Organization

As in anything you do, organization is the key  to success.    I have four binders of recipes besides the ones I did in the 70s.   I like to have a recipe on front of me when I cook.  I have a lot of  recipes on binders  by category and put two back to back in sheet protecters.   That way, I can take them out of the binder, use them, mess them up, and wipe them off to put away.   It's easy to get in a rut and make the same things over and over.   And, if it works, don't fix it.    I am tying to broaden our experiences and try new recipes and new tastes.    Some work, some don't.   If they don't, it's really easy to 86 the recipe and have room for a new one.    I get Betty Crocker recipes often on my inbox.

I doubt I'll cook all of those recipes, but it gives us options .

There are categories of recipes that save time and money, and some don't heat up the kitchen.

1. Foil packets ( hobo dinners) can be made on the BBQ or on the oven.   Dinner is on a foil or parchment packet and there is almost no dishes after dinner .  The kids think it's fun and you can tailor meals to suit individual taste.   
2. Crock pot dinners pretty much speak  for themselves .   Dump and run meals.   You can make them the night before or the month before and freeze them.  Saves time, energy, amd doesn't heat up the kitchen.    
3. Pressure cooker meals.  Fast, doesn't heat up the kitchen, and infuses flavor.  
4. Impossible pies - easy, fast, a variety of flavors.  From main dishes to deserts.    
5. Mixes.   Save time and money and lack preservatives.  

Having a recipe at your fingertips is more efficient and you will be more likely to use it if you can easily find it.

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

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

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

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

Fred Meyers haul

Fred Meyers haul.   35.00.    

Eggs were a dollar as well as raspberries and three tomato sauces amd two bunches of radishes.  

Blueberry pie was 3.49.  Sliced cheese was 3/5 - about the same as grocery outlet ,   Cottage cheese 2.00 and lemons and grapes.    Of course,chocolate was 1.25 -- can't pass that up!   (1/2 price) and I had stacking coupons for Hillshire farms sausage which included chicken, Polish, and regular sausage with a August 30 pull date.    Plenty of time to ration it out to minimize processed meat.   

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

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

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

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

Enchilada sauce

1/4 cup canola oil
2T flour

Make a roux.

Add 1T homemade taco seasoning

Cook about 30 seconds.

Add a baby can of tomato sauce ( 8 ounces )

Stir.

Add 1.5 cups of broth ( chicken or vegetable )

Simmer until somewhat thick.

Place in covered container for up to three days or freeze ( leave head room )

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

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

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

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

Mission statement

Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from  a different perspective.

The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food  for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you  use  on a weekly basis.

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

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

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

Enchilada sauce : better, cheaper, faster.

Enchilada sauce is upwards of a dollar at the store and seldom goes on sale.    This is better, amd cheaper, as to faster -- it takes a few minutes -- it's faster than running to themstorembecausemyou forgot to buy it.....LOL. My best save......

Enchilada sauce

Make a roux with
1/4 cup canola oil and 2 T flour
Cook for a minute to get rid of the flour taste.

Add
1-8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1.5 cups broth - chicken or vegetable

1 T taco seasoning  - I use homemade. ( see previous post s)

Stir Until thickened.

Fridge life -3 days
I don't know why you couldn't freeze it.

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

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

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

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

Fred Meyers ad

Fred Meyers specials

Raspberries .99 - limit 4
Eggs .99
Cherries 2.99
Foster farms grill packs .88
Greek yogurt .88

Butter 2/5@@
Hillshire farm sausage 2/5@@$$
Pie 3.49
Strawberries 2/5
Oranges .99
Radishes .50
Zucchini .99



Hambirger helper 2/3 -- not a bargain at any price.    If you weigh the sauce and calculate the dollars per pound,muon would be amazed at how much you are paying and what can be bought for that amount of money,    The package I dissected had 4.2 ounces of pasta.   Even at a dollar a 12 ounce box, that comes to .33.   The sauce mix I found was 1.57 ounces.   If the measurements are the same, that's 11.70 a pound, roughly.     Beef is cheaper than that.    Off the soapbox.    LOL. These are 4.7 to 8.7 ounces.   Consider how much pasta can be on a 4.7 ounce box and still include the sauce mix.  
Pronto pasta is on coupon and I have got it for as little as .25 a package -- like at least 12 ounces.   It cooks on about 10 minutes and you can add real ingredients the same as hambirger helper.    Better,cheaper, faster.  

