Jane vs the Extremmies

I thought I would talk about some things that I haven't talked about lately and clear up some differences  what you see on videos and real life.  ( In Washington anyway) .  Most of the techniques I talk about will work no matter where you live.

The basics of reading an ad.
Three for xxx dollars doesn't mean you have to buy three to get the price.  Buy 10. Save xx., however, means you have to buy a quantity of ten to get the discount.  Usually there is a variety of foods on their list.  Usually I can match them with a coupon to sweeten the deal.  So,eti,es, the things are what I wouldn't buy in the first  place.  I pass on those.

If there is an in ad coupon ( I usually tag those with a @@) you have to have the ad to get the deal.  If you buy multiples to the limit imposed on the coupon, you still only need 1 coupon.  You can also match these coupons with a manufacturers coupon.

Of you see BOGO. You can use a manufacturers coupon for the ONE that you are buying.

Some stores limit the number of a single item that you can use coupons for.  Dollar tree will only take two coupons for the same thing in one transaction.  QFC let me use 4 chili coupons and two cake mix coupons.

It's a joke in the coupon world that young male checkers are more even tempered about coupons.  You can be your own judge on that.

Be sure to check sizes of packages, the fine print, and the expiration date.

Just because a coupon comes out in a paper, doesn't mean that that week is the best week to use the coupon.  Sometimes, later is better.  Checking a coupon matchup site is a good thing.

I don't try to use zillions of coupons at the same time.  It's just a courtesy to the clerk.

Apparently, there is no laws about couponing in any particular state.  I have, however, never seen double coupons in this state in the fifty years I have been buying groceries.  That being said, I have seen ALBERTSONS publish a few double coupons in the Sunday paper once.

I, also have not seen where you get a money maker on purchases.  SAFEWAYS has a coupon policy that states if you have a dollar coupon, and a .99 price on an item, you can't use the coupon.  Rite aid is the only place you can make money.  You can use a coupon and get a reward to use another day.

I cannot, nor do I want to coupon for 40-60 hours a week and buy things that I don't want or use to get a bottom line of a penny.  It doesn't make logical sense to me.  And, most of the deals they use on TV are not real.

With that being said, it is still believable to save money using coupons.  The balance of taking a small amount of time is worth the savings.

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Jane

Thoughts and Sundays ads early.

My husband went to the dollar tree this am and got the newspaper.  He tried to use the hefty coupon, but they did not have the small bags.

Fred Meyers ads were not as fruitful as they have been in the past few weeks.
Oranges are the same .68 that they are at QFC
Milk is a buck, along with chocolate milk and of. @@
Pot roast is 2.97
Pasta sauce is .69@@ ( .50 at top) no coupon
Peanut butter 3/5
Cucumbers .68
Pears 1.00
Pumpkin 2/3$$
Butter 2.00


The smart source has some good coupons.
Chocolate right off the bat!  
Bc baking mixes pair up with the mega at QFC.
A buck on toothpaste

Be sure to check your coupon match ups for the best deals.

Now, I received a comment on yesterday's blog.  I love comments and I love learning something I didn't know.  Sue alerted me to the fact that some states have laws that prohibit stores selling items for less than their cost.  I suspect that the term loss leader can still apply to those items,because the actual cost of a product is comprised of the actual product and the overhead applied to that product.  I was an accountant for many years and my husband was a manufacturing engineer for part of his career.

She also talked about walmarts price matching policy.  It would be simpler to go to Walmart after planning your trip and matching prices if you are in a state that has convenient walmarts.  Ours is not so convenient,.  I, personally have a problem with Walmart because they made a mistake and charged me 8.00 for something I didn't get.  That's a whole hours pay for me, and I don't take too kindly giving money away unless I decide I want to.  I rarely go because it is far away and they left a bad taste in my mouth.

While double coupons are prevalent some places, I have not seen any on Washington except the few limited days that ALBERTSONS offers the coupons in the paper.  That particular time. I had a hard time finding some good matchups.  I know they were prevalent in California when I was theor visiting relatives.

Rite -Aid didn't have a lot this week again,  I am out of roll over dollars.  I still need to check the dollar coupon for toothpaste and see if it works somewhere.  .  Have to support the toothpaste fairy! lol

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Jane

Saturday

I went to the hair cutting place today.  It had been four months...about time!  I discovered that my husband can get a haircut Monday for free.  That's two haircuts for 14.00.  ...not too bad!   I then went  to the GW and found to princess books and a lets go potty book for grandbaby.  Three books that total 24.00 , 2.60 including our almost ten percent tax!  

I went to QFC   ,Mega  deals. With coupons I saved just about 1/2.  Twenty four bucks.  On to Top where their mega deals netted pasta sauce for .50 and refried beans for .50.  Along with fruit and veggies.  Another almost fifty percent savings.  You can eat spaghetti and red sauce for a buck for four people, or you can pay full price and pay 5.00.  That's one meal, or five.  Of you have a very tight budget, five is a lot better than one.  Chili was a buck, , and I had. .55 coupons.  And they had vegetarian and turkey.

We have a variety of foods in the pantry, freezer, and fridge and we are well under budget.
I got a lot accomplished with little gas and time.

Again, my harping point.  Know your prices.  If you can't remember, write them done in a little book, or on a 3X5 index card.  It will serve you well.

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Jane

Finally Friday

It's finally Friday .

I haven't found chicken for under 1.29 for several weeks now.  Sausage is up from 2.00 to 2.30 and beef, well, it's about double.  I hear that the average SNAP is being cut 35.00.  It's not a good combination.  Our social security raise is only 1.5 percent and all the utilities and food are going up.  Besides taxes, that's our largest expenses.

This isn't  about doomsday.   It's about the fact that I know thrifty shopping is needed more than it was before and I haven't found an avenue to reach more people.  Not that I could have this last week.LOL. That's why stocking helps.  I'm not stuck buying chicken at a thirty percent increase yet.  Maybe I'll find a sale yet.  There is always hope.  There are still a lot of recipes put there for tasty dinners.  I haven't found a good pasta sale lately either.  I have a lot I got for .50.

