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. 

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

1. Cream soup base 
2. Beans 
3. Rice 
4. Pizza crust 
5. Bread 
6. Rice mix 
7. Refried beans - not Fried 
8. Croutons 
9. Bread stuffing 
10. 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,   

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. 

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

1. 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.   
2. 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.   
3. 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.  
4. 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.   
5. Sausage with roasted root veggies.    Salad 
6. Chicken pot pie - chicken breasts I de-boned and froze .   Mixed veggies I got on sale for .85.   
7. 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

1. 2 cake and frosting mixes 
2. 1 package brown and serve rolls 
3. 2 packages Bisquits in a can 
4. 4 jars of spices 
5. 2 cans  tomato paste 
6. 1 cotton t shirt 
7. 1 plaid hair barrette 
8. 1 canvas storage crate 
9. 1 refrigerator bottle 

1. 
   

Fred Meyers TOMORROW - vegetable alert!

this is tomorrow's ad

Vine tomatoes .88
Gala apples - new crop .88
Peppers .88
Greek yogurts .69
English cucumbers .88
Peaches .99
Broccoli .99
Zucchini .99
Pears .99

La croix water , 8 count 199

Kroger ice cream 1.88@@
Frozen veggies  12 oz .77. That a little over a buck a pound

Barilla pasta 1.00




Heritage farm chicken is southern grown chicken


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. 

Suddenly Saturday : baked eggs recipe

I am drinking my third cup of coffee...got up early.   Watching a video of a couple and four kids that bought a real fixer upper for 24 thousand dollars and are gutting it.   Brought back memories.    We added another house on to our existing house about thirty years ago,   Took up 3.5 years while we lived on the basement and I cooked on a one burner hotplate and a microwave.   We did the work pretty much ourselves, only hiring the sheik and basic plumbing and the electrical box.   We still maintained a frugal grocery bill.    We didn't cook much real scratch food, obviously without an oven some of that wasn't possible.   Just maintaining some degree of normal while we spent every bit of extra time we had putting in sinks, dry walling, stringing electrical wire Etc.   now , we are due for some remodeling.    Not up to it.    We doc replace the floor in the bathroom a week or two ago.  

I digress.  

I am baking eggs this morning,   We are still working on the .79 eggs I got a few weeks ago,    Last night we had eggs and sausage patties that were two dollars a pound with sale and coupon.

Baking eggs.   By far , the easiest way to make a hard cooked egg.    I love recipes that take very little non passive cooking.   It goes me more productivity and less work.  Spend more time planning and shopping, amd less time cooking and you will save more money .  With efficient cooking, you can still eat scratch and healthy.  


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place eggs , one each in muffin pan cups.
Place pan in preheated oven and bake 30 minutes
Immediately place eggs in a ice bath.   Let sit for 10 minutes.
Refrigerate .   Eggs peel really easy.


I tried to do a quick haul at Safeways to use the five dollars off of twenty five coupon.    I calculated 25.05 and added zip lock bags and a coupon.  It didn't come to 25.00.   They didn't post the correct sale amount on the meat and I didn't carch it.

I don't know if I'll try again or not. I've already spent forty dollars this week.   Probably not.   We don't need a lot and the pantry and freezers are full.  

Back later with the Fred Meyer ad for tomorrow.  





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. 

Friday Post

Safeways has a big sale on,  they also have a five dollar off of twenty five on just 4 you basket coupon.  

That's twenty percent of you keep your bill down to twenty five dollars.    I went today, but had to split my order to get 12 tuna cans for the backpack project.    I still have the coupon and usually don't find it hard to spend twenty five dollars in a grocery store.

With that sneered, let's get the most bang for our buck.

First B5 S5

Mostly junk foods, but there are some sleepers.

1. Herez salsa. , 16 ounces 1.99. Less,.55 coupon  nets 1.44 -- buy 2
2. Ortega taco shells .99
3. Sargento sliced cheese 1.99 less .55 coupon nets 1.44
4. Coffee 6.99 - retail 10.99
5. 7 percent ground beef 3.99 - three pounds.

That should do it.    Use a calculater and fill in with something small.   Check the oricemofm8 ounce cans of tomato,sauce.    

Just an example. , but it,shows,how,it,can be done. 

10 things that will lower your food bill

Ten things you can do to lower your cost of food at home.    

