by
Please follow
Jane

On reading a lot of blogs

I have read a lot of blogs this afternoon.  Did the housework I could do. Worked in my studio. And needed a break! LOL.

Groceries on the cheap is not about eating top ramen the last four days of the month.   It's , also, not about Slaving  in a hot kitchen all day making everything from scratch,    Now, of that is your hobby and you enjoy cooking that much, by all means go for it!   I sm assuming if you are on snap you have a family and the responsibilities that go along with it.   If you aren't  on snap, you might have other things you have to or want to do.

I found a compilation of recipes that are quick, or cook themselves  in the crockpot, or I can make when I feel up to it and put on the freezer for when I don't, or things are busy.

Today, I made a banana, blueberry, oatmeal bread.   It took only minutes and while it was cooking, I worked on my so called studio.   Each one in my family called ot something different depending on their mood.   It's the art room, grandmas room, the studio, or the craft room.  

The way you cut the cost of food without sacrificing good meals is to not waste money at the grocery store.   Paying full price is throwing your money out the window,    My dad used to say that the manufacturers factor in the amount of the coupon when they set a cost on the product.   You are shooting yourself in the  foot if you aren't  taking advantage of it.

Or, in other words. you get paid for shopping, not for cooking.  

Blueberry, banana bread,

A good way to get a head start on breakfast.   Quick and easy, and in the Betty Crocker cookbook free on line.  

Easy. Mix wet ingredients, mix dry ingredients.  Fold together and add blueberries.  

Bale in a loaf pan with a greased bottom.   

Blog series...what to do with ground sausage -vol,3

Ground sausage is reasonable at Costco.  Ground meats are cheaper to plan ,ears with cause the portions can be smaller, but look larger.    One way to use less meat and still hav good nutrition is to add other things to the menu that contain protein also.   Chilli is a good example.    My mother used to make depression stew-- potatoes and carrots and any bits of meat she could find,   Bacon and a few meatballs?  

You can reduce the fat content  of sausage by De-Fattimg  it.   It comes in three pound tubes at Costco-Jimmy  Dean. I usually make a few patties for breakfast for dinner, and make crumbles of the rest.   You can use :

• Sausage in quiche 
• Sausage in pasta sauce 
• Stuff peppers 
• Bean and sausage soup
• Breakfast burridos
• Can substitute for ground beef in many recipes   

Easy sausage and bean soup.  

2 -15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes 

4 cups chicken stock ( I use better than bullion) 

2-3 carrots, sliced or diced and sautéed with...
2- 3 stalks of celery, sliced or chopped
Diced onion to taste

2 cans of your favorite beans, the same or different, drained .

3/4 cup of cooked sausage.
1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Place all ingredients in the crockpot , cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Can be made vegetarian by using vegetable stock and omitting the sausage.
Sodium can be reduced if you rinse the beans before you add them

Thanks for stopping by

Please share

Jane

Safeway haul

Safeways has five dollars off of five.  They offered second item in the same transaction another dollar off.   I got

• 2 no sugar added ice cream bar packages.   ( 16 grams total each bar) reg 3.50
• 4 suddenly salads for. 1.00 less coupons - .75 instead of 2.29 each 
• 2 packages of brown rice 
• 1 Ragiu pasta sauce for 1.38 plus a .50 ibotta on it.  

Plus I got Catalina's for 

1. 1/2 of a five dollar gift card 
2. A half off coupon for Joanne's 
3. A dollar off coupon for suddenly salad 

Total spent 12.30 minus a fifty cent ibotta 11.80

23.45 retail

11.80 actual

Savings 50 percent 

The ads

Here are the best of the ads.   No surprise here, Haggens is pretty much over the top, Albertsons and Safeways ads look a whole lot alike.  I'm wondering if we will soon have a
SAFEBURTONS LOL.
QFC is non existent, use last weeks ad.  


Haggens
I honestly tried to find a bargain at Haggens.  
Cascade Ice drink is a buck!  

Albertsons
Buy 6,  save 3, net prices

Klondike bars 2.49
Chicken of the sea tuna .99
Iced tea in bottle 1.99**
Lipton tea 100 ct. 2,99**
Suddenly salad .99 - look for coupons
Kraft salad dressing 1.99 ( 2.50 at   Haggens) $$
Butter 2.49 ( cheaper at Costco)
Grated cheese 249 ( this equates to five dollars a pound) - cheaper at grocery outlet and Costco.  
Oatmeal 1.49***. 18 ounce canister or box of instant

** question,meow many gallons of iced tea can you make for 1.99! LOL.   66 tea bags would be 2.00.
At six bags per gallon, some water and ice you would make 11 gallons.  
 *** econo lesson - instant oatmeal osma more expensive than buying a box.   The crate at Costco is even cheaper.   There is not any difference in the time it takes to cook it.   I put the oatmeal in a lock n lock canister with a 1/2 cup measure from the dollar store.   One cup of water, 1/2 cup of oatmeal, 1.5 minutes in the microwave.   Use a bigger bowl so it won't run over.   You can keep cinnamon sugar in a shaker bottle, or just add fruit and milk.  

Grapes 1.99
Peaches .99
Cantaloupes  2/5

SAFEWAYS
GRAPES 1.99
peaches .99
Cantaloupes 2/5

Double take!  

Five Dollar Friday
Blues
Meringue pies
Bounty basic paper towels.  

Crazy 88'sale ( I see Albertsons )
Ragu Padua sauce 1.38
Baby tomatoes BOGO

7 percent hamburger 3.99
Hamburger or hotdogging .88@@
Milk 2/5@@

Thats about it.

 The hamburger would be the best meat of choice for rotating. If you didn't do it last week I would do it this week. I make crumbles, taco meat, meatballs, meatloaf, Salisbury steaks.  

Thanks for stopping by
Please follow
Jane




,

Blog series: what to do with. Chicken Vol2

Ahh, chicken.  The meat all the mystery meat aspires to......LOL.

Chicken is still one of the most versatile and cheapest meat in  the butchers case.    Last batch I bought was .88 a pound.   I only buy chicken grown in the PNW..   I had a chat with Foster farms.  They tell me that their chickens come from wa, or, and ca. and  are processed there. They have no plans to change that.  - few notes about chicken : 

1. )Chicken rotates in sale prices about every four to six weeks. My RBP was at QFC last Janiary.   It was Super Bowl and they marked whole fryers are .50 to sell out.  I needed to cook them that day, I came home and roasted two and put one in the crockpot.  

2. )Never buy a chicken that is less than three pounds. Five a better benchmark.   It is almost always cheaper to buy whole chickens.   It takes about ten minutes or less to get a chicken cooking, the rest is passive cooking.   Three pounds is the break even point-- less than that, you are paying more for bone than you do for meat.   

