Apr
8
How to Use CVS Coupons and Extra Care Bucks
Filed Under Groceries and Food, Saving Money | 6 Comments
If you read many stay-at-home mom blogs, you’ve heard about the CVS Extra Care Bucks craze. It works like this: CVS was over-priced, so they started offering Extra Care Bucks on various products. When you buy that product, you earn back these bucks, which you can use to pay for other products. In addition, you can scan your Extra Care card at the store to print out CVS coupons. Finally, you earn a few for prescriptions and quarterly spending totals. For complete instructions, read CVS 101. Here’s how the program worked for me, and where I went wrong.
The CVS Extra Care Card
I did have a card, but it wasn’t linked to the website. I added my email address and then waited for the coupons to be emailed to me. They were not. I finally emailed CVS and was told it takes about four weeks to start receiving email coupons. Once you receive them, you print them out and take them to the store with you. You’ll need to use your CVS card on every purchases in order to really work the system. In addition to earning you Extra Care Bucks, you also need it to qualify for the advertised discounts and print out coupons from the card reader in the store.
CVS Coupons
This was my first trip, so I received one useless coupon for diapers or something, and $3 off $10 in CVS products. I trolled the store until I finally found what I thought was $10 worth of products - including a fantastic deal on 200 count tissue boxes (99 cents each!). It turns out I actually overbought - I spent over $12 on their products.
Extra Care Bucks Items
I went on a Sunday morning after reviewing the CVS newspaper ad and seeing several $5 in Extra Care Bucks when you spend $15 on brands we use like Garnier, Maybelline, and Dove. I looked through my manufacturer coupons and made a stack, then took them down to CVS with me. I bought four Garnier shampoos and conditioners, 2 Mennen deodorants, 3 Maybelline products, and 3 6-bar packages of Dove soap. Together they qualified for $18 in Extra Care Bucks. The Mennen and Dove were also on sale.
Combining Coupons and ECBs
I used a total of $9 in coupons on the Garnier, Dove, and Mennen products, plus the $3 CVS coupon. Had I planned more carefully, I could have printed a $4 off $20 store coupon, too. I also now realize that I shouldn’t have bought all those products in one purchase, but instead made four purchases. My total was $60.76 (plus tax). Had I done it correctly, I would have spent $21 less.
Here’s what I should have done:
Transaction 1:
4 bottles of Garnier - $17.16
2 Mennen sticks - $5.00
Less $5 in Garnier coupons
Less $4/20 coupon
Total out of pocket: $13.16 (plus tax)
Earn $8 in ECBs
Transaction 2:
3 packs of Dove soap: $17.97
Less $3 in coupons
Less $8 in ECBs
Total out of pocket: $6.97 (plus tax)
Earn $5 in ECBs
Transaction 3:
2 Maybelline products: $17.97
Less $5 in ECBs
Total out of pocket: $12.97 (plus tax)
Earn $5 in ECBs
Transaction 4:
CVS products: $13.92
Palmolive: .99
Less .25 coupon
Less $3/10 coupon
Less $5 in ECBs
Total out of pocket: $6.66 (plus tax)
Grand total: $39.76
Would I Do It Again?
As it stands now, I have $18 in ECBs to spend, and a $4 off $20 coupon left to use. I have some gift events coming up, so I’ll spend the ECBs on cards.
I’ve seen some women report that they’ve “rolled” their ECBs over so many times that they spend $25 for hundreds of dollars worth of products. However, really working the system means spending a lot of time planning, and it may also require numerous trips to CVS, weekly at least. At some point, I have to question whether it’s really worth my time. We’re just a family of 2, so the products we bought will last us at least six months, probably longer. It might be something I do occasionally when we need to stock up, but it won’t be a regular thing for us. When I do the math, it may not be cheaper than Costco, especially once you factor in the cost of gas driving to and from the store and to and from the recycling center.
