5 - life's little time hacks

watching my daughter get ready to get to school gave me an idea for a post!  

A house is full of little things we do every day to keep it running smoothly,    Little tricks can save a lot of time and energy.

1. Write a quick list.   I save envelopes from the recycle bin.   Glance at it and start the projects that can be working, while you do other things.    - that load of dishes or clothes on the washer    , the coffee pot, dinner on the crockpot.
2. When unloading  the dishwasher   Stack all the same item together before you put the dishes away,   It takes no more time to walk to the plate cupboard with one plate than it does with 8 plates.  You are opening the cupboard once. Not eight times.   
3. Use a basket to pick up everything that doesn't belong in a room.   As you move from room to room, put things away,   
4. Get kids to pick up their own stuff....good luck with this one.   I think I am a broken record. 
5. Even in a small kitchen, put things in cupboards close to where you will use them.   Zone your kitchen   

• Coffee cups, coffee and tea near the coffee pot 
• Salad bowls near the fridge or sink.  
• Knives near the chopping board 
• Casseroles and being dishes near the prep space.    
• Spices near the stove.   
• Cleaning supplies and cloths under the sink.   
• Spatulas and utensils near the prep  area and stove.    

Little hacks can go a long ways to simplify your everyday chores.   

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 perspective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Orowheat outlet

We went to th or owner outlet just to see what it was like.   We also hit Costco for the fre things that I didn't get when we were there last.  

The new bread store is not better in pricing than the grocery stores.  some things are higher.   They do gove a ten percent discount for anyone 62 or older.   The cheap white bread as my hubby calls it was 72 cents.   I bought a package of diabetic cookies for a high price, but they are only 8 carbs.   They had baby muffins for cheap.   They have a rewards card.  

The best thing I did see was a whole wall of beans and grains that were healthy and some that were gluten free for those that are truly in need to gluten free..     I dont have knowledge of prices , but
They do have a large selection of things.  

On to Costco.   I found the brown and serve sour dough that I had thought they didn't carry any more.   I also got baking powder.    It was 198 for a tiny can at Safeways,   A huge container is a bit over six dollars.    Huge difference in price.    Blueberries were a reasonable price as well as bananas.  


That's about it.

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 perspective .   .  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Cinco de mayo.

Guess what!  It's Cinco de Mayo.!    Unfortunately, I have given my cinci de mayo plates to the goodwill.  I had no more room for them in the pantry-- food took over!    LOL.  Well live and have tacos or nachos for dinner!    I can still come up with a centerpiece for the table.    I painted a bowl years ago. Making mealtime fun  is still something you can do on a small budget.    The kids will remember that far longer than they will remember that they had beans and rice.

I remember the times we got to go to the beach and eat far more than the everyday food.    We all ate at the table as soon as dad got home from work in,ess he had to stay in town for a special meeting.    The. We got Chinese food because dad didn't like it.    He wasn't fond of chicken or rice.

Regardless of how much you have to spend on food, you can still make eating memorable.    Engage the children to help.    They learn things along the way.

Yesterday's food run was very fruitful.   I'm into next weeks budget, so I'll hold off for a while.   We have a full pantry and a full freezer.    It's time to pare down.   That's a good problem to have; much better than to wonder where the next meal is coming from.

  It is possible to do this on a small budget,   Our budget is half of the USDA stats for thrifty.    It's possible because I pay  1/2 for most of our groceries and I have self imposed limits on what I will pay for vegetables and meat or protein.   We eat well. We don't eat food from Mars, or steak and mushrooms very often.    I try for 100 a pound for veggies and two dollars for protein.   I can still average two dollars for protein , but only because we eat vegetarian a couple of times a week.  
I deviated from the meal plan last night because we had a lot of pork tenderloin left .    I made stirfry. It worked and the vegetarian in the family added their own veggie meat.  

I'm seeing a lot of food challenges on u tube.   Like make a meal from the things in the pantry that are about to expire or  Incorporate the things that you bought that make you hit your head and say "what was I thinking?" , or can I do this on 21.00.    It's a way of making a game of things.  

After trying every way I could to make good rice--  I used a large rice cooker, the oven, the microwave, the stove, and the crockpot.    I managed good rice on the microwave when it was brown rice.  I finally broke down and bought the cheap rice cooker that I gave away when I bought the big expensive one.    It works remarkably well and quickly.  It was 16.00.   Go figure.  

I bought a 25 pound bag of rice from Costco. It was cheaper than buying rice at the dollar store, or anywhere else for that matter.   I had been. Using instant or ready made because I couldn't make rice come out the way we want to eat it.  The difference in price between raw rice on bulk and the ready made, or instant rice will soon pay for the price of the rice cooker.   Not to mention the fact that it is probably better nutrition.    Next step is to find brown rice in bulk.

I have been trying to perfect quick scratch cooking for the few things that I buy ready made.  Some aren't going to happen, because ready made is cheaper and more tasty.    Some I will tackle. I hear there are tortillas at Winco that are ready to fry.   That sounds good amd fresher amd womco is notorious for economy food .  But, they are really really high in carbs.   That's great of you are feeding a teen or you don't have a weight or diabetes issue.   They won't work for me.   I do buy two kinds of tortillas.  A low carb one for me - and the regular ones for the rest of the family.   None of us have a Weight issue .  

I hear there is a bread store in Lynwood now.  At 42nd amd 196th.  We are well stocked and the freezes are full so as soon as we pare  down the bread basket. I'll check it out.  