1. Know the RBP of things you buy on a regular basis.  Set dollar limited on things.    Unless you really have to have something that is a higher price. don't buy it at the high price.   
2. Check the ads when they come on the mail .  Check all the stores for bargains,   Decide  which two chain stores have the best buys.   Some stores here have no ads, but prices can be found for some stores at favado.    ( am ap for your electronic devices) 
3. Avoid junk food and ready mades like the plague.    Empty calories can jack your food budget up fast and not give your family good nutrition.  Learn to cook scrarch, one thing at a time.  Find the easiest recipes as possible.  
4. Buy fresh produce in season and look for the best quality for your money.   
5. Don't experiment.   Buy things most of your family will eat.   Remember; no food will do you any good if you feed it to the garbage disposal.    That isn't to say you need to eat pizza and chicken nuggets everyday!   LOL.  
6. Take advantage of every coupon you find that is for things you buy on a regular basis.  Store basket coupons are best used when you stick to the limit.  In other words, if ts five dollars off of twenty five, you spend twenty five.  That way, you are getting 20 percent off everything you buy.   Add that to regular manufacturers coupons, and you can extreme coupon.   Extreme couponing is not about buying 60 bottles of,hot sauce you'll never use on your lifetime.  
7. When you find something at a RBP that you use a lot of on a regular basis, buy as many as you can (store limits ), as many as you can afford, or as many as you will use before it goes on sale again or you need to fill in your self imposed limit of stock - whichever comes first.    His isn't about filling a pantry as much as it is having enough product that you can make a meal out of in an emergency  for the least possible cost.  The operative word is a manageable amount so it gets used up before epiration dates.   
8. Some things are best bought in bulk.  We eat a lot of rice.  Rice doesn't go bad.  I can safely buy a 25 pound bag of rice and put it on glass jars.    Now, beans in bulk won't work for us.   I stock to five  pounds at a time.   
9. Meal plan.   Just meal plan.....it saves a ton of money amd stress.    
10. Buy your protein on a rotation basis.    Buy enough to feed your family for a months worth of those meals.  In other words, if you eat ground beef once a week, you will buy four meals worth of ground beef.   When you get it home or shortly afterwards, cook it if appropriate and portion control it for meals.   I usually either make meatballs or defat crumbles.   Ot makes cooking a snap and takes up less room in the freezer.    If it's pork roast, I cut cubes from the end that isn't flat, cut a roast, and cut some pork chops and freeze.    Chicken is either bought as breast with ribs and I de-bone it and make stock from the bones.   Then I bag the breast on quart bags, amd the quart bags in a gallon bag, or I cook a whole chicken and separate it onto the breast, dark meat and bones for soup.   

Hope this helps.    

Chicken enchiladas, take along

I made chicken enchiladas this morning for tonight's dinner.   I used a Betty Crocker recipe that was on line.   I make dinner early on the day, or at least prep so,e of it.   The last thing my old body wants to do at six o'clock at night is to prep a scratch dinner for an hour.   LOL.  

Cost of recipe:  note small amounts of staples like flour and slices are not cost out.   If its one noes worth, it's not worth my time.    Chicken broth is  low sodium chicken granules. ( Winco) .  I used two tsp.  

1) cook chicken broth and flour , and spices on the stove on med heat until slightly thickened.   Add Greek yogurt ( I added sour cream) .  ( .33)

2) Filling

• Can of corn .50
• Can of black beans .50
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese .47
• Green chillies .58 
• Chicken breast, cooked and shredded 1.00
• Total 3.05  - made a double batch - recipe total 1.53 Q

3) assemble filling corn tortillas ( 1/3 package .33) and place on 9X13 greased pan
4) top with sauce and cheese ( .47)

Total 2.66😊
 I can't download pics because Google changed the format and I will need to learn a new trick, I guess!

Things to buy when you see broke

my version of things to buy when you are broke.   Imagine having twenty dollars and need to feed your family, .....

1. Oatmeal 
2. Eggs 
3. Rice 
4. Beans 
5. Milk 
6. Bananas 
7. Top ramen 
8. Diced tomatoes 
9. bulk pasta 
10. Parmesean cheese 
11. Flour, yeast in bulk isle 
12. Pepperoni at the dollar store

1. 
   

When is it a bargain? The ads

we got the ads today.    I a, not going to tell you that you need to rush down someplace here and find the bargains.   Winco and Fred Meyers have the best.    

Eggs at Winco are .98
Frozen vegetables are .88 a pounds. I found mixed, broccoli and green beans

I didn't 't do a full shopping experience, I was there to pick up a few things,    

QFC

Top sirloin 5.77

Chicken breast BOGO.  Nets 4.00 a pound.   Note: split breasts are often around a dollar at Fred Fred Meyers.   It takes almost no time to De-bone them and the difference in cost is about three dollars a pound vs the sale price.  

Grapes 1.28

Milk .99
Oranges .99
Roma's .99


Electronic coupons,  

Hefty bags .99
Kraft singles 1.99


Alberways
Buy 5, save 5

Jiffy peanut butter 1.99
Herdez  salsa 1.99$$
Ortega taco shells .99
Red Barron 2.99

1/2 pork loin 1.79
Grapes 1.28
Bumble bee tuna .59 ***backpack alert ! Limit 6

Friday only N
Freschetta pizza 5.00


7 percent hamburger 3.99
Ragu 2/3$$

Nalleys chilli .99@@
Greek yogurt @@



About it,    



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. 

Surprise! Not all advertised bargains are bargains!

Surprise.    My granddaughter and I were enjoying a blue bunny ice cream cone.    It's a great treat and they are lift ion controlled so we so to have too much.   Granddaughters was full sized , mine was a mini -- like 1/2 the size.    Calling customer service today.    Usually of you call, they learn ot Halle Ed and can make adjustments to the manufacturing line to correct the problem, amd you usually get coupons for free product,    It pays to complain.     But, complain nicely.  

I got my just 4 you feed today from Safeways.  Besides the five dollar off of twentyfold coupon that may or may may not be a bargain, the rest of it was ornery much a joke,  

You can't believe everything that you see as being a bargain,  

Sour cream 24 ounces 1.99.   I got sour cream for .88 at Fred Meyers this week.  Granted, it is or a key 16 ounces, but still, that's. It a bargain at 1.99

The inferior brand of brownie mix is 1.61.   I almost never pay more than a dollar and sometimes .88 for Betty Crocker or Pillsbury.   I did pay  1.60 for Giravaldi chocolate at Costco.   Yum!  

BBQ sauce, Rays, I paid .55 or .58 for with sake and coupon is on sale for 2.88

The kicker,,.,,,,refried beans,    They were on sale for 80 at Safeways a few weeks back.   I can buy one variety for .78 at Costco, and .88 all the time at Winco.    They are on sale coupon for .....wait for. It...1.13.  

