Tuesday cooking,

Watching a lot of pressure cooker videos on rice cooking is confusing.   I tried three recipes.  I finally got one that worked.

1:1.5 ratio of rice to liquid , high for 8 minutes.  

Finally decent rice 

While the rice was cooking, I made a apple dump cake for a potluck.  

Easy desert.   Three ingredients.   

Meanwhile I washed the kitchen cabinets, swept and washed the kitchen and hall floors, gathered the recycling. And loaded the dishwasher.   

Tuesday

Yesterday , I made rice - several times, trying to use the pressure cooker.   5the second time wasn't too bad, still not the perfect rice.    I did make non fried refried beans.   They were good.  

We also tried the bubble taco bake... I could have done something wrong, but we didn't like it.    The dough was cooked on the top amd still raw on the bottom.  There was no way it was going to get cooked on the bottom before the top was burned.   I was glad we had the rice and beans,   I also made de fatted crumbles.for the freezer.    I bagged a little more than three pounds of beef into six bags and placed the small bags on a gallon bag.    It makes for a neater freezer and better packaging .   

I am trying to get more efficient in the kitchen, to cut cooking time, make food meals with less fat, sugar,  and salt, and lower the food bill.    No easy task....I know, I want it all!   LOL.   

I think it can be done.   It just might take some time to perfect.    Trial and error.    I'm sitting at 72.00 a  week this quarter so far.    If I can maintain a buy only perishable month, that should go down.   

Four people at four dollars a day is 112.00 a week.   My daughter does buy her alternative food to fill in; but we stock  a lot of food ; the bottom line should be under the 112.00 all things considered.   

My granddaughter loves meatballs.   My husband dished her up a hamburger and tater tots.    She looked at it, took the bun  off and ate the pickles.   I told her the hamburger patty was just like a meatball pancake.    She ate the patty.    

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- stabll/ 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 

Batch cooking

Oops!  Started off great.   Didn't intend on sweeping quite this soon!   

Recipe in pressure cooker.   Beans, spices, salsa and an onion and water.   I rinsed out the salsa bottle for the water.   

Cooked beans .

Mashing the beans . 

Ready for a second  manual mashing.    

While the non fried , refried beans were cooking, I batched cooked and de fatted three pounds of ground beef and cleaned the kitchen floor and fridge.   Loaded dishwasher as I went.  

Next: rice 

Monday madness

It's Monday. Time to get organized after the weekend.   Got ground beef ( 7 percent) for 3.18 at Winco and need to batch cook it.    I only domthdo pounds or so because only three of us eat  meat.

I plan to make non fried refried beans and rice to be ready for dinner.    Making things in the morning works because I'm fresh and the house is quiet.    Batch cooking is more efficient than cooking one meal at a time,   When it's time for dinner, your cooking time is cut at least in half and it makes being able to have a more elaborate meal without the hard work.   I'm not all about standing for an hour and cooking dinner.

By cooking efficiently, you can spend more time planning a shopping trip and that's where the savings comes in.

This week, I only bought a few treats that were drastically  reduced in price and what o needed to fill in what we were short of.    I only keep a small stock or things like chillies and 8 ounce tomato paste, but they are nice to have.  I bought BBQ sauce because I could get it about 67 percent off.   BBQ and picnic supplies go on sale at holiday times in the summer.   It's a good time to buy the years supply when you can get three for the price of one.     I have seven BBQ sauces, enough to last us all year.  
This saves a lot of money and frustration.    Walking to the pantry is a lot easier than driving to the store - especially with a toddler in tow.   LOL

We spent about 35.00 this week because I already have a good stock and we are trying to eat down the pantry.

I am also trying to stretch myself and cook some things from scratch that I haven't tried before.  It helps me grow and eating in the cheap is an ongoing education.
I've developed my shopping plan over fifty years.    It's still evolving , times change, prices change and some things just go full circle.    Coffee has taken a big jump again. I remember the coffee shortage of the 70's .   We resorted to chicory coffee blend.   This time, I used a dollar off coupon.   My husband actually checked the can  sizes between the two coupons I had.  