Apr
7
The Costco Haul: Saving Money at Costco
Filed Under Groceries and Food, Saving Money | Leave a Comment
Welcome to my 101st post!
I’ve already mentioned the great deal Costco has on tires. I also hit Costco 4-5 times a year to stock up on essentials, in a shopping trip I refer to as the “Costco Haul.” Unfortunately, there are a few preferred brands of personal care products that they don’t carry, but I usually find their prices to be much better on the items they do carry. Here’s how to score good deals, and know when to skip a deal.
Costco Deal Examples
Costco usually offers really good deals on items you can’t always find elsewhere, or in sizes you can’t find anywhere else.
Renu Multi-Plus contact lens solution: I can get two 16 oz. bottles for $15.49 at Costco. My local CVS and Ralph’s charge $13 for a single 12 oz. bottle. Even with coupons, I would pay almost as much for less than half if I bought it at a regular store. Off-brands or store brands are cheaper at these stores, but this is one item I won’t buy off-brand. My eyes are too important to take the risk.
Wine: A 1.5 liter bottle of Woodbridge is 8.99. A bottle half that size is $6.99 at Trader Joe’s. Of course, that’s a lot of wine, so I only buy it when guests are coming. If you’re having a party, this is the best place to stock up on liquor and soda.
How to Shop at Costco
I know some people fear Costco because they aren’t able to walk out the door without spending way more than planned, sometimes hundreds more. (I don’t understand how a recliner becomes an impulse purchase, but people do it. How do you get it home?) I’m not generally an impulse purchaser, but just to be safe, I take a list of all the essentials I need. I try to stop on just those aisles, although I will walk past the large appliances to price them because we’ll need to buy a new fridge and possibly a washer/dryer when we buy a condo. I will also check the books, but I don’t always buy them.
There are occasions where I spend more than planned, but usually they’re items I’d been thinking about for a while. On one occasion they had a $30 drill set. It was a good brand, came with several bits, a battery, a charger and a cordless drill. We’d been thinking about buying one, so I grabbed it. I also picked up two $12 emergency survival kits for our cars. Again, not something I planned, but we live in earthquake country. I consider that money very well spent because the chances of me getting stuck in my car during a disaster or emergency are pretty good.
Making Use of Costco Coupons
Every couple of months, Costco sends out a coupon booklet. When the coupons are valid, I make a list of all the items we need to stock up on, check the prices at a local store, and then write a list. I won’t buy something with a coupon that we don’t normally buy, but I will use coupons to save extra on our essentials. This week I was able to use $5.50 in coupons.
I had another $2 coupon, but the price of the dish soap even after the coupon was higher price I could get at the grocery store, so I didn’t buy it. It’s rare for that to happen at Costco, but it does.
This Week’s Costco Haul
I received my coupons in the mail last weekend, and they were valid Friday. I spent $205.99 on the following items
- two 16 oz. bottles of Renu contact lens solution
- 14 bars of body soap
- 4 liters of regular olive oil
- 17 photos
- Quicken Deluxe 2008
- Pur water filter and 2 replacement inserts
- 20 Swiffer dusters
- 1.5 liter bottle of wine
- 2 pounds of active yeast
- 4 bottles of shave gel
- 300 allergy pills (store version of Zyrtec)
- Hydration backpack
The hydration backpack wasn’t on my list, but I’ve been looking for one to give my husband. At $19.98 (roughly one-third the price of a hydration pack elsewhere), I couldn’t pass it up. Nearly $80 of the purchase was Quicken and the Pur filter. That means we spent about $100 on everything else.
If you’re a careful shopper, you can score some great deals at Costco. The key is not to buy items you’ll never use up before they go bad (like four pounds of garlic), or items you wouldn’t have bought elsewhere.
