we got the ads today..not much there, and QFC is a two week ad
QFC
Strawberries 2/3
Raspberries,blackberries 2/5
Buy5 save 5
Most of it is overpriced or junk food - net prices
Daves killer bread 3.49
Huge Cheerios 2.49$$
La croix water 2.99
Peanut butter 1.49
TIde 4.99$$
Alberways
Nalley chili .99@@
Salsa 1.79@@
Eggs .79@@
Buy 10 - .80 each net
Catsup
Refried beans
Maybe manwich
Catsup is really a bargain and almost the last time it will be cheap until summer next.
Refried beans are a little cheaper at Costco , but at Costco you don't have a choice of "flavors.
-- you can't get vegetarian . I have been making it myself with no oil.
That's about it. I'm not seeing great buys.
Winco has green grapes for .99. Basket tomatoes are close to the 1.50 range. Inthknomsawmxhixken breast for 1.68.
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.
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
How times have changed
I was researching my notes and recipes from long ago and found a meal plan from May 2002. How times have changed. We still eat on a strict budget, it's just that the meals have taken a drastic change. Between the cost of food going up dramatically, and some people opting for "special" diets, things aren't quite the same,
- Pizza
- Meatballs
- Ham quiche
- Hamburgers
- Meatloaf
- Dagwood sandwiches
- Tuna casserole
- Beef briskit
- BBQ beef Sandwiches
- Pizza, ham, pineapple, peppers
- Hot dogs
- Roast chicken
- Sloppy joes
- Chicken pot pie
- Tacos, refried beans, rice
- Shrimp muffins, potato soup
- Pizza: chicken, onion, black olives
- BBQ spareribs, salads
- Roast pork loin
- Shrimp fettuccini
- Pork stir fry
- Quiche (bacon)
- Tuna casserole
- Pasta bake , spinach salad w bacon and egg
- Steak,
- Roast chicken
- Hamburgers
- London broil
- Pizza
- Chicken casserole
- Spareribs
I am seeing a drastic cut on the amount of beef we are eating, We aren't eating the portions of meat we did before, or the amount of processed meat. Some things never change, tacos and pizza continue to be our favorites. I still piggy back meat. Pasta bake is what my nephew has named no Brainer pasta.
Times change, we have to roll with the flow. We still eat more than the RDA of protein. And we still eat Balanced. We have adjusted our meals to reflect the changing marketplace. When beef took a HUGE leap in prices, we started eating more chicken. I cooked a lot of scratch food then too. I had a pizza recipe that is made on the food processor. I have since then got a bread baker and have found a cold rise recipes. I was baking sour dough from scratch, but it had to be made frequently, and we weren't eating enough to keep it going. I am going to try a pizza dough that is made in the kitchen aid.
Fourteen years have seen a lot of changes. Some food, some not so good. The bottom line is life goes on-- .
Many years ago , someone predicted we would t be eating, we would just take pills. I said , never.
Niw, my daughter has decided she is going to be vegan. She plugs in what she ears to a program on her phone, and supplements what nutrients she needs with pills ( vitamins ) . Who would have dreamed. I'm not sure that is the healthiest way to eat, but time will tell.
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Terrific Tuesday
I ran onto a U- tuber that calls herself the dollar tree gourmet. She cooks amazing food from the dollar tree. Now, she cooks 2 portions, and they are not cheap. Sometimes as much as seven dollars. You do have to consider that some things are not used up and available for another dinner. I would not condone buying all your food from the dollar tree unless you had no choice. I have read where people have lost their independent grocery store and there were no other stores without traveling to another town. In that case, I would get the flyers from those grocery stores amd plan a stocking trip once a month, Carpooling with a friend or neighbour would help defer the cost. You probably would be a lot of money ahead just getting RBP on staples. My SIL and I used to kea e the children with husbands when they were little and go to the next town for groceries. They had really good prices.
I am dehydrating yellow squash today. The neighbor gave me five small ones that were very ripe. I sliced them in the mandolin while my husband finished up dinner. I didn't want to be up all night, so I'll put them in the dehydrator this morning, I bought screens for the trays. They came too big, so I am cutting them down.
We are having shrimp salad for dinner. Easy Peasy.
No coupons worth having in the Sunday paper except blue bunny ice cream. Yum! They have small ice cream cones that are low in carbs but are not sugar free. Just the right size. Goldilocks size!
I make bread with a bread baker, and I make pizza dough with the bread baker. I did find another recipe that you do with the kitchen aid and sometimes I make cold rise bread that comes out more like sourdough. You can buy bread as cheap as a dollar at the dollar store or at Winco, but it isn't the same, Homemade bread has a few ingredients and none of them are preservatives. Basically flour, salt, sugar. Olive oil and yeast. The recipe we like calls for Parmesean and pepper. I like the bread machine because I don't have to stand and knead the dough and it's a low non passive cook.
Cold rise is no knead, but it takes 24 hours. It's not real time consuming, but it takes attention over a long period of time.
Both have to be eaten soon or they go stale.
Taking preservatives put of food as much as we all would like our food to be preservative free, is,nit practical. It would be expensive and you would have to go to the market daily. Organic food is the same way. The last I heard, only four percent of the farms in America are certified organic. Organic food spoils fast. Four percent of the farms can't produce 100 percent of our country's needs, let alone export to other countries. It's not practical yet.
That being said, a lot of things can be made from scratch easily and you can avoid a lot of them. Somewhere , there is a happy medium.
It's not easy for busy families with working mothers. I always worked part time when the children were in school until they were teenagers and worked themselves. It meant that my social security is lower and I worked a lot for non profit and small business so I didn't have the benefit of a pension. I'm paying for that now. Money isn't everything, and we are comfortable. We have a lot to be
thankful for and I get to see my granddaughter everyday-- complete with the ups and downs. She duded up with arm pads, knee pads. Helmet , and her roller skates and took off with her mom to the park, skirt flying. Guess there was no rock climbing that day! LOL.