3) as with all meat these days, cook it thoroughly and clean as you go, washing your hands.  Don't cross contaminate with raw food.   The most efficient for us is to use the buddy system, one of us handles the raw meat, the other the salt and oil bottles.   We can get a roast chicken in the oven in six minutes flat.   

4) after the chicken is done and cooled a bit, I take off the legs, thighs, and wings and put  them in a gallon bag.   Then , I separate the back from the breast, and cut the breast in two.   The back goes into a bag for soup, and the breasts are cut in two and placed  into a bag for 2 dinners.   There are three of us eating meat.   Your portions may be  different.  

5) buying frozen chicken breasts  are costly and you don't know where they came from. 

6) the way I get Boneless , skinless chicken breasts is to buy a grill pack when it is a buck a

pound  and separate the thighs, legs, and debone the breasts.   The dark meat makes good BBQ chicken.  BBQ sauce is cheap this time a year ( RBP a buck or less) or always a dollar at the dollar store.   The dollar store one is smaller.

7) the quickest, easiest way to cook a chicken ( non- passive time) is to peel and rough cut an onion.  

Place onion in bottom of the crockpot.  Place chicken on top of the onion.   Make a spice rub ( or get one at the dollar store) and rub the chicken.   Cover and cook on high for an hour a pound.   You can't substitute the onion.  You discard the onion, so if someone doesn't like onion, they don't have to eat it.  

The juice makes really good stock for soup.   You will have in tact breasts.m the other meat will be fall off the bone done.  Just right for enchiladas, soup, tacos, burritos, chicken pot pie.  

Which leads me to a zillion ways to use chicken-- well a lot, not that I would exaggerate!   LOL

1. Buffalo chicken pizza
2. Chicken and peppers pizza
3. Burritos
4. Enchiladas 
5. Chicken pot pie 
6. Chicken noodle  soup 
7. Chicken noodle casserole
8. Chicken nacho bake ( Betty Crocker on line ) 
9. Greek chicken pizza*
10. Hot and spicy chicken
11. Pulled chicken sandwiches 
12. Chicken Alfredo
13. Sweet and sour chicken
14. Chicken enchilada casserole 
15. Chicken Pam 
16. Skillet chicken nachos 
17. Chicken and dumplings 

The recipes for the * on are in the Betty Crocker on line cook book.   You can print the recipes and put them in a binder.   I find binders at garage sales and the goodwill.   Now is a good time to find them cheap on back to school sales, or get your little one the newest hero and take their old one.   Buy a set of page protectors at the dollar store.   Put the recipe you are using in it and it will stay clean. 

Remember, if a recipe calls for something that is processed, or you don't have , you can always substitute for scratch.   You can also cook a recipe that calls for raw chicken substituting cooked chicken instead.   Alter the cooking time accordingly. Ie. Cook the sauce, and add the cooked chicken.  Savory cooking is not an exact science., you can play!  Cream sauce mix recipe is on another blog.  It is a substitute for cream of .... A lot cheaper and more healthy!
Makes great Mac and cheese.....another blog!   LOL

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share 

Jane 

Dinner

Stir fry vegetables and shrimp over brown rice.  

The ads and a few notes

The ads are here.  

The newspaper today has a few good food coupons.  One for yoplait.  I tried to download the coupons  from coupons.com.  Seems my new printer does not hold a cue.   I opened the drawer to see if there was enough paper and it lost m coupons.  You can only print two coupons.   I did discover that you can filter the coupons now, so you don't have to look at a zillion coupons to find the food ones.  
There are no free things at rite aid.  

Fred Meyers
Strawberries 1.49
Shrimp 5.99
Peaches 1.29
Butter 2.99@@ this beats Costco this time.
Kroger beans, tomatoes, vegetables. 2/1. Limit 6@@
Sausage 2,99@@
Hebrew national 3.99
Blues 2 lbs 4.99
Pears ,99
Corn 2/1
Foster Farms grill pack 1.29 ( note one time in five I have found stock.)
Shoulder butt roast 1.99

I have no idea what a shoulder butt roast is, but it was just fun typing it!  

Thanks for stopping by

Please share

Jane

Four dollars per person,, really!

First of all, if I had four dollars a day per person for food. I would think I have died and went to heaven!    If I spent that on food we wouldn't have enough to pay for meds or anything else for that matter.    I spend more now than  I did a year ago, basically because food has gone up.   That is  112.00 per week, I spend close to 80.00 and  have stock left over.   Our pantry I almost always full alon(with the freezer.

  It's not about cooking everything from scratch every day, but more about shopping wisely.   Spend more time shopping and less time cooking.   Not necessarily,buying ready made with a lot of preservatives, it's more about not  paying the F word (full price) for anything.

 Portion control.  No kid needs to eat the majority of a three pound roast. It's not even healthy. The latest information I have heard is that we need  six ounces of protein day and part of that should be eggs.    ( remember when eggs were a no no and bad for you.?) my motto, moderation.

Meal plans and their cost.   Based on Seattle prices...according to stats, Seattle and New York have some of the highest COL.   

1. Shrimp stir fry, rice.  (7.00)
2. Eggs, hash browns, berries, biscuit (5.00)
3. Homemade Mac and cheese, peas and carrots (frozen) (2.84) 
4. Hamburgers, corn on cob (1/2 per serving) non GMO, salad (5.30) *
5. Taco casserole , lettuce and tomato . 3.00
6. Ham and scalloped potatoes, chopped broccoli. ( 2.75) 
7. Chicken soup, cheese biscuits.(  2.60)

* sloppy joes would run cheaper.   

Total cost   28.49.   

The protein game.

Protein is the most expensive category of food shopping.   There are few coupons for meat, some for cheese, and almost no ibotta rebates on meat alone.   Beef and pork have taken an almost double jump on prices in the last year.   Yet, it is an essential part of creating healthy meals.

My answer is to buy in bulk on a rotating basis.   First, you make a matrix for meal plans based on family preferences.   Ours is 2 beef, 2 pork or chicken, 2 vegetarian, amd a fish or shellfish.   I based it on the fact that my daughter likes vegetarian and will eat fish, and my husband doesn't care for pork or chicken, but favors beef.   I will eat almost anything.   That's the way I was raised.  Be thankful that we have food.  Just eat!    

I digress.    

That breaks down to 

8 beef meals 

8 vegetarian meals 

8 chicken or pork 

4 fish or seafood.  

28 meals 

The next step is to go over the ads and FAVADO ( not always accurate) and find the so called loss leader for the week.    Buy as much as you need to make the allotted meals for that protein.   When you get home or shortly after. Bulk cook and portion control the meat.   Next week, pick another meat.   

