spamtrap1888 wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Jun 22, 4:21*pm, George Shirley > wrote:
>
> > One thing I've done for years is to buy the store brand of canned
> > whatever, usually they will stock canned goods with a prominent
> > label, "No Salt Added."
>
> We buy practically zero canned foods other than tomatoes for sauce.
> Black beans if we're going to make burritos or something. Evaporated
> milk for quiche.

I keep canned veggies and soups as well as tomatoes on hand.

> > Reasonably priced meat can still be found. I frequent the "used
> > meat" bin at the local Kroger. Stuff going off the "best by" date
> > on the next day is marked down 20 to 50 percent dependent upon the
> > cut.
>
> This is good but pickings are slim. I bought some beef shanks the
> other day, roasted them, and made beef stock in the slow cooker. And a
> rump roast to cook rare and slice/marinate into Italian beef.

Doing mostly pork and fish these days. Ox tail as well.

> If store brand chuck isn't less than $4 a pound there is something
> wrong with America. No idea where to get bison by me though. Even lamb
> is scarce nowadays. Lamb stew meat sells for the price of top sirloin
> beef.

Lamb has always been pricy here. For a short stint it got cheaper as
we opened market for OZ lamb, but now they just mark it up so it's
often a 'green meat bin' item.

> I grind chuck roast into hamburger meat because I have no faith in
> what they put in it.

Same here, lately pork sausage home made 'burgers' have been common.

> > Of course we're both retired now so we have the leisure to shop
> > wisely. A friend hops from store to store buying stuff listed in
> > the weekly grocery flyers. He spends more on gasoline than I would
> > do but seems happy with it. I shop the one store and know where
> > everything is and go straight to whichever aisle my computerized
> > list tells me to go.
>
> There are four supermarkets in a half-mile strip by me, including
> Trader Joe's and Whole P. (which carries the bread I like). I get the
> sale flyers and circle the things I want. I cherry pick what I want.
> Bing bing bing. My wife shops one of the farmers markets on Sunday.

I usually chose a store but like you, there are several within 1 mile
of each other. Kroger is across the street from Harris Teeter for
example.

> One of our weekend destinations is close to an Asian store with dirt
> cheap, medium to good quality produce. There we'll get a stir-fry
> vegetable, bean sprouts (good for the liver) and a Vietnamese baguette
> for sub sandwiches. The bread keeps well in the freezer if we're not
> going to eat it right away. I used to get cheap chicken legs at a
> different Asian supermarket, but my wife thought they smelled too
> gamey. So I avoid the meat section.

Asian chicken may be rice fed. Smells nasty until cooked.

> > I don't
> > shop Walmart, they change the blasted aisles every other week to
> > encourage impulse shopping.
>
> I checked out the closest Walmart supercenter but there was nothing
> special there.

Same here on both counts. Also the produce for some reason *rots*
faster than the real grocery stores stuff. I don't know if they have
storage issues, cheap chipping issues, or are 'buying last possible day
for cut rate prices' but the stuff is just not worth the price.

--

Goomba wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> cshenk wrote:
>
> > One item almost out of our purchases is beef. Thats not a good sign
> > for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
> > pork, often $2 a lb or more. Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
> > than beef.
>
> I only compare beef prices to beef, pork to pork, etc. If I want
> beef, why would I compare its price to pork??
>
> We tend to pay whatever it costs when we want particular cuts for
> family meals. For example, we do a lot of flank steaks when we can
> get all the kids together, and I get good meat in larger quantities
> at Sam's Club. If I see a sale price, I'd scarf it up and freeze
> extra.
>
> I get excellent deals on really nice lamb loin or rib chops by paying
> attention to the "used meat" shelves. So few people eat lamb around
> here that they're always having to mark it down and we swoop in and
> buy all we can find then. Obviously we have to have the resources to
> buy whenever it comes up, but in the long run we end up saving money
> this way.

True all! I just haven't been getting much beef lately. I also save a
lot by having a chest freezer and a proper vacumn sealer so we can
reapportion larger amounts of meats to what works for us then store for
longer time.

--

On Jun 23, 3:41*pm, Doug Freyburger > wrote:

> Here in the midwest we have The Dollar Tree. *I've never seen wine
> there. *Otherwise the same idea.



I shop at the Dollar Tree here in W-S, NC., where everything is a
dollar, unlike some dollar stores where some items are higher. The
dollar store is interesting in a variety of ways.

For instance, have you noticed they don't mark the aisle? I
believe they do that to make people wander around and maybe buy some
things that aren't on their list, if they're carrying one at all.
Yes, it's a great place for cleaners and aspirins and hand-sanitizer
and a bunch of other things.

Another thing I noticed about the dollar store is that there are
certain items going for a dollar that are actually cheaper in regular
stores, such as candy bars for instance. While I notice these things
- the unmarked aisles and the over-priced candy bars - I also
recognize that maybe those tactics are necessary to keep the store in
business. If everyone on earth became a good shopper, the dollar
store would probably go out of business. So sadly, in a sense, we
need some people to be thoughtless in their shopping so the cheap-
priced places can remain open.

