The Grocery Grumble: Frugal Foodie's Strategy

Last Saturday, I went grocery shopping for your upcoming Menu Planner's meals.  I looked at the list, "shopped" in my own kitchen (checked off what I already had), and then I added what our family personally needed (dog food & kosher salt, for example).

I mapped out my stores, which ended up being Aldi (most items, cheapest items), then Costco (furthest away, a few cheapest items), and finally Fresh Market (closest to home, a few specialty items).

I stuck to the list (NO extra treats, no matter what a great deal they might be!).

I put everything away when I got home and called it a day.

The next afternoon, I made a short list of items from the upcoming meals that I wanted to prep.  After I put our daughter down for her nap, I got to work simmering the homemade tomato sauce, chopping veggies for my pot pie, and other such activities.  I put my prepped items in containers and clearly labeled them--what they were and what day they'd be used.

Finally, I made a list of when I needed to start each day's meal.  If you're making bread, for example, or you want to make the homemade tomato sauce the day you're eating it, you'll need some extra time to prepare your meal.  Make a plan of WHEN that should be, and you won't find yourself jittery with hunger and daunted by your prep time at 5:15pm.

This afternoon, I'm taking my daughter to the grocery store with me.  In addition to making my list and planning out my stores, I'm going to plan some strategies to keep her busy and happy.  This could take up a blog post of it's own, but just to give you some quick ideas for an almost-3-yr-old: We're going right after her nap, so we'll grab a special treat Costco (churro!) when we start.  The samples also delight her, so that will keep us busy in store #1.  Aldi will need to be a quick second trip, so I'm going to look over the items I plan to get from there really well and think about where they are ahead of time. I'll also come up with a way for my daughter to "help" or a quick game ("I Spy," anyone?) as we quickly go through the store.  Fresh Market will be our last stop, and it is a favorite errand spot for my little because she is a coffee-lover.  That sample-sized cup of decaf is her holy grail at the end of our adventure.

Saturday & Sunday evenings an hour or two before closing are actually wonderful times to shop--the stores are completely empty.  However, I can give my husband some alone-time in the house if I take the kiddo along for an hour or two...so alas, we'll join the Saturday afternoon masses and enjoy our bounty of plentiful Costco samples.  :)  Happy shopping, my friends!

August Changes

Hello, Foodie Friends!

{My 2-year-old and I have been baking Banana Bread in the kitchen today.  (Also known as: all of our bananas turned brown.)  Do you let your kiddo/s help in the kitchen?  I usually don't when it comes to the biz (too much to do, too little time in which to do it!), but when it's cooking/baking for pleasure, my daughter is the expert pourer/unwrapper/stirrer/spoon-licker.  Perhaps if I do the heavy lifting for you, your kids might enjoy helping you put the finishing touches on your meals next week?} 

August brings some changes to Frugal Foodie.  Here they are in big ole' bullet points:

• Meal prices are now $15/meal (serves 3-4 people).  (Email me if you need extra or less and we can work out a custom plan.)

• Menus will now be posted by the MONTH so you can plan ahead.  I will post the next month's menu on the last weekend before the coming month.

• Meals will now only be offered in a "bundle."  You can purchase 3, 4, or 5 meals per week.  These will also be "choose your own adventure" style...meaning, you can choose whichever of the 3 or 4 meals you want.  (5-meal-ers get 'em all!)

• Subscriptions will be offered the first two weeks of each month.  A subscription is when you purchase 2-4 weeks of meals in advance.  Salad, dressing, and bread will be delivered with each subscription order.

• I've taken the PayPal buttons off the sidebar in order to correspond a bit more by email regarding your purchase.  (Hopefully this actually simplifies things!)  Follow the instructions when emailing me, and you'll receive an emailed invoice.  You can pay through the PayPal invoice, or (even better for me personally) you can pay by cash or check.  (I'll let you know the address to mail or drop-off payment.)

• Getting your meals now includes two options: pick-up at my house (free) or delivery (an extra $5).  (Please specify when you order.)  Pick-up will look like this: When your payment is received, I will email you the pick-up address.  Drop by my house (centrally located in East Memphis) on Sunday between 4-4:30pm, and you will find 5 coolers in front with a list of names on the top of each one.  Grab one of the provided insulated bags and load it up with the meals in the coolers with your name on top.  Done and done!  (Email me if you need a different pick-up time.)

• The menu structure will still resemble the old one--the only real change is that the beef/pork selection will now include seafood.

• The new deadline for orders will be on Wednesday at noon.  (This week, we'll push it to Thursday at noon.)

Check Facebook (Frugal Foodie Memphis) and Twitter (@frugalfoodiemem) for the most current Frugal Foodie info.  Instagram & Pinterest have other goodies as well (