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 perspective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Bubble and squeak

I was asking my granddaughter what she had for lunch at school. She didn't remember.    I kept naming off things typical of a preschool lunch. I kept getting  a no answer.  So, I said bubble and squeak!    She said what's that!    It a dish that Peppa Pig would eat.   It's British.    I googled it and showed her a picture.   Her answer was "I would eat the bacon!"

We went to happy hour last night,   I had chicken skewers and quinoa , one of my friends had Mac and cheese with bacon.  It looked amazing!  

Taking a lesson from the Happy  hour menu gives you new insight in what  is cheap to cook.   It's usually very tasty or it wouldn't sell.    It's also economical, or they wouldn't  make any money.  You have to also factor in that it probably isn't a balanced meal-- except maybe the Ceaser  salad with salmon or chicken.  

Safeways has a B5, S5 -  offer out there.

1. 2 cereal - use coupons 
2. 1 cake mix 
3. 1 Tabasco sauce 
4. Herdez salsa - use coupons

That is the best low cost senecio on an make from that.    I haven't checked the size limitations on the salsa. But there is a coupon.   I have seen Tabasco coupons and don't know if there is a match.  Check favado.  Just note, they are not always accurate .   

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypxective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Extreme couponing

taking an already low price and adding coupons will net you the best possible proces.   I first went to the dollar tree.   I  spent 11.60 and got coupons of 2.25.

I got

1. A wicker basket 
2. A roll of bounty basic ( it tested the best of a lot of brands for absorbing) .75 net 
3. Kleenex tissues for my purse 
4. A darling ice pack - marked 2.99 - it a monkey.  There were other animals.  I thought the monkey was the cutest and it's a boo boo pack! 
5. 2 pkgs creamy  caramels w coupon one was free. 
6. 2 jars peanuts
7. 1 pkg shortbread cookies
8. 2 glade air freshener - one was free with coupon,   

Next Safeways B5S5 

1. Tabasco sauce .79
2. Cookie Crisp cereal 1.24 with coupon 
3. Cinnamon Toast Crunch 1.49 with coupons 
4. Baking powder 1.89 ( mime was old ) 
5. Mustard, .99 ( daughter broke the last ones jar) 
6. Hot dog buns .99 ( they are usually .88 at Winco, but not worth a second trip for .11) 
7. Herdez salsa net 3.44 with coupon.   
8. Strawberries 
9. Duncan Heinz brownies .99

Total spent 14.32, total saved 11.19 or 44 percent. 

Not what extreme,couponing tv style would be. But in this state with no double

Couponing. It is about what you can expect.   78 percent was my best.  I can average six or so dollars a trip.   Fred Meyers was 11.25, dollar tree was 225, and Safeways was 1.80 for a total of 15.30.   

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypxective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

The ads -

quick posting of the ads

Alberways

Strawberries 3.88


Buy 5, save 5
Klondike bars 2.99
Herded salsa 3.99$$
General Mills and Kellogg's cereals 1.99


Eggs .99@@
Best foods 2.88


Five dollar Friday

Tilapia -2lbs
Doughnuts



QFC

Buy 4, save 4
Skippy peanut butter .99
Goldfish .99
Dryers 3.49 (ice cream)

Raspberries /blackberries 2/4
Barilla pasta 10/10. $$
Roma's .99
Bumble bee tuna .69


Grocery outlet
Butter 2/5
Jenner turkey 6.99-3 lbs (15 percent)
Aidells sausage 2.99
Ice cream 2.99
Nalleys pickles 1.99

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 perspective .  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Track what you spend

One of the ways you can control your spending is to keep a spreadsheet on your shopping trips.    You can also just do it with a pencil and notebook.   I use a spreadsheet and keep track by week and store I shopped at.    It gives me a running total so I know how close I am to budget and when I need to reign  in.   I am over budget this week, but I did a big Costco run that isnfoodmthatnwikl last more than a month.    I'll just adjust next weeks accordingly.   It makes more sense than paying as much as 7.00 for a pound of cheese tat I can get for two dollars or 2.35 respectively.    I know the fridge and freezer and pantry are full and I only need dairy and vegetables.  

Keeping a close track of spending goes a long ways to staying on budget and maintaining enough food to feed your family the whole  month.   

I haven't run a price list for a while.  By now, I have prices firmly emplaned on my brain.   I know the RBP of things we use in a regular basis.   I have self imposed limits, on what I buy and pretty much stick to them.   There is almost always an alternative.    We eat, we eat well.  If we are eating inexpensive sources of protein, we are going to eat the best quality I can afford.   

Prices have gone up, but I keep track by looking at the prices of my main things as I shop.  I also read some labels.    Drives hubby crazy.    We don't need that, he'll say!    I know, I'm just checking ingredients.   I want the peanut butter  with the lowest amount of hydrogenated oil.    I'm scratch cooking some things to avoid hydrogenated oils.   Anything BUT canola, Olive amd safflower oil is hydrogenated.   Jenny can cook is  U-tube channel of a gal that bakes without butter for the most part and uses either no oils or a light olive oil.   Many depression area cookbooks use less eggs and milk also.   Butter was a rarity during the war.   Many of them are a help if your doctor has ordered a specialty diet.   

Now some doctors are saying that if you introduce things like peanut butter early on a child's diet, there will be less allergies to it.   I'm thinking maybe when they switched to a no food until six month diet for newborns, it opened up a lot more food allergies.    I never bought into that.   I introduced one thing at a time and waited to see if there was a reaction to it .   The only one that appears to have an allergy is my oldest and that is pineapple.    Just an observation.    I, not making any recommendations.   

I digress.    

Keep track of spending,   It might just be an eye-opener.    