TJ

spamtrap1888 wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Jun 22, 3:37*pm, "cshenk" > wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the scene has
> > changed a bit in both produce and items we may be finding. *I'd be
> > interested in what items the rest of you are using now that you
> > enjoy.
> >
> > One item almost out of our purchases is beef. *Thats not a good sign
> > for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
> > pork, often $2 a lb or more. *Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
> > than beef.
>
> Here fresh fish costs more than Filet mignon. (Not counting swai,
> basa, or tilapia). Shrimp is dirt cheap though.

I'm lucky. I live right on the coast. Most of what i get is local
caught so no transport fees.


--

Giusi wrote:

> I am cooking with much less flesh and using yogurt to make up proteins by
> having just yogurt for my lightest meal. I would use grains and beans if
> there were not only me, but I hate eating the same dishes over and over so
> much that I know they'd go to waste if I made them, and it isn't practical
> to cook 1/2 cup servings of either.
>
> Summer allows the possibility of big salads with small amounts of cooked
> fish, poultry, cheese, etc. and seems like just the thing to eat many
> times.

Summer just hit he The last day of spring, we had a high temperature of
84 degrees. The first day of summer, it was 101. Salads are *definitely*
more appealing than heavy roasts and the like. I do like adding beans to
salads to make them more protein-rich and substantial.

Lin recently made a quasi-Mexican salad using quinoa, black beans, avocado,
and other vegetables; it turned out very nicely indeed. Here's the link:

http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/21/red...getable-salad/

Summertime is also the time for tostadas and other salad-laden flatbreads.
That salad-covered pizza that sf likes is one example; I used to get that
same thing in Rimini when the weather was hot.


Bob

Giusi wrote in rec.food.cooking:

>
> "cshenk" > ha scritto nel messaggio
> > Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the scene has
> > changed a bit in both produce and items we may be finding. I'd be
> > interested in what items the rest of you are using now that you
> > enjoy.
>
> Carol, I doubt I know a thing about economising that you don't
> already know. The only thing I can think of that applies to both of
> us is using less of the condiments and seasonings that are not usual
> to where we are, but that's often how to use something cheap, isn't
> it?

Hehe but based on the thread, plenty of others are feeling a crunch and
finding new to them ways to beat it.

> I am cooking with much less flesh and using yogurt to make up
> proteins by having just yogurt for my lightest meal. I would use
> grains and beans if there were not only me, but I hate eating the
> same dishes over and over so much that I know they'd go to waste if I
> made them, and it isn't practical to cook 1/2 cup servings of either.

True, unless it's a type you can freeze well for a time in individual
servings, beans don't make sense in your case. Canned maybe.

> Summer allows the possibility of big salads with small amounts of
> cooked fish, poultry, cheese, etc. and seems like just the thing to
> eat many times.

We aren't big on salads here but my stove top steamer gets a workout at
this season with loads of fresh greens!




--

zxcvbob wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> cshenk wrote:
> > Hi all, Been a bit since we have had a thread on this and the
> > scene has changed a bit in both produce and items we may be
> > finding. I'd be interested in what items the rest of you are using
> > now that you enjoy.
> >
> > One item almost out of our purchases is beef. Thats not a good sign
> > for our economy in the USA but the cost is now radically higher than
> > pork, often $2 a lb or more. Fresh seafood is generally cheaper now
> > than beef.
> >
> > Major brands are reducing sizes in small increments while store
> > brands and 'off brands' are not. Salt and sugar addition to major
> > brands seems to be increasing while store brands overall seem
> > stable.
> >
> > Thoughts?
> > Carol
> >
>
>
> I only buy meat when it's on sale and I try to keep a good bit of
> meat in the freezer, plus I eat a lot of vegetarian meals.
>
> I buy most of my groceries at Aldi. They are a lot cheaper than
> Walmart. Meat is usually from the little independent supermarket a
> mile from my house -- but again, only the sale items. (They used to
> have a "used meat bin" like where George shops, but they got rid of
> it :-(
>
> Usually if I need a beef fix, I just goto Wendy's and order a deluxe
> cheeseburger off the Value Menu.
>
> A 3 pound bag of fresh broccoli florets only costs about $5 from
> Sam's Club (I think they used to be $4) and lasts me about a week.
> By then I'm sick of broccoli for a while.
>
> In the winter I bake my own sourdough bread using bread flour from
> Sam's (couple of dollars for 25 pounds) I need to try baking a loaf
> in the electric roaster out in the garage; then I could bake in the
> summer without heating the house...
>
> Typical lunch at work is a cup of coffee and a banana, or a 29¢
> frozen burrito with lots of bottled hot sauce, or a pouch of tuna.
>
> -Bob

Hey Bob, we took to making almost all our bread at home in a
breadmachine years ago. We couldnt get anything but frozen wonderbread
shipped 6-8 weeks old from 2001-2007 in Sasebo and nasty as that astuff
is, it's much worse when shipped frozen 6-8 weeks before you get it out
of the commisary freezer.

