March 2010 - Frugal Follies

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Wednesday Weekly Shopping: Where's the deal?

I invite you to link up to your best grocery deals below!

I spent this week continuing to shop for my Passover seder and for the holiday, buying the expensive foods that I needed, but tried to get the best deals that I could.

Here are some of the things I bought:

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$38.86 at Winn-Dixie

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$11.28 at Penn Dutch

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$25.28 at Publix

I made a second trip to Publix, spending $16.03 on more dairy, juice, and a turkey roasting pan. I got free body wash at CVS and while there bought a gallon of milk which I paid for with ECBs. And I made a trip to Target for 6 dozen eggs (99¢ each!), some cleaning supplies, and frozen meals for the lunch before Passover, and spent $17.65.

Altogether I spent $109.10 for about $160 worth of groceries this week. Certainly not my best, but I stayed under my budget of $120 (increased for the holiday from my usual $80).

Check out the following to see how others shopped this week!

How did your shopping go this week? What bargains did you get? Please leave a link to your blog post about your weekly shopping. Please link up directly to your post, not to the blog itself. I'd appreciate it if you put a link to Wednesday Weekly Shopping in your post as well. If you don't have a blog, please leave a comment!

I got free body wash at CVS!

Have you registered your CVS card with your email address? If you hadn't, you're missing out!

Besides regularly receiving $3 off 15 or $4 off $20 coupons, last week I got a freebie! Once I clicked on the free gift coupon prompt, I was able to print a coupon for either a free body of CVS body wash or a free box of CVS candy!

The candy was oh, so tempting, but it would only last a day (if that), whereas my kids use body wash daily and a bottle lasts a month. So, regretfully, I went with the body wash.

Free coupon eCourse!

I just heard about this new, free coupon ecourse starting next Monday. It's being hosted by Claire over at Saving Money Plan. It's a ten-week class, where each week's lesson is emailed directly to your inbox each Monday. Claire teaches you how to utilize coupons to their fullest at national retailers like CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. She explains the intricacies of each of their customer programs, and each week gives an easy-to-understand assignment based on that week's ads. Not only will you be learning, but you'll also be savings lots of money!

Even though I think I know a lot about coupons, I'm betting that I'll learn a thing or two from this class. So I signed up for it, and I'll give you updates on how I'm doing. If you want to join me, click here for the free coupon ecourse!

April Freezer Cooking Days: Cooking list

Time once again for April Freezer Cooking Days, hosted by FishMama at Life as MOM and Crystal at Money Saving Mom.

Since this Freezer Cooking Days falls in the middle of Passover, it presents special challenges for me. I can't cook anything that contains any sort of wheat, oats, corn, rice, or legumes. That leaves out many of my go-to freezer recipes, like Whole Wheat French Bread. I can't prepare dried beans for use later. And my favorite freezer item, frozen cookie dough, is sadly not allowed.

I could, in theory, make items containing matzah, but I don't think I'll be wanting to eat them after Passover is over next Tuesday night. So I'm limited to making meat, fruit, and vegetable items. So my list will be rather short this time... I promise a much larger event next month!

On a good note, I did roast a 12 pound turkey for my seder Tuesday evening, and I bought 10 pounds of potatoes, so I have lots of raw ingredients to make into yummy dishes for my freezer.

I'll be making:

Turkey soup (from the turkey carcass)
Some sort of turkey casserole, with potatoes... I am currently looking for a good recipe that doesn't contain cream soup or bread ingredients. Do you have any suggestions?
Frozen potato wedges - cut into wedges and spiced, baked, then frozen
Dried apple slices
Diced onions and celery for use in future recipes

Please follow me on Twitter, subscribe to my RSS feed, and become a fan on Facebook to follow my progress throughout the cooking days. I'll post a followup at the end.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

atTENding to Our Finances in 2010 March update

Time to update our financial goals, which I posted at the beginning of the year.

The bad news in March was that my husband lost his job.

The good news is he started a new job yesterday!