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 prospective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Meal plans

Another Monday, another meal plan.   I went through the fridge and consolidate and choked pull dates.    It's a good way to see what needs to be used up before meal planning.    This week, I went to

1. Fred Meyers for milk and an extreme couponing .    When you add a sale price to a good coupon, you can really score.     Got 1125 off of the bill and pretty much bought real food---ice cream is real food, right?    
2. Safeways: one of the few times they had a sale that was really a sale.   I stocked the catsup to last until fourth if July sales probably and manwich, tamales. And vegetarian refried beans.   Refried beans are a few cents cheaper at Costco, but you have no variety.    
3. Costco for a med run.    I also replenished our cheese and bought bananas.    
4. Winco for regular food.   

I'm still on track at 70.00 a week.   

Meals. 

1. Pork  tenderloin, scalloped potatoes. Broccoli 
2. Leftovers
3. Scratch pizza 
4. Pulled pork sandwiches. Tater tots , salad 
5. Nachos 
6. Lemon chicken 
7. Fish packets 

I have a lot of California blend vegetables , and I got tater tots from Winco for 1.28 for two pounds.    

Pulled park was on sale with a coupon. - 1/2 off 

GroceJries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypxective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Extreme couponing, Kroger!

I went with coupon book on hand to QFC and Fred Meyers ( Kroger)

Sara Lee artisan sandwich bread 2.25.- FREE
Blue bunny ice cream 2@3.69- less 2.00 coupons - 2@2.69
Nathan's Frank's 2 @ 3.49 - BOGO coupon - 3.49 for 2
Barilla pasta @1.00 for 3 ea. 3.00 less 1.50 is 1.50 for three 
2 milks at 2.19 amd 1.89 - coupons made them .98


Total spent 12.35
Total saved 11.34-  48 percent






 Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Frozen blueberries

I found angst of frozen blueberries hiding in the back of the freezer.    I also found a recipe for a cobbler on th Internet.  Seems like a Marriage made in  heaven.  Tomorrow I am making a cobbler.    We are die to have breakfast for dinner.   I replenished the hash browns last time I went to grocery outlet.  

I read an article on how to go about building a stockpile.   The lady was selling her ideas.    I don't get money for writing my blog. I am not in it for the money.   If someone is having a hard time making both ends meet, they certainly can't afford to pay to learn how.  

The easiest way to start a stockpile is to look very carefully at your last sales slip from the grocery haul.   Break it down onto categories.   Now decide what you can do without and what are real necessities.   What can you do instead.   I always said to myself when something wasn't working, what can I do instead.     Sometimes I would have to brainstorm with my sister.   Between the two of us, a solution was found.   She would say something and a lightbulb would go off on my head.

Part of a stockpile can be developed just by watching for a RBP on something you use on a regular basis and buying multiples of that thing.   Sometimes you can luck out and get a coupon that makes something almost free.  By snowballing a few things, you can get a good start.

Avoiding anything that is empty calories is a good way to save a lot and get started.   The more you save, the more you can stockpile and save more.  Just making air-popped popcorn instead of using microwave popcorn that is full of unhealthy stuff or chips can save hundreds of dollars.  Add eliminating juices and pop to the mix and you have a few hundred dollars more.  

Smoothies are wonderful. But the are really pricey.    When you have four dollars a day to eat, you can't use a dollar of  it foot on a smoothly.   You are better off eating a piece of fruit in season.  

 The best advice I can give you I'd to know your prices and find the best priced stores in your area.  If you live in a town without a chain store, get with a friend or neighbor and carpool.   Get the flyers and go when there is a good  sale on,   Plan your trip.   Check out the coupon policy, and do the  math with the store ad to know exactly what you can buy.   Pare the list down if you need to.   Pair it with a dollar store run if you can.  

Thanks for stopping by ... Please share and follow.  

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

FRED MEYERS AD FOR TOMMORROW

TOMORROW's ad for Fred Meyers.

Turkey, ground  2.99.  Foster farms lean
Cucumbers 2/.99
Oranges .99
Raspberries 2.99
Broccoli .88
Milk .99@@
Cottage cheese 3/5@@
Frozen fruit 3.49
Zucchini .99
Corn 5/2
Beans/ tomatoes .49@@ limit 6.

Beans and tomatoes are a stock up item.    I am going to save the fm ads for a month or so and see if I find a pattern.   Limit 6.   The information I have found is that when tomatoes, the most acidic thing I can think of, were tested, the BPA level was six  parts per several BILLION.   Rinse your beans and drain them.  It cuts the salt.   Winco's  beans , limited selection of types, are .48.   Winco's  beans have water, salt, amd beans In them, period.  

It seems to me, that if something is trending, they raise the price, supply and demand.   The media and manufacturers can hype up anything to get you to buy it.   Practice due diligence and study , research, before you leap.  The Internet is a great invention, but, sometimes it does us a great disservice when it can find something wrong with everything we eat.    I read that too much kale can give you lead poisoning.  Go figure.

 Turkey at the holiday time is .69 a pound, yet because someone said it was lower in fat, it's more expensive than ground round on sale.   Earth to people, at 2.77 per pound, ground beef at ten percent fat that has been defatted is really low fat,  and more nutrition.  I buy 7 percent when I can.

The experts say, don't worry about the cholesterol , worry about the fat-- that's where the cholesterol comes from.  Also, bump up your good cholesterol.    I always cook with olive oil.    I put olive oil in salad dressing for the pasta salad.   It was fine.

I still say that moderation is the key.   We eat red meat once a week.   The other days are balanced with chicken, pork, vegetarian and fish or shellfish.   We always have fresh fruit in the house.   I buy fresh vegetables in season.   I buy frozen on sale.   Frozen veggies are picked at their peak, amd frozen and can be better than fresh, nutrition wise.