My pick for the rotation would be picnic grill pack from Foster farms if they have it.   Often, Fred Meyers forgets to order enough.     Must be getting old......LOL.    IF SO, GET A RAIN CHECK.  
then, I would opt for eggs and hillshiremfarms sausage -- it's a stacking opportunity.

Remember Tuesday is senior day at Fred Meyers ..with coupon on the paper, there is an extra 10 percent off selected things,   Private brand groceries are among the list.  

Ten dollar dollar store table

Festive table goes a long way to make an economical plain dinner soecial.    Placemats are a rubber those material that clings to the glass top table.   The plates are actually platters.   Blue blass footed tumblers finish the look,   The clear glass mugs with flags printed on them were from my stash if years ago.    Centerpiece was an old pot refurbished with older flowers.  

The glass top broke in a wind storm.   I found a used table for twenty dollars that had a sad looking frame. My husband switched glass tops and took the old metal to the recyclers.    

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

 Persphective . 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 get 

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.    

Why won't this thing work.

Now, this works.   The last post has typos that I cannot fix.   I don't know what's wrong with it,  but I give up.   The last two days on this program have been a nightmare.  

I cooked chicken breast from frozen on t he pressure cooker.   1.5 cups of water with a teaspoon of chicken granules and on medium for 18 minutes   They browned on the bottom, I would try two cups next time.   They did cook beautifully.   I probably should have mixed the water and the granules before I out in the breast.    Trial and error.  

This seems to be working now.  

Chicken, glorious chicken

I am going to cook a frozen chicken breast in the pressure cooker for the first time and make the recipe in the back of the suddenly salad box.  I have all the ingredients.

Lets talk about freezer meals.   Freezer meals have become very popular as a way of de stressing meal time,   Th dinner is in a bag in the freezer and all you have tondo is remember to take it out
and put it in the fridge the night before.  The next morning you place ot on the crockpot and of you remember to turn the crockpot on, you have dinner ready when dinner time comes.

Some professional lady had a concern that vegetables were being mixed with raw meat.   They are all being cooked to temp for a long time.    But, she may know something I don't.   - prolly so.    My feeling are that you are taking freezer space with items that don't need to be frozen.   I went to a class many years ago on freezer meals.

 They are a great help of the main cook in th house is going to be gone.  They would keep the meals on the table with little effort.

  I think you could get sick of freezer meals day after day.   The other concern is it is not for the faint at heart.   It takes standing and cooking for an entire day to make meals for a month.   Shop one day, prep the next, and cook and assemble the third day.    I can see it working for some people, especially if you have real help-- that four year old storing isn't it.

I adapted the concept to cooking the meat of that is aooropriate.  That saves a lot of time.  Prepping on one day a week for the meal plans helps too.   The meat is the thing that usually takes the longest time to cook when making a meal.   If it's already made, dinner can be together in no time.


Hamburger or ground turkey  can be

1. Meat balls 
2. Crumbles ready for pasta sauce or pizza.
3. Taco meat.   
4. Meat loaf- we usually eat that the day of cooking.

Chicken can be 

1.  Cooked whole and separated into, the dark meat, the breasts - split and the circus for soup.   
2. Chicken breasts - with ribs can be de-boned  and packed into freezer bags,  saving the rib section for soup stock. 
3. A package of chicken thighs can be cooked and shredded for tacos, or enchiladas. 

A pork loin can de cut into a roast and pork  chops.   I is I ally don't cook those before I freeze them.   

