Hadn't intended to go near a grocery store but my daughter had used all the onions. Of course, I can't blame her that I walked out of the store ten dollars poorer. I guess if you want to look at it that way, We are also a lot richer in food. Cantaloupe was .28 a pound. I also used my last coupon for meatballs that,netted almost a pound for 1.25. I surely can't make meatballs for 1.25 a pound. A large tub of hummus was two dollars and chicken noodle soup was .75 and I had coupons. It's granddaughters most favorite thing to eat and has been since she was tiny. It's a good go to when she doesn't want our dinner or it isn't appropriate for her to eat what we are having. I picked up a tomato sauce for our penne pasta later in the week, and oh, yes, I did remember the onions. LOL
We are well stocked. We had chicken enchiladas for dinner. I was listening to a lady that was talking about five dollar dinners for their family of seven. It made me well aware ofmthemfact that food costs vary between coasts and in different parts of the country. With communications so great, you forget that there is still things that enter into making food prices different in different parts of the country. Still, the principles of groceries on the cheap don't change. It all works. Snap is suppose to take into consideration the COL index for your part of the country.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Meal plans.
What to do with what you got,
I cooked both chickens yesterday. I would have to say hands on these the pressure cooker chicken was easier, I cooked the slow cooker chicken 4 hours, mis calculated and should have cooked it for six. It wasn't done. Always check the temp of the meat, It was 160 degrees. I took it out of the slow cooker and roasted ot off on the oven for another 45 minutes. Another hour would have done ot on tjems,or cooker, but this gave it a nice crispy crust.
We had chicken, mashed potatoes with parm, and green beans for dinner.
Meal plans for Monday through Sunday this week :
- Sausage with penne pasta and red cream sauce ( Pinterest) . 1/2 the free sausage, 8 ounces of penne .37, sour cream .22, tomato sauce .50. Free chicken stock from cooking the chickens - total 1.09. Green beans from the neighbor. Free.
- Pizza. Crust .30, pizza sauce .16, cheese (1.58 a lb ) .40 , pepperoni .25 total 1.11
- Chicken enchiladas. Tortillas .50, filling 1.30. Cheese sauce .20. Total 2.00
- Sausage, Oven roasted veggies. Sausage free, potatoes .40, carrots .30, radishes .25 , cauliflower .25 . Total. 1.20
- Shrimp stir fry : stir fry veggies .66, shrimp 2.70, rice .10. Total 3.46
- Mac and cheese : macaroni .55, white sauce (staple) cheese .60, breadcrumbs free , peas and carrots .33. Total 1.48
- Breakfast for dinner : 6 eggs .40, English muffins .42, fruit 1.50 ( oranges and blueberries ) total 2.32
Notes: this is for three people. It does not include staples that that are took all on qualities to price. It also doesn't include bread or salads. Add 2 breads ( .88) and 2 green salads ( 200) or 2.88 total
Total for the week. 15.54 or 2.22 a meal or .74 a person.
If you have bigger eaters, you can still double that and still be well within a four dollar a day budget.
None of those meals are terribly time intensive. Assuming you inky have a limited time to devote to getting food on the table, spending less time cooking and more time planning your grocery trios and going to two stores a week really pays off.
Not everyone will find the same buys I did unless you are in the Seattle area. We, however, have one of the highest COL in the nation. I suspect some of that is housing, Watching food hauls. I have seen less expensive food, and more expensive food and a lot of junk food. It's no surprise that junk food will jack your food cart up.
I can't say this enough "If it doesn't have food value, don't buy it. " read labels.
Speaking of reading labels, We have seen a great influx of trendy foods all touting the healthy lifestyle, Please use some common sense. It used to be that convenience foods started with the letter $$$$. Now, convenience foods sometimes are cheaper than making scratch and "trendy" foods start with the letter $$$$. And, yes, I know $ is a symbol. The point is, not all trendy foods are
actually good for you. Coconut oil and milk is full of saturated fat. Read your last dos and use
common sense. A well balanced diet is always better than a trendy one. You body needs a host of nutrients to work. I remember a few years back when a liquid diet was all the rage. People died from being on a liquid diet. Use common sense and eat balanced. It is a well known fact in all the healthcare professionals I have seen to eat less fat, sugar and salt is a good thing. Fake is fake; real is better. Avoiding large amounts of saturated fats and hydrogenated oils is important. That usually means avoiding a lot of processed foods. I usually keep our processed foods down to once a week or less. This week I have two because we don't eat a while sausage and I don't want to throw away
food. Next week, we can have none to balance it out. Moderation is the key.
Fake fat makes you fat. Fake sugar makes you fat. What do bread is that the body doesn't know what to do with it so it sticks to the fat cells and makes them fatter. Fake butter often has hydrogenated oils. Palm oil is bad for you. The only vegetable oils that are not hydrogenated are olive and canola. Safflower oil isn't either, but it's not good for you. A lot of trends are started by someone trying to make a buck. Look at information with an evil eye. Is there real scientific evidence behind the trend. Is the "bad " thing in enough of a quanity to really effect your health.
I avoid trends. Trendy clothes come and go and you pay the price, changing out a wardrobe that is perfectly good, but not in style. My take is to stick with the tried and true. We are living longer than ever before. Eat balanced. Eat in moderation, And eat as close to scratch as you can. Limit your processed foods, salt, sugar, amd fat intake- especially saturated fat and hydrogenated oils. Scratch cooking has gotten a whole lot more efficient with the advent of kitchen appliances and new recipes. You no longer have to rely on a box or bag to cook efficient meals. Stick to the basics on appliances. No need to a hot dog cooker. I use certain appliances a lot and they are worth their weight.
- Popcorn popper, air popper: it makes a more healthy snack than chips etc.
- Coffee pot
- Toaster
- Slow cooker - who can't love an appliance that allows you to come home from work to dinner cooked and the house smelling glorious.
- Rice cooker. I paid 16.00 for a black and decker one. The bigger ones are too big for a
- regular family rice and beans have a very short fridge life.
- Electronic pressure cooker. Cooks rice, beans, and meat in record times. Things are more flavorful because slices are infused into the food. An insta pot works as a rice cooker, a pressure cooker and a slow cooker. It's more expensive , but well worth the price for its efficiency.
