2nd week of meals

I did notice that a lot of the last meals had processed meats in them.m some of them were just flavoring, token amounts.

2nd set of meals

1. Mac and cheese ( extra fiber macaroni .46 with Fred Meyer Catalina and ibotta . Add .50 worth of cheese at 2.00 a pound  ( grocery outlet) mixed veggies .50.   2.50
2. BBQ chicken parts ( wings, thighs, legs  (1.50) corn on to cob. 1/2 ears .66 (Fred Meyers)  salad 1.50   3.66
3. Bean soup - 3.00 ( scratch) rolls 1.60.  4.60
4. Pork chops 3.40 BOGO last week at QFC ,  bread, Apple stuffing    Chopped broccoli  4.40
5. Sloppy joes, oven fried potatoes , salad    .88  ( bums - Winco, sauce (scratch) .25, 2.25, salad 1.50, potatoes,1.00.   4.38
6. Shrimp stir fry.   Shrimp 5.00, ramen noodles, stir fry veggies 1.50.   6.90
7. Vegetarian pizza.      2.00 crusts. .10'tomato paste.  .50 cheese,  black olives .70, 25 peppers.   3.55, saladm150. 5.05

31.49/7= 4.50 a meal.     .

That's about it 

Jane 

How to meal plan

We went grocery shopping yesterday.  I hit the grocery outlet and Costco.    We hadn't spent a lot so far  this month and needed to replenish stock.    I am still at 70.00 a week.   Our USDA stars  are 147.00.   Do the math.   4 people at four dollars a day is 16.00 a day.  Sixteen dollars times 30 days is 480.00.   70.00 x4 equals 280.00 or 10.00 a day and my costs do not reflect my ibotta money.m.
In other words ,

USDA per person per day is 5.25 a day
Quoted snap is 4.00 a day
Ours is 2.50 a day

Now, a caviat  is that my daughter and granddaughter eat at school during the week , so there is no breakfast or lunch eaten during the week.  And, to be fair, most school aged kids on snap  get free lunches and breakfast  at school.      Still, the difference in cost goes a long ways to exemplify the benefits of stocking, couponing, and only buying at RBP.

How to plan a menu.   I made a work sheet up to facilitate the process.    It has seven squares for menus , one for my matrix. And two columns : one for things we have,  with things that need to be used first marked, amd one column for need to buy to fill in.

You could also go at it in a different direction and theme your nights.

1. Pizza night 
2. Soup night
3. Sunday dinner 
4. Mexican 
5. Breakfast for dinner
6. Pasta 
7. Fish and chips or some kind of a sandwich ( hot dogs, sloppy joes)

Anyway you approach it, having an outline goes a longways to make the process faster and easier.   

I have a matrix of 2 beef, 2 chicken or pork, 2 vegetarian , and 1 fish  or shellfish.   

I look at the list, making note of things we need to use up first ( a highlighter helps) and start writing down meals paying close attention to any day when dinner needs to be a quick one , or one that is easy like in the crockpot.    

Note any speciality items that you might need to fill in.   

1. Split pea soup with ham cubes in freezer.   3.25 ( ham cubes 5.00/4 meals , split peas and a biscuit mix .   ( I would make cheese biscuits from scratch. This is some can cost it. ) 
2. Pizza 2.50. Green salad with tomatoes 1.50 or 4.00 ( pepperoni is .50 with a coupon at dollar store , cheese at 2.00 a pound at grocery outlet, part of a tomato paste can, and 150 pizza crust from grocery outlet . 
3. Roast beef a jus sandwiches , green salad.   Salad 1.50, roast beef 4.00 (Costco) rolls 2.00.  - 7.50
4. Salmon noodle casserole.   3.00 salmon, noodles 1.00, white sauce mix.-stock, peas and carrots free from QFC.    4.00
5. Hot dogs, buns, pasta salad, fruit.    Hot dogs, free from QFC, buns .88 (Winco) salad .75 with coupon.   Bananas 1.39/2.- .70-----2.33
6. Eggs, bacon, yogurt parfaits, pancakes.    Eggs (1/2 doz 1.00, bacon 1.00 ( Jennne-0 dollar store) pancake mix .50( grocery outlet) yogurt .40. Blues .30, granola - too little to count ( chez at dollar store) 3.20
7. Potato soup. 1.60 ( potatoes at Winco - on sale with ibotta) milk a dollar at Fred Meyers, bacon from dollar store package.  