The key to keeping on a four  dollar a day budget is to average two dollars a pound for meat.  That, obviously doesn't leave much room for steak or lobster .  LOL .   But, here whole Foster farms chicken can be found for about a dollar or less a pound as well as solid chicken breast.   7 percent hambirger is often 3.18 a pound and sausage at Costco in a chub is about 2.35.  A pork loin is often less than two dollars.    Factor in a few meatless meals using eggs, cheese, and beans and it works.    

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

 Persphective . 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 get 

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.    

Sausage - bulk (Costco) 

1. Crumbles for pizza, breakfast casseroles, or in souls or pasta sauce 
2. Patties for breakfast 

All of these can be made onto a dish in the slow cooker or pressure cooker for an easy dinner.    

It really easy to put some ground meat on to fry while you do the dishes.  Just watch it and stir every now and then.  A potato masher makes a good tool to break it up if you are making taco meat or something that doesn't call for clumps.   

Chicken breast can be cut up for casseroles or chicken pot pie, or enchiladas.   Chicken thighs and drumsticks and wings can be reheated eith BBQ sauce in the oven.   

Buying good quality meat and buying at a price close to two dollars a pound is a way to keep your dinners at less than five dollars - ( a target price for the proverbial  family of fouu to stay within 4 dollars a day guidelines) . This is an average figure.   Here, it is hard to stay there without averaging-- a chicken or chicken breast with the ribs in can be found for between .87 and a dollar.    Good 7 percent hamburger around 3.18.  Sausage is about 2.50 in a chub at Costco (jimmy dean).   When you add cheese  

Hot days...continued.

This reader of mine is giving me fits.    It ok me two hours to post what it took me half an hour to make.   I will try to finish now,

Salad ready for the fridge.   

Cut the tomatoes in half.   De seed them, and then cut in pieces.  It is easier to cut from the fleshy side than the outside.  Roma's are better because you get more flesh and less seeds.   

Tomatoes  chopped and in deli container.  Add Cesear dressing  and toss before refrigerating.  

Chicken salad recipe on back of box sounds good.   

Finally, the end.   

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.    

Hot weather ahead.

Meal plans about to change.    Hot weather osmahead and that's when it's more appropriate to either have cold food or make dinner on the crockpot, pressure cooker, or BBQ so the kitchen isn't hotter than it already is.    We don't have air conditioning because hot so not the norm for this part of he country.   We use fans or head for the beach!    The kids have a new water park.

I did buy cream cycles , chocolate and strawberry.    I have pop cycle forms I got from Fred Meyers on sale last year.    Time to make some raspberry tea and break out the yogurt for  yogurt pops.

I did get help to summarize the deck yesterday.   I purchased an RV rug from Amazon,   IT was realitively inexpensive and makes going  barefoot a lot more pleasant out there.    On hot days, it's on the east side of the house so eating out there is really pleasant.

Rug from Amazon,   Trays from the dollar store.   I really wanted blue, but there were green , amd orange left and one blue one.   

We have hamburger bins and hamburger parties on the freezer.   I think I'll make suddenly salad with olive oil this morning and a tomato and cucumber salad.   I'll take granddaughter along for the ride.   

Half an hour total to make two salads - in the fridge cooling.

First up....suddenly salad.   There are coupons out there, I got most of these for .75. I add black olives and usually tomatoes.   This time we are also having tomato and cucumber salad, so I opted n

Suddenly salad has been on sale for a dollar and there are coupons making it about .75.  Black olives are .58 at Winco this week.   

Boil the noodles for 12 minutes.   Leaving a wooden spoon in the pot is supposed to keep it from

boiling over.  

While the water was coming up to a boil, I peeled stripes into a English cucumber (.78 at Winco) and sliced it into chunks.  De seeded  it and quartered the chunks.    I bought a new Betty Crocker peeler from the dollar store.   This is for the cucumber/ tomato salad.

While the pot is boiling, prep your sink with a colander and a small bowl of ice.   When the noodles are done, drain them and chill with the ice.   

I'm a small bowl. Add water and olive oil to seasoning packet.   I added the black olives to marinate.    

Add dressing to drained pasta on a refrigerator bowl.  Cover and chill 

Meanwhile, back at the counter. ..