- Food processor. You can use it to make bread crumbs and a multitude of other things. It makes fast work of making beans into non fried refried beans and chop or slice, or grate almost anything.
- Kitchen aid mixer. Pricy , but well worth it. You will have it for generations. The meat grinding attachment will pay for it alone. Sometimes a roast will be cheaper than good ground beef. If you grind it yourself, you can control the fat. Also, baking and making mixes.
- Bread baker. A lot of help. I hear you can find them as cheap as three dollars at thrift stores.
I have listed these in order of expense, the lowest first. It takes time, one thing at a time, but all win save money and make a kitchen more efficient. Garage sales where grandma is going to assisted living or estate sales are your best bet for finding used.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Fred Meyer haul.
The budget for Fred Meyers was twenty dollars. That dos not include non1food it's,s that are in a separate budget. I do this because I want to separate real food from other things like it is of you are on food stamps. Since I have about 43.00 left in the budget for ten days, I opted for an arbitrary twenty bucks. After all, I have already been to Safeways, QFC, amd Winco in the last two weeks, It's not like we are going to starve any to,e soon! LOL.
I spent 19.95
I got two five pound chickens. We went early, and it was a good thing because there were only about ten of them out. They may be restocking a little at a time. I thought no they do that to limit their exposure. Both chicken s are cooking --One in the slow cooker and one on the pressure cooker. I am anxious to see which is better...... Back later.
Vegetables and fruit: zucchini, radishes, corn, naval oranges, nectarines,
Milk, regular and chocolare
Pop cicle (2)
Cinnamon rolls - tube
Crescent rolls - tube
Haul total food, including Popsicles 19.95
Cooking dual chickens
Difference between Costco Quaker and dollar store oats. Same price.
Sunday August 21.2016
How many people can say that their food budget is right on track and they have a house full of food on a food stamp fidget. No, we are not on food stamps. We just act like we have that budget so Can teach people how to eat the very best you can eat on a low, limited budget. It doesn't have to be beans and rice every night or hamburger helper, but it's not organic vegan either. It's just good nutritious food keeping in mind the fat, salt, and sugar content.
Basically, it boils down to portion control and good shopping skills. My granddaughter came in from school the other day and informed me she had made good decisions that day. I think she had decided to behave herself, but making good decisions is always a good thing,
I have about forty two dollars left in the budget and nine days, Out fridge and freezer, amd pantry are almost full. The pantry is beyond full. Fred Meyers has a good oriceprice on fruits and be veggies. We are shirt in that department. I have an apple, blueberries and 2 under ripe pears. I do have cucumbers from the neighbor, celery, carrots, baby romaine, cantaloupe, some cauliflower.
My intention is to get two .77 whole chickens and cook one on the pressure cooker and one in a slow cooker to compare. .77 is about the best price I've seen on chickens in a long time. I will pick up some of the 160 count tissue for a dollar ( not in the food budget) and a corn , peaches, radishes, zucchini, and a few oranges if they look good, Have a plan, get in, and get out, My usual grocery slip is about twenty dollars and about 46-54 percent savings, so the store calculates. Percentages are deceiving because the regular price at one store can be a lot different than the regular price at another.
My goal is to spend close to twenty dollars.
I have target ( nothing to do with the red ball store) prices for things. Unless it's something like eggs that I am pretty much stuck with paying the price, I just don't buy something if it's too high. Of its a lot lower, I buy multiples. Even if there isn't a limit on something, I onky buy six or so usually. Unless, it's something I'm buying for charity, I still don't clear the shelves. That's just plain rude. Leave something fir the next guy, they may need it worse than you do.
I got blue box pasta for .55 this week. I got extra fiber and pronto for that price. I have lots. It has a very l o n g shelf life. It's a good staple to have in a pantry. That price was 67 roughly percent off. That's the kind of shopping that nets you a low food bill. It's also the kind if shopping that allows you to go to the pantry at the end of the month and still have something you can make a meal of and not just a jar of mustard.
BGroceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until they goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending
Basically, it boils down to portion control and good shopping skills. My granddaughter came in from school the other day and informed me she had made good decisions that day. I think she had decided to behave herself, but making good decisions is always a good thing,
I have about forty two dollars left in the budget and nine days, Out fridge and freezer, amd pantry are almost full. The pantry is beyond full. Fred Meyers has a good oriceprice on fruits and be veggies. We are shirt in that department. I have an apple, blueberries and 2 under ripe pears. I do have cucumbers from the neighbor, celery, carrots, baby romaine, cantaloupe, some cauliflower.
My intention is to get two .77 whole chickens and cook one on the pressure cooker and one in a slow cooker to compare. .77 is about the best price I've seen on chickens in a long time. I will pick up some of the 160 count tissue for a dollar ( not in the food budget) and a corn , peaches, radishes, zucchini, and a few oranges if they look good, Have a plan, get in, and get out, My usual grocery slip is about twenty dollars and about 46-54 percent savings, so the store calculates. Percentages are deceiving because the regular price at one store can be a lot different than the regular price at another.
My goal is to spend close to twenty dollars.
I have target ( nothing to do with the red ball store) prices for things. Unless it's something like eggs that I am pretty much stuck with paying the price, I just don't buy something if it's too high. Of its a lot lower, I buy multiples. Even if there isn't a limit on something, I onky buy six or so usually. Unless, it's something I'm buying for charity, I still don't clear the shelves. That's just plain rude. Leave something fir the next guy, they may need it worse than you do.
I got blue box pasta for .55 this week. I got extra fiber and pronto for that price. I have lots. It has a very l o n g shelf life. It's a good staple to have in a pantry. That price was 67 roughly percent off. That's the kind of shopping that nets you a low food bill. It's also the kind if shopping that allows you to go to the pantry at the end of the month and still have something you can make a meal of and not just a jar of mustard.
BGroceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until they goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Hands down, fastest way to cook a whole chicken
never buy costly roasted chicken again...
- Put down a barrier between the countertop and the chicken. I save the insides of cereal boxes etc or you could use a plastic grocery bag or even a paper one, This saves some disinfecting clean up.
- Cut an onion and peel it: all you need is to half or quarter it. This is for the "rack" . Don't skip it, it's really important, The onion is discarded and no one sees it. Place it on the bottom of the slow cooker. Leave the lid off.