There are ways to eat good food and still economize on food.   If money isn't an issue for you, go for trending.   If you need to stick to a strict budget, a little time and effort can out good , tasty food on the table and not bust the budget.  

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Baked potato bar

Last night we had a baked potato bar.    It's a good way to use up bits of things on the fridge.    I put sir cream,no arm, yellow cheese, broccoli, some leftover taco meat, chilli on the island and baked four potatoes.    Add some fruit salad.

We need a Costco run, mostly for OTC meds.    I'll add bananas to the list.    We are out of bananas, so granddaughter and I had yogurt and a piece of whole wheat toast with peanut butter.  I am still at under seventy dollars a week, and we have a considerable stock built.   High means we don't eat seventy dollars a week - that's a three month average.    Getting Winco has really helped.

Taking out the processed food card, it is a challenge to find ready made that is cheaper than ready made.  The basic no wholes barred is tomato products.   The lowest price for a tomato on this part of the country is a dollar a pound.  Most of the time they are upwards of two dollars a pound.   Canned tomatoes are much cheaper.   It is cheaper to buy hunts pasta sauce than scratch sauce.  I have found Jared sauce for as little as 1.25.   I'm not finding many coupons out there.   I'm finally finding a low price on pasta.  Thre are a lot of coupons out there for Barilla proto pasta.   It's actually easy and good tasting.   I expected mass starch, but it didn't happen.    I found it for a dollar at the dollar store and at Fred Meyers.   I got a Catalina twice at Fred Meyers for it.   Pasta at less than a buck goes a long ways to stretch a dollar.   Fred Meyers has a pasta that has a serving of vegetable in it and is very well disguised.

There is a buy 10, for 8.00 at Alberways.    Not everything is a bargain.   Margarine isn't a bargain at any price.    Catsup is a good buy and BBQ season is around the corner.   The pasta sauce is a good price.  I have got both of those for .75 at the dollar store, but it's nit a regular occurrence,   There is also vegetarian refried beans amd manwich.   Refried beans are cheapest at Costco, but there is no
variety.  We like vegetarian, ot makes life easier.   Diced tomatoes are not cheaper, and microwave popcorn isn't cheap at any price.

For the most part, Fred Meyers and Winco are having the best prices.   Albertsons and Safeways have the same prices, Albertsons owns both, but are keeping their names separate.    They are closing the store across from the James Village  Albertsons, and have restored the Safeways in the shoreline store that Haggens had taken over.

For practical purposes, as long as the ads are identical, I'll go on calling it Alberways.    It doesn't make sense to repeat the prices.    I guess that just means you can go to the store that is the most convenient.  I like to take a cooler along on my car and cluster the stores.    I always go to two stores a week and buy the specials amd the things that are typically a  lower price.    It gives you the most food for your buck.  

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 

planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Perogie and sausage. - 35.00 challenge

Yesterday I tried a recipe for perogie and sausage in the slow cooker.    I'm nit sure if I would try it again.    It cost five dollars and the cream cheese didn't melt, it was like curdled - in specks throuout the dish.   It tasted ok, but I didn't like the texture.    Trying new things is a crap shoot-- but it defies boredom in meal plans.   We , granddaughter and I, made a small batch of sugar cookies.   I picked up a bettymcrocker pouch at the dollar store, and it makes one pan of about one and a half inch cookies.   Not so much to load up on sugar-- a little treat .

 Yesterday I met a lady that had $35 to spend for five people. I don't know how long that food had to last.     But, I thought I would give it a shot. I just want to go through the thought process to see how far $35 would go  and take you along for the ride.  I'm going to assume she has the basics at home.

1.  Let's start with protein since it is the most expensive.   Pork loin is 138 a pound . 
2. Hamburger was 10.00 and change for 5 pounds.   

I don't know how many pounds the poke is.   You can cut 3/4 inch pork chops from it and leave enough for a roast.  Slice so,e ofmthemcooked roast thin and add BBQ sauce for sandwiches.   

Or 

Fry the hambirger to make crumbles.   It's fatty, so drain it in a colander placed on a pan.   Put the colander in the sink and pour boiling water over it.   Drain.   Place in containers of about a cup each.   

Five pounds of hambirger will net you five meals- stretching.    

1. Sloppy joes and tater tots.  ( buns are .88 and tater tots are 2 lbs for 1.28.   ) 1/2 pkg tater tots.  

1. Hot dogs w buns and the rest of the tater tots . ( Nathan's are on a coupon for BOGO net 1.91 and .88 for buns.
2.   Use this meal twice, second time add a suddenly salad. 
3. Speghetti w meat sauce.   : Barilla pasta 1.08  , salad 1.00. 
4. Tacos , taco shells  1.28 which includes a coupon on the box for taco seasoning  add lettuce from yesterday and tomatoes 1. Refried beans .88. Cheese 138. 
5. Stuffed potatoes ( broccoli, hambirger, cheese, chilli ) 
6. Hambirger pizza ( Bisquick crust, cheese, hamburger, black olives 

10.35. - 5 lbs hamburger
3.18 - 2 pkg hot dogs, Nathan's BOGO coupon (newspaper)
2.64 buns (3)
2.74 bread (3)
1.28 2 lbs tater tots
1.81 -2 suddenly salad (coupon) .55
.88 refried beans
4.14 3 pkg cheese at 138
1.00 tomato
100 head of lettuce
198 10 lbs potatoes
.98 1 pound broccoli
.90 Hormel chilli (coupon)
148 peanut butter
.70 black olives
1.64 -18 eggs

Total 36.00

Peanut butter toast. Or egg quiche for breakfast.   There is no fruit there.
Marchand bowls 08 with coupons.  