Chicken pot pie
Chicken enchilada soup
Pesto chicken with bow ties.
White chilli
Buffalo,chicken pizza

My process for making meal plans begins with looking over the fridge and making a note of what needs to be eaten.  I already know what is on the pantry because I keep the same things on a regular basis.  This limits the things I HAVE to remember at the grocery store, which is a good thing when you are over the hill.  LOL
Now, I need to find the cheapest meat that my family will eat, and what I might need to stock.  There are some things that we eat a regular basis.

Safeway has chicken leg quarters 1.29. Country style spareribs  are 1.99.  Butterball turkey is a 1.29 but you have to spend $50 at Safeway to get it.  There is also a three dollar coupon out there.  They want you to buy some other things, but that doesn't exclude you from using your best coupons to get deals on them as well.  I haven't seen a matchup or studied it myself yet to see if it is a good deal.  Of someone sees something before I do, please share.  Skippy peanut butter is 1.99@.betty Crocker cake mix is .99@&$.

Top has loin chops for 1.69.  This is hard because it is hard to control portions and can bounce up the price of meat per serving.  Chicken whole is 1.39 a pound.  Refried beans and hunts pasta sauce are a RBP.  Time to stock.

QFC has pork shoulder roast for 1.79.  Oranges are .68.  Milk is 1.29 on( b10S 5) .  Along with 1.99 butter and 1.79 triskit.  Chili is .99$$, 2#potatoes are 2.49 frozen.  Cake mix .99$$

If I had to pick a batch meat, I would pick the pork shoulder or buy a .69 turkey if I had 50.00 worth of stuff from SAFEWAYS.

I have a coupon for free frozen veggies from QFC.  Otherwise, they are cheapest at the dollar store.  There is a coupon in the insert that came with out RP thos week for hefty slider bags, 1.00 off two.  The dollar store has them and the sandwich bags are a buck, so one is free.  I like free.  LOl. The RP also has a buck off m&m s.  What's not to like about that.

I am bribing my granddaughter to use the potty chair.  My husbands mother used to call peeing, tinkle.  It sounds so much more ladylike.  I told my granddaughter of she tinkled on the potty chair, I would give her an M&M.  She promptly, went in to the bathroom, went tickle, tickle with her fingers on the top of the potty and came to redeem her prize!   Nice try!   LOL

I digress.

Being sick all week, my husband cooked.  His cooking talents are limited to certain things.  Needless to say, we operated off my emergency stash of premades.  I guess that's what premades on stellar sales are for.  I hope weeks like last week are few and far between.  My poor husband had to work my shifts, and keep the house running, somewhat!  

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Jane

What's really a bargain?..

I am yet again still in bed.  Watching too many couponing / grocery hauls. Finally a light bulb went off in my head.  I wonder if the reason some states have higher grocery prices is because they are double coupon states.  The old mark it up to mark it down routine.  Also, I wonder of the lack of competition in the marketplace has something to do with it.  When you have four chains competing for your business, the prices have to be better than if there is one grocery store in town.

I watched a nice lady go through all the steps of couponing this  morning.  She did a really good job.  I, personally would not cut all the coupons  out of the inserts.  The coupon matchup sites usually do a good job of telling you where to find a coupon.  I just binder clip them by month.  She showed a haul from three stores that netted her a 53 percent profit.  I think the percentage of profit is not as important as the percentage off when you are buying things that you really,need.  If you skip the garbage at any price, you will save more money.  She had a lot of juice drinks, expensive veggies, Greek yogurt at a buck a carton.  When it got down to the real food groups, there wasn't a lot there.

I could have cut that over  a hundred dollar net bill probably to half without sacrificing any nutrition.

Part of groceries on the cheap is finding the lowest price, and matching a coupon if possible.  The other part so not buying a bunch of junk food and premades.  Junk food can jack your food bill up fast.  It's not even good for you.

On another note, pasta sauce and refried beans, two things on my basic stocking list are .50 at TOP Foods  this week.  When you can get pasta for as low as .38, that makes for a really cheap meal.
A really cheap meal can mean that you can have a piece of real steak now and then.  LOL

Checking the USDA stats a couple of times a year gives you a baseline to a grocery budget.  The more you can save the closer you are to beat the stats.  Make it a game.  It's a game you can always win

The ads

QFC

Oranges .68

Buy 10
Milk 1.29
Butter 1.99
Veggies, cr soups .69 $$$
Digiorno pizza 4.49
HORMEL chili .99$$$
Frozen potatoes 2.49
Bc cake mix .99$$$
BREYERS 2.79


TOP

chuck roast 2.99
Apples 5/4.00
Buy 5, save 2
Pasta sauce .50
Snack lack .75
Ketchup .50
Refried beans .50

ALBERTSONS

Salad BOGO
Coffee 5.99@
Eggs 4/5 @@
Bread.99@@

Cake mix BOGO

SAFEWAYS

Chuck roast 2.49
Roast 2.99
Apples .99

Spend 50.00, turkey .69
Spend 50.00, butterball 1.29$$
Pears .99

 5.00 Friday
Oranges
Pizza
Shrimp
Cake
Coffee 5.00

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Jane

Wednesday, no ads yet.

I do wish my mail-person would get his act together.  Needless to say, I don't have the ads and can only gleen some from the Internet.  Coupon connections have some, but their math with the coupons deducted doesn't make sense  to me.

There is cream of mushroom soup with on ad coupon at FM for .50.  There so also a coupon for 1.00 off 5.  That makes five at .30 each.  It hasn't been .30 for years and years!   I am sure that they know that thanksgiving is coming and they figure that they will make up their profit with the green beans and fried onion rings.  I don't particularly like green bean Casserole, so they missed the boat with me!

