Tuesday notes : Balancing the budget.

So, why do you even bother with groceries in the cheap?   It's a good question.  Sometimes when  I am getting a zillion (2 or 3 hundred hits from France or Russia that I know don't really want to know who has the best prices  week) , I wonder.    I have written over two thousand blogs .   One a day for almost five years.  

I started this because I was hearing that people on snap were having a hard time making it to the end of the month: running out of money before they ran out of month.    I am finding that that isn't necessarily who is reading my blog.   

I'm trying to out in efficient kitchen management tips, recipe remakes that are healthier or more tasty, the best prices on good food any particular week, even though I have come to realize my blog reaches far behind the PNW and ways to cut your food costs.    

Why!   Because I have discovered that I have a talent. Ha ha.   I learned thrift from my mother and when the going got tough, I got going on learning all I could learn to stretch the food dollar.    There are people that need to know this information.    Social security has had no raises in two years,  last year it was .3 Tenths of a percent and they took it back for Medicare.    That doesn't mean that food orices didn't go up, or insurance and taxes didn't go up.    Food is probably the most expensive discretionary budget item in a seniors budget.    Food stamps are on the chopping block as well as school lunches since the republicans think that adding to their already rich pocketbooks is more important than feeding the less fortunate.    It will be even more imparative to know how to stretch the food dollars.   

• Ibotta is a rebate site that gives you money back on your purchases.    If you are in food stamps, it is a way to pay for the oaoer products that food stamps don't pay for.   Hey, we all need toilet paper.   Lol if you aren't on food stamps, it a way to get something your budget doesn't allow for.   Bottom line, it cuts your food costs.   There are a few more sites that do the same thing,    
• Coupons cut costs.    Many are for things that you can supply cheaper by making yourself, but there are still real food coupons that help reduce costs.   Things like butter, pasta sauce, pasta, laundry detergent, mayonnaise.  
• Efficient scratch cooking.   Not many of us have all day to spend in the kitchen.  
• Plan. Plan, plan.    It's the easiest way to stay in track and keep costs low.   
• RBP! Rock bottom prices.  Few things in the grocery store never go on sale.    Watch for the lowest price and buy as much as you will need for the next month to six  weeks.   You can do this becaise you are laying 1/2 price often and you are rotating the things you buy.  If I buy two packages of mega pack chicken this week, I can buy two packs of Pork loin the next week,   You have a variety of food, but you have laid 1/2 price for it.    
• Be your own butcher.    A pork  loin can be as low as 1.49 a pound.   Cut your own pork chops and roasts.   If the loin tapers down, cut stew meat.   De-boning your split chicken breast saves about 7 dollars a pound.    That's not a bad return on ten minutes worth of work.   
• Portion control.  Obesity is a problem in the US so I'm told.   Portion control is good for the budget and the waistline.  Buying bulk meat and dividing it into meal sized portions is a way to get the meat cheaper and is more efficient. 
• Eat vegetarian one or two days a week.   
• Use less meat and augment your meals with another protein. - add beans to your taco meat. Use less meat in a cassarole that can have a cheese topping.   Have breakfast for dinner.    An impossible pie  can have cheese, eggs, and a vegetable.   Low cost and really good.   

Virtual paycheck

No, you can't exactly take it to the bank.   I guess if you really have mass $$ a week to spend on food, you actually can put the difference you save on the bank.  For many of us, saving on the grocery bill makes it easier to take care of necessities and not go without.

Virtual paycheck is a concept a true realist can't fathom.  

It is used to make a logical conclusion as to wether  or not making something from scratch, or buying it ready made  is worth your time.   You can use it for anything you use your manual labor for.
Of course, other rationale comes into play at times.   Like is homemade healthier?

Here's a couple of senerios  to explain.

Tortillas.   I can buy them for about .10 each,    Or 1.00  for 10.   The ingredients are minimal, but  it would take you an hour to mix, rest, ball the dough , roll it out and cook it both sides one at a time.
The material cost is about .40 .   So, you would  be making .60 an hour . Not enough to make me take on the chore.