- So far you have no chicken cootie hands. Place the chicken on the barrier, amd clean out the insides if needed. Place dry rub in a coffee filter or on a paper towel. This keeps the bottle clean.
- Dry the chicken with paper towel. Sprinkle the skin with a dry rub. There are many recipes for dry rub and you can make them ahead when u r making spice mixes or probably use seasoned salt from the dollar tree.
- Place chicken over the onion. Discard the barrier. Wash your hands . Cover the slow cooker and set it for an hour a pound on high. Disinfect anything that has touched raw meat or your chicken cootie hands have touched.
Chicken should be a temp of 179 and the lefts should remove easily.
Done in five minutes .
Deli chicken : three pounds : useable meat 1.5 pounds : purchase price 5.00. Net cost of useable meat 3.34 lb.
Cooked chicken : five pounds : usable meat 3.5 lbs:purchase price 3.85 : net cost of useable meat 1.10 lb
Difference 2.24. Or, in other words, savings 67 percent roughly.
You spend the most percentage of your discressionary income on food. Of that, the most costly part is protein. Saving 67 percent on protein goes a long ways to feed your family well on four dollars a day.
Freddies ad for tomorrow
Freddies ad for tomorrow.
.88 cent sale
Peaches
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn 3/.88
***** rotation alert ****
Foster farms whole chicken .77 limit 2
Milk .99@@. Includes chocolate, oj
.99 veggies
Zucchini .
Oranges
Green peppers (2)
Tomatoes
Cucumbers , radishes
Ten for 10. You don't have to buy 10
Frozen treats 10/10
Suddenly salad $$
Crescent rolls , Bisquits
160 count tissue
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until they goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending
.88 cent sale
Peaches
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Corn 3/.88
***** rotation alert ****
Foster farms whole chicken .77 limit 2
Milk .99@@. Includes chocolate, oj
.99 veggies
Zucchini .
Oranges
Green peppers (2)
Tomatoes
Cucumbers , radishes
Ten for 10. You don't have to buy 10
Frozen treats 10/10
Suddenly salad $$
Crescent rolls , Bisquits
160 count tissue
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until they goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending
Suddenly Saturday.
ok, hubby went to get the Sunday paper somfreddies ad will be posted later. I hate to repeat myself, anyone that has an idea for a blog post so welcome to comment . New ideas would be nice. TIA.
Following the five series.. Or a little tto more....
Five ways to maximize a basket coupon. We have been seeing a lot of basket coupons lately. QFC had ten dollars off of forty. That's twenty five percent. Safeways had five off of twenty five - or twenty percent. There are ways to get th most bang for your buck. QFC always has one of the best coupon policies of all the stores. They let you post the basket coupon first, amd the. The other coupons. Safeway will not.
Ok. Five ways to maximize your coupon.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until they goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending
Following the five series.. Or a little tto more....
Five ways to maximize a basket coupon. We have been seeing a lot of basket coupons lately. QFC had ten dollars off of forty. That's twenty five percent. Safeways had five off of twenty five - or twenty percent. There are ways to get th most bang for your buck. QFC always has one of the best coupon policies of all the stores. They let you post the basket coupon first, amd the. The other coupons. Safeway will not.
Ok. Five ways to maximize your coupon.
- Look through the ad and circle things you buy that are a good price.
- Check your coupons for a matchup or two. Look on line for electronic coupons also. The more coupon stacking you can find the better. Electronic coupons can't be stacked, but you can still use a basket coupon.
- Keep your eyes peeled for discount merchandise and unadvertised specials. I found shrimp and stir fry veggies.
- Bring a calculater and keep a running total. Husbands and kids are a good resource for this. The closer to the dollar amount you can get, the more you save. You want the whole percentage off. Buying more lowers your percentage.
- Watch for freebies. Don't bother with something you are not going to eat.....let's not waste, but if you can use it or know someone that can, go for it. I get cat treats because I have a grandcat. I took advantage of twenty five percent off for basically a food bank purchase.
It takes a little planning, but the reward is good , nutritious food for little money. That's how you can put a meal on the table for less than four dollars-- you just buy your food for 1/3 to a 1/2 of what other people pay for it. You are not eating cheap; you are eating smart!
Example : Alfredo sauce on a jar 1.00, pasta .55, frozen peas (1/2bag) .33, chicken pieces .50. ( part of the rib portions of de-boning chicken breast. Total. 2.35. I bought extra fiber pasta.
Pasta sauce 2.00
Pasta 1.59
Peas (1/2) .78
Chicken 3.00
Total. 7.37
Difference 5.02
68 percent off. Think of it as getting two more meals for free.
Trust me, if you are on a limited budget, that is HUGE and well worth some time and effort.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until they goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending
Friday, August 19, 2016
QFC haul.
Let's do the math
Safeways And Costco 53.95
QFC 30.27 less husbands jerky meat is 9.22 totals 21.05
Total weekly spent on budget food 75.00 less 6.90 for backpack tuna is 68.10
QFC haul.
ACTUAL COSTS
Ore ida potatoes 32 oz 1.12
Tomatoes 1.00 lb 1.03
Stir fry veggies .88 or .66
Stir fry veggies .88 or ..66
Barilla pasta (5) 4.00 - actual price 2.75 or .55
blue bunny cones (2) 2.99 or retail 4.00- 1.50 ea
Shrimp 3.91 or 2.95
Hillshire farm sausage free retail sale 2.99
String cheese 1.00 - fill in .75
Pie 3.99 - 2.99
Cookies 2.49 187
Tuna .69 .52
Milk .99 was .74
All of this was also 25 percent off. Net prices are in bold
Store calculated savings 55 percent
Safeways And Costco 53.95
QFC 30.27 less husbands jerky meat is 9.22 totals 21.05
Total weekly spent on budget food 75.00 less 6.90 for backpack tuna is 68.10
QFC haul.