A week for 35.00 is a tall stretch without stockpiling.   Snap is 140.00 a week.

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 
planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Winco , Alberways, and qfc

I had to take granddaughter to summer school orientation,   So I went to Winco to pick up a few things we ate before they got to the meal plan day,  

Cucumbers were .38

They were having a pork sale, flyers are on the entry way,   Along with coupons for johnsonville  grillers.....save your money, out family didn't like them.  lol pork loin for 1.38 is a bargain,   

Suddenly salad was 1.18 and I had a .55 coupon on 2. 

 Yoplait yogurt was .50 and I had a coupon for .50 on five.   Grandpa bought a frozen yogurt for granddaughter in Edmonds,  it was a yoplait yogurt they had put on the freezer for 2.50.    I believe in origins , but who needs 600 percent!   

Tater tots were two pounds for 128.   

Beans are .48.   

Alberways 

Five dollar Friday's 

Freschetta 

Ritz crackers 3/5$$

.80 when you buy 10

Pasta sauce 

Manwich

Refried beans 

Catsup

Coupons 

Ragu. 1.29@@

Red Barron 3/10@@

QFC

Draper valley whole chickens .99

Tomatoes .99

Zucchini .99

Buns 4/5 - cheaper at Winco

About it.   

This weeks rotation would be draper valley chicken, ( WA grown, but nit as desireabke as Foster farms)  or pork loin for 1.38 at Winco.   

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the 
planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Wicked Wednesday,

Wednesday is cooking day,  and clean out the fridge day.   Since Sunday when we deep cleaned the freezer and fridge, it should be easy,    I promised granddaughter that we would make cookies, amd a perogie dish in the crockpot is on the agenda.    

Watching other people's videos, I saw a apple fritter cake.   I love apple fritters and it's another recipe that doesn't take exotic ingredients-- just things I always have in the pantry. Having a list of recipes that don't take any special imgredients  helps keep the budget on track and still afford treats that aren't laden with preservatives and you control the fat.  

1. Sugar cookies 
2. Apple fritter cake 
3. Banana bread 
4. Snickerdoodles 
5. Brownies 

Watching other people's videos, gives you a perspective of what tondo and not to do.    Value based large families tend to have a no wholes bared approach-- just good food.    On a tight budget, the six bags of chips and 3 cases of pop amd bottled juice, just doesn't work.   Besides not being healthy, it's costly.    

Buying in bulk at RBP, using coupons, and not wasting food are principals that will save your grocery budget.    

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Couponing , not what you think

Couponing  doesn't take a long time....unless your printer refuses to work!   LOL.   They can be for a lot of things that are not processed, junk food.   For the most part we don't buy a lot of junk food,  It's a sure way to jack up your food bill.  
On coupons. com today I found :

.55 of soft tortilla
.50 off butter
.50 off butter with canola oil
.55 off two pronto Barilla pasta (2) -
.50 off rove yoplait yogurt.
2.00 off of a pork tenderloin

On blue  bunny, I got 2 - .75 off coupons

None of  that I consider junk, highly processed food.

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 

need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 

on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Staying on target

Staying on your target budget is not hard if you stick to the premise that you are not buying junk foods and have set target prices for items.    If an item is more than my target price and it's not absolutely imperative that I have it, I walk away.    Most things have an alternative.   That's where going to more than one store and buying the best of that store is key to feeding your family well on a small budget.

Even finding one or two things really cheap can snowball.   Barilla pasta is running 1.49.   Four boxes , then should be six  dollars, rounding.    I paid three and I got a coupon for 1.50 off three more.  I saved three dollars.   If I use  that three dollars to buy something  else that is an extreme bargain, it snowballs my savings.    That's how you pay for stocking without spending more than your normal budget on food.    Pretty soon you are spending less, because your stock is built and you are only buying the things at RBP.   

10 percent ground round was 2.77 instead of six dollars a pound,   I bought five pounds.    I saved rounding, 15.00 .   Today I will cook crumbles, and taco meat.    

Last night we had scrambled  eggs with cheese, a fruit compote with cantaloupe, grapes, and strawberries, and an apple, cinnamon  muffin.  ( I was making the basic muffin from Betty Crocker.   Granddaughter was helping.   She was mixing the dry ingredients while I was mixing the wet.  She decided that cinnamon would be a good addition to the dry ingredients, so I gave her some to add.   Then, I figured grating an apple onto the wet ingredients would be a good fit.  -and the rest , as they say, was history.    

Meal plans happen tomorrow.    We go for out last nit picking, and I'm working in my studio,  and batch cook five pounds of hamburger.   Hopefully all will work as planned.    

Back later.

I stopped at grocery outlet on the way home from what my DDG calls the hair Doctor.    I found 33 ounce tomato sauce in a bag for .50.    Romano cheese was 3.99 a wedge.    And onions were 1.50 a bag.  

On to meal plans

1. Hambirgers , French fries, salad 
2. Speghetti and meatballs , salad 
3. Baked potato bar 
4. Pizza 
5. Hot dogs. Suddenly salad 
6. Breakfast for dinner 
7. Perogie chicken casserole.    

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro sypective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will 
need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 
on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Fred Meyers haul

Today, as predicted, we went to Fred Meyers.   I'm done for the week.   I also went to dollar tree and to TJ Maxx.    I found a darling designer  outfit for ban for six bucks.   Dollar store had six for 6/1 again.   I was out of Gallo bags, so I picked up 14 for a buck until we get to Costco.  