Cucumbers are cut up and in a deli container ready for the tomatoes.    

The ads

we actually have four - well, maybe three ads this week.    Still, not many good buys to report,  

Alberways

Cheese 2 lbs 4.99 a still, grated is cheaper at Costco.
18 eggs 1.99 - last check were cheaper at Winco
Apples .99
Grapes 1.99
Pork loin 1.79
Mangos 1.00


.80 cent sale , when you buy 10

Manwich
Catsup
Pasta sauce
Refried beans

Grocery outlet
Peter Pan peanut  butter .99
Tomatoes .99
Chicken of the sea tuna .79 BOGO -buy 3, get one free
Orchids 7.99


QFC

Blues 3.99
Peaches 1.48
Milk 4/5 - 2,00 at Fred Meyers

Buy 5, save 5
Hillshire farms sausage 199$$
Frosted Flakes - probably $$ 1.99
Goldfish .99
Dryers  ice cream 249
Pepperidge farm cookies 1.99

Nathan's 2/6

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- 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.    

No ads yet.

 The mail is always later for the ads when there has been a holiday.    We have not received the ads yet.  You can still get them on line for QFC and Safeways.    Favado has downloaded some, but you have to go to QFCs web site for theirs.    I trust I can wait for the Mail.  I don't have to have anything.

I want to buy a couple of food plants for the deck.  It is really convenient to walk out the family room door and pick what you need.    Of course, last year, busy little hands picked some before their time.    LOL.  This year she's a bit older and can know better.     The tomatoes might do better next to the house where they get hotter sun.

It's probably cheaper to just buy the veggies I'm season from the fresh food market or the grocery store.   I do think that growing some veggies and making food from scratch is good for children to see.    Children need to know food doesn't come from a fast food chain or a box.

There is a flour recall from General Mills.    I haven't bought regular flour  for a long time.   I thought it was interesting that they are suggesting you handle floor with the same precautions as hand,OMG raw meat

Truth in advertising

I don't watch a lot of tv.   Reality tv just isn't my bag.    I do, however, watch a lot of u tube videos.   Some to educate myself on cooking and some to see how others shop and save! ?

I read piece someone wrote on extreme couponing.   Like. Three rooms of stuff they will never use in their lifetime and spending 70 hours a week clipping coupons and buying coupons .   Not me.    I coupon .  I spend about five minutes a week except for the week I clean out my coupon binder and download two coupons of the things I use on a regular basis.   If I see something in clearance or on sale for a good price, I check my binder for a coupon.  I don't always remember if I have a coupon for something.  If I see someone buying something I have a coupon for, I've been known to excuse myself and pass them a coupon.   Shocks people.   Random act of kindness.   It's like giving so,wine a dollar.   I think that one lady didn't know what it was.  The checker took it from her and the lady smiled from ear to ear when she realized her sales slip was a dollar less.
It's just once piece of the puzzle  to make your food bill a little lighter.

Am I going to say  we are foodies and we only eat food from Mars and peel our strawberries?   No.
We are normal people that eat a variety of foods and I try to watch our salt, sugar, fat and especially hydrogenated vegetables.   If I can find organic at a reasonable price on something that we can eat immediately so it doesn't get fed to the garbage disposal, I will buy it.

Because, no food will do your family good if you are feeding it to the garbage disposal.  

The rest of this was deleted by mistake.  

LIfe is just one balancing act.

Yesterday I took advantage of the fact  that the house was very quiet and I organized my download d recipes and cleaned out the coupon binder.   I also watched a fair amount of grocery hauls.    A lot of family of four for two have noted dollars for two weeks.   A lot more for a lot more.  

A little kitchen management goes a long ways to cut your food budget drastically and still eat well and healthy.    I don't mean run five miles a day and eat sprouts for lunch healthy -- which by the way I am hearing that sprouts are not good for you, along with white,chocolate and strawberries that aren't organic.   Organic strawberries were twice as much as regular ones when I checked.   

I intend to plant the deck pots with food this year.   I already have chives.    