By rotating your purchases. You can pay the RBP on your protein, cook more efficiently, and have less clean up.    Dinner is ready on half the time or less because you haven't had to cook the meat that is usually the most time intense part of the meal.   Making a matrix means that your meal planning is half done, and you are eating a variety of meals.    

Personal example 

Last week was a slow week for specials, not much there with the regular chains.   I went to Grocery Outlet and WINCO.   Winco always has chicken for a dollar a pound.   I didn't need chicken.   I got grated cheese at Grocery Outlet for BOGO 8 ounces for 1.99, or 1.99 a pound.   The specialty cheese was 3.00 a pound, but still less than the alternative at the other stores.    I can always get grated cheese at Costco wholesale for 2.3xx a pound in five pound bags, depending on white or mixed cheese.  You can do a lot with Mexican blend.   ( some vegetarian meals covered) Winco had a pound of ham cubes for five bucks.   

This week, Safeways had shrimp for five bucks a bag.  I also got hamburger with a 5 dollars off 25.00 total purchase coupon for 2.80 a pound.  I took it home. Made four hamburgers, amd cooked the rest into crumbles , defatted it, and froze it in cup portions.   If I had to defat the hamburger at mealtime. I probably wouldn't do it.   I am tired when our meal time rolls around, amd I want quick and easy-- quick, easy, and 5.00 is not an easy task.   I have eight beef meals, and two fish.   

Three weeks ago or so, I found pork tenderloin roasts at Safeways in five dollar Friday. I had dollar off coupons.  I bought three pork roasts for four dollars each.  This week, they are 5.99.  

Now I have six  pork meals.  

Several weeks ago, I got chicken , wa grown, for .88 a pound at Safeways .  Eggs were 2.00 a dozen at Costco and  Fred Meyers.   You don't have to have a Costco card to buy at Costco. Get a friend to buy a gift card for you.   Although, for gas alone, it's worth the expense.  

Lets do the math.   

3 pounds of cheese   7.00

5.32 pounds of hamburger 14.90

1 pound ham 5.00

3 pork  tenderloins 12.00

2 bags shrimp 10.00
2 dozen eggs at 4.00
1 chicken 4.40 ( 5 lbs.) 

32 meals - 57.30 or 1.79 a meal.   

Add a starch  and a vegetable or fruit , and you have an easy five dollar meal.   You can eat om four Dollars a day, eat reasonably healthy, and not spend your entire day cooking scratch food you can't pronounce.   

1.25 a day for dinner, leaves you more than enough on a four dollar budget for breakfast of cereal and fruit and a leftover or soup and half sandwich for lunch.   

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share and follow.  

Jane

Haul from Haggens and Safeways, 46.00

Haul from Safeways and Haggens.  

I had a coupon for five  dollars off of 25.00 I got from my daughter.    I bought hamburger, six  cans of black beans, and four GMO free ears of corn and a cucumber.   

At Safeways I bought 2 bags of shrimp and took advantage of the Five for five sale with 2 BBQ 

sauce , 2 salad dressings with a coupon, and a package of French fries.  

Hamburger hack!

Hey Jane. How do you tell which hamburger is cheapest?  

Haggens has 20 percent fat hamburger for 3.99.  QFC has 8 percent fat for 5.99.    I have a five dollars off 25.00 coupon.    

Let's skip the coupon for now.   

The math : 

20 percent fat hamburger calculates to 3.99X 1.20 or 4.79 a pound 

8 percent fat hamburger calculated to 5.99 X 1.08 or 6.47 a pound 

Difference.  1.68

To evel the playing field, the twenty percent hamburger can be defatted to being it down to about three percent fat or less.   

1) fry the hamburger over medium heat until no longer pink.  

2)  Drain it into a colander ( over a pan if you don't want the grease down the drain.). 

3) Now, pour boiling water over the crumbles.   

4) portion control it onto freezer bags after cooling a little or return to skillet and make taco meat.    

This technique is supposed to reduce your fat by at least 17 percent.   

Now, 3.99 X 1.03 is 4.11 for the cheapest 

And, the more expensive sis 5.99

Difference is 1.88 a pound less.  

Five things you can make from........no.1

Fove things you can make from a package of ham cubes.  I used to be able to find ham cubes at grocery outlet.  Last time I found them at Winco, the time before at QFC.    They are between three and five dollars.    The packag is a pound that packs a lot of punch!   I wouldn't make all of these on the same week, but it am be frozen on portions and lasts quite long I'm the fridge.

You,can make  :

1. Ham and scalloped  potatoes 
2. Ham and pineapple pizza
3. Ham and peppers pizza 
4. Ham in scrambled eggs 
5. Ham in Cobb salad 
6. Ham in Mac and cheese 
7. Ham in split pea soup
8. Ham on bean soup ( white)
9. Ham in potato soup
10. Mixed with grated cheese and mayo on a toasted sandwich or on English muffins.   

You save able to get four ,ears from a pound package.adding other forms of protein.
Anyone thinking of other ideas please feel free to comment.  



Thanks for stopping by

Jane

Books for reference....on the cheap!,

Books for cheap. good, fast meals.

The first one is from the grocery outlet for free.    The next two are from th dollar tree for a buck.  
Full of quick , cheap , meals your family will eat.  

Dinner. Fast and easy.....4 +1=5

Dinner tonight is ham and scalloped potatoes and chopped broccoli.    

Ha, cubes are between four and five dollars for a pound .  A pound can go a long way.   Ham and scalloped potatoes, omlettes, split pea soup, topping for stuffed baked potatoes!  

From cookbook bought at the dollar store.

Good and Cheap

I just  downloaded Good and Cheap .  It was 10.00 on kindle.   There are some good basic recipes that are very usable,  Flat bread is one, also homemade tomato soup that won't cost a fortune.  Although the box kind when on sale is easier and cheaper.

Most of the recipes, honestly, are very sofisticated.   My husband wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole and most kids I know wouldn't either.   I get low cost ethnic working for economy meals.   Some of those ingredients are not cheap, or easy to find in a regular grocery store.   Low cost food recipes only work if your family will EAT the food.

I am glad each book you buy goes to someone that needs to eat on the cheap, but only a quarter of the recipes work for us.

I started this blog because I was hearing that there were people on SNAP that were feeding their children hamburger helper with six dollar a pound hamburger, juice boxes laden with sugar, a individual fruit up with 16 grams of sugar for dinner,  

You can do better than that.  Besides, that total cost was ten dollars.   When you had an allotment of three hundred dollars,.   Do the math.  That simply won't work.   But, it is a stretch to believe that this person would resort to cooking all day and eating lentils for dinner.

