Alberways: Albertsons and Safeways.
Bread .78@@. (In ad coupon )
Eggs .98 @@
Yoplait 10/5
Friday only
Classico 3/5 (ibotta)
Ice cream 2/5
QFC
Digital coupons
Ice cream 2/5
Chobani 10/8. Ibotta makes it more than free.
Pasta 1.00
Saturday only digital coupons -up to 5
Bacon 2.99- up to a lb package....watch your weights
———-
Draper valley whole chicken .88
Oranges .67
Strawberries 2/5
Cucumbers .99
This is a two week ad, but there is not much in it.
Winco as well as taken a big hike with anything that has flour in it. I have not been to regular costco to see if flour has taken a hike there too. I still see bread at the dollar tree for orowheat. Sometimes you can get bagels, an other rolls as well.
Eggs today were 1.44 for 18 at winco.
Costco has a special on zip lock bags.
Zaycon has boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 99 again. Code word CHICKEN99.
Feed your family- BETTER, CHEAPER, FASTER. Four plus one is five. Four people, one meal, 5 bucks!
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Tuesday Notes
In 2017 , we spent 55.05 a week on food. Part of that went to stock. USDA figures cost of food at home as actual food eaten; not food ready to eat. There was an article on facebook produced by one of our tv stations about a fellow that eats for 50.00 a week.. not the family, just him. That’s more than we eat for two of us plus a good part of granddaughter. She eats at home too, but we eat dairy and meat.
We eat well, we eat regular food. Meal plans show the same things many families eat. The difference lies in when and where you buy your food. Convenience spells $$$. If you want your groceries delivered, if you want to go to the most convenient store and throw anything you want into a cart and fill the cart, you are going to pay for that privilege. 70 percent of a grocery stores profit is in impulse buys. If you want to spend less, you have to do a little planning and buy your groceries in a different way.
I happened on to a unreal realization. I had a coupon for a free cake mix. It was Betty Crocker. Somehow, I hadn’t downloaded the coupon correctly. It rang up at 2.39. The same cake mix at Christmas time was 1.79 at another chain store. I had recently bought the same cake mix at a discount store for .88. That’s a 1.50 spread. It is not as much what you buy, but when and where you buy it.
There’s a phenomenon called the snow ball effect. Basically, if you take the savings you make on one thing and spend it on another money saving thing, your savings grow. Like starting a small snowball and rolling it in the snow to make a snowman.
If I was going to do one thing to get started, I would go to my warehouse store and buy a 25 lb bag of flour, a 20 lb bag of rice, and a 10 lb box of oatmeal. This starts a snowball.
1/2 cup raw oats makes a bowl of oatmeal. It is as much nutrition as four of those packs of oatmeal that are ‘instant’ . One cup of water, 1/2 cup of oatmeal in a bigger than you need bowl for 1.5 minutes makes a bowl of oatmeal. Not much more time than that envelope. The envelope costs ten cents. The 1/2 cup costs .085. Four times the nutrition for less money. I add a banana, or put a 1/2 a lunchbox apple cut in small pieces to the oatmeal. Cinnamon sugar is good too. You can feed a family of 6 on a dollar.
Rice purchased in bulk costs .02 a serving. That ready rice is about .50 a serving.
Flour is the biggest money saver. Ten minutes hands on time makes a loaf of peasant bread with almost not expertise. The hardest part is taking the temperature of the water and using good hot pads to take it out of the oven. The cost is .25 . The cost of buying that bread is upwards of 3.00.
It cost pennies to make those waffles or pancakes you buy ready made in the freezer section. The
bag of pancakes I checked on was 3.00. A couple of cups out of that bag makes enough pancakes to almost buy the bag. Ditto muffins. There are recipes that take almost no time. My mother taught his at age 9 to bake. Enlist help. There are breakfast muffins that take almost no time and are a good thing to have if you have children that rush out the door before breakfast.
bag of pancakes I checked on was 3.00. A couple of cups out of that bag makes enough pancakes to almost buy the bag. Ditto muffins. There are recipes that take almost no time. My mother taught his at age 9 to bake. Enlist help. There are breakfast muffins that take almost no time and are a good thing to have if you have children that rush out the door before breakfast.
