The week started off strong, and I didn’t get in a car to go anywhere until Sunday {Fred Meyer} and only did so because we were out of milk. This was the second time this summer I hadn’t left the neighborhood for an entire week and you know what… I loved it. Although to be totally honest, when you know you aren’t going anywhere, there is less of a desire to shower. So maybe next time around I could improve on that. Ha!
Chicky pot pies {without the crust} and big salads were just a few of the meals we ate last week.
The leftover sweet potato quinoa salad with a fried egg on top I had for breakfast one morning was delicious, and so was the tuna casserole and waffle dinner we ate for dinner this past week.
Then there was the overcooked salmon and under cooked beans I made for the HH. That was a dud. But he ate it. Because that’s what husbands who don’t cook do.
But the bean soup and corn muffins were a hit. We got lucky and had a 70 degree day last week so I pretended it was fall and made soup. Winco has the best 13 bean soup mix and I think it runs about $1.18 a pound. It’s a great way to use up random vegetables and is an inexpensive {and filling} dinner. Plus if you make a little extra, you’ll have leftovers for lunch the next day.
Albertsons $11.38
Eggs $0.99 per dozen, Spinach $0.99 a bag, Grapes $1.28 a pound. I was totally bummed when I noticed Fred Meyer had grapes on sale for $0.99 a pound on Sunday. Booo!
Fred Meyer $30.11
Milk $1.79 a gallon, Friday Freebie Gatorade Bar, Overnight Oats and Stur water enhancer {it was a $5.47 freebie… who would pay that!?}. Wholly Guacamole $1.99 each, Tortilla Chips $1.49 a bag, Pizza $4.49, Cream of Mushroom $1.00 and 2 pounds of shredded cheese for $7.49. Which I think was a totally crazy price but it was the cheapest way to buy 2 pounds of cheese. I’m used to stocking up when the 2 pound Tillamook blocks are $4.99 so I knew I way over paying for cheese when I tossed it in the cart. 🙁
So normally I buy avocados when they are on sale {usually for around $0.79 each at Winco} but as I was making my way through the produce section looking for markdowns at Fred Meyer, I noticed they had Wholly Guacamole packages on sale. In case you didn’t know, guacamole freezes really well so when I see it on sale, I always make a point to stock up.
But check out those packages. You could buy {1} 12 ounce container of guacamole for $1.99 or {6} 2 ounce mini tubs for $2.79. So literally, you would be paying an additional $0.79 out of pocket for convenience packaging. Interesting. What would you have done? Cute little mini tubs or big package? I went for the less expense single pack of course.
Guacamole on a toasted bagel. Freakin’ delicious.
Also, sheet pan nachos are pretty rad too.
Ahhh. So here’s something else to be on the lookout for. Do you use self checkout? I do at Fred Meyer because there is hardly ever a line. Anywho, while I was searching for roma tomatoes on the screen I noticed I had to go to page 2 of the tomato options to find regular {non organic} roma tomatoes. Not a big deal I guess, but I’m sure the store sells WAY MORE conventional tomatoes than they do organic. Like 10 to 1 if I had to guess based on the quantity for sale in the produce section at any given time.
Now look carefully at the screen. Notice anything interesting?
How about the fact that the most expensive tomato options are all listed on the first page. Heirloom… organic etc. Not the most popular {roma tomatoes and vine ripened tomatoes being #1 & #2}.
I also typed in TOM {for tomatoes} not ORG for organic.
Kinda makes you wonder how much MORE MONEY the store is making because people in a hurry don’t noticed the word “organic” in front of it. Or peeps knowingly make a mistake but are in too much of a rush or embarrassed to ask the clerk to fix it.
Yep. You’ve got to pay attention at the checkout. That’s for sure.
So how did you do at the stores last week? Did you buy or NOTICE anything exciting?
~Mavis
Total Spent This Week $41.49
- Total Spent in January on Groceries $202.99
- Total Spent in February on Groceries $143.94
- Total Spent in March on Groceries $183.35
- Total Spent in April on Groceries $205.67
- Total Spent on Groceries in May $248.60
- Total Spent on Groceries in June $147.47
- Total Spent on Groceries in July $293.63 {Yikes!} I’ll do better in August.
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- Total Spent in January on Take Out, Date Nights, and Bakery Treats $42.19
- Total Spent in February on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $118.45
- Total Spent in March on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $25.29
- Total Spent in April on Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $62.50
- Total Spent in May of Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $54.52
- Total Spent in June of Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $119.15
- Total Spent in July of Take Out, Date Nights and Bakery Treats $12.45
Sheila says
I PREFER paying more for the single serve packs over the other. I’m the only one that will eat guacamole around here, so I have 2 options if I get the regular packaging: eat the whole thing by myself in a short period of time or let it spoil.
