Eating healthy on a budget?

I have been saying for years to go to Aldi . Get everything you need and save big.  I want to show you some of the healthy stuff I got today. Than I'll tell you the price. Read this...http://consumerist.com/2011/03/aldi-is-trader-joes-for-the-rest-of-us.html

All of this on the table was 60.00 and some change! Apples, pears, strawberries, 2 bags of carrots, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, 3 minestrone soup, salsa, hummus, 3 yogurt, eggs, Raisin bread, granola, 100 calorie packs ( choc chip, and cheese cracker) 2 fit and lean turkey tubs, pickles, pretzel tub, 2 boxes lean pockets, 3 boxes lean meals, sugar free jello, sugar free creamer, thin wheat crackers, fat free pudding, trail mix packets, Bananas, 2 cans tuna, dried berries, granola, cheese fish crackers.

my total bill was 115.05 with the rest of this stuff............

I also purchased a ham, ciabatta bread, hotdog buns, Hamburger buns, tortilla chips, baked chips, 2 boxes of quick bread (banana and cinnamon) a box of muffin mix, cheese puffs, frozen pizza, chicken patties, white castle cheeseburgers ,mini corn dogs, lasagna, 2 packages lunch cheese cheddar, apple sauce, 2 frozen apple juice, sandwich baggies, vegetable oil, and round and square storage containers. 

I did my meat shopping last week. You can get everything meat wise at Aldi also. They have a money back guarantee, so if you don't like it, you have lost nothing. So far I have liked everything I have tried. 

http://aldi.us/index_ENU_HTML.htm

Popcorn in a Brown Paper Bag

I am totally over that peee- yew smell if those metal lined microwave popcorn bags not to mention the $$$

I had read several times that you could pop popcorn in a brown paper bag?

So, I thought lets give it a try!

Step 1 you will need brown paper lunch bags, and a bag your choice of popcorn

Step 2 measure out 1/4 cup dry popcorn. I used 1/2 cup but it was a lot!

Step 3 put it in microwave for about 3 min....keep a eye on it ,when it starts to slow down take it out

Step 4 Enjoy!

- I was very surprised at the amount it made
- Make sure to use 1/4 cup when starting, The 1/2 cup almost over flowed
- This is totally money saving.  Supermarkets sell it at $ 4 a pound and usually $6
 ordinary popcorn is about $1 a pound or less, good organic popcorn is $2
 also, I think Costco sells it for $3 for 12lb.

- Your saving money
- your getting rid of that awful microwave smell
- your not putting those metal lined bags in the landfill
- you can recycle your brown paper bags
- No hydrogenated oils
- Who knows if those microwave bags are toxic

- If you want you can add oil to your bag
- you can also add butter or seasonings to your popcorn
- I paid 1.99 for the popcorn and 1.00 for the bags

The 1/2 a cup filled this big serving bowl!

Enjoy.....

Last minute stock-up

I had a last minute stock up Yesterday. I noticed a great deal on toilet paper! and it was at my rock bottom stock up price, with a couple in store coupons and my store savings card. here's what I got.

50 packages
200 rolls
plus a free package of 4 rolls
so a total of 51 packages 204 rolls
.22 cents a roll

Regular price 99.50 before tax
savings from plus card 49.50
total 50.00
They started out at 1.99
went down to 1.00 with savings card
then I used a 5.00 off 50.00 order coupon
=45.00
then I used a free 1.00 item with 10.00 purchase
total before tax 45.00
total 47.50

I still had money left from my budget of 400.00 a month to do this.
we are pretty stocked up for awhile, plus I got a package of 12 this week in my regular shop.

I also picked up hamburger marked down 50%
I got 6 lbs
regular 6.09 for 2 lbs
it was 3.09 for 2 lbs
so 9.27 for 6lbs.....which will do our meal plan for hamburger for  2 months.
break down  4.36 a month!
so 56.77 for 204 rolls of toilet paper and 6 lbs of hamburger


Happy Savings!

12/26/11 week savings

I am still making a dent in next years grocery's I did really good today. I think this was one of my best shops! I got all the canned sauces I need for my homemade spaghetti for the next year.  Here's what i got for my 50.00 dollars this week.  I should add that i have only spent 46.00 last week and 42.00 this week!

11- paper towels
10 -28oz cans diced tomatoes for red sauce
12 -cans tomato paste for red sauce
2- loafs honey wheat bread
pepperoni for homemade pizza
2- packages of mozzarella cheese for pizza
12 pack diet coke
12 pack double roll angel soft
gallon whole milk
2% milk
sugar- for homemade cookies
Total-  42.30
Before- 83.07
savings- 40.77
I used 3 coupons and my store savings card

Next week I will have to do a meat shop....

Have a blessed day!

Stocking up ..I saved a little over 50%

Good Morning everyone. I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas week .I took advantage of some sales this week to stock up on some food items.  I did really well , Here's what I got.

10 boxes of stovetop
10 boxes of Spaghetti Noodles
10 packages of Birds eye frozen vegetables
2 sara lee pies
1 brawny paper towel
1 mayo
1 loaf of bread
1 12 pack Pepsi
2 kotex
- no meat this week


-I stock up on the things that i use when i find them at rock bottom prices.
- The bread was free with the purchase of the mayo
-Original bill 85.70
- Total spent 46.53
-savings 39.17
- plus I earned gas points
- I wont need to buy Stuffing or Noodles for the rest of next year!
- I know what i need for meals for the year. I know that's extreme, but I have been doing this for awhile.
- Try planning your meals out for a week or a month to start with. Watch the ads, know what you need. --Stick to one drug store and one food store to start with.
- I shopped at a local store called farmers food


-Here's a little tip- if you need candy for New Years baking, taking or just eating. Shop the day after Christmas for bags of candy. They will be 50% off or more. You can also use your coupon if you have one for big savings.

 - If you need flour this week and you have a Wegmans near by, they have it for 99 cents, they also have pasta for 79 cents
- Kmart has eggs for 99 cents , butter for 1.99 , orange juice 2 for 5.00 with in store coupon


HAPPY SHOPPING AND SAVING