Sunday Notes

Since  we went to the alternative stores and really stocked because I only go about every month to six weeks.  I am still only over budget 30 dollars for the month which is a really attainable save.  It all averages out.  The object of groceries on the cheap is to pay rock bottom prices for your food.  Never pay full price.

 When we were at grocery outlet I found applesauce for 4/1.00.  my husband, the doubting Thomas, thankfully, remembered to check the pull date.  They had expired months ago.  Always remember to check the pull date.  They had some really good chicken sausage too, but that pull date I checked.  They needed to be eaten that day.  I didn't feel like eating chicken sausage that close to the pull date.  They would probably been ok, but I was chicken!!!! Pardon the pun!!!!  Pull  dates are important no matter what store you go to.  We have found expired dates at many stores.  One time, I bought a pork tenderloin at QFC.  The date on the outside of the package was current, the date on the inside of the package was six months or so old.  Needless to say, I took it back.

A project I want to do is to figure out how to track a small list of staple items to see if I can reveal the sale cycles for our part of the country.  I have heard some people say 6-8 weeks and some 8-12.  It is important because you want to stock as many as you need to last you until they go on sale again.  I would want to add a few more for a cushion.  As it is now, I am keeping six months supply.  Should be keeping a book again.  I  stopped when I committed the rock bottom prices to memory.

Chicken
Diced tomatoes
Canned beans
Pasta
Pasta sauce

Most of these items have a huge spread between the shelf price and the rock bottom price.  The difference between buying on the cheap and buying off the shelf is about two weeks worth of food for....wait for it.....FREE.  I really like that word FREE.  It is a especially nice word if you are on a tight budget.  To me, if I can buy our food, the same food I would buy any other time, for 1/2 price, it affords us a better quality of life.  We can afford to do things that we couldn't ordinarily do.
we are retired.  To others, it is a matter of survival.  Been  there, done that too.  !!!  A lot of people have, how many college stories have you heard!!!!

Meals for the week

1. Sausage and shrimp packets
2. Buffalo chicken pizza, salad , strawberry shortcake 
3. Mac and cheese and crab
4. Sweet and sour pork with rice 
5. Clam chowder, homemade bread sticks 
6. Roast chicken, zucchini with tomatoes, mashed potatoes, salad
7. Salad, ( potluck with friends) 

Chicken was a buck a pound, natural, no antibiotics, nw grown

Sausage was BOGO, and I had a dollar coupon.  

Cheese was 2.19 at Costco wholesale.  

Pork was on sale as steaks at SAFEWAYS.  

Clams were in the pantry and need to be used up.  

By buying a bulk amount of meat  on sale each week and 

Batch cooking it, you can rotate the meat out so you have variety 

And still pay a rock bottom price.  It saves time and money.  

Even of you are not into cooking on the cheap, there are ideas that can make your life easier.  Many of us have a hectic time at the dinner hour.  

or, if you are like me, I'm tired by then.  Our schedule puts dinner at past 7 o'clock.  Batch cooking means I can make dinner in 15 or 20 minutes and have time to give the baby a bath!  Such fun times, she loves the water!   

I digress

Thanks for stopping by

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Jane