My 2021 Challenge

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alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

So far I have been doing well with my challenge regarding using what I have on hand and to not pay cash for groceries this month. However it is only the 7th of November. I am working on various sites to get Walmart gift cards for groceries, if needed, towards the end of the month

I cooked a roll of pork sausage yesterday to make keto sausage and gravy. The recipe requires 10 oz. of sausage so I cut the remaining sausage in to slices to make patties. I froze one of the sausage patties for my breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. I had two with breakfast yesterday. Today I made a breakfast sandwich using one of the patties and an egg on a bun that I found in the freezer. The sausage gravy lasts for a long time and should give me breakfast for the rest of the week depending on how hungry I am. So I am estimating that one roll of sausage that cost a little over $4.00 with tax will provide 9 meals come to about .45 cents. I will be adding other things to the meal like gluten free biscuits and eggs. I will figure out the details later on.

Today I will be making tuna fish salad for lunch for several days this coming week and spaghetti with spaghetti squash. I will crunch the numbers later. I was lucky to buy spaghetti squash from Misfit market for about $2.99 whereas my locals stores, including Walmart, it would have cost me $5.00. It is hard to buy groceries if you are gluten intolerant as well as a diabetic. Gluten free products cost an arm and a leg plus they are high glycemic and can cause a problem with my blood sugar.
Janet Alliesmama
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MackerelCat
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Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by MackerelCat »

There's a low carb pasta called Palmini made from hearts of palm with only 4 carbs per serving, but it is $3.48 a can at Walmart. That makes pasta into an expensive meal.

DH says we are on track to have the house paid off by the first of the year. We had planned on that happening this month, but spent a lot of money supporting Homeless Buddy during the months when he couldn't work much this summer. We are not out of consumer debt yet, thanks to a $6K house repair, but when the house is paid off, that can be whittled down quickly.
Mackie
SandiSAHM
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by SandiSAHM »

alliesmama4 wrote: Sun Nov 07, 2021 12:23 pm I was lucky to buy spaghetti squash from Misfit market for about $2.99 whereas my locals stores, including Walmart, it would have cost me $5.00. It is hard to buy groceries if you are gluten intolerant as well as a diabetic. Gluten free products cost an arm and a leg plus they are high glycemic and can cause a problem with my blood sugar.
Have you tried Shirataki noodles (also called "miracle noodles")? I get the 'generic' from Vitacost when the perfect storm of % off (I'm on their email list), decent $, and a Rakuten rebate all merge together. One little bag makes enough 'noodles' for two meals for me. Something about it really fills a person, and once you've used the same sauce as you would on any other noodle, they sort of "disappear" into the dish - you get a noodle sensation and texture, but no taste. Very low carb, no impact on my blood sugar at all.

(They reported do, when first cut open, before being rinsed, smell like fish. They're vegan (made from some kind of yam) and I don't really get a 'fish' smell from it - DH does, and he knows what fish smells like, but my kids say the same thing and have never eaten a fish, so...? Although DD does fill online grocery orders so she may know what fish smells like and still says 'oh, the fish noodles' :shock:. It just smells different to me. At any rate, a good rinse and the smell is gone).

The only other time I've seen a super good price on them was on Walmart's clearance shelf. I guess they weren't moving fast enough, a buck a bag was a great deal so we bought all of them, they have a decent shelf life.

https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-shirataki-angel-hair-style-konjac-pasta

All that said in case you're looking for something more carb and flavor 'neutral' than spaghetti squash. I like it but sometimes the flavor clashes with a dish.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

SandiSAHM wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 1:51 pm Have you tried Shirataki noodles (also called "miracle noodles")? I get the 'generic' from Vitacost when the perfect storm of % off (I'm on their email list), decent $, and a Rakuten rebate all merge together. One little bag makes enough 'noodles' for two meals for me. Something about it really fills a person, and once you've used the same sauce as you would on any other noodle, they sort of "disappear" into the dish - you get a noodle sensation and texture, but no taste. Very low carb, no impact on my blood sugar at all.