Average 3.63 a meal.   Note : I didn't go to all those stores in the same week. That's what stocking does for you.   I usually go to two chains a week.  I go to the dollar store and grocery outlet when we are in that area for something else.    Costco is on a need to go basis and is in our backyard practically.   lol.  Winco is when I can't find good proces at the stores that are in our area.   We are,supposed to get a Winco next year.   

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share.   

Jane 

The ads

We have all the ads today, most of them are not very good.  

Safe ways

Lettuce .99
Cantaloupes 3/5
Ground beef 10 percent  3.99
Chicken noodle soup .69@@. Limit 6

Five dollar Friday
Cream cakes
Quilted northern
Brawny
5/5 brownie mix or cake mix
Safeway pods (12)
There are coupons for some of these



Yo plait 10/5
Cucumbers 1.00

T he evil twin....LOL.   Albertsons
15 percent ground beef 3.99
Cantaloupe  3/5
Dryers BOGO
Lettuce .99
Berries 2/6

Haggens

Cantaloupe .47 lb
Pearsv2.00
Oranges 1.00
London broil 3.99
Haggens tina 2/1@@
Top round roast 3.99

QFC

Apples .99
Peppers 1.00
Quilted northern/ brawny 2/10. $$$
French bread 1.00
Lettuce 1.00
Pan bread 2.00


Thanks

Fred Meyers, rite aid, grocery outlet, dollar tree, gas station, Costco, amd my daughters work.

All in two and a half hours.    

Grocery outlet had pizza crust for 1.28.  They also had a tin of Keebler soda crickets 1-3/4 pounds for two bucks.    Pam ale mom, confetti, just add water for .50.   And applesauce 2/3 . 

Rite aid has wet and wild cosmetics 3/200 with a dollar reward of you buy two units.   There was supposed to be coupons to make out .03 , but they aren't in our smart source.   Still 1/2 price is  good.    

Dollar tree had my sugar free parfait for a buck, a good book on southern cooking , ( they also have one on costal outdoor living) 

Fred Meyers has bumble bee tuna for a buck.   Rontini pasta - extra fiber is a buck, with a additional dollar Catalina and a twenty cent ibotta.    

Many veggies and fruit at good prices.   Milk is a buck as well as sour cream.   

Costcos bananas are on a .2o ibotta , 

That's about all.   

Fred Meyer

Fred Meyers ads for today.   Fred Meyers ads run from Sunday through Saturday.    

New crop apples .99

Heritage  farms chicken breast 1.99. ( note this is Tyson  brand and comes from Arkansas.  ) 

Corn 3/1 

Milk 1.00@@

Zucchini .99

Grapes 1.49

Oranges 1.49

Frozen veggies 1.00  (10/12'ounces). Winco is always 1.99 for two pounds.   

Sour cream 1.00

Bumble Bee tuna 1.00

Suddenly salad 1.00

Smart taste pasta 1.00

Kroger  pepperoni 1.00.  ( note of hormel has a coupon, it is .50 at the dollar store.   ) 

Angel soft tissue is a dollar and there is a .45 coupon out there.   

That's it.    

Winco haul. 8/22/15

We finally got out of the house  to do a Winco trip.

I digress.   I bought all the things that are cheaper at Winco.   I spent almost fifty dollars, but considering the other weeks of the month I averaged forty dollars, that is not bad.  