We do like tuna noodle on occasion.   I buy the best tuna I can buy.  Also hot dogs.  If we are going to eat cheap food it's going to be good cheap food.  LOL. Hot dogs can have yucky fillers in them and I bought tuna one time that the neigh ours cat wouldn't even eat!   It is still within a budget to get the good stuff.  I buy real butter.  The nutritional it's told me that I was better off with a skim of butter than a regular amount of the alternative.  The more dense the fat, the worse off you are.  No one needs half a stick on their toast on the morning!

One time when I was in the hospital, my husband called me.  " how do you make tuna noodle casserole ?"  I told him, cook the noodles, drain the noodles, add cream of mushroom soup and two cans runs and something green, like peas.  he added chopped pickle!   LOL

I have been surfing the Internet a lot the last four days being stuck in bed.  Re reading couponing and meal planning sites.  I am still taking the information with a grain of salt.  Most of the tactics, ate not doable on Washington state.  We don't have double coupons with the exception of ALBERTSONS I found once!  They only covered one item at a time.  That particular week, the good buys were not so good.  LOL.  It was hard to make a good deal.  We, also can't make money with coupons.  You can't get something marked down to .99 and use a  1.00 coupon.  The only place I can make money buying something is at Rite Aid.  That is because you buy something, use a coupon and pay the balance.  Then , you essentially get store credit to use the next week.  I rolled my up rewards for a good three months.  Two weeks ago I had rewards, I used them last week and didn't get any rewards.  I didn't go this week.  There was nothing that was a good buy that I purchase.

A lot of coupons are for things that I just don't buy.  The simpler you live, the less you are going to spend.  We always had pure Castile shampoo that my mom bought by the gallon cheap!  Period.
Conditioner and such was not happening.  We don't buy a lot of ready made stuff. That's what most of the coupons are for.  I usually have coffee, tea, crystal light in the summer time.  I don't buy pop or other fruit drinks.  The nutritionalist told me that we were better off eating the fruit.  There are a few things that I just don't have patience to make from scratch, like tortillas and refried beans, and I can usually get them on sale with a coupon.  Some things I can get cheaper with a coupon than making them from scratch.  We still like some processed meats (pepperoni), but I try to keep them to once a week or two.  I have been getting pepperoni (3.50) for .50 with a coupon at the Dollar Tree.

I have received comments from people from different parts of the country about higher prices on some things than my RBP.  I get that there are fluctuations in prices.  I can only relate to the prices here.  The basics are still stable.  You find YOUR rock bottom price.  I also suspect that there are places that have a limited amount of grocery stores.  We are lucky to have four chain stores within a five mike radius, either south or north and some are clustered together along with dollar stores.  If you don't, and there is a town a little further away, consider going once a month for the bulk items.  Consider going with a friend or family member to split gas or take turns.  Have the ads mailed to you or get them on line and pick your week.  A lot of times the first of the month is not the best time.  I have found  that holiday time is not the best time to buy staple items either.  I also see that where our dairy may be cheaper, someone else's meat is cheaper.  Ditto veggies.  SNAP is adjusted for the cost of living where you are.

When I didn't work, I scratch cooked more and made the kids and my clothes in my spare time, as much spare time as one can have with a house and two kids under the age of three and a teenager!  LOL. No one should ever have to raise tw kids under the age of three and a teenager at the same time!  LOL what an experience!  

I found recipes that were quick and simple.  I found the apple cake, I used to make a carrot bread that was done on the blender.  I still haven't found it yet.  It was on the blender manual,  I'll bet I tossed it when the blender gave up too.

I guess that's all.

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Jane

Terrific Tuesday 11/5/13, repost

Repost worth reading!  I've been on bed for three days, something has to give soon! LOL

I watched a u tube seminar last night. It was on couponing and meal plans.  It could have been a boring , but  her sense of humor was delightful.  One thing resonated with me.  She was describing the difference between stockpiling and hoarding.  When you buy low and buy enough to last you until the next sale, you are stockpiling.  When you buy to be buying and buy things you don't use and at a quantity you can't use in your lifetime, that's hoarding.  

Last  night we had Chicken Alfredo and mixed vegetables.  It took me about 15 minutes , non passive time.  I put the pasta in the microwave and went out and talked to the neighbor..  I like quick, tasty meals, especially after I worked the second shift.  Cooking meat ahead makes dinner time cooking a lot less hectic.  Cooking is a lot less stressful  if there are  no time constraints on you.  

Pasta 49

Sauce .50

Chicken 1.50

Mixed veggies .75

Milk .12

Cheese.50

Bread .72

Total. 4.58

The basis for 1/2 price groceries is five dollar  dinners. Breakfast and lunch will take care of themselves as long as you keep to scratch cooking and 1/2 price shopping.  breakfast can be 

Banana  bread or muffins, or oatmeal with raisins or craisens, or yogurt and toast, an egg muffin made with biscuits.  Lunch is leftovers, a sandwich...1/2 price cold cuts, or tuna, or egg salad or a salad from the night before with hard boiled eggs.  I like cheese, whole wheat crackers and an apple . 

Basically, you

• Buy in season.  It tastes better, and it is cheaper.  
• Buy what is TRULY on sale, Not everything on the grocery ad is really on sale.  
• Know your prices, what is rock bottom.  Track your main grocery items. 
• Strive for 1/2 price there is a lot of difference between 2.20 and .38 for pasta.  The same brand. Pasta has a 8 YEAR shelf life.  
• Stack coupons when it makes sense.  I won't spend a lot of time couponing.  A few minutes a week can make a difference. Any more than that and you aren't getting paid enough.   If I spend ten minutes and save 6 dollars, I am making 36.00 an hour.  Since we don't buy a lot of ready mades and rarely is there a coupon for meat and veggies, any more time than that would be counterproductive.  
• Sometimes, bread is cheaper at the grocery store, but most of the time it is cheaper at the bakery outlet, especially the specialty items.  I don't have time to make bread.  It would be cheaper.  When I made sour dough bread, it didn't get eaten fast enough, so I quit.  It's not a savings if it goes on the garbage!

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PLEASE SHARE WITH A FRIEND. If they share and they share......

