Here is my shopping trip for this week:
Fresh n Easy $5.44
This was right next door to a playdate and it is a brand new store so I stopped in to check it out.
French Bread $.98
Hamburger Buns $.98
Mini Hamburger Buns $1.49
English Muffins $1.99
Those mini hamburger buns are so adorable and they are going to perfect to make sandwiches for my girls.
Sprouts $10.49
2 bags frozen broccoli $1.00 each
Baby Spinach $1.00
Cauliflower $2.00
5lb Organic Potatoes $2.50
Organic Apples $2.99
Safeway $28.93
2 Lucerne Cheese $5.99- used $2/10 coupon= $9.98
Knorr Roaster- Free with store promotion (Just 4 U)
2 Gevalia Coffee $5.00- used $2 coupons= $3.00
Mission Tortillas $1.49
Cottage Cheese $1.48
2 Oikos Yogurt $1.00 each- used $.50/2 coupon= $1.50
2 Nathan’s Hot Dogs $5.99- used $1 coupon= $4.99
Tomatoes- free with store promotion (Just4U)
Pepperoni $3.49
Target $6.59
Kashi Crackers $2.74- used $2 recyclebank coupon= $.74
Aquafresh toothpaste $1.50- used $1 coupon= $.50
Foil $1.02- used $.50 coupon= $.52
Nexcare Bandaids $1.87- used $.75 and $.55 coupons= $.57
Revlon Shadow $4.44- used $2 coupon and $1 coupon= $1.44
Ricotta Cheese $1.94
Revlon Tool $2.89
Revlon Tool $1.69
Revlon Tool $2.24
Revlon Tool $2.99- used (2) $5 coupons= $.88
*Note: the best thing is probably to divide up the Revlon. All 4 items should have been free but the coupons were applied as the items scanned and the more expensive items were scanned first- so instead of free it was $.88 total for all 4.
Whew- total was $51.42
And we still have protein in the freezer from prior stock up trips- I am super low on chicken but otherwise this is just a bunch of extras to fill out the menu plan for the week.
Trying to figure out how to plan a meal around what is on sale… are there any tips you can provide?? I find myself always stocking up on thing that we use but never really buying anything specific for the week which means I throw together a dinner which is not fun at all. Any tips would be appreciated.
Delia,
I don’t shop based on what is on sale per se. I keep in mind sales for stocking up on expensive items like proteins but really I shop based on what I need for my menu plan. I also try to juggle that with what is a good deal. I will post my menu plan later but here are some examples of what I mean- I wanted to make cauliflower pizzas so I got the cauliflower and pepperoni. Then the tomatoes were free and so I got the french bread which was a great deal so I can make panzanella salad… I got the free Knorr chicken roaster thing from Safeway so I am going to use that on the last of the chicken breast in my freezer and then I got the potatoes to go with that meal.
I got the ricotta for a pasta dish I am going to make and the cottage cheese… The apples are for an overnight oatmeal recipe for breakfast. I stocked up on cheese this week since it was a good deal and frozen veggies were a great deal at Sprouts so that comes together for broccoli cheese soup.
I guess I just shop around what I have on hand already mostly. I don’t buy anything we don’t need because a few cents here and there can add up. I am constantly trying to eat up what we buy too.
I think the first thing is the meals you want to make- but focus on what you have already so you aren’t shopping for a million ingredients- and the second part is using what budget you have left to stock up on deals you are interested in. I hope that makes sense. I know when I used to shop strictly based on what was on sale or cheap, I always had tons of random things but never anything to pull together a proper meal.
Delia, There is a website: http://www.readyseteat.com sponsored by Conagra foods that has over a hundred recipes and if you tell them your zip code they will tell you what ingredients are on sale and where in your area!
There are reviews for the recipes, and you can set up your own recipe box for dishes that are a hit at your house. I made the chicken w/ balsamic tomatoes ( but I left out the balsamic ), and it is now 1 of my fiances favorite recipes. It is so easy and cost effective! It can make a healthy dinner for 2 for under $4.00 and all the ingredients were already in my pantry!
Roci,
That is a great tool and thanks for sharing! I did want to mention though that it is a promotional device for their products so you will get a lot of recipes with processed foods and obviously Conagra products. Also, the sale prices are not necessarily good deals. I can see a recipe with chicken listed at $2.99/lb for example which is considerably higher than I would pay. 😉
-Charlene
Thanks Charlene and Roci! I appreciate the advice it is really going to help!