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- stabll/ 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 haul - prices

small Winco haul.   I'm up to 35.00 for the week with Fred Meyers

1. 7 percent hambirger 3.18 
2. 5 ounces Romano- parmesean cheese 1.98 - regularly 3 plus.   
3. Green chillies.58
4. 1.5 dozen eggs 1.38.  ( 169 dozen at Fred Meyers ) 
5. 2.41 lbs bananas 1.16 ( close to Costco price) 

Total 15.73 

Shopping at two  stores that have the best prices saves a lot of money.   Blues were about the same price at Winco.    

Fred Meyer haul. -almost all perishable!

Fred Meyers haul.   Mostly perishable..goodies are perishables ....right.    They don't last long in this house.    LOL.  
43 percent savings.  

BBQ sauce : this is the time to stock for the year.    Price stacking coupons netted .55.  
Cup cakes were an impulse buy- something I almost never do, but six cupcakes were .29.  
My no sugar added chocolate was 4/5.   It is usually at least 2.49 and I have seen it for 2.79.  
Corn on cob 2/1
Ice cream 2.49- Tillamook.

Total 19.77

Tomorrows Fred Meyers ad

Here is tomorrow's Fred Meyers ad.  

Cantaloupe or watermelon 2/4
Blueberries -18 oz.  3.99
Tillamook ice cream 2.49@@
Buns .88@@ ( they are that orice without a coupon at Winco )
BBQ sauce .88@@
Freschetta pizza 4.99$$
Pie 3.49
Best foods 239@@
Butter 2/5 ( same price  as Costco always,   )
Foster farms chicken breast .97

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- stabll/ 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.    

Suddenly Saturday 5/21/16

Last night we had an enchilada pie.   I had made similar Years ago, but didn't call it that.   This layered tortillas with a hamburger mixture wth taco type seasonings, mild chilies, enchilada sauce and cheese.  Top with cheese and bake.    I called for corn, but that didn't appeal to me, I could have added black olives.    Winco has small cans for .70.    Th chopped ones would have worked well.  

My made  up one had a layer of taco meat, and cheese and a layer of refried beans.    You could also add whole beans to the taco layer.    I add lettuce and tomato.    

It's efficient tacos!   

There are recipes for chicken enchilada pie as well.    I might try that one next.    

Let's talk about equipment.    My mother never liked small appliances,   She had a toaster and a mix master,   Her cooking style was plain and hearty.   She made banana cream pies and cream brûlée to die for.   

I tend to have appliances that make my life easy. 

1. A rice cooker -   I can't make ice without it.   I tried every method I could find.   I had success with a 16.00 black and decker rice cooker.   
2. Toaster.     That's a given 
3. Food processor.     I make everything from bread to bread crumbs, grate cheese, chop veggies when. I am  making large amounts,   
4. Kitchen aid mixer - for large baking orijects and mostly for grinding hamburger.    When a piece of meat is cheaper than ground round, we grind our own.   You can control the fat,   
5. Pressure cooker: makes beans in a hurry.   Makes split pea soup and just about anything and is a work horse in the kitchen.   
6. Slow cooker.   I have several sizes.    Makes everything from to die for chocolate desert to vegetable bean soup,   A great help if you need dinner when you walk in the door.   
7. Bread machine - better, cheaper, faster 

Some of these can be found at estate sales and the goodwill.    They are all workhorses in the kitchen.   

I just bought an insta pot.   It's supposed to do jut about everything,   I am anxious to try it.   It has been my experience that one thing does a lot of things, it doesn't do everything well.    I'll have to see.   My main objective was to be able to cook things in small quantities.    

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- stabll/ 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

Since I am going to try to eat our way through the panty, I though making meal plans that emphasize the things that have closer pull dates is in order.    I had rebate money, so I used it to buy the things we were running short of that I buy in bulk.  

I know we need to use up yogurt, some pulled pork, sausage, some bread, and tomatoes and cucumber.    This probably means we will be breaking my one processed food a week rule.  

I can freeze the orange yogurt for frozen yogurt for grandchild.

Meal plans : from Friday Through the following Sunday.  

1. Pork tenderloin, baked potatoes , peas ( bought new) 
2. Sausage, roasted root vegetables, brown and serve sourdough bread 
3. Enchilada pie.  Lettuce and tomatoes 
4. Pulled pork sandwiches, tater tots , green salad 
5. Meat ball subs, tomato and cucumber salad 
6. Baked potato bar 
7. Tomato soup, cheese Quesedas 
8. Mexican bubble tacos 
9. Shrimp stir fry 
10. Chicken pot pie 

Notes : frozen vegetables from Winco are not amoung the recall list.   The list is getting bigger and bigger to include Kroger , Safeways, trader joes, and Costco.    