To wrap up, I guess the short term solution to organic --until someone figures out how to produce mass amounts and get them to keep at least a week and lower the price to realistic levels for the masses, is to wash your vegetables with vinegar water. I have a designated brush. Things with thick skin are better and I hear not necessary to buy organic to get the benefit. I have heard that buying organic bananas is a waste. Ditto watermelon. I don't buy watermelon but once a year, it's about the highest in the glycemic index. In other words, it's full of sugar.
My part for a healthy diet on a minimal budget is to :
Wash vegetables and fruits where appropriate with vinegar, and peel if appropriate.
Avoid excess salt. We don't for the most part buy junk food snacks. Nuts are good for you, but try to get less salty ones. Don't salt everything you cook.
Avoid excess sugar. Try for fruit instead of baked goods for desert. We don't have desert every night.
You can buy inexpensive protein without a lot of trans fats. Ground meat can be purchased as low as 7 percent fat and then you can de-fat it to reduce the fat more. Olive oil boosts your good cholesterol, not all fats are created equal.
Avoid hydrogenated oils. Only safflower , canola and olive oils are not hydrogenated. Most fake butter has hydrogenated oils. Now they are saying that butter does not clog your veins. My nutritionist says a skim of butter is better than a pat of margarine, The less dense a spread so, the better it is for you. It goes without saying, margarine, lard and shortening is not the best choice for fats. We all need some fat on our diet. The operative word is some.
I'm not an expert on this, I only know what I read, and have tried to read a lot of different articles and look at how credible the author is.
Fake anything is fake. It's an alternative. They have found that fat free products make you fat! Obese I think is the preferred word. Sugar free products with some artificial sweeteners make you obese too. They fake sugar is not recognized by the body and sticks to your fat cells making them "fatter" .
Only time will tell if all the fad diets out there will prove to be healthy or not. I'm too old. I'll stick to the tried and true, Eat a variety of foods. Eat balanced from the USDA pyramid. Eat in moderation and eat the best quality you can afford. Cook clean, don't cross contaminate, and pay attention to things like rice and beans and meat that may be past it's safe zone. Nothing is worth making your family sick.
Thanks for stopping by. . Please share.
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.
I am dehydrating yellow squash today. The neighbor gave me five small ones that were very ripe. I sliced them in the mandolin while my husband finished up dinner. I didn't want to be up all night, so I'll put them in the dehydrator this morning, I bought screens for the trays. They came too big, so I am cutting them down.
We are having shrimp salad for dinner. Easy Peasy.
No coupons worth having in the Sunday paper except blue bunny ice cream. Yum! They have small ice cream cones that are low in carbs but are not sugar free. Just the right size. Goldilocks size!
I make bread with a bread baker, and I make pizza dough with the bread baker. I did find another recipe that you do with the kitchen aid and sometimes I make cold rise bread that comes out more like sourdough. You can buy bread as cheap as a dollar at the dollar store or at Winco, but it isn't the same, Homemade bread has a few ingredients and none of them are preservatives. Basically flour, salt, sugar. Olive oil and yeast. The recipe we like calls for Parmesean and pepper. I like the bread machine because I don't have to stand and knead the dough and it's a low non passive cook.
Cold rise is no knead, but it takes 24 hours. It's not real time consuming, but it takes attention over a long period of time.
Both have to be eaten soon or they go stale.
Taking preservatives put of food as much as we all would like our food to be preservative free, is,nit practical. It would be expensive and you would have to go to the market daily. Organic food is the same way. The last I heard, only four percent of the farms in America are certified organic. Organic food spoils fast. Four percent of the farms can't produce 100 percent of our country's needs, let alone export to other countries. It's not practical yet.
That being said, a lot of things can be made from scratch easily and you can avoid a lot of them. Somewhere , there is a happy medium.
It's not easy for busy families with working mothers. I always worked part time when the children were in school until they were teenagers and worked themselves. It meant that my social security is lower and I worked a lot for non profit and small business so I didn't have the benefit of a pension. I'm paying for that now. Money isn't everything, and we are comfortable. We have a lot to be
thankful for and I get to see my granddaughter everyday-- complete with the ups and downs. She duded up with arm pads, knee pads. Helmet , and her roller skates and took off with her mom to the park, skirt flying. Guess there was no rock climbing that day! LOL.
To wrap up, I guess the short term solution to organic --until someone figures out how to produce mass amounts and get them to keep at least a week and lower the price to realistic levels for the masses, is to wash your vegetables with vinegar water. I have a designated brush. Things with thick skin are better and I hear not necessary to buy organic to get the benefit. I have heard that buying organic bananas is a waste. Ditto watermelon. I don't buy watermelon but once a year, it's about the highest in the glycemic index. In other words, it's full of sugar.
My part for a healthy diet on a minimal budget is to :
Wash vegetables and fruits where appropriate with vinegar, and peel if appropriate.
Avoid excess salt. We don't for the most part buy junk food snacks. Nuts are good for you, but try to get less salty ones. Don't salt everything you cook.
Avoid excess sugar. Try for fruit instead of baked goods for desert. We don't have desert every night.
You can buy inexpensive protein without a lot of trans fats. Ground meat can be purchased as low as 7 percent fat and then you can de-fat it to reduce the fat more. Olive oil boosts your good cholesterol, not all fats are created equal.
Avoid hydrogenated oils. Only safflower , canola and olive oils are not hydrogenated. Most fake butter has hydrogenated oils. Now they are saying that butter does not clog your veins. My nutritionist says a skim of butter is better than a pat of margarine, The less dense a spread so, the better it is for you. It goes without saying, margarine, lard and shortening is not the best choice for fats. We all need some fat on our diet. The operative word is some.
I'm not an expert on this, I only know what I read, and have tried to read a lot of different articles and look at how credible the author is.
Fake anything is fake. It's an alternative. They have found that fat free products make you fat! Obese I think is the preferred word. Sugar free products with some artificial sweeteners make you obese too. They fake sugar is not recognized by the body and sticks to your fat cells making them "fatter" .