My plan uses real, regular food.  It does take some effort.   I get that some people have issues and may have problems with shopping and organizing.  Hopefully they can overcome those problems, or delegate the job to someone that can.   The reward is not running out of money before you run out of month and having something in the pantry at the end of the month.   No one should have to wonder where the next meal is coming from, and no child should endure the insecurity of no food in the house.   SNAP gives people the money, it's up to them to use it wisely.


Off the soapbox!  

Thanks for stopping by
Pleas share

Jane

Just dropped by .

I just dropped by grocery outlet and dollar tree today after running an errand in the area.   I got jalapeño cheese for 3.00 a pound.   A little bit added to your Mac and cheese makes a tasty difference. 

They also had confetti pancake mixes for .50.   Thought they would be fun for grandchildren.   

 

I also read an article on a lady that wrote a book to teach people on snap recipes for eating in four dollars  a day.   I am always trying to read other people's take on economy and making it on a tight budget.    She had me at tofu and lentils.   I live with a man from the mid  west  that is old and not too good at changing his ways.  We would have to draw the line on tofu and lentils.    Let's talk real food.  

Real food at bargain prices.  I'm not seeing many really good prices these days, but I still am hopeful thy you can make it for a family of four on a budget of 325.00 or so a month.  I have averaged 80.00 for the last three months.   Last month I spent the same amount, but,  we went to more stores in search of low cost foods.  

Tonight we had tomato, basil, blue cheese soup and toasted cheese sandwiches.   We are still enjoying dollar a pound grapes.   Tomato soup from grocery outlet,about two bucks.  Bread from Winco arm.88, less .20 Ibotta rebate.   Cheese was from a brick, about 1.50. Total.   3.84.   Plus grapes 

The ads

Haggens

Peaches 1.89
20 pct  ground beef 3.99
Haggen  vegetables, beans, tomatoes .70
Butter 2.99
64 ounces. Milk 1.69
Corn 2/1
Cucumbers .79
Haggen cheese 5.99@@

QFC two week ad
Peaches 1.29
Shrimp 5.99

Buy 5, save 5
Net prices
6-8 ounces cheese 1.49
Dr eyers 2.49
Yo plait 10/5


Safeway's
Bumble bee tuna .59@@
Grapes 1.99


Five dollar Friday
Sausage
Shrimp
Aunt Jemina syrup 3/5
Colgate toothpaste 4.6 5/5

Buy 5, save 5
BBQ sauce
Mayo 2.99
Ice cream 2.99
Nathan's 3.99

Albertsons
Grapes 1.99

Buy 6, save 3
Sausage 2.99
Beef franks 3.99


Bumble bee .59@@
Bread .99

These ads are really hard to read and confusing because they look the same with man same prices.  
Haggens has a few stock up prices.    QFC has a two week ad.  

That's about it.  

Breakfast for dinner..

One  way to cut expenses on food is to have breakfast for dinner once in a while.   Some people do it one a week.  


Scrambled  eggs (6) 1.00
Biscuits .50 Grocery Outlet
Sausage.  1.50 ( Costco)
Grapes  1.00
Total 4.00

How rite aid rewards works.

This is a good example of how the snowball effect works.    Unlike the old register rewards type of system rite aid had, you can't buy something with a reward in it with a reward.    But, if you work it, you can get lots of your personal products free or nearly free.  

First I bought mouthwash and some wet and wild eyeshadow.   The total was Twenty dollars with tax.   ( we have almost ten percent tax here) I got 16.00 rewards.    Net paid 4.00, most of which was tax.    It cost two dollars for sox eye make ups and the mouthwash was free.  

I then turned the 16.00 into four packages of candy on sale and two ice teas on sale.  And bought sox dollars worth  of things for  my daughter that she gave me cash for.   Not a good deal.   I bought things that had rewards on them and didn't get rewards because you can't buy rewards with rewards.  

Next, I got smarter.  

I bought two 10.99 cans of folders for eight dollars each with a four dollar reward.   That made them six bucks each with no tax.   Snowball because we have coffee from home, no big bucks store stuff .  

Then,
I bought an electric toothbrush, toothpaste with coupons and an ibotta.  They paid me to buy the toothbrush.    I bought 10.00 worth of sox for granddaughter and got them 1/2 price, amd a box of dried cranberries on sale.    The toothbrush and toothpaste were more than free with rewards and coupons, and the half price sox were paid with a four dollar reward from the coffee and 1.09 cash and the overage from the tooth brush.  

For 17.09 cash I got

1. 22.00 worth of folders coffee 
2. 10.00 worth of children's sox ( six pair) 
3. Oral B electric toothbrush 
4. A 3.50 - 4.2 ounce tube of crest toothpaste 
5. 4 ounces  of dried cranberries 

Rite aid haul.

Haul from rite aid..   As close to extreme couponing as I get!    Electric toothbrush, toothpaste, 10.00 worth of sox for granddaughter, craisens........for the price of the craisens and tax 1.09.  

Things I never buy........never say never!

My mother told me one time never say never......so here goes.   Things that I almost never would but. Don't have problems with others buying.   In other wirds, my personal prospective coming from a groceries in the cheap prospective.  

10.  Bread crumbs.  Why throw your old bread ends away and buy somebody's dry bread for up words of two dollars a pound.    It only takes a few minutes.   Ditto stuffing mix.   

9.  Boxed meals.     Pound for pound, they can be the most expensive sundry in the store.    You are paying for a minuscule amount of pasta and an envelope of dry ingredients most of which are things I cannot pronounce.   

8. Deli chickens.   You are paying dearly for someone else to do ten minutes of work.  Never buy a chicken that is less than three pounds.  You are paying more for the bones  you can't eat than you are for the meat.   You don't know where that chicken came from.   At five bucks for a three pound chicken, you are laying 1.67 a pound for what you can buy for .88 a pound and you know where that chicken came from.  Buying a five pound chicken gets you a whole lot more meat for your buck.   

7.  Boxed Parmesan cheese.   If Parmesan cheese is too expensive the day you buy it, try any number of dry cheeses.  They will give you the same flavor boost, but for less money.   Invest in a micro plane or a fine grater.  Betty Crocker has one at the dollar store.   

6. Potato chips.   Haggens has them for 2.50 for 6-8 ounces.  At 8 ounces, you are paying five dollars a pound for potatoes.    In contrast, Winco has five pounds of French fries for about 3.50.  You can cook them in the oven and have less fat!   

5.  Boxed Mac and cheese.   Home made is just so much better.   And it doesn't take much more time.  

4.  Fruit juice in little boxes.   Many of them are ten percent juice.   So, what's in the other 90 percent.  I suspect sugar if some sort and preservatives.   