I am trying to introduce one new recipe a week or so.    It shakes things up and makes life more interesting. I sat down and made a long lost of recipes and main dishes we eat with a variety of proteins.    It makes meal planning easier.    I also have a matrix ( outline ) in order to keep us eating a variety of meats. Adding two vegetarian meals cuts the average cost and sometimes the fat, and keeps everybody happy.    

My matrix : 

1-2 beef 

2-3 chicken or pork 

2 vegetarian

1 fish 

Between a list of ideas, and a matrix, meal planning takes almost no time.   

A little time on the front end , saves a lot of time on the back end.   If you keep a well stocked kitchen that you have paid  half price for (so you can afford to keep a well stocked kitchen) ., you can avoid running to the store in the middle of cooking dinner.  You already have a variety of meats in the freezer and can pull whatever you want to use.   It just makes shopping and cooking easier .  When you run into one of those I didn't plan for this days, you have things you can pull together in a hurry.  

The organizational part of this for the most part is  a one time only project.  It will save you countless time and money in the long run.  If you aren't an organizational person or hate to shop, consider delegating or pretend. think of the time you are going to save and how happy you are going to be getting out of the kitchen faster without depending on fast food that isn't good for your family or your pocketbook.   

I get this method of shopping isn't for everyone.   Sometimes you don't have a choice.  Of overspending is going to mean you have no food at the end of the month, it should be a given that it's worth the effort.   If using a different method saves a lot of. Only that you can spend on a vacation or it means that you have money for other necessities, it is totally worth it.   

Shopping with a category list instead of a exact list is a lot easier.   You are basically going to walk around the perimeter of the store with your sales flyer and a small list of what you absolutely have to have and get in and out of the store.   Your fridge has specific dairy that you always have, you always need bread and you know which kind you buy and where you buy it, you fill in the vegetables and fruit that are on sale you need to fill on your meals, and a (so called loss leader) protein if there is one.   Some weeks, there are none, some weeks there are two.  You are going to buy a stock item if you need to and if they are at a RBP.   Sometimes this is seasonal and you need to stock for the year.  Catsup comes to mind as well as BBQ sauce unless you make your own.   

This week, for us, it was white fish at Winco.  

I most generally shop two chains a week-- Winco and which ever one has the best prices on the things I need.    I fill in things at specialty stores when I am on the area.    Certain stores are always good for certain things.   If we are running other errands, I will take a quick look at some stores and pull the things I most generally buy from that store if I need them.   

• Grocery outlet : Sliced cheese, taco shell kits and sometimes a .50 deal that needs to be see soon.   I check the coffee price. 
• Dollar tree : Barilla pasta if I have a coupon, wax paper, parchment paper, pretzels, jenne-0 bacon, uncle bens rice if I have a coupon, Betty Crocker potatoes if I have  a coupon.   
• Big lots : on their twenty percent off everything sales.  
• Fran's bakery outlet - watch your prices

It might be appropriate to note that I rarely go to any other stores.  

That was not what I intended to pop up with my paste button, but WTH, it's good information.    I am working on perfecting  no- dry refried beans.   

Dried Bean GuideUse this guide to gauge how much dried beans to cook.
1/3 cup dry beans =	1 cup cooked beans
1/2 cup dry beans =	1 1/2 cups cooked beans
2/3 cup dry beans =	2 cup cooked beans
1 cup dry beans =	3 cups cooked beans
2 cups (1 pound) dry beans =	6 cups cooked beans

What to buy where

I apologize up front, these prices are for the Seattle area and are the best shot I have,  I very well could have missed a good buy.  I can't be everywhere.  I shop at the places well known for their regular food at low prices.  

