Posted by: Pam
on May 11, 2009
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I really enjoy trying to copy things I enjoy from restaurants, if I can make it at home it is certainly much cheaper. Some things I can actually make suit my own taste more than the original. With the internet, there are so many resources to find things my family enjoy when we dine out. My daughter is a big fan of Chili's salsa, and a quick internet search can find the efforts others have made to duplicate it.
I actually enjoy trying to do it on my own. I make a mental note of the description given on the menu, which usually includes the basics ... and then I can go by taste buds and testing to get the rest.
Posted by: Pam
on May 7, 2009
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Eating fresh, is preferable for me but it isn't always convenient or thrifty. If I can find ground beef on sale in the large packages using it all quickly would never happen, so freezing is necessary. I don't mind freezing ground beef or cubed steak because I really see little loss of quality once it's thawed. I have found the best way to store in the freezer is to freeze individual portions just like they would in the store packages. Using a cookie sheet or a plastic tray, I can arrange each portion without touching and then freeze them partially ... wrap each one, and place them in storage bags. This keeps them from bonding to each other and thawing a little or a lot quick and easy. This also works well for anything from homemade egg rolls to individual pizza partially baked crusts I can top and finish baking later. Frozen pizza might be cheaper than take out, but I can make my own at home even cheaper.
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Posted by: Pam
on May 6, 2009
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Another money saver I have found is the store discount card. Kroger, where I shop regularly has offered a "plus" card you scan at checkout to receive a discount. It's free to obtain one, you just need to ask at the service desk and they will sign you up. The savings can be significant for some items.
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Posted by: Pam
on May 4, 2009
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I was shocked when I began to see milk prices climb, I began to wonder if they were competing with gasoline to see which could go the higest for a gallon. The standard grocery stores will often have the store brand on sale but the local dairy was at $4.99 last time I checked. Kroger shrank that local dairy milk (Valley Bell) section down to one very small corner of a large dairy case where it was snubbed royally for the store brand. I don't think I saw anyone on any of my shopping trips willing to pay 5 dollars for a gallon of milk. But just a little further down the road at Sam's club, that very same milk is about $2.50. How is this possible? Another item that cuts the cost in half by buying at the big box store.
Posted by: Pam
on May 3, 2009
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The next Sam’s Club purchase I would like to talk about is root vegetables. Potatoes, onions and Carrots all can be purchased much cheaper there. I have found that even if I don’t use the entire bag it is still cheaper to purchase and use what I can. Carrots play well with a lot of other veggies, so they are something I can work into a lot of meals or even use as an edible garnish. Root veggies keep longer than most vegetables and since there are 4 of us I can use them for several different meals and still use them up before they go bad. Garlic is cheaper at Sam’s but you do get a HUGE amount. I have bought it in the past and shared it with my brother. If I had bought the same amount at Kroger it would have been far more. I do use a lot, but not quite that much. Buying and sharing still saved me money.
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Posted by: Pam
on Apr 30, 2009
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Hello everyone. This is my first official post on this blog. To start off my first few posts, I would like to take a look at some of the items I purchase from Sam’s Club. My first item is cheese. Sam’s has a wide variety of cheeses and I find it to be one of the biggest money savers for me. Sliced grated or block it’s easily divided into foodsaver bags and stored for weeks. Storage is a big issue for shopping in the big box store. If I didn’t have the foodsaver, 2 refrigerators and a large pantry … Sam’s Club probably wouldn’t work for me. But if I could get the cheese at that price in the standard grocery store I would make room in the fridge and I would still invest in the foodsaver. Cheese like Parmesan, which has a big price tag is a great value at Sam’s Club. They do have the cheaper green can available but for the price I love being able to get the real thing. I watch for specials and if the grocery store has a better deal than Sam’s I will buy their cheese, but I must admit I rarely find that to be the case, Sam’s by far consistently has the best deals on this staple of mine.
Cheese is a great multipurpose item. As I work to build this blog you will find that Sam’s is my place for food “multitaskers” the items I can buy and make many different meals or snacks combined with the smaller scale grocery items. I can always make a grilled cheese, quesadilla or just nibble a slice for mere pennies.
Posted by: Pam
on Apr 22, 2009
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For years my online life has functioned mainly in forums. My Food Network Fans forum has become the inspiration for me to start this blog. As a Food Network Fan, I have been watching and waiting with hope that the Food Network would do a show similar to the blog I am beginning here today.
In today's times it is tough to stretch your paycheck to meet all your needs and still have a little left for some of your wants. I would like to start blogging about how to use every cent you spend to make meals go as far as possible. I have a Sam's Club Membership, and I also shop at the local Kroger on a regular basis. I am going to try and compare where I can get the best values on all the items I purchase. Hopefully, this will give an overview of how beneficial the warehouse membership can be for food shopping.
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