Artisan bread 🍞.  The cost of artisan bread in the store bakery is upwards of 3.00 a loaf.   The cost is less than .30.   Difference 2.70.   It takes five minutes per loaf to make the dough,   Another five minutes to shape it  and put it to rise.   Seconds to program the oven .   Total ten minutes a loaf.   Doing the math, that's 16.20 an hour.   That makes it worth my while considering there are no preservatives . No fat, and I get it fresh, hot, out of the oven.

My daughter and I made lemon pound cake and compared it to the cost of a piece of lemon pound cake at the big buck coffee stand.    We figure we made 212.00 an hour!  

Food for thought

No food can do your family good if you are feeding it to the garbage disposal.  

Just as the odds are against you at a gambling establishment ( it's rigged to benefit the house ) , the odds are against you if you go weekly or daily ti the  grocery store for a weeks worth of food.  

If you don't understand why someone would clip coupons, you ain't never been broke enough.  

Monday kitchen management

Monday kitchen management

• Put stove fan screen in the dishwasher. 
• Clean the microwave 
• Wax the north wall cabinets 
• Wash potatoes 🥔 
• Clean vegetable bin 
• Fill the flour bin 
• Wash and disinfect counters 
• Wash floor 
• Make bread dough 
• Make pizza dough 
• Pull chicken breast to thaw
• 
  

Fred Meyer haul

Fred Meyers and dollar tree.

Chocolate milk .99
Barilla pronto pasta .88 less two .75 coupons.  Basically. We got two boxes almost free.   Who says you can't buy real food woth coupons?   LOL
Nathan's beef franks 2.99


 All .99 a lb inkess otherwise stared
Nectarines
Zucchini
Tomatoes
Granny Smith apples

canteloupe was a dollar a piece
Cottage cheese /large 2.00


Total 17.77 less 1.58 for tissue and tax  is 16.04

Dollar tree I bought the pepperoni with coupons for .50 because the coupons expire tomorrow.   They will not take the suddenly salad coupons because it s a special package.  Promotional.  

Meal plans week of June 4

meal plans for week of June 4, 2017

• Chicken nuggets ( homemade ) dip chicken cubes from breast meat on melted butter, the  bread crumbs with seasoned with herbs and parm,   :  oven fries 🍟, fruit cup 
• Pizza : scratch crust, motts, pepperoni 
• Meatballs and speghetti.  Salad-  French bread with butter, parm and herbs 
• Pork chops. Baked potatoes, oven veggies 
• Chicken pot pie - use cresent rolls
• .Tuna patties, a graitin  potatoes, mixed veggies 
• Breakfast 4dinner . 

Notes

1. Thaw chicken breast for nuggets the day before in the am.  
2. Pizza cost about 130. 
3. Meatballs are already in the freezer.    Speghetti is on sale at Fred Meyers as well as canned pasta sauce,   I'll use a jar I got with a coupon, 
4. Pork chops were cut from the Pork roast purchased from Safeways last week. ( 3 pounds) zucchini is a dollar at FM . 
5. Chicken pot pie is a no brainier,   Use white sauce mix from scratch and crescent rolls on hand or sub baking mix biscuits,   
6. Tuna patties are scratch.   A gratin  potatoes boxed on pantry, and mixed veggies from vegetable bin. 
7. Breakfast 4 dinner : use waffles bought from grocery outlet on sale,    

Trying to use up prepared mixes.   Jars of dried food have no place to go in the transition,   

Vegetable bean soup in insta pot

Process 3 cups of pinto beans.   Pinto beans are cheapest at the dollar tree.   They are non gmo and grown in USA.   ,  wash and sort pinto beans.  Place in insta  pot bowl.   Cover with water to your second knuckle.  Place the lid on the insta pot and make sure the vent is on seal.   Push the bean button.   

After processing,  turn the insta pot off and drain the beans and place in separate pot.   Return the pot to the insta pot machine and turn the pot on sauté.   Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.   Sauté 2 sliced carrots and a rib of celery in olive oil until slightly softened.   Turn off the sauté function and add :   The beans, two 15.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings , two cans of water, a 2 ounce tube of tomato paste and a large pinch of dried parsley.    

