Qwik Trip milk in a bag?

Last week, we got a flier in our newspaper from Qwik Trip. They had a great price for milk- $2.18 a gallon. I realized that the small print said that the milk came in a bag?! What was that all about? I looked at the Kwik Trip website and realized that the bags of milk came with a pitcher to store the milk in. I had to try this for myself. When I went to Kwik Trip I found the milk in half gallon bags for $1.09 each.

There were also free plastic pitchers available. To use the milk, you put the bag in the pitcher and cut off a corner. It pours really easily. You then twist the corner down and put it in the fridge. It fits perfectly in the door.

So, if you have Kwik Trip in your area, give their milk in a bag a try. You'll save about 50 cents per gallon and have the novelty of pouring milk on your cereal from a pitcher. While you're at Kwik Trip, you might find some good deals on things like bananas and bread as well.

Sunday Paper still Key for Coupons



From MediaPost

Do you use Groupon, Twitter, or online coupons to save a little money? You're not alone. However, a recent study shows that 49% of coupon users still use the good ol' Sunday paper. Are you one of them?

People Still Turn to Sunday Papers for Coupons

Thrifty Strategy- Pantry Staples

A few weeks ago I wrote (link here) about how I went for almost a week without going to the grocery store, just using items I had on-hand to make dinner each night. Many people out there have created pantry staples lists, and I have linked to several below

Real Simple Magazine's List
Rachael Ray's List
MealsMatter.org's List

I'm not going to compete with the above and list out every single thing you should always have in your pantry. However, there are certainly some key things that I try to always have on hand because they make quick and healthy meals in a pinch. Keeping items such as these can help you be thrifty by avoiding so many trips to the grocery store. What's on your list?

Crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
Tomato paste
Spaghetti
Spaghetti sauce
Quick-cooking couscous
Jasmine rice
Tortillas
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Quick-cook oatmeal
White onion
Sweet potato
Lettuce or spinach
Eggs

Frozen vegetables (peas and broccoli are favorites)
Frozen chicken breasts
Frozen chicken thighs or drumsticks
Frozen pizza (last resort!)
Frozen white fish (cod, swai, flounder)

Ground beef

Thrifty Strategy- Grocery shopping in your pantry (and fridge and freezer)

As I looked around our kitchen on Sunday, I realized that we were very well stocked. It was also near the end of the month and I was hoping to come in under on our March grocery budget. So on Monday I only grabbed milk and some fruit at the grocery store and decided to try to make it through to Friday without buying any other food. So far so good!

Sunday: Spaghetti. I had sauce and pasta in the pantry. Also served a spinach salad.

Monday: Tacos. We had a package of ready-made carne asada in the pantry (free sample from my husband's work), tortillas, spinach, salsa and cheese in the fridge. I also served black beans from a can we had in the pantry.

Tuesday: Frozen (homemade) Pizza. We had made and frozen an extra the last time we made homemade pizza, so I just baked and served with a spinach salad.

Wednesday: Chicken. Crock pot applesauce chicken thighs, sweet potato fries, and peas. Chicken, fries, and peas were all from the freezer. (if someone comments on this post asking for the crock pot recipe I will post later this week)

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner. We are going to have baked eggs, homemade waffles or pancakes, yogurt, and fruit for dinner.

Throughout the week our 14-month-old ate from our plates as well as eating mixed vegetables I steamed for her, rice cereal, mandarin oranges, whole wheat bread, etc.

Lessons Learned:
1. It helps to keep a well-stocked kitchen. I think I'll do a post in the future outlining the key items to always keep on-hand.
2. I spent very little on groceries this week, but also avoided using gas for multiple trips to the store as well as those impulse purchases that always seem to end up in my cart.
3. It was fun to look around and figure out what I could make from what we had.

While we certainly won't use this strategy every week, maybe it will become a new end of the month tradition!