Mar
13
Frugal Meals: Fish
Filed Under Frugal, Groceries and Food | Leave a Comment
To me, frugal meals should be healthy, delicious, and contain fresh, seasonal ingredients. If that means spending a little extra to eat well, I will do so, but I don’t go overboard. Because fish is so healthy, I try to make fish for dinner at least twice a week. We generally eat salmon, shrimp, and snapper, although I occasionally buy cod or halibut.
Fish is so flavorful that it doesn’t need heavy side dishes. My favorites are wild rice, brown rice with toasted pine nuts and rehydrated currants, or white rice (rarely). We also usually have salad before the main course, which stretches out the meal so we don’t feel hungry when we’re done.
Yes, Shrimp is Frugal
I keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer at all times. We can get two dinners out of one 16 oz. bag (remember, there are only two of us.) That size bag from Trader Joe’s usually costs around $10, which means $2.50 per person. When you add affordable sides or pasta, the total cost of the meal per person isn’t above $3-4. It’s also great way to boost the protein content of a meal without a lot of effort.
Shrimp cooks in minutes, even from frozen. Just toss it together with some pasta, sauté it with spices, or pour chicken stock in a fondue pot so you can cook it while you eat, and you’ve got a delicious, healthy, affordable dinner in minutes.
Flash Frozen Fish is Frugal, Too
I buy flash frozen fish from Trader Joe’s. They carry wild-caught salmon in reasonable portion sizes at amazing prices - often around $5.99 a pound. Flash frozen fish is frozen at the peak of freshness. I simply defrost it in the fridge overnight and then sauté it or toss it on the Foreman Grill.
Snapper is another favorite in my house. I also buy it flash frozen from Trader Joe’s, and it’s around the same price as the salmon. I’ve discovered that it cooks best in a pan with a little olive oil and butter. It’s too delicate to do well on the Foreman. Just add a dash of lemon juice and toasted slivered almonds, and you have a delicious main course. I love to serve it with brown rice and a simple walnut salad.
On rare occasions, I’ll get cod and make fish and chips. Tyler Florence, of the Food Network, has a fantastic and quick recipe for rice flour fish and chips. It’s light, flaky, and only requires club soda so it’s easy on the budget (assuming you have rice flour on hand, which I always do.) Tartar sauce is easy to throw together with mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and green onions. Don’t bother buying pre-made sauce. Odds are you won’t use it up before it goes bad anyway. Just make a small amount fresh whenever you want it. It makes a lovely topping for pecan salmon or a dipping sauce for salmon fondue nights.
Fresh Fish Is Sometimes Frugal
I’ve found that fresh fish is really affordable if you buy it when it’s in season and buy fish your local markets carry. For some reason, trout is not popular in Southern California, so I don’t eat it here. I could buy it from the fish market, but I don’t leave near one. Driving there would significantly increase the cost. I prefer to buy fresh fish from the fish counter so I can buy exactly the amount I need. Often, they will remove the bones and skin if you ask, and it doesn’t increase the price.
I know many people who don’t believe fish can be part of frugal meals, but if you know how to prepare simple, delicious meals, it can be. Just don’t buy fancy fish! That means no Copper River salmon! Stick to Wild Alaskan and your budget will thank you. If you make a point to eat fish, your heart will, too.
Feb
13
Freezing Bread, Herbs, and Sauces, and Freezer Storage Times
Filed Under Frugal, Groceries and Food, Saving Money | 2 Comments
Yesterday I regaled you with tales of my love for freezing food. I covered the necessary tools and methods for freezing meat. Today I focus on bread, sauces, and herbs. I’ll also give you a list of freezer storage times and tell you what not to freeze. Then you, too, might join me in my ode to the freezer.
Freezing Bread and Cookies
Freezing bread is easy - and a great way to keep it fresh. I find that refrigerating bread dries out, but the freezer maintains the moisture. If you freeze a lot of grocery store bakery bread, Consumerist recommends buying it frozen from the store because they receive it frozen, not fresh. That might explain why it always seems to be hard at my store.