ACTUAL COSTS
Ore ida potatoes 32 oz 1.12
Tomatoes 1.00 lb 1.03
Stir fry veggies .88 or .66
Stir fry veggies .88 or ..66
Barilla pasta (5) 4.00 - actual price 2.75 or .55
blue bunny cones (2) 2.99 or retail 4.00- 1.50 ea
Shrimp 3.91 or 2.95
Hillshire farm sausage free retail sale 2.99
String cheese 1.00 - fill in .75
Pie 3.99 - 2.99
Cookies 2.49 187
Tuna .69 .52
Milk .99 was .74
All of this was also 25 percent off. Net prices are in bold
Store calculated savings 55 percent
Freaky Friday : five series : proteins
I got up early and hit the bricks so to speak. I watch Jimmy from "she's in her apron" o. U tibe. She is really a motivated. Sometimes it's all I need to get my sore butt out of bed and move. I cleaned the bedroom. Hubby shampooed the carpet in spots., cleaned the kitchen and started dinner. Cleaned the dining room and the deck.
I still have some more of dinner and clothes to fold and need to finish eight cards I started last night.
On to food related. We are having shrimp salad tonight and rolls, It so very hot here and will be for he next few days- a salad on the deck sounds good to me about now,
Shrimp is me of the most expensive proteins we buy, but because I shop thrifty and we can average, we can still afford it.
here we go ...move cheap proteins
And one not so cheap:
Hamburger is not so cheap these days. In actuality, ground turkey is about the same price and doesn't have the same nutritional properties. Turkey has a few grams less fat. Beef has some amino acids not found in any other meat. I buy 7 percent fat usually and de-fat it. De-fating is supposed to take up to 17 percent of the fat away. I don't know how that translates to 7 percent hamburger. LOL . It can be crumbles for red sauce, taco meat, hambirger pie, sloppy joes, cheeseburger macaroni. A meatloaf so a treat. I have been buying meatballs because they come almost a pound in a package and with coupons they are as low as .98 . I can't make them for that. You can make a host of recipes from meatballs. Speghetti, over rice with sauce, over mashed potatoes with gravy, meat ball subs. Another versatile protein.
I still have some more of dinner and clothes to fold and need to finish eight cards I started last night.
On to food related. We are having shrimp salad tonight and rolls, It so very hot here and will be for he next few days- a salad on the deck sounds good to me about now,
Shrimp is me of the most expensive proteins we buy, but because I shop thrifty and we can average, we can still afford it.
here we go ...move cheap proteins
- Eggs: Lately they have been under a dollar a dozen. Even in the dead of winter at two dollars a dozen, they are a bargain in nutrition. Scrambled eggs, omlettes. Quiche breakfast burritos.
- Sausage. I have got bulk sausage for as little as two dollars a pound. It's always inexpensive at Costco in a three pound chub. You can add crumbles to a soup, make depression stew, make a quiche, pit it in red sauce for pasta....
- Cheese. Grated cheese is the least exoemsove these days. I just paid 1.58 a pound for Mexican blend, Mexican blend goes good with a lot of things Cheese added to beans and rice makes burritos. Grated cheese makes the best toasted cheese sandwiches. The possibilities are endless my target price is 2 .00
- Pork loin : can be sliced for pork chops, roasted, or cubed from the end pieces. Cubes can be a meat pie or stew or braised on rice or mashed potatoes. My target price is 1.69
- Chicken : whole, thighs, or split chicken breasts. Whole chicken can be made into four meals : 1/2 breasts, dark meat, amd the bones for chicken soup Thighs can be used as BBQ thighs, or the meat for tacos. Or pulled chicken sandwiches . You can de-bone chicken breast for boneless, skinless chicken breast and use the rib portions for soup stock and pull the chicken pieces. It makes boneless, skinless, chicken breast a dollar instead of six dollars a pound. Quite a savings for a few minutes work. I only buy PNW grown chicken- Foster farms is best. The Internet and cookbooks are full of chicken recipes.
- Beans and rice. Just beans and rice. Again, the possibilities are endless. The thing that stopped me before was cooking them. I invested in a 14.00 baby rice cooker and a pressure cooker.
And one not so cheap:
Hamburger is not so cheap these days. In actuality, ground turkey is about the same price and doesn't have the same nutritional properties. Turkey has a few grams less fat. Beef has some amino acids not found in any other meat. I buy 7 percent fat usually and de-fat it. De-fating is supposed to take up to 17 percent of the fat away. I don't know how that translates to 7 percent hamburger. LOL . It can be crumbles for red sauce, taco meat, hambirger pie, sloppy joes, cheeseburger macaroni. A meatloaf so a treat. I have been buying meatballs because they come almost a pound in a package and with coupons they are as low as .98 . I can't make them for that. You can make a host of recipes from meatballs. Speghetti, over rice with sauce, over mashed potatoes with gravy, meat ball subs. Another versatile protein.
My life is all about set it and forget it. I love passive cooking. When I was young it was because I was working two jobs and had three kids at home and a house to keep. Now, I have a granddaughter, a house and I'm old and feeling older everyday. Physical therapy is helping greatly, but with one plastic hip and one screaming one, standing for long periods of time is not an option.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Hauls -
file under don't do as map, do as say....lol. I did break some of my rules. Having a few things that are for emergencies are good amd I'm not cranking up the oven on a ninty degree day here. Safewaysmhas good desert for five dollars. I got dove dollars off of twenty five basket coupon, I spent 20.61.
- Danish - 4.00
- Uncle Bens Spanish rice 1.33
- 40 tortillas for 4.00
- 2 lbs grass fed beef patties at 2. 99 a Nets 2.39 lb
- 2 pounds Mexican blend cheese at 1.98 a pound nets 1.58 lb
All of which was twenty percent off.
No pics , the only way I can put pics up now so from my phone and it's dead.
Costco
Celery
Small romaine
Blueberries
Bacon
Garlic
Total 33.34
Total 53.95
Terrific Thursday : easy Peasy
Good morning.....
Part of the mantra of groceries on the cheap assumes we are all busy and have a limited amount of time to spend on kitchen management and providing meals for the family. Is one of the most important part of keeping a noise besides paying the bills. Everything else can wait-- a little while anyway. LOL.
With a limited amount of time, making planning a shopping trip and purchasing groceries a priority and cooking efficiently to make up the difference in time consumed by cooking efficiently pays in the long run. The basic need is to feed your family good nutrition that they will eat. Doing it on the cheap means you can have more food for less money. It's even more important ofmyoumhave limited resources.