Dairy :
Eggs - Winco - there are low prices at Costco too, but we can't use five dozen eggs at a time.
Milk - Fred Meyers puts milk, amd chocolate milk on for a dollar a 1/2 gallon about once a month.
Milk, dried - Winco bulk isle,
Butter, unless there is a good sake, Costco is the best bet
Cheese - Costco or grocery outlet - my target price is close to two dollars a pound.   Buying a 1/2 pound bag  is the priciest way to buy it.
Cleese, sliced - grocery outlet
Sour cream- Fred Meyers has it for a dollar  at times, otherwise, of you use a lot Costco.
Cottage cheese - same as sour cream
Yogurt - yoplait - Winco or Fred Meyers, usually you can find a coupon that gives you ten cents off , or makes it .40

Meat :
Ground beef - Winco or Fred Meyers - I want 7-9 percent for close to three dollars.
Pork loin - just about everywhere when it is 1.69-1.79
Pork tenderloin - on sale at Winco for two dollars a pound was my best price, so,stomps on Alberways 5 dollar Friday.  
Jimmy Dean sausage, bulk : Costco is close to 2.00 a pound in three pound chub.
Dinner sausage : grocery outlet has chicken with veggies for anywhere from 1-3 dollars at times.  Ise coupons ( stacked) at Fred Meyers or womcowinco has a good price with coupons.
( I use the processed meat  on a limited basis )
Hot dogs - Winco has Nathan's on sale a lot- use coupons this time of year.  We generally on,y eat hot dogs in the summer .   ( limit use)
Whole  chickens - Fred Meyers sometimes has them for .87.   Winco always has 1.08 or close to a dollar for a two pack all the time.   - I only buy Foster farms or draper valley .
Chicken parts- thighs: Winco has had them for as low as .68. Their sandstorm? brand comes from Idaho.   Fred Meyers has them on sale at times for a dollar or so.  

Notes : if a roast or round steak is cheaper than ground beef, you can so,stores make out grinding your own.

The most efficient, cost effective way to buy protein is to buy in bulk and cook and portion control, or portion control if it makes more sense( pork loin) when it is at its lowest price.    Buy enough to take you through a four week cycle.    IE: if you eat ground beef once a week, you need to buy enough for 4 meals.   If o a, using ground beef, I buy three to five pounds and make a meatloaf, some meatballs, and some crumbles or taco meat.

I buy rice in 25 pound bags at Costco.   I buy beans wherever I find them the cheapest. The cheapest dry beans (pinto) I have found are at the dollar  tree. Otherwise, they Re cheapest at Winco and sometimes Fred Meyers on sale - usually with an in ad coupon it ha limit.

Diced tomatoes are .58 often at Winco and .50 sometomes with an in  ad coupon , limits with beans also.

I worry about the things I use a lot- our staples.
THE BEST TOOL YOU CAN HAVE TO CUT YOUR GROCERY BILL IS TO KNOW YOUR RBP's - you don't have to know everything on the store, just the things that you use on a regular basis.
I have a rule of thu,b - I want cheese and meat at less than two dollars a pound.   I want veggies less than a dollar.  That price used to be .39, then it was .69, now it's a dollar.  

Try not to get caught spending more than the RBP for anything.   Buy enough to last you until it goes on sale again ( non perishables) .  When perishables are at their peak price, ( eggs this winter) buy just what you may need for the week: when they are closer to a dollar, buy a months worth so you don't have to worry about those again for a month.

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- stabll/ 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 basics

It has been a long time since the subject if the basics has been brought up.

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- stabll/ 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.    

Getting started 

1. List the low cost sources of protein your family will eat.   Nothing is a bargain of your family won't eat it.   In our family that is beans, rice, cheese, eggs, chicken, pork, amd beef.    
2. Now list main dishes that you cook with these ingredients. Seven is good, fourteen is better.   
3. Now list the shelf- ready or freezer  non- perishables that you will use to make these dishes.   These are our stock  items.   In our house that would be beans, rice, diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, canned tuna and salmon, black olives, mild green chillies.   
4. Now, start a price book or log on the computer ( excel spread  sheet ) to track the lowest price f these items.   IE     Diced tomatoes. 15.5 ounce can , Winco .58 5/10/16  add other sales as you find them.   
5. You are looking for the RBP.  ( rock bottom orice )  when you find it buy :  a) as many as you can afford to buy or b) as many as a limit allows, or c) as many as you need to complete your self-imposed stock limit.    Whichever comes first.    Decide how many items you use in a week and times by the amount of weeks inventory you want to carry,   At first it might just be two cans. Because you buy the item at 1/2 price or less, you can buy one and use one at first and eventually you build a stock. -- one can at a time.   Like running a business, you reinvest your profits at first to build the stock.  
6. Eventually, you will just be replenishing your stock.   The advantage is that you always have something to make a meal from if you need to.   

