Sprouts
Cucumbers 2/1
Grape tomatoes 1.69
Grapes .98
Blues .88
Apples .99
Raspberries 3/5
Cor n 3/1.00
14.43
Costco
Mozzarella cheese 11.99
Mix mex cheese 12.99
Total 24.98
Winco
Cottage cheese 1.98
Zucchini .78
Celery .98
S ausage 3.48
Eggs .98
Strawberries 3.96
Total 12.39
Total 51.80
Grocery outlet
Cookies .50
Salmon 2.98
Bacon 2.00
Total 14.98
Total 66.78
10.78 over
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Monday, July 15, 2019
Monday Kitchen Management aka food prep
This is ridiculous . This particular blog is being written by my tablet keyboard. I have said the same things so often that it writes itself.
Clean out the refrigerator and dump anything dead. Staying on top of the fresh foods , especially these days when things go bad fast, is a necessary chore. Not a problem of you have enough kids and fruit. Lol
My daughter got a box of free food. It is a box of miscellaneous food. A lot of artisan bread. She gave a lot to others. There was a lot of fresh cilantro and parsley about to go bad . I put it in the dehydrator. Things that were on the edge and needed to be eaten soon.
The lesson here, is that by incorporating things that need to be used soon and things that are plentiful and therefore, cheap into your meal plans you can stretch your food dollar and eat well. Dehydrated herbs are much fresher and greener than those you buy in the spice isle . You can put them in water, but they still don’t last a long time. The touch of bright green can make an otherwise boring looking plate pop and look more appetizing. We eat first with our eyes . Red peppers are another tricky idea. They, too, make things more appealing.
It is no secret that fruits and vegetables in season are cheapest and at their peek of freshness. That’s hey we eat squash and pumpkin in the winter and berries in the summer. On another note, we are hard wires to eat pumpkin in the fall and strawberry shortcake in the summer. By breaking that idea, you can have good food dirt-cheap. Countless times, we have found seasonal tastes almost free because it wasn’t “the season” at grocery outlet . Grocery Outlet is a franchise in some states that is a store that sells over stocks and sometimes things that were produced for a test market, and didn’t fly.
Sometimes it was just that the item was marketed too expensive. I remember a can on recipe sauce that was selling for more than the meat you out with it. It would up at grocery outlet and the dollar tree for .50. At .50 it was cheaper than scratch. At 2.85, not so much.
Often, in summer, pumpkin things will be on sale for fractions of the original price. They are till in the sell by range, but it’s summer. I just bought bread studding for .50. It has also been ..25. Its nit time for thanksgiving, but you can still have pork chops or chicken breast on stuffing with apple and cranberries added for dinner on a Rainy summer day. It’s all about good food CHEAP!
The goal is to put good food on the table all month long and have a small inventory for emergencies on four dollars a day budget. It can be done, and we have dine it on less than four dollars a day for two and a half years now.
Clean out the refrigerator and dump anything dead. Staying on top of the fresh foods , especially these days when things go bad fast, is a necessary chore. Not a problem of you have enough kids and fruit. Lol
My daughter got a box of free food. It is a box of miscellaneous food. A lot of artisan bread. She gave a lot to others. There was a lot of fresh cilantro and parsley about to go bad . I put it in the dehydrator. Things that were on the edge and needed to be eaten soon.
The lesson here, is that by incorporating things that need to be used soon and things that are plentiful and therefore, cheap into your meal plans you can stretch your food dollar and eat well. Dehydrated herbs are much fresher and greener than those you buy in the spice isle . You can put them in water, but they still don’t last a long time. The touch of bright green can make an otherwise boring looking plate pop and look more appetizing. We eat first with our eyes . Red peppers are another tricky idea. They, too, make things more appealing.
It is no secret that fruits and vegetables in season are cheapest and at their peek of freshness. That’s hey we eat squash and pumpkin in the winter and berries in the summer. On another note, we are hard wires to eat pumpkin in the fall and strawberry shortcake in the summer. By breaking that idea, you can have good food dirt-cheap. Countless times, we have found seasonal tastes almost free because it wasn’t “the season” at grocery outlet . Grocery Outlet is a franchise in some states that is a store that sells over stocks and sometimes things that were produced for a test market, and didn’t fly.
Sometimes it was just that the item was marketed too expensive. I remember a can on recipe sauce that was selling for more than the meat you out with it. It would up at grocery outlet and the dollar tree for .50. At .50 it was cheaper than scratch. At 2.85, not so much.
Often, in summer, pumpkin things will be on sale for fractions of the original price. They are till in the sell by range, but it’s summer. I just bought bread studding for .50. It has also been ..25. Its nit time for thanksgiving, but you can still have pork chops or chicken breast on stuffing with apple and cranberries added for dinner on a Rainy summer day. It’s all about good food CHEAP!