That's a long winded way of saying this is an article about efficient cooking. It took me a long time to figure out that cooking the thing that takes the longest time to cook first is more efficient. It took even longer for me to figure out that if I cooked met in batches and portion controlled it, dinner time would be less hectic.
You can scratch cook fast. It takes prepping when the house is more quiet and planning, You can plan almost anywhere , all it takes is a piece of paper and a pen -- waiting for the kind do to get out of school......waiting in the doctors office..waiting for anything-- soccer practice!
Bullet time: things you can do quickly to make meals more efficient. Many can be done while you do the dishes.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Part of the mantra of groceries on the cheap assumes we are all busy and have a limited amount of time to spend on kitchen management and providing meals for the family. Is one of the most important part of keeping a noise besides paying the bills. Everything else can wait-- a little while anyway. LOL.
With a limited amount of time, making planning a shopping trip and purchasing groceries a priority and cooking efficiently to make up the difference in time consumed by cooking efficiently pays in the long run. The basic need is to feed your family good nutrition that they will eat. Doing it on the cheap means you can have more food for less money. It's even more important ofmyoumhave limited resources.
That's a long winded way of saying this is an article about efficient cooking. It took me a long time to figure out that cooking the thing that takes the longest time to cook first is more efficient. It took even longer for me to figure out that if I cooked met in batches and portion controlled it, dinner time would be less hectic.
You can scratch cook fast. It takes prepping when the house is more quiet and planning, You can plan almost anywhere , all it takes is a piece of paper and a pen -- waiting for the kind do to get out of school......waiting in the doctors office..waiting for anything-- soccer practice!
Bullet time: things you can do quickly to make meals more efficient. Many can be done while you do the dishes.
- Bake eggs. Just place eggs in a muffin tin and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes. Dump in an ice bath and dry off and put in refrigerator.
- Wash veggies in vinegar water. Doing all of them at the same time makes one mess to clean up and preps you for the entire week.
- Frying hamburger or ground sausage or both when you get home from the store or shortly thereafter , means the meat can't get away from you and be stuck on the back of the fridge, and it's cooked and ready for any number of meals. It also means you can take the time to de-fat it and make it healthier. The meat is usually the part of dinner that takes the longest to cook. It makes the busy meal hour less hectic.
- Cooking a whole chicken or chickens when they are less than a dollar a pound can be super easy, take almost no time and save a lot of money. Cut up the cooked,chicken into the dark meat, the breasts, and bag the vines for soup stock. To cook a whole chicken fast: place a quartered, peeled onion in the bottom of a slow cooker. Rinse the chicken and clean out the insides. Rub the outside with a slice rub that you have pre made, and put the chicken in the pot over the onion, Cover, amd cook for 1 hour a pound on high heat. Non- passive time. About five minutes. Clean and disinfect everything that raw meat has touched including everything you touch with chicken hands. Prepping your work station helps. Place slow cooker insert on the counter beside the sink, place the slice rub in a disposable coffee filter. You can place the onion on the slow cooker. Wash the chicken, place ot on the slow cooker insert, and dry rib it. Wash your hands and disinfect the sink and counter., place the insert in the slow cooker and cover and program the slow cooker. Five minutes tops!
- Make your own mixes when you have free time. Children can help , it can be a good lesson in counting or fractions. Smaller children just like to stir or push the food processor or blender buttons. It's good for them to see what things have in them. Food doesn't have to come out of a box or bag.
- Non fried re-fried beans are a fraction of the cost of refried beans in a can and have no fat! They can be made in a slow cooker with a potato masher or with a pressure cooker and a food processor.
- Save bread heels and either grate them on the largest side of a box grater or in a food processor. Why pay someone upwards of 2.00 a pound for their dry bread and throw yours away!
- Minutes to make a cream soup base mix. Many dollars and less preservatives ahead.
- It takes minutes to make oatmeal in the microwave and it's a lot less expensive and more nutritious than the packaged mixes. Leaving a measuring cup in some things saves a lot of time. Measuring cups are at the dollar store. A 1/2 cup measure is always in my oatmeal canister. I buy oatmeal by the ten pound box at Costco. It's also a dollar a lime at the dollar tree. Good source of fiber and protein.
- I cook pasta in the microwave. Anything that has little non- passive cooking helps. A watched pot never boils? Set it and forget it means you can make the rest of the dinner while the noodles cook. Sauce in a jar or can (cheaper than scratch on sale ) and pre made by you meatballs or crumbles and a salad or green beans makes dinner.
- Or cook elbows in the microwave while you make cream soup mix on the stove and add grated cheese. Homemade Mac and cheese not from a box. More nutrition and better taste. Remember cheese whey is what my grandmother used to sell to the farmers to slop the hogs. You add the milk to make it back to cheese-- just eat the cheese! FYI. Annie's box of Mac and cheese has exactly the same nutrition as the Kraft box. But, Annie's has more fat! Because pasta comes in a pound box doesn't mean you have to cook the pound box.
- Which brings me to......hambirger helper I tested had just over four ounces of pasta in it. I never pay more than a dollar a pound for pasta and frequently pay .75 or less. I have paid .38 before. You can also get pasta with a serving of veggies in it and double Dover for discounted prices too. Pasta is a buck for 1.5 pounds at the tree. It's not necessarily the best quality. I prefer the blue box or rotini.
- By the way, the "cheese sauce that had no cholesterol in it was 1.57 ounces. It calculated out to 13.00 a pound. I never met a cheese I didn't like, and I never met a cheese that didn't have cholesterol. LOL. You can buy mighty good cheese for 13.00 a pound.
- Put your macaroni in the microwave to cook. Put already fried hamburger in a pan. Add some frozen mixed veggies or peas and carrots, and a can of drained chopped tomatoes, reserving the juice. Drain the cooked macaroni, add to the pan and stir add in enough reserved tomato juice to make the right consistency heat to warm it up and add grated cheese. Turn off the heat and cover to let the cheese melt. Stir. More food, better taste, less money.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Alberways - the ads
QFC must be a two week ad because I didn't get an ad in the mail. All wemgotmt not the mail this week is Alberways.