These three things will free up enough money to start a stock. Set aside five dollars a week for a small family. This is the only time consuming pencil to paper ( or computer spread sheet) thing to do and you only have to do it once. List 10 meals that your family eats that use inexpensive cuts of meat. Its probably no secret that you aren't buying much steak 🥩 on four dollar a day budget.
We buy pork loin, hamburger, and boneless, skinless chicken breast. We fill in with cheese, beans, and eggs. These can average two dollars a pound. Again, its not what you buy, its when and where you buy it.
After you write the ten meals, make a list of the shelf stable ingredients that you will need to make the meal. Most families have a list of 10-15. Track these items for price a few weeks. It should become clear soon what store and price is a RBP. The lowest price you can buy this item for. Me aware of the fact that you cant necessarily be brand loyal. Store brands are often the name brand with a different label. Now, when you find that item at its rock bottom price, buy 5 dollars worth and stash it. You are going for a 4-6 week supply. That’s because some items have that rotation for sales by the stores. A four to six week supply means that if you eat spaghetti and meatballs once a week, you will need to stock 4-6 pasta sauces, spaghetti, and meatballs. We use 1/2 a box of spaghetti, because that is four servings. I cook 1/2 a box because , otherwise we would waste 1/2 a box. I recently got spaghetti for .50 a box. I also got pasta sauce for a dollar in a jar. I can always get it in a can for a dollar at the dollar tree, but it is less than that at winco. Meatballs are two dollars at Winco in the freezer section. I can’t make meatballs for two dollars a pound.
We only buy ready made when it is cheaper or a lot less time consuming than scratch.
Now, to recap, you have freed up some of your previous budget with making bulk decisions on basics. You have identified what meals you cook and what ingredients can be stocked and set aside a minimal amount to start stocking.
Make a plan, or plan to fail. Meal plans are a intricate part of slashing you food budget. It only takes a few minutes . You don’t have to get crazy. Just jot down the basic main dish. Most of us sere the same sides with a particular meal. How many times have you had spaghetti and meatballs with french bread and a green salad. LOL.
Stocking means you will have a short grocery list. You will get to the point where you are going to the best store and buying dairy, fresh fruits and veggies in season, and restocking anything that is a RBP.
Next: rotation. Meat. An important part of groceries on the cheap . Stay tuned for Thursday.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Kitchen Management
Kitchen management is a tool that takes away a lot of the stress of cooking dinner during the most hectic hour of the day in some households. It makes cooking dinner easier and faster. It can also deep clean the kitchen by rotation and save the project of spring cleaning.
Reminder of meal plans - for 2
Reminder of meal plans - for 2
- Pork chops , mashed potatoes, salad 1.87
- Pizza 1.05
- Tacos , Spanish rice, 1.65
- Chicken parm 2.12
- Salmon, Spanish rice, mixed veggies 2.99
- Roast chicken, roasted root veggies 1.79
- Breakfast for dinner 2.64
- Average 1.00 a plate. This more than comes in the perimeters of a 4.00 a day budget. Its not what you buy as much as when and where you buy it.
- Wash kitchen floor
- Clean out the refrigerator and dump anything dead.
- Wash the vegetable bin and line with a clean kitchen rag or paper towel.
- Wash salad greens and place in container
- Mark day to thaw chicken and pork chops on meal plan .
- Wash potatoes, carrots and radishes with vinegar water and dedicated veggies brush.
- Clean toaster tray
- Put oven vent screen through the dishwasher.
Sunday, March 4, 2018
Meal Plans
We are still trying to eat down the freezer and going to try for a no spend month. The joy of stocking is that when you are having a month with extra bills, you can float for a month. We can do this on about half of what other people spend on food. Welcome to groceries on the cheap.
- Pork chops, mashed potatoes, salad
- Pizza
- Tacos, Spanish rice,
- Chicken parm, Cesear salad
- Salmon, Spanish rice, mixed veggies
- Roast chicken , roasted root veggies
- Breakfast for dinner. : Egg muffins, bacon, fruit
Notes:
Pork chops were from a pork loin purchased for a dollar a pound.
Pizza is a good , cheap, everyone likes meal. Cheese is under 2.50 a lb. Some of it I got for 1.85 a pound
Tacos are still a good buy because we made hamburger for 2.40 a lb and we make our own taco seasoning.pre-cooking and de fatting hamburger makes meal prep a snap. While the meat is simmering on the stove with a little water and seasoning, you can chop lettuce and tomato. The cheese is already grated in a lock n lock i the fridge. Spanish rice does double duty for another meal.