When I buy fresh bread, or bake bread, I freeze it in the original bags, foil and plastic wrap, or freezer bags, depending on the size and how long I’ll be storing it.
For a homemade pizza crust, I wait for it to cool and then wrap it in plastic wrap. Then I wrap foil around it, too. It keeps this way for about six weeks or so. To defrost it, just take it out of the freezer and remove the wrapping. It should be defrosted in less than an hour, depending on the thickness of the crust.
Buns and rolls also defrost quickly - less than thirty minutes on the counter. You can defrost them faster by wrapping them in a paper towel and microwaving them on defrost for a few minutes. Defrost one minute at a time to ensure they don’t start to cook. I usually just use the manufacturer or store bags because we use them quickly.
One caveat for freezing loaves of bread - if you plan to use it a few slices at a time, slice it before you freeze it. If you’re not sure, slice it into smaller chunks so you can defrost it a little at a time. Sawing slices off a frozen loaf is no easy task.
I only eat one cookie a day, but I make them in big batches. I toss them in a big freezer bag when they’re cool, and take them out a week at a time. It takes me about 6 weeks to go through a batch. I know other people who flash freeze balls of dough and cook it fresh, but I don’t want to deal with cookie sheets and the oven every week.
Freezing Fresh Herbs and Fruit
The top shelf of my freezer is for herbs, sauces, frozen fruit, and stock. You can easily freeze all of the above and have them on hand for later. In fact, Trader Joe’s now sells small packs of frozen fresh herbs you can drop right into your dish. I use their basil and oregano. I also freeze herbs myself.
When I get fresh herbs from a friend or when I buy it fresh from the store (I don’t have a garden), I freeze the excess. Those little packs are pricey - there’s no reason to waste them. Simply clean them, chop them, and then place them in an ice cube tray. Add a little water to lock them in place, and then freeze for a couple hours. When you’re done, you’ll have perfect little cubes you can stick in a Ziploc bag. They’ll keep for a few months, too. The best way to defrost them is straight into the dish you’re cooking, you could also defrost them in a bowl, strain out the water, and then pat them dry with a paper towel.
If you like fresh produce and want to freeze it yourself lay it out on a sheet pan and then freeze it. You may not want to eat them by themselves later, because freezing robs some fruits of their texture, but they’re great in sauces, toppings, shakes, and desserts. No one will know the difference!
Freezing Sauces and Stocks
I also have frozen cubes of homemade marinara, chicken stock, beef stock, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste in the freezer. Again, I just fill ice cube trays and freeze them. Then I transfer them to labeled freezer bags. Each cube is 2 tablespoons, so 2 cubes equal one quarter cup. I just place them in the pan while cooking to defrost them whenever I need them.
How Long Frozen Food Keeps
The USDA provides the following chart of freezer storage times:
Although you can push it, try to stay within the guidelines to avoid freezer burn. Freezer burn doesn’t poison the food, but it does ruin taste and texture.
What Not to Freeze
You can freeze just about anything, except eggs, mayo, and a few other dairy products. Butter freezes well, but cream doesn’t. The Egg Board says egg yolks and whites can be frozen, but you have to take a few extra steps that don’t seem worth it. I’ll stick to fresh eggs in shells. Very watery produce also doesn’t freeze well, like lettuce. It’s best to use that fresh.
Once you’ve got the hang of the freezer, you’ll become a freezer addict like me. It’s so nice to be able to whip open the freezer and grab just the right amount of stock or herbs. No mixing, no measuring, no fuss. Oh freezer, I do love thee.
Feb
12
The Joys of Freezing Food
Filed Under Frugal, Groceries and Food | 1 Comment
Oh, freezer, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love you for your depth, for your ability to preserve raw materials, for your easy storage options, for your ability to save money and food.
I’ve always been a fan of the freezer, but now that I prepare most food from scratch, I’ve really gotten into freezing food. I usually freeze meal components that I can defrost later to make a fresh, homemade meal without losing a lot of food to rot. I don’t do freezer cooking, or meals for a month, because I don’t have room and I like to try new dishes often.