From 1995-2010 the cost savings were 20cents on the dollar for home
made. That has now increased in savings because the items to 'make
your own' have not gone up all that much but store bread has. It's now
running 10-15cents on the dollar to make your own in comparison.




--

On Jun 22, 11:31*pm, sf > wrote:
> On Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:22:52 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
>
> > wrote:
> > We buy practically zero canned foods other than tomatoes for sauce.
> > Black beans if we're going to make burritos or something. Evaporated
> > milk for quiche.
>
> You use evaporated milk for quiche? *Do you use a regular recipe and
> substitute evaporated milk or do you have a special one? *I only use
> evaporated milk for pumpkin pie. *I've never had the nerve to use it
> for anything else because I'm afraid it might give whatever I'm making
> a funny taste.

I got the recipe from fr.rec.cuisine eons ago. It called for "Gloria"
milk.

On Jun 23, 4:37*pm, Ran e at Arabian Knits >
wrote:

> We've taken to buying cases of things that can be stored well (or 25
> -100 pounds of dry things that store well) to basically lock in the
> price so we have something in future if the excrement really hits the
> fan. *We already pay a ton for milk, but its price hasn't gone up, we
> have taken to trying to reduce the amount we buy and rationing it.
>

Have you tried eking whole milk out with nonfat dry milk? Does that
still work?

Just one more cost cutter is bath soap. We began breaking out in itchy
hives and suspected our fine, expensive soap could be the culprit. Changed
to the cheapest bar the dollar store had to offer that claimed as special
ingredients pretty much nothing. No cream, oil, lotion, deodorant or
anti-critter anything. Just soap. I guess it doesn't save much but our
hides are happier.
A bummer? We tried the store brand of a bottle of what looked just like
409 cleaner. It certainly was not an 'as good as'. The worst? The store
brand of Band-Aids. They wouldn't even stick to glue. Polly

On Jun 24, 12:02*am, "Polly Esther" > wrote:
> Just one more cost cutter is bath soap. *We began breaking out in itchy
> hives and suspected our fine, expensive soap could be the culprit. *Changed
> to the cheapest bar the dollar store had to offer that claimed as special
> ingredients *pretty much nothing. *No cream, oil, lotion, deodorant or
> anti-critter anything. *Just soap. *I guess it doesn't save much but our
> hides are happier.
> * * A bummer? *We tried the store brand of a bottle of what looked just like
> 409 cleaner. *It certainly was not an 'as good as'. *The worst? *The store
> brand of Band-Aids. *They wouldn't even stick to glue. *Polly



It's good to use a list in any store, especially the dollar
store. But it's also good to keep an eye out while walking from item
to item as something new and interesting might pop into view. Some
things at the dollar store are really poor quality, such as toilet
paper and paper towels for instance. Other things are as good or even
better than name products going for 4 times the price. The dollar
store hand-sanitizer is as good as any of the name brands I've tried.
But in the long run, if you spend a buck on something and find it's
not worth buying again, I suppose that's a minor loss in the learning
process. I love some of the dishes they sell. I have never been a
fan of fine china. I don't care if dishes match. Some of the
dishes I've bought at the dollar store, even if they cost 3 times as
much, I'd still buy them. I still say the dollar store is one where
a list should be used. But it's good that some people don't use a
list. It's good that they spend money unwisely at the dollar store so
it might stay in operation for those of us who know how to use it.

TJ

On Jun 23, 1:31*am, sf > wrote:
> On Wed, 22 Jun 2011 22:22:52 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
>
> > wrote:
> > We buy practically zero canned foods other than tomatoes for sauce.
> > Black beans if we're going to make burritos or something. Evaporated
> > milk for quiche.
>
> You use evaporated milk for quiche? *Do you use a regular recipe and
> substitute evaporated milk or do you have a special one? *I only use
> evaporated milk for pumpkin pie. *I've never had the nerve to use it
> for anything else because I'm afraid it might give whatever I'm making
> a funny taste.
>
>
I've used it several times for bread pudding and it's excellent. No
funny/off taste at all.

On Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:23:12 -0700, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

> Lin recently made a quasi-Mexican salad using quinoa, black beans, avocado,
> and other vegetables; it turned out very nicely indeed. Here's the link:
>
> http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/21/red...getable-salad/

Thanks for that link, it looks delicious... I love quinoa and have
seen red (or maybe it was black) a couple of times, so I'll grab some
the next time I see it.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

"Polly Esther" > wrote
> A bummer? We tried the store brand of a bottle of what looked just
> like 409 cleaner. It certainly was not an 'as good as'. The worst? The
> store brand of Band-Aids. They wouldn't even stick to glue. Polly

You can't always compare actual active ingredients. Some cheap brands are
pretty much identical, others no so much. Pin-Sol has twice the pine oil as
the cheaper brand, for instance. A lady in work was telling me about this
cheap spray cleaner she bought and how good it works. Turns out, it is
diluted bleach that you can make yourself for about 1¢ a bottle.