Chicken parm uses breaded chicken breast bought on sale. (Part of our freezer eat down) add spaghetti bought for 50 cents and pasta sauce. We got pasta sauce for .59 in a close out bin with a basket coupon . Otherwise, we pay less than 1.50.
Salmon is 5.00 a pound at Winco. Mixed veggies are ones we got on sale for .88. They have taken a hike and I am watching for a sale or coupons, or both.
Roast chicken is from 1.77 a lb chicken breast and we will use carrots,potatoes, and radishes if I can find them within reason. Radishes take on a sweet flavor when you roast them
Breakfast for dinner is everyone’s favorite and a family affair with everyone cooking something.
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Fred Meyers for sunday
Strawberries 16 oz 1.77
Boneless 1/2 loin. BOGO - there is no regular price listed , buyer beware
Oranges .99
Toothpaste 1.00 - coupons?
Biscuits in a tube 1.00
That’s about it. Food has taken a hike. Its harder to find a bargain.
alberways three day sale : SMT
7 percent fat hamburger 3.49
Lettuce .79
Cheese 2 lb 4.99. Note FM wants 4.00 for one pound.
Best foods 2.88@@
C of sea tuna .58@@
Coupons: clip or click
Pillsbury cake or brownies .99
Pasta .79
Skippy peanut butter 1.99
Boneless 1/2 loin. BOGO - there is no regular price listed , buyer beware
Oranges .99
Toothpaste 1.00 - coupons?
Biscuits in a tube 1.00
That’s about it. Food has taken a hike. Its harder to find a bargain.
alberways three day sale : SMT
7 percent fat hamburger 3.49
Lettuce .79
Cheese 2 lb 4.99. Note FM wants 4.00 for one pound.
Best foods 2.88@@
C of sea tuna .58@@
Coupons: clip or click
Pillsbury cake or brownies .99
Pasta .79
Skippy peanut butter 1.99
Friday, March 2, 2018
Friday Recipe : Stir fry
Stir fry sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbls lemon juice
1 tbls corn starch
1 tbls brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
Pepper
Mix together in a small bowl.
3/4 lb stir fry meat ( pork, beef, or chicken.)
1/2 an onion, sliced thin.
1 bag of stir fry veggies or equivalent fresh veggies
Place 1 Tbls olive or vegetable oil in a skillet and stir fry meat until almost done. About 2-3 minutes. Remove meat from skillet. Add veggies and 1/4 cup water. Cook until veggies are cooked. About 3 minutes. Return meat to skillet and add sauce. Stir. Cook until the sauce thickens. About 2 minutes. Serve with rice.
Notes:
Stir fry meat can be cut from the ends of a pork loin, as part of a sirloin roast or steak before you grind it into hamburger, or from a chicken breast.
Lemon juice is cheapest bought in a bottle. I have even seen it at the DT.
My family doesn’t eat onions, I might substitute celery cut on the diagonal.
Top ramen noodles can be substituted for rice if you are in a hurry.
Stir fry veggies are about 1.50 at winco. Frozen vegetables have taken a hike in price lately. I am looking for a coupon and/ or sale.
Thursday, March 1, 2018
Grocery Hauls for this week
Note: we are eating down the freezer to rotate stock.
Winco
2 baby cans sliced olives: .70
1 lb peppercor salmon
Hoagie rolls 2.98 (12)
Roma tomatoes at .88
18 count eggs 1.44
Sliced Swiss cheese 4.32
Total 15.97
The Swiss cheese was cheaper than the slices at GO by 25 percent
18 eggs were cheaper than 1.5 times the 12 egg price.
QFC
Grapes 3.41
Not a special trip
Fred Meyers
21.39
Total 40.77
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Chain store ads
QFC was a two week ad last week.
Grapes 1.77
Milk .99
Blues and rasp. 2/5
Alberways
Strawberries 2 lbs 3.88
Mayo. 2.88@@@
Chicken of the sea tuna .58@@.
Pepperoni 3.49 look 4 coupon
Not a good week for bargains.
Grapes 1.77
Milk .99
Blues and rasp. 2/5
Alberways
Strawberries 2 lbs 3.88
Mayo. 2.88@@@
Chicken of the sea tuna .58@@.
Pepperoni 3.49 look 4 coupon
Not a good week for bargains.