The goal is to put good food on the table all month long and have a small inventory for emergencies on four dollars a day budget. It can be done, and we have dine it on less than four dollars a day for two and a half years now.
Sunday, July 14, 2019
It’s Sunday and we have meal plans
Menu planning is a necessary part of groceries on the cheap. Having a plan makes the dinner hour a lot less hectic.
I try to use a matrix based on protein. This gives us a variety of foods.
I try to use a matrix based on protein. This gives us a variety of foods.
- Herb crusted chicken breast, bread stuffing with apple and craisens, green beans
- Pizza bread
- Chicken enchiladas, lettuce and tomatoes
- Burrito pie
- Chicken pot pie , baked apples
- Tuna casserole , peas and carrots
- Breakfast for dinner.
Notes : my daughter scored a a lot of French bread so we are incorporating bread into the menu plan. You save money by incorporating what you have and what is on sale in any particular week. Being flexible is a good tool for s t r e t c h I n g your food dollar.
Frozen vegetables are often less expensive and fresh because they are licked and frozen within hours.
Enchilada sauce is made with magic mix and mild diced green chilies. Diced green chilies are cheapest at Winco and in their label.
We are still working on the chicken from the thighs I cooked a week or so ago and froze.
The QFC magazine that came in the mail has a good article about what plants to avoid while camping or hiking.
It also has some good coupons and recipes.
Saturday, July 13, 2019
Where did it begin....the road to groceries on the cheap
I grew up with a mother that was always frugal in her special way. Some things were a bit over the top like when she insisted we don’t buy Kleenex and I had to , with allergies go to school, with my roll of tp. Can we spell gross. Meds were something to be shunned, even when we got them for free with my dad’s insurance, She would buy gallons of pure casteel shampoo because I had two sisters and we used a lot of shampoo. There was the time that she was bound and determined that we were going to save money for a new house. She decided we could each have a bar of hotel soap to brush our teeth. Yuk is all I can say.
Mom was a plain cook. She didn’t like to cook, but what she made was always really delicious, She would take the time to separate eggs, whip the whites and fold them together to make an omelette that she finished in the oven. She would start it in our big aluminum pan and take the handle off to finish it in the oven, We all started baking when we were about 9 yo. That’s when we got to do the dishes without the benefit of a dishwasher. One summer there were the five of us as well as two aunts and cousin that came to live with us for the summer.
At thirteen we got her old iron and she got a new one. We got to learn how to iron your cotton clothes. You put them wet in a zipper bag . If you didn’t get to them they moulded , Ironing something until it’s dry is not an easy task at 13. I babysat and could buy some of my own clothes. We were to save 1/2 of our money to buy our silverware for our “hope chest” for every place setting, she would match it. At 8 yo we started getting teaspoons for our birthdays and Christmas. Buying something that didn’t have substance was a waste of money. I went to two movies in 18 years. One when I was about 8 or so when we went to visit friends in Utah. We saw Pollyanna. When I was 18, my sister and I went to a Hard Days Night in Anacortes. I started junior high with two gingham
dresses, both the same, one blue, one green. Besides that, I had some jeans and a boys sweatshirt.
dresses, both the same, one blue, one green. Besides that, I had some jeans and a boys sweatshirt.
We were far from poor. Mom always bought quality food and no junk food, Dad wouldn’t allow pop, hotdogs, kool aid or the like in the house. He said it was garbage. He said if coke would take rust off a screw, what would it do to your stomach, lol. We had Karastan rugs and formal curtains on the living room windows. Mom bought quality and said it was better to buy one good thing and take care of it than to buy cheap furniture and replace it. It was a durable thing. You bought things that lasted and things that you had something to show for your money. She would have never understood the minimalist, buy experiences mantra of today. To her, that was economy. Her Karastan still sits on our living room floor.
Fast forward. It was the early 70’s. I became a single parent. My dad always said that a marriage only can work if you are both pulling the cart in the same direction, Truer words were never
spoken. Dad was a man of few words but what he said was usually very wise.
spoken. Dad was a man of few words but what he said was usually very wise.
We had had a rough few years. I had two 202.00 paychecks that December and 5.12 in the savings account. Rent was 145.00 and daycare was 185.00. I had to pay an insurance fee and December and January’s fees in December,. I called DSHS and they told me I earned too much to get food stamps and it didn’t matter how much daycare was.
I cried, Then I put my big girl pants on and......called my sister. Brainstorming always helped. She gave me some ideas and I worked out a plan. I spent 25.00 for food that month. My son wanted a hot wheels set from Santa. I found one that had a plastic c clamp that put the track to a chair for 3.50.