Program pot to slow cooker for four to eight hours.   I program it to work for as many hours as I have before it's time for dinner.    

Sautéing veggies 

After adding all ingredients.   

Fred Meyers ad for tomorrow- 6/4/17

First, there is an apendage a 3 day sale, SMT

.99 sale

Peaches or nectarines
Cantaloupe - it doesn't state per lb or each
Zucchini
Peppers ( usually cheaper at Winco )


Regular weekly ad
Nathan's hot dogs 2.99
Strawberries .99
Boneless chuck roast $2.77 –grind your own  hamburger time.  
20 percent fat hamburger is 3.49 **
 Milk $.99.
 Butter 2/5.00
Tomatoes.99


Notes :
* by picking your roast and looking for one that is lean , you can save by grinding your own hamburger.  Hamburger  can  be processed with the grinding attachment on  a kitchenaid, or by using a good  food processor.    Also, there is always the manual ones our grandmothers used. You can usually find them for cheap at garage sales  or antique stores,   Ask around, there may be one in somebody's  attic!  

Another note : Foster Farms split chicken  breast are 1.49 .   A week or so ago they were about .89.  They subbed Draper valley . their butchering job was somewhat deplorable to say the least.  There were extra parts and what looked like liver attached.    I  emailed them and complained.   They sent me ten dollars which was more than I paid for the chicken.  Heritage farm chicken is Arkansas chicken.  The price for boneless is 1.99.   Still, with Foster Farms being fifty cents cheaper, you are better off,  Foster Farms is potentially cleaner and cheaper and chicken stock and the rib meat is an added bonus.    You are always better off buying local chicken and not frozen.  

Another note :  Tuesday is senior day at Fred Meyers.   An extra 10 percent off for anyone over 55.   This includes private brand groceries.  

Friday recipe - healthier tortillas

to get me to try tortillas from scratch there has to be an incentive.    If something takes time to make, it's either got to be a whole lot cheaper , or or it has  to be healthier or both. imdodmrin onto a recipe for tortillas that healthier. I decided to keep it in case for some reason I couldn't get to the store or I wanted to show granddaughter that tortillas didn't just appear out of a plastic bag.   The cost difference alone doesn't warrant the time consumed.

3-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
7 Tbls canola oil

Mix together until a smooth ball forms,  knead.  
Separate dough into two ounce balls.
Let balls rest, covered for 10 minutes.
Roll out to be very thin.
Cook on a flat griddle until browned on both sides.


Cost :
Flour 3.5 cups at .08 cup is .28
Oil - 7 TBLS is .28
Total .56

Makes 15 tortillas
Or .04 each

A package of 10 cost a dollar on sale .   Or .10 each.
The mount of time to make the tortillas is too great to save six cents a tortilla.you are 60.   Itmwould only make sense of you wanted to avoid the lard or shortening,    It's a labor of love.  

Tuesday - notes chicken in depth

Everything you ever wanted to know about chicken.  

Chicken is one of the most inexpensive meats about now.   Some chickens are cleaner than others.    Local chickens are best.  Some southern chicken companies have received permission from the FDA to send the chickens to China  for processing,    

Never buy a chicken that is less than three pounds.   That is the break even point where there is as much bone  weight as there is chicken weight.   In other words, the bigger the weight, the more chicken you are getting for your money.   Most deli whole roasted chickens are three pounds or under.    Do the math, you are paying  far more per pound than buying a raw chicken on sale,    Chicken can be purchased for as low as .88 a pound here.    

There are easy, very efficient ways to cook a whole chicken. (Later) .  The least expensive  to get boneless, skinless breast is to buy mega packs of split chicken breast with ribs.   Cut the ribs off and simmer them with water and some herbs.  You can then have chicken stock and pick the meat from the bones for taco meat, chicken salad, a casserole or enchiladas.    I get almost a quart of meat  of meat from six large split breasts.  That represents two meals.   I individually bag the breasts and out them in a gallon bag and label and date.   This doesn't take long and the .87-1.28 a pound is a lot less expensive than the eight dollars a pound that boneless, skinless chicken breast can cost.   Same brand, less money.   