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Justifying a 25 lb bag of flour
The last quoted price of flour at Costco is 6.90 for 25 pounds, or 8 cents a cup.
Things that more than give you a good return on your investment.
Things that more than give you a good return on your investment.
- Pancakes cos 3.00 a bag. Two bags almost pay for the 25 pound bag.
- Muffins cost .35 plus any fruit you add. The cost of a dozen muffins is 5.00.
- Peasant bread cos .25 to make. He equivalent loaf of bread is 3.00 and up.
- Magic mix makes a cream soup base. The cost of a can of cream of mushroom soup is well over a dollar.
- Pizza dough costs 1.50 to 2.00 / it takes about three minutes and cost .19.
Monday, February 26, 2018
Monday Kitchen Management
Kitchen management is a tool that saves time and stress during the hectic dinner hour. Prepping for meals makes dinner a snap and keeping the kitchen clean on a rotation basis is a good thing too.
Meal plan reminder:
Meal plan reminder:
- Pork chops, dressing, veggies
- Pizza
- Salmon, seasoned rice , peas and carrots
- Chicken Parmesan, salad
- Meatballs and gravy , mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables
- Stir fry chicken and rice, mandarin oranges
- Breakfast for dinner
- Wash kitchen floor
- Clean out refrigerator and dump anything dead.
- Wash and disinfect countertops and kitchen sinks and drains .
- Thaw pork chops
- Make pizza dough
- Make sure seasoned rice mix is made
- Straighten pantry.
Pork chops are browned and put on top of dressing and finished off in the oven.
Pizza is a family favorite and cost about 1.05 for a cheese pizza. Add toppings from leftovers.
Salmon was 5.00 a pound at winco and wash frozen/
Chicken parm.....spaghetti noodles cook in the insta pot for 2 minutes in a quart of liquid. Instant release.
Meatballs are two dollars for almost a pound at winco.
Chicken breast is cooked in the insta pot from frozen in 8 minutes to 12 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. Probably less if using flattened chicken breast coming in a frozen bag.
Breakfast for dinner this week is egg muffins, bacon and fruit.
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Fred Meyer haul
Total 21.39
Buy 5, Save 5
4 v8 juice at 1.89
1 peanut butter at 1.99
Romano cheese 4.99
Granny Smith apples at 2.08
Organic green peppers 2/1
Blueberries 3.77
—————
Buy 5, Save 5
4 v8 juice at 1.89
1 peanut butter at 1.99
Romano cheese 4.99
Granny Smith apples at 2.08
Organic green peppers 2/1
Blueberries 3.77
—————
Meal plans
Meal plans take away the anxiety.of answering the question: What’s for dinner? It just makes things more organized and when you add a kitchen management hour, life is a whole less hectic during the dinner hour.
- Pork chops, bread stuffing with craisens and apple, broccolli
- Pizza
- Salmon, seasoned rice, peas and carrots
- Chicken Parmesan, salad
- Meatballs and gravy, mashed Potatoes, mixed veggies
- Stir fry chicken , rice, mandarin oranges
- Breakfast for dinner.
Notes:
- Pork chops are from a pork loin bought for a dollar a pound. Bread stuffing is from day old bread. Appples were bought in a bag with a discount from qfc. They are lunch box apples, that is, they are small enough to put in a lunchbox and with children, there is less waste.
- Pizza is one of the least expensive meals you can make if made from scratch.
- I purchased salmon from winco. It is peppercorn salmon and was five dollars a pound package.
- Rice can be double duty so you cook once, eat twice. It is purchased in bulk at costco. Thecost is two cents a serving. Chicken was purchased for 1.77 a lb for boneless, skinless breast. However, my next purchase is .99 a lb at Zaycon .
- Chicken parm and meatballs are part of our freeezer eat down program. Both easy meals.
- Breakfast for dinner is a favorite here. Its a sunday everyone cooks family event.
This blog is written on the premise of a four dollar a day budget. That is supposedly the amount of snap money. We live in one of the seven highest COL cities in the nation. There is always a way to cut costs and still keep within a budget. The premise is that if you can do it on four dollars a day, spending more is not hard. I have fifty years of experience, having lived through double digit inflation and no raises for three years as a single mother. I have been published in Woman’s Day and Taste of Home magazines. My husband and I raised three children.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Fred Meyer ad for sunday
Ground beef alert .....1.99 for 80/20 limit 4
Blueberries 3.77
Country oven bread .99
Mandarins 5 lbs 4.49
Pork 1/2 Loin 1.99 (that is the top of the RBP.