With care though, you can save a lot at the dollar store. There is a lot of
junk, but some real gems to.

Unless your super market gets its fish directly from the dock, frozen
fish is fresher than "fresh" fish. Publix carries a 2 pound frozen bag
of Whiting for $7.99. It's too fishy tasting to eat alone, IMO, but is
great in soups, chowders and casseroles.

Same with veggies. Frozen peas, carrots, etc are fresher than those
wilted things on the shelves of the fruit/veggie section

In article
>,
Ranée at Arabian Knits > wrote:

> In article >, "biig" >
> wrote:

> > I cruise the meat department of our local Sobey's.
> > . .Sharon in Canada

>
> Anyone near Fred Meyer can feed their families meat quite well from
> their mark down bin. We used to do that early in our marriage, and I
> know Rich's mom fed her family on that when they were starting out and
> had barely a budget.
>
> Regards,
> Ranee

An aside re the used meat bin and stickers: my Cub meat manager told me
about his time in another store, one with a high customer base of
seniors who were used to buying from the used meat bin because the
previous manager overbought. New Guy became quite unpopular when he
stopped over-ordering ‹ nothing to put in the used meat bin. My food
co-op sometimes has a used meat corner but as often as not, now they
freeze the meat and put it with the frozen stuff instead of the fresh.
--
Barb,
Creamed Cornbread, June 13, 2011; http://web.me.com/barbschaller

as far as cleaning goes, i have that as cheap as possible. it goes like
this:

-vinagar and bleach, diluted or full strength where applicliable. use
cheapest coffee filters you can find to clean windows/mirrors and similar
surfaces.
--enzyme cleaner for animal booboos. most any of them are good if you get
the mess fresh.

this has replaced; toilet and bathub cleansers, windex,409,
-only other cleaners are laundry soap, kitchen dishsoap and bakingsoda when
you need a mild abrasive.

Lee
"Polly Esther" > wrote in message
...
> Just one more cost cutter is bath soap. We began breaking out in itchy
> hives and suspected our fine, expensive soap could be the culprit.
> Changed to the cheapest bar the dollar store had to offer that claimed as
> special ingredients pretty much nothing. No cream, oil, lotion,
> deodorant or anti-critter anything. Just soap. I guess it doesn't save
> much but our hides are happier.
> A bummer? We tried the store brand of a bottle of what looked just
> like 409 cleaner. It certainly was not an 'as good as'. The worst? The
> store brand of Band-Aids. They wouldn't even stick to glue. Polly

On Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:19:24 -0500, "Storrmmee"
> wrote:

> as far as cleaning goes, i have that as cheap as possible. it goes like
> this:
>
> -vinagar and bleach, diluted or full strength where applicliable. use
> cheapest coffee filters you can find to clean windows/mirrors and similar
> surfaces.
> --enzyme cleaner for animal booboos. most any of them are good if you get
> the mess fresh.
>
> this has replaced; toilet and bathub cleansers, windex,409,
> -only other cleaners are laundry soap, kitchen dishsoap and bakingsoda when
> you need a mild abrasive.
>
You forgot rubbing alcohol. It's an all purpose cleaner. Wet your
dust rag with it before you dust a surface, polish glass with it,
loosen baked on food with it.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

i only use it for smoke damage, the disadvantages of damage to certain
surfaces and breathing difficulty make it not often used in my house. Lee
"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:19:24 -0500, "Storrmmee"
> > wrote:
>
>> as far as cleaning goes, i have that as cheap as possible. it goes like
>> this:
>>
>> -vinagar and bleach, diluted or full strength where applicliable. use
>> cheapest coffee filters you can find to clean windows/mirrors and similar
>> surfaces.
>> --enzyme cleaner for animal booboos. most any of them are good if you get
>> the mess fresh.
>>
>> this has replaced; toilet and bathub cleansers, windex,409,
>> -only other cleaners are laundry soap, kitchen dishsoap and bakingsoda
>> when
>> you need a mild abrasive.
>>
> You forgot rubbing alcohol. It's an all purpose cleaner. Wet your
> dust rag with it before you dust a surface, polish glass with it,
> loosen baked on food with it.
>
> --
>
> Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Jun 24, 12:19*pm, "Storrmmee" > wrote:
> as far as cleaning goes, i have that as cheap as possible. it goes like
> this:
>
> -vinagar and bleach, diluted or full strength where applicliable. *use
> cheapest coffee filters you can find to clean windows/mirrors and similar
> surfaces.
> --enzyme cleaner for animal booboos. most any of them are good if you get
> the mess fresh.