It goes back to a main principle.......

My mother used to say that some people would t know a bargain of it got up and bit  them in the butt.    
Don't  be that person.     KNOW YOUR PRICES. .......

You don't have to know every price in the store, just the things you buy on a regular basis.   That usually is 15-20 things,    Some things I just know I don't buy unless they are under a dollar.    I have target prices ....nothing to do with the red ball store.  ......

It's a good rule of thumb .  My vegetable target used to be .39.   Then .69.  Now it's a buck.    But, of course, the COL hasn't risen according to the government,     LOL on that one.  

I digress.     I want fruits and veggies for a buck,    Green chillies , canned fruit, cake mix, pasta -- all under a dollar.  

Meat's target price is two dollars.   Granted, ground beef is more like almost four, but I can average and ise chicken, eggs, beans and pork for one and two dollars to average.  

Target prices mean you don't have to remember so many numbers.    

Knowing your prices saves a lot of money.    By saving money on the staple items, you can buy a variety of things so children get the benefit of tasting new things and you aren't eating rice and beans every night.  

The last calculations I did, we were eating for three dollars a day.  That is is less than a lot of people spend on their morning coffee at the big bucks store.    I have spent a lot more this quarter because we replenish the freezer after the big thaw.   But, we don't need any protein for quite some time so it will
Average out.  

We eat well.   We eat balanced and we eat the best quality I can find for the money.    We just don't ever , pretty much, pay full price for our food.   We find the best price available.    It takes some time, I make the time up by cooking efficiently.    Time is money, make your money count.  

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. 

Terrific Tuesday

Yesterday. We took a tip to Costco wholesale and stopped at dollar tree along the way.    I needed a basket for the wash rags.  We don't have a linen closet in our bathroom and wash rags on a shelf can get out of hand.   I also picked up two pint jars for dried fruit, and  some beans.    I am trying to stock some canned beans for emergencies and when I can't cook scratch, and some dry beans.    I also got some fly paper strips - fruit fly season is upon us,  and a brush  and dustpan.   Soap so cheaper at the dollar store - major brands.

At Costco, we needed baguettes , soap, toilet paper and I got new steak knives because, ours were shot.    One snapped when my  husband was cutting his meat.

I read an article about why you should never shop at the dollar store or Walmart.   Most of it was pure propaganda.   -- but here is my answer to that !

I don't shop at Walmart.  
1) they pay their people the least they can get away with no benefits to most of them.  
2) they are anti Union, but, they have higher prices and pay their people less wages and benefits than Costco that isn't anti - Union.     That tells me that someone is making a lot of money on the backs of their workers and the taxpayers.    It has been estimated that for every worker at Walmart, it costs the taxpayer six  thousand dollars a year for welfare that the workers need to supplement their income to exist.

3) Their prices aren't the lowest.   They expect you to do their homework and argue to price match things to get a lower price.    That slows down the checkout lines and is a bunch of bother.

4) Their  merchandise is as much from China as any other store.  

5) I ordered a present one Christmas on line to be picked up at the store.    They e mailed me that the product was back ordered and I could cancel the order by replying to the email.  I cancelled the order, not knowing if I could get the merchandise before Christmas.   They sent it anyway.   But, the kicker was that when I returned the merchandise to the store, they charged me 8.00 shipping, and refused to refund the shipping charges.   I bought it elsewhere, paid nothing  for shipping and got a cheaper
price.

Now, the dollar store

1) the stores are independently owned , so you are buying from local people.

2) there is no more Chinese merchandise than any other store.

3) think if it as the modern dime store.  A lot of things are as good a quality as anywhere else, they are just cheaper.    It is true that they have a lot of party supplies and seasonal decor.    No one is twisting your arm to buy them.

4) they have a whole isle of junk food, no one is twisting your arm to buy that either,   Ditto the children's cheap plastic toys.   They also have very good children's work books.  And six pair of sox for a buck.    If you have a child that looses their sox, six  pair of the same color is a good thing.

5) some food is cheaper than any other place.  You pick and choose and read labels , but good and
bad buys can be found.    There are overstocks and some major American brands that are cheaper.

Beans are cheaper in some instances.   1.5 pounds of pinto beans are a buck.  They are .69 in bulk at Winco,    Pizza sauce is cheaper.  Name brand mandarin oranges - del monte, Betty Crocker food and kitchen implements.   A baby spatula that gets the bits of a narrow jar.  

Like anyplace, let the buyer beware, their linens are crap.   I did get plastic trays from them that have been more than worth their weight.   I have carried things down to the freezer and to the deck, used
Zthem to serve our food on the deck -- putting each persons place etc on a tray.   I have placed ingredients on one, and then took them off as I used them.  It's a good way not to forget what you have used  if you are interrupted.  I use them constantly.

The organizational tools are marvelous as well as paper products.  Tablets, etc.  

They accept coupons that make some things even cheaper.   Wet and wild makeup, Hormel pepperoni, puffs and bounty paper products.  Uncle beans rice.
 
A lot of products are not cheaper because the quanity  is low.  I can see where hat might be useful of you are stocking a new apartment, or a travel trailer or boat and don't have room.  When you are living in 200 square feet, you can't have 25 pounds of rice!  LOL.