Chicken breast can be cooked from frozen in the insta pot  in 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the breast.   Always disinfect all surfaces that touch raw meat of any kind for food safety.  Some people wear gloves.  Thawed chicken breast can be poached in the microwave. 

A whole chicken can make four meals for the proverbial family of four : 2 half chicken breasts, one from the dark meat and chicken soup from the bones.  Remember your goal here is to provide the RDA of protein for the day.   When you are using a smaller amount for a casserole or tacos etc, you are also adding cheese or beans to supplement.    This is key to keeping a very low price point for your meals.   

It is cheaper  and more efficient to buy meats in bulk and buy enough to feed your family for a month of that meat choice.    In other words, if you have pork once a week, you would buy enough for four meals.   If you buy a different meat or protein each week in a four to six week rotation, you will hit a sale price at least once during that time frame.   Keeping quantities at a four to six week level keeps your meat fresh.  Some people rotate, chicken breast or whole  chicken, Pork loin, hamburger, cheese, brand and rice, and bagged fish or canned tuna or salmon.   Keeping your bulk purchases to a four to  six week supply means unless you have a large family, you should be able to keep it in a regular fridge freezer.

Thursday bullets - what to bring to the grocery store.

Thursday bullets : what to bring to the grocery store.  

1. Bags :   Around here, some cities have banned plastic grocery bags.   Some cities charge you for your gricerynbags, some don't,  and some give you a credit (Winco) for bringing bags.   Bags that clip onto your cart work well and are more sanitary.    Studies have shown poop germs on the bottom of the carts.    Yuk!   
2. Coupon binder or envelope.   Having coupons for the things that you know you will buy he,os a lot.  Having them organized means you will have a better chance of using them. 
3. Rewards cards.    Every bit helps.    Our Kroger gives something sway every week. Don't take it ofmyou will never use it, but we take things we know we can pass on tonsomeone that dies need it.    -- food bank?    Cat lover?    
4. Calculater or your phone of it has one on it,   A lot these days have unit prices in ounces, not per can.  Bulk items need to be calculated to know if they are a bargain or not.     
5. The ads.    Circle the things that you are interested in- a good reminder.     
6. Small scissors  to clip coupons from the store ads if necessary.    Sometimes Winco has coupons on the entrance.    
7. Hand sanitizer.       Chicken cooties.      Enough said.   
8. A list of what you need if you are out of something.  

1. 
   

Safeways and QFC hauls

First, my hubby bought  bread, milk and cream for my daughter.   Total bill 3.04

Today I went to QFC with a list based on what I could condo my the internet.   The ,airman has not delivered oir ads  yet.  

Grapes 1.48
Milk .99
Tomato plant 3.79


Safeways.
Mayonnaise 2.00
Chicken of the sea tuna ( for backpack alerts )6 ea
Pork loin roast 1.49   Total 4.25
Bananas 1.32
Strawberries 5.99

Total 25.26

Weekly chain store ads

QFC - two week ad

Buy 5, save 5
Hummus 1.99
FF chicken patties 5.99$$
Mayonnaise 1.99
Kens salad dressing 1.49$$

Grapes 1.48
Milk ,99



Alberways

Bananas 3 lbs .99
Berries 2/5
Pork loin roast 1.49
Cheese -2 lbs 4.99
Bread 2/1@@
Tuna .49@@
Eye of round roast 2.99

Suddenly salad   4/5 - note : it's a dollar next door at the dollar tree.  
Note : Pork loin roast is a keeper for a rotation meat as well as the eye of round roast would make good meat to grind for low fat hamburger.  

Tuesday thoughts

Wednesday last, I went to get the needed dairy products at QFC because they were in sale,  I also picked up a box of raspberries.  I always try to keep two or three kinds of fresh fruit in the house.

I also always check the mark down section ever since I found one of my meds for less  than Costco charges .  They marked it down  because the box had been opened, but then it contained three boxes that were still factory sealed,    I got two cans of  S &; W low sodium chilli beans for .49 each,   The good deal happened when I used an.55 coupon.  I got two cans for .43.   Or .215 a can.

