tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post7925009113897750244..comments2024-03-28T03:58:48.788-07:00Comments on creative savv: Grocery Plans for JulyLilihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-30260060365548095452019-06-26T15:58:39.671-07:002019-06-26T15:58:39.671-07:00Those celery prices are horrible! I've been he...Those celery prices are horrible! I've been hearing that celery is over $5/lb in Canada. Do you ever use celery seed in place of celery in soups or sauces to add the celery flavor?<br />If you do find yourself needing fresh celery, check stores like SmartFoods Cash & Carry. There are a couple of those stores in Spokane. Although still expensive, they currently have celery in 3-bunch packages for $7.95. That works out to $2.65 per bunch, much better than $5.99/bunch, and celery will keep in the fridge for several weeks. Or you could split a package with neighbors, friends, or other family. Good luck!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-90748049795301844892019-06-26T15:48:25.528-07:002019-06-26T15:48:25.528-07:00Hi Cheryl,
Oh that must be difficult to try to gar...Hi Cheryl,<br />Oh that must be difficult to try to garden with deer. Our battle is with raccoons, squirrels, rocky mountain beavers, and birds. We only get a handle of cherries off of our 2 trees each year. I spend a lot of time chasing animals our of the cherry trees. Oddly, we also have rabbits, but they don't cause any issues with the garden.<br />I find that my husband and I eat far less than we used to, too. The benefit of aging, I guess. We're eating far less meat these days in general, with a lot beans and lentils to make up for the protein. It's better for our health, but also more economical. Wishing you well!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-82733649851702327692019-06-26T15:42:30.043-07:002019-06-26T15:42:30.043-07:00Hi Shara,
I freeze the canned tomatoes in quart-si...Hi Shara,<br />I freeze the canned tomatoes in quart-size containers in the liquid in which they were originally packed. It works great. I don't notice too much of a texture change from their canned state, and I can still use them in soups, chili, stews, and sauces.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-13890870794961424522019-06-26T15:20:28.747-07:002019-06-26T15:20:28.747-07:00I was at Safeway in Eastern Washington. The celery...I was at Safeway in Eastern Washington. The celery was 5.99 for a bunch! My daughter asked if we were in the organic section, nope!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-56067541070375956472019-06-26T14:39:31.552-07:002019-06-26T14:39:31.552-07:00Lili, it is a fighting battle with deer here. I g...Lili, it is a fighting battle with deer here. I grow tomatoes in a container and joined a CSA which has been nice but not cheap by any stretch. I am lucky to only feed two and my husband does not complain about what food there is just have some at meal times. We are really trying to cut done how much we eat, at one time we would each get a steak (about 1 lb) and force ourselves to eat it all. No more of that, 1/2 each and only on special occasions. Carbs are measured and as always I buy on sale.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03532160415343676858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-37208085159690277292019-06-26T14:12:55.834-07:002019-06-26T14:12:55.834-07:00How do you store your large cans of tomatoes once ...How do you store your large cans of tomatoes once you open them? I always pass them by unless I am cooking several batches of things at once.Sharanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-69183322732186620412019-06-26T09:44:55.749-07:002019-06-26T09:44:55.749-07:00Hi Lona,
thank you! I don't have a smartphone,...Hi Lona,<br />thank you! I don't have a smartphone, but Flipp has a website that I can access from my laptop. I like that Flipp incorporates the ads from stores that don't send flyers to my home. This looks like a good way to scour the ads.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-38956844981701017252019-06-26T09:41:25.929-07:002019-06-26T09:41:25.929-07:00Frugal in the USA, good luck to you! Thank you for...Frugal in the USA, good luck to you! Thank you for your comment. It helps me, too!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-5306633726786095752019-06-26T09:39:16.452-07:002019-06-26T09:39:16.452-07:00Alice, enjoy your time with her while she's ho...Alice, enjoy your time with her while she's home, then!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-19742763525145975992019-06-26T09:38:51.044-07:002019-06-26T09:38:51.044-07:00Hi Cathie,
Thank you for the tip on Walmart vs. Do...Hi Cathie,<br />Thank you for the tip on Walmart vs. Dollar Tree for pretzels! I'll make sure to check that out. I've found that sometimes, with Walmart vs DT, items at Walmart may not look cheaper on the surface, but may have more content by weight than the equivalent at DT. So always good to check.<br />I wish you luck with your own budget challenges. I get nervous, too. What helps me is to go to my pantry and look at all that we do have, then think of all of the treats and meals that I could make with what is there. That little exercise makes me realize just how fortunate I am.<br />Good luck!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-80306040537354871052019-06-26T06:38:43.815-07:002019-06-26T06:38:43.815-07:00Hi Lili! I use the Flipp app to check the best pr...Hi Lili! I use the Flipp app to check the best prices for an item. It can be downloaded on a smartphone. Lonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18314874488139542775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-84378176782629467092019-06-26T05:44:00.062-07:002019-06-26T05:44:00.062-07:00You are an inspiration to me to keep close tabs on...You are an inspiration to me to keep close tabs on my food budget. Thank you so much. We are retired and every little bit helps.Frugal in the USAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14378893788109034092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-83131462716890505952019-06-26T05:02:47.446-07:002019-06-26T05:02:47.446-07:00Lili, my daughter goes back to Honduras in early A...Lili, my daughter goes back to Honduras in early August so she's only home for 7 weeks. She has just finished 3 years there and has contracted for another 3 years. She loves it there.<br /><br />Have you tried cubing the watermelon and freezing small blocks? Popping a frozen watermelon block in your mouth in the heat of the summer is really good.<br /><br />AliceAlicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12660543650879805736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-18084344367792934552019-06-26T04:28:43.957-07:002019-06-26T04:28:43.957-07:00Love this Lil - it inspires me so much!