Thrifty Strategy- CSA's



Photo by Kimberly Aime

 I am thrilled to welcome my first guest post to the blog. Over the past few years, I have heard a lot about CSA's (Community Shared Agriculture), where you join and get a weekly or bi-weekly box of fresh produce from a local farm. My dear friend and fellow blogger Kimberly took the plunge and joined a CSA in 2010. I asked her if she'd be willing to share her experience in a blog, and she did!

Badger Girl Learns to Cook- CSA's: Time to Sign Up

The post outlines what CSA's are all about, her experiences, thrifty potential, and the pro's and con's of joining one. She even includes links to websites where you can find CSA's in your area. While you're at it, check out Kimberly's Examiner page. She writes about arts and culture in the Madison, Wisconsin area.

Follow-up to my last post

I hit up the Target frozen food sale and Valentine's clearance yesterday. I didn't go nuts on either deal, our freezer is getting full so I just bought things we really needed. A thrifty strategy. Here's the damage:

Box of 32 kids' Valentine's cards: Original Price $1.00. Paid $0.10
Four plastic Valentine's plates: Original Price $1.99 each. Paid $0.19 each.
Total Spent: $0.86

Frozen pizza (backup in case of dinner emergency), frozen appetizer, two boxes of Hot Pockets (yes I know they're really bad for you but they are backup lunches for my husband when there aren't leftovers for him to bring), two packages of frozen chicken breasts, one bag of frozen peas:
$27.88
Subtract $1.50 Target online coupon for buying two packages of chicken
Subtract $5.00 giftcard for purchasing seven frozen items
Total Spent: $21.38

I feel good about my purchases, but didn't do a blockbuster job working the system on the frozen deal. One blogger did, here's a link: http://creativecouponing.com/target-buy-7-frozen-items-get-5-gift-card-price-list/

Grocery deal at Target

I haven't had a chance to go check this out for myself, but there is a great deal going on at Target this week. If you buy ANY seven frozen items you get a $5 giftcard. Yes, that's right, any items. It's not just on the items shown in the Sunday paper circular. And you can combine with manufacturer's coupons as well.

I will be heading there tomorrow to see how much I can save! We need some frozen items (chicken breasts, pizza, juice, vegetables), so I might have a fun picture/receipt to show and tell. Also, I have a feeling that Valentine's items, if still left, will be at 75 or 90% off so will have to check that out, too.

Until tomorrow...

PS- I just checked Target's online coupons and there are several out there for frozen items. Some amazing deals to be found for sure!

Grocery planning for this week

As I planned my grocery list for the week I had some thoughts I wanted to share:

LEFTOVERS

The word of the week is leftovers! I'm making a pasta dish that creates three to four servings of leftovers which are perfect for lunches. A two-pound meatloaf is also on the menu which means even more tasty leftovers. Not sure about the other nights but I think one dinner will involve the frozen salmon I bought on sale today.

Double-up Deals

Target has a big sale on grocery items this week to celebrate the opening of many newly-remodeled stores with fresh grocery offerings. When doubled-up with some of their available Target online coupons you can get some great deals.
Kraft cheese- on sale in circular for $2. Also a $.75 coupon available online
Archer Farms Chips- There was a coupon for a free bag with $25 purchase in the Sunday paper. Also they are on sale 2 for $5 plus there is an online coupon for $1 off with purchase of three
Progresso Soup- On sale in circular 2 for $3. Also online coupon for $1 off if you buy four

Private Label Food- Thrifty but Tasty?

Consumer Reports recently did blind taste tests of private label food items as compared to national brands.... check out the overview of the results:

Consumer Reports Conducts Blind Taste Tests

Target online coupons- some good ones are back!

I saved quite a bit of money this week with the online coupons offered on Target's website. They have private label ones back again. I got $2 off frozen chicken, $0.50 off hand sanitizer, a free bottle of juice with purchase of two boxes of cereal.....