Only time will tell if all the fad diets out there will prove to be healthy or not. I'm too old. I'll stick to the tried and true, Eat a variety of foods. Eat balanced from the USDA pyramid. Eat in moderation and eat the best quality you can afford. Cook clean, don't cross contaminate, and pay attention to things like rice and beans and meat that may be past it's safe zone. Nothing is worth making your family sick.
Thanks for stopping by. . Please share.
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.
Monday, July 25, 2016
Long term storage.
BIgfamilyhomestead.com posted a list of foods that keep a long time, some almost indefinitely for the our lose of having emergency rations.
Whether or not you are going to have an emergency ration storage big time, is up to you, what I got from this is you don't have to believe every pull date on the store. I do expressly adhere to the pull date on meat. Fresh vegetables speak for themselves. Ofmthemfreezerof slime, they are pretty much toast, I have been drying anything that looks like it might go to slime. My daughter bought cilantro. In three days it was slime. When I bought parsley, I dried it, It is a lot greener and fresher looking than the stuff in a bottle.
I know there are adult children that go into their parents food stash and throw anything near a pull date, Pull dates are deceiving and not to be taken at first glance, Canned meat and fish has a shorter shelf life as does anything with acid. But, things don't go bad instantly the day after the pull date. i would use it within the next month unless there are tell tale signs that it is bad. Ise your own good judgement,
The list of on hand foods that are good almost forever.
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.
Whether or not you are going to have an emergency ration storage big time, is up to you, what I got from this is you don't have to believe every pull date on the store. I do expressly adhere to the pull date on meat. Fresh vegetables speak for themselves. Ofmthemfreezerof slime, they are pretty much toast, I have been drying anything that looks like it might go to slime. My daughter bought cilantro. In three days it was slime. When I bought parsley, I dried it, It is a lot greener and fresher looking than the stuff in a bottle.
I know there are adult children that go into their parents food stash and throw anything near a pull date, Pull dates are deceiving and not to be taken at first glance, Canned meat and fish has a shorter shelf life as does anything with acid. But, things don't go bad instantly the day after the pull date. i would use it within the next month unless there are tell tale signs that it is bad. Ise your own good judgement,
The list of on hand foods that are good almost forever.
- Ramen noodles. Obviously, keep dry, Not much food value, but will keep your tummy happy.
- Rice
- Beans
- Dry milk
- Salt
- Sugar
- Hot cocoa mix
- Honey
- Maple syrup ( real pure )
- Instant coffee
I Would add pasta . Pasta, according to a in line class from BYU, has an 8 year shelf life. I don't keep ot 8 years, but I buy any pasta that is under a dollar. Preferably, the ones with veggies on them or with added fiber. I am surprised he didn't add flour. Most of that stiff I have a small storage of already, I buy a big bag of salt and soda . Ot doesn't go bad and ot so soo much cheaper than buying a small box. I cherish my big glass jars I have saved over the years. We used to sell the, for five dollars all the time at the antique store. The pickle jars now are plastic and they hold the smell And don't seal as well. If you need to keep insects out of a jar, the USDA big guy told me to out plastic wrap over the jar opening and then screw the lid on tight,
If you are having trouble with starch moths. Freeze your rice or pasta before you store it, Like for three days when you bring it home from the store, I got starch moths from one particular grocery store years ago, I took me a year to get rid of them. I took everything out of the pantry, washed it all with bleach, scrubbed the shelves. And still they came back. Finally I called the extension service ( no longer there ) and they referred me to the USDA big guy. I finally got rid of the starch moths and haven't had any since. I also don't buy cheap pasta.
Before someone ( foodies) say...OMG I would never eat that, you would be surprised what you will eat when there is nothing available to eat. Better safe than sorry,
I posted a blog on what you could do with dollar store food. Some of dollar store food is. Ore expensive than the grocery store. It is, however, on small quantities. Assuming that you had to start from scratch, and had limited transportation and money was my focus. Make your tummy happy until money was available for food. The dollar store has .....
- Pasta sauce ( more expensive than discount )
- Pasta
- Pizza crust
- Cheese (watch some is cheese product )
- Beans
- Rice
- Almond milk
- Eggs
- Peanut butter
- Oatmeal
- Coffee
- Nuts
- Ramen noodles
- Hot cocoa mix
- Green beans
- Fruit - pineapple or frozen
- Frozen potatoes
- Chicken , frozen
- Tuna
- Bread
- Pepperoni
- Sausage
- Applesauce
- Baguettes
- Mashed potatoes
Some of these things are not what I would buy on a regular basis. Some are more expensive than
buying them from a grocery store. But. With limited transportation and money, they would get you through. There are not a lot of fruits and veggies at the dollar store. Pretty much everything is either canned or frozen. The frozen fruit comes from China mostly. But, you could , with good decisions, get enough food to be somewhat balanced fir an emergency situation.
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.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Meal plans
i did do meal plans. I'm not going to fed Meyers because we don't need anything. My daughter and I went to Winco amd I bought a few things. Yesterday I made muffins, brownies, dried bananas and strawberries.
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.
- Sloppy joes or hot dogs. Pasta salad, cucumber salad
- Shrimp salad
- Tacos. Refried beans, rice
- Chicken parm ,green salad
- Pizza
- Breakfast 4 dinner
- Ribs , corn on the cob , pasta salad in lettuce cups
Notes :
Hot dog and hamburger buns are always less than a dollar at Winco. Sometimes .68, sometimes .88 .
Pasta salad was purchased for .75 with coupons.
Refried beans , not fried are about a third of the cost of a can and have no fat. Hamburger is 7 percent and defatted. Taco seasoning homemade. Rice is in bulk at Costco. Taco shells were .50 at grocery outlet.
Spaghetti was .50 for a full pound at grocery outlet. Chicken breast was .88 a pound at Fred Meyer. ( it's in form.98 this week) we make our own bread crimbs from crusts.