3.  Canned peas.   I'm sorry, they are just gross.   

2.  Microwave popcorn.   And air popper and regular popcorn ( Costco is cheapest) is cheaper and better for you.   You can control the salt and butter.   

1. Fruit in bags.    If you get one rotten apple. You have not saved anything,   One time I got a entire bag of rotten apples.  

Scratch Mac and cheese

Home made mac and cheese.  

Cook I package of seashell pasta until soft according to package directions.   I cook it in the ,corporate so I can cook the sauce while the pasta is cooking,  

Make white sauce from homemade mix ( Taste of Home) .  Add 1 cup grated cheese.   I use a combination of cheeses. ( a good way to clean out the cheese bin ) .

When pasta is done, drain well and pour into greased 9X13 pan.    Add cheese sauce to pan.  
Stir.  
Place in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes Or until sauce is bubbly.  

You can make a topping of bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese and dried parsley and add to top of casserole before it goes on the oven.

Serve with chopped broccoli or mixed veggies.  

A very economical, comfort food meal.  

Winco

I spent 19.00 at Winco, got .45 on ibotta.    Blues were 3.00 for 18 ounces, apples a buck. Olives .99 with a .25 ibotta.   Bread was .88 with a .20 ibotta.  Low carb tortillas, also gluten free.   Hunts pasta sauce was .95.  

I did get a win in the paper department.   I was getting 1/4 sheets of black for layering at michaels.   They don't have them anymore.   I bought 50'sheets at Joanne's.  They were five bucks but the nice lady at the checkouts, used my phone  to get a fifty  percent coupon for me and I paid 2.50.   You can download a coupon on the spot on your phone and get fifty percent on an ite not on sale.   I then took the ream to office max and the guy cut all two hundred sheets into quarters for 1.50.   For four dollars, less than the cost of 25 cut sheets at michaels. I got 200.   Score!  

I got  two papers at the dollar store.    The red plum is still coming in the mail.   The other coupons were mostly for back to school, lots of personal Heigene, but not much food.   Unfortunately, my printer is acting up and I blew two coupons ea of some high end because they won't scan!  

Guess you can't win them all.  

At rite aid, there is folders coffee for 8.00 with a 4.00 reward.   You, have to buy twelve dollars worth of either protein bars or coffee.   We bought two coffees and got four dollars, net sox bucks a can.   It's been running closer to ten bucks.   Score!    Sale ends today!  

Fred Meyers ad, tomorrow.  

Milk .99@@
Grapes .99
Broccoli .99
Kale .99
 Blues, rasp, 2/4
Strawberries 2 lbs 3.99

That's about all!

Thanks


Jane

Nice to know. ......

I wrote Foster Farms, the chicken people.    In light of all the Facebook  reports that the country of origin was going to not be printed on our meat and that the FDA wasngoingnto allow chicken  to be processed in China.  

Here is the news.   Foster Farms chickens are raised in Washington, Oregon, and California  and are processed there too.   Foster Farms has no plans to change this practice.  

I was   looking for a so called loss leader protein this week.  I, personally, don't need one.   Ground beef is supposed to be 5.5-6 pounds for 17.00 at Costco, according to FAV ADO.  My husband went  to  Costco  today, I had work at home to do.   you don't have to have a Costco membership to shop at Costco.   According to what I have read, you just have to have a Costco gift card.  

I was trying today to come up with an alternative cheap source of protein list.  

Turkey bacon is two bucks at Winco, a buck for A name brand at the dollar store.  
Pepperoni is .50 for Hormel at the dollar store with a coupon.  
Eggs are two dollars at agreed Meyers for grade A large, they are .99 for medium at Albertsons.  
Cheese is five dollars  a brick with coupon .  

I just heard that six ounces of protein is good for most of us a day and most of it  shouldn't come from meat.  Some of it should come from eggs.   Remember when eggs were supposed to be really really bad for you ?   I won't even go there!    

The so called ads

There were no coupons in last weeks paper.   There is supposed together each of smart source and red plum and a PN G this week.  

QFC had a two week ad last week.  
Albertsons and Safeways are playing an identity crisis game.    The quarters ad is now on Safeways and five dollar is on Albertsons.    And, none of it makes the shopper the winner.
Enter  Haggens and the prices are out of he ballpark.  

Here goes the best of them.  Check Winco on FAVADO, but they are the best prices , not necessarily the true ones.   Prices vary by store.  

Albertsons

Ground beef  7 percent 3.99
Salad kitsv2/5
Yo plait yogurt .38@@ limit 10.   $ $ nets .28.   Check ibotta
Medium eggs .99@@

About it.  

Safeways

Ground beef 20 percent 3.99
Milk 2/5@@
Tillamook 4.99

5 dollar frenzie - guess thats not  five dollar Friday!   LOL
Blues or strawberries  2 lbs.
Cinnamon rolls or Pudding cake 2/5


Haggens

Zilch!  

 Really good news here, is that we still have Costco, Winco , and Fred Meyer.  I would suggest, tongue-in-cheek, that we use the alternative stores until Haggen corporation has decided to put decent prices on things. May be things will be better next week.  

Thanks

Jane

Small investments that will reap the snowball effect.

No ads yet.  We got no mail yesterday.  

Five things that will save you money on the long run.

1. Air popcorn popper.    I got mine at Kohls  for 14.00.   It is a healthy way to pop popcorn and takes the place of all the snack foods that can detail your food budget.    
2. Crockpot.   Crockpots can save bucks and not heat up an entire kitchen.    It is an easy way to beat the take out gremlins when you know you are going to have a busy day and are not going to be on the mood  to set out and cook a meal.   I have heard of older ones starting fires.   This is a case where buying new is probably best.    They last a long time.   
3. A probe type meat thermometer.   Mine was 25.00 at Costco.    It makes cooking a roast or chicken almost set it and forget it.   Raw whole chicken can be as low as .88 a pound.  Rotisserie chicken can be upwards of two dollars a pound and you don't know where it came from.  Never buy a chicken that is less than three pounds.   The ratio of bone to meat is too low and you are paying  for a lot of bone.   
4. Automobile rags.   They are school bus yellow and are in the auto section of Costco.  They save a lot of paper towels for cleaning on general, and mopping up spills.    
5. A microwave plate cover from the dollar store.   Saves paper towels and a lot of cleaning.  

If I was short on money, I would take baby steps and get things a little at a time.   

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share 

Jane  

Non food items for almost free or free.

You can save on food, and I only buy food at the grocery store, pretty much.   There is always an exception.   I got deodorant BOGO at QFC and used a coupon for each .  Not every store will allow you to do that, but it doesn't hurt to ask,  net result was paying a quarter each for two deodorants.