Maybe I can help more people.  

Jane

Monday Madness 11/4/13

I'm watching curious George! snuggling baby granddaughter and writing a blog.  Is that multi tasking?   LOL.

Multi tasking in the kitchen is hectic and stressful.  I try to find recipes that let me put ingredients together and go on to do other things.  Slow cookers, oven meals and things that cook in the microwave without having to be watched reduce the get everything on the table stress syndrome.
The other way to reduce the stress is to deligate.  When I am trying to make a taco dinner, I chop the condiments, have someone else do the refried beans and heat the meat while I do the rice and cook the chicken, heat the shells.  Premade taco meat is a help as so refried beans out of a can.  It would also be a help if we didn't have semi vegetarians in the group.  I sometimes just do chicken, but dad is not thrilled with chicken.

My husband solves the problem , he just makes the main dish.  If we want balance, we need to add the veggies and starch.

I am still a believer in the food pyramid. In moderation.  The new food pyramid addresses fat and sugar consumption and balance.  We all need some salt and carbs.  Carbs give is energy, and salt keeps our electrolytes in balance.  Moderation is the key.  Anytime, in my opinion,that we go overboard on any one food group, we are asking for trouble.  Our bodies need balance.

This blog so about trying to create balanced, nutritious diets while feeding families on very low income.  It is very easy to spend more on food.  My thought is that if I can show people how to do it at rock bottom budgets, the rest will take care of itself.   Adding more expensive choices in vegetables and meat is easy.  Doing it on the cheap, not so much! LOL

I still buy more expensive ingredients if I am bring to a potluck out of respect for the people that are not on a cheap budget.  ( the foodies). I have no problem with foodies, I just can't do that on less than the poverty level budget.  LOL.   XX!? Happens.  We can all plan for our lives. But sometimes life slips you a curve ball.  It's up to you to pick up the ball and run with it. I have had more than enough curve balls in my 70 years I really can't help picking up the ball!    Leaving it sit on the ground doesn't solve any problems.

Shopping is not my whole life, it is a portion of it.  I essentially get more benefit from shopping wisely than I do the cooking part of dinner.  With health issues, I don't have the energy at the end of the day to set down and do a two hour meal.  I have found ways to get around it.  I suspect that people that have children or children and jobs , or just lead a full life are on the same boat.

I still run two businesses, one of which is labor intensive, fun but time consuming, run a household,
work two days a week and help take care of a baby and belong to a service group for women.  I really don't have a princess life.  LOL. it's worth shopping WISELY to save 4000.00 a year-- especially if you don't have the 4000 in the first place.

I recently heard from a lady who's husband had lost his job and found one after 8 months for a lot less pay.  She picked up the ball and ran with it very effectively.  It's a matter of survival.  I still can't top the lady on the Today show that Matt Lauer  asked what she said to naysayers about her couponing.  She (paraphrasing) said " if you don't understand, you  ain't been broke enough.  Enough said.

I coupon when it makes sense.  There are some coupons out there that are for necessity items.  If you can get your personal items free, it frees up money for food.  There are some things that it doesn't pay to make from scratch unless you are in a position to cook for hours  and like to cook.  Also, I am finding dairy coupons.  Of I can find something free or nearly free, cheaper than scratch, I will get it in moderation.

 We have more than my usual supply of basic food.  We also have a situation looming that could make us loose 25 percent of our income. We will need to pick  up the ball.  I have four mouths to feed.  LOL.  This is not about hoarding.  I am not buying 93 bottles of hot sauce that we will never eat, or cat food when we don't have a cat, or a closet fill of soda pop.  We have a stock of foods I buy on a regular basis.  I just paid 1/2 price or less for them. It would be nice if everything was 1/2 price everyday, but  then the grocery stores would be out of business. LOL. It would also be nice if we could sit with a drink in your hand and dinner would magically appear on the table.  What a fantasy!

Back to reality, coupons work.  I save the inserts in the newspaper.  I buy 1 paper a week.  I keep them in binder clips.  I download the coupons of the things I buy at the first of the month and put them in a binder that I paid a total if three dollars for.  I check coupon connections once a week to find any match ups that make sense to our family.  I tell you about them.  Whether or not you use them is up to you. Not every bargain is a bargain of it doesn't for your lifestyle.  I certainly don't spend hours planning coupon trips.  I don't get my groceries for 1 cent, but I think I do a fair job.

Taking a little time on the front end of a shopping trip, you will spend less time shopping and less money.  Using tips to get out of the kitchen faster and still get well balanced on the table balances the shopping time.  You actually spend less time of you are the person that goes every two or three days to buy one or two days of food. Or of you run out of something and run to the store to get one thing.
Planning  your trips to save gas is a real help.  Gas is expensive in this economy even of you have a car that gets 50 mpg.  If a store is far away, we go less often and I make sure that I can buy enough to save considerably more than the gas money.  We are about due for a bread run.  Finding the cheapest place to buy certain foods is a real help for the budget. If you need to go out of your five mile radius to get cheap food, consider going with another person .  Stock up so you don't have to go often.

Knowing your rock bottom prices, even in this time of drought driven prices, is the best tool you can have. My mother used to have an expression, " some people wouldn't know a bargain if it got up and bit them in the butt".   It PAYS you to know what a bargain is.

Funny story.  I have pointed out when walking through the grocery store with my husband, "look at this , it's 7.99.  We paid 3.20 ." Etc numerous times.  Last week, I had to get something at the fabric store.  Knowing how much my husband LOVES walking through the fabric store, I suggested he go to big lots and get the leaf bags and  a personal product I needed.  He came back with a double package because it was less than double the price.  I got 48 for the price of a small package at the grocery store.  It almost never pays to get Personal products  and paper products at the grocery store.   I must be rubbing off on him.  Or, it was the statement , "if we don't pay full price for necessities, we can afford some luxuries. ". It makes for a more fruitful and fulfilling life.