If you haven't gathered, I love the dollar store for certain things.  I keep a package of toilet paper on the very back of the toilet paper shelf.   That way, of we hit the back up tissue, we know we haven't estimated right, and  we need a Costco haul. You never want to run out of toilet paper!    LOL.
Ours is stored on a bottom shelf in the main bathroom linen closet.   It's my granddaughters job to restock the shelf .  She loves it, and  I don't have to bend down.

I don't like walmarts business  practices.   There are some people that would cheat you out of a dime, and have  no conscious.   Kinda like a candidate we are aware of.   That behavior is despicable in my opinion. -- just my opinion!  

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. 

Monday madness

Spot clean the house after the weekend and butcher the pork roasts that I got for 1.48 a pound at Winco.    Pork chops were on the menu plan and 1.48 more than fits the two dollar a pound target amount for meat.  I did more than my one rotation protein lately, so I'm free for a few weeks.   I bought hamburger and sausage last week and  white fish, shrimp and pork yesterday.   Winco has good prices on frozen fish.  

 Yesterday we went to Fred Meyers and Winco with my daughter.    I replenished our sour cream and cottage cheese at .88 and added a few veggies.   The radishes were remarkable!    I might have to redirect the food plan to incorporate some roasts root veggies and the green beans my neighbour gave us.    Plan, but be flexible.

The last time I roasted vegetables, we had radishes, cauliflower, potatoes and carrots.    My hubby turned his nose  up at everything  but the potatoes and carrots,....all the more good stuff for the rest  of us!     LOL.

QFC has free downloads every Friday.    Sometimes I don't bother because times something I'll never use.  I try to avoid anything that is empty calories.    In other words, if it has no food value, I don't usually buy it.   Groceries on the cheap is all about getting the most bang for your buck.  
When you have a limited amount of money for food, you can't afford to waste it on frills.     Not to mention that junk food is not good for us.    My mothers answer to not having kool-aid, and pop and potato chips was that dad thought it was bad for you,   He said, if cola can take the rust off a screw, what is it doing to your insides.    Stick to the basics.    Don't  over eat .  Drink water.    You will find that you could even loose weight.  

You eat first with your eyes.   Make things look tasty.  We use a lot of parm and parsley.    My granddaughter has become an expert at making French bread,    We butter it, sprinkle oars key and a hard cheese ( usually parm, but sometimes any hard cheese that is the cheapest.  ) Costco has one that I don't know the name of that is 12.oo for huge wedge.  I usually just pre grate some of it on the micro plane.   Sometimes a tool is a good investment because the return on your money is remarkable.   A micro plane grates cheese so fine that it's a good cheese stretcher.  

The second real money stretcher is to not waste food.  Keeping on top of what's in the fridge and adapting meals to use it up is one way,   Revamping your recipes to make less quantity  is another.   My daughter has decided to be vegan.   She used to eat a lot of anything vegetarian that used cheese.   I have taken to weighing my pasta to use smaller portions and making an 8 inch square pan  of pasta  dishes instead of a 9X13 pan.    There is enough after three of us eat for a lunch.  

Groceries on the cheap has nothing to do with poor quality food; it's more about getting the most bang for your buck.  Buy the best quality for the least amount of money.   I just picked up a black long skirt marked thirty dollars, for ten dollars.    A black skirt can be a good investment because it will take you anywhere.    Dress it up or dress it down.    Buying basic food is the same.

When something is a really good price. Buy as much as you can use before it goes bad.    Incorporate it into your food plan.    Eggs were .79 a dozen,   So much better than the two dollars we were paying in the winter.  I bought the limit.    We will have breakfast for dinner every week.    I have been eating a hard boiled egg for breakfast. It has no carbs and  makes my blood sugar hit slower.  It fills you up and sustains you until lunch.  


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. 

Pizza

I have been watching some big families blogs lately.    They are real eye openers.    It's not hard to understand that with six children, one mother can't earn all or part ofmamliving and still cook, clean, and keep a yard up.    Everyone needs to pitch in.    The thing that surprised me was that children as small as two years old could do their part.  Storing, peeling carrots . Safety first, etc.  

I started letting our granddaughter help with cooking.  She loves it and takes great pride on everything she does.    Now, I'm not condoning children working with hot stoves etc, but some things they can wash their hands thorally and help.    Tonight, we are having pizza.    I made crust from scratch amd rolled it out.   I defrosted the pizza sauce and granddaughter spread it with a pastry brush.   Then she sori joes the cheese and arranged the pepperoni.    Gramps took over from there.  

I knew just where she was while I cooked dinner and she got much pleasure from a job well done.  

She stirs, helps count cups and pours cups into bowls.   She's figuring out that food doesn't come from a box or the take out!    

I am trying pizza dough recipes until one works well for me.   Imhadmcoupoms thick crust recipe years ago.   We want thin crust now,so  we are trying new recipes.  

After I tackle pizza dough, I will start on baguettes without using the bread machine or cold rise method,    Then, tortillas.   I don't have the right kind of a pan for those.    It'll be down the road a while.   I just bought a pressure cooker.    I can get tortillas for as cheap as a quarter with coupons,  



 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. 

Meal plans for week of 8/8 - 8/14

Taking you along for the ride...I have taken an informal inventory of the fridge and pantry.   We are well stocked of pepperoni ( .50 at the dollar tree with coupons,) amd eggs ( .79 at Safeways) .  That tells me we are having breakfast for dinner and pizza once a week for a few weeks.   I will switch to a theme based meal plan for a while .  

1. Breakfast 4 dinner 
2. Pizza
3. Tex-mex 
4. Soup and bread 
5. Casserole or meat and starch.  ( meat  balls over noodles etc) 
6. Sunday dinner 
7. Pasta 

Meal plans matrix can be protein based, theme based, rotation based, or freezer meals.   