Cantaloupe 2/3
Sour cream 4/5
————
Buy 5, save 5
Cheese 4.99
Peanut butter 1.99
V8 1.99
Kind bars 1/99
Blueberries 3.77
Country oven bread .99
Mandarins 5 lbs 4.49
Pork 1/2 Loin 1.99 (that is the top of the RBP.
Cantaloupe 2/3
Sour cream 4/5
————
Buy 5, save 5
Cheese 4.99
Peanut butter 1.99
V8 1.99
Kind bars 1/99
Friday, February 23, 2018
Recipe: vegetarian pizza
Not vegetarian...just add chicken pieces
Pizza crust; par bake for a few minutes
Brush dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with dried basil. Use 1 Tbls each
Topping:
2 medium tomatoes, sliced thin and deseeded
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup frozen broccolli, thawed and drained.
Salt, pepper,
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until crust is done.
Add 1 cup (4 ounces ) mozzarella cheese
Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Add ins; RED PEPPER FLAKES/ AND OR DICED COOKED CHICKEN
Pizza crust; par bake for a few minutes
Brush dough with olive oil. Sprinkle with dried basil. Use 1 Tbls each
Topping:
2 medium tomatoes, sliced thin and deseeded
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup frozen broccolli, thawed and drained.
Salt, pepper,
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until crust is done.
Add 1 cup (4 ounces ) mozzarella cheese
Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Add ins; RED PEPPER FLAKES/ AND OR DICED COOKED CHICKEN
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Ideas from the ads
Cheese is 2.50 a lb (the top of the RBP) at Fm. You have to buy 5 things, It is like 1.28 for 8 ounces at Winco, Chicken is .87 at FM and it’s washingtin grown. It’s almost always a better deal to buy chicken that is local. A lot of fruit is a buck at FM .
Milk is 1.79 @@ at safeways. Hot dog buns are .79. @@ Hamburger is 80/20 is 2.49. @@
The last page I missed because I was doing it with the on line ad. Holidays make the paper ads late in the mail.
Alberways
Cheese, 8 ounce bags 2.50. They are more money than Winco, but you dint have to buy 5 like FM.
That’s about all on the last page.
Green beans are 75 cents. Winco has a case of 12 for 5.00. It’s not what you buy, it’s when and where you buy it,
Meals
Milk is 1.79 @@ at safeways. Hot dog buns are .79. @@ Hamburger is 80/20 is 2.49. @@
The last page I missed because I was doing it with the on line ad. Holidays make the paper ads late in the mail.
Alberways
Cheese, 8 ounce bags 2.50. They are more money than Winco, but you dint have to buy 5 like FM.
That’s about all on the last page.
Green beans are 75 cents. Winco has a case of 12 for 5.00. It’s not what you buy, it’s when and where you buy it,
Meals
- Pizza 🍕 a kid favorite and can be super cheap. A scratch crust costs .19. With cheese at 1.25 for 2 cups or 1.28 at Winco., cheese should cost .65. Add part of a DT jar of pizza sauce ( makes 5 pizzas) and top with keftiver veggies and or chicken bits or pepperoni . The DT has pepperoni for a dollar and you can use 1/2 a package with other toppings. Total cost 1.54.
- Chicken , potatoes, a vegetable and bread. A five pound chicken costs 4.35. Even a family of six should be able to get 2 meals or more out of a chicken . Roast chicken , chicken pizza or chicken cassarole, and chicken soup. Figure the first meal 2.35. Add potatoes at .20 cents a pound ,40 for four, a bag of frozen veggies is 1.00, and bread .25. Total 4.00
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Chain store ads
Alberways
Pork loin chops .99
Grapes 1.99
Boneless chicken thighs or breast 1.69
Pasta sauce, Classico 1.99
French bread 🥖.99
QFC
Saturday only, digital coupon.
Yoplait yougert mega pack 8
1.99
———-
Grapes 1.77
Milk .99
Pie 2.99
Fresh berries , blue, raspberries 2/5
Note this time of year, the frozen is a better buy,
———-
Buy5, save 5
Fruit, frozen 2.99
Kraft singles 2.99
2 pk cream cheese 2.99
Skippy peanut butter 1.99
————
Pork loin chops .99
Grapes 1.99
Boneless chicken thighs or breast 1.69
Pasta sauce, Classico 1.99
French bread 🥖.99
QFC
Saturday only, digital coupon.