The job loss was expected. About a year ago, his company decided to consolidate at their headquarters and close his branch office. He was offered a job at the headquarters, but we decided to turn it down. He started looking for a new job last summer, and received a job offer in the beginning of March, just a few days after his previous job ended.

We are very thankful he was able to find a job when we know so many are suffering. We are thankful that his previous company continued his employment instead of letting him go immediately after we turned down the move. And we are greatly thankful that his company provided severance pay, which we have lived off of this last month. Once his paychecks resume, we will be able to put the unused severance pay toward our financial goals.

So for now, here's the status of our goals:

Save up and pay cash for the expenses of my daughter's bat mitzvah by July 2010. We started the year having saved 58% of the necessary money. We are now at 78%, no change from last month. We expect to be able to complete this goal with the unused severance money.
Save up a proper emergency fund by December 2010. Right now this is funded at over 100% with the severance money, but we are spending it down with living expenses.
Once those two goals are finished, pay off our home equity line. No action on this goal. We did pay the interest accrued on the loan. Since we hope to have the first two goals completed soon, we will be able to get to work on this very challenging one!

How are you doing on your 2010 financial goals? Post them (or a link to your blog) in the comments.

Check out more financial goals at Saving on a Shoestring @ Cha-Ching on a Shoestring and Coupon Teacher.

Publix trip: Finally some deals!

After a couple of non-deal shopping trips, I was happy to go to Publix and use some coupons for a change! I bought there some of the dairy items I needed for Passover, plus a few items for the last couple of days before. (So no, I'm not eating tortillas during Passover.) I got:

3 plum tomatoes @ $1.41
- $1 off produce coupon from the Publix calendar
= 41¢

6 Kraft shredded cheeses @ 3/$5 = $10.00
- 3 $2 off 2 Kraft shredded cheese blinkies
= $4.00, or 66¢ each

2 Friendship cottage cheese @ $1.99 each
- $1/2 blinkie coupon
= $2.98 for 2, or $1.49 each

2 Land O'Lakes spread @ $2.00 each = $4.00
- 1 50¢ printable coupon and one 40¢ insert coupon
= $3.10 for 2, or $1.55 each

Streits egg matzo @ $3.29
- 50¢ insert coupon
= $2.79

2 Triscuits @ BOGO, $3.39
- 2 $1 off insert coupons
= $1.39 for two boxes, or 70¢ per box

2 Healthy Choice entrees @ $2.00 each = $4.00 (cheaper than going out to lunch!)
- $1 off 2 coupon
= $3.00

2 Mott's Applesauce, BOGO $2.73 (no coupon)
Philadelphia cream cheese - $1.00 (no coupon)
Banderita tortilla - $2.19 (no coupon)
Publix whole wheat bread - $1.69 (no coupon)

Total spent: $25.28, saved $31.41

Penn-Dutch: Eat your veggies

My trip this week to Penn-Dutch for vegetables was pretty uneventful. No coupons, though I did avoid buying some of the more expensive produce. I got:

1 package Romaine lettuce - $1.29
1 bunch parsley - $1.29
1 package spinach leaves - $1.89
1 head iceberg lettuce - $1.19
3 lb. carrots - $1.39
3 cucumbers - $1.50
2 red bell peppers - $2.23 (an indulgence, I must admit)
1 bag radishes - 50¢

Total spent - $11.28

Monday, March 29, 2010

Grocery Shopping at CVS

Last week, I discussed why it can make sense to grocery shop at drug stores. It seemed incongruous to me at first, but now I find myself buying all sorts of things there.

Before I go into specifics at CVS, I wanted to reiterate a comment made by Shelly at Coupon Teacher. She said:

Don't forget to always watch those expiration dates. Drug stores are notorious for not pulling expired items from shelves.

You're absolutely right! Since so few people do buy groceries there, some of the items may have been on the shelf past their sell-by date. Make sure to check before purchasing!