In order to be successful at freezing food, you need a few key things:
- The right tools
- Knowledge of how to freeze food
- Knowledge of how long frozen foods keep
- Menu planning
Today I’ll cover the tools and freezing meat. Tomorrow I’ll post on freezing stock, sauces, produce, and desserts, how long frozen food keeps, and what not to freeze.
Tools for Freezing Food
In order to successfully freeze food, you need several tools to ensure that you freeze it properly, know what’s in the freezer, and know how long it’s been there.
You’ll need:
- Sheet pans in a couple sizes
- Resealable freezer bags - quart and gallon
- Masking tape
- Fine point Sharpie
- Ice cube trays
- Parchment paper
With those tools, you can begin to explore the joys of freezing food. A note on the resealable bags: I’ve tried both the store brand and the Ziploc brand and I found that the Ziploc really is better. It seals better and is less prone to leaks. If you want to be frugal, you can wash and reuse them a few times. I recommend watching the newspaper for coupons and the store for a sale and then combining the two. With that method, you can usually get the Ziplocs for same price or less than the store brand price.
Freezing Meat
I buy chicken and most fish already frozen from Trader Joe’s. They employ a method called “quick freezing” which freezes them in individual pieces to lock in freshness. Once I get them home, I’ll divide the fish into smaller bags, enough for one meal in each one. The chicken comes in a large resealable bag, so I just toss that in the freezer and remove the pieces as I need them. For meat I buy fresh, like ground beef or chops, I’ll divide the package up before I freeze it for easier defrosting and portion control.
As you can see, I have several packages of meat of several varieties. I note the date, food, and weight on each package with a Sharpie (label the bag before you put in the food or the ink won’t stick.) Then I use each meat within three months of putting it in the freezer. Each week, I first check the freezer to see what I have on hand that needs to be used, then I begin my menu planning and grocery list.
You can freeze just about any meat, including bacon. I used to wrap a few slices of bacon in foil and freeze the packages, then I discovered flat freezing. Simply cover a baking sheet in parchment paper (wax paper gets too wet) and arrange the bacon in a single layer. Set in the freezer for a couple of hours, and then place the frozen slices in a resealable Ziploc. It defrosts in a flash. I usually just cook it from frozen.
You can do the same for hamburger patties, meatballs, and other prepared meats. Because they’re frozen before you put them in a freezer bag, they won’t stick together. I usually freeze meat raw and then cook it after it’s defrosted to preserve flavor.
You can use the packages fresh meat came in if you’re only freezing it for a few days (for example, if you bought it Saturday and aren’t using it until Friday), but you should transfer it to a freezer bag for longer storage. Plastic trays and wrap from the store isn’t designed for long-term storage and won’t protect the food. They also take up a lot of space.
Be sure to come back tomorrow for more freezer tips!
Jan
22
Save Money with a Brown Bag Lunch
Filed Under Groceries and Food | 1 Comment
I’ve been bringing my lunch to work for several years. I even brought lunches when I was in grad school. I’m on a medically restricted diet, so packing a lunch is necessary for me, but I would probably do it even if I didn’t have to. My husband was resistant to the idea of bringing his lunch to work until I showed him that the unhealthy, poor-tasting lunch he bought every day was costing us $2000 a year. Now he brings a lunch most days.
Comparative Cost for a Brown Bag Lunch
The main reason people consider brown bagging is the cost savings. If you go to Subway and get a 12 inch sub with avocado and no sides, it will set you back costs $7.90. And that’s one of the healthier options available. You also have to drive there, so factor in a few cents for gas.