I found recipes for cornbread mix.   I am the only one that likes cornbread on the house, so I didn't jump  on that one.   I also find recipes for BBQ sauce.   Honestly, when I can get BBQ sauce for .55, it's not worth my time for the little we use it.   I do want to learn how to make a good enchilada sauce.   I down loaded a couple or recipes and will try them.   The ingredients are cheap and it costs a lot to buy.   Pick your battles.   

I am on a quest to eat well, without spending the entire lay heck and standing on my feet all day.  We already eat well on less than four dollars a day.   Now, I want to lower that amount and eat more scratch food.   It sounds impossible , but I have already mastered the less than four dollar a day part.  I'm just working on the lower the fat, sugar and salt and hydrogenated oils and scratch cook without spending my days on my feet in the kitchen part.   LOL.  

Appliances that save time and money- some can be found at garage or estate sales, or at the thrift shops.   In order of low cost to higher.   

1. Slow cooker.   - there is something really special about coming home to a hot cooked meal.  The smell is divine. 
2. Food processor.  For bulk cooking, it's a lifesaver.  Along with grating cheese and making bread crumbs and pizza dough.  
3. Blender - if you like smoothies . 
4. Bread baker.   - better bread, cheaper .   Even bread outlet bread is pricey .   It's easy and cheaper to make your own.    
5. Pressure cooker.   The new electronic ones are safer and do multiples of things- everything from making yogurt to slow cooking as well as pressure cooking- homemade soup in minutes that tastes like you have been cooking all day- healthier than a box or can.  That  doesn't mean that I'm not going to stock my canned goods .   It just gives me another option.   Some things are cheaper ready made.   Some are too labor ontensive to make it worth my while.  Nobody ever accused me of being a foodie!   LOL. 

Most of those can be purchased used or for little money with coupons etc at the department stores 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.    

Scratch or ready made.

Age old question, ismotmchesoer to buy something or make it from scratch.   Believe it or not , sometimes it is cheaper to buy the ingredient ready made.    The USDA hinted to that when the price of beef went up dramatically.  

In a quest to make more from scratch I did the math.  The recipe for pizza that was published in Woman's Day , used part of a small can of tomato sauce and Italian herbs.  The cost of a can  of tomato sauce lately has been 3/1 .   Which would make about three pizzas.    The cost of a pinch of Italian seasoning is too small to calculate.     That's roughly 11 cents a pizza.   It is not the same taste or texture as real pizza sauce.  

The scratch recipes researched were a lot more.   The lest expensive that is regular pizza sauce is in a jar at the dollar  store.  The problem with it, is that it makes numerous pizzas - if that is a problem.    The solution is to put it in an ice cube tray and freeze it.   It doesn't take long.  Then pop the cubes out and place on a bag and return to freezer.   It takes a few minutes to defrost either on the counter or in the microwave and you are good to go.   It takes about three cubes to make two large pizzas.  

Scratch pizza sauce recipes all came to at least two dollars.    You could freeze them the same, but the cost is more.  

By the way, if you don't have ice cube trays, they are at the dollar store too.   They also have glass small bowls for 4/1 in a package-  that's a fraction of what I paid for mesinplas bowls.  

My next attempt - scratch pizza crust .  

I did cost BBQ sauce, that , too is cheaper bought on sale with coupons.  

Kitchen time is best spent on things that either taste way better or are a lot cheaper to make scratch.  


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.    

Fred Meyers

We needed a dairy run.   The last time milk was a dollar at FM , we bought 2 gallons.   We had a quart left.   I got 2 more gallons and some berries and ice cream.    I have be n watching food prep and grocery hauls.   Trying to beef up my culinary skills and make more from scratch.    My goal is to  cut the grocery bill some more and have healthier meals , and be efficient at it too.    I am thinking the pressure  cooker might be an asset in this endeavor.  

I like preping in the morning for the evening meal.    My evening I am not feeling the ambition I have in the morning.    This staves off the drive through demons and makes for a more efficient dinner-- especially when I have to adapt for a vegetarian.

My dad always said the more you do, the more you want to do.   Always keep growing.    