Cantaloupe .99 each
Eggs .99@@
8 ounces cheese .99@@ limit 4 total between eggs and cheese
Five dollar Friday
Foster farms breaded chicken
Berries 2/5
Buy 5 save 5
Coffee 6.99
Tabasco .79
About it. I don't know about you, but we don't need five bottles of Tabasco.
Not much there.
food date labels don’t mean what you think — NOVA Next | PBS
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Cantaloupe .99 each
Eggs .99@@
8 ounces cheese .99@@ limit 4 total between eggs and cheese
Five dollar Friday
Foster farms breaded chicken
Berries 2/5
Buy 5 save 5
Coffee 6.99
Tabasco .79
About it. I don't know about you, but we don't need five bottles of Tabasco.
Not much there.
food date labels don’t mean what you think — NOVA Next | PBS
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Pizza pizza,pizza
My daughter looked at the ingredients for pizza crust that I had sitting on the counter. Is that all my t takes, she said. She had just bought a vegan pizza at one of those 42 percent profit stores for ten dollars. It never ceases to amaze me how they can omit the most expensive ingredients in a pizza ( the meat and the cheese) and still price a pizza at ten bucks.
The cost of a large pepperoni pizza at home is about 1.50. The flour for a pizza crust is .30. Add water, 2t olive oil. Salt, amd yeast. I buy yeast at Costco on
in a bulk bag. You can buy it at Winco by the scoop if you don't want to make the investment. I don't price anything under 2T that is kitchen staples. It's too much like hard work. I have pieced and broken down basic things like beans and flour.
It takes about five minutes to make the dough and another rest time of ten minutes. You can. E chopping and gathering the ingredients for the topping during the rest time.
The pizza sauce is a dollar at the dollar tree. The same brand as you will find in other grocery stores for 1.50. I open the jar and pour it into my ice cube trays and freeze it in the ice maker. Cover it with something first . It takes three ice cubes to make a pizza. There are 16 cubes in a tray. So, for about .18 you can spread sauce on a pizza with a pastry brush. Pepperoni is .50 with a coupon at the dollar tree. Coupons are almost every month at coupons.com
In the time it takes you to wait for the pizza guy or go pick up a pizza from the store, you can have a pizza ready for the oven.
Flour for crust .30
Sauce .18
Cheese 1/2 cup .25, full cup .50
Pepperoni .50
Total 1.48 of you use a whole cup of cheese.
That is 15 percent of the cost, and you are getting cheese and pepperoni.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Terrific Tuesday.
The ads are not here yet. I did check Winco, but don't see any major bargains. I did see that there are no blueberries. I used the last of the coupons that were die to expire on anything that we would use and was a good buy,
I did pick up a recipe book for cheap. It helps to spice up things every now and then. I have been reading Pinterest and u tube for inspiration, So,emthingsmworked be good ideas of they pertains to our family unit. Some mixes we don't use a lot of, but homemade mixes are a good way to avoid the Preservatives in ready made. You can sometimes avoid the hydrogenated oils too. I have heard all the hype about cocoa it oil. So, I read the nutrition on organic cocoanut oil at 7.00 a pint or so. It had a but,old of saturated fat. .....so, don't eat meat because of the saurated fat, eat cocoanut oil at over thirty dollars a gallon. Doesn't make much sense to me,
On to taste of home summer slow cooker recipes. Been eyeing it for weeks now. Since it is discounted at Winco, I decided I finally would get it.
Recipes
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
I did pick up a recipe book for cheap. It helps to spice up things every now and then. I have been reading Pinterest and u tube for inspiration, So,emthingsmworked be good ideas of they pertains to our family unit. Some mixes we don't use a lot of, but homemade mixes are a good way to avoid the Preservatives in ready made. You can sometimes avoid the hydrogenated oils too. I have heard all the hype about cocoa it oil. So, I read the nutrition on organic cocoanut oil at 7.00 a pint or so. It had a but,old of saturated fat. .....so, don't eat meat because of the saurated fat, eat cocoanut oil at over thirty dollars a gallon. Doesn't make much sense to me,
On to taste of home summer slow cooker recipes. Been eyeing it for weeks now. Since it is discounted at Winco, I decided I finally would get it.
Recipes
- Chicken chop salad
- Pizza pancakes
- Sausage with jalapeño potatoes
- Orientation sausage skillet
- Parmesan chicken bites
- Chicken ranch flatbreads - sounds like it could be pizza too
- Spinach gets chicken penne
- White beans and bow ties
Many more. A good resource,
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen )by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Food prep day
Today took three hours. I had to wash dishes in between and the counters were full, I had to juggle appliances.
I :
Took inventory of fresh produce
Cleaned vegetables with vinegar water.
Peeled and sliced cucumbers and put them in a green container.
Washed radishes for oven roasted veggies
Cut up cantaloupe and put in a green container
Made watermelon juice from the last of the watermelon
Washed,peeled and sliced zucchini and put inthe dehydrater
Made sausage patties and froze them
Made a apple dump cake
Made non-fried refried beans
Made cinnamon sugar
Made pizza dough
Made seasoned bread crumbs.
Listed prep work for the weeks meals.
Washed and cut romaine for salads and tacos
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
I :
Took inventory of fresh produce
Cleaned vegetables with vinegar water.
Peeled and sliced cucumbers and put them in a green container.
Washed radishes for oven roasted veggies
Cut up cantaloupe and put in a green container
Made watermelon juice from the last of the watermelon
Washed,peeled and sliced zucchini and put inthe dehydrater
Made sausage patties and froze them
Made a apple dump cake
Made non-fried refried beans
Made cinnamon sugar
Made pizza dough
Made seasoned bread crumbs.
Listed prep work for the weeks meals.
Washed and cut romaine for salads and tacos
Washed romaine
made prep list for the meals
wash veggies and prep for storage and inventoried
Apple dump cake
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Everyday
Everyday I do a blog. I have been following a lady that is very inspirational and helpful on getting your butt up and doing what needs to be done. Lots of good ideas. Today she talked a little setting up areas of your home and deep cleaning that area for an hour a week. Pick a day. It keeps you focused. I usually see so,ethnic no that is bugging me and hit it for a couple of hours when I feel up to it. But, those areas that I don't see everyday , just don't get done. The reality is I'm not the only person that lives here, And everyone needs to do their fair share. LOL. Like that's going to happen.