In addition, I used coupons and Ibottas on potatoes, Yoplait, and Betty Crocker brownie mix totaling 1.40.  48.53.  

Chicken noodle soup was .88.   Yoplait was .50 less .30  in Ibottas and coupons equals .20 each.
I got diced tomatoes, refried beans, and sliced black olives all cheaper than the other stores.   Usually Costco is cheapest for refried beans.    Sometimes I get tomatoes and regular beans  for fifty cents at Freddie's.    English cucumbers were .78 and peaches were .98 a pound; they were a dollar each at Costco.   A large bag if lettuce was 2.38.   Mission tortilla chips were 2.38.   Cream puffs were 4.38.   The same ones were 6.99 elsewhere.  
Coupon savings were 4 percent.   I got a dollar off of two picante sauces and a dollar off of Yoplait.
Picante sauce netted 1.28.  

That's about it.

Blog series...what to do with eggs - Vol 5

Note: I have already done hamburger. But not on this series.

Eggs have doubled in price.   They are still a good buy.   There seems to be a grave difference in prices in other parts of the country.   I am not talking about, free range, no GMO , organic chicken eggs.  I am talking about the regular eggs I grew up with.    I can find them for two dollars a dozen.  We used to get them a few months back at Fred Meyers for a dollar.  That's .17 an egg.   Two egg servings for four people is 1.36 for protein a meal.  I am finding them for two dollars at Costco.   I had to buy five dozen for that price.   If you have breakfast for dinner once a week, we can use them up before the pull date that is a month out.  

Last week we had a dinner of confetti pan cakes, bacon, and yogurt parfaits.   Dinner on a bare bones basic budget should be five bucks for the proverbial family of four-- two adults and two school aged children.  

Note: some of this was really hard to cost out.

Confetti pancake mix ( just add water) .50 at grocery outlet
Bacon - turkey bacon is a dollar for 5  ounces at dollar tree - jenne-0
Yogurt parfaits - 3 vanilla yogurts I paid twenty cents for , blueberries .83. Granola is misicule price.  I got it at the dollar store ( chex ) and just sprinkled the top with it.
Total 2.93.  
Dinner two:
Pork chops were BOGO at QFC this week.   Four pork chops were 3.30.  
Add frozen potatoes from the dollar store ( from USA)
Add mixed vegetables from QFC ( I got them free) but the cost 1.00 ( 1/2 a package )
Cost 4.80.  

Average for the two meals 3.87 a meal.  
You can have good food for five dollars a dinner.  
You can't have food from Mars, but you can have good food.  
 I digress.  

Ten things you can have with eggs:

1. Quiche ( aka impossible pie.   Most of them take two eggs and milk amd Bisquick.  You can out anything in it you please, just create the bulk of whatever the recipe says.   In other words, if it calls for a cup of meat, you need sometching that is going to take the same amount of space.  Veggies work that have been partially cooked. You don't want them to give off water.    
2. Scrambled eggs 
3. Egg English muffins.  A quick breakfast is a bear up egg in a glass measuring cup, 35 seconds in the microwave ,  put between a split English muffin.   Out the door!   
4. Waffles , CHOCOLATE waffles!    
5. Eggs Benedict 
6. Deviled eggs 
7. Omlettes, my mother used to separate the eggs, whip the whites and finish it off on the oven. I just beat the eggs, add a little milk or sour cream into them, put them in a greased pan and cook them on a medium heat, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula letting the raw eggs flow to the outer edges of the pan, cook eggs thoroughly and use the same precautions as meat.  
8. Egg muffins ( grocery outlet- "Feed your family in 4 dollars a day"  free at grocery outlets .   
9. Fried rice.   
10. Nievos rancheros   ( I'm sorry, I probably butchered the spelling  - Mexican eggs!     Yummy!   

I, sure there is more, this was just off the top of my head!   