By comparison, this is the cost of my food for the day while I’m at work:
Snacks:
Fresh oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon: 25 cents
14 almonds: 10 cents
Tangerine: 20 cents
Yogurt with flaxseeds and cinnamon: 45 cents
Lunch:
Corn tortilla: 12 cents
Deli turkey: $1.37
Cheddar cheese, 1 ounce: 15 cents
Lettuce, 1 leaf: 3 cents
Chips, 1/8 ounce (for the crunch): 6 cents
Chocolate, dark, 1 square: 10 cents
Mustard, 1 packet: free from the break room
Carrot sticks: 30 cents
That brings my grand total for three snacks and lunch to $3.13. My husband opts for more fruit, a French roll, and fewer snacks, but it’s approximately the same cost. This includes the high-quality Boar’s Head deli meat, not some tasteless meat in a package. It tastes better, and it’s healthier. I drink water all day, but both our offices provide free sodas if we want them. If yours doesn’t, a canned soda will cost about 33 cents if you buy a 12-pack from the grocery store and bring a can to work with you. That’s at least half what it would cost to buy one from a lunch place or convenience store
My lunch and snacks cost about $765 a year, compared with the $2000 or more I would spend eating out every day.
Convenience
In addition to costing less, my food is more convenient. I can eat lunch at the same time, instead of waiting until I have time to drive or walk somewhere. If I want to go to lunch with colleagues, which both my husband and I do on occasion, I have my lunch ready for the next day. Lunch with colleagues on occasion is good - it reminds people you’re around and improves your networking skills. However, once every week or two is enough.
Health
Bringing your lunch is also healthier.
- I’m less tempted to eat the junk people bring into the office because I have my snacks with me.
- You control the amount of fat and sugar in your meal. That’s why I bring only an eighth ounce of chips. It’s enough to satisfy my desire for salt and crunch, but only 1 gram of fat.
- You control your portions. Many people eat way too much when presented with a restaurant or fast food meal. Bring your own and you’ll eat less.
Variety
My office park has a few nearby options, but my husband’s old office had very few, so he ate awful food most days. When you bring your lunch, you have more variety. Some days I’ll bring leftovers. I also vary what goes in the wrap or bring peanut butter and rice cakes instead. I bring whatever fruit is in season. My husband varies the flavor of yogurt he brings. If he gets up early enough, he might pack a small salad to go with his sandwich.
I pack my lunch in the morning while I drink my protein shake. It only takes a few minutes to throw together and then I have food for the whole day. We both have insulated lunch bags with mini ice packs. Once I get to work, I put the stuff that must be chilled into the fridge and take the bag to my desk so my dry snacks are nearby. I use the same resealable baggies every day for a week to further reduce the cost. I assemble my wrap just before lunch, but my husband makes his sandwich in the morning.
I suggest trying this for one week. Once you see how much better you and your wallet feel, you’ll be convinced.
Bonus points: most people will be impressed by how delicious your lunch looks and how healthy you eat. They’ll comment that they should do the same. Just smile and agree.
Jan
16
Frugal Comfort Foods
Filed Under Frugal, Groceries and Food | 1 Comment
Winter comfort foods are the best. They fill you up, they make you feel warm inside, they’re comforting, and most of the time they’re cheap. Of course, you can make winter foods that much better by cooking them fresh. Not only will you reduce the calories and sodium, but it’s friendlier for your budget, too.
My Top Seven Winter Comfort Foods:
- Homemade chicken pot pie
- Chili with cheddar cheese and tortilla chips
- Fish and chips
Turkey and bean soup- Jambalaya
- Tuna casserole
- Lasagna
All of these are delicious and filling. Most of them also include low-cost ingredients. Sure, you can buy most of these dishes frozen and heat them up, and you might even find a coupon for it, but comfort foods are so much tastier when you cook them yourself. Cooking them fresh will also warm you up because you’ll be standing over a hot stove or oven.