Tonight we were home alone and we just had leftovers.   Waste not.  want not .

I watched a lady prep for her week.   She broke down her meal plan and chopped amd prepped anything she could for the week.  Another lady put plastic shoe boxes in her fridge with each day's ingredients.  I'm not quite that ambitious. But it would help someone that has te ms that are dinner before you can make dinner or of you work late and have to get dinner in a hurry or have a teen or other family member start dinner.

Even something  as simple as washing my your greens for salad and Pittsburgh not the, in a bowl with a dry paper towel is a good way to cut time in the kitchen at dinner time.  

I like the idea of making a bunch of salads in the summer time and rotating a grill or other easy entre protein.    You just replenish or add a salad as the week progresses.   It keeps you out of a hot kitchen.
Hamburgers or black bean burgers, chicken skewers, hot dogs, a steak of you are lucky enough to find a sale.

Using a crock pot or pressure cooker makes dinner easy and keeps the kitchen cool.

Broken record.

It seems to me that I'm a broken record these days.  Almost all the kids were home today-- at least the ones from the PNW.    I made pizzas and we had the watermelon I bought today.   Good job I did, it was very ripe.   It was a dollar and we had enough to make 5 of us have a decent serving.

Costing out two pizzas was an eye opener.     Two ready made crusts were 2. At the dollar store.   A jar of pizza sauce was a dollar, but I got at least six pizzas from it ( I poured it into an ice cube tray, froze it, and  dumped the cubes  into  a gallon bag.   That's 2.33 without any toppings.  I got Freschetta and De jiorno pizzas for 2.44 at Super Bowl time.   I suspect that when I venture into finding a thin pizza crust to make from scratch, the price will go down.  The pizza sauce at the dollar store is cheaper than scratch.  If I use a small can of tomato salad de and incorporate the rest to another dish, or could be cheaper.    I always have two dollar a pound cheese in the freezers and toppings as well.
 Today, I found red and yellow peppers at grocery outlet for 5/3.00.  Sausage I fry and defat and keep on the freezer.  Pepperoni I usually get for free with coupons at the dollar store.   Sliced black olives are .70 at Winco.  

Crust
Sauce - 1/6 jar of pizza sauce -.17
Cheese - 1 cup - .50
Pepperoni (BOGO w coupon ) .50 - .25
Black olives - 1/2 can - .35
Total 1.27 plus a crust.  

This still makes a frozen pizza on sale with a coupon cheaper.    I'm not convinced that anything less than the big guys is a better pizza than scratch.

I am finding a lot of casserole type dishes that give you the essence of pizza without the typical crust pizza.  



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

 Persphective . 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 get 

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 outlet and dollar tree,

Grocery outlet

Honey roasted peanut butter .99
Spaghetti, (red sauce) 1 liter bag .50
Watermelon .99
Sweet peppers (5) 2.99

Total 5.47

Dollar tree
Snyders pretzels
Pizza crust
Muffin mix , Fleishmann's Greek yogurt
Muffin mix

Total 4.00
I also bought  meisenplas bowls 4/1 .  Glass.  

Total 10.47.  


Most of that was not stock items.  

Know your prices.   I only bought things we n ended that were a bargain.   I can see the sweet red sauce with meatballs, pineapple, and some of the peppers over rice.  

Knowing my husband and I are on our own one night, I bought individual pizza crusts .  

Name brand pretzels are always a bargain at a buck.   A good inexpensive snack.   Add some hummus.

The muffins are yummy and have added calcium.  

Meal plans - 10 days?

I did meal plans this morning.  I'm still on a quest to eat down the pantry and only buy perishables or something I need to replenish.  I am also trying to broaden my skills and use appliances to my best interest in efficiently cooking economical good food.  

First, I took inventory, noting what needed to be eaten quickly.   I incorporated Saturday through next Sunday,    Two of those days, some of us aren't going to be home.  