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share 

Jane 

The ads

OK, I'm getting more disappointed at the merge of Albertsons, Safeways and
Haggens.  I used to be able to get good buys at Safeways.    Now, not so much.   Safeways and Albertsons ads are beginning  to look the same and Albertsons high  prices are mostly prevalent. Meanwhile, Haggens prices are higher than the proverbial giraffe male anatomy.    LOL

Albertsons

Betty Crocker scalloped potatoes, suddenly salad, brownies and cake mix 1.00
7 percent fat hamburger 3.99


Haggens

Lettuce 1.00
Avocados 1.00
Hebrew national 4.99**

Safeways
Foster farms chicken .99
Milk 2/5@@
Lipton tea bags 2.99@@

QFC is last weeks ad

I got pork chops BOGO.
Chicken is a buck
I had coupons for free Hebrew national , regular price 3.99
And frozen veggies
Smart carb elbows were a buck
Kroger pasta was a buck amd I had a .45 coupon.  
Kroger pasta sauce in jars is a buck
Grapes were I believe 1.28.  

That it.

I shopped cautiously.  

I didn't have the ads yet.   We went to the dollar store where I bought jello. And some hair accessories for my granddaughter, foil sheets, and Jennie O turkey bacon.  

I went to Safeways, read the ad, and walked out.  

I went to the goodwill and found shorts for baby for 1.60.  I also found sequins for 1.60..the equivalent  of more than twenty five 3.00 bags at today's prices.    

Then I went and spent 28.00 for food....all totaled 1/2 off  and I haven't checked ibotta yet.  

No ads! Thoughts

We had no ads in the mail yesterday. Our  mail person leaves a lot to be desired.    LOL.   The FAVADO ads say next week.   I don't know of that means they got the wrong date and the right ads, or they have all next weeks data.   LOL.    I'm in the dark.  

Last night we had yogurt parfaits ( vanilla yogurt, blueberries, and granola in a short footed glass) , confetti pan cakes I got form.50 at grocery outlet, and bacon.    Easily a less than five dollar dinner.    And fun!  

Eating n the cheap doesn't mean boring, or eating beans until you could fly to the ,oin on your own power!    LOL.  

Tomorrows rite aid and Fred Meyer ads

Tomorrows ads, today!      

Fred Meyers doesn't have a lot of things in their ad.    What they do have is good.  

Peaches .99
Canned veggies or to,a toes .49@@ limit 6
Brawny paper towel 4.99@@ see below
Cottage cheese 2/4
Frozen veggies 1.00- 10-12 ounces.    (I'd rather have 16  ounces.   )

RITE AID
Scott paper towels Mega. 7.49 - .50 coupon - 5.00 when u buy 2.  Nets 4.49
If there are brawny coupons, it would be as cheap.  

70 ounces Xtra laundry detergent 2/4, less 1.00 on two coupon. Less 1.00 points makes it 100 a bottle.  

Milk is. 2.69. It's a dollar a half gallon at QFC.  



That's about all.

Thanks for stopping  by
Please share and follow

Jane

Just a vent.....

Someone on another blog thread made the statement that couponing is just a way to fill a void and build ones self esteem!

It probably shouldn't effect me, I probably shouldn't take that personally.   But it made my blood boil.

Couponing only fills the want for us to have toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, soap, and laundry soap without spending our hard earned money or dipping into savings.  

There is a certain amount of pleasure when you walk out of a store with 22.00 worth of things you really need and suddenly it clicks in your husbands brain, he stops dead on his tracks, and says, we paid 1.09 for that!    You can get that stuff cheaper than retail at Costco, or Walmart. But I doubt you would get it for 1.09!

I don't spend a lot of time couponing.   Some of that  time is spent also watching a three year old play.
I do make a lot of money doing it.   Ibotta takes a couple of minutes while putting the groceries away.   It also should make toilet paper arrive on my doorstep for FREE!   There is something about the word  FREE that excites me, when it is not a free water bottle from the fair!   LOL.