I guess it's time I get to the mounting laundry pile and the housework.  No little elf does that in this house either, DARN!  LOL

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Jane

Casserole, leftover delight

Broccoli Cheese Rice casserole

Www.cinnamonspice and everything nice.com
Yummy


4 t butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt, pepper
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/3 cup parm
3 cups cooked rice
2-1/2 cups brocolli, cooked.

Grease 9 x 13 pan
Oven at 400 degrees

Make white sauce with butter, flour, milk, mustard, salt and pepper.  Stir in parm and 2 cups of the cheese.  .  Stir until cheese is melted.

Stir in and broccoli and rice .

Place in the pan.  Top with cheese.
Bake 30 minutes .  And let set for 5 minutes.

Note:

I would use minced garlic.  You could also add chopped chicken, cooked.  A good recipe for leftovers.

Tonight we had BBQ chicken,  rice with cheese and red peppers.  And French green beans with almonds.  The chicken was cooked and frozen ( batch cooked) the rice was leftover from last night, and the green beans were free from QFC.

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Jane

Betty Crocker and coupon alerts.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/baked-orzo-and-vegetables/5ab69451-0dcb-4346-8679-b262c9d78046

This is a good recipe for stretching a buck.

Good buy alert.  If you are a naysayer, or a non shopper, close your eyes.

Fred Meyer has cream of mushroom soup for .50@@$$$ makes it .30.  Check the coupon at couponconnections.com.

Also, butter for 1.67.

10 ways to save money on Groceries

I thought I would do something  different.  Ten small ( or huge) ways to save money on groceries.

1) use coupons for the things you already buy at the grocery store.  There are coupons for things that are not boxed, prepared food.  In moderation, some mixes are a boon if you are time crunched.  I got pepperoni for .50 for a regular 3.50 package at the dollar store.  I can most generally get coupons for yogurt and peanut butter.

2) think outside neighbourhood convenience store.  Many stores carry food.  The dollar store takes coupons and many times  can make something free or nearly free.  Soap, toothpaste and deodorant are frequently free.  What you save on personal necessities you can spend on food.  Warehouse stores like Costco and Winco are cheaper on some things.  Alternative overstock stores are cheaper on some things.  NO one store has the best prices for everything.

3) if your family is large especially, buying on bulk for things like rice, beans and oatmeal so a good investment.

4) buying produce in season is a good thing.  The prices are lower and the quality is higher., the produce can be more local many times.

5) buying bagged produce,weigh the bags.  There can be a lot of difference on a two pound bag of carrots.  Buying whole carrots are much cheaper than buying baby carrots., baby carrots are just big carrots that  have been cut down to size.

6) buying your meat on a rotating basis and buying and cooking in bulk saves a lot.  You cook less, clean up less, and can portion control meal sized portions to reduce waste.  Most grocery store chains have a loss leader on a rotating basis.

7) avoid pre-packaged ready made items.  Someone has to pay for the labor to make this stuff.  That someone is you.  It takes the same amount of time to make a hamburger meal box from scratch as it does from a box.  The scratch tasts better, is more nutritious, and looks better too.  Ditto boxed pudding.

8) learn to read labels.  This gives you a real eye opener of what you are eating.

9) invest some time in knowing the prices of the things that you  use on a regular basis.  Buy at the lowest price in quantity.  Enough quantity to last you til the next sale.  you never have to pay full price and you don't get stuck with nothing on the house to eat.  Don't hoard, but base your quantity on how often you use that item per week.  We use tomatoes at least once a week.  Ditto beans.

10)  clean the fridge once a week about mid week.  Assess what is left and use up things that need to be used up before they hit the compost or garbage disposal.  Vegetable soup?  Banana bread?  Stuff shells or lasagna for the cottage cheese.  Cottage cheese can be a sub for sour cream.  Sour cream can be a good addition to cake or cookie recipes.  Yogurt can become a fruit parfait with granola for an addition to a breakfast for dinner meal.

11) bonus. Make your own bread crumbs.  Why pay more momey per pound for someone  else's dry bread than you do meat?  Ditto croutons.  Get your bread heels out of the plastic and into the oven before they go mould.  When they are dry, process them in the food processor ,or grate them on a box grater.  I used to do that outside so I didn't have to clean up the mess.  LOL

12) learn to make soup.  It's inexpensive, it's good ( especially on a cold winter day) and of you make it in a slow cooker, you can have dinner ready when you are.

Thanks for stopping by,

Please share

Jane

Saturday

We went shopping yesterday.  I spent 26.00 and another buck at the dollar store for Two  packages of pepperoni.

Yesterday we had spaghetti and garlic bread and salad in the vegetable Bin.

About mid week, it is time to clean the fridge and take note of what needs to be eaten soon.  Maybe it is time for a vegetable soup or stock, or banana bread.  Betty Crocker has a good recipe for banana blueberry bread.  It takes oatmeal and so really good and good for you.

There are a lot of good and good for you recipes out there.  Most take the simplest of ingredients.  The more processed the food, the more expensive it is and the more preservatives it may have in it.

Remember, the more someone does the cooking for you, the more it's going to cost.  They want to get paid like the rest of us.  LOL.  With few exceptions, ready made and boxed dinners are really expensive in terms of cost, and nutrition.  If you can cook as fast as making the trip to the store, or the mix takes just as long to cook scratch , the box mixes are pointless.

Cooking some meats ahead and using instant mashed potatoes makes sense to me.  Making mashed potatoes is time consuming both in making the dish and cleaning up afterwards.  For a weeknight dinner, instant mashed is good .   I find them for little money.  There is a coupon for Betty Crocker a gratin or scalloped potatoes on the net.  ( check coupon.com) .  They are a buck at the dollar store.  With the coupon they are BOGO.  You don't get many potatoes for fifty cents.  I also got pepperoni for fifty cents.  I haven't got toothpaste for free lately, but I'm still watching and building my stock for the women's shelter.  I did find gloves for granddaughter.  I don't want to spend more than a buck for the , kids loose their gloves and I don't know if she will even wear them.  It's certainly not worth my time to knit them at her age and the yarn would cost more than a buck!  