Pizza as 2.99 for Freschetta at grocery outlet, pull date end of the month.
Eggs were a dollar a dozen at Winco, English muffins are always 3/5 for a dozen at Fred Meyers.
I bought ribs for 1.40 a pound at Winco frozen and corn on the cob was frozen at ..25 an ear. Baby romaine is,cheaper than field greens at Costco and lasts a lot longer. You can also use them for lettuce wraps.
Rice is .03 a serving when bought in bulk at Costco. The cost per pound is .34 . There are 2 cups of raw rice per pound. A cup of raw rice makes three cups of cooked rice. So, cooked rice costs .03 cents a 1/2 cup serving. That's rounding high!
Rice is .03 a serving when bought in bulk at Costco. The cost per pound is .34 . There are 2 cups of raw rice per pound. A cup of raw rice makes three cups of cooked rice. So, cooked rice costs .03 cents a 1/2 cup serving. That's rounding high!
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.
Thanks for stopping by. Please share. I would like to reach more people.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
dont believe everything you read..
I'm pissed, but I won't go into it here.
Pinto beans are two pounds for a dollar at the dollar store. When you can find them. I have repeatedly going to three different dollar trees and they have had no pinto beans. At a dollar a pound, pinto beans are not a bargain. They are cheaper at Winco in the bulk isle at .69 as of today. I checked. They are also .50 a pound at Costco of you can use a gigantic bag.
Oatmeal is not a bargain at the dollar store. It is cheaper in bulk at Costco. .Rice is a lot cheaper at Costco in bulk sacks.
Feta cheese is 1/2 price at the dollar tree vs Winco.
Winco has cheaper Hunts spaghetti sauce.
Dollar tree has pasta cheaper - Barilla when they have it.
The expensive really good French type cookies are a dollar in stead of four dollars.
Bottom line, you can't say dollar tree is cheaper unless you know your prices. Although. I can pretty much be confident that dollar tree is cheaper than whole foods! LOL.
Fred Meyers ad for tomorrow
Fred Meyers
Grapes .99
Split chicken breast .98
Cantaloupe 2/4
Milk .99@@
Blues 2lns 5.99
Strawberriesv2/5 lb
Oranges .99
Green beans 1.49
Tide 4.99@@$$
Sour cream 2/4
Fudgsicke 10/10
About it
Thanks for stopping by
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspective.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Grapes .99
Split chicken breast .98
Cantaloupe 2/4
Milk .99@@
Blues 2lns 5.99
Strawberriesv2/5 lb
Oranges .99
Green beans 1.49
Tide 4.99@@$$
Sour cream 2/4
Fudgsicke 10/10
About it
Thanks for stopping by
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.
Friday, July 22, 2016
Split pea soup
Last night I made split pea soup. I used the insta lot recipe, but I didn't want to add ham because my daughter is vegan. I think I should have added more vegetable stock. It was really thick.
Other than that, ot as good. And really cheap. Like about a dollar for enough to feed a family of four. I added a dollop pfmsoirmcream to mine and I would add some homemade bread. That would bring the meal to less than two dollars. It cooked in 12 minutes in the pressure cooker. I could have put it in the slow cooker yesterday morning,
Having a select group of time saving appliances really helps cook more efficiently, I haven't always had the appliances. I got them one at a time. Al lot of gadgets are on the marketplace, most ofmthemyoumcan very well do without, they see as really just clutter mongers. Concentrate on the basics . A good paring knife, a good butcher knife. A medium sized knife for debonong,. A grater , spatulas. Mesinplas bowls. Colander. Hot pads. Cutting board. Measuring cups and spoons, a good set of mixing bowls. Pancake turner and wish, slotted and regular spoons. A lot of that can be had at the dollar tree amd Amazon, Some web sites will alert you to when things are on sale cheap.
I love my bread baker, food processor, and electric pressure cooker. They are real time savers and money savers.
I am starting to use the food dehydrated that we have had for many many ears. It was so old that the trays were yellowing and disenegrating . I purchased new trays and some mesh inserts so I could dehydrate vegetables. Before this, my husband always just made beef jerky. Dehydrated foods can be very pricey. Peppers keep a bog stock of the . I don't want to go to that extreme, but I do want enough stock to carry us through in an emergency - anything from a real disaster to a miner one like the highway flooding so food doesn't get to market, to that ugly S word in the PNW.., or just as mind and as being down with the flu and not wanting to go to the store.
Especially when you are living paycheck to paycheck, it doesn't take much to upset the apple cart. It osmhard,not to live paycheck to paycheck when that paycheck is already rock bottom. They say to live below your means, but at minimum wage, that just isn't always possible,
Groceries on the cheap is a food shopping plan that allows you to feed your family and stock for emergencies on a rock bottom budget. We eat on three dollars a day. That leaves up a dollar per person to stock food. After a while, you can accumulate a pretty good stock. Stocking is what gives you the opportunity to eat for less. You almost never pay full price for your everyday food. You buy inexpensive sources of protein, and buy the best quality of that protein you can find. That is not to say that you are looking for food grown on Mars; but you are looking for quality,
Something as simple as the way you buy your food anywhere you buy your food can make a huge difference.
Back in the 70s I was a single mother. I didn't get much child support from my ex.; the operative word there is ex. LOL. Times were tough for everyone. We had double digit inflation and o didn't get a raise for three years. Almost 1/2 my pay went for rent, the other 1/2 for daycare. I didn't get any welfare.
The cost of a number 10 can of pear pieces was the same as a 14.5 ounce can of pears. My dad asked me why we were eating pear pieces. I made a very profound statement. Your body doesn't know the difference if your ears are cut up or not, it's the same food value.
Your body does not know of you ate four ounces of hambirger, or four ounces of steak. It's the same food value. You eat first with your eyes. If you can make inexoemsove food look appetizing, you have it made.