The best thing about buying groceries at CVS is that you can use Extra Care Bucks to buy them, if necessary. Walgreen's has limits on how their Reister Rewards can be used - in the fine print, it says no dairy. I take that to mean anything in the dairy case, including eggs and frozen items, though I have not checked that with a manager.

So when your budget is really tight, you can use excess ECBs from other deals to buy milk and eggs, and free up your out-of-pocket money for other items. Even better, sometimes you'll get ECBs for buying milk and eggs - last week there was a deal for getting a 50¢ ECB when buying milk.

I've found that CVS regularly has deals on Nabisco crackers. One time I got five boxes for $2 after coupons and Register Rewards. Another deal I regularly see is on Unilever products - Ragu pasta sauce, Skippy peanut butter, and Lipton tea, for instance. Breakfast cereal is often a good deal at CVS as well.

One thing I've seen at CVS but not at the grocery store is single-serve ice cream treats. At the grocery store, these might be sold in boxes of 8 or 10. But if I only wanted one per child, I might think about buying them at CVS - though the per-item cost might be higher, it would be less out of pocket, and I wouldn't have the other treats taking up room in the freezer, tempting me to eat them.

Next week I'll be discussing Walgreens. I find a lot of grocery bargains there, expecially when combined with the coupons in the ad flyer. See you next week!

Check these sites for more great tips:

Winn-Dixie: Passover food, but no deals

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I made a trip last Wednesday night down to a Winn-Dixie which had a large Passover food selection. There wasn't all that much in the way of good deals, and I didn't use any coupons. Still, the prices on most of these items were lower than at Publix. Here's what I got:

5 lb. Yehuda matzah - $6.69
2 packages chocolate chips - $2.69 each, or $5.38 total
1 jar Batampte pickles - $3.29
1 jar Gold's white horseradish - $1.79
1 bottle Manischewitz wine - $3.50
4 cans matzah meal - $3.00 each, or $12.00 total
2 cans matzah farfel - $3.00 each, or $6.00 total

Total spent = $38.86

Almost the end of the month - coupon printing time!

The month of March will be over in just a couple of days. Where did the time go? Look for my atTENDing to Your Finances in 2010 March update, coming soon! And if you missed it, I posted my Frugal Follies Book List for March - check it out!

And, of course, you'll want to head on over to Coupons.com and RedPlum.com and print out any coupons that interest you, since they may be gone tomorrow! And be sure to check back there on April 1st, since there may be new coupons rolled out then!

I used to wait until I needed a coupon for a deal, but sometimes they reached a print limit and disappeared before I needed them. Bummer! So, now when I see a coupon for a product I buy regularly or even occasionally, I print out the coupon, so it's there when I need it. You should, too!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Chicken Basquaise

So last night I was making dinner. I had planned on making chicken with peppers, but bell pepper prices have been ridiculous lately because of the cold winter here in Florida, so that was out. I looked through my crisper drawer and didn't find much that wasn't slated to be used for our Passover seder... hmmmm, here's some onions, some celery, some garlic... there are some cans of tomatoes in the pantry... aha, Chicken Basquaise it is!

I adapted this recipe from a cookbook that I appear to have gotten rid of in my last cookbook purge. With millions of recipes available online now, I've pared down my cookbook collection to less than a dozen volumes, plus my mom's recipes and the ones I've collected over the years.

Looking at some other online versions, many versions use bone-in chicken; I prefer boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Some call for ham, but I don't add that. And, some call for bell peppers - obviously I didn't add any this time!

And sorry no picture this week - we were so hungry, we devoured it before I realized that I hadn't taken one!

Chicken Basquaise

2 onions, diced
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes in tomato juice
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a large saute pan over medium heat, saute diced onions in olive oil until softened. Add celery and saute for 3 more minutes or until very soft. Add garlic and saute for 1 more minute - do not allow garlic to brown. Remove vegetables from pot into a medium bowl. Add more oil to the pan if necessary. Saute chicken for 4-5 minutes, or until fully cooked through. Add vegetables back to the pan and mix with chicken. Add canned tomatoes, hot sauce, oregano, and pepper and turn the heat to high. When sauce begins to boil, turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

Check out more recipes at:

Under a Buck at... 3/28/10

Here's all the "Under a Buck..." post links in one convenient place. Hope this helps! I'll be posting this every Sunday after I post the deals for the drugstores and Target. If there are any other stores you want covered, let me know! If they're not in my area of South Florida, I'll need access to an online copy of their advertisement.