The first step in meal plans is to shop the specials and take inventory of what is in your stash ( another word for pantry and fridge and freezer.  ) LOL Paying attention to what needs to be eaten soon.    

Last night we were going to have pasta primavera.    Our neighbour generously gave us a basket of veggies.    The squash needed to be eaten.     We had a stir fry instead because we also had leftover  rice and a lot of veggies.   I had shrimp in the freezer.    Plan. But be flexible.    

• Pepperoni pizza ( make dough early in the morning and refrigerate.   
• Scrambled eggs. Bacon, muffins ( made with Greek yogurt) or yogurt cups 
• Chicken bow tie pasta dish 
• Pork chops with Apple- craisens dressing. , salad 
• Tomato , basil, Gorgonzola soup, cheezy biscuits.   
• Chicken enchiladas. Rice and beans 
• Meatball subs, salad 

I have to say that this matrix is harder to follow than the protein based one.  I will share my meal plan work sheet as soon as I can figure out how.   I am still learning the tech thing.   

Work plan: 

1) make pizza crust early in the morning and out in fridge.   

2) make muffins 

3) cook chicken breast from frozen in the pressure cooker.   This will work for the vow toe pasta and the chicken enchiladas.   

4) thaw pork chops and make bread cubes .   

5) make cheezy biscuits 

6) make rice and cook beans in pressure cooker.    

7) make green salad, croutons, and buy rolls if I can't find baguettes.    

I still have to tackle making baguettes from scratch.   I make bread in the bread baker, or I make cold start , no knead bread.   Granddaughter and I made bag bread that was on the Internet. It didn't turn out so well.   How many ways can you say hockey puck!    

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. 

Fred Meyers - EARLY

tomorrow's ad

Milk 10/10

Cantaloupe 2/3

Country oven bread 3/4@@

Sour cream .88

Broccoli .99

Cucumbers 2/1

Radishes 2/.99

Green peppers .79

Grapes 1.69

Raspberries 2/5

Strawberries 2/4

Roma tomatoes .99

Romaine .99

Blackberries 2/5



Ground turkey 2.99.   Foster farms

Split chicken breasts 1.29


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. 

Now that you have it......

Now that you have it...what to do with it.    

One concept of groceries on the cheap is to do a rotation of protein.    Most of the time, you can find a so called loss leader meat in the grocery ads.   Buying in bulk and buying enough to feed your family a months worth those meals saves time and money.    In other words, if you eat ground beef once a week, you will buy enough for four meals.  

What to do with .....

Ground beef : meatballs cooked on the oven.    Pinterest has a good recipe, or use your own.  Make your mix up, I use a portion scoop to form the balls and place them on a rack that is placed on a sheet pan.   The broiler pan works too.   The object is to drain the fat.   Place portion controlled ,eat balls on individual bags , label and freeze.   A regular fridge freezer can hold a months worth of meals.  

Baby meat loafs.   I usually do is the day I bring the meat home.  Small meat loafs cook faster and can be cooked on the microwave if it's hot outside or you are in a hurry.  

Hamburger crumbles : fry the meat in a large pan, break it up ( a pasta to masher works) and drain and defat it.   To defat, drain the meat into a colander,   using a catch bowl of you don't want the grease to go down the drain.  Pour boiling water over the filled colander and let drain.    Place in meal sized cartons or bags for the freezer.   Flat bags store well and take kess room.   Use for sloppy joes , or on red sauce.  
Taco meat:   Same as hambirger crumbles except return to the pan after defat ting and add taco seasoning.  Taco seasoning recipe is in another blog.   Add some water.  


PORK LOIN
Pork loin can be as low as 1.69 a pound.    I try for a half loin.    Cut 1/2 inch pork  chops off one end after you square up the end.  Save the end pieces that aren't as thick for pork cubes.   Leave a two pound or so section for roast.   Portion control the pork chops and cubes and freeze,   Cook the roast and slice the leftovers thin for BBQ pork sandwiches.  
That makes :
1)   pork stew or pie from the cubes or meat over rice or mashed potatoes.  
2) pork roast and sliced thin pieces for BBQ pork Sandwiches.
3) pork chops

Whole chicken :
Roast the chicken in the oven or pit in the slow cooker.  

1) to roast a chicken fast: clean the cavity, stuff it with anything you have hanging around the kitchen  : an onion, a lemon, a apple, a orange.....place chicken on a rack on a roasting pan , and massage it with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and rosemary if you have it.    Bake at 375 until it's temperature is 170-180.  

2) to cook in slow cooker: clean the cavity, place a roughly cut onion in the bottom of your slow cooker, put the chicken on top, give it a spice rub, amd cook it on high a hour a pound.   Check three quarters of the way through.  

This makes : two dinners of chicken breast , a dinner of dark meat, and soup stock.  

SPLIT CHICKEN BREAST : Fred Meyers has them often for under a buck a pound.
Debone the chicken, saving the bones and meat attached onto a stock pot.    Portion control the breasts.   I put  each breast into a quart bag and put the quart bags into a gallon bag.  This makes it easier to find in the freezer and keeps it from getting freezer burn.  

Every cookbook or Betty Crocker in line cookbook has a host of chicken breast recipes.    Essentially you are getting boneless, skinless chicken breast for a buck instead of six bucks and have the added bonus of chicken soup and chicken pieces for a casserole or tacos.  