I saw a u tube post where the lady had made her own hot dog buns and filled them with a sausage and carmakized onions. They looked amazing, She added a stir fried portion of su,mer squash. Then, she added a portion of mashed eggplant that looked like the dog had just made a pile. It ruined the whole plate for me! You eat first with your eyes.
Setting a table with a little centerpiece and a cloth or place at, even of ot is a plastic one from the goodwill, makes a lot of difference. Make dinner time pleasant. Try to do dinner with candlelight ( fake works) at the table one night a week! Your imagination at a couple of dollars at the tree can do wonders. I've been known to make a floral arrangement from twigs out of the yard. A dollar vase and a dollar bag of rocks will last you forever and give you countless possibilities. Kids can cut hearts for Valentine's Day or Suns for summer. Make dinner enjoyable.
--not always an easy task when toddlers are at the table .
I Digress .....
Other than that, ot as good. And really cheap. Like about a dollar for enough to feed a family of four. I added a dollop pfmsoirmcream to mine and I would add some homemade bread. That would bring the meal to less than two dollars. It cooked in 12 minutes in the pressure cooker. I could have put it in the slow cooker yesterday morning,
Having a select group of time saving appliances really helps cook more efficiently, I haven't always had the appliances. I got them one at a time. Al lot of gadgets are on the marketplace, most ofmthemyoumcan very well do without, they see as really just clutter mongers. Concentrate on the basics . A good paring knife, a good butcher knife. A medium sized knife for debonong,. A grater , spatulas. Mesinplas bowls. Colander. Hot pads. Cutting board. Measuring cups and spoons, a good set of mixing bowls. Pancake turner and wish, slotted and regular spoons. A lot of that can be had at the dollar tree amd Amazon, Some web sites will alert you to when things are on sale cheap.
I love my bread baker, food processor, and electric pressure cooker. They are real time savers and money savers.
I am starting to use the food dehydrated that we have had for many many ears. It was so old that the trays were yellowing and disenegrating . I purchased new trays and some mesh inserts so I could dehydrate vegetables. Before this, my husband always just made beef jerky. Dehydrated foods can be very pricey. Peppers keep a bog stock of the . I don't want to go to that extreme, but I do want enough stock to carry us through in an emergency - anything from a real disaster to a miner one like the highway flooding so food doesn't get to market, to that ugly S word in the PNW.., or just as mind and as being down with the flu and not wanting to go to the store.
Especially when you are living paycheck to paycheck, it doesn't take much to upset the apple cart. It osmhard,not to live paycheck to paycheck when that paycheck is already rock bottom. They say to live below your means, but at minimum wage, that just isn't always possible,
Groceries on the cheap is a food shopping plan that allows you to feed your family and stock for emergencies on a rock bottom budget. We eat on three dollars a day. That leaves up a dollar per person to stock food. After a while, you can accumulate a pretty good stock. Stocking is what gives you the opportunity to eat for less. You almost never pay full price for your everyday food. You buy inexpensive sources of protein, and buy the best quality of that protein you can find. That is not to say that you are looking for food grown on Mars; but you are looking for quality,
Something as simple as the way you buy your food anywhere you buy your food can make a huge difference.
Back in the 70s I was a single mother. I didn't get much child support from my ex.; the operative word there is ex. LOL. Times were tough for everyone. We had double digit inflation and o didn't get a raise for three years. Almost 1/2 my pay went for rent, the other 1/2 for daycare. I didn't get any welfare.
The cost of a number 10 can of pear pieces was the same as a 14.5 ounce can of pears. My dad asked me why we were eating pear pieces. I made a very profound statement. Your body doesn't know the difference if your ears are cut up or not, it's the same food value.
Your body does not know of you ate four ounces of hambirger, or four ounces of steak. It's the same food value. You eat first with your eyes. If you can make inexoemsove food look appetizing, you have it made.
I saw a u tube post where the lady had made her own hot dog buns and filled them with a sausage and carmakized onions. They looked amazing, She added a stir fried portion of su,mer squash. Then, she added a portion of mashed eggplant that looked like the dog had just made a pile. It ruined the whole plate for me! You eat first with your eyes.
Setting a table with a little centerpiece and a cloth or place at, even of ot is a plastic one from the goodwill, makes a lot of difference. Make dinner time pleasant. Try to do dinner with candlelight ( fake works) at the table one night a week! Your imagination at a couple of dollars at the tree can do wonders. I've been known to make a floral arrangement from twigs out of the yard. A dollar vase and a dollar bag of rocks will last you forever and give you countless possibilities. Kids can cut hearts for Valentine's Day or Suns for summer. Make dinner enjoyable.
--not always an easy task when toddlers are at the table .
I Digress .....
Thursday, July 21, 2016
The ads
Alberways
Peaches .99
Kraft singles 1.99@@
Green peppers ,79
QFC
Broccoli .99
Strawberries 2lbs 2.99
Draper valley whole chicken .99
Milk 4/5
Pumpkin pie 2.99
Yoplait 10/5$$
Sour cream 4/5
That's about it.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different
Peaches .99
Kraft singles 1.99@@
Green peppers ,79
QFC
Broccoli .99
Strawberries 2lbs 2.99
Draper valley whole chicken .99
Milk 4/5
Pumpkin pie 2.99
Yoplait 10/5$$
Sour cream 4/5
That's about it.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different
Perspective . The emphasis is on purchasing good food( shelf- stable/ freezer staples )at the lowest possible cost and purchasing enough to last you until it goes on sale again -- Keeping a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a regular basis.
It means that when you shop, rather than purchasing just what you need for a day or a week, you buy a loss leader protein, produce you will need on sale, a stock item if it's a RBP, and dairy instead. This allows you to put well balanced meals on the table consistently for a four dollar a day budget per person.
You spend more time on the planning and shopping end of the meal train and less on the cooking end by cooking efficiently.
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 revisited
I have been looking at many meal plan stratdagies lately. My plan outcome uses a matrix. I do it to provide variety and balance in our food consumption. We don't stick religiously to eating a particular meal on the allotted day.