Under a Buck at Winn-Dixie 3/24/10 - 3/30/10
Under a Buck at Publix 3/25/10 - 3/31/10
Under a Buck at CVS 3/28/10 - 4/3/10
Under a Buck at Walgreens 3/28/10 - 4/3/10
Under a Buck at Rite-Aid 3/28/10 - 4/3/10
Under a Buck at Target 3/28/10 - 4/3/10

Check out Nickels & Dimes, Saving Your Cents, Couponing to Disney, and Coupon Geek for more great deals!

Under a Buck at Target 3/28/10 - 4/3/10

Want to get a great deal at Target, but don't have the time to clip coupons? Or are you so focused on getting coupon deals that you've missed the best prices? Here's a list of some of the items at or under $1.00 this week at Target, according to the weekly ad. Some items may only be available at SuperTarget stores.

25¢ - Easter grass, 1.5 oz
59¢ - Russet potatoes, per pound
59¢ - Sweet potatoes, per pound
65¢ - Unfilled plastic eggs, 12 ct
65¢ - Del Monte canned vegetables, 14.5 to 15.25 oz
75¢ - Campbell's cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup, 10.75 oz
75¢ - Swanson chicken broth, 14 oz
96¢ - Kraft marshmallows
96¢ - Jell-O
96¢ - Del Monte canned pineapple
99¢ - Large grade A eggs, 1 dozen
99¢ - M&M filled egg or Reese's Pieces carrot novelty candy
99¢ - Paas craft activity egg decorating kit
99¢ - Market Pantry frozen turkey breast, per pound
99¢ - Green beans, per pound
99¢ - Philadelphia cream cheese, 8 oz
99¢ - Stove Top stuffing
99¢ - Heinz gravy
99¢ - Betty Crocker potatoes
99¢ - Heinz white vinegar, 16 oz
$1.00 - Betty Crocker cake mix or frosting
$1.00 - Burpee brand seed packets

Check out Cha Ching Queen and Coupon Geek for more Target deals!

See what I bought this week at Wednesday Weekly Shopping, and check out my Under a Buck series for more deals at supermarkets and drug stores!

Renu solution coupon

Here's a great coupon for $1 off Renu contact lens solution from Coupons.com. I'm always looking for these - contact lens solution is a product I can't live without!

Click here for the coupon.- it could run out fast!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Menu Plan: Planned well in advance for once!

Passover is here! I planned my menu out way in advance for once - part of my suggestions on saving money on Passover food. So this is what we'll be having this week

Monday - Passover seder at my in-laws' home. I'll be bringing enough salad to feed 25 people.

Tuesday - Passover seder at my house: chicken soup with matzah balls, gefilte fish, chopped liver, turkey, apple matzah stuffing, vegetable kugel, salad, fruit

Wednesday - Passover "Macaroni" and Cheese, cut-up veggies

Thursday - leftovers from the two seders

Friday - chicken soup, turkey & farfel casserole (farfel is small broken pieces of matzah)

Saturday - matzah lasagna, salad

Sunday - leftover turkey, mini potato knishes, fruit

Check out Menu Plan Monday for more menu plans!

Under a Buck at Walgreens 3/28/10 - 4/3/10

Got a great Walgreens deal? Leave a comment below!

Trying to keep your Walgreens bill low, but don't have time to go through coupons or figure out complex Register Rewards deals?

Here are some of the items that are under $1.00 this week. All you'll need is the weekly ad, which you can pick up in the store, and a pair of scissors to cut out the in-ad coupons. A * means that an in-ad coupon is required. This list is based on an ad scan; please double-check your local ad to see if these bargains are applicable in your area.

