Budget Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning

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Lori K

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I just joined Fetch, a platform app where you snap and submit receipts from pretty much anywhere you shop and earn points. You can get points converted to $$ after you earn so many. My sister got something like $300 in gift cards right before Christmas. She said you can use receipts from groceries, drug store, hardware, gas stations (inside purchases and gas), clothing, and other retailers. And you earn points, too, if someone joins on your referral (if you want to join, let me know and I'll send you a QR code). As much as I hate these 3rd party apps, groceries have gotten to the point that I need to do something!
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Annie, I will be attempting some more no spend weeks this year. I found them very useful last year. I often think that we spend out of habit rather than necessity. I have plenty of everything I need and could probably eat for a month before having to go to the shops.
 

jampss

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I use Fetch, Ibotta, and Upside. Then we get points on our credit card. So, yes, we got a few gift cards in Dec. We just got Amazon GC's as we are always getting stuff. We did pop one into DS's Christmas stocking. :)
 
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Lori K

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I use Fetch, Ibotta, and Upside. Then we get points on our credit card. So, yes, we got a few gift cards in Dec. We just got Amazon GC's as we are always getting stuff. We did pop one into DS's Christmas stocking. :)
Can you scan the same receipt on all 3?
 
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jampss

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Well, I scan Fetch. Then IF I had gotten an IBOTTA item, then yes I could scan it also. Upside for my area is only gas and a handful of restaurants. And recently last month, a grocery store was added. But I don’t use them.
 

Lori K

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Just posted on the "Successes" thread, but thought I'd share here, as well. Leftover stuffing works well as a binder in meatloaf. If your recipe calls for sage, just omit it since it's already in the stuffing mix. Worked well in mine and added quite a bit of flavor.
 

AnnieClaus

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Friday night I was at the store-
Grapefruit $2.00 each- Yikes!
Salad packs (the kind where you get toppings and the dressing)- Over $4.00 a piece!!!!

What good prices have you all found lately?

Annie
 
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Lori K

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There used to be a locally-owned store (Berkots) about 1/2 mile away that closed that location shortly before covid hit. The entire shopping plaza was bought by another grocery chain (Caputo's) and their lease was not renewed. Berkots still has several other locations, but none really close by anymore. Since I was going to be in the suburb to the south on Thursday and they have a store there, I checked their ad for the week -- they always had really good loss leaders and I loved shopping when they were just up the road. I was able to pick up a pack of 8 really meaty chicken drumsticks for $0.39/pound. I seasoned and roasted them all overnight and then refrigerated them. The next morning, I pulled the meat off and threw the bones into the crock pot filled with water and let it cook all day, reset the crock pot and let it continue to cook overnight. The next morning, I strained the broth and refrigerated it, so I could easily remove any fat. I jarred it up late afternoon and canned 4 pints of broth and had nearly a 5th that I just used to make chicken pot pie for dinner.

They also had head lettuce for 99 cents each, huge green peppers for 59 cents each, along with some other produce on sale. I stuck to my list and was able to stay well within budget.

Since I bought a fresh green pepper, the 1 1/2 pepper I had in the crisper that was getting a little on the wilted side was chopped up and spent a full day in the dehydrator. I'll use some of it when I make garden vegetable cream cheese for my bagels in the morning. Using up what I have ...
 

homemade4me

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I
Friday night I was at the store-
Grapefruit $2.00 each- Yikes!
Salad packs (the kind where you get toppings and the dressing)- Over $4.00 a piece!!!!

What good prices have you all found lately?

Annie

I mostly go to Walmart and Aldi....I got 12 cage free eggs at Aldi for 4.49 and 18 eggs at Walmart for 4.61.....the plastic tubs of spinach and leafy greens were $2.98....i am now trying the regrow method for celery and lettuce.....I don't know....we will see ....
Laurie
2023. reason why
 

halimer

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Made my first trip to Aldi on Friday. It had opened about 10 days earlier.

Dairy was empty and meal was thin; no eggs.

Otherwise some prices were good and some not. I got peanut butter for DH to try and see if he likes their brand. Also potato chips, a frozen danish (so-so), some dog biscuits and a nice tin of shortbread cookies (Walker's) on sale. Milk prices seemed good but I didn't need any at the time.
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Milk prices seemed good but I didn't need any at the time.
Milk is a big one here. Because of regulations etc milk never goes on special and the prices are the same across the board so no savings. 3 litres is $4.50 and we go through 2 a week here.
Aldi....I got 12 cage free eggs at Aldi for 4.49
That is the same price as here and are the cheapest eggs I can find, Woolworths are $4.90 a dozen.