What works for us, might not work for your family. Enter the freezer meal families. Many start with a theme based matrix. They take a couple of days and designate a particulaf well received meal -- pizza, Mexican , and breakfast for dimmer seem to be the most popular. Then they fill in with. A couple of freezer based meals that use chicken or hamburger as their main protein base. All are children friendly.
We don't have a lot of freezer space. I tend to use the freezer for pizza for a pinch when I'm not home, vegetables, potatoes, ice cream ( that's a major food group, right? ) and batch cooked, portion controlled portions of meat, and grated cheese back ups. Adding a freezer meal that takes a few cans of vegetables doesn't make sense to me. It's really fast to add a few cans im a crockpot and if you are goimg to be rushed in the morning, you can ,are ot the night before , refrigerate and put it on in the crockpot in the morning,
Chicken breasts coke from frozen to done in the pressure cooker in 8 minutes.
Whether you have a theme based or a protein based meal plan, having a plan is key to maintaining a small budget.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different
Thanks for stopping by
What works for us, might not work for your family. Enter the freezer meal families. Many start with a theme based matrix. They take a couple of days and designate a particulaf well received meal -- pizza, Mexican , and breakfast for dimmer seem to be the most popular. Then they fill in with. A couple of freezer based meals that use chicken or hamburger as their main protein base. All are children friendly.
We don't have a lot of freezer space. I tend to use the freezer for pizza for a pinch when I'm not home, vegetables, potatoes, ice cream ( that's a major food group, right? ) and batch cooked, portion controlled portions of meat, and grated cheese back ups. Adding a freezer meal that takes a few cans of vegetables doesn't make sense to me. It's really fast to add a few cans im a crockpot and if you are goimg to be rushed in the morning, you can ,are ot the night before , refrigerate and put it on in the crockpot in the morning,
Chicken breasts coke from frozen to done in the pressure cooker in 8 minutes.
Whether you have a theme based or a protein based meal plan, having a plan is key to maintaining a small budget.
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.
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.
Thanks for stopping by
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
A ad bust!
I still haven't seen ads.
Today I had business in a nearby town, so I stopped on the best dollar store on the area and the grocery outlet next door. Then, we had to go look at flooring for the bathroom. The contractors cost not at 700.00. It's laminate, not gold. Guess who's going to put in a new floor. I got a senior discount hair cut.
There wasn't much at dollar tree or the grocery outlet, Freschetta pizza is three dollars with an end of month date. I got a loaf of wholewheat bread for 1.59 and some tomatoes for a dollar. It's a treasure hunt, you never know when you will find a good bargain. I have actually left empty handed before.
We are having roasted root veggies and beer brats for dinner. The bratts , I got in sale at grocery outlet for a buck.
I was looking in Pinterest for recipes. I, always looking for new ideas. That's what keeps economy cooking interesting and not hum drum. You have to be careful, five dollar dimmers can mean five dollars a person. When they start talking about salmon and shrimp, it's time for a concern. We have salmon and shrimp, amd a piece of steak every know and then. The salmon is sometimes canned ( Costco) , sometomes not. The shrimp is from Costco or Safeways. We can have more expensive proteins because we average it with inexpensive meals. If you take an eff dinner at .16 a person, you can have a salmon canned dinner at a dollar a person and average .58. Throw in a few more inexpensive dinners and you can have a piece of salmon or steak and still stay on a small budget.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different
Today I had business in a nearby town, so I stopped on the best dollar store on the area and the grocery outlet next door. Then, we had to go look at flooring for the bathroom. The contractors cost not at 700.00. It's laminate, not gold. Guess who's going to put in a new floor. I got a senior discount hair cut.
There wasn't much at dollar tree or the grocery outlet, Freschetta pizza is three dollars with an end of month date. I got a loaf of wholewheat bread for 1.59 and some tomatoes for a dollar. It's a treasure hunt, you never know when you will find a good bargain. I have actually left empty handed before.
We are having roasted root veggies and beer brats for dinner. The bratts , I got in sale at grocery outlet for a buck.
I was looking in Pinterest for recipes. I, always looking for new ideas. That's what keeps economy cooking interesting and not hum drum. You have to be careful, five dollar dimmers can mean five dollars a person. When they start talking about salmon and shrimp, it's time for a concern. We have salmon and shrimp, amd a piece of steak every know and then. The salmon is sometimes canned ( Costco) , sometomes not. The shrimp is from Costco or Safeways. We can have more expensive proteins because we average it with inexpensive meals. If you take an eff dinner at .16 a person, you can have a salmon canned dinner at a dollar a person and average .58. Throw in a few more inexpensive dinners and you can have a piece of salmon or steak and still stay on a small budget.
- Work smart, not hard
- Four plus one is five. Four people, one meal, five bucks.
- Better, Cheaper, faster.
- I ain't as green as I am cabbage lookin.
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.
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
There were no ads to day, I checked Winco at favado, but not all the information was correct.
I did stop at Winco on the way home from the PT. I did the weeks prep yesterday and found some shortfalls. I dehydrated some radishes and some black grapes. Chopped amd sliced carrots for the veggie with a casserole and the split pea soup. I ran the last of the russets through the peeling machine to make French fries to oven roast.
I also cooked five pounds of ribs and portion controlled them.
I digress that left us with potatoes needed for the baked potatoes later on the week amd radishes for the oven roasted root veggies. Pasley was .48 and so I bought bunches and put one in the dehydrator. I bought new trays and screens for the old machine because the trays were disintegrating.
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.
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, July 18, 2016
Dry mix recipes
Onion soup mix ( you can control the salt. Y buying low sodium beef boullion.
1-1/2 cups minced onion
2/3 cup beef granules
3 T onion powder
1/2 tsp sugar
Mix together store in a tightly covered container in a dark, cool place. I reuse food jars with screw on lids that I have put through the dishwasher. Be sure to label them 5 T equals a package of mix. Be sure to shake before using.
