"What do you do with it?" they ask.
I portion size what I need to, and I throw it into the freezer to build up my 'If 28 Days Later really happens we'll have food to survive on' supply.
K and I like to go shopping at 8am Sunday morning, as soon as Food Basics opens. For one thing there are no other people shopping at that point. And secondly they are marking down all the meat!
Here is what we bought today.
There is a family pack with 2 chicken halves, 4 packages of wings, 1 package of Angus lean ground beef, 2 packages of chicken breasts, 2 packages of chicken breasts cut into strips, and 1 package of stir fry beef. If you're bad at math like me, that is 11 packages of meat. (I was holding myself back today) Do you want to take a guess at how much that costs?
Regular price I would have paid a whopping $58.55 for all of that meat. That's over half of our bi-weekly shopping budget. But because I bought it for a reduced price I paid $25.55 for everything!
I feel like I'm on that credit card commercial.
"You put that on your credit card?"
"Ya and I save 10% of my purchase"
Smugly "So you saved $2"
"Yup, how much did you save?"
So who's laughing now folks!?
LOL That's right, it's me.
CONTEST ALERT
I promised a contest, so here it is. Tell me how you save money at the grocery store. You must be a follower to enter, and you must leave a comment on this post with your e-mail address. The contest will close next Sunday June 13th at which point a winner will be randomly selected to win a (edited as some don't have Metro/A&P) Cineplex Movie Night admission for 2, 2 regular drinks, and one regular popcorn. Also valid at Famous Players and Galaxy Theatres.
Really me,
Bargain shopper
Nik
How I save money grocery shopping:
ReplyDeleteI buy chicken breast with bone in/skin on. They tack on a huge percentage for taking out the bone and removing the skin, it's easy enough to do yourself.
No name products are just as good. They are usually an off-branch of the name brand 'good stuff'. Same great tasting product - only diffence is the packaging and price.
Find the reduced to sell rack. This usually consists of items nearing the best before date. You can portion buns, bread, pastries, cookies, etc. and freeze until needed.
Plan your shop. Do your best to avoid stopping by the store to pick up A or B. This ALWAYS leads to buying C,D, & E....all of which you do not need at the time. Frequent, unscheduled shops cost you a lot more money.
Looking forward to hearing how others save money!
bee8082bear@hotmail.com
I often shop at the cheaper grocery stores, especially for canned goods (No Frills, Price Chopper) and even Wal Mart now has cheaper grocery items.
ReplyDeleteI also buy the cheaper brand of some things. Sometimes they taste better than the higher end brands!
mandyweagant@rogers.com
I'm a huge fan of coupons. I actually have a wallet sized expandable folder with different slots where I organize all my coupons, so that I have them ready when I go grocery shopping.
ReplyDeleteI buy No Name products whenever I can. I can't tell the difference between no name and brand name, and neither can hubby!
I stock up on stuff that is on sale ie: a two pack of formula for $19.99 vs one can for $14.99....doesn't take a genius to figure out what's the better deal!
Definitely shopping with a list. We keep a running grocery list of what we need on the fridge, and when it's time to shop I always re-write it based on how we go through the store: produce, meat, dry goods, dairy, bread, etc. I find if I can move on to the next thing on the list and get right there, I'm less tempted to add in extra things. If I see a sale on something we generally buy I'll sometimes stock up, but the rule is usually that if it's not on the list, it doesn't go in the cart.
ReplyDeleteI use coupons and a list but also talk to the butcher- chat them up and they will often give you deals or find you deals as well as getting you great cuts. I have gotten soup bones and turkey legs/wings for soup for like$2 and made huge pots of soup.
ReplyDeleteWhen they have a 2 for... often you don't have to buy the 2nd item (if you don't need it, sometimes it pays to buy a few of them lol).
One thing I do often spend more on is Ontario products- I buy home grown whenever possible...and always complain to the produce/butcher manager if Ontario food costs more than US, especially if it's in season. I will also shop around for the best produce/meat prices.
We save money by;
ReplyDeleteShopping with a list
Buying the cheapest product
Use coupons
Buy discounted items when available
Looking forward to seeing other peoples saving ways!!!
strawberrys_63@hotmail.com
I save money by knowing when the sales are! Most items go on sale in a 4 week cycle, so I buy enough to last me 4 weeks! Pop is regular around $4.99/12 pack. I won't buy it until it is 3/$10. Beans are usually $1.79 per can. I wait until it is 0.99c and we usually have chili that week. I do this with a lot of my canned goods. I buy produce on sale and in season. It is cheaper and tastes better.
ReplyDeleteAs for meat... I buy the club packs and separate it at home. I also keep in mind costco's regular price on meat and will take a trip there if I need something and my local grocery store won't match the price. I can get 6 meals out of a $12-13 tray of pork loins from costco.
Bread also comes on sale in a four week cycle. I can get 4 loaves of whole wheat bread for $3.99 and freeze it... or I can pay almost $3 a loaf.
I buy cat food and detergent with coupons. Most other products I find the no name brand is cheaper than the name brand with a coupon.
And.... I shop with a list, meal plan so I throw out less, and only shop every two weeks so that I have less chance for impulse buys!
And the winner is.........
ReplyDeleteAmanda S!! You'll be receiving your gift card in the mail in the next two weeks.
Thanks for sharing ladies, they were all great tips!
(winner was randomly selected by ClassTools.net Fruit Machine)