• Pizza, green salad 
• Out to dinner 
• Pasta in the pressure cooker , salad ( tomatoes and cucumbers ) 
• Breakfast for dinner - eggs, bacon, muffins ( banana , Greek yogurt from the dollar store) ,fruit 
• Not refried beans and rice in the pressure  cooker,  taco salad 
• Sausage, vegetable soup, leftover vegetable bean soup (vegetarians ) 
• Hot dogs, hamburgers. Salad, fruit 
• Pulled pork sandwiches. Fruit, potato salad 
• Pork roast, baked potatoes. Green salad, green beans. 

I found a dinner roll recipe without yeast on Pinterest.    It sounds really good and has the basic ingredients.  As children, my mother always had a stock for certain things on the house so we knew of we wanted to bake, we could pick from a limited number of items.   She would only buy cornflakes or puffed wheat in bags when we were kids.   Imagine her surprise when I found a recipe to make Carmel  (corn?) from puffed wheat.    LOL.  Peanut butter cookies,snickerdoodles, and a blond brownie rounded out our expertise.   She used to buy angel food cake mixes. But that was about all the mixes she bought.   Everything was scratch.   

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.    

Fred Meyers ad -- tomorrow's

Fred Meyers ad for tomorrow.



Sunday and Monday only
Cauliflower .99
Ground turkey 2.88
Sirloin steak 397
Tomatoes .88


 Strawberries 3.49-2 lbs
Milk .99@@
Barilla 1.00
Red Barron pizza 3/10
Peaches 1.99
Corn 2-1
Kale 1.49


About it.    Some prices are cheaper at Winco.  

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 prices

all close to a dollar 

Celery .88

Carrots .98 a bag 

Roma's .88

English cucumbers .78

Corn .24 

Romaine bag 2.98

Potato salad 3.98

Buns .68

Best laid plans.

Meal plans are a necessity in cooking in the cheap.  But, sometimes, being flexible with those plans works too.   I got crescent rolls for 2/1 at grocery outlet yesterday.    I asked my granddaughter what she wanted for dinner.    She sold soup with beans in it.    It took me a minute, but realized she meant vegetable bean soup.   It's one of her favorites.    It's cheap ( about three dollars a full crockpot) and full of no fat nutrition.   I will add the cheezy rolls with it ( crescent rolls with some grated cheese inside, ) one of the fastest dinners you can make and a good one of you hav family members arriving home at different times.  

I don't know of it works on the pressure cooker, I'll have to do some research,  

Kenmore dollar tree still has pronto speghetti.    I had one last coupon.    New coupons come out the first of the month.   For some reason, my mail insert was a smart source.   I didn't see a r d plum this week.  

Vegetable bean soup .   it's a dump soup
Place in crockpot.  

1. 2 cans of diced tomatoes.    ( Italian works - just dint add seasoning ) 
2. 2 cans beans, rinsed and drained.   - I use two different kinds 
3. 4 cups broth - any kind will work 
4. 1/2 cup celery, and 2 carrots, chopped and sautéed  until soft.   
5. 1 T Italian seasoning, 
6. 1 tsp chopped garlic.   

I don't add onions, because we don't like them.   If your family eats them, you can add them.  

Cover and cook 6-8 hours on low.   

You can always substitute cooked beans for the canned  ones.   

I have been seeing u tubes that suggest you make a huge pot of rice or beans and eat them all week.   That is a mistake,    Beans and rice spoil fast- and faster when they are in something,    Especially if you have a compromised immune system, don't keep beans and rice around more than two days or so.  Rice and beans are both inexpensive when bought in bulk.   You are much safer making small batches,    Better safe than sorry.     Rice in a pressure cooker or rice cooker is almost effortless.   

Beans can be cooked on a pressure cooker, or crockpot as well.    I cooked them without soaking them, and they were fine,    

I love appliances that let me set it and forget it. 

The biggest assets you can have to cut your food bill are 

1. Know your prices and always buy at RBP process for the things you use in a regular basis.   
2. Meal plan using family favorites that use inexpensive ingredients that ar efficient cooking. 
3. Stock so you are not caught paying that ugly f word---full price.    
4. Coupon when it makes sense.   A coupon for junk food doesn't make sense.   