We made it through the hard times. I set out to learn everything I could about saving money. We cut the heat in some rooms. Caught the dishwasher and turned off the dry cycle. I read everything I could find at the library and watched everything that came across the 10 inch black and white tv with
an antenna. It was months before we got a telephone. When the tv went, we listened to radio drama.
We lived through double digit inflation, and no raises in three years. I still had a job, so things were good. If we couldn’t afford something, we went without. My son came first. I did my best to keep him in clothes the other kids wore and bought his school lunches so he was like the other kids.
Seven years later I remarried and things got better. I still looked for ways to s t r e t c h a dollar. I never stopped.
Fast forward, my daughter has taught children from low income families for years. She was hearing of a lot of women that were having a hard time stretching their food dollars. She told one that oh, her mom knew how to do that! That is when my children convinced me that this non tech savvy soon to be grandmother could start a blog.
I knew a lot. I set out to learn and try more things, retry things I had failed at before. Like scratch bread! It wasn’t until I was writing a class that I discovered we were actually eating well on less than snap money would be. I started several years ago using a spread sheet to record where and how much we were spending per week. Periodically we take an inventory.
That’s how I got here. I write a blog everyday for seven years now with the exception of a few days that I was out of commission. I would like to reach more people, but, a salesperson, I’m not and google has quit their sharing part of the blog. It’s free, I can’t complain.
Groceries on the cheap takes a new or not so new approach to grocery shopping. The upshot is you always have food on the house, you efficiently scratch cook so you aren’t eating a lot of things you can’t pronounce, and you can do it on four dollars a day or less.
Come join me, it’s free.
an antenna. It was months before we got a telephone. When the tv went, we listened to radio drama.
We lived through double digit inflation, and no raises in three years. I still had a job, so things were good. If we couldn’t afford something, we went without. My son came first. I did my best to keep him in clothes the other kids wore and bought his school lunches so he was like the other kids.
Seven years later I remarried and things got better. I still looked for ways to s t r e t c h a dollar. I never stopped.
Fast forward, my daughter has taught children from low income families for years. She was hearing of a lot of women that were having a hard time stretching their food dollars. She told one that oh, her mom knew how to do that! That is when my children convinced me that this non tech savvy soon to be grandmother could start a blog.
I knew a lot. I set out to learn and try more things, retry things I had failed at before. Like scratch bread! It wasn’t until I was writing a class that I discovered we were actually eating well on less than snap money would be. I started several years ago using a spread sheet to record where and how much we were spending per week. Periodically we take an inventory.
That’s how I got here. I write a blog everyday for seven years now with the exception of a few days that I was out of commission. I would like to reach more people, but, a salesperson, I’m not and google has quit their sharing part of the blog. It’s free, I can’t complain.
Groceries on the cheap takes a new or not so new approach to grocery shopping. The upshot is you always have food on the house, you efficiently scratch cook so you aren’t eating a lot of things you can’t pronounce, and you can do it on four dollars a day or less.
Come join me, it’s free.
Friday, July 12, 2019
Cheese ......
There is a big miss conception out there. Know many times have you heard that buying a block of cheese and grating your own is cheaper. WRONG. Cheese is cheese. A pound of cheese is a pound of cheese, no matter what shape it is in. Go by the weight per pound. I have never seen a block of quality cheese for less per pound than grated. Why work when you don’t have to. Spend your time doing something that is going to save money.
Costco grated cheese has potato starch and an ingredient that is to avoid mould. This is an ingredient that doctors prescribe for eye infections, I’m sire in larger quantity.
My problem with organic food is that it grows mould two seconds after it hits your door.
No food is going to do your family any good if you are feeding it to the garbage disposal .
70 percent of the pesticides can be removed from fruits and vegetables by washing them with a mixture of 10 percent white vinegar and 90 percent water.
Costco grated cheese has potato starch and an ingredient that is to avoid mould. This is an ingredient that doctors prescribe for eye infections, I’m sire in larger quantity.
My problem with organic food is that it grows mould two seconds after it hits your door.
No food is going to do your family any good if you are feeding it to the garbage disposal .
70 percent of the pesticides can be removed from fruits and vegetables by washing them with a mixture of 10 percent white vinegar and 90 percent water.
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Lists : dump and go dinners
A quick dump and go dinner will be a good hedge against ordering dinner on because time has gotten away from you or someone is sick etc. Or, the kitchen is just too darn hot.
- Any quiche. Sorry own, dump your ingredients , make crust in the blender and pour over your filling and bake.
- Spaghetti in the insta pot. This is especially fast of you precook your hamburger or ground turkey or have frozen meatballs.