Today is the day I clean the fridge and prep meals for the week. I'll probably run the damp mop over the floor and clean off the counters.
I cleaned the pantry the other night at two in the morning when I couldn't sleep. It gave me a good overview of what we had and what may need to be supplemented soon. I'm looking for a diced tomato canned good sale, It was .60 a can at Freddies last week, I want fifty cents. They are .58 all the time at Winco. I was over stocked and didn't buy any for a long time. Now we are lower than my comfort level. I plan to eat down canned beans and transition to some canned and some dry. I still want canned in case I'm in a pinch or we need them in a emergency situation. Our power goes out , sometimes for days in the winter. We are a small pocket on the electric grid and they fix the larger grids first in order to cover as many people as possible. We have a BBQ and a fireplace, but dry beans would take a l o n g time!
That was a long explanation to say I will replace some of the bean shelf with tomatoes. I filled some of the tomato shelf with my own mixes and canisters of dried beans, I also took a small crate from the dollar tree and pit all those little jars etc of baking things in it. It makes it a lot easier to find what you need and I don't have to take every little bottle of flavored vanilla , baking powder etc out to find why I need. It's contained. Life's easier and less cluttered of what you need is contained.
OK. Pizza dough. Non- Fried refried beans, rice, clean veggies and put them in green containers, make green salad. Clean off the fridge door.
Type a master list of cleaning chores.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
5 meals under five dollars - some Way under
Four people, one meal, five bucks. Better, cheaper, faster.
Notes : this is assuming you have two adults and two school aged children. It also is predicated on efficient cooking and batch freezing,
If you out a entire batch of chocolate chip cookies in front of a child, they will eat an entire batch of chocolate chip cookies. Portion control a reasonable amount,
1) chicken enchiladas. I made them the specified way . Next time I will make them on the shape of a pie and cut wedges. They will taste the same. But they will take a lot shorter time to make. An entire 9x13 pan cost 2.66. The filling made enough for two meals. I will need to make another white sauce.
2) speghetti with meatballs, French bread : tip: speghetti is often less than a dollar with coupons, sauce is on sale with coupons frequently and meatballs have coupons and is cheaper than making scratch. A good case in point, The meatballs at Freddies were 3.69. The same amount and brand was 1.98 at Winco. Speghetti .50, sauce .88, meatballs 1.23. 2.61 , homemade bread or biscuits .30. Cheese .25. Green beans .50. Total 3.66. Enough for lunch the next day. Leaves 3.00
3) veggie bean soup. Cheezy biscuits. Biscuits .60, veggie,bean soup.
Beans .32, tomatoes 1.00, stock, .50 carrots and celery. 1.82. 2.42
4) tacos, refried beans, rice : rice costs .12, refried.beans ('can ) .88. Taco shells 99, meat 1.00. Tomato, lettuce,cheese. 100. Total. 4.00
5) pizza, green salad
Green salad 1.00. Pizza : sauce .20, pepperoni .50, cheese .25, crust .45. 1.40: total 2.40
Average for five meals 3.10 each.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
3) veggie bean soup. Cheezy biscuits. Biscuits .60, veggie,bean soup.
Beans .32, tomatoes 1.00, stock, .50 carrots and celery. 1.82. 2.42
4) tacos, refried beans, rice : rice costs .12, refried.beans ('can ) .88. Taco shells 99, meat 1.00. Tomato, lettuce,cheese. 100. Total. 4.00
5) pizza, green salad
Green salad 1.00. Pizza : sauce .20, pepperoni .50, cheese .25, crust .45. 1.40: total 2.40
Average for five meals 3.10 each.
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
5 things to avoid buying
seems list articles are a popular read .....
5 things to avoid buying
1) rotisserie chicken : Most rotisserie chicken are three pounds or under. Three pounds is the break even point on the bone to meat ratio. Even at five dollars, the chicken will cost you 1.67 a pound. When you think about that, you are paying 3.33 cents a pound for your meat. Washington grown chicken is a dollar or less a pound often, You,can cook a chicken in 5 minutes or less non- passive time and a five pound chicken is a lot more bang for your buck.
2) soda pop. "They" have come out with the fact that the fox in pop strips your bones of calcium. Besides the fact that it's empty calories . If you are in a four dollar a day budget, pop is not a good investment,
3) potato chips and the like. Again, they are not good nutrition and you want the most nutrition for your buck. Better snacks are peanut butter and celery or wheat bread , a piece of fruit, popcorn that is air popped.
4) fruit juices-- especially for children, The nutritionist told me when the children were small that it is better to give the children the apple instead. It's got fiber and is better for their teeth.
5) ready made anything just about, Almost always scratch is better. Less preservatives and tastes better, follow me along on my quest to find easy ways to scratch cook instead of buying ready made.
I have tackled
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
5 things to avoid buying
1) rotisserie chicken : Most rotisserie chicken are three pounds or under. Three pounds is the break even point on the bone to meat ratio. Even at five dollars, the chicken will cost you 1.67 a pound. When you think about that, you are paying 3.33 cents a pound for your meat. Washington grown chicken is a dollar or less a pound often, You,can cook a chicken in 5 minutes or less non- passive time and a five pound chicken is a lot more bang for your buck.
2) soda pop. "They" have come out with the fact that the fox in pop strips your bones of calcium. Besides the fact that it's empty calories . If you are in a four dollar a day budget, pop is not a good investment,
3) potato chips and the like. Again, they are not good nutrition and you want the most nutrition for your buck. Better snacks are peanut butter and celery or wheat bread , a piece of fruit, popcorn that is air popped.
4) fruit juices-- especially for children, The nutritionist told me when the children were small that it is better to give the children the apple instead. It's got fiber and is better for their teeth.
5) ready made anything just about, Almost always scratch is better. Less preservatives and tastes better, follow me along on my quest to find easy ways to scratch cook instead of buying ready made.