It is a never ending job here looking through supermarket catalogues and comparing prices to get the best deals. We only have 3 main supermarkets, Woolworths, Coles and Aldi. There are a few IGAs around but none close to me and tend to be a little more expensive. That is literally it for shopping in my city of almost 500,000 people.
 

Lori K

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The range in prices for eggs from store to store is rediculous. Our Aldi, which has always had the best egg prices is $3.69 / dozen for large eggs. My local Meijer is $2.99 / dozen for large eggs, $3.19 for jumbo, $3.59 for cage free. Jewel is over $4.50 / dozen, and Mariano's are all over $5.00 / dozen.
 
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teachermomof2

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It was explained to me, by Hs gf, who works in the poultry industry, that the avian flu has lead to millions of birds being euthanized, therefore fewer chickens are laying eggs, therefore the shortage and uptick in price. it will also lead to chicken shortages.
 
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wadeallie

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There are some great hints here!
Many years ago when I was a stay at home mom to 3 children, I would base my shopping on the flyers from the grocery stores. There were 3 stores within 1 mile of each other and if it meant going to each one to save $$, I did it. Back then we had no Walmart where I now get better prices on grocery items.
The biggest money saving hint I have is on laundry detergent. I make my own and I have for about 15 years. I use either fels naptha, Kirks or Zote (grated), Borax or salt, and Arm and Hammer washing soda. I make mine as a powder and my wash comes clean at pennies a load. I found an old 80's style blender at the thrift store which I use to chop up the soap now to save on grating. And..I like fabric softeners so I will split one bottle into 2 by adding white vinegar. I use an old empty bottle which I will add half of a new bottle, and top both off with the vinegar. Two new bottles of fabric softener!
~Allison
 

sweetpumkinpye

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I use either fels naptha, Kirks or Zote (grated), Borax or salt, and Arm and Hammer washing soda. I make mine as a powder and my wash comes clean at pennies a load. I found an old 80's style blender at the thrift store which I use to chop up the soap now to save on grating.
Allison, is there a recipe that you use? Can you share it here please?
 

wadeallie

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The recipe I have used for 15 years is below:

~1 bar of either Fels Naptha, Kirks coconut soap, or Zote soap (most of these can be found in the laundry section of stores)
~1/2 bar of a cheap soap like Ivory or I get white DOVE or a lavender soap at the Dollar Tree
~1 1/2 cup Borax or regular salt
~1 1/2 cup Arm & Hammer washing soda (NOT baking soda) Washing soda is a chemically different powder. (Also found in the laundry section)

I grate the bars and mix with the powders. I also mix it up by adding a cup of lavender scented epsom salts. I use a large resturant size plastic bottle from mayo and I make a double batch. I use a scoop of approx. 1/8 cup per load.
If I use the fels naptha, it has a citrusy scent so I make a container of epsom salts scented lemony by adding lemon essential oil.
I add the cheap soap because this recipe is very low sudsing. It can be used in a HE machine. There are videos online showing how to make this recipe into a liquid but it makes 5 gallons worth of liquid soap which is a bit much for me to store. I have used this recipe for years even at the laundrymatte without issue and if I am there, I put the powder on the clothes and not in the soap dispenser on the machine.
When Ethan was a teen, his socks reeked and I'd gag washing them and could never really get the stink out. Since I've used this recipe, it got the stink out and the clothes stayed bright colored with stains removed. I even sent bags of this powder to him in Minnesota when he was in college.
 

homemade4me

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Made my first trip to Aldi on Friday. It had opened about 10 days earlier.

Dairy was empty and meal was thin; no eggs.

Otherwise some prices were good and some not. I got peanut butter for DH to try and see if he likes their brand. Also potato chips, a frozen danish (so-so), some dog biscuits and a nice tin of shortbread cookies (Walker's) on sale. Milk prices seemed good but I didn't need any at the time.
Debbie, the chocolate brand they always carry is the best. Many varieties of the brand Choceur...and it is not processed with alkali.
Laurie
2023......reason why
 

jampss

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Adli's regular eggs last two weeks went up to $4.58 a dozen.

Easter Potatoes.jpg
 

teachermomof2

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Walmart here is up to 5.98 a dozen eggs. Crazy! So thankful we are able to get eggs from our Lauren. She brought me 2 flats yesterday. I gave 2 dozen to my parents.

Yesterday I was unable to find waxed paper at WM and Aldi. They were also still out of Heart Smart Bisquick at WM. Butter was 5.98 a pound at WM, got it for 3.98 at Aldi. My concern is that these prices will be the norm. This happened before with the trucking shortage.....then prices went up and stayed there and they continue to rise.
 

missjane

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I've become way more mindful of trying to use/repurpose leftovers. Leftover chicken from two different meals is what I used in the soup I made last night.