Either let it go to waist or go to waste! 😉
The single serve packs last me longer, so I’m still saving money even though I spend more per package.
UpstateNYer says
Why not just purchase small containers at a dollar store and fill them from the large container for single servings? You’ll be saving money and the containers are reuseable.
sheila says
Because once you open the package, it starts to brown. I tried doing that before and removing all the air, but am never successful enough and it turns brown anyway.
Ronda says
I’m with you that I would buy the smaller packs so that I use them, rather than the bigger pack that I would only eat a little and throw the rest away. Though if I could get avocados for under a dollar I would be getting those.
Amy S says
The Stur freebie at my Kroger was $3.50 and I thought THAT was too high. I got the blueberry blackberry one. It’s pretty good, but I usually drink plain water so anything more than free is too expensive.
What’s the deal with “sheet pan nachos”? To me, those are “nachos” and have been for ages. I was a college student in the 90s and that’s how we made our nachos. I can’t say for sure, but I think mom made them that way even before I moved out and started cooking all my own meals. My roommates in Virginia didn’t seem to question it. My friends here in Ohio seem to call tortilla chips plus cheese for dipping nachos, but those are not nachos. If there’s dipping involved, then it’s not nachos. Nachos are pre-topped.
Karin C says
We are Air Mile collectors and on Friday was their Blue Friday ( I live in BC Canada ) and we stocked up in lots and got 625 miles and then at Rexall ( drug store ) another 125 miles that is almost enough for a non peak flight .
I am still trying to gauge my shopping to being an empty nester it’s harder then I though but things last , a block of cheese last longer then a day , we are down to buying milk by the litre bit the gallon we did before . Our son is training for wrestling and the amount of chicken/rice and beans I went through was staggering, he had 4 kg of chicken breast a week . I think though I would rather have him hone , it is harder then I though .
I don’t use self check outs as I feel it’s big companies way of getting rid of jobs , I too noticed that the things that most oriole bought you really had to hunt for .
Have a great day Mavis & Lucy
They are calling for heat wave here 38/39 this week, 1/2 our province is in fire we just need some cooler temps and rain .
Marcia says
We almost always go for the single packs when they are on sale at Costco. They are easy to pack in a lunch for the kids or adults, and nothing goes to waste. The big ones are hard to finish, though as my kids get bigger, that is less true.
of course, living in California, I prefer regular avocados. I used to have a “source” (coworker with a grove), and now generally have to wing it. I’m picky. We get good avos from our produce delivery box, but I seem to get about half of them right and the other half let go a day or two too long. I’m starting to cut them open a day or two early instead. The containers are at least recyclable, but I’m trying to use less plastic.
I got some pretty good deals yesterday. We just got back from vacation, so needed to stock up again. I didn’t buy much fruit – 99 cent store had cherries for $1.49/lb and grapes for 0.99/lb. But I ended up skipping both, figuring I’d be too busy with work and 2 new camps to deal. Got apples instead. I did get a large bag of baby peppers for $0.99 and broccoli and cauliflower and mini lettuce heads.
Speaking of vacation – we spent a week in Colorado. It’s amazing how much you can save cooking in. Our first hotel (3 days) had free breakfast and mini fridge. Our second hotel had a full kitchen (but a tiny one – Residence inn).
I did small accounting of our expenditures (approximate).
Eating out: 5 meals, two afternoon snacks: $292 (family of 4), roughly $50 per meal
Eating in (sandwiches or cooking something): 9 meals: $100, $11 per meal
Both hotels had free breakfast.
Heidi P says
I use self check when I can if I don’t have a big cart full of groceries. I believe the listings for tomatoes are alphabetical. Not 100% sure but that’s what it looks like to me. Although I wouldn’t put it past any retailer to put the more expensive items first. For sure Freddies/Kroger is making more because of customer mistakes. I will for sure pay closer attention at the register in the future.
Vivian says
I picked up a couple of Friday freebies at Fred Meyer on Saturday, one was a power bar, the other a Kraft Trio. I was horrified at the regular price of the Kraft Trio!! $1.99 for this little dinky package of cheese, chocolate and dried bananas. I mean TINY..and just minute bits of broken banana chips. Who buys these things?
Mavis Butterfield says
Seriously. WHO buys those things? I’d love to know.
Linda Sand says
I’d also buy the smaller containers because I’d wind up throwing away at least half of a bigger container.
Donna says
Recipe for Sheet Pan Nachos please.
Mavis Butterfield says
I’ll post the recipe tomorrow morning! 🙂
Susan says
If you have a QFC nearby, they have those Calidad bags of tortilla chips for .49 – part of their Buy 5 – Get $5 off sale,
The 24 packs of Mission street tacos tortillas are also .49 You can freeze them.
Mavis Butterfield says
Oh that is a great deal Susan. Our QFC store closed a few years ago. 🙁