My average for meals has been going down, which is remarkable  since the drought is still rearing it's ugly head on food prices.  The USDA projects that they will be occurring well into 2014.  In addition, the SNAP program is taking a hit.  My sister says that it is going to be 35.00 a month average.  The combination is not a good one for people on a thrifty budget.  The people with six digit incomes won't notice as much, but higher prices and less money hits the poor hard.  Making scratch good food on the cheap is a way to get through without sacrificing nutrition or having no food in the pantry at the end of the month.

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Jane

The basics, part three, scratch cooking

Oh, that dreaded word, " scratch" cooking.  Really, scratch cooking can be quick and easy.  The thrifty budget doesn't have a lot of wiggle room for ready made foods.  Most pre- made , or semi pre-made foods are too expensive.  They also have ingredients that you can't pronounce.  LOL Learn to read sides of boxes.  It is really enlightening.

I did  a series of blogs  on a hamburger meal box. It is very revealing.  Most same people won't buy another one after reading the blog.  LOL.  That being  said, they have changed the box and added  some real food.

Buying a deli chicken is a real mistake.  I have seen deli  chickens for six dollars for two pounds!  That's three dollars a pound.  There are three good reasons why you don't want a deli chicken.

1) three pounds is the break even point on buying a chicken.  Less than three pounds you are paying for too much bone and not enough meat.  The more weight after three pounds the better.

2) I can still get chicken for a dollar a pound.  Northwest grown, no antibiotic, no hormone chicken.
    I can get a chicken ready to roast in about ten minutes.  The savings are remarkable.

3) you don't know where that chicken from the deli comes from!

There are styles of cooking that get  dinner on the table as fast and as easy as processed, ready made food.  They make scratch cooking doable for the busiest of cooks.

1) the slow cooker can be your best friend in the kitchen.  There so something very therapeutic about coming home to dinner cooked and waiting for you.  The Betty Crocker web site is full of ideas.  Some of them call for  ready made expensive ingredients.  Remember you can always make substitutions or adjustments to a recipe.  Remember, same bulk and same texture when substituting.  Celery makes a good substitute for onion, for example.

2) anything you can get together and shove on the oven to cook is a good thing.  Oven time so non-passive cooking. You can go about your business and get something else done.  Foil packet dinners are easy and provide for no cleanup.  They also allow each person to build their own and make their own combinations .

3) skillet meals don't have to come out of a box.  Pasta is easily cooked on a microwave pan.  My daughter got hers from big lots for five bucks.  It is  well worth the money.  Pasta becomes a passive cooking venue.

4) making meats ahead and doing prep work ahead of time saves a lot of work at dinner time and makes the dinner  hour less hectic.  The grocery chains rotate their meat specials weekly.  Take advantage of it and buy the special in bulk.  Buy enough to have a meal or two a week for a month.  When you get home, cook the meat and divide it into meal portions and bag and freeze it.  I would leave pork chops off the pork loin raw.

This maximizes your savings, minimizes your work at dinner time, and affords you a variety of meals.

I can still get
Pork loin for 2.00 a pound
Good ground beef under 3.00 per pound
Pork sausage for 2.30 a pound (Costco)
Chicken whole or grill packs for a dollar a pound.
Beef roast for 3.00 per pound or less.

If beef roasts ( chuck) are under three dollars and cheaper than good burger, I grind my own, or ,, rather my husband grinds it  for us.

I have a matrix ( outline) for meal plans to afford us balance and variety. ours is based on my families wants.  Yours may be different.  A plan  makes meal planning easier.

2 beef
2 pork or chicken
2 vegetarian
1 fish or shellfish


I have written a lot of ideas in the past three days.  What you do with them and how much of them make sense to you is your call.  The more you do, the more you will save.  It's up to you.  I am not going to tell you that food will magically appear on your dining table. It takes work.  Spending a little time prepping for your shopping trip and shopping and less time in the kitchen can be very rewarding in your pocket book. If you have a lot of time to cook, go for it.  Everyone loves a gourmet meal !  It's just not always practical with our schedules!

Thanks for stopping by

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Jane

The basics , part,2, shopping

Part of shopping , the planning stage, was covered yesterday.  I do this blog every month for a refresher or for new readers.  I do it off the top of my head, please feel free to read older blogs.

To recap, I analyze the ads.  Pick the two best stores of the chain stores.  Go with my list, get in, and get out.  The more time in a store, the more money you will spend.  The more people you take with you,the more you will spend.  Try not to take small children with you.  They are a distraction and shopping is business when you are doing it on the cheap.  You have to have a clear head to stick to a small budget.  LOL

Retailers have spent considerable time and money studying the average shoppers shopping habits.  They take advantage of all of our instincts.  There is a whole  blog on that issue.  Beat them at their own game.  70 percent of all things purchased are impulse buys.  Don't fall into the trap!!!!
Don't pick up anything you don't intend on buying.

All chain stores have food, there are a lot of alternative stores that have food too.
Warehouse stores like Costco and SAMs club have stable prices, somewhat.  Some things are cheaper, some are not.  Overstock stores have limited merchandise, but some of what they have is lots cheaper.  We have  big lots and grocery outlet. Always check pull dates, and know your prices.
Grocery outlet has regular coffee often and a wide assortment of cheeses! some cheaper! some not.
Big lots has a variety of things.  Kinda like Costco, here today, gone Tomorrow.  

Again, know your prices.

The dollar store has some food.  Like any other store, some prices are better, some are not.  Lately I have been finding recipe starter  2/1.00.  With a dollar coupon, it was free. Without a coupon it was

2.09 cheaper than SAFEWAYS and cheaper than making sauce from scratch.

Soap, deodorant and toothpaste can be had with a coupon for free.  This is  huge for people on snap that don't have help buying personal necessities.  There are coupon people that get TP for free too.  I have yet to find the illusive toilet paper coupons!   The best I can do is Costco.  LOL. Frozen veggies and French fries are a bargain unless you get a good sale.  Pepperoni is a buck and sometimes there are coupons that make it .50.