Fred Meyer.    

5 pounds of 10 percent lean hambirger at 2.77 price was six dollars.  
2 stoffers Mac and cheese cups 2.00 ( baby's lunch)
12 English muffins 1.67
two Barilla pasta ( veggie) for 1.00 ea
two pronto Barilla pasta for .50 each with a coupon.  
2 -10 packs mission tortillas 1.00 ea
3 -8 ounce cans tomato sauce 1.00



Red grapes 1.48 a pound
2 cantaloupe - 1.00 ea
Blackberries 299

Total 33.34,

Total week 64.35


Yesterdays s and w beans were .43 net.   Net after Ibotta is 64.10.  

Sunday notes

4, + 1= 5 -- four people, one meal, five bucks.    Better , cheaper, faster.

Last night we had what I call a pick  up meal. We had cleaned and organized the freezer. There were two part packages of ground beef, cooked.   I put them in a pan to thaw on warm  heat.   I also found three partial bags of French fries --some crinkle cut, some not .   My husband dumped them all together.  When we went to Winco I saw a display of sloppy joe mix for a buck a can.  A light bulb went off in my head.   We had sloppy joes, French fries , amd broccoli salad for dinner.    It worked, amd I didn't have to.    ( we had thoroughly scribed the stove and refer greater, drip pans, coils. Fan, and all, took inventory and organized the freezer.) along with regular Saturday work.   I can't say that I like the canned stuff better than my own sloppy joe recipe; it was just easier and cheaper than take out.  Tonight we will have breakfast for dinner.  The cost of eggs has gone down and we have two and a half dozen with various pull dates.

It's meal plan day tomorrow and I plan to go to Fred Meyers today.   It would have been cheaper to go to Safeways for  milk, but  goimg to a store for one thing wasn't very cost effective.   We wouldn't have had time when we went to the dollar store  for bleach and disinfectant wipes.   The car seats had to be disinfected before we went home from ' lice meeting you'.  

Four plus one is five.    Most of our dinners are five dollars or less.   The trick is to average two dollars for protein.   That has been my figure for about fifty years now.    Fofty ears ago, the quality of meat we were eating was a drastic difference from what we eat now.    The types of proteins haven't changed, except we eat vegetarian twice a week.   As food prices have gone up, we have adapted.   There , also. Is three adults and one child in the family; fifty years ago, there were two adults and one child.    At one point in time, there were two adults and two teenagers.   At that point in time, I was written up in the Women's Day for feeding is on fifty  dollars a week.    I have dime that with a stand up freezer, and without.   You can still buy rotation meat with a regular freezer in the fridge.  Store the packages as flat as you can and precook your meat if appropriate.

This month I have found

1. Whole  chicken amd chicken thighs for .87 
2. Pork loin for 1.69 
3. Hamburger for 2.77
4. Eggs for .88

That's an easy rotation for our matrix of 3 chicken or pork. 2 vegetarian, 1 fish, and 1 beef.   

The trick is portion control and a lot of the time, meat is served in pieces,rather than  a whole hunk.   We still have pork roast slices and whole chicken thighs.   Occasionally, we splurge and have a piece of steak.    We still bet more than the FDA of protein usually.    

Another trick is to almost never pay full price.   I have a good idea of what I am going to buy before I ever walk into the store.   If not actual things, groups of things.   I knew I wanted fruit and veggies at Winco.   I bought the ones that were a good price.  I know that grapes are cheap at Freddie's today, so I passed.   Bananas were two cents a pound more than Costco.   I bought a few.   Cucumbers were .58.  English ones were a Buck.   It all goes back to knowing your prices.    

Winco had pork sirloin for 1.38.   I passed because after cleaning out the freezer, I know that I have enough.   Pork carnitas are 1.99 as well.   

Knowing your prices and always buying at RBP is key to a low food bill.

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different

 pro spective.  The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis. It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you  buy a loss leader protein, produce you will need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead.    This allows you to put well balanced meals 
on the table consistently  for a four dollar a day budget per person.   You spend more time on the planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.    

Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap.   My premise is that of you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more isn't hard.   You still get more bang for your buck.    

Winco run

Today, I deep cleaned the fridge and took inventory.   I used a sharpee to label the bins in the freezer.   We'll see how long they stay labeled.    
Then, I went and got the haircut I tried to get a week ago,   At least I could get it 1/2 price and then go to Winco.  

Winco has pork loin for 1.38.

I got bread
Bananas
Milk
2 Johnsonville sausage
Blue bunny ice cream
Nathan's Frank's
Hunts manwich
S and W black beans .69-Ibotta
Naval o ranges
Cucumbers
 California veggie fresh bag
Yoplait yogurt
 broccoli slaw

5.81 cents in coupons , an Ibotta on the beans, and total was 31.01.

The Fred Meyer ads - a good one

Fred Meyers has a really good ad for TOMMORROW,

Lean ground beef - 10 percent 2.97
Half loin. 1.77
Grapes 1.48
Barilla 1.00
Flour tortillas 1.99$$
Zucchini .99
Cantaloupe .99 each

That's about all.

The cheese is not a bargain.   Buy five pounds at Costco and freeze what you are not using.

 My pick  for rotation would be the beef hambirger - defat it.  and the pork loin of you didn't get it last time.  

Just when you think......

Yesterday's schedule just didn't happen.   I know, €><~. Happens as the saying goes.  The plan was to work on my studio and do kitchen management and shopping,   Best laid plans.......another good reason why having a stock and a plan gets you through the hard times.