- Stir fry vegetables and pasta.
- Eggs, toast, fruit
- Rice, fajitas
Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Life is just one big pasta salad
Repost: life is just one big pasta salad
Yesterday, I made a big pasta salad to take to a happy hour picnic. Reflecting on my life, I think that life is like a big pasta salad. The pasta is the base. Our moral values, or its what we are made of. The veggies and stuff that we throw into it is the life experiences that get thrown at us. We can process them so that we wind up with a gourmet delight, or not. The dressing so how we pull it together. How we find a positive, out of a negative situation.
Back in the days when we went without a 10 inch black and white tv with rabbit ears, I would have never dreamed I would have a thirty something flat screen with hundreds of channels. We listened to old time radio. Now, I listen to old time radio because I want to and enjoy it. I can listen and still work in my studio or fold clothes .
When I studied everything I could get my hands on to learn to stretch a buck, I learned valuable life's lessons. Life's lessons I am trying to teach others. Making a positive out of what could have been a negative. My mother always said that no one ever gets through life without paying their dues. What you do with the experience is the key to a " flop or a gourmet salad."
So, I write this blog to help those people who, by their own volition wadnt to stretch a buck or because someone is in a position to Have to stretch their food dollar, can make informed decisions and eat better for less.
My way of turning a negative into a positive.
The little feedback I get is telling me that people take different things from this blog. Some like to try a new recipe, some like a way to get out of the kitchen faster, or streamline the hectic dinner hour. Some just like to laugh at my terrible keyboard skills on the I pad! LOL. Whatever the reason, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you are sharing so that I can reach more people. They can take what they want from it. I do not get paid for doing this, I am doing it to try to help people eat better for less. Better, cheaper, faster,
Again, thanks for stopping by
Jane
Back in the days when we went without a 10 inch black and white tv with rabbit ears, I would have never dreamed I would have a thirty something flat screen with hundreds of channels. We listened to old time radio. Now, I listen to old time radio because I want to and enjoy it. I can listen and still work in my studio or fold clothes .
When I studied everything I could get my hands on to learn to stretch a buck, I learned valuable life's lessons. Life's lessons I am trying to teach others. Making a positive out of what could have been a negative. My mother always said that no one ever gets through life without paying their dues. What you do with the experience is the key to a " flop or a gourmet salad."
So, I write this blog to help those people who, by their own volition wadnt to stretch a buck or because someone is in a position to Have to stretch their food dollar, can make informed decisions and eat better for less.
My way of turning a negative into a positive.
The little feedback I get is telling me that people take different things from this blog. Some like to try a new recipe, some like a way to get out of the kitchen faster, or streamline the hectic dinner hour. Some just like to laugh at my terrible keyboard skills on the I pad! LOL. Whatever the reason, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you are sharing so that I can reach more people. They can take what they want from it. I do not get paid for doing this, I am doing it to try to help people eat better for less. Better, cheaper, faster,
Again, thanks for stopping by
Jane
the ads the hard way .....no ads in mail
Fred Meyers
Cantaloupe 2/3
Boneless Petite sirloin 2.99
Red Cherries 1.68
FF chicken breast, thighs, BOGO
ground turkey BOGO
FF whole fryer, thighs, drums BOGO
eggs .99
Friday, Saturday only, DIGI, up to 5
Kroger brats, Italian sausage, 1.99
raspberries / blackberries 2/5
QFC
BUY5, Save 5
Kroger cheese 4.99 - 2#. Note: Costco cheese was cheaper in large bags
cucumbers .79
DIGI ,. FRIDAY, SATURDAY ONLY 5 TIMES
ANGEL FOOD CAKE 2.49
VITAMINS 3.99
SPROUTS
STRAWBERRIES, , BLUES , 1.98
peaches .98
cantaloupe 2/3
cherries 1.48
ground beef 85/15 2.99
Alberways
berries BOGO
milk 1.99@@
bread .99@@
grapes, plums 1.99
ground beef 93/7 3.99
Yoplait 10/5 $$$
note: @@ denotes must have in ad coupon.