FREE means I don't have to spend money on some of our necessities , so we can have some luxury items, like a date night with friends or an outfit from the Goodwill!

To say someone is sick and a hoarder  for stockpiling so they can make both ends meet is just plain over reacting to outrageous reality TV that not reality.   Like, OMG, I have two boxes of Bisquick!

One time, our family was in crises on a holiday.  My husband and children ate the holiday dinner at Denny's .   I never want  to be in a position, that I can't feed family because I don't have food in the house.    I wrote this blog because I know some people on snap don't know how to cook and shop and run out of money before they run out of month.   No child should suffer the insecurity of having empty cupboards.    SNAP is there to alleviate the problem; it only can work if people can know how to manage their grocery money.    Writing cookbooks will help-- only of the food is regular food--not food from MARS that the family won't eat!  

The statement I heard that said they told their toddler they didn't have fruit because they were saving to buy organic doesn't resonate with me........any fruit is better than no fruit!  



Just saying....

Really cheap inspiration for meals.

I always watch  for ideas for low cost dinners .  These cookbooks were 40.00 retail and I got them for a dollar each at the Dollar Tree.  Remember you can omit or substitute ingredients that are pricey, or make scratch white sauce imstead of expensive soups.

Blog series: what to do with pork loin - VOL4

Ok. Pork loin can be found at this period on time for 1.79 to 2.00 a pound.   I try to stay close to two dollars a pound average for protein.   Some things are higher, some not so much.   If you buy one bulk thing a week when it is on a true sale and buy enough for a months worth of THAT meal, you will save money and time.    I try for a half a loin because three of us eat pork.   If there are only full loins on Sale ,consider splitting the cost with family or a friend.  

Pork loin is  versatile.  The difference is that some things I buy, I cook ahead.   Some of the pork, I do not.  

Five things to make with Pork loin :

1. Cut a 1/2 inch slice if the end, and set aside, the cut enough pork chops for a couple of meals.   There are a lot of crock pot and other recipes out there for pork chops.  My favorite is to make a stuffing with a little chicken broth, dry bread cubes, and a chopped up apple, poultry seasoning.   Put in a greased baking dish.   Brown the pork chops on both sodes, and add to the baking dish . Finish  off in a 350 degree oven I til the pork chops are done and the stuffing is warm.   
2. Cut off a two pound section for a roast.   You can roast that the day you bring it home or shortly after.  More later.   *
3. Cut the first slice and the end pieces into cubes for stew
4. Pot pie,
5. cooked cubes  over rice,potatoes, or noodles.   ( same as stew beef)
6. Sweet and sour pork over rice  ( same as chicken ) 
7. Fried rice 
8. * After you have a dinner of roast pork! slice it thin and make BBQ pork sandwiches.   

You can freeze the pork sliced thin, or use it for a second meal the same week.   

Pork chops can be frozen as well as the cubes with some of the juice from baking.   

Thanks for stopping by 

Please share, and follow 

Jane 

Chicken pizza on five dollar dinners

Dinner: chicken and peppers pizza 

Ingredients 

Individual pizza crusts (2.00 for 4) 

Olive oil 

4 tsp tomato paste 

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

Mild peppers , chopped 

1 large slice cooked chicken breast, cut  into small cubes.  

White cheese 

Hear oven to 450 while assembling pizzas. 

Turn oven DOWN to 425 and bake 7-10 minutes, or until crust is brown on bottom and cheese is melted.   

The ads for Wednesday

Here are the ads for Wednesday.  

QFC. - this osma two week ad .   Keep it.

Grapes,1.28
Draper valley chicken ( local) .99
Berries 2/5
Milk .99
Frozen veggies 1.00 ( 10-12 oz) 16 is better.
Corn 2/1


Albertsons , then Safeways.   These ads are almost identical.   Same ad agency?      Wouldn't surprise me if the two stores merge.   We are supposed to get a Winco at the first of their fiscal year.   That would be March, I believe.  