Dear darling granddaughter brought home more than her wonderful purple construction paper "w" complete with craft eyes and other embellishments,   I wasn't impressed.    After two days of disinfecting everything and shampoo sing with this product that had the consistency of snot and having no good results. My daughter found " Lice meeting You ".

So, yesterday, we all went to a place in Seattle underground complete with primary colored walls and televisions streaming the latest Disney movies.   The line outside the door had to be at least four entire families waiting to get in.   Soon there were a dozen of us in shower caps with gunky  oil stuff sprayed on our heads.    There's something very disconcerting about the thought that there is creepy crawlers on your head.   Spiders on the wall creep me out.  LOL.

Hours and more money spent  than a months worth of groceries, we came out of there deloused, complete with an appointment for a follow up and instructions to disinfect yet again and quarantine for 24 hours.   My thoughts wained  to the "louse" that brought their child to daycare with head lice and the bigger "louse " that refused to believe that's where it came from.    The forensic person knew exactly where it came from.   Needless to say, we are homeschooling for the summer.   It was a day I won't forget soon.   None of us in our collective 184 years, have  ever had that experience.

On to tomorrow,   Another day.   I plan to do kitchen management,   We had hot  dogs and oven fries and fruit salad instead of the pasta salad I had planned.  We survived.    And I plan to get down the hall to my studio.

I digress , I have two more meals to pull from this weeks meal plans, amd will take inventory and do new meal plans.    Since I will have dear granddaughter, I can prep in the morning; she loves to help in the kitchen.

Involving children on the process of meals, and kitchen management teaches them valuable lessons.  Anything from fractions when measuring for a recipe, to grouping like things in the pantry or fridge/ freezer.   They also figure out that life isn't just playing and watching videos.   I also plan to find the beach this summer.

I did get to the dollar store for disinfectant wipes and bleach.   They have pronto speghetti as well as some boxes of Barilla.   They are also a dollar at QFC, but usually pronto and gluten free cost more.

5 ways to maximize your grocery dollar

To continue the 5 series....

Five ways to maximize your grocery dollar.

1. Make best use of coupons and rebate sites for the things that you buy regularly.  It is possible to use coupons without being extreme and still cut dollars off your grocery bill.   Ibotta gives you money on a gift card for buying things like veggies, milk. Etc.   
2. Just say no to the snack food isle and the bottled drink isle.  You will save a ton of money making  lemonade, herbal ice tea and water.    Potato chips are one of the most expensive items per pound in the grocery store,   Opt for pop corn.   - air popped.    
3. Portion control meat.    Serving a hunk of meat costs a lot more than putting pieces of meat on a dish,   It is cheaper to make sloppy joes than it is to make hamburgers.   Portion controlling meat assures proper protein without over-eating.   We only need six ounces of protein a day.   
4. Do a  kitchen management inventory check mid week and factor in perishables that need to be eaten soon. Waste not, want not. Soup, vegetable stock. Stir fry?    
5. Plan your meals.   Those that fail to plan, plan to fail.   Planning your meals allows you to feed your family a variety of foods and efficiently use what is in your pantry.    

See ongoing dinners updates.

This weeks ads

QFC is a one week ad.  

Broccoli is .99
Kroger cheese is not a bargain...that is for 8 ounces, that's 4.00 a pound.  
Barilla pasta 10/10....you don't have to buy 10
Annie's Mac and cheese has more fat than Kraft.  - I'm not found of the processed.  
Raspberries and blackberries 2/5

Alberways

Pork loin 1/2 1.79
Grapes 1.99
Milk 1.99@@
CANNED VEGGIES ..50



Five dollar Friday
Shrimp
Strawberries


Not much there.  

My pick for the rotation would be the 1/2 pork loin,   You can make chops from some of it  and use some for a roast.  Slice roast leftovers for BBQ pork sandwiches.

Barilla pasta is a good buy.  It's been running 150.   There are coupons for specialty varieties" but I don't know of that price covers

them.  

Reading Pinterest.

Everything in Pinterest is in  the eyes of the beholder.    Several old economy measures are no longer true.    It , sometomes, is a case of supply and demand.    There are a few convenience foods that are actually cheaper than homemade.    Of you like the taste, you are better off buying the ready made.   Idahoan mashed potatoes with sales and coupons are par with scratch, Hunts   speghetti sauce is cheaper to buy  than make.    As people get on the homemade, no processed food wagon, these prices will go down.   Now, beware, there are still a lot of processed foods that are full of preservatives and salt, fat, and sugar.   I wouldn't make a steady diet of them.  

Another misinformation is that  grated cheese is more expensive than blocks.   This is not so.   The cheapest block cheese I can find is 250 a pound,  I can get grated cheese for 200  a pound.    When we grated our own, we used twice as much.   Grating cheese at home is a courser grate and you use more.   The fine grate of ready made melts faster.  

The other idea is that Costco's deli chicken is a great buy,   Compared to other deli chickens, it is.   Costco's chickens in Seattle are draper valley.   I know because I asked, and asked, and asked, until I found someone  that would tell me.   They are three pounds.   Now, if you buy a three pound chicken, you are getting about 1.5 pounds of meat. You cost is about 3.34 a pound for meat.

Foster Farms chickens go on sale for .88 a pound often .  A 5.5 pound chicken is 4.84.   You will yield about 4 pounds of chicken from a 5.5 pound chicken or 1.21 a pound.    - a 64 percent savings.  

I can get a chicken on to cook in about 5-10 minutes depending on how I cook it and sometimes I get the added bonus of chicken stock included in my cooking,  

Of you are n a tight budget every savings is an important savings.  

Ongoing dinners through Thursday.