I agree. I have a similar method for doing my laundry (at the
laundromat), although I wouldn't say it's cheaper - in fact it costs
more than using regular laundry soap. I use a small box of baking
soda, then at the final rinse I toss in an entire bottle of vinegar.
I thought of this when I realized there is always a bit of soap in the
pipes from the previous user, and most people over-use soap anyway. I
have been doing this for a year and have not yet received any reports
from anyone of my clothes looking or smelling like filth. The vinegar
actually smells even as the clothes are drying, but I don't mind. It
helps remove soap residue. So my method is not really cheap. A small
box of baking soda costs like 40 cents at WalMart, and the small
bottle of vinegar costs like 70 cents. That's more than a dollar per
load, which is probably more than a few tablespoons of laundry soap.
But I think it's better than soap and for me it's worth it.

TJ

On Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:54:42 -0500, "Storrmmee"
> wrote:

> i only use it for smoke damage, the disadvantages of damage to certain
> surfaces and breathing difficulty make it not often used in my house. Lee

Yes, it works great on smoke damage. I've even used it to clean an
oil painting with no problem.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Polly Esther" > wrote
>> A bummer? We tried the store brand of a bottle of what looked just
>> like 409 cleaner. It certainly was not an 'as good as'. The worst? The
>> store brand of Band-Aids. They wouldn't even stick to glue. Polly
>
> You can't always compare actual active ingredients. Some cheap brands are
> pretty much identical, others no so much. Pin-Sol has twice the pine oil
> as the cheaper brand, for instance. A lady in work was telling me about
> this cheap spray cleaner she bought and how good it works. Turns out, it
> is diluted bleach that you can make yourself for about 1¢ a bottle.
>
> With care though, you can save a lot at the dollar store. There is a lot
> of junk, but some real gems to.

I find most dollar stores to be overpriced on foods. Dollar Tree does have
some good buys but you do have to be careful. They sell some artificial
cheese.

On Jun 25, 12:27*am, "Julie Bove" > wrote:
> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > "Polly Esther" > wrote
> >> * *A bummer? *We tried the store brand of a bottle of what looked just
> >> like 409 cleaner. *It certainly was not an 'as good as'. *The worst? *The
> >> store brand of Band-Aids. *They wouldn't even stick to glue. *Polly
>
> > You can't always compare actual active ingredients. *Some cheap brands are
> > pretty much identical, others no so much. *Pin-Sol has twice the pine oil
> > as the cheaper brand, for instance. *A lady in work was telling me about
> > this cheap spray cleaner she bought and how good it works. Turns out, it
> > is diluted bleach that you can make yourself for about 1 a bottle.
>
> > With care though, you can save a lot at the dollar store. *There is a lot
> > of junk, but some real gems to.
>
> I find most dollar stores to be overpriced on foods. *Dollar Tree does have
> some good buys but you do have to be careful. *They sell some artificial
> cheese.

Everybody hates you. Go away.

On Sat, 25 Jun 2011 02:53:54 -0700 (PDT), BillyZoom
> wrote:

>On Jun 25, 12:27*am, "Julie Bove" > wrote:
>> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
>>
>> ...
>>
>>
>>
>> > "Polly Esther" > wrote
>> >> * *A bummer? *We tried the store brand of a bottle of what looked just
>> >> like 409 cleaner. *It certainly was not an 'as good as'. *The worst? *The
>> >> store brand of Band-Aids. *They wouldn't even stick to glue. *Polly
>>
>> > You can't always compare actual active ingredients. *Some cheap brands are
>> > pretty much identical, others no so much. *Pin-Sol has twice the pine oil
>> > as the cheaper brand, for instance. *A lady in work was telling me about
>> > this cheap spray cleaner she bought and how good it works. Turns out, it
>> > is diluted bleach that you can make yourself for about 1 a bottle.
>>
>> > With care though, you can save a lot at the dollar store. *There is a lot
>> > of junk, but some real gems to.
>>
>> I find most dollar stores to be overpriced on foods. *Dollar Tree does have
>> some good buys but you do have to be careful. *They sell some artificial
>> cheese.
>
>Everybody hates you. Go away.

Unless you have bigger tits and give better blow jobs YOU go away,
Bully Bum****.

Julie Bove wrote in rec.food.cooking:
> We're back to using coupons and trying to combine them with sales.
> There aren't a lot of coupons we can use given our food allergies and
> the fact that we don't buy much prepared food. But we use what we
> can.

As long as you are careful to use them for things that you normally buy
and price check the other offerings, they can work well.

> We have cut back on the variety of what we eat, especially with
> produce. I buy greens, onions of all kinds, sometimes potatoes, baby
> carrots, sliced apples, tomatoes, and once in a while something else.
> I get the apples and carrots at Costco.

We expand what we eat in variety at times when the groceries increase.
That oddball item we normally would skip like a turnip or a new type of
veggie that's pretty cheap will land in the basket now.