Yoplait yougert mega pack 8
1.99
———-
Grapes 1.77
Milk .99
Pie 2.99
Fresh berries , blue, raspberries 2/5
Note this time of year, the frozen is a better buy,
———-
Buy5, save 5
Fruit, frozen 2.99
Kraft singles 2.99
2 pk cream cheese 2.99
Skippy peanut butter 1.99
————
Wednesday Notes
Last night we went out for snacks with friends, I had a flat bread with chicken, bacon, so,e chopped tomato and a drizzling if a sauce. It would make a good meal with a salad and would use leftover chicken and bacon. Not that we would ever have a piece of leftover bacon. 😆
Ideas for non conventional meals are all around us. Pinterest and u tube are great sources of inspiration. I have found that life is so much easier when we have a small stock of food on the house and snow doesn’t clog up our wheels. I don’t have to go out if I don’t want to. It makes life a lot easier. Getting to that point takes a little time, but in the long run it is a lot less stressful. Now I go to the store to fill in what I need — mostly fruits and veggies and dairy. I always check the pantry before heading out and can see at a glance if we are running low on something and know to watch for a sale.
Getting there is easy, but takes a bit of time if you don’t have an influx of extra cash. Its a good way to use a few dollars of an income tax return. Otherwise You can take baby steps.
Ideas for non conventional meals are all around us. Pinterest and u tube are great sources of inspiration. I have found that life is so much easier when we have a small stock of food on the house and snow doesn’t clog up our wheels. I don’t have to go out if I don’t want to. It makes life a lot easier. Getting to that point takes a little time, but in the long run it is a lot less stressful. Now I go to the store to fill in what I need — mostly fruits and veggies and dairy. I always check the pantry before heading out and can see at a glance if we are running low on something and know to watch for a sale.
Getting there is easy, but takes a bit of time if you don’t have an influx of extra cash. Its a good way to use a few dollars of an income tax return. Otherwise You can take baby steps.
- Start with a less than 25.00 purchase of staples at Costco or your warehouse store Here, we can get a 20 pound bag of flour and a twenty pound bag of Quaker Oats. That alone saves a bundle Add a 3.55 bag of yeast.
- Start setting aside five bucks a week for a stockpile. Make a list of your top 10 easy, eco omical meals. Now list the ingredients you use for those meals. We, like a lot of families eat a lot Of Italian and Tex mex.
- Watch sales and buy anything you use in a regular basis to make meals. Our list would be cans of green beans , cans of corn, diced tomatoes , pasta sauce, pasta. I add diced green chillis from Winco for .66 and sliced black olives A few instant mashed potatoes are good because they work in a pinch when you are short of time or the potatoes are bad. Little by little, it will grow After you master that, go on to rotation protein.
- Choosing bulk meats that are versatile for meal planning. At our house that would be boneless skinless chicken breast , pork loin, and hamburger. Add cheese and beans . I want to average less than two dollars a pound I’ve been getting pork loin for between a dollar and a dollar and sixty nine cents. I got chicken breast for a dollar, but they are 1.77 a lot of times at Fred Meyers (Kroger) . I like nine percent fat hamburger, but recently bought 80/20 for 2.66. We eat beef once or twice a week. It also helps that we eat vegetarian meals twice a week. Rotation protein is a concept where you watch for a RBP on you chosen meat and buy enough for a month to six weeks. The next week, you find a different deal . If you eat pork once a week, you need enough for 4-6 meals. Then watch for a chicken or beef good sale . When you get it home, portion control the batch and freeze. Cook it if it makes sense . Some people make freezer meals . I dint want to fill the freezer with food that didn’t have to be frozen in the first place. I cook hamburger and de-fat it and freeze it in portion controlled bags. I use cheap quart bags and put them in a labeled gallon bag.
- Buy dairy when it is on sale. Some pull dates are out a month. Fred Meyers usually has it for cheap once or so a month. I buy Costco butter unless I can find it cheaper. QFC has had it on a digital coupon for 2.00 lately. Watch for coupons I got Darigold for 1.50.