Low-Budget Alternatives
If you’re on a really tight budget, you can make most of these comfort foods even cheaper by eliminating ingredients. Meatless lasagna is still fantastic. Take the shrimp out of jambalaya to reduce the cost. You could also substitute red rice and beans instead of traditional jambalaya. I found a recipe in one of those “How to Eat French” books a few years ago that combines yellow rice, black beans, and sausage. He spices it up with cumin, garlic salt, gumbo file, and Worcestershire sauce.
For chili, you can buy fairly cheap cuts of meat, or make veggie chili, and beans are always on sale. You could make your own tortilla chips by cutting up corn tortillas and frying them. I sprinkle them with seasoning salt for extra kick.
Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
This weekend, I had a craving for chicken pot pie – the ultimate comfort food. Rather than buy a Swanson’s pot pie, I modified a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa (which is unfortunately no longer available on the Food Network site.) The biggest change I made was swapping out her carrots and pearl onions for potatoes. I also cut the recipe in half. Here’s my version of the recipe:
Ingredients:
2 skinless chicken breasts (about ½ pound)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 medium white rose or Yukon gold potatoes (about a pound), peeled and cubed
2.5 cups chicken stock
1 chicken bouillon cube
6 tablespoons butter
1 yellow or brown onion, diced
6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons dried parsley or ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
Frozen puff pastry, refrigerated savory pie crust, or homemade savory crust (leave out the sugar)
- Prepare the crust as instructed.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then roast or grill. Cube them once they’ve cooled.
- Peel and cube the potatoes. Steam or boil them until fork tender (about 15 minutes for steaming.)
- Dice the onion. Melt 6 tbsp butter in a stock pot, then sauté the onions over low heat until translucent (about ten minutes).
- Heat the chicken stock and add the bouillon cube.
- Add the cornstarch to the onions and stir for two minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and simmer for one minute, or until thickened.
- Add the cream and stir well for one minute.
- Add 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, frozen peas, chicken, potatoes, and parsley. Stir well.
- Spoon into small pie tins.
- Layer crust on top. Poke with a fork to avoid bubbles. Arrange the pies on cookie sheet, then bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the crusts brown and the filling is bubbling.
I didn’t have large enough ramekins, so I used mini aluminum loaf pans that held a little over a cup of filling. The recipe made four servings. After they were completely cool, I covered two with aluminum foil, put them in freezer bags, and froze them for later. If you wanted eight pies, you could double the recipe. You’d also need a much larger stock pot.
All told, this recipe probably cost about the same as four frozen pot pies, but these were much tastier and healthier. To me, that’s an important part of comfort food. What are your favorite comfort foods?
Jan
15
I tend to buy a lot of produce, and if I bought all the fruit I normally like during the summer, my winter grocery bills would be insane. I’ve adopted a few measures to keep my weekly grocery bill in check without giving myself scurvy. Actually, winter is a great time to avoid scurvy because all those delicious citrus fruits are in season. I also shop for meats and other products that are seasonal to keep costs down.
Winter Produce
When I’m shopping in the produce section, I look for the fruits and vegetables piled in big bins. That’s the first clue that something’s in season. Then I look at the label. If it says it’s from Chile or anywhere else in South America, I don’t usually buy it. Even though I’m in Southern California, Chile isn’t exactly next door. I worry that the taste won’t be as good as local seasonal fruits, and of course the price is atrocious. Sometimes I’ll spring for Mexican fruits, because at least they’re in this hemisphere and it is right next door. But I can’t imagine how those imported fruits must look and taste by the time they’ve reached Maine. If you don’t know which fruits and vegetables are seasonal, visit a farmer’s market a few times a year or check out this seasonal produce chart at the Food Network.
Some foods, like lettuce, carrots, onions, and potatoes are available all year round where I live, so I buy those all year round, but I seem to want to eat more potatoes in the winter than in the summer. They are a cold weather vegetable, so that’s probably why. You’ll notice that the price drops a little around this time of year, which is great because heavy soups and stews are delicious on cold winter nights. This weekend I made homemade pot pies with potatoes, peas, and chicken. They were delicious and so satisfying.