We have ju...Love this Lil - it inspires me so much!<br />We have just cut our food/consumable budget by 50% and everytime I get a little to nervous I come here for inspiration! I can't express how much this means to me and how helpful your sharing is to me. Thank you so very much.<br /><br />Suggestion: If you are at Walmart before you go to the Dollar Tree check to see how much pretzels are there, at our Walmart they were cheaper then at Dollar Tree. Might not be the same in your area but just a suggestions.<br /><br />CathieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-11099824344945079162019-06-25T21:44:49.551-07:002019-06-25T21:44:49.551-07:00Hi live and learn,
It is stressful at times, havin...Hi live and learn,<br />It is stressful at times, having to scrutinize every penny. For now, I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and make decisions about the budget when it's really necessary. Thinking about what we might have to give up is stressful in itself. Thanks for your moral support. It's helpful.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-61747508893256501342019-06-25T21:40:33.435-07:002019-06-25T21:40:33.435-07:00Cheryl,
Just after posting my comment to you I was...Cheryl,<br />Just after posting my comment to you I was online double-checking all of the stores in my area for any lower prices on anything on my list and I discovered that Fred Meyer had seedless watermelons for $2.99 each! I know I checked in the morning for their price on watermelons, so I was surprised to find this. The website indicates that this is a markdown, so maybe it happened just this afternoon. Anyway, one of my daughters wanted to run to Fred Meyer to get something so I tagged along with her and pre-spent some of July's money on a 14-lb watermelon (worked out to 21 cents/lb) and 6 half-gallons of milk (99 cents each, a savings of 15 cents/gallon over what I was expecting to pay on Senior Day). So a savings of almost $3 over what I had planned on spending. I'm always excited when serendipity comes my way.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-965906035172245842019-06-25T19:23:30.511-07:002019-06-25T19:23:30.511-07:00I'll ask you the same question that you asked ...I'll ask you the same question that you asked Cheryl. Are thinking about changing another part of your budget/savings to allow more for food? You're doing a great job, but it must put a strain on you after a while.Live and Learnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-29481114315967050502019-06-25T18:53:09.627-07:002019-06-25T18:53:09.627-07:00Hi Cheryl,
I know, As I made my list and was check...Hi Cheryl,<br />I know, As I made my list and was checking prices on everything, I was dismayed by even the small increases from what I had expected. I really expected to find watermelon for 29 or 39 cents/lb for the 4th of July. 49 cents/ lb was the best I could find. And the flour prices are higher than I expected. I will just do my best and see what God provides in the future. I have been thinking more and more about how we could both make the most of what we have growing as well as what we could plant and where in the yard. <br />How have you thought to manage rising food prices? Are you allocating more per month toward food and cutting back elsewhere? Or have you planned to grow more of your own food?Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-63556917733880666972019-06-25T18:47:26.058-07:002019-06-25T18:47:26.058-07:00Hi Alice,
yay! on finding the ice cream. I think t...Hi Alice,<br />yay! on finding the ice cream. I think this was providence that you found it now when it can be appreciated more because it's summer and you have 4 at home again.<br />I'm so glad for you to have your daughter home. Will she be going back at the end of summer, or is she back in the US now for the time being?Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-29382513820702331242019-06-25T17:53:42.441-07:002019-06-25T17:53:42.441-07:00Lili do you feel you will be able to keep this up ...Lili do you feel you will be able to keep this up with all the talk of rising food costs? Seems every week the costs of most things are going up 10-20¢.Cherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03532160415343676858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-85576700616653345562019-06-25T15:46:29.098-07:002019-06-25T15:46:29.098-07:00Good job on making the best you can on your small ...Good job on making the best you can on your small budget. I have to say you are the most creative person I know...especially in the budget and meal plan department.<br /><br />I have been doing a good job myself working through the freezer. WE have really put a dent in using the goodies inside. I had "lost" a gallon of ice cream and for the longest time I was unable to locate it in the freezer. But suddenly it appeared and just in time for July! We are now out of potatoes and I won't be buying more for a while. We're busting through the pasta and rice I bought at an Amish discount store earlier this year. <br /><br />Part of the reason is that my missionary daughter is home for the summer so now I cook for a family of 4. She misses mom's homemade meals and I'm glad to have her home.<br /><br />AliceAlicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06024364480893258511noreply@blogger.com