Pretty much you should never buy personal Heigene products and cleaning supplies at the grocery store.   You are cha chinging their bottom line, not yours.  

I get almost all of those kind of products for free or nearly free.  

1. Feminine pads are 330 for 48 at the big lots.  Twice a year everything in the store is 20 percent off.   
2. Toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouthwash are free at either  the dollar store, or at the chain drug stores with rewards.  Rite aid is easier than Walgreens.   
3. Ibotta earns you money on gift cards for buying what you normally buy anyway.   That buys a twenty five dollar card from Amazon and toilet paper can  magically appear on your doorstep.   
4. Shampoo, soap, can be cheap with coupons, or free from the dollar store.   
5. Vinegar is close to two bucks a gallon at Costco in two gallon boxes.   Many things can be cleaned with vinegar.   
6. Other cleaners are at the dollar store for far less than their name brand counterparts.   Bleach gel is one of my favorites for the sink and countertops.   
7. There are school bus yellow rags in bulk at Costco in the auto section.   They do wonders to replace paper towels.   There is a cover for food in the microwave at the dollar store.    We make a case of paper towels last a year at our house.    Paper towels are cheapest and won a pick up challenge at dollar store.   A name brand basic bounty . 
8. Shampoo is at the dollar store.   We don't use conditioner.    

Please comment if I forgot something.   

RBP- rock bottom prices

Rock bottom prices varying with your location.    If you are in a small town where there are few grocery stores, it will be harder to find lower prices.  I would consider going to a bigger town when the stores there are having a big sale,   Some stores will mail you their flyers, some  chains have their ad on the Internet or on FAVADO.   If it is far away, consider car pooling with a friend or neighbor or grouping the trip with other errands.  


These prices are in the Seattle area.  

Flavored mashed potato packets .87 -
Diced tomatoes .5o - .67  ( 15 oz can )  Fred Meyers
Beans .50-.67. Fred Meyers - Haggens
Sliced black olives .70 - Winco
Olives 1.00 the last ones were at Fred  Meyers
Hunts  pasta sauce .80 - the last ones were at Albertsons
Refried beans - less than a buck - the last ones I found were at Costco
8 ounce can of tomato sauce .25 - Albertsons

I want ice cream for 2.50 or less.   I got Tillamook for 2.33 .
Pasta.   I want less than 1.00.  I have found it for as little as .38 the last I bought was firm.80'with ibotta and five dollar Friday at Safeways.  

I usually point out really good sales when I post ads weekly.  

Tomorrows Fred Meyer ad

FYI. There are no coupon inserts in the newspaper tomorrow .  I suspect they are coming with the red plum.  We'll see.  Our ads come really late, they come when the mail person feels like it.   This week they came in Thursday,   Makes it a little hard to shop on Wednesday!  LOL.  
Fred Meyer ads.  

Not much there this week.  

Peaches .99
Blues 2'lbs 4.99
Dryers 2/5@@
Bushes baked beans 2/3@@
Foster farms ground turkey 299@@
Sour cream .99
Strawberries 2/4
Zucchini,  yellow squash .99

The ads ,,,just got them

Note FAVADO doesn't always have accurate information.   

Safeways 

Grapes 1.69

Tillamook yogurt 10/4

Five dollar Friday 

Bareilly pasta  1.00

Ice cream 2/

Hormel tenderloin $$ 1.00

Cantaloupes  3/5

Extreme coupons. - extremely expensive!   

Nalleys  chili .99

Klondike bars 2.99 they have no sugar added 

Salad .99

Tissue. 160 count .99

4 lbs sugar 1.79

Lettuce .88

QFC. Two week ad 

Lettuce .99

Butter 2/5

Blues 2.99

Yogurt 2/88$$. .50 on five 

Strawberries 1.88

Grapes 1.48

Albertsons 

Grapes 1.69

Eggs .99@@

Tillamook yogurt .38@@

Extremely expensive coupons 

DiGiorno 6.49

Ice cream drumsticks 4.99

Refried beans .99 ( cheaper at Costco)

Haggens......let's call it the whole paycheck store wantabee!   

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share 

Jane 

I just love the word FREE

There is something about the word FREE that excites me -- when it is for something I need.  
Most of the time,  if you watch and buy personal care products when you see them FREE  or near free, and not when you NEED them , you can luck out.

I want to get those things for free.   You can't be brand loyal.   You have to strike when the iron is hot, so to speak.  

I got my husbands deodorant on BOGO at QFC with coupons.   The net cost was .25 each.

This week, with coupons and rewards at Rite Aid, toothpaste and mouthwash are free.  

I with coupons have got enough oxy clean laundry soap to last us five months for 4.70.   That's less than a buck a month!    There are four of us and one of us is a toddler toilet  training!

I don't have enough coupons, but there is a coupon out there for 2.00 off of Starbucks k cups.   K cups are 7.00 at rite aid, buy fifteen dollars worth and get five back.

Buy 1 DiGiorno pizza for five bucks .
Buy two Starbucks k cups for 7.00 each.
Total 19.00, less two dollar coupon, is 17.00
Less five dollars reward is 12.00
12 / 3 is 4.00.

There are toothbrush coupons to make them free too.

Grocery outlet bargains

We went to the Grocery  Outlet And Dollar Tree in Kenmore.   Grated cheese is BOGO which makes it two dollars a pound.   Campbell's pasta sauce is two for a dollar.  It is a buck at the dollar tree.   August pull date.

They have a flyer at checkout.   Good until Sunday,   

Ore idea frozen potatoes 1.99

Cookie dough.  1.49

Kellogg's mini wheats 1.99

Wishbone salad dressing 2/1. I suspect that it has a very soon pull date.  

Foster Farms organic chicken 1.99 

They also have a really interesting handout...four dollars a day food.    Per person.   If you have more than two and a half.....LOL  people, that's more than your budget of you have a three hundred dollar allotment.  I do suspect that dinner menus would probably work.   Not all prices at grocery outlet are the best choices.   Some are good, some aren't.   I steer clear of any bagged produce after I got a bag of apples that were all rotten and couldn't speak to the manager for a refund.   This was at the aurora store.   Every store is owned by individuals.   

Recipe titles 

1. Egg muffins with spinach, sausage and cheese 
2. Avacado egg scramble 
3. Berry baked oatmeal

Lunches 

1. almond butter jelly sandwich 
2. Lentil tomato soup
3. Spinach and Gouda Mac and cheese 

Dinner 

• Blackened chicken pasta 
• Chicken fried rice 
• Turkey sliders 

That's about it.     

Dollar tree still has yummy chocolate cookies in tins-- retail cost 3.99.  