Other weeks, when one of the above are on sale :

1. Pepperoni is at the dollar store and dollar coupons are almost always at coupons,com  makes the packages .50 if you buy two.   
2. Cheese is around two dollars a pound at Costco.   Sometimes cheap at grocery outlet.   I got it cheap at Safeways this week.   Watch your price per pound.  Small packages are deceiving.    
3. Beans are cheap at the dollar tree and at Winco in bulk.    
4. Fish in frozen individually wrapped portions is cheap at Winco.    

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. 

Extremes shopping some treats

We went to Safeways and QFC for next weeks groceries.  Finally, there are some bargains at those stores.  

QFC - we spent 25.67 and saved 23.34. For a savings of 47 percent.   

1.  splurge of real maple syrup 
2. Splurge -a blueberry pie 
3. Free cookies 
4. Sausage , was supposed to be free, I have to investigate.   
5. Blue bunny bars , 100 off for five and 1.00 coupon,  
6. Sausage rolls 2.99 less coupons 

Safeways 

Week end only 

Spent 11.99 saved 12.44 or 51 percent 

6- pastas, blue box, veggie and bow ties.    

10 yoplait in sale for .40 less 2-1 dollar coupons.    .20 each and they had chocolare!   Does it get any better than that?    

Strawberries 2.99

Potato salad 2.00

Almost 50 percent over all and  I picked up expensive syrup, a pie , and potato,salad for lunch. 

I am still under budget and we are well stocked.   We will be having breakfast 4 dinner and pizza once a week for several weeks going Forward.   

Freaky Friday

We are down to pasta primavera , breakfast 4 dinner, and fish on our meal plans,  we ornery much followed  them exactly this week.   I do think we will adapt a little because our neighbour generously shared green beans with us.   So fish and chips might become fish packets.    Seems like a no dish Friday to me.  We got a notice of free food at QFC.    Cookies and sausage!  Yum!

Pinterest of full of new recipes and ideas.   Reader beware, there are some things that might look like scams, but plenty of inspiration there.   Sometimes that's all one need to combat their lazy butt even if we have good excuses-- the dog ate the vacuum.  LOL.

I have several u-tubers that I watch.   They give me motivation to try new things and organize the house better.   There are days when I just need a push to keep on Going.   You wonder if life is worth the fight!    Whatever works.

She's on her apron is a young mother of four that does grocery hauls ( not inexpensive  ones ) , organizational ones, and motivational ones.   She fights anxiety, and shows you can function well coping,    She u- tubes  and sells cleaning products as well as taking care if a household of six with children in school and church activities.  

The Kneady homesteader is a gal with I think 4 children  and  two of them live with she and her husband.  She is making the switch from boxed foods to scratch and does Kroger and SAMs club hauls.

I made the cream soup base yesterday and made mac and cheese from scratch.   I made it early and put it in the fridge. I put  it in the oven when the family came home.   Good job, because all heck broke loose yesterday afternoon, I would not have had the stamina to set out and cook from scratch.  
Some dinner times are more hectic than others.    It pays  to be prepared.    We would have resorted to pizza or take out.   I digress. The Mac and cheese was drier than I would have liked.    Next time I would add sour cream or milk if I was making it ahead.   When made it, there was cheese sauce on top after I mixed cheese sauce in.   Sitting in the fridge must have dried it out some,   I covered it with a silicone lid.  

I also took the bread they didn't eat all of the other night and I made croutons.    That saved a bundle. I didn't  t throw away .60 worth of bread and I didn't buy croutons for upwards of two dollars.  
I out the remaining slices from the potluck Tuesday on top of the Mac and cheese before I added the topping that I made from bread crusts that were drying in the food processor.     It's the little things that add up.  They make for better dinners for little money.  

Cheap dinners dint have to be hamburger meal boxes.   In fact, the cheese sauce mix in those boxes is about the most expensive cheese on the store.    I would rather savor a piece of extra sharp white cheese or some good parm than a reconstituted cheese sauce made from the stiff my grandmother used to sell to the farmers to slop the hogs!    -- and I would have money to spare.    I would have to go back to look, but if my memory serves, it was about 13 dollars a pound.    

There are a few things, in my opinion, that aren't a bargain at any price: hamburger meal boxes and a certain brand of chicken .   Think nutrition for your money, and cleanliness.  

With some effort, a change of attitude, and thinking your our chases, you can eat well on a limited budget.  



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. 

Cream sauce mix.

Cream of xxx soup is expensive and has ingredients you can't pronounce. An easy alternative can be found on the Internet.

Soup base for small family.   This has to be kept cold, like on a fridge or freezer.   Since, I have a very small family, freezer, and fridge I cut the recipe down to a manageable size.   It had flour, milk and butter, basicly  a white Sauce.   

I have made a white sauce mix from taste of home before. It uses milk, a dried stock, and cornstarch. Some people do not like the idea of cornstarch.   This version, however is low in fat because of the dry milk, and low in sodium because you use low sodium stock.   Just add water.   !

It would be interesting to calculate how much fat is in a recipe ( equate lent to 1 can) vs the actual can.  I did the math.  The can has considerably less fat, but more preservatives.   Taste of home is less fat, but corn starch.  The fat version isn't much cheaper than getting the canned soup on sale at thanksgiving time.  I paid .39.   

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. 

Alberways .....

QFC has no ad this week, last week was a two week ad.  

Winco had some good buys yesterday, -- eggs and whole pork loin especially.  