Winter Meats
The second trick to reducing winter grocery bills is buying seasonal meats. Obviously, lamp is a spring meat. I will occasionally eat it during the winter for variety, but it costs a fortune because it’s usually imported from Australia or New Zealand. I’d much rather wait until spring when it’s local and cheaper. The prices of some cuts of beef also vary throughout the year. Good grilling meats are cheaper in the winter when fewer people grill, while good stewing meats are cheaper in the summer because who wants a heavy stew in the middle of the summer? You can save money on your grocery bills by picking up an indoor grill and using it in the winter. Then you can enjoy a freshly grilled steak and a baked potato. How’s that for a winter treat?
I try to eat fish at least twice a week, but some species are seasonal. Ask your local fishmonger to tell you what’s fresh and in season because there are some regional variations to this.
Winter Breads and Pasta
Bread and pastas are also more popular in the winter because we like crusty bread with our stews and heavier foods seem to warm us up. Fortunately, this is a place where the grocery store is your friend. When you see a sale on bread, stock up. It keeps well in the freezer as long as you slice it first so you can remove it a few slices at a time. Pasta is equally cheap in the winter. I’ve seen numerous 4 for $5 pasta sales. Pasta is easy to store and keeps a long time, so stock up on that, too.
Yes, there’s less variety of foods in winter, but you can still eat well and keep your grocery bills low by sticking to seasonal produce and meat. You might even find that seasonal food tastes better when it’s in season. If you’ve ever had a bland orange in the middle of summer, you know what I’m talking about.
Dec
21
Saving Money on Baked Goods
Filed Under Groceries and Food, Holiday, Saving Money | Leave a Comment
I love to bake. I used to make a lot of cookies and other holiday treats, but now I’ve discovered the joys of truffle making. Still, if you love baking, you’ll love these tips for saving money on holiday baked goods.
Buy In Bulk
This time of year, you can get bulk prices on flour, sugar, and other necessary ingredients at the regular supermarket. You’ll find five-pound bags of flour for 63 cents and sugar is the same. If you have a membership to a warehouse store, you can save even more there. The key is to scan the weekly ads in your local paper - when you see the big Thanksgiving or Christmas sale, swoop in to stock up on all your baking supplies at the regular store. If you don’t find good prices, visit the warehouse store. They’re especially good for large containers of spices like nutmeg and cinnamon that cost a fortune at the supermarket.
As an added bonus, warehouse stores also have large flats of eggs for far, far less than the grocery store. If you’re going to need a few dozen, either look for a two-for-one deal at the grocery store, or visit the warehouse store the morning of your big baking day.
Make Your Own Icing
Most stores make the basics cheap because their hope is that you’ll spend lots of money on sprinkles and other toppings, but you can make royal icing much cheaper with powdered sugar, egg whites, vanilla, and food coloring. Frosting is simple to make, too. Fresh frosting also tastes much better than canned frosting.
Freeze Ahead
Baked goods like cookies and brownies freeze amazingly well. If the only convenient day to bake is a few weeks before the holiday, that’s fine. First, clear the freezer. Next, assemble sheets of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil or extra baking sheets. You’ll also need parchment paper. Once your cookies have cooled, line a baking sheet with clean parchment or get out the wrapped cardboard. Lay your cookies close together on top. If you need to stack them, lay another parchment sheet on top of each layer. Don’t stack iced cookies that haven’t hardened yet.
Set the trays in the freezer for an hour, and then transfer them to gallon-size zip-top freezer bags. Now you’ll have them in neatly organized groups when it’s time to pack them in tins or basket for a party or gift.
Baked goods like pies and cakes are more challenging to freeze, so you should probably make them the day you need them, but you’ll still save money if you can buy the supplies in bulk well before you need them. If you need to store the supplies, put them in large plastic containers to keep them fresh and dry. They’ll be good for at least six months, or more.