$$ denotes that there are coupons out there
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Hauls to 7/10
Winco
Grapes .98
Roma’s .98
Strawberries 1.98
Pickles 1.98
Cottage cheese 1.98
Taco shells 1.38
Grape tomatoes 1.98
Yoplait 2.68
Corn .33
Sausage .98
Bread 1.98
Chicken thighs .98
Potatoes 2.28
Total 31.14
Costco flour 7.29
Total 38.43
QFC
Milk 1.99
Sweet baby rays (5) .99
Jello 1.29
Beef patties 5.99
Raspberries 1.50
Raspberries 2.00
Sour cream 1.10
Sargento cheese 1.00
Sargento cheese 1.00
Sargento cheese 2.50
Sargento cheese 2.50
Sargentomcheese 3.00
( ??? Nets 2.00 each)
Total 28.82
Total 67.25
Stock beef patties, sweet baby rays ( year) and sliced cheese for a total of 21.00
Grapes .98
Roma’s .98
Strawberries 1.98
Pickles 1.98
Cottage cheese 1.98
Taco shells 1.38
Grape tomatoes 1.98
Yoplait 2.68
Corn .33
Sausage .98
Bread 1.98
Chicken thighs .98
Potatoes 2.28
Total 31.14
Costco flour 7.29
Total 38.43
QFC
Milk 1.99
Sweet baby rays (5) .99
Jello 1.29
Beef patties 5.99
Raspberries 1.50
Raspberries 2.00
Sour cream 1.10
Sargento cheese 1.00
Sargento cheese 1.00
Sargento cheese 2.50
Sargento cheese 2.50
Sargentomcheese 3.00
( ??? Nets 2.00 each)
Total 28.82
Total 67.25
Stock beef patties, sweet baby rays ( year) and sliced cheese for a total of 21.00
Monday, July 8, 2019
Monday Kitchen Management
Some of this blog is so repetitive that the blog spell check writes the sentences by itself! Lol
Last night we had a ham, cheese, peppers quiche. It was breakfast for dinner night and I wasn’t feeling well. I had the option to stay in the hospital, but at three thousand or so a day, I opted out.
I came home with drugs and a prayer.
I digress : Kitchen Management
Last night we had a ham, cheese, peppers quiche. It was breakfast for dinner night and I wasn’t feeling well. I had the option to stay in the hospital, but at three thousand or so a day, I opted out.
I came home with drugs and a prayer.
I digress : Kitchen Management
- Wash kitchen floor.
- Clean out the refrigerator and dump anything dead 💀.
- Clean and disinfect countertops and sinks and drains.
- Make magic mix
- Make pancake mix and make label for the canister with directions.
- Wash potatoes and carrots, fruit,
- Straighten the pantry
Pancake mix is a lot cheaper than buying it. And, so is muffin mix and magic mix. They take just a few minutes and save a ton of money. I got another sack of 7.29 flour because I suspect flour will be taking a hike. I am already seeing bread prices go up. Another thing that will see an increase will be pasta. Pasta has an EIGHT year shelf life. You really can stock pasta and it makes a quick and easy meal.
The hedge from ordering pizza because if time and energy constraints is to have your four to six weeks supply of food and a few no brainier meals that go together in a flash with almost no energy,
Some people call them dump and go. They don’t have to start with a box of something that costs a bundle. A few minutes when you have the time and energy, can save a lot of time and energy when you don’t.
My daughter recently took on a five hour a day job with no benefits. She is waiting for a better job that should open up and contemplating going back to college for a higher degree. Four years of college for barely more than minimum wage is not working to support a family. She has been finding resources she didn’t know existed. Networking is a good thing,
Please share this blog. I am trying to get my readership up so I can keep this up.
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Sunday, it must be meal plans
Meal plans are a necessary part of groceries on the cheap....of you are organized, even a little bit, it makes life easier and less hectic. The time you are spending in the question, what’s for dinner can be used to out a chicken on a slow cooker make a batch of magic mix. This makes dinners cheaper and more efficient.
- Chicken orzo soup (taste of home ) , rolls
- Pizza
- Burrito pie , lettuce and tomato
- Chicken pot pie
- Potato and ham soup, cheesy biscuits
- Veggie bow ties , rolls
- Breakfast for dinner
Notes
- Chicken Orzo soup uses chicken from the chicken thighs we cooked last week,
- Pizza is a mainstay, a cheese pizza scratch costs a few cents over a dollar.
- Burrito pie is made with beef and cooked in the oven ,
- Chicken pot pie has one crust for a reduction in carbs and uses the chicken from thighs,
- Potato and ham soup is made in the insta pot and cheesy biscuits take minutes to make. Granddaughter is getting really good at making them .
- Veggie bow ties is Friday’s recipe. Add bread sticks
- Breakfast for dinner, A family meal where everyone cooks.
Saturday, July 6, 2019
Concept : coupons and bargains.
Make no bones about it, paper coupons are going away, It might be better for the planet, but it isn’t better for you. I am not seeing coupons on the paper at the dollar store any more, I quit buying them.
On coupons.com the food coupons are few and far between.
The good news is, I no longer need to pack around a coupon binder. The bad news is that coupons are digital and they are attached to a particular store. You could really clean up if you could find a good sale and match it with a coupon.