It just a mindset,   You can have good food, watch the nasty 😷 salt, sugar, trans fats, sulfite, hydrogenated  oils, HFCS, and preservatives and still eat on a budget.

• Know your prices and unless it's something you really really can't do without, don't buy anything unless it's at your target price.    
• Buy dairy when it's on sale and buy enough to feed your family before the sell by date  expires.
• Buy fresh produce in season and buy it as close to out of the  earth as you can.   .   In other words, less packaging  and handling is better for the most part.   Certain stores are better than others for produce.  I got ten pounds of potatoes for less than what five pounds cost at another store,    
• Buy a limited variety of cuts of meat,  buy it in bulk and portion control it.   Cook it if it is appropriate and freeze it.  Certain cuts are very versatile .  I always cook and de-fat ground beef and sausage,   It's more efficient than cooking as you need it,    Tonight I threw cooked hamburger, enchalada sauce   That I purchased for a dime, and taco seasoning that I made .10) in the insta pot on sauté,   As soon as it came to a boil, I reprogrammed it to slow cooker  and let it simmer.    It took a matter of minutes.    
•  Make your bread if possible,   The cost is about  a tenth of the cost of buying it.    There are recipes that are really fast and easy,   ( non passive time ) 
• Load up on picnic supplies around summer holiday time,    It will be the cheapest prices on things like BBQ sauce, catsup , mustard etc.    
• Things  like olive oil, flour and beans are cheaper if you can buy bulk at a warehouse store,    pinto beans  are cheapest  at the dollar tree and they are non GMO and grown and packaged  in the USA.     Costco is cheaper, but we can't use 25 pounds before they go bad,   

Monday kitchen management

Monday kitchen management.

It's the first of the month so the fan screen goes in the dishwasher the first load that's a little free.

• Put fan screen in the dishwasher, 
• Wash kitchen floor 
• Wax cabinets in the north side of kitchen 
• Make baking mix 
• Make pizza dough 
• Thaw Pork tenderloin in fridge 
• Wash vegetables 
• Straighten pantry. 
• make chocolate rice crispy squares. 

Meal plans - week of May 29 - total cost 18.42

I'm meal planning and taking you along to see my mindset.    The weather here is warm for a few days and then we have cooler  and rain.  Seattle and rain!   LOL.

I have three packages  of hot dogs.  They have far enough expiration dates that we can use them within the next few weeks.   We only eat hot dogs in the summer and only around holidays that trigger the grocers putting them on sale.  
Part of what we eat is based on what was on sale that week;  Part is based on our key ingredients that I try to keep on hand.  

Grocery shopping based on sales and coupons to get the lowest possible price and fill in what your pantry needs leaves you pretty much free to choose any meals you want within dietary and budget guidelines.

• Pizza - a necessary staple here.  It's cheap.  I make crust for less than a quarter,   Add a fifth of a jar if pizza sauce bought at the DT. ( freeze the rest in ice cube trays ) add cheese - target price close to two dollars a pound and pepperoni that is.50 for a package  with a coupon at the DT.   Total cost 1.20   It also might get any leftover bits hanging around the fridge,   Black olives scarfed from a cassarole, the ends of the sausage or hamburger bag.    Etc 
• Breakfast 4 dinner.  Another easy dinner that keeps a low profile so we can have a more expensive meal another day.   Eggs are .78 a dozen this week.   I'll dry some, but we still have plenty.   I found a recipe for a pancake mix that mis easy and inexpensive.    Add that package if sausage that keeps falling out of the freezer on my toe, and some scrambled  eggs and berries and we should be set.   .36 for eggs, .21 pancakes , 1.88 berries. Sausage 1.00 total 3.34
• Pork tenderloin roast , smashed potatoes. Zucchini with some tomato and red pepper  flakes.  I have. A Pork tenderloin ( not a loin ) in the freezer that I got for five dollars.   Zucchini is a dollar a pound at FM this week.   1/2 roast 2.50, potatoes .32, zucchini 1.00 Tomato paste  .16 total 3.98 
• Tomato soup. cheese biscuits.  2.50 - finish the case of tomato soup.   ( organic roasted red pepper and tomato -Costco at 2.00 each in a case. 
• Tacos. Spanish rice.   Taco kit was a dollar at Grocery Outlet.   Hamburger    - $1.68  lettuce, tomato, cheese and - cup of rice.  Total 3.58 
• Tuna casserole uses tuna 1.00, noodles .50, cream soup base, peas .50 total 2.00 dry bread crumbs and a Tbs of parm is too small to count. 
• Vegetable bean soup , bread sticks.   Bread sticks .15 , soup 1.67 total 1.82 