13¢ - Easter plastic tumbler *
13¢ - Easter fun sacks *
34¢ - Corner Office index cards or legal pad *
34¢ - Miracle bubbles *
34¢ - Punch balloon *
39¢ - Whitman's or Russell Stover eggs *
39¢ - Assorted Easter candy *
39¢ - Walgreens soda, 20 oz *
39¢ - Hershey's candy *
50¢ - Morton's iodized salt, 26 oz *
50¢ - Deerfield Farms baking soda, 16 oz *
50¢ - Madam mandarin oranges, 11 oz *
50¢ - Geisha mushrooms, 4 oz *
50¢ - Encore gourmet spices *
50¢ - Comet cleanser *
59¢ - Green Giant canned vegetables *
59¢ - Walgreens aluminum foil *
69¢ - Bumble Bee chunk light tuna *
69¢ - Swanson chicken broth *
69¢ - Scotch mailer *
79¢ - Chipwood Easter basket *
89¢ - Walgreens paper plates, 72 ct, or foam plates, 40 ct
99¢ - Deerfield Trading Co. soda, 16 oz
99¢ - Pure American vitamin enhanced water, 16 oz
99¢ - Spring water, 1 liter
99¢ - Austin crackers, 8 pack
99¢ - Keebler cookies, 5.25 or 5.5 oz
99¢ - Cheez-It, 4.5 oz
99¢ - Biscoff, 8 pack
99¢ - Maxell T-120 videocassette *
99¢ - Joy dish liquid
99¢ - Walgreens air freshener
99¢ - Xcel cleanser or dish liquid
99¢ - Niagara spray starch *
99¢ - Playtex gloves *
99¢ - Altoids or Tic Tac *
99¢ - Wrigley gum
99¢ - Arrid or Arm & Hammer *
99¢ - Halls drops *
$1.00 - Betty Crocker cake mix, Warm Delights, or frosting
$1.00 - Stove Top Quick Cups
$1.00 - Kraft Velveeta cups
$1.00 - Deerfield Farms dried fruit
$1.00 - Bubble fun set

Of course, by using coupons and figuring out Register Rewards deals, you can get some of these items and many more for less or even for free! Check out Money Saving Mom, Frugal Shopping with Julie, and Deal Seeking Mom for more Walgreens deals!

See what I bought this week at Wednesday Weekly Shopping, and check out my Under a Buck series for more deals at supermarkets and drug stores!

Under a Buck at Rite-Aid 3/28/10 - 4/3/10

Got a great Rite Aid deal? Leave a comment below!

Trying to keep your Rite Aid bill low, but don't have time to go through coupons? Or are you so focused on using coupons that you miss the best price deals on items without coupon matchups?

Here are some of the items that are under $1.00 this week. All you'll need is the weekly ad, which you can pick up in the store, and a pair of scissors to cut out the in-ad coupons.

Note: deals are based on an online ad scan. Please double-check deals against the ad in your area. * indicates that an in-ad coupon is needed.

20¢ - Top Ramen ramen noodles
20¢ - Royal gelatin dessert
50¢ - Assorted single serve Easter candy
50¢ - Nestle or M&M Mars single serve candy
66¢ to $1.99 - Plastic fillable Easter eggs, Easter grass, or cellophane wrap
88¢ - Assorted Easter candy
88¢ - Nissin Rich & Savory Bowl, chow mein, or noodles
99¢ - Vitaminwater, Smart Water, Powerade, or Dasani
$1.00 - Assorted Easter candy
$1.00 - Cadbury candy bars
$1.00 - LifeSavers or CremeSavers bagged candy
$1.00 - Altoids

Check out Frugal Living and Having Fun and Money Saving Mom for more Rite Aid deals!

See what I bought this week at Wednesday Weekly Shopping, and check out my Under a Buck series for more deals at supermarkets and drug stores!