Tonight we are having a ham and pineapple pizza.    I am using the last of the ham from Sunday's ham and macaroni and cheese dish.   I added some pineapple from the dollar store ( name brand) and will add the rest of the can to a fruit salad with salmon patties.     I put a jar of pizza sauce into a ice cube tray and froze them.   I could pull two out and defrost them and still have a few more pizzas .  I used  a pizza crust I got from the dollar store.    Total cost 3.00.  add a salad  4.00.


Next up vegetable bean soup.   Some of us are planning to go to dinner, I will make a batch of vegetable bean  soup and we can have leftovers tomorrow.  

Vegetable bean soup

2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans  of beans ( I use two different kinds of  beans )
4 cups stock, vegetable or chicken
1-1/2 cups diced vegetables , sauté if appropriate.  
1 T Italian seasoning.  

Dump in the crock pot and cook on low 8-10 hours.

While I was dumping everything and sautéing the vegetables. I was cooking the chicken cubes for Thursday's dinner.   We are having baked chicken chimichangas.   Simple, baked dish.   Like a five imgredient dish.

Wednesday, we had chicken chimichanga and green salad.   The chimichangas were easy and I prepped  the salad earlier in the day,  

Thursday, we or emoted the mark plan becaus we had a lot of leftovers.    We had the bulk of the vegetable soup over rice.     An easy dinner .


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Who, where!

Someone texted me.  It came across my screen, but I don't know where it came from.......

I make :

Ranch dressing mix
Chocolate pudding mix
Biscuit mix
Cream  soup mix,  
Taco seasoning mix
Dry rib mix.

It makes life easier, faster, amd I am not paying. If moneymaker stuff in an envelope to out on the trash.

Meal plans

after a disaster yesterday......I made mixes. But didn't discover that my cornstarch was stay date....a lot.   So, I traded cornstarch with my daughter who bought it to make deodorant-- she doesn't need her deodorant to thicken! LOL.  And, I started over.     New chocolate pudding mix and new cream soup base.    Fortunately, they both are fairly inexpensive.  

I needed dill weed for ranch dressing mix.  I bought it in bulk.  1 scoop was .02 pounds and it cost .22.   I don't have set it enough to warrant buying a big jar.  

Meals
My matrix is now 3 chicken or pork, 2 vegetarian, 1 beef, amd 1 fish.  

1. Salmon patties, oven roasted root veggies 
2. Speghetti and meatballs, green salad 
3. Baked chicken chimichangas , rice, beans 
4. Breakfast for dinner 
5. Vegetable bean soup ( use the half can or corn left over from taco meatloaf. ) 
6. Pizza ( buffalo chicken) 
7. Sausage and saurkraut with apples 

Salmon party recipe is on " Jenny can cook" u tube
Meatballs are already on the freezer, speghetti was .25 at the dollar tree.  
Chicken chimichangas are baked and I found the recipe on line.   I bought cream cheese for a dollar.  
Breakfast for dinner - strawberry waffles, eggs.
Vegetable bean soup is a mainstay here,,,easy and everybody eats it,   Add a cheezy bread or......
Buffalo chicken with scratch crust, ranch dressing for a base with hot sauce infused chicken, blue cheese, amd red peppers,  diced.   Top worth mottz cheese.  
Apples cut the tartness of the saurkraut.    Serve with a biscuit or sourdough bread

Sunday.

Tomorrow is meal plan day.    This week we were D along with a bunch of.   ..... Meals didn't go as planned.  We survived, but the meal plan didn't.    You always  need a plan, but it doesn't  always work out to follow it.   I found an interesting quote.  The author wasn't revealed.

Those to  fail to plan, plan to fail.

I'm am all about getting out of the kitchen fast at dinner time.    It's late, we have a four year old that's busy busy busy and everyone hits the door hungry. Hey, wheel of fortune is on!    LOL

Cooking ahead of time  works very well, as well as the crock pot.   Some working people cook dinner after dinner for the next day.    Of teen kids get home first, they can put it in the oven when it's the proper  time, amd dinner is done when you get home.   Whatever works.

I have a variety if mixes that I make ahead if time.  They are fractions of the cost of buying the mixes and it's just one less thing you have to plan for and buy at the store.   The least amount of specific things you need at the stores the easier it is not to forget something.

1. Chocolate pudding mix : better than ready made...yuk, and cheaper than the box of mix.   You are laying a lot for sugar, chocolate and thickening agent     
2. Ranch dressing mix - control the fat so you aren't getting hydrogenated oil and many recipes call for it.   
3. Taco seasoning - you control the heat!   
4. Salt and pepper mix - easy to grab 
5. White sauce mix ( instead of cream of XX soup) a lot healthier.   
6. Bisquit mix ( healthier) - no hydrogenated oil.    

I bought a bag of salt some years ago.   I will not have to buy salt the rest if my life.   It doesn't go bad.  It is on a cupboard we dont use a lot and I fill the  salt box when I need to.  Grocery outlet has large cartons of slices that are smaller than Costco, but bigger than the grocery store at a reasonable cost.    

It only takes a few minutes to make up a mix.   Try to do them a little at a time,   It's good for childre to help.   .   Use fractions and count.    I write  the directions on the top of the jar so I always have them at my ready,   

Granddaughter loves to "do a recipe".   It's good for her.  We have quality time, she's learning something, and I am getting my cooking done, not wondering if she is off trying to polish her nails or something worse!   LOL.   Isn't that the age where they decide their bangs are too long?      LOL.  My mother used to say that involving children  in what you are doing is easier than cleaning up the mess they make while you are working. 

I'm batch cooking the hamburger I bought yesterday.   Granddaughter has requested speghetti and meatballs for dinner.