Example :   I make a lot of things from diced tomatoes.    

1. Salsa in a pinch 
2. Vegetable bean soup 
3. Cheeseburger macaroni 
4. Nachos f tomatoes are too expensive in the winter.   
5. ...and the list goes on,   

I  use about four cans a week.    Four cans times 12 weeks is 48 cans.   

Some people gauge how many weeks between sales.   Some pick a set amount of time- like how many I use in three months.  I build to the third quarter and try for six months by then.   I know I will have higher expenses the fourth quarter, and the stock will carry me through and we can eat down to three months again.   

Pasta has a very long shelf life.   According to a show that BYU adored a few years back, it's about 8 years.   I don't think that I would keep it that long, but I do keep it past its shelf date.    A lot of things last more than their shelf date.    The USDA has guidelines on them.    Things like dry milk last pretty much forever.    LOL.   

Dollar tree haul

I went to Costco for vitamins and wound up spending twenty dollars. I bought dairy and produce as well as the vitamins and a thirty percent off magazine on cooking,  

I also went to th dollar store.   I bought a handful of snacks and things with coupons-- not exactly a no spend trip , but well worth my while.  I spent eight dollars including tax.    I got four boxes of pronto pasta.   The cost at the regular grocery store would have been six dollars alone.   I spent 2.90 for the four.    I also got two muffin mixes for a dollar each - a major name brand.   A wax paper for my studio---I ise the insides of cereal boxes in the kitchen.    I also bought a bag of pretzels.    It is a good cheap snack.    And, two pounds of pinto beans.  

Eight dollars including tax ( almost  ten percent on non food ) 

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.    

Grocery ads - well maybe

I did get the grocery ads for Alberways.  QFC is a two week ad from last week.   I can't honestly say that there are any good buys  at Alberways.    I got very reasonable produce at Winco .   Favado has Winco s  specials-- just beware, they aren't a,ways 100 percent accurate, especially when they pair the coupons,    I think they have the coupon list, but not the actual coupons so they don't read the particulars.   Coupons have to match on the description exactly.    IE You can't use a coupon for a 13 ounce can on a 5 ounce can.   LOL.

As for a rotation meat. Fred Meyers has chicken breast with the ribs for .87.  Again this week,   I think because people squawked that they advertised it last week and then didn't produce it.   Winco always has twin chicken in a bag for about a buck a pound - Foster farms.  Whole chicken is easily cooked in the crockpot and the  bonus is that it makes a really rich broth.   The meat is best used in casseroles or for pulled sandwiches or tacos.  

Roasting a chicken takes about ten minutes non-passive cooking.    It is so much better and so much cheaper than a rotisserie chicken.   Never buymamchicken less than three pounds.   The bigger the chicken, the better buy,   At three pounds, you break even on meat vs bone,   In other words, over three pounds is pure gravy.  



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- stabll/ 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.    

Terrific Tuesday - May 17, 2016

Good morning.....

So far, I have been doing great with the no sound grocery budget.    Last night I had a dinner meeting and the rest of the family ate out-- comes out of the entertainment budget.   That doesn't happen often,   

We generally eat at home.    

I have been watching a lot of educational food hauls and couponing videos.   A lot of coupon videos are obsolete; after the extreme couponing show, stores have tightened their coupon policies.   I don't remember ever getting double or triple coupons in Washington state.   A few years ago, Albertsons had coupons in the later for a double coupon-- like about three.    