15 percent beefm3.99
Grapes 148
Milk 2/5@@

.88 sale
Refried Evans
Pasta sauce
Canned tomatoes.   The best deal here is the pasta sauce.  
Corn 2-1

Safeways

.88'sale,
Diced tomatoes
Pasta sauce
Refried beans
Grapes 1.48
Corn 2/1

Haggens
Ragu 2/3@@
Freshestta @@ pizza 3.99


That's About it


I would check ibotta and coupons.  


Thanks

Jane

Oatmeal- a healthy way to start your day.

18 servings of instant oatmeal is 3.99 on sale at grocery outlet.   92 servings of oatmeal is 7.99 at Costco.   That breaks down to .22 each for instant and .09 each for scratch.   Scratch takes no more time or energy to make.    

Instant 

1) measure water and place in  bowl.  2) open package and pour into the water3) place bowl in microwave,  program microwave and push  start button.   

Regular oats 

1) measure 1 cup water 2) place water in bowl.  3) measure 1/2 cup oatmeal and place in bowl.   4) program microwave for 1-1/2 minutes and push start.   

I keep a 1/2 cup measure in the canister.   

 Two and a half  servings for the price of one.  

Fred Meyer haul... What to do with what you got

I spent just at 25.00

I got
Strawberries, raspberries, grapes.
Milk and sour cream
10 yoplait with a dollar coupon
A almost six pound Foster farms chicken
Fruit will supplement breakfasts and or fruit salad for a dinner.  






I bought orange and vanilla yogurt for Popsicles and yogurt parfaits,  
Chicken will net two dinners  from chicken breast , a BBQ chicken dinner, amd chicken soup.  

Sunday ads

Not much here.    The smart source is in the paper, but johnsonville sausage and Kens  salad dressing.

Fred Meyers has

Foster Farms whole chickens .99
Grapes 1.28
Tomatoes  .99
Cheese on coupon is,not a bargain.    Do the math.   They are betting  you aren't.
Ground beef 10 percent 3.99
Milk .99@@
Broccoli .9lettuce .99
Cucumbers 3/2
Onions, radishes 2/1
Corn 2/1
Berries 2/5

That's about it.,,

Heritage chicken breasts are 1.99 .  when I asked they couldn't tell me where they came from. I found out that heritage is a Tyson  product.  


Thanks for stopping  by
Please follow
Jane

On reading a lot of blogs

I have read a lot of blogs this afternoon.  Did the housework I could do. Worked in my studio. And needed a break! LOL.

Groceries on the cheap is not about eating top ramen the last four days of the month.   It's , also, not about Slaving  in a hot kitchen all day making everything from scratch,    Now, of that is your hobby and you enjoy cooking that much, by all means go for it!   I sm assuming if you are on snap you have a family and the responsibilities that go along with it.   If you aren't  on snap, you might have other things you have to or want to do.

I found a compilation of recipes that are quick, or cook themselves  in the crockpot, or I can make when I feel up to it and put on the freezer for when I don't, or things are busy.

Today, I made a banana, blueberry, oatmeal bread.   It took only minutes and while it was cooking, I worked on my so called studio.   Each one in my family called ot something different depending on their mood.   It's the art room, grandmas room, the studio, or the craft room.  

The way you cut the cost of food without sacrificing good meals is to not waste money at the grocery store.   Paying full price is throwing your money out the window,    My dad used to say that the manufacturers factor in the amount of the coupon when they set a cost on the product.   You are shooting yourself in the  foot if you aren't  taking advantage of it.

Or, in other words. you get paid for shopping, not for cooking.  

Blueberry, banana bread,

A good way to get a head start on breakfast.   Quick and easy, and in the Betty Crocker cookbook free on line.  

Easy. Mix wet ingredients, mix dry ingredients.  Fold together and add blueberries.  

Bale in a loaf pan with a greased bottom.