Alberways

Buy  5 : save 5

Pills bury cake or brownie mix .89
Folders coffee 5.99
Frozen veggies .99


Milk 2.99@@
Hot dog, hamburger buns .88@@.   CK Winco first
Strawberries 2lbs 2.99 - today's looked really good
Yoplait 10/4
Mayonaise 2.88@@



Friday, Saturday Sunday specials

Tomatoes 1.00 lb
Rinaidi pasta sauce, Barilla pronto or reg pasta 5/5

I could not match coupons with any of Safeways  5/5 sale.  I did for QFC, that I believe is still running,    I did not save last weeks ad.  


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. 

Extreme couponing.....Alberways,

Armed with the just 4 U loaded on my card, we went to Safeways and dollar tree .
Safeways  spent 33.01

I used 5.00 off basket coupon , five dollars off of five savings. Their calculations were 44 percent savings.

I got
10 yoplait yogurt for 4.00. - reg price 6.00
Large salsa 4.79. Reg 4.99
Folders coffee - 5.99- reg 10.49
2 yellow cake mix 1.98 Reg 3.98
1 protein veggies 1.98. Reg 6.28
2 grated cheese -8 ounces 2.50 reg 5.58
1-2 percent milk 1.99 reg 2.99
Strawberries 2.99 retail 5.99
Total 46.30 retail
Total spent 26.22

Total 26.22 less 5.00 is 21.22 or 25.08 savings
Savings 54 percent.

Added treats

Donuts 5.00
Chicken nuggets 6.99 should have been 1.00 off on just 4 you




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. 

Kitchen management

When we were in school , home Ec was a required subject.   Now, I am hearing that it is not. There used to be an extension service where you could call and find out answers to food related questions.
Now, we have the Internet.  

There is a whole generation of people that have grown up in generational welfare homes, where if their mothers didn't know how to make end meet and still have nutritious food, and they don't know either.    It's not just a low income issue: many working mothers took to prepackaged food and fast food to bridge the gap and make their time count.    There are only so many hours on a day and this is especially true of single parents.  

Enter kitchen management and efficient cooking.    I did our kitchen management today and thought I would take you on for the ride with bullet  points.  

• First, I did the dishes and opened up a clean sink, counters and drainer.   
• I have already cooked the hamburger and sausage I got on sale after I came home from the store.  It can be cooking while you are putting away the food.   Start it on low on the biggest pan you have or put it on high in a slow cooker.   
• I took everything out of the fridge and washed the shelves, and arranged like things together on the condiment, shelf.  Mayo, pickles, whip cream cans and anything else that needs to be on a tall shelf.   The soy sauce gets its place.    
• We have an abundance of eggs since I got them for .79 at Alberways.    I placed  the oldest in a muffin tin and baked them for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.   
• While they were baking, I started in the vegetable bin and the green boxes of fruit.   
• I fixed a bowl of vinegar water and dumped the radishes, carrots,potatoes , and cauliflower we are going to have oven roasted for dinner tonight.   
• I cut up the strawberries that were still good.   Seems strawberries are at the end of the season and have to be eaten the day you buy them.  I placed the strawberries in a saucepan and cooked them a little, extracting some  juice, drained them , catching the juice into a bowl.  Poured the juice back into the pan and thickened it with a cornstarch slurry.   
• While the strawberries were cooking, I washed the veggies with my specified ladybug brush  and trimmed and cut them for dinner and put them in quart deli cartons .   
• I took mental inventory of the bakery basket and decided we could have strawberries on the angel food cake that was left for dinner.    We still have cookies and odd and ends, so I will put off baking until tomorrow.    
• By this time, the eggs were done, and oiplaced them in an ice bath in the sink.    After they cooked, I ate one for breakfast and placed the others in a quart deli carton in the fridge.    
• I washed the plastics from cleaning out the fridge and I was done.    
• Total time, less than an hour.   When the children were babies, I used nap time to get these things done.   One summer, I hired a sixth grader to be a mothers helper and play with the children so I could do things like clean the oven and paint etc.    she got money, and her working mother didn't have to lay for daycare the child wouldn't have wanted to go to.    Win-win situation.     When my daughter was that age I paid for her to be an aid at a preschool.   She would up getting four years of college and two degrees to be a preschool teacher with special Ed training. 

Basically. We are prepped for dinner and beyond.   Dinners will be easy to cook and take little time when it's the hectic dinner time. 

I took a quick break and went through a dozen inserts my friend gave me and pulled two coupons worth their weight in gold......puffs tissue I can find at the dollar tree, and blue bunny ice cream.   

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. 

Nutrition, healthy foods

Nutrition and healthy eating are frequent buzz words these days.   They mean different things to different people.    One lady I saw , said that nutrition wise, organic is not different than  regular.    No, in some cases, organic  is less nutritious than regular. Before people get all up in arms, organic probably has its virtues, but it's not beneficial to a bare bones, four dollar a day budget.   Putting things in perspective, we spend less for breakfast, lunch, and dinner a day than a lot of people spend on their morning coffee at the big bucks place.    A lot of organic is at least three times the price of regular.  

The three things that are the the enemies of healthy foods are

1) fat- trans fat and hydrogenated oils--margarine,fake  butter, fatty meats, hydrogenated oils that are on everything from refried beans to peanut butter and salad dressing.   Only safflower, canola, amd olive oil are not hydrogenated.    Olive oil boosts your good cholesterol.  

2) sugar.   Sugar is an enemy of your oral health, as well as the rest of your body.    Avoid excess sugar especially fruit juices and pop.   Refined sugar especially.  
It,motor is hiding in all kinds of prepared food.