Under a Buck at CVS 3/28/10 - 4/3/10

Got a great CVS deal? Leave a comment below!

Are you trying to keep your CVS bill low, but don't have time to clip coupons or figure out complex ECB deals this week? Or are you so focused on using coupons that you've missed the best price deals?

Here are some of the items that are on sale for under $1.00 this week, without coupons. The only thing you'll need is your CVS card. The information below is based on an online ad scan; please check your local ad to be sure that the deals are available in your area.

50¢ - Easter singles candy
50¢ - Gold Emblem canned vegetables
50¢ - Gold Emblem canned soup
67¢ - Arizona tea or fruit punch, 23 oz
77¢ - Select Gold Emblem Easter candy
88¢ - Lindsay pitted olives, 6 oz
88¢ - Gold Emblem salt, 26 oz
88¢ - Gold Emblem spaghetti or elbow macaroni, 16 oz
88¢ - Gold Emblem spices, 0.49-8 oz
88¢ - Betty Crocker fudge brownie mix, 18.3 oz
88¢ - Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna, 5 oz
88¢ - Snow's chopped clams, 6.5 oz
97¢ - Puffs tissue, 60-108 ct
97¢ - Palmolive dish liquid
97¢ - Renuzit air freshener
99¢ - Glade air freshener or scented oil warmer base
99¢ - Palmer or Russell Stover chocolate bunny
99¢ - Easter filler eggs
99¢ - Select theater box candy
99¢ - Easter Peeps
99¢ - Whitman's or Russell Stover candy, 1.75-2 oz
99¢ - Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid toothpaste or Advantage toothbrush (buy one at $2.99, get $2 ECB)

Of course, if you do use coupons and work ECB deals, you can purchase many other items for under a buck or even for free! Check out these sites for great CVS deals:

See what I bought this week at Wednesday Weekly Shopping, and check out my Under a Buck series for more deals at supermarkets and drug stores!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Frugal Follies Book List: March

I read a lot of books on frugality and personal finance. I just love them, even if I only pick up a tip or two with each book. Each month here at Frugal Follies, I'll be posting about some of the books that I've read over the past month. If you have any suggestions for me, please leave them in the comments!

Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life by Jenna Woginrich

In this book, Woginrich makes the case that we can all become more self-sufficient in our lives, no matter where we are right now. We can take more control of the things we eat, wear, and make, and how we entertain ourselves. Though she doesn't own a large acreage or homestead full-time, she makes changes in her life to allow for a more natural existence - more cooking from scratch, making her own clothes, buying antiques, growing vegetables, beekeeping, and raising chickens. (I think my homeowners association would frown at the last two there.) She also adds tips to help you get started on your own journey.

The New Frugality: How to Consume Less, Save More, and Live Better by Chris Farrell

Farrell makes the case that with the state our economy is in now, we need to rethink how and why we spend our money. He suggests a new frugal attitude, most concerned with having a margin of safety and to reduce the amount of uncertainty in our financial lives. His specific advice is familiar to those of us who have been frugal even when the economy is good: pay yourself first, keep debt to a minimum, make and keep to a budget, and save early and often for retirement and college.

Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine

In 2004, Levine and her partner decided to not purchase anything for that year, save the most necessary essentials such as food and medicine. She shares her insights that she has discovered on her journey, on topics such as gift-giving, overconsumption, consumerism, and our society's publicly held assets. A journalist, she also reports on the Voluntary Simplicity movement and interviews people who have reduced their needs to an absolute minimum.

Check out Life as MOM for more reading suggestions and Saturday Sound Off for more great blog reads!

Sunday Coupon Preview: More cheese coupons!

According to Sunday Coupon Preview, most newspapers will be receiving one RedPlum and two, count 'em, two Smartsource insert this week! Here are some that interest me.

