Hamburger hack!

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

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

Let's skip the coupon for now.   

The math : 

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

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

Difference.  1.68

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

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

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

3) Now, pour boiling water over the crumbles.   

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

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

Now, 3.99 X 1.03 is 4.11 for the cheapest 

And, the more expensive sis 5.99

Difference is 1.88 a pound less.  

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

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

You,can make  :

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

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



Thanks for stopping by

Jane

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

Books for cheap. good, fast meals.

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

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

Dinner tonight is ham and scalloped potatoes and chopped broccoli.    

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

From cookbook bought at the dollar store.

Good and Cheap

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

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

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

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

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

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


Off the soapbox!  

Thanks for stopping by
Pleas share

Jane

Just dropped by .

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

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

 

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

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

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

The ads

Haggens

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

QFC two week ad
Peaches 1.29
Shrimp 5.99

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


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


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

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

Albertsons
Grapes 1.99

Buy 6, save 3
Sausage 2.99
Beef franks 3.99


Bumble bee .59@@
Bread .99

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

That's about it.  

Breakfast for dinner..

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


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

How rite aid rewards works.

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

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

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

Next, I got smarter.  

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

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

For 17.09 cash I got

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

Rite aid haul.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scratch Mac and cheese

Home made mac and cheese.  

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

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

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

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

Serve with chopped broccoli or mixed veggies.  

A very economical, comfort food meal.  

Winco

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

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

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

Guess you can't win them all.  

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

Fred Meyers ad, tomorrow.  

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

That's about all!

Thanks


Jane

Nice to know. ......

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

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

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

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

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

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

The so called ads

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

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

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

Albertsons

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

About it.  

Safeways

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

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


Haggens

Zilch!  

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

Thanks

Jane

Small investments that will reap the snowball effect.

No ads yet.  We got no mail yesterday.  

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share 

Jane  

Non food items for almost free or free.

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

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

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

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

Please comment if I forgot something.   

RBP- rock bottom prices

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


These prices are in the Seattle area.  

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

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

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

Tomorrows Fred Meyer ad

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

Not much there this week.  

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

The ads ,,,just got them

Note FAVADO doesn't always have accurate information.   

Safeways 

Grapes 1.69

Tillamook yogurt 10/4

Five dollar Friday 

Bareilly pasta  1.00

Ice cream 2/

Hormel tenderloin $$ 1.00

Cantaloupes  3/5

Extreme coupons. - extremely expensive!   

Nalleys  chili .99

Klondike bars 2.99 they have no sugar added 

Salad .99

Tissue. 160 count .99

4 lbs sugar 1.79

Lettuce .88

QFC. Two week ad 

Lettuce .99

Butter 2/5

Blues 2.99

Yogurt 2/88$$. .50 on five 

Strawberries 1.88

Grapes 1.48

Albertsons 

Grapes 1.69

Eggs .99@@

Tillamook yogurt .38@@

Extremely expensive coupons 

DiGiorno 6.49

Ice cream drumsticks 4.99

Refried beans .99 ( cheaper at Costco)

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

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share 

Jane