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 7th serving) and one pork rind bag processed into
crumbs make black bean burgers as the 7th 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!