As it is, it’s just a magic surprise. Fred Meyers and QFC have digital coupons good for usually a 3 day period and they are usually a really good buy. Sometimes they are lure junk food, but there are some things that are a good buy.
I go into QFC and hit anything that I would normally buy. Then when I buy something that is a good price and get a magic surprise in a bonus coupon, It happened when I got really good hamburger patties for 6.99 for two pounds of patties. That’s about what two pounds of good hamburger would cost, but these have bacon and cheese in them. A really good treat. I had added a two dollar coupon so we got hamburgers for 2.50 a pound.
I am not finding much at Safeways, the coupons are for more than we ever pay on the first place.
Most of Alberways prices are twenty five percent higher than other stores. Unless they have a really good sale, they are not a good place for bargains. I don’t see a lot of bargains at Walmart either.
Every few years, our local newspaper makes up a grocery cart list and then goes out and compares prices. The latest update was what I had observed on the first place, Fred Meyers and Winco are the cheapest.
Actually, they found grocery outlet the cheapest too, but they are nit a full grocery store. For those not in this part of the country, grocery outlet is a grocery store that sells overstocks. Sometimes it can be something that was manufactured for a test market or something that is out of season. It isn’t out of date, bit out of season. So, if you don’t mind eating pumpkin flavor in the summer, you can really clean up. Some are 90 percent off.
There are no coupons at grocery outlet, but they have a good stock of organic as well as regular food. Some things are regular stock that you can find every time you go, and sometimes there are magic surprises that you can take to the bank. Like bread stuffing for a quarter. It wasn’t thanksgiving lol .
It was a name brand. I also find taco kits for a dollar at times, that’s the price ofmthemshells, amd you get taco sauce and seasoning.
It is like a treasure hunt and you never know what you are going to find. Oreo candy bars were .25 for two bars.
It might be something to be said that we have found the Seattle store with higher prices than the other stores and they didn’t stand behind their produce when I got a bag of apples that were all rotten. The Lynnwood and Kenmore stores are cleaner and better. We like Kenmore,becaise otmjas a dollar tree next door so we can get a lot done with one stop. We have a very economical car, but it is still better not to waste gas.
Basically, if you go to grocery outlet with an open mind , you can really clean up on the bargain
department without coupons. I don’t buy the meat, amd I don’t buy the veggies. I do buy the normal deli packages that are at any store like cheese and bacon.
Using every trick you can legally use , you can eat well on four dollars a day. Washington snap is at 4.25 a day.
Friday, July 5, 2019
Friday recipe
Bow ties with grilled vegetables
1 package bow ties pasta
1 red bell pepper, too and bottom cut off, seeded and cut into strips.
2 medium zucchini, cut into slices.
1 onion, peeled and sliced.
Olive oil.
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1/2 cup hard cheese ( Romano or parmesan, )
1 package bow ties pasta
1 red bell pepper, too and bottom cut off, seeded and cut into strips.
2 medium zucchini, cut into slices.
1 onion, peeled and sliced.
Olive oil.
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1/2 cup hard cheese ( Romano or parmesan, )
- Cook pasta, drain, keep warm in the pasta pan , reserving some pasta water
- Heat a grill pan.
- Toss peppers, onion, and zucchini in a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Cook on grill pan until vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes
- When vegetables are tender, remove from grill and rough chop
- Add the vegetables to the pasta pan along with some of the pasta water.
- Toss in the tomatoes and cheese.
Note : you could also add cooked chicken pieces to this, or cooked sliced sausage.
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Truth, Justice, and the American way
It’s the Fourth of July and the words of Superman.......
This is supposed to be a list day. Scheduling makes things a bit less hectic, Zoning your household chores keeps things in perspective and helps you from becoming overwhelmed. Many people when overwhelmed tend to do nothing, it’s the safe thing to do.
I remember a gal in a Seattle morning show years ago talk about a tickler file. It was a small 3x5 file card box with dividers for days if the week and months of the year; virtually every chore you could ever need to do was on a three by five index card and filed as to weekly chores or monthly ones. Everything from changing the smoke detector batteries, to feeding the lawn. If you are disciplined, that works. It also works in remembering birthdays.
We have zone cleaning. Most of the time, that works, unless you get sick for three weeks, like I have been so far this summer. LOL. We get off some weeks, but normally, it works for everyday cleaning.
When I went to Management School, they taught us to tackle a large project with the Swiss cheese treatment. If you just start and poke jokes in it, eventually, it will get done.
Take cleaning up after a large dinner. You have a messy table. Set priorities.