The bakery outlet is cheaper on bread.  Sometimes you can get bread on sale at the chain stores as cheap.  Remember, the chain stores aren't in the business of running a bakery or cannery.  They buy their products from the name brands that put the stores label on them.  my sister worked for a distributed.  She used to be able to bring vegetables home that were double wrapped with two different brands wrapping.  ( they used to come in waxed boxes.  )

Remember, the more specialized the store, the fancier the store, the higher the prices.  If you are on a really tight budget, it is not realistic to expect to buy specialty foods.  That doesn't mean that you can't buy healthy foods, defat your ground meats, or grind them yourself, and watch your fat, salt, and sugar intake.  It is especially important for the children.  Too much of our food has salt and sugar hiding in it.

All this takes time.  Once you are set up. You will probably spend no longer than you do now. Especially of you hot the neighbourhood store several times a week because you forgot so,etching, or just want something different for dinner.    Spend more time on the front end of the meal on the table train, and less on the back and you will be better off.  There are ways to cut clean up time and non-passive cooking time to save time .

That's about all I can remember.

Thanks for stopping by

Please share

Jane

Finally, the ads

The ads.

SAFEWAYS

Whole pork loin 1.99
Milk 1.89@
Tillamook cheese 3.99@@

Just for u
Sausage 2 lbs 2.99
Tuna 1.25

5 buck Friday
Grapes 3/5


ALBERTSONS

YOPLAIT .39$$
Dave's bread 3.99@@

QFC
Top round, London broil BOGO nets 3.25
Black and raspberries BOGO nets 2.00
18 count eggs 1.99
Dreyers ice cream 2.99
Nally chili 1.00

Top

15/10
Diced tomatoes
Soups
Veggies

10/10
Olives
Cranberry sauce

Tuna .88
Chili 1.00

That's about all. I am seeing a big jump in prices.  Just because they say something is featured, doesn't mean that it is really on sale.  you need to know your prices.  .67 for beans is good.  I do note that they are store brand now, they used to be a national brand for that price and there used to be beans included.  I did  get beans from FM for fifty cents this summer.  The pork loin is good.  That's a lot of pork loin, perhaps you can share it with a friend or family member unless you are having a crowd for dinner.  ...freeze it for thanksgiving!?    Freeze 1/2!of ot for thanksgiving!?

Be sure to check the coupon connections if you are in the Seattle area.  Many regions have match up sites.Google  for the one on your area.

Thanks for stopping by

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Jane ,

No ads , the basics, part one

Again, there were no ads yesterday.m there were no holidays, so I don't know what the problem was this time.

It's the first of the month again... Almost ... So I think well talk about the basics.

Groceries on the cheap was started because it came to my attention that people on snap weren't making it through the month on their allotments and needed help.  I knew how to make that happen.  I realize no everyone needs or wants to economize, but I also have found that people read the blog for new recipes or to find new ways to get out of the kitchen faster.  Hey, and everybody can use a little jingle  in their pocket ever now and then.  We just paid the property taxes.  My guess is that others have too.

Groceries on the cheap takes a three disciplined   approach to shopping and getting food on the table.
1) planning and organizing
2) smart shopping
3) cooking from scratch ( fast and efficient)

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING

1) the first exercise is probably one you have done already.  Identify the economical sources of protein that your family will eat.  Now, identify seven to fourteen dinners that call for these ingredients.
2) now identify the things that you need on a regular basis to make these dishes.  No boxes here.  Were talking scratch cooking.

In our house, that would be beans, refried beans, canned diced tomatoes, cheese, some canned veggies, instant mashed potatoes,tuna.

3) start a price book, or spread sheet that tracks the prices of the few items that you use on a regular basis.  In most homes, that is ten or so items.

Name the product and the size of the package.
Date, where bought, price. Coupon??   Net.

Ie
Pasta, 16 ounces
3/12./13.       SAFEWAYS.     .38. Coupon

4) when the item is the lowest price you have seen ( rock bottom price) RBP, buy
A) as many as you can afford
B) as many as the store will let you buy ( limit)
Or C) as many as you need to fill in your supply.
Whichever comes first

If I use something once a week, I keep 24.; if I use something once a month,mi keep 6.  Things like catsup and mayo, I keep one ahead.  When I open my backup, I start looking for a sale.

This is a six months supply.  I keep six instead of three months because we don't know how long we will be able to work, and need a cushion to keep us long enough to adjust to a 25 percent cut in income.  Stores operate on a 8-12 week cycle for sales.  3 months should be enough, but a little extra safety net would be nice.

You don't  want to be caught with that dreaded F word....Full price, or what my mother used to call top dollar.  I want to pay 1/2.  That is doable with some planning.  I only buy at RBP .  I stock.  I don't hoard, I stock.  I don't buy 93 bottles of hot sauce because they are on sale.  I buy what I know we will use and enough so we don't have to pay full price.  By doing so, we eat well on an average of 65.00 a week for three adults.  That is less half the USDA stats for the thrifty plan for our family.  Now, my daughter does buy her own lunches, and we do go out once a week.  But, still, we are well under the stats.

Keeping a stock means that you are prepared for an emergency, be it you are too sick to go to the store, that ugly S (now) word in this part of the country, or any other thing that may crop up.  There is a certain sense of security knowing you van feed your family,no matter what!  It kind of like when our great grandmothers put food up for the winter on the farm.  It's not much different concept than the people that play the stock market, you want to buy low and sell high.  You buy when food is at it's lowest, and eat when it is at it's highest.

When the sale ads come out, divide a piece of computer paper in sections.  ( ours is four ) put the name of a grocery store on the top of each section.  Now, write down the good buys for
A)  a protein that is RBP .  Usually the stores will rotate a meat on what they call a loss leader.  They want you to come into the store and buy all the rest of your groceries at high prices.  Beat them at their own game.  I only buy what is  on sale, and the few things that I have to have.
B) perishables, fruit, and veggies in season, dairy and bread.
C) what is on your stock list that is RBP.