I have tackled
- Cream soup base
- Beans
- Rice
- Pizza crust
- Bread
- Rice mix
- Refried beans - not Fried
- Croutons
- Bread stuffing
- Bread crumbs , seasoned
Next: tortillas,
I still hold on to some instant mashed potatoes and French fries. It's a convenience, fast meal thing. Cheaper than going out for dinner is my excuse ! And, I can get them cheaper than homemade. LOL. And pasta is just too much bother for the cost. I can get pasta formats cheap as a quarter a box. Some things are cheaper to buy ready made - either for the time they take or for the cost and some things can be just avoided. I made pita bread--once. I made bagels - once. Never again. They aren't on my diet because they are too car loaded and they are a pain in the touché
to make,
to make,
I got a Betty Crocker cake mix with frosting for .50. We don't eat cake often. But at fifty cents, I don't want to make it from scratch. The savings would be negligible,
Pick your battles. Some things are easy to make from scratch and take little time. So,e things can just be avoided. And some are just a splurge. With careful planning, you can still have a splurge . Save on the things you eat often and the things you can make easily from scratch,
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Meal plans
The age old adage......make a plan or plan to fail. Not having a plan invites the take out demons in LOL.
Make a plan, adapt the plan if you need to, but make a plan.
In case someone is new, I thought I would walk you through the process.
We have a stock of food. I have purchased a months worth of protein to include various types of protein to use on a rotation basis. I stocked when prices were low. The object is kinda like a stockbroker would buy stock for speculation, but with food theirs not much of a gamble. LOL. You buy when the comidity is priced low and eat when it's high.
We have a lot of pepperoni because I get a three dollar package for .50 at the tree with coupons. We, also have a lot of eggs because we are getting them for .79 a dozen. It only, makes sense to have pizza one night and breakfast 4 dinner another night . The rest of the week is wide open, I usually work on a matrix of proteins that outline the plans and make otmamquick and easy task,
2 vegetarian ( for variety and cost averaging )
1 fish
3 pork or chicken
1 beef ( for variety and certain amino acids and irony )
Equals 7 meals
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Make a plan, adapt the plan if you need to, but make a plan.
In case someone is new, I thought I would walk you through the process.
We have a stock of food. I have purchased a months worth of protein to include various types of protein to use on a rotation basis. I stocked when prices were low. The object is kinda like a stockbroker would buy stock for speculation, but with food theirs not much of a gamble. LOL. You buy when the comidity is priced low and eat when it's high.
We have a lot of pepperoni because I get a three dollar package for .50 at the tree with coupons. We, also have a lot of eggs because we are getting them for .79 a dozen. It only, makes sense to have pizza one night and breakfast 4 dinner another night . The rest of the week is wide open, I usually work on a matrix of proteins that outline the plans and make otmamquick and easy task,
2 vegetarian ( for variety and cost averaging )
1 fish
3 pork or chicken
1 beef ( for variety and certain amino acids and irony )
Equals 7 meals
- Pizza - pepperoni I make scratch crust. Granddaughter is getting good at spreading pizza sauce, cheese, and pepperoni Pepperoni and sauce come from the dollar store. I freeze the sauce in ice cube trays and ,when frozen, transfer to a freezer bag.
- Breakfast 4 dinner. Use eggs, fruit of some kink, and a starch : pancakes, English muffins ( 167 a dozen from Freddies) or hash browns. Sometimes in Leiu of fruit, we have yogurt parfaits.
- Fish packets - a family favorite : mom likes the ease of prep, the kids think it's playing camp out, and somebody ( that illusive person that is never there) likes that there is almost no dishes. Place on parchment paper, stack the following : a piece of romaine or spinach, a scoop of cooked rice, a piece of fish, and a fresh green veggie like green beans, Seal in a packet and bake in an oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Or wrap in parchment, then foil, and grill.
- Chicken enchilada casserole I made chicken enchiladas last week and have more filling left we put in the freezer. Then enchiladas were a pain in the totusche to roll, so this time I'll layer in a round casserole and cut like a pie.
- Sausage with roasted root veggies. Salad
- Chicken pot pie - chicken breasts I de-boned and froze . Mixed veggies I got on sale for .85.
- Meatballs and speghetti . Sauce we got for .50 a liter and spaghetti I got for .25 with a coupon and Meatballs were a.98 with a coupon.
4+1 = 5......four people. One meal, five bucks. So,e of these meals are less than a buck. Some are slightly more. In order to stay on a four dollar a day meal plan, you have to stick to less than five dollars in order to eat the other two meals and have some stock on hand,
Groceries on the cheap is looking at the "put the meal on the table train" from a different perspectives.
The emphasis is on purchasing good shelf stable or frozen food for a RBP in quantity - enough to last you until it goes on sale again or to keep a controlled non-perishable stock of the things you use on a weekly basis.
This means that instead of shopping daily or weekly for just the things you need to cook your meals for the week. You go to two stores and buy :
1) a protein that is a RBP - enough to make that meal for x number of days. (I.e.: if you eat it once a week, buy enough for 4 meals.)
2) produce and dairy you will need to fill in the meals for the week.
3) a stock item, if you need to and it is on a RBP - enough to fill in to your self imposed stock level.
You often are paying 1/2 price for your food. This allows you to put well-balanced meals on the table consistently on a four dollar a day per person budget. You spend more time on the locomotive ( planning and shopping ) end of the train, and less time in the caboose ( kitchen j) by
cooking more efficiently.
Four dollars a day is the target amount for people on snap. My premise is that of you can do it on 4 dollars a day, spending more is not difficult and you still get more nutrition for your buck.
Dollar tree and grocery outlet hauls
wemwent to dollar tree and grocery outlet. I was looking for a electronic light for the broom closet. They didn't have one.
I did get a hundred percent cotton t shirt. A hair barrette for granddaughter, a refrigerator bottle, French rolls, amd a canvas storage box.
At grocery outlet, I got bake Bisquits for .50 ( too hot to bake in the kitchen very long. )
Tomato paste for .39, 2 Betty Crocker cake and frosting mixes for .50 each, dated 2017. And my husband picked mixed nuts and I bought my daughter some spices so mine stay in my kitchen!
Total spent 18.00
- 2 cake and frosting mixes
- 1 package brown and serve rolls
- 2 packages Bisquits in a can
- 4 jars of spices
- 2 cans tomato paste
- 1 cotton t shirt
- 1 plaid hair barrette
- 1 canvas storage crate
- 1 refrigerator bottle
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