3) salt.  Salt is another thing that creeps into our diets in pre made foods.   Some people salt their foods before they even taste them.   Many things can be cooked with herbs instead of salt.   It's not good for your heart health.

It is realitively easy to reduce the amount of salt, sugar, and  fat  in your menus.  Just sharing the mantra that you aren't going to buy anything that has little food value.    That leaves out pop and potato chips and other things too numerous to mention.    Making your own deserts and trying to eat more fruits instead of cakes etc helps too.  

• If it doesn't have food value ( good nutrients ) , don't buy it.   
• If it's full price, and you don't have to buy it, don't.    Chocolate and ice cream are not must haves.....darn it!    Use coupons and stack when possible.   
• If veggies aren't in season and less than a dollar, don't buy it.    We don't eat much asparagus, but do eat fresh green beans.    
• A ready made anything needs to be cheaper than scratch, good tasting,and the alternative scratch recipe needs to be easy and not take all day.   I found a recipe to make non-fried refried beans easy....low carb tortillas....not so much!   
• If it isn't a RBP, think twice before putting something  in your cart.    Studies show that of you pick something  up, you are more likely to put it in your cart.

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. 

Where is this going?

My stats  are the lowest they have ever been.  I think this is,not going to google.    If you are seeing this on Google, please comment,    

Yesterday, I got up early and started getting things done.  Of you make a list of,things to do you are more likely to get s lot more done.    I also watch a couple of people videos every morning that they post.   I get new ideas and motivation to get up and going.   It's so easy to say your butt hurts and sit the morning,    Mind you, I am doing things sitting.....working in my studio, writing blogs, meal plans, grocery lists, learning how to cook more from scratch and lower our food bill more.    I do more than the average person on food tracking because of the blog.     But, that is not gardening or deep cleaning.    

 You can eat well on the amount of snap. It takes some effort and organization.   Once you are set up, it's really,easier than the old way and  you eat better for less.    

Think about this. If you have more to spend, and you work at using a coupon or two, or learning a new way to scratch cook something, saving three to six thousand dollars a year could mean a nice vacation, more in the retirement account, savings for a house or condo........the kids or grand kids college fund.....  

I digress ....

I find motivation seeing what others have accomplished.   

Today, I want to pull some weeds in the vegetable garden that hasn't been planted since the year I broke my hip.   I did the beds aroimd the perimeter of the house , but the middle garden has grass taller than my granddaughter was at two.    LOL.   

We are having speghetti and meatballs, the meatballs are already cooked ( love batch cooking ) amd all i have to do  is cook the pasta ( pronto ) and add sauce.   I'll make a green salad and get granddaughter with supervision, to do the French bread.    It's her favorite meal. Amd she loves to help in the kitchen.   I am doing double duty, she gets the bread fixed, amd I am watching her and teaching her how to make French bread.  Prepping anyway.   I butter it, sprinkle dried parsley and some parmesean cheese on it and bake it until the cheese and butter melts.   Yum!   

Total cost (more because the bread is purchased - somehow yesterday, scratch wasn't going to happen.) is 1.39 /2 bread , 1.00 for meatballs. .25 for pronto pasta with coupon, amd .75 for sauce.   1.00 for a small green salad.    3.70 for dinner.  

That's a decent dinner in my estimation.    It's all in the shopping,   Dinner will take about fifteen minutes non-passive time- maybe a little more since granddaughter is making the bread ( she's 4yo) 

The trick is to spend less time in the kitchen, assuming you have a limited time and a busy life) and more time planning your shopping trip and shopping,   I still can get in and out of a store in twenty minutes flat, and hit two stores , planning the trip as to not waste gas.    I sound loke a broken  record, but mastering the planning is ambit key on saving a lot of dollars.     Three thousand dollars times ten years is thirty thousand dollars.    In anyone's estimation, that's a lot of bucks.   And, we don't eat rice and beans every day.    

Our neighbour grows all their vegetables.   She shared green beans and a couple of yellow squash 

with us.   We can have fish packets instead of fish and chips and I will add squash to the oven roasted vegetables.     Being flexible helps too -- and having generous neighbors.    

Winco ,yesterday , had cantaloupe for .38 a pound.    Peaches were .98.   I didn't see any meat worthy of rotation status.    My best bet would be the sausage at QFC with coupons ( stacking ) .   

To those naysayers about them having more important things to do than clip coupons.  Here's something that might make a believer of you.       My sister has a HD washer.  It takes expensive soap.   Oxy clean HD detergent has three dollar coupons.  By planning her trip to cost forty dollars at QFC, and the five for five sale, and a three dollar coupon , the 6.00 detergent was 1.10 . 

 6.00 detergent. 

-1.00 five for five 

-3.00 for manufacturers coupon 

- 25% off blanket coupon ( use blanket coupon first amd stick to a forty dollar grocery cart. My hubby used a calculater while I shopped) 25 percent of six dollars is .90. 

Balance 1.10

That's extreme couponing.     

 The Ad...this is early.   

18 ounces of blueberries   2.49
Tomatoes .99
Butter 2/5@@
Krigermicemcream 1.99@@
Folders coffee 5.99@@@
DiGiorno pizza 4.99
Fahd Greek yogurt ,88
Pears .99


Heritage farm chicken is Tyson.    Just a FYI.

The paper has the p amd grams a smart source.

2.00 off of tide. Tide is a dollar off on the B5,S5 T QFC.   That makes three dollars off.
.25 coupon off puffs, it's at the dollar tree.

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.