Smartsource:
Breyers YoCrunch 100 Calorie Yogurt Pack Save $.75/1 (6/20)
Apple & Eve Fruitables Juice Boxes, 8pk Save $.50/1 (6/30)
Mussleman’s Totally Fruit or Healthy Picks Apple Sauce Save $1.00/2 (5/31)
The Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges Save $1.00/2 (6/30)

RedPlum:
Dove Body Wash 10oz or larger Save $1.25/1
Lipton Tea Bags or Any Iced Tea Mix Save $0.50/1
Smucker’s Jam, Jelly, Preserves or Fruit Spread Save $1.00/2
Wish-Bone or Wish-Bone Dressings Save $1.50/2

Keep in mind that not all areas will get all coupons, and values will differ between regions. Check Sunday Coupon Preview for a full list.

Cheese coupon

Here's a great coupon for cheese from Coupons.com. I love cheese coupons! I can't get enough of them, as we eat a lot of cheese around here! Click here for a 55¢ off coupon for Sargento Natural Cheese Snacks.

Hand soap coupon

I was over at RedPlum.com and found a few new coupons! There's one for buy one Simple Green Naturals hand soap, get one free at Lowe's! I've never seen Lowe's coupons before, but I'm glad to see it! I will have to go over there and check out this new product.

There's also a coupon for $1 off Arm & Hammer dryer sheets, also redeemable at Lowe's. Check out all the RedPlum online coupons here.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

How to Save on Passover Food

There's no way around it, Passover is expensive. But you don't have to just give in and open your wallet and spend many hundreds of dollars on food for Passover. Here are some ideas to help reduce your Passover grocery bill:

Shopping ideas:

Decide on a budget and stick to it.
Purchase items over several weeks, as soon as they are available; spend less on your regular groceries to allow for this.
During those weeks, eat from your pantry. It will reduce your expenses those weeks, and make room for the Passover stuff!
Look for sales year-round on items that can be stored. For instance, after Rosh Hashanah, kosher wine may be discounted dramatically. Buy several bottles and put them away.
If possible in your area, check out several different stores and make a price list. Places to consider include grocery stores, warehouse stores, and specialty kosher stores.
If there are few places to buy Passover goods in your area, consider making a trip to another city to stock up, but take into account the gas you'd use to make the trip. See if you can combine a Passover shopping trip with other errands or visits to that area that you'd already be making.
Read the ad of the store you're shopping at to find the best deals.
Look for coupons on Passover items - but keep in mind that a different brand might be cheaper even without a coupon. You can check Hot Coupon World's database to find if there are printable coupons for the items you need.
Follow blogs that describe Passover deals - including right here!
Check blogs that cover your store to see if there are any money-making deals that can be done. For instance, by combining a great sale with high-value coupons on a different item, you might "make" a dollar or two. Use this overage towards the purchase of Passover items.

Cooking ideas:

Make a menu plan! Decide ahead of time what you'll be making for every meal.
When you decide on dishes, try to choose ones that have lower-cost ingredients. For instance, if only one recipe you want to use needs potato starch, consider cutting that recipe rather than buying a large box that will only be used once.
Try this list of Passover substitutions to see if you can avoid buying a particular ingredient.
Once you've decided what you'll be cooking, go through your recipes and figure out how much of each ingredient you'll need. Only buy what you need.
Make a large turkey and/or brisket for your seder, then use the leftover meat for meals for the rest of the week.
Potatoes, potatoes, potatoes! You can buy a 10 lb. bag for less than five dollars, and possibly even less. There's lots of recipes out there that can be adapted for Passover.
Soup is cheap! Make your own chicken broth.
Salads can be fairly inexpensive if made with in-season, on sale ingredients.
Don't spend too much on sweets. The candy can be fun, but don't overdo it.
Don't buy premixed matzo ball mix; matzo balls are incredibly simple to make. Find a good recipe and use matzo meal that you're probably buying for other dishes.
Instead of the expensive Passover cereals, try farfel with milk, sugar, and raisins. It's not my favorite, but my husband likes it.
For other recipes that call for farfel, break up enough matzah boards for the amount you need. It won't work as well for the cereal, but for other uses it's indistinguishable.

What tips do you have for saving on Passover food?

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