I did learn that thirteen percent of the average grocery haul is bottled drinks and snacks.   Right off the top, eliminating the bottled drinks and snacks will save a lot.   Besides being better for you,( most bottled drinks are full of sugar ) you can save a lot to replace them with iced herbal teas or water.    Snacks are better if they are fruit, or vegetables with lean it butter or some hummus.    Air 

  popped pop corn is a great snack.   You have no oil and can control the salt and butter.    An air popper is about 15.00 and will pay for itself in savings over microwave popcorn,   

My 2015 grocery expense averaged 76.00 a week.   That was during the Haggens failed attemp to take over the grocery market in the PNW.   Options were lost, two companies dominated the grocery chains and there was not a lot of competition.   Prices at Albertsons and Safeways were higher in my observation.    It was ten miles to Winco.    Looking at my records, my shopping switched from Safeways to Fred Meyers, Winco, and  grocery outlet and sometimes QFC.    Since the first of this year, I am spending 69 dollars a week most of the time.    That is ten percent.    If you add thirteen percent for not buying snacks and drinks on a regular basis, that's 23 percent,   That's an easy turnaround for 1/4 savings.    

We are averaging 1/2 of the USDA stats for thrifty cooking,  ( USDA cost of food at home ) .   The rest of the savings comes from couponing and not paying full price for your food.   When something is a  tremendous buy and it is not perishable, buy as many as you will use for a three month period or replenish what you have used in recent months.   This is not about extreme couponing or hoarding.   You need a self imposed stockpile level.  

 I generally keep six months.   That is based on the fact that about September or so, I reach what is called the donut hole on my meds.   That is when Medicare no longer pays for meds because I have reached their limit; the expense is on us.   One of my meds is 530.00 a month.    I can do better than putting the money on the bank by paying 1/2 for food.  No bank is going to give me 50 percent interest on my money,   This would also work for people that have seasonal work, or know there is a strike looming or a layoff.    It is also just good to have a stockpile in case of an emergency-- anything from not feeling good, or having a sick child and not being able to get to the store, or something as dramatic as when we had the main road that truckers used to get product to the grocery stores flood and the grocery stores weren't getting product.   Most stores these days do not carry a big inventory in the back.   It is not cost effective for them.    That makes it more valuable for you to carry yours.  

 Grocery shopping for a weeks groceries at a time is playing with fire.    You have to go to the store for anything you forgot.   The more times you go for one thing, the more you are going to spend. Grocery stores have studied the 'normal ' spending habits of shoppers.   They have ways to trick you into buying  more than you intend,    Going to the store with a definite mindset to get what's on your list and get out is your best defense.   Going to more than one store and buying the specials, preferable with a coupon and buying in bulk is you best way to lower your food bill dramatically.   Impulse buys account for 70 percent of the stores profit.   The glitch is that you have to know your family's eating habits and not overbuy.

No food is a bargain  if you feed it to the garbage disposal.   

One of the tricks the retailers use is to put a whole lot of garbage ( sugar, snacks etc ) right as you walk in the door.    This is to get you started putting things in your cart.    Another thing they do is put the high priced thing up front so you remember that you need it and put it on your cart right away.  After you put the high-priced product on your cart, you are  not likely to replace it with the cheaper alternative when you find it.  That is when knowing your prices and who has the lowest prices on certain staple items really pays off.   

Grocery shopping on the cheap is not going to the store and buying  anything that looks good to you when you're hungry: rather, it is an educated planned, grocery trip.   The reward is saving 1/2 on your groceries.   You can eat healthier and spend less.   

My next journey is to eliminate as much salt, sugar, and fat- especially hydrogenated oils in our diet . I already do some, I want to do more.  And find ways to scratch cook a little more to make things cheaper and also healthier.    But, I want to do efficiently.    I am not about standing in front of a stove all day.   lol.  

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- stabll/ 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.    

Monday madness

My first order of business today is to  De-bone  chicken breast and make stock from the bones.   I'm nit as good as a butcher would be, so some meat gets left on the ones -perfect for chicken noodle soup or chicken orzo soup.

I need some kitchen management done and I think some long - term meal plans.   My object for the next month is to only buy the dairy and produce we will need.    This should give me a better picture of what we spend on food we eat, amd what is left on stock without having to take inventory.  That's just too time consuming.

Last night we had Mac and cheese and fruit salad.   It was requested.     Granddaughter helped with the bread crumb topping -  pushing the food processor button to grate the leftover bread from speghetti and meatball night.  We added Romani cheese and parsley.   She stirred.    I made white sauce from my mix and added a variety of cheeses.    While the food was cooking, we grated another block of Romano and she helped me put the paper towels and toilet paper away.  I can bend at the waist and she is just the right height for th bottom shelf.   She loves to cook so. Let her do things that are safe for her to do.    I got stainless steel bowls with rubber bottoms.   They don't move around the counter while she stirs.