Salt free herb mix
2 T EACH of onion powder, parsley and garlic powder
1 T EACH of dry basil and thyme
1 tsp pepper.
Mix. Store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid I'm a cool dark place.
RIce mix
6 cups rice
1/2 cup dried parsley
4 T broth crystals
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Pinch of rhyme or Rosemary.
Store up to six months in an air tight container.
Cook according to your regular rice cooker instructions.
Better, cheaper, faster.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different
1-1/2 cups minced onion
2/3 cup beef granules
3 T onion powder
1/2 tsp sugar
Mix together store in a tightly covered container in a dark, cool place. I reuse food jars with screw on lids that I have put through the dishwasher. Be sure to label them 5 T equals a package of mix. Be sure to shake before using.
Salt free herb mix
2 T EACH of onion powder, parsley and garlic powder
1 T EACH of dry basil and thyme
1 tsp pepper.
Mix. Store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid I'm a cool dark place.
RIce mix
6 cups rice
1/2 cup dried parsley
4 T broth crystals
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Pinch of rhyme or Rosemary.
Store up to six months in an air tight container.
Cook according to your regular rice cooker instructions.
Better, cheaper, faster.
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.
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.
Efficient cooking.
We are all busy people . Someone reminded me when I had 2 toddlers and a teenager that I didn't work. Excuse me, I worked harder than when I worked. That's not to say that most days it was very satisfying, but I worked, I dug gardens, cleaned house, did 17 loads of laundry a week, cooked from scratch , made all the children's clothes and my own ( except dad and teen) . We were living on one income. My husband taught classes in Boston often amd was gone a week at a time. I worked.
I learned to cook more efficiently. You can cook from scratch and not spend all day on the kitchen. Having a few well thought out kitchen appliances helps. It may take time to accumulate them. Some of them can be found at the thrift stores at estate sales or garage sales.
One of the best tools is a slow cooker. They have come down in price. The other thing I have discovered is the insta pot. It's pricey, but not too bad for a six quart. It tak s the place of a rice cooker, a slow cooker, and a pressure,cooker. When you take that into consideration, it's a pretty good investment, Less clutter, more efficient.
Them something would be a food processor. It's nice to have a kitchen and mixer, but a food processor is less Expensive and will mix things and chop, and grate.
I use my slow cooker amd my food processor more than any other appliance in the kitchen with the exception of the coffee pot and toaster.
Batch cooking and making your own mixes saves a lot of money and time. Planning your meals and prepping when you can carve out some time makes dinner time less stressful. I used to get a lot done when the children were taking their nap. A lot of giggling going on in that room for a while, but they did take a nap.
I can make mixes and bread crumbs with my granddaughter, We count. We talk about sizes of measuring spoons. We shake jars. She pushes the food processor button. It can teach a child fractions, and counting, and the fact that food doesn't come from a salt and sugar and preservative laden box.
Spending a little time making mixes and breadcrumbs etc can save a lot of money and to,e on the long run. It's something you only have to do once every month or two and well worth the effort.
Writing your list and thinking it through helps. You can prioritize the list and do the things that can be doing themselves while you are doing other things. Start the laundry, soak things. Unload the dishwasher before you start cooking. Your dishes can go directly on the dishwasher many times and avoid having to set on and do dishes after you have cooked.
Batch cooking a protein, will save a lot of time at dinner time. The protein often takes the longest to cook. I cooked a whole 4.5 pound package of chicken thighs this weekend. I held out what we needed for dinner, amd froze the rest in meal sized portions. Dinner last night was a breeze. I put rice in the rice cooker ( maybe three minutes) washed and cut the ends off the green beans, amd out both the chicken thighs and the green beans on the microwave.to cook. ( maybe another three minutes. ) I could load the dishwasher. Sweep the floor and wash the countertops while food was cooking, - course, I didn't, I painted roses instead! Bottom line, actual non passive cooking was about five minutes. When I batch cooked the chicken, it wasn't much longer. It took me more time to disinfect the kitchen than to out the thighs on the oven on a sheet pan. I sometomes out a rack on the sheet pan and let the fat drain. I also cut extra fat off the thighs before I put them in to cook. You save time and only clean once.
You are still cooking food fast but not cooking fast food.
Today I am going to cook 5 pounds of ribs and freeze them in batches. First, I am going to check my meal plans amd prep anything I need for dinner this week. Remember beans and rice have a three day fridge life. Check the meat and cheese drawer and vegetable Bon to see what,needs to be incorporated or frozen. Music going always help me stay motivated amd on my toes. LOL.
Next : dry mixes not already posted.
Thanks for stopping by
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.
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.
Our grandmothers
By all accounts my grandmother was an excellent cook, She could take whatever she had and make a meal out of it. Not being rich and going through the Great Depression, she was a miracle worker in the kitchen, They didn't obsess about what was "good for you ". They were too busy trying to scrape two cents together to put food on the table. Let's just be grateful we have food.
We have become a nation that is obsessed with what we think is good food and what we think is clean food. That terminology irks me, My food is clean, I always disinfect counter tops and use multiple kitchen knives, rags, amd kitchen shears while cooking so I don't cross contaminate. We have a glass chopping board that I can wash in the dishwasher and won't harbor germs, I wash our fruits and veggies, and disinfect the drains and sinks, amd wash my hands with a soap dispenser that requires no pumping. I don't cook dirty food.
Eat balanced, eat real food, and eat in moderation. Avoid salt, sugar and saturated fats and hydrogenated oils. We all need some oils, especially the ones that boost our good cholesterol. Salt and sugar.....in moderation. We also need a whole host of vitamins and minerals to keep our body running properly. Self imposed diets are dangerous: it's not nice to try to fool Mother Nature.
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.