Part three: what to do with what you got!,

Note: this is a whole new way of grocery shopping for some people.   You are not buying a weeks worth of groceries.  To start off, you are only buying the specials that are truly on special and will have to fill in with what you need to make meal plans. After  six to twelve weeks, you will have your pantry built and just buy specials to rotate your stock.   The advantage of this is that you almost never run out of a staple, and you always have something in the house to eat-- all that you have purchased at 1/2 price or below.

Once you are set up, you will find that you spend less time shopping than before.   I spend more time shopping, and less time cooking.   Our family has commitments that make dinner fashionably late,   My body does not do fashionably late.  My dinners are somewhat pre-made  and I can put dinner on the table in twenty minutes or less, give or take.  If you are someone that hates to shop, ( yes, I hear there are some women that hate to shop!LOL) consider delegating it to someone else in the family, provided they will shop sensibly.

Now that  you have assessed your needs, and done your shopping, what do you do.   When you come home from the store, I first check the store and ibotta and see if I can get any rebates.  This is not necessary, but I have recently  found that we can gleam a few dollars for buying what I would normally buy anyway.    I add the perishables I bought  to my have list and put the groceries away.

Next finalize meal plans.That  doesn't mean Wednesday's meal has to be eaten on Wednesday, but it gives you a plan.   It staves off the I'm tired, it's been a long stressful day, let's drive through or order pizza syndrome. LOL I then post the receipts to a spread sheet so I can keep track how close to the USDA stats I am coming.   USDA cost of food at home.

That day or the next. , I cook the bulk item for the week if necessary.   This week it was .88 cent a
pound Washington grown chicken, whole and raw.    I then cut it up into the legs, thighs and wings
the soup bones, and the breasts and make four packages.  That's four meals from a close to sox pound chicken.   Five meals from a dove dollar chicken.

If you are on a snap budget, meals have to come to five dollars for dinner.  Based on three hundred dollars a month.   It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if you spend ten dollars for dinner on a three hundred dollar  budget, you are either going to run out of money before you run out of month, or you are not going to eat breakfast and lunch.

I digress.   Meal plans

Meal plans done have to be detailed or take a lot of time.  Most of us have a really good idea of what sides we usually put with what main dish, so joting down the main dish does it.   I devised a work sheet with the boxes for the days of the week, a place for your matrix , and two columns for what I
need to use up, and have, and what might need to be purchased to fill in.   Being organized takes the stress out of the  whole process.  

To recap:

1. Identify and buy only what is in a true sale if it is in your staples list.    Be logical about your staples list.  Canned lobster should not be on it ! LOL   Buy as many as you need, as many as you can ( store limits ) or what your budget will afford whichever comes first    Buy six to twelve weeks worth,   Sales run in six to eight week cycles in the east, and twelve week cycles in the west.    If you use something once a week in the PNW, you need 12 units.   
2. Buy the so called loss leader of protein and buy enough to make your meals with it for a month.   If you eat hamburger twice a week, you will need enough to make 8 meals   Cook it and portion control it   Portion control is most important,   It cuts down on waste and makes for a well balanced meal. 
3. Buy fresh veggies when they are lowest prices in season.   Don't overbuy unless you get a really good buy and can freeze fruits for winter   
4. Buy dairy at the lowest price and buy enough to last you until the next sale.  If you watch, you will see a pattern.  I knew that Fred Meyer was due to have a sale on milk.   Otherwise, Costco is pretty cheap on sour cream, cottage cheese, and milk.   
5. Grated cheese is cheapest at Costco wholesale.  Watch for sales, and grate your own if you can get it cheaper that way.  My target price for cheese is two dollars a pound   I can still get it close to that if I watch.   Grocery outlet is good for variety of cheeses.   
6. Make meal plans with a work sheet and a matrix.  Like anything, it works better with a plan   
7. A little work can be rewarded with cutting your food bill in half and freeing up resources for something else, or taking the stress of not having enough money to make ends meet.   

Thanks for stopping by

Please share 

Jane 

Dinner

Day 7, main dish

I

Mac and cheese,homemade

frozen peas and carrots.

Next: planning your trip

In and around our town, there are several chain stores.   Two companies own the five chain stores.   We also have a grocery outlet.   Ten miles up the freeway, there is a Winco.  In addition , we have other stores that carry food.   Making sense of all, well, that could be confusing and time consuming without a plan.

Every week, four of the stores  send us ads in the mail.   Fred Meyers ad comes in Sunday's paper.
I go over the stores and circle or write  down the things that are on a stock list or perishables and protein that are a good buy.   I mark those that need an in ad coupon with a @ sign.  If I know there is a coupon for them, I add a $$ sign.

The next step is to decide  which TWO stores have the most things on your particular list of needs.
Pick two stores.   Check FAVADO for more specials and any coupon match ups.  ( more about coupons later.) check ibotta for rebates.  Don't get too excited about rebates, just note if a cucumber is the same price both stores, ibotta may give you another .20 if you purchase it at the right store.   Especially for produce, they may or may not give you the rebate.   Just take it as gravy!

When you are planning your trip, look at your worksheet to see what you,need to fill in a meal and what you need to use up.

Go, get in, and get out,   The more time you spend in a store, the mine money you are going to spend.
The more people you being with you, the  more you are going to spend.   If you pick up something, you are probably going to put it on your cart.  Don't touch anything you are not going to buy.   Unless, you are like me, and if it's something different, I want to know what the serving size is and how many carbs it has.

Bring your coupon binder, the ads, your list, a calculator.
If someone hasn't marked a price on the computer,not helps if you have the ad to show the correct price to the checker.  

Coupons
You can use manufacturers coupons and a store coupon and an ibotta on one item.  Unless you are at Winco.   We don't have double coupons ( at least that I have found) and rarely are you allowed to make money on a coupon.   Like a lot of TV programs, extreme coupons is not a reality.  The only way you may be able to make money is when you shop at a drug store that has bonus points that turn into cash on your next purchases.   Be careful, they Re no bargain if they raise the price to give you restricted dollars.

The most important technique for saving money at the grocery store is to KNOW YOUR PRICES.
MY MOTHER USED TO SAY THAT SOME PEOPLE WOULDNT KNOW A BARGAIN IF IT GOT UP AND BIT THEM IN THE Butt!  Don't be that person!   There can be as much as a 75 percent difference between the most expensive and cheapest price on the SAME item.   Put that 75 percent in YOUR pocket!

2nd rule.  Don't buy sundry items at the grocery store.  That's where they make their most profit margin.  You are much better off buying paper products and cleaners at the dollar store or an off price or big  box store.   Again, know your prices.   You can almost always get laundry soap and toothpaste, deodorant etc almost free with coupons.