Betty Crocker on line cookbook has 15,000 recipes - plenty of inspiration,   If something takes an expensive ready made ingredient-   Substitute for something less expensive or make the ingredient.
I never buy bread crumbs even at the dollar store.    Why pay upwards of 2.40 a pound for someone else's dry bread.    We always have crusts .   Homemade bread without preservatives  goes stale  fast.
I pulse it in the food processor.    Before I had a food processor, I grated it on the biggest side of the box grater outside on a sheet pan.    ( no mess) . White sauce mix is cheaper, and better for you ( no fat) than a can of creamed soup.  Soups are really pricey without a sale and coupon.

There is a grave difference between the prices on  exact same thing depending on the store and the week.   By buying in bulk what you find with coupons and sale prices, you can drastically reduce your food bill.

Example : at Fred Meyers, a box of suddenly salad was 2.99, less a coupon would make it 2.74.  At Safeways, it was .99 and with a coupon, it was .75.  Two dollars on one item makes a lot of difference.   The limit was four.   I bought four.   Summer is coming and a pasta salad with BBQ is always good.    You can make the classic with olive oil.  

Tomatoes at Fred Meyers were almost twice the price as Winco.  .

Chicken breast was .87 at Fred Meyers.   Boneless, skinless chicken breast can be sox dollars a pound. It is an easy chore to de-bone your own and you get the added bonus of chicken stock for soup.

I have heard the expression, I'm not driving all over town to save .25.   I group my trips with other errands and plan my trips.   And, that quarter compounded throughout the year saves us 3600.00 or more.   Certainly worth some time and effort.

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- stabll/ 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 and Fred Meyers.

one last haul before the no spending freeze.  

Fred Meyers says I saved twenty dove percent, but I think it was more.  

Gummy bears were on sale for a dollar and I had a thirty cent coupon,  
Tomatoes 2.49 same size at Winco was 1.50
2 cottage cheese .99
2 chocolate milk 2.18  was .99
2 regular milk 1.89 was .99
2 hillshiremfarms sausage at 2/5 with 2 -.55 coupons,  
2 radishes .50.
2 raspberries   .99
2 Nathan's hot dogs 349. BOGO
Chicken breasts .87
Bread floor 6.39.  (10 lbs)
Total 30.63. Savings at least 11.11

Filled in with Winco

Grape tomato. 1.48
10 lbs  potatoes 1.68
Blueberries 4.98
Strawberries 1.78
Buns .88
Eng cucumber ,78
Olives .70
Tater tots 128 - 2 lbs
Total 14.26

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- stabll/ 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.    

Suddenly Sunday.

This month, my daughter left the oven on in her space for two days, My husband had dental surgery and I had to go to the doctor for my hip. We have to pay for 1/2 of a fence that needed to be replaced and my dear darling granddaughter painted on my best pair of sheets.
I did turn the furnace off because it is getting warm enough here.

I have been reading about no spend months on Pinterest. If there was ever a time for a no spend month to replenish the savings account, this would be the time. The pantry and freezers are full. I have yeast and non fat milk and we are going to Fred Meyers for some chicken, hopefully, and some perishables. It's a game. It keeps your brain active. How creative can I get between May 15 and June 15. I'll take you along for the ride. Basically, you only buy perishables - dairy and produce.

Meal plans - if you don't have a plan, you plan to fail.

The early bird gets the worm, I'd rather sleep late and have cheesecake.

I'm not as green as I am cabbage looking.


I digress

I still have pizza from the super bowl weekend sales. we have a stock of tomatoes, beans, pasta, tortillas, mashed potatoes, meat, and eggs.

1) mom out : pizza, spinach salad
2) hamburgers, suddenly salad
3) sausage, roasted root veggies, rolls
4) Mac and cheese, peas and carrots
5) leftovers
6) roasted pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, green beans with almonds
7) fish packets (spinach, rice, white beans, fish, green beans or broccoli)

We have pizza from sales for 2.44.

I got hamburgers frozen for 3.25 a pound at Fred Meyers. Buns are .88 a

Sausage was two dollars at grocery outlet. Potatoes, carrots and radishes. Radishes are .50 at Fred Meyers.