> We are eating less meat.

We've not been big meat eaters anyways compared to most so we havent
reduced that, just shifted types a bit.

> We do eat beef but rarely and mostly ground beef.

We grind our own or eat it in pot roast ways mostly.

> Mainly we buy stuff like rice, canned goods, produce, cheese, lunch
> meats and some gluten free items. Also has the cheapest price on
> beverages.

We don't do much more than tea bags and Don's occasional pepsi.

> I have asked for a chest freezer for my birthday next week.
> Currently we have a side by side and the freezer portion doesn't hold
> much or large items. I will be able to use more coupons once I get
> that.

Good units. Get one with the sliding bins so you can sort stuff. Then
with a vacumn sealer unit, you can get larger family packs of things
and cut them down to what you use and keep them for a long time without
problems.



--

zxcvbob wrote in rec.food.cooking:


> I only buy meat when it's on sale and I try to keep a good bit of
> meat in the freezer, plus I eat a lot of vegetarian meals.

Pretty much same here. Not all meat is 'on sale' but I do get extra on
a good sale and tuck it in the chest freezer after sealing.

> A 3 pound bag of fresh broccoli florets only costs about $5 from
> Sam's Club (I think they used to be $4) and lasts me about a week.
> By then I'm sick of broccoli for a while.

I'm odd. I prefer the asian version which has no florets at all but
leaves and tender stems. Currently running about 45cents a lb here.

> In the winter I bake my own sourdough bread using bread flour from
> Sam's (couple of dollars for 25 pounds) I need to try baking a loaf
> in the electric roaster out in the garage; then I could bake in the
> summer without heating the house...

Breadmaker machine here. I need to make another loaf later today.
Slightly less electric used than your roaster if i have the
understanding right of your unit.

> Typical lunch at work is a cup of coffee and a banana, or a 29¢
> frozen burrito with lots of bottled hot sauce, or a pouch of tuna.

Hehe thats where I fall down. Normally too lazy to bring my own. Apt
to spend 5$ at the lunch counter.


--

Polly Esther wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Just one more cost cutter is bath soap. We began breaking out in
> itchy hives and suspected our fine, expensive soap could be the
> culprit. Changed to the cheapest bar the dollar store had to offer
> that claimed as special ingredients pretty much nothing. No cream,
> oil, lotion, deodorant or anti-critter anything. Just soap. I guess
> it doesn't save much but our hides are happier. A bummer? We tried
> the store brand of a bottle of what looked just like 409 cleaner. It
> certainly was not an 'as good as'. The worst? The store brand of
> Band-Aids. They wouldn't even stick to glue. Polly

LOL! Yeah, bandaides and bottled cleaners tend to be a bust.
Dishwashing liquid can be ok though. Avoiding the hype is part of the
issue along with when it is better. Tide for example is hype.

--

cshenk > wrote:

>LOL! Yeah, bandaides and bottled cleaners tend to be a bust.
>Dishwashing liquid can be ok though. Avoiding the hype is part of the
>issue along with when it is better. Tide for example is hype.

Tide is not entirely hype, because it's pretty concentrated stuff.
I used "Tide Free" powder for many years and it cleaned super well,
dissolved well, and had no allergy issues. Problem is it's animal-tested
so I stopped using it.

Steve

Tommy Joe wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On Jun 24, 12:02*am, "Polly Esther" > wrote:
> > Just one more cost cutter is bath soap. *We began breaking out in
> > itchy hives and suspected our fine, expensive soap could be the
> > culprit. *Changed to the cheapest bar the dollar store had to offer
> > that claimed as special ingredients *pretty much nothing. *No
> > cream, oil, lotion, deodorant or anti-critter anything. *Just soap.
> > *I guess it doesn't save much but our hides are happier.
> > * * A bummer? *We tried the store brand of a bottle of what looked
> > just like 409 cleaner. *It certainly was not an 'as good as'. *The
> > worst? *The store brand of Band-Aids. *They wouldn't even stick to
> > glue. *Polly
>
>
>
> It's good to use a list in any store, especially the dollar
> store. But it's also good to keep an eye out while walking from item
> to item as something new and interesting might pop into view. Some
> things at the dollar store are really poor quality, such as toilet
> paper and paper towels for instance. Other things are as good or even
> better than name products going for 4 times the price. The dollar
> store hand-sanitizer is as good as any of the name brands I've tried.
> But in the long run, if you spend a buck on something and find it's
> not worth buying again, I suppose that's a minor loss in the learning
> process. I love some of the dishes they sell. I have never been a
> fan of fine china. I don't care if dishes match. Some of the
> dishes I've bought at the dollar store, even if they cost 3 times as
> much, I'd still buy them. I still say the dollar store is one where
> a list should be used. But it's good that some people don't use a
> list. It's good that they spend money unwisely at the dollar store so
> it might stay in operation for those of us who know how to use it.