• Total 18.42 for 7 days 

How? 

• Buy when things are on real sale.
• Use coupons when you can for real food 
• Buy bulk foods that you use a lot, 
• Make scratch with efficient recipes.   
• Buy bulk meat and butcher it yourself 
• Eat vegetarian a couple of nights a week. 
• Soup and bread is a good thing. 
• Plan your meals, but be flexible
• Remake leftovers .  Leftovers don't have to loom the same as the first time around.   

.

Winco and big lots

Big lots 

Animal crackers (6) 2.00

Ice cream cookies 1.00

Garlic 1.25 

Winco 

When it's hot, the meal plans go out the window and we have a burger, hotdog, or some kind of a sandwich and salads.  Beats the heat in a east faced kitchen. 

Chips 1.98

Salmon burgers 2.48

Buns .78

Bananas .68

Grill seasoning .10

Meatballs 1.98

Dry milk 3.48

Potato salad 2.98 

Lettuce .98

Cucumbers.48

Grapes 3.44

Total 20.10 

Fred Meyer Sunday ad

Sunday and Monday ONLY

Cherries 2.88
Tillamook ice cream 2/5


Regular ad
Zucchini .99
Grapes .99
Cantaloupe 2/4
Eggs .78
Yoplait - 10/5$$
Strawberries 2/5

*******++++
Rotation bulk meat for the week would be b
Boneless 1/2 loin pork roast is 1.69
*****+

QFC haul(s)

QFC haul

Bread 1.25,
Chips-ritz Free

Saved 4.63

Strawberries
Raspberries 1.88
2 doz eggs .78
Blueberry pie 1.99
Maple  extract 2.39 (. Markdown )


I will dehydrate eggs for future use--  I'm almost out of vanilla , so I thought I might stretch what I have by using maple flavor  when it mad sense.  

Total
14.05

Total per week so far this  quarter 54.70 .    Including buying bulk purchases.  

Friday recipe - mix

Cream soup base,    Cream of xxx soup is running well  over a dollar on sale.    this is much cheaper and doesn't take much more time than opening a can and you aren't eating things you can't pronounce.

Pick amtome when you can get butter for 2.00.  You can't substitute fake or margarine for this, it doesn't work. Store in the fridge for 2-3 months or freeze.  I make small batches.   

White sauce mix there are several variations out there.   Some Use cornstarch.   

4 cups dry milk ( not instant ) 

1 cup flour 

2 sticks butter. 

Cut butter into the dry mixture.   You can use a pastry cutter or your mixer with the wisk attachment. 

Basic white sauce for,white,sauce, add cheese for Mac and cheese etc.   

2/3 cup mix 

1 cup water 

Cook until thick over medium heat stirring with wisk.   

Thick cream soup ( condensed) 

3/4 cup water 

1 tsp better than boullion 

1 cup mix.  

Stir until thick, cooking over medium high heat.   

Add seasonings of choice about a 1/2 tsp each 

Garlic powder 

Onion powder 

Parsley 

Salt and pepper 

Chocolate pudding 

1 cup mix 

1/2 cup sugar

3 T cocoa 

1 cups water 

Measure ingredients in order and wisk on medium heat until combined.   Turn heat up and bring to boil.   Boil about 20 SECONDS until thick,  cover and chill.  

I have a different version that is low sodium and low fat.   

Another day, another dollar.