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.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
What not to buy at the grocery store
you can't believe everything you read. There have been several articles about what not to buy lat of that have been misinformed. The one that enraged me. Is a picture of two cake mixes that were being recalled. " that will get you to think twice before you buy a cake mix,". The cake mix contained bike metal four that they found contaminated, It had nothing tondo with the cake mix,,,,,it was the flour and if you made a cake wit flour, you would have the same problem.
Now, had they complained about preservatives or sugar, it might have made more sense, I usually have a couple of cake mixes on hand. We don't eat it on a regular basis. We are more likely to eat popcorn or ice cream.
Five things nit to buy at the grocery store.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different
Now, had they complained about preservatives or sugar, it might have made more sense, I usually have a couple of cake mixes on hand. We don't eat it on a regular basis. We are more likely to eat popcorn or ice cream.
Five things nit to buy at the grocery store.
- Personal heigene products. They almost always are high prices. Most basics are better off bought with coupons amd rewards at Walgreens or CVS. I have purchased some things where they lay you to take them out of the store. Sanitary pads are cheapest at Big Lots. Things like deodorant and shampoo and toothpaste. There are some name brands at the dollar tree, Make sure you check where they are made or what the target market is. Toothpaste going to Mexico has more flouride in it. Make up is included in personal heigene,
- Paper products. They too are cheaper at the large drug chains or bog box stores with coupons,
- Batteries. Batteries are best at Costco.
- Kids toys. Hands down. Besides it being dangerous for kids to think they get a toy every time they go into a grocery store, they are often cheap crap at a high price.
- Laundry detergent without a bog coupon, It's almost always cheaper at Costco or the chain drug stores with coupons, I have seen three dollar coupons on a five dollar product lately. Ain't no better price than free. I have got laundry detergent for as little as a dollar a month with coupons and free.
Never say never. There are always exceptions. Again, know your prices.
1) not all the time is prepackaged produce more expensive. Mushrooms are sometimes cheaper. Places like Costco and Aldi only sell packaged.
2) black olives are cheaper sliced. There are more in a can, and less water.
Basically, grocery stores sell groceries best. Stick to the basics, your bottom line will be better.
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.
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.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
This weeks grocery hauls
this month is a lot higher than most months because I restocked after the freezer disaster.
Nonetheless, I am still under the USDA stats for only my husband and I without stocking.
This week I spent 42.14
I got
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different
Nonetheless, I am still under the USDA stats for only my husband and I without stocking.
This week I spent 42.14
I got
Winco haul
- 20 ears of corn to put up for winter.
- 2 packages of sliced cheese ( cheaper than grocery outlet )
- Green grapes
- Bananas
- Nectarines
- Green beans, fresh
- Sliced olives
- Strawberries
- Grape tomatoes - 2 boxes
- 5 lbs yellow onions
- 5 yogurt ( .30 each with coupon )
- Blue bunny ice cream cones ( 2.88 with coupon)
- 4 pounds of chicken thighs
- 5 pounds of ribs
I'm cooking the chicken thighs and chopping the onions today and will cook the ribs and portion control them tomorrow. That should put us in good shape through August. And bring my average back down.
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 mend by cooking efficiently.
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 mend 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 Meyer ad
It is a bust! Not much there. Mothers os,non,pass leader protein. QFC is a two week ad and there were no cheap protein there either. I am going to Winco today. I have stocked protein big time to replenish our freezer disaster, so I'm not hurting for protein. I, not going to buy a bulk pinto bean until we use a lot of the canned beans up. I have a reasonable amount of raw beans to make not fried, refried beans.
Fred Meyer specials
Peaches .99 - Wincos price too
2 lb blues 399
Greek yogurt .79@@
Pumpkin pie 2.99
That's about it.
Thanks for stopping by
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the Put Dinner On The Table meal train from a different
Fred Meyer specials
Peaches .99 - Wincos price too
2 lb blues 399
Greek yogurt .79@@
Pumpkin pie 2.99
That's about it.
Thanks for stopping by
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.
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, July 15, 2016
Meal plans
I spent seven dollars this week at the grocery store. I got a free liter bottle of root beer. Maybe we will have root beer floats one night. I replenished the sliced cheese (2.00 a package) and got so,e green grapes for 177 a pound. We are out of cherry to,actors but they wanted twice the price as Winco, so I opted out. We will still need to go to Winco tomorrow for a few odds and ends.
My husband spent most of the morning helping our son with his car and I out up corn,
I digress , meal plans -- not necessarily in chronological order.
- Hamburgers . French fries, salad ( soon because the bins are getting stale. )
- Pizza
- sausage, roasted root veggies, bread
- Split pea soup , cheezy Bisquits
- Tuna casserole , peas and carrots
- Ham it up primavera ) with chicken instead if ham)
- BBQ thighs, baked potatoes, green beans
Thanks for stopping by.
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 mend by cooking efficiently.
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 mend 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.
Putting up vegetables
Tis the season. Yesterday's I sliced and dehydrated zucchini. Seven good sized zucchini fit into a quart bag....-and it's not full.
Today, we are going to get corn ready for the freezer. My husband bought twenty ears while I was in a PT session. They were .25 each.
We should have enough to ration it out all winter. We have a small freezer.
Any little thing that saves your grocery dollars helps. Take tiny steps.....pretty soon you have climbed a mountain.
Today, we are going to get corn ready for the freezer. My husband bought twenty ears while I was in a PT session. They were .25 each.
We should have enough to ration it out all winter. We have a small freezer.
Any little thing that saves your grocery dollars helps. Take tiny steps.....pretty soon you have climbed a mountain.
Corn on cob purchased for .25 at Winco.
Shuck it. and rinse.
Meanwhile, boil lightly salted water .
Blanch ( boil for three minutes ) and remove with a slotted item in or tongs.
Plunge in ice water to stop the cooking process.
Blanched con sitting on a dollar store tray.
When cooled, bad in meal sized portions in quart bags, the bag the bags in a gallon bag.
Freeze.
Total timer 1 hour.
Meals 13. Cost 5.00. Cost in store 3.29 for 2 ears.
Savings 85 percent.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)