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.    

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Time or money?

I just saw a u tube that said you can save time, or you can save money.    No, you can save time AND money.    It all about balance.    Now, what else would you expect a libra to say!     LOL.  

Just like housework, if you can stop for a minute and say to yourself...what comes first....what can I do that will do itself , while I do something else.   What takes the longest to cook.   And then move forward from there.    That's why one pot meals are so popular .  You can get on and out of the kitchen fast.   I like things that pretty much cook themselves......the only thing better is the things my husband cooks.

Today, we decoded to get out of the house and try to find a few things I saw on a u tube from the dollar store.   I didn't find the princess castle , but I did find an adult coloring book -  they sell for seven dollars elsewhere and are supposed to help your brain and help you to d stress.    Also found the elf eye shadow base I was looking for.    I also found pound cake for our strawberry shortcake for our picnic dinner.  

Grocery outlet netted crescent rolls and sliced cheese .   Crescent rolls we will have for dinner tomorrow.  

Terrific Thursday

we are having picnic food tonight.  I bought two ears of corn in th cob and we have buns that need to be used.    I plan on corn in the cob, hamburgers  and hot dogs and tomato/cucumber salad.

Last night's dinner,    Sometimes we get onto just cooking and not stopping to cost anything out.   Every once  in a while, I cost things -- it's either the accountant in me, or the fact that I check to see how much on target I am.    

1) hamburger - 1.50

2) lettuce .75 

3) black olives .70

4) tomato .50

Cheese .25 

 Total for salad : 3.70/2 is 1.85 ( 1/2 is leftover for lunch . ) 

Refried beans 

1) beans .40

2) cheese  .25 

3) salsa ..20

Total .85    

This makes the equivalent of two cans of beans for .60 or .30 a can.    The cheese I add to canned as well as homemade refried beans, the added bonus is there is No fat in homemade refried beans,   

Rice : .17 

Total meal 2.87 

Not fried  , refried beans are not time consuming if you use a crock pot or pressure cooker.    I used my food processor  the second time I made them.   The first time I used the potato masher.   

The second time I us d the insta pot recipe and we liked it better.   I added water to reheat them and put cheese on top.    If I hadn't out the cheese on top, I would have covered the beans with vented plastic wrap or a silicone top.    

On a quest to figure out how to make scratch without standing in your feet for hours in the kitchen.    

Efficient cooking is a key in grocery shopping on the cheap.    It's not about cheap food.    It's about good food, cheap.    Spending more time on the front end of shopping and planning, and less time cooking allows you the luxury of 1/2 price meals and an added bonus of a stockpile for emergencies.   

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.    

Dinner

 

Dinner : taco salad, refried beans, rice.   

All scratch : the only can opened was the black olives 

Tuesday ads on Wednesday

I went to the dollar tree .  I had found Fleishmann's muffin mix earlier.   If something is new, I don't want to buy a lot until I find out of our family likes it,   It was easy and delicious,    It makes 12 calorie conscious muffins with good nutrition.    I bought four more.    I also found ore-Ida frozen potatoes , 1.5 pounds for a dollar.    ...and who says all the food from the dollar store comes from China?    I always read the labels carefully.    Knowing that China has barcodes that start with 6 is a quick reference,   Tiwaiian has 472 I believe.  

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2. 

The dinners on the right are for my daughter.  Sometomes she forgets her lunch and these are emergency rations, LOL.   

QFC 

1.  Grapes 1.99
2. Berries 2/4
3. Butter 2/5
4. Tomatoes 1.99
5. Corn 2/1
6. Pie 3.49

Alberways 

1. Tomatoes .99
2. Baked beans / bush's 3/5
3. Tillamook 2/5 -   5/27-5/30 

Five dollar Friday 

Shrimp

Pork tenderloins

There may be some coupons out there for pork tenderloin and baked beans.    

My pick for a rotation would be woncom 318 - 7 percent hambirger of it's still on,    Winco has no ad, so you just have to check.   Another option would be the fish at Winco.