3rd rule
Don't buy snack foods or copious amounts of sugar coated cereal.  Most kids will just eat cereal and there is,not enough food value in them.   If it isn't on the house, they won't eat it and your budget will be much better off.   We grew up with no pop, candy, cold cereal, except cornflakes and wheat puffs on a bag, or Popsicles or Kool aid in the house.   We didn't snack between meals.   We were not allowed to be picky, you ate what was on the table, or you didn't eat.  Nothing more till breakfast.
We all survived and we eat almost everything.  Ready made stuff for the most part is very expensive and some dinner kits are ridiculously expensive and you add the food value.  You might as well just make it more nutritious in the first place.   LOL. There are a few convenience foods that are cheaper than scratch and worth the price  when found on super sale.


That being said, I always had a few items that my teenage children knew they could eat all they wanted, whenever they wanted.  At the time beef and bean burritos were a quarter.  My daughters favorite was top ramen.  We always had peanut butter and jelly and bread and cut veggie sticks.
It satisfied to hollow leg syndrome.

Big lots has everything in the store twenty percent off

Big lots haul.  I spent 19.00 and saved 58 percent of retail.

Revlon fingernail polish
Rice
Tissue ( based in dollar store prices, not the full mark up of drug store prices.
Suddenly salad.
Mustard ( big)
Candy ( Werthers  original sugar free)

L

Sunday

   There has to be people that with the high cost of food and a limited discretionary budget, need to cut the costs of what they eat.   If for no other reason, to not throw their money away paying full price.   Sooner or later, most regular staple items will go on sale.  Some things like BBQ items only hit in May and July.   Some things like holiday baking items and turkey only hit on November time frame.   Most staple items hit every eight weeks in the south and east, and every 12 weeks  in the west.   The object of stocking is to pay the RBP on your food.   There will be things that are harder to find. I concentrate on protein, staples, and dairy.   Fresh produce I buy in season.   If something is too high I substitute something that isn't or use a frozen substitute,   Frozen veggies are fresher than what we get in  the stores.   They are picked and then packed almost immediately.

Everything starts at the beginning.   If you are  new to this you are probably overwhelmed and don't know where to start.  Start  with baby steps.   One thing at a time. Lay  your ground work. This takes some time, but once it's done, it's done; you only do it once.

1. Write down the sources of protein your family will eat.   With us that would be  chicken , Beef, pork, beans, cheese,and eggs.   
2. Now write down 7 to 14 meals you can make from these ingredients. Gather the recipes if you need to. Cuts of meat need to be inexpensive.  I try around  two dollars a pound.   
3. Write down a list of the ingredients you will need to make these recipes. Now make a list of the things that are most prevalent. In our house that would be diced tomatoes, beans, black olives, chicken noodle soup, re-fried  beans, instant mashed potato packets, chili, tuna, salmon, small cans of chilies.   
4. Start to look for best price you can find these items. This will be your rock bottom price.you only want to pay rock bottom price.  When something goes on a real sale, you buy, as many as the store will let you ( limit with in ad coupon) , as many as you can afford, or as many as you need to buy to replenish your stock.   If we use something twice a week, I keep 24, if I use it once a week, I keep at least 12 , things like catsup and mayo, I keep one ahead.   when we use the backup. I start looking for a sale . 
5. Just took an inventory. I can usually tell if we are short something by looking at the self  and seeing  the white  shelf bottom.   
6. Make meal plans when you come home from the store.   Make yourself a matrix based on what your family likes and will eat.   Our matrix is 2 beef, 2 pork or,chicken, 2 vegetarian, and one fish or shellfish,   It makes it easier to plan meals to have some perimeters.   I have made a meal planning work sheet so that  can list the things we  need to use up after assessing the fridge, and a list of things I need to pick up at the store.   I then pencil in a meal plan, and finalize it when I get home from shopping.  

Next: shopping.   The plan and the trip.  

Make it up!

Directions, not in order that my daughter did with a bag of fruit and veggies she got free to promote.

We needed to make up a recipe .  Since it was due last night.  (Can we spell procrastinate! LOL.   ), I did it on the fly.

Put  two cups product in a saucepan and cooked it with enough water to barely cover from frozen.   Drained fruit mixture into a bowl , reserving liquid.

Took 1/2 cup reserved liquid and made a slurry with a Tbls. Of cornstarch.   Returned liquid to saucepan and added slurry.   Cooked, stirring with whisk until thickened.  Added back fruit.
Served as a sauce over already cooked chicken legs.

Mixture included carrot, sweet potato, peaches.

The ads and more.

Fred Meyer ads

The paper tomorrow comes with a smart source.   You can use smart source coupons, in ad coupons or sales and ibotta on the same thing.  

Fred a eyes has yo plait yogurt for  10/4.  The smart source has a coupon for 50 off of five.   Now five yogurts cost .40 ea less .10 or .30 each.   Sometimes if you just pay  full price , they are .85 each,! There is no ibotta on them.

Cherries 1.77
Spareribs or pork chops 1.97
Milk ,99@@
Hebrew national 3.99
Corn 6/3
Blues, organic, 4.99
Broccoli .99
Cucumbers 3/2. .20 ibotta, but I'm not sure how you would redeem it.
Lettuce .99
Strawberries 2/4

Bar tells, tomorrow
Hormel  hash 1,99
Top ramen 6/99
Gummy candy .99

That's about all.

Meal day six

Day six.    Same theme ?....

The ads

The ads are always late on holiday weekends.   Also, there are no coupon inserts.   I think I have separation anxiety...just kidding!  

Albertsons
Strawberries 3/5
Salad kits 2/5
Chicken legs or thighs .98
Milk 1.99@@


Safeways

Blues 2/5
Strawberries 3/5
Salads 2/5
Chicken .88



Five dollar Friday
Ice cream 2/5
Yo plait 10/5
Broccoli .99
Lettuce .88


Hag gens
Berries 1/3 flat 8.00
Milk 2/5
Peanut butter 1.99
Hagen beans 2/1@@ limit 6
Yo plait 5/2@@

QFC
Berries  2/4
Milk 4/5

Digital coupons
Pasta sauce .99
Ice cream 2/5


I have seen  a drastic increase in prices since Haggen  has taken over Safeways and Albertsons.   I don't really know why the attorney general ok'd that merge, but it hasn't done the prices of groceries any good.   I will really be glad when Winco gives them some competition.   Kroger has digital coupons, but I have lost my card, so I can't take advantage of them.   Prices are still high.  

I have used alternative stores to fill in with some good buys and we can still brave the ten mile trip to Winco and The five mile trip to Fred Meyers.  

Thanks for stopping by

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Jane