- Learn the RBP for the things you buy on a regular basis. Don’t buy anything if it isn’t your price unless it is a dire necessity. Prices cycle, if you get enough for a month to six weeks, you can just about bet you will find another sale. The exception will be seasonal items. Baking items are best bought at Christmas holidays and Easter . Ditto cream of mushroom soup. BBQ sauce and suddenly salad along with ketchup will be on sale at picnic time.
If this is over whelming, take one step at a time.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Costco and Winco haul
we are at 55.00 a week for feb. less for January. We have a good start on next week.
Costco
tortilla chips 3.59
Bacon. 4. 13.49
Bananas 1.39
Romaine 3.79
Total 29.05
Winco
Tomatoes 1.28
Cucumbers .33
Cream cheese 1.46
Parm 2.18
Peppercorn salmon 4.98
Total 11.72
Costco has no regular eggs. The tomatoes and cream cheese were too expensive . It seems as though Costco is catering to the wat we used to call yuppies.
Costco
tortilla chips 3.59
Bacon. 4. 13.49
Bananas 1.39
Romaine 3.79
Total 29.05
Winco
Tomatoes 1.28
Cucumbers .33
Cream cheese 1.46
Parm 2.18
Peppercorn salmon 4.98
Total 11.72
Costco has no regular eggs. The tomatoes and cream cheese were too expensive . It seems as though Costco is catering to the wat we used to call yuppies.
Why buy a 20 lb bag of flour.?
If you are trying to lower you food expense as far as you can lower it, buying a bag of Costco flour can save a bundle. There are lots of recipes for mixes that save time in the kitchen. Bread recipes are out there that make a loaf if bread in 10-15 minutes hands on time. The savings are remarkable. The last bag of flour cost me .08 a cup.
Costco large muffins Re a dollar a piece. A batch of muffins cost .45 dozen . It can be cheaper, depending on what you put in as an add on,
Bread can cost between .25 and .30. The same bread can cost 3.00. That’s a remarkable difference.
Pizza crust. The dough can be 1.50-2.00 at the grocery store. It costs .19.
Pancakes are pennies, they cost upwards of two dollars at the store ready made.
Ditto waffles.
In short, the difference between homemade and ready made is remarkable and can save tons of money.
Costco large muffins Re a dollar a piece. A batch of muffins cost .45 dozen . It can be cheaper, depending on what you put in as an add on,
Bread can cost between .25 and .30. The same bread can cost 3.00. That’s a remarkable difference.
Pizza crust. The dough can be 1.50-2.00 at the grocery store. It costs .19.
Pancakes are pennies, they cost upwards of two dollars at the store ready made.
Ditto waffles.
In short, the difference between homemade and ready made is remarkable and can save tons of money.
Got 20 pounds of flour, now what do I do.?
Yesterday, I made a dozen blueberry muffins. It took just a few minutes and used 3/4 of a cup of blueberries . I could have added Apple and cinnamon, or raspberries and a crumble topping,
You can make a baking mix with canola oil or butter. Today, I have pancake mix. Pancakes,a little turkey bacon, and fruit in season makes breakfast for dinner, Turkey bacon is a at the dollar tree— name brand,
Pancake mix
4 cups flour
3 Tbls baking powder
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
3 Tbls sugar
Stir all ingredients together and store in a container with a tight fitting lid, Attach the directions to the container,
To make
1 cup mix
1 TBLS oil or melted butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
Mix wet ingredients,
Stir dry ingredients , measure mix,
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, dint over mix,
Drop quarter cup of batter onto griddle or frying pan that has been sprayed with oil, or is non stick. Cook until sides are dry and bubbles appear on top . Flip and cook the second side.
Serve with powdered sugar dusting. Or syrup.
You can make a baking mix with canola oil or butter. Today, I have pancake mix. Pancakes,a little turkey bacon, and fruit in season makes breakfast for dinner, Turkey bacon is a at the dollar tree— name brand,
Pancake mix
4 cups flour
3 Tbls baking powder
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
3 Tbls sugar
Stir all ingredients together and store in a container with a tight fitting lid, Attach the directions to the container,
To make
1 cup mix
1 TBLS oil or melted butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
Mix wet ingredients,
Stir dry ingredients , measure mix,
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, dint over mix,
Drop quarter cup of batter onto griddle or frying pan that has been sprayed with oil, or is non stick. Cook until sides are dry and bubbles appear on top . Flip and cook the second side.
Serve with powdered sugar dusting. Or syrup.
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