This is supposed to be a list day. Scheduling makes things a bit less hectic, Zoning your household chores keeps things in perspective and helps you from becoming overwhelmed. Many people when overwhelmed tend to do nothing, it’s the safe thing to do.
I remember a gal in a Seattle morning show years ago talk about a tickler file. It was a small 3x5 file card box with dividers for days if the week and months of the year; virtually every chore you could ever need to do was on a three by five index card and filed as to weekly chores or monthly ones. Everything from changing the smoke detector batteries, to feeding the lawn. If you are disciplined, that works. It also works in remembering birthdays.
We have zone cleaning. Most of the time, that works, unless you get sick for three weeks, like I have been so far this summer. LOL. We get off some weeks, but normally, it works for everyday cleaning.
When I went to Management School, they taught us to tackle a large project with the Swiss cheese treatment. If you just start and poke jokes in it, eventually, it will get done.
Take cleaning up after a large dinner. You have a messy table. Set priorities.
- Get the uneaten food off the table and store on bags or refrigerator dishes and in the refrigerator before it spoils.
- Now, pick up the garbage. Paper plates, napkins etc, Tackling the biggest chore first gives you a sense of accomplishment and makes things look a lot more manageable.
- Next, you would clear the table. Glasses first, then silverware and plates.
- By taking one step at a time, the job is less overwhelming.
This is really simplified, but the concept works for about any job from cleaning out the car after a road trip, to putting away groceries after a shopping trip, or redecorating a room.
Making a list, even in your head, organizes your thoughts and makes life simpler. Some people come by this naturally, some have a harder time. This world would be a really dull one if all of us had the same personality. And, some people have challenges.
Whatever works for you.
On another note, picnic time is the one time certain things go on sale. It is a good idea to stock those things for the year. On digital coupon, bbq sauce is a dollar. You can by 5. That’s less than a half bottle a month. We are set for the year. Cream soup if you use it, is best bought during thanksgiving time. The difference can be more than a dollar a can. Baking supplies are best bought during Christmas and Easter, The sales make things like sugar as little as a dollar a bag. We don’t use a lot of sugar, so a bag or two lasts us a year.
Taking advantage of sakes when they happen saves a lot of money. It can happen on a budget because you are buying tomstock, amd something else was purchased at a different time.
When my granddaughter was growing fast, my daughter would wait until the end of the season and buy her next years clothes when they were 70 percent off. A co-worker just didn’t get that concept, what are you going to save, she said, a McDonald’s hamburger! Every little bit adds up. Attitude can make a big difference. It’s all about the mind set.
I a, lucky enough to have a budget to stretch. I am going to make the most of it.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Wednesday, surprise! The ads
SPROUTS
Blueberries .88
Red cherries 1.77
Cucumbers, green peppers 2/1
Cauliflowers, eggplant.98
Squash, zucchini.88
Eye of round roast 2.99
ALBERWAYS
80/20;ground beef 2.99
Eggs .88@@
Buns .79@@
Sweet baby rays .99@@
Mayo 2.99@@
Wed, thurs only
Butter 1.99
Corn 4/1
QFC
Digital coupons
Hamburgers 6.99
Cheese , slices 2/4
Sweet baby rays .99
*****
Raspberries 2/4
Milk 1.99
Butter 2/5
Fred Meyers
Chicken , heritage farm , note this is southern grown chicken , Tyson parts, leg quarters, whole chicken .99
Pork sale BOGO. Buyer beware check prices.
Ragu 1.29
Blueberries 2.49 - 18 ounces
Butter 2/5
Wednesday- Saturday grapes .99
Digi
Ore Ida 1.99
Cream cheese 1.49
Blueberries .88
Red cherries 1.77
Cucumbers, green peppers 2/1
Cauliflowers, eggplant.98
Squash, zucchini.88
Eye of round roast 2.99
ALBERWAYS
80/20;ground beef 2.99
Eggs .88@@
Buns .79@@
Sweet baby rays .99@@
Mayo 2.99@@
Wed, thurs only
Butter 1.99
Corn 4/1
QFC
Digital coupons
Hamburgers 6.99
Cheese , slices 2/4
Sweet baby rays .99
*****
Raspberries 2/4
Milk 1.99
Butter 2/5
Fred Meyers
Chicken , heritage farm , note this is southern grown chicken , Tyson parts, leg quarters, whole chicken .99
Pork sale BOGO. Buyer beware check prices.
