CAN TWO DINE FOR $17.99?

How about $17.88?

Old Mother Frugal went into the store to pick up a prescription from the pharmacy.

It was free! 

The pharmacies in our area and maybe yours as well, offer certain drugs at no charge to the customer. If you were to check their website, you may even find a list of those “free” medications.

However, being a grocery store, the temptation to browse was too strong.

By the time the groceries were bagged, the total cost was $17.88.

Here is what was purchased:

-3 bags of Kroger pork rinds

-Kroger whole grain bread

-Kroger mini shredded wheat cereal

-Kroger frozen crinkle cut carrots

-Kroger frozen broccoli cuts

-Michelina frozen shrimp and pasta

-DKSD Lobster cakes (package of 4)

-Kroger ground beef 80-20

-Kroger turkey patties (4)

-Ice cream sugar cones

-3 Kroger no salt added black beans (15 oz cans)

-Kroger Basil and Tomato Sauce

-½ lb ripe bananas

-Wedge of brie cheese

-Sun-Dried tomatoes in olive oil

½ gal Heinz Distilled white vinegar

Can two adults eat 21 meals for $17.88? Old Mother Frugal did some meal planning to find out.

Paying attention to serving size

For two adults, there would be 14 breakfast servings.

-    Shredded mini-wheat cereal box contains 9 servings. Add 1/3 banana to each serving and 6 bowls of cereal will have bananas and 3 will be plain. No milk? Munch on cereal without milk and a piece of banana.

-    Five mornings could be a slice of toast, leaving 15 slices of bread for lunches.

Two adult lunches and 15 slices left in the loaf of bread.

-    One slice per adult, with sun dried tomatoes and Brie cheese for a few days.  This uses 6 slices of bread, 9 slices remain for other lunches.

-    Can of black beans is 3.5 servings, two cans are 7 servings or three days of lunches for two adults. Serving the beans over a slice of bread/toast, leaving 3 slices of bread for another meal.

-    Using ½ cup of black beans (the 7^th serving) and one pork rind bag processed into crumbs make black bean burgers as the 7^th lunch.

Dinner…what’s left?

There is a can of black beans, 3 slices of bread, 2 bags of pork rinds, #1 lb of turkey burgers, #1 lb of ground beef, lobster cakes (4),  Michelina Shrimp and Pasta, Tomato and Basil sauce, frozen broccoli and carrots, vinegar and ice-cream sugar cones.

-         Sunday turkey chili 1 burger, sauce, cup beans w/2 bread or sugar cones.

-         Mon/ Thurs nights remake 4 oz burgers into 3 oz burgers with broccoli.

-         Tuesday night beef meatballs made with 1 pork rind bag, sauce, broccoli

-         Wednesday night beef meatloaf with 1 slice of bread filling and carrots.

-         Friday would be lobster cakes and carrots.

-         Saturday would be any leftovers and the Michelina shrimp/pasta dinner.

Final Thoughts…

For sure, it would be a lean week. It could be augmented if one had staples in a pantry. With an additional $2.12 to bring the cost for the week to $20, one could add an inexpensive fruit (2 bananas), and if money remains, any food item of your choice (milk, eggs, pasta or rice) to further your meals.

SOUND THE BUGLE! Frugal Tip: Old Mother Frugal recommends shopping the perimeter of the store and in the bulk food area. Compare costs. If bulk is less than the processed food in boxes in the middle of the store, buy bulk. Old Mother Frugal likes bulk purchases where you can control quantity of food that is needed based on the money in your wallet!