If you buy a meat in bulk quantity , enough to cover yourself for four meals, and batch cook it, portion control for your meals, label and freeze it, you are getting RBP and saving money, no waste.
Rotate the four weeks of the month.  You have variety at the lowest price you can get.

Now cross off anything that is a higher price than elsewhere.  Pick the TWO BEST STORES.  Plan your trip to use the least gas.  If the stores aren't close together, plan the stops near some other errand.  The kids school, the gym, the doctors, grandmas house,whatever!

Now check the coupon matching web site on your area.  In Seattle it is couponconnections.  You can google coupon matchups and your town, and get the one on your area.  They match the sales with coupons and tell you where the coupons are.  Many are on the Internet to print.  A few are in the Sunday paper.  I get the Sunday  paper at the dollar store.  I have a friend that saves the inserts for me too.

When you go to the store, take, your ads, your list, your coupon book,

Make meal plans after you get home from the store.  You can pencil in your ideas for 7 main dishes, but nothing is etched on concrete until you get home.  Too many times have I gotten to the store to find the meat is gone, in too huge of a package to be doable, or just looks like something I don't want to bring home.  One time, the apples were soft.  one time the pork roast was like 15 pounds and had already been frozen.

That's about it.

Thanks for stopping by

Please share, I am not advertising on my blog, I'm doing this solely to help people stretch their food dollars because they need or want to.  No child should live on top ramen and potato chips, and no child should wake up to no food on the house.  That is a terrible insecurity no child should bear!

Jane

Terrific Tuesday, recipe edition

I have come to the realization that any recipe you want can be found on the Internet. I knew that there was a recipe for grandmas apple cake somewhere.  I found it on the Internet.

I like easy quick recipes.  I am usually trying to balance a full plate, and fast and easy helps.

I especially like slow cooker recipes.  There is just something about coming home from work and having dinner waiting for you.  I must not be the only one, because Betty Crocker is full of slow cooker recipes even in the summer.

Pork shoulder roast was on sale last week.

Pork and sauerkraut

pork shoulder roast 3-4 pounds
Salt, pepper
Onion
1 apple, chopped
1 bottle beer
1 Tbls brown sugar
1 Tbls   vinegar

1 jar sauerkraut

1) salt and pepper roast.  Brown on all sides in heavy pan with olive oil .
2) place roast on cooker with remaining ingredients.

Cook on low 9.5 hours.

Remove roast from cooker.  Divide into meal sized portions, leaving one meal portion in cooker.  Add sauerkraut, drained.  Rinse if you prefer a more mellow sauerkraut.

Continue cooking on high for 30 minutes.

Cool saved roast.  Bag in freezer bags and label for pulled pork sandwiches.

Note: you can substitute apple juice for the beer.

Thanks for stopping by

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Jane

Monday Madness

It's Monday again,    Still our weekend.  I love retirement.  I don't miss that rat race at all. The money, not so much!  The days seem to run together.  I schedule chores to keep track of what day it is!   LOL

I haven't gone to rite aid yet, and need to use my up rewards.  Couponconnections is a valuable resource.  I am not finding a lot of bargains thos week.  The special toothbrush is about it.



Betty Crocker this time has a lot of slow cooker recipes, just in time for fall and busy families.  I love to put something in the crockpot and go about my business and have dinner ready when we are.  I batch cooked three pounds of sausage from Costco yesterday.  Surprisingly, there was little fat.  We had sausage quiche last night.  I  dovoded it into six portions. ( only two of us are meat eaters unless our son comes to dinner.  I usually add another protein to anything I cook with sausage anyway, so a little goes a long way.  Costco was cheaper than SAFEWAYS on sale.  It still was more than two dollars a pound, up from last year.  I used to get it for a buck in the 70's.


Sausage and bean soup
Sausage and eggs
Sausage quiche
Pizza
Meat sauce might be the exception.

It might be important to note that you are not going to eat sausage five nights a week.  I batch cook.  Cook once, eat several times.  It is much easier.  You clean up once, and putting dinner together is a snap when your meat is already cooked.  .  It takes the longest time to cook.

Buying the most inexpensive meat for the week and rotating so you are covered for a month is the cheapest  and most efficient way  of providing your meat.

I usually can find chicken , pork loin or roast, hamburger, and and fill in with sausage or roast beef whichever I can find.  Roast beef is getting out of reach.  To make it on a tight budget, you need to keep the meat or protein at a two- 3 dollar average.  Four people, one meal, five bucks.  I am basing this on a three hundred dollar budget for the proverbial family of two adults and two school aged children.  If your family is a different matrix,you need to adjust accordingly.  

If  you get yourself down to rock bottom prices, then you can interject a treat when momey permits.  It is easier to add more than it is to reduce your spending. Buying anything you want is easy, sticking to a budget takes some discipline and effort.  The effort is worth it if it means you have a pantry at the end of the month and you are on snap or of you can afford a few luxuries if you aren't.  In our case, it means we can go out to happy hour dinner once a week with friends and I can buy a book or other fun thing for my grandbaby.  We still eat well and healthy, but we can afford more than just eating on a fixed  income .  

That's about it.

Thanks for stopping by

Please share

Jane

The apple snack cake , not the right one!?!!!!!

Ok, the Internet did it again!   I found the snack cake
Not exactly the right one.  This turns out more like a bar that needs whip cream or ice cream on it.

In case anyone missed it, or so I can find it again.....LOL

3/4 cup oil
2 eggs
2 cups sugar

2-1\2 cups flour
1 tsp EACH OF
Baking soda
Baking powder
Salt
Cinnamon

3 cups chopped apples
Nuts of desired

1) grease 9X13 pan

Mix wet ingredients together.
mix dry ingredients together
Mix the wet with the dry
Fold in apples ( and nuts of desired)
Pour into prepared pan
Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until cake tests done.  ( toothpick in center comes out clean.  , )