My 'list' is in my head as i know prices pretty well. Agreed, many
things at the dollar store are decent. It's the '100 Yen' store of the
USA!


--

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...

> I find most dollar stores to be overpriced on foods. Dollar Tree does
> have some good buys but you do have to be careful. They sell some
> artificial cheese.

I think the .99 Cent Store has a pretty good selection sometimes, and lots
of fresh fruits and veggies, which the Dollar Tree here doesn't have.

Cheri

On Sat, 25 Jun 2011 12:42:18 -0500, "cshenk" > wrote:

> I'm odd. I prefer the asian version which has no florets at all but
> leaves and tender stems. Currently running about 45cents a lb here.

I've been buying broccolini lately. I like broccoli, no matter what
type it is.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:16:37 +0000 (UTC),
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> I used "Tide Free" powder for many years and it cleaned super well,
> dissolved well, and had no allergy issues. Problem is it's animal-tested
> so I stopped using it.

Still? I thought animal testing has gone the way of the dinosaur.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

even animal foods feed their food for a precribed amount of time and snuff a
litter at intervals to do necropsies to see how the food is treating the
animals insides... i will never buy it if i know it. Lee
"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:16:37 +0000 (UTC),
> (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>> I used "Tide Free" powder for many years and it cleaned super well,
>> dissolved well, and had no allergy issues. Problem is it's animal-tested
>> so I stopped using it.
>
> Still? I thought animal testing has gone the way of the dinosaur.
>
> --
>
> Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Jun 25, 2:19*pm, "cshenk" > wrote:

> My 'list' is in my head as i know prices pretty well. *Agreed, many
> things at the dollar store are decent. *It's the '100 Yen' store of the
> USA!


Where do you live? I go to the dollar tree about once every two
weeks for a list of things. It's in my head too, but I prefer to
write things down just in case. What I really hate is being with
people who refuse to use a list and then they're always asking me what
they forgot, like it's my job to remember things for them. I use
index cards. I fold several in half and keep them in my shirt
pocket. When they're full, throw them away. You can get them at the
dollar store too. I was not kidding about the dollar store dishes, I
think they're great. I never cared for fine china or expensive
silverware and so forth. It's not an anti-snob thing, I just think
cheaper stuff makes more sense. The dishes I use from the dollar
store are maybe 6 inches across. They're like dinner plates only
smaller. Great size for pasta salad or any meal really. Only a
dollar, and they don't seem to give the microwave any trouble.

TJ

cshenk wrote:

> LOL! Yeah, bandaides and bottled cleaners tend to be a bust.
> Dishwashing liquid can be ok though. Avoiding the hype is part of the
> issue along with when it is better. Tide for example is hype.
>
Except that Tide, in various formulas, comes in first (second, third,
etc) year after year in the Consumer Reports ratings.

sf > wrote:

>On Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:16:37 +0000 (UTC),

>> I used "Tide Free" powder for many years and it cleaned super well,
>> dissolved well, and had no allergy issues. Problem is it's animal-tested
>> so I stopped using it.

>Still? I thought animal testing has gone the way of the dinosaur.

Last I checked they were still on PETA's "bad list" of products
using animal testing. I haven't looked for a year or maybe two
however.

Steve
>
>Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

"cshenk" > wrote in message
...
> Julie Bove wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>> We're back to using coupons and trying to combine them with sales.
>> There aren't a lot of coupons we can use given our food allergies and
>> the fact that we don't buy much prepared food. But we use what we
>> can.
>
> As long as you are careful to use them for things that you normally buy
> and price check the other offerings, they can work well.
>
>> We have cut back on the variety of what we eat, especially with
>> produce. I buy greens, onions of all kinds, sometimes potatoes, baby
>> carrots, sliced apples, tomatoes, and once in a while something else.
>> I get the apples and carrots at Costco.
>
> We expand what we eat in variety at times when the groceries increase.
> That oddball item we normally would skip like a turnip or a new type of
> veggie that's pretty cheap will land in the basket now.
>
>> We are eating less meat.
>
> We've not been big meat eaters anyways compared to most so we havent
> reduced that, just shifted types a bit.
>
>> We do eat beef but rarely and mostly ground beef.
>
> We grind our own or eat it in pot roast ways mostly.
>
>> Mainly we buy stuff like rice, canned goods, produce, cheese, lunch
>> meats and some gluten free items. Also has the cheapest price on
>> beverages.
>
> We don't do much more than tea bags and Don's occasional pepsi.
>
>> I have asked for a chest freezer for my birthday next week.
>> Currently we have a side by side and the freezer portion doesn't hold
>> much or large items. I will be able to use more coupons once I get
>> that.
>
> Good units. Get one with the sliding bins so you can sort stuff. Then
> with a vacumn sealer unit, you can get larger family packs of things
> and cut them down to what you use and keep them for a long time without
> problems.
>
>
>
> --
>