(They reported do, when first cut open, before being rinsed, smell like fish. They're vegan (made from some kind of yam) and I don't really get a 'fish' smell from it - DH does, and he knows what fish smells like, but my kids say the same thing and have never eaten a fish, so...? Although DD does fill online grocery orders so she may know what fish smells like and still says 'oh, the fish noodles' :shock:. It just smells different to me. At any rate, a good rinse and the smell is gone).

The only other time I've seen a super good price on them was on Walmart's clearance shelf. I guess they weren't moving fast enough, a buck a bag was a great deal so we bought all of them, they have a decent shelf life.

https://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-shirataki-angel-hair-style-konjac-pasta

All that said in case you're looking for something more carb and flavor 'neutral' than spaghetti squash. I like it but sometimes the flavor clashes with a dish.


I have used the miracle noodles but they cost too much. That was a while back. I had ordered a box of mixed noodles from somewhere. Forget now where..lol. I need to check in to them again.

I like to use fresh produce as much as I can. I do not mind the mild squash flavor. Although I do not like spaghetti squash after it has been frozen. It is too watery.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

MackerelCat wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 12:59 pm There's a low carb pasta called Palmini made from hearts of palm with only 4 carbs per serving, but it is $3.48 a can at Walmart. That makes pasta into an expensive meal.

DH says we are on track to have the house paid off by the first of the year. We had planned on that happening this month, but spent a lot of money supporting Homeless Buddy during the months when he couldn't work much this summer. We are not out of consumer debt yet, thanks to a $6K house repair, but when the house is paid off, that can be whittled down quickly.
Mackie thanks for the tip. I will look into it next month when I order from Walmart.

You are amazing in how much you helped Michael. You and your DH were a blessing to him and he gave back so much to you too with his friendship. I did not realize you had been his friend for 3 years. Time is just flying by.

Great news that you are going to pay off your house soon. Nothing like having your own nest and know that you have a safe haven to live in.
Janet Alliesmama
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: My 2021 Challenge

Post by alliesmama4 »

I had a CVS coupon for $5.00 off of groceries at my local grocery store. It is a local chain store and their prices are much higher than Ruler or Walmart. However I decided to see what I could buy with $5.00. Not much! I wandered around the store to check prices on things that I buy from Walmart. My favorite cheese is $2.43 at Walmart. This store had it "on sale" for $3.99. As I wandered around I realized that the national/name brand items all cost 1 to 2 dollar more than at Walmart. However they did have similar items that were being sold under the stores label that were much cheaper.. An incentive to buy more from them to increase their profit. So my final decision was to just go for the basics. They were all store brand items. I bought 2 dozen large eggs at $1.19 a dozen. A half gallon of milk $1.59 and a 16 oz. carton of cottage cheese. It was .15 cents off of it normal price and came to $1.99. I also bought a box of freezer bags in the $1.00 aisle. The Total was $7.11. So I had to pay $2.11 out of pocket. However not going to count the freezer bags as a food purchase so went over budget by about $1.10. I decided not to use my $6.00 in loyalty points because I might need them for fresh dairy later in the month or maybe towards something near Christmas. After leaving the grocery store I scooted over to Dollar General to get some Pup-peroni for Teddi. Food for him is not in the challenge. I was going to buy (3) $2.00 bags. However they had a large bag for $5.00 which I had not seen before. So I bought it. I will count the sticks to see how many are in the bag and if it will be cheaper to buy it next time. Walked around for more sticker shock. I like a certain brand of chili and it used to be $1.50 at DG and $1.56 at Walmart. Today it was $1.86. The last time I ordered it from Walmart they were out so not sure what their price will be. Also noticed evaporated milk was $1.45 at DG and it was $1.89 at the grocery store. The last time I bought it at Walmart it was $1.19. That was about a month ago.. Yikes!

I am in my master bedroom and it faces the woods behind my house. There are two squirrels in my back yard and they have been looking for acorns all day and running back and forth digging holes and hiding them. Sometimes I feel a little bit like them storing things for the winter..lol I hope their acorns and my supplies get us all through the winter. I do buy corn from the Farm and Home store for them when things start to get bleak in the winter months. They also help themselves to the bird food when I put it out for the birds.
Janet Alliesmama
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