I've been using the black tea bags from That's Smart available at Food City for $1.49 for 100 bags. With these, I can make one gallon of tea for 15 cents, so one cup of tea works out to about one penny. Now, that is a pretty inexpensive drink and very refreshing.
On Friday I went to Georgia to do some grocery shopping as that is where Ingle's & Kroger are located and also another UGO, with prices that are different from the UGO in Tennessee.
We live in the very southern corner of Tennessee, so we aren't going out of our way to go to multiple stores. We can benefit from those here and in Georgia.
Anyway, my first stop was UGO, nothing too exciting here, but I did find sunflower seeds for $1.00. We love them in salads and cottage cheese, so I bought several. They also had wheat crackers for $1.00, so I bought two of those.
Next stop was Ingle's and even though I find the price of their regular groceries to be high, they can be really good when it comes to mark downs. I found pork sausage on markdown for $1.48 a pound. I bought ten packages as they make great meat for Egg Roll in a Bowl and other dinners as well.
I went to Ingle's because they have their Laura Lynn mayonnaise on sale, which we've been talking about in other blog posts, how expensive mayo has gotten. Well the Laura Lynn brand was on sale for $2.48. They also had Duke's mayo priced on sale for $3.18. Multiple people in the south swear by Duke's mayonnaise.
Last stop was to Kroger where I found Silk almond milk for 84 cents, yogurt for $2.61, and two packages of salad marked down. All three items were on my grocery list.
I used coupons Kroger sent to me recently and saved $10.40 on canned vegetables, green olives, parmesan cheese, tuna, and a free 2 liter 7UP.
Shopping the close out stores, using coupons and shopping the sales are my solutions to high grocery prices. Yes, it takes time to do these things, but food manufacturers are not lowing their prices, so I'm doing what I can to feed my family more affordably.
Last Monday I cooked another five pounds of chicken leg quarters in the crockpot that cost me $5.90 and we ate meals from that all week long. Once they were finished cooking, I deboned the chicken and saved the broth.
I've just felt recently that I needed to pull out all the stops and work harder at saving money on food and by using all the tools in my arsenal to save as much money as I can on food, which actually leaves me with more money.
What’s for Dinner
Monday ~ We still have some White Chicken Chili from Sunday night's dinner, so we had that for dinner.
Taco Tuesday ~ Chicken Tacos with corn tortillas, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and black olives.
Wednesday & Thursday~ Green Chicken Enchiladas
Friday ~ Loaded Baked Potatoes & Salads
Saturday & Sunday~ Baked Pollock, Green Beans with Onions, Roasted Potatoes, and Salad.
What’s on the Menu for This Coming Week
We have plenty of food on hand that I can use to make meals this week. Be sure to come back next week to see what sides we serve with these main dishes.
What’s been on the menu in your home this past week?
Belinda
Homemaker at Heart
Mortgage & Debt Free~ Living within our Means ~My Linktree
~ She looketh well to the ways of her household ~Proverbs 31:27
You got some really good deals. Wow, on the sausage. That is great. For some reason I thought you were on the south west side of TN. My husband's family came from SE TN - beautiful area.
ReplyDeleteHave a grand week!
Yes, we are in SE Tennessee and I agree, it is a beautiful area :)
DeleteThe two local stores have no mark downs with the rare exception. I think items just go to the food pantry. No kidding that we need to use our own savvy to keep our budgets in Check. Eggs are high again.
ReplyDeleteEggs are high again, Sam. And I think that is why the mayonnaise is so high right now, but I don't know that for sure. I think food manufacturers will use any reason to raise prices or keep them high. It's too bad your two stores have no mark downs, we also have some with no markdowns. I'm not sure what they do with the food though, but donating it to the food pantry is good.
DeleteGreat deals!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about needing to work harder to save money on food, and I love all your tips and suggestions. Thank you!
You're welcome, Kathy Working together with all our tips and tricks will help, hopefully. :)
DeleteOur local Ingles marks meat down so little that I suspect they are throwing it out at the end of the day because no one seems to be buying it. That is a shame to be wasteful on their part. That sausage is so good! I'm glad you could stock up on it.
ReplyDeleteWe had five meals from one Sam's $4.98 rotisserie chicken last week and they were delicious. But, I am tired of chicken for a few days!
Oh wow, that is wonderful to have made 5 meals out of one chicken, Lana! It does get old after a while. I can do without dark meat chicken for a bit. LOL
DeleteThat would be a shame that Ingle's may be throwing that meat out when so many people could be using it.
Eggs have gone way up here again also. And beef prices are soaring. I shop sales and will cherry pick in a heartbeat. And though I only buy it on sale, we do eat steak a couple of times a month. If I find a good buy (had to reset my thinking on what a good steak buy is now) I will get 4 or 5 and freeze them. TheHub and I share a steak now so the extravagance is cut in half of what it was when we were younger.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great idea to cut the steak in half, Anne. Better all the way around. :)
DeleteYou do have to be very clever to beat the prices now a days.
ReplyDeleteI agree so much, Kim.
DeleteLike you I am shopping sales and trying my best to keep the grocery costs down.
ReplyDeleteSince we got snow again, meals are still those we usually eat during the winter.
God bless.
Yum, comfort food at its finest, Jackie. :)
DeleteWe had bscb and Tommy had brown meat. I hate dark meat! I made spaghetti. I love that. Of course, we had lots of vegetables, baked, fresh, and canned. I mostly shop and Publix to get my milk and bogo items. Then, I get sales at The Pig and another store.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great plan, Linda. I'm with you on the dark meat. I will eat it sparingly, but I do not care for it.
DeleteThat’s a great stock up on sausage! My husband loves his sausage on a biscuit for breakfast. I might of wrestled you for half 😂 no really but that’s a great deal!
ReplyDeleteI’m a fan of Krogers digital coupons too.
LOL, Rhonda...there was still a bunch left, I couldn't get it all. LOL
DeleteYou always find the best grocery deals Belinda! My area never has such good clearance food. I love Kroger coupons. They're the only grocery store who still gives you a free item and their mega event sales great!
ReplyDelete