I Pay 2.35 for cheese at Costco. The old rule that it is cheaper to buy it in a block and grate it yourself isn't true. Block cheese is at best 2.50 a pound and when you grate it yourself it's a coarser grate. The fine grate lasts longer,you use less and it melts faster.

I have pork tenderloin I got for three dollars with coupons.

We still have some fish in the freezer.

Stocking at low prices saves a lot of money. I still and have been spending half of the USDA stats for thrifty meals and I think I can pretty much feed us this no spend month for free.

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.    

.

Fred Meyers ad - Sunday

Fred Meyers ad

Raspberries .99

Ritz crackers 3/5$$

Milk .99@@

Pork chops 1.67

Sour cream .99@@

Klondike bars 2/5@@

Best foods 2/5@@

Hillshire farms sausage 2/5@@

Strawberries 3.99 - 2 lbs

Oranges .99

Radishes/ green onions 2/1

Cream cycles .99

About all.


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.    

Vegetables recalled

My  husband says that the Kroger and trader joes recall of veggies was not on the news.   There was a bleep on my sales receipt from QFC.   I haven't ventured downstairs to see what's in the downstairs freezer, my hip is giving me fits.   If you bought frozen veggies from feed Meyers, QFC, or trader joes, check for an April pull date.    I did notice that the regular frozen veggies at QFC were almost gone.   There were a lot of the steamer packages.

I am still at about 70-75 dollars a week foir of us   At the point now where I am only replenishing the meat as we need to amd I find a sale.   I am toying with the idea of lowering, my budget.  

Lately we have been doing a few grocery hauls that were extreme couponing.    They tend to be low in dollar value, because of you are looking at low percentages. You need to leave the regular stuff out of the mix.    I have got anywhere from 61 to 78 percent off.   The last one was Safeways where I stocked two - one gallon hefty bag packages and suddenly salad and blue box pasta.  Pasta has an eight year shelf life.   It's a game and I have filled in the things that aren't normally on sale and we have had a few treats along the way.

Now is a good time to stock picnic type supplies, watch for coupons to stack.   Picnic supplies on the coming weeks will be the lowest prices of the year.

Next: tomorrow's Fred Meyers ad

 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- stabll/ 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.    

Friday the thirteenth

I just realized that this was Friday the thirteenth.  

Safeways has Suddenly Salad   for a dollar with a coupon on the paper.    There are coupons for a dollar off two.   I think they may stack if you use the coupon on the paper and don't electronically out them on your card. That  would make them .50.   Original price is over two dollars .   When You use the original flavor, you can isle olive oil on the dressing that will cut the hydrogenated fat.  

Barilla pasta is also a buck today and there are coupons for pronto pasta of they have it it will make a good buy.   Pasta is a good base for an inexpensive dinner.     They are making a lot of pastas with extra fiber and vegetables to make it more healthy.  

Vegetables are good prices at QFC.    The weather here is screaming picnic food.   Hopefully the children can get the deck in shape so we can eat outside.    With an east facing kitchen, it gets really hot in there by dinner time.   Spring is a good time . to take advantage of the fresh produce prices.

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

 perspective. Tshe 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

QFC is a two week ad

Peppers .99.
Tomatoes 99
Half loin pork 1/2 off ( good price?)
Milk 1.25
Zucchini .99
Oranges .99
Green beans 149
Corn on cob 5/2
Klondike bars 2.49.

Check out digital coupons

Alberways

Foster farms whole chickens .87

Potential buy
Buy 4 Kellogg cereals , get a gal of milk up to 300.
 I pay two dollars for a gallon of milk.  It is 250 this week at QFC
The cereal is 4/10.   Subtract 2.50 and the balance is 7.50 / 4.  Or 1.88
There are coupons out there that could bring the balance down.  The red plum that came it's the paper has a dollar off three coupon.   That makes the cereal 6.50 for four or 1.63 ea.    I like a dollar for a large box for a target price.   That isn't happening Larely.

Barilla pasta is a dollar on Friday.    There are pronto coupons out there.   There was a rumor that there was a dollar coupon in the red plum.   It wasn't on mine,   Different zip codes get different coupons,

There are a lot of weight watchers high protein cereals for a dollar at grocery outlet in Kenmore.  
Also Kraft singles for two dollars.  

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

 perspective. Tshe 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.