Ragu 1.29
Blueberries 2.49 - 18 ounces
Butter 2/5
Wednesday- Saturday grapes .99
Digi
Ore Ida 1.99
Cream cheese 1.49
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Hauls to 7/3
Winco
Lettuce 1.48
Roma’s 1.63
Bread 1.38
Total 4.49
Sprouts
Strawberries .88
Cantaloupe.88
Fuji apples .98
Grapes .88
Red delicious apples .99
Corn 2/1
Blue cheese 4.94
2 London broil steaks @ BOGO 10.00
Total 24.27
Winco
Ice cream 2.98
Rolls .76
Total 3.74
Grand total
32.50
Buns .79
Bread 1.00
Total 1.79
Total 34.29
Coffee 5.99
Total 40.28
4,00 a day equals 56.00
Lettuce 1.48
Roma’s 1.63
Bread 1.38
Total 4.49
Sprouts
Strawberries .88
Cantaloupe.88
Fuji apples .98
Grapes .88
Red delicious apples .99
Corn 2/1
Blue cheese 4.94
2 London broil steaks @ BOGO 10.00
Total 24.27
Winco
Ice cream 2.98
Rolls .76
Total 3.74
Grand total
32.50
Buns .79
Bread 1.00
Total 1.79
Total 34.29
Coffee 5.99
Total 40.28
4,00 a day equals 56.00
Monday, July 1, 2019
June meal wrap up
What we ate
- Tacos
- Waffles, strawberries, bacon
- Chicken pot pie
- Pizza
- Spaghetti, green salad
- Stew
- Baked potato bar
- Potluck : rhubarb Dump cake
- Rice and beans
- Rice and chicken casserole
- Pizza
- Sloppy joes, French fries, fruit salad
- Meatballs and gravy, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables,
- Eggs, fruit cup, cheesy biscuits
- Chili. ( Mom sick )
- Tasted cheese Sandwiches, fruit cup ( mom sick)
- Hamburgers, corn on cob
- Sausage, sauerkraut, apples, bread sticks
- Sausage, potatoes, peppers , zucchini sheet pan
- Cream sausage , red pepper, tomato pasta
- Chicken , potatoes, salad
- Mac and cheese, mixed veggies
- Seafood salad, rolls
- Meatball subs, oven fries, salad
- Eggs, fruit cup, salad
- BLTs , fruit cup
- Hamburger, oven fries, salad
- Fajitas
- Stew, bread sticks
- Waffles, strawberries, bacon
Paper - Simon says stamp
The whole stack is like that.
happened before, but only the corner I could work around.
Thank you,
Sunday, June 30, 2019
It’s Sunday, must be meal plans
Meal plans are a necessary part of groceries on the cheap. They make life easier even if you deviate from them. Meal prep aka kitchen management has a big part on making thendonner Hour Keys’s hectic.
Last night we had a medical emergency. But because everything was planned out, we still had beef stew and it was made in minutes.
Last night we had a medical emergency. But because everything was planned out, we still had beef stew and it was made in minutes.
- Spaghetti, meatballs, salad
- Pizza
- Chicken enchiladas, lettuce and tomato
- Corn and bean chili , artisan bread
- Sausage quiche
- Chicken noodle soup
- Breakfast for dinner
Notes
- Spaghetti is done on the insta pot on 8 minutes, about 5 minutes actual cook time, if you are slow. Pre-made meatballs are 2.00 for the equivalent of a pounds worth of meat at Winco,
- Pizza is a mainstay here, cost of a cheese pizza is about a buck ,
- Chicken enchiladas are easy and a little more time consuming . Sauce is scratch with a magic mix base,
- Corn chili is a recipe from dump meals .
- Sausage quiche is another quick and easy using already cooked sausage.
- Chicken noodle soup is a quick soup in the insta pot. Can also be made on the stove,
Saturday, June 29, 2019
Pizza in pictures
The cost of a homemade cheese pizza is about a dollar. Adding ingredients that you save from other meals is free. When you prep peppers for fajitas or other meals, cut the top and bottom off the peppers and slice the middle section, the top and bottom can be chopped for a pizza topping. A bit of cooked sausage when you are making another dish works as well as chicken pieces for a buffalo chicken pizza.
Dough is easy and inexpensive. Ugly mg pizza dough can be anywhere from 1.50 to 2.00 and costs less than .30.
Sauce is a dollar at the dollar tree. It is a name brand and you can freeze it in ice cube tray and pop the cubes into a zip lock. Two cubes top a regular pizza.
Costco is a source for mozzarella cheese for close to two dollars a pound, bit I have been getting two dollars a pound frequently at QFC and Fred Meyers on their digital coupon days,
Keeping bits of anything you can use on a pizza and the sauce on a shelf on your freezer makes life easier when you want to make a pizza.
You can also make a quadruple batch of a chewy crust in a food processor or kitchen aid. Recipe at Noreens kitchen on U tube . That, too can be frozen in individual bags. Take it out the day before you need it and place it in the refrigerator .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)