On Sun, 26 Jun 2011 03:36:27 +0000 (UTC),
(Steve Pope) wrote:

> sf > wrote:
>
> >On Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:16:37 +0000 (UTC),
>
> >> I used "Tide Free" powder for many years and it cleaned super well,
> >> dissolved well, and had no allergy issues. Problem is it's animal-tested
> >> so I stopped using it.
>
> >Still? I thought animal testing has gone the way of the dinosaur.
>
> Last I checked they were still on PETA's "bad list" of products
> using animal testing. I haven't looked for a year or maybe two
> however.
>
I would still be shocked if it was a year or two ago. Sorry to hear
it.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

cshenk wrote:
> Julie Bove wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>> We're back to using coupons and trying to combine them with sales.
>> There aren't a lot of coupons we can use given our food allergies and
>> the fact that we don't buy much prepared food. But we use what we
>> can.
>
> As long as you are careful to use them for things that you normally
> buy and price check the other offerings, they can work well.

We've been watching that Extreme Couponing show. Yes, I know there is
plenty of coupon fraud on that show in a variety of ways. It left my
daughter thinking that in order to save money we need to buy lots of things
we don't need. The problem there? They were doing that on the show but
apparently there store gives overage. For example a dollar off coupon for
an item that is on sale for 75 cents. So they buy a ton to make a quarter
for each item. AFAIK the only store in this area that gives overage is
Walmart. We don't shop there often. Our Walmart doesn't have a proper food
department. Just a few aisles of food. If I could ever find such deals I
would buy a ton of whatever it is *if* I had a place to donate it to. For a
while there I was getting coupons for free things we couldn't use. Like
cans of tuna or boxes of spaghetti. So I just got them and donated them to
the food bank. But I've been told the best items to get overage on are not
food items but things like Excederin. I don't know *who* you could donate
those things to. But I have recently donated toothbrushes and body wash
that we didn't need. They will take things like that at our food bank.
>
>> We have cut back on the variety of what we eat, especially with
>> produce. I buy greens, onions of all kinds, sometimes potatoes, baby
>> carrots, sliced apples, tomatoes, and once in a while something else.
>> I get the apples and carrots at Costco.
>
> We expand what we eat in variety at times when the groceries increase.
> That oddball item we normally would skip like a turnip or a new type
> of veggie that's pretty cheap will land in the basket now.

When I was getting CSA boxes we really expanded the veggies we ate. The
problem was the fruit. The first place I got them from would let us choose
an all veggie box, but... We could make no changed to the box. So week
after week we would get things we don't eat. Like avocado. Then when my
health food store switched farms, the new farm allowed us to make three
permanent changes. So I could say I never wanted to see avocados in the
box. I can't remember now what two other items I never wanted to see. And
then I could make up to five changed weekly. But there was still always
fruit. I rarely ever eat fruit. Husband will only eat red delicous apples,
Sunkist brand naval oranges (never in a CSA box), and occasionally a few
other fruits that were never in the box. Daughter will only eat the apple
slices like you get at Costco and once in a blue moon, bananas. So each
week I was getting mangos, papayas, peaches, plums, etc. And nobody would
eat them. I wound up throwing that stuff out but we were still saving money
and eating more variety. Then when husband moved to CA, I stopped getting
the boxes because it was just too many vegetables for the two of us.
>
>> We are eating less meat.
>
> We've not been big meat eaters anyways compared to most so we havent
> reduced that, just shifted types a bit.
>
>> We do eat beef but rarely and mostly ground beef.
>
> We grind our own or eat it in pot roast ways mostly.
>
>> Mainly we buy stuff like rice, canned goods, produce, cheese, lunch
>> meats and some gluten free items. Also has the cheapest price on
>> beverages.
>
> We don't do much more than tea bags and Don's occasional pepsi.

Daughter mostly drinks water. Sometimes green tea or juice. But she and
husband like a variety of diet sodas. And when she is dancing she usually
takes a diet sports drink. I suck down diet Coke with Lime like there is no
stopping me. So I like to get it cheap. I will drink hot tea in the winter
sometimes.
>
>> I have asked for a chest freezer for my birthday next week.
>> Currently we have a side by side and the freezer portion doesn't hold
>> much or large items. I will be able to use more coupons once I get
>> that.
>
> Good units. Get one with the sliding bins so you can sort stuff.
> Then with a vacumn sealer unit, you can get larger family packs of
> things and cut them down to what you use and keep them for a long
> time without problems.

Thanks.

sf wrote:
> On Sat, 25 Jun 2011 18:16:37 +0000 (UTC),
> (Steve Pope) wrote:
>
>> I used "Tide Free" powder for many years and it cleaned super well,
>> dissolved well, and had no allergy issues. Problem is it's
>> animal-tested so I stopped using it.
>
> Still? I thought animal testing has gone the way of the dinosaur.

Why would you think that?