Cool idea- creating menus from grocery ads

Wow! This mom has turned coupons and blogging into a money-maker! Each week, she takes the ad and coupons from her local grocery store and creates a menu for seven meals plus a grocery list. There is a monthly subscription fee for her recipes and meal plans. What a good idea. Maybe I will try to create a week of menus from the Sunday ad circulars one of these weeks.... but I won't charge you for it.

Stay at home mom converts coupons into a career

Sam's Club Open House August 6-8

I am not a huge fan of Sam's Club, but this sounds like a good deal for those of you who like warehouse clubs but are not a member of one. Sam's Club is allowing non-members to shop and get the same prices as members on August 6-8th. Might be a good way to stock up on household goods and food for the end of summer and back to school.

Sam's Club Tries to Get New Members with Free Test

Anyone out there a Sam's Club or Costco addict? We are not members of either and I'm not convinced that they would be a great deal for our family of two adults and one baby...

To Toss or Not to Toss? Food past its sell-by date

My husband suggested this post because he and I have differing opinions on this topic. I tend to be pretty inflexible on expiration dates, especially refrigerated items. However, he tends to keep (and eat) things beyond the date. According to a recent article in Progressive Grocer, Americans waste billions of dollars a year discarding food that is past its sell-by date but is still safe to eat.

Americans Waste Billions Tossing Food Mistakenly Believed to be Spoiled

From the article:  “Food scientists agree that most foods, if stored properly, can be safely consumed for days or even weeks past the package date,” said Joe Regenstein, professor of food science at Cornell University and a member of the ShelfLifeAdvice.com Board of Advisors. “The dates on food packages are very conservative; if the product was stored properly, it should last well beyond the date on the package.”

Any strong feelings out there on this topic?  I for one just can't ignore the date on milk containers!

Great deal on grapes at Cub

For the second time in the past month, Cub grocery stores has an amazing deal on grapes. They have a coupon on the first page of their circular for a free pound of grapes. Basically if you buy grapes and use the coupon, they will deduct the cost of one pound. I make sure to pick a bag of grapes that is just one pound of a little over, so it's free or almost free. If you go through the self check-out lane, they don't take the coupon away, so I have already used the coupon a couple times. Fruit salad anyone?

Thrifty Strategy- Private Label Brands

Looking in my shopping cart today at Target, I realized that almost every product I buy, from Up and Up baby wipes and toilet paper to Market Pantry crushed tomatoes and whole wheat bread, is from the private label line (otherwise known as store brand or in the olden days, generic). Why is this? Because private label products have become just as good if not better than national brands. We've come a long way since the days of generic packages in black and white with questionable ingredients. In some cases, food companies even make both branded and private label products in the same facility with the same ingredients. There has been a rise in the popularity of private label products, especially groceries, in the past few years. Here's a recent article about the phenomenon.

When I'm grocery shopping, whether at Target or elsewhere, I look for a private label version of each product I need. In most cases, there is one available. However, sometimes the national brands are on sale at a lower price point than the private label. I also clip coupons for certain brands (for instance, Yoplait yogurt is a good deal when you use a coupon).

So next time you're at your local grocery store and are reaching for that branded package you saw an ad for, give the store brand a try. You will save money and will most likely enjoy it just as much.

Thrifty Strategies- Meal Planning

Making homemade meals is a great way to enjoy time with friends and family while at the same time being healthy and of course frugal!

Over the past few years, my husband and I have tried to sit down once a week to plan our meals. Here's the routine:

1. Look through the Sunday paper for coupons and at the ads and websites of local grocery stores for what products are on sale (Target, Cub, and many others have printable online coupons)
2. Check the freezer and pantry for items I'd like to use this week
3. Get out our favorite cookbooks and/or head to the computer to find some recipes based on what's on sale, what we already have, and what we feel like eating that week (I'm planning to write about favorite cookbooks, cooking websites, and some of our favorite recipes very soon)
4. Plan the evening meal for each day, including side dishes. Write the plan and recipe page numbers on a pad of paper on the fridge
5. Make the grocery list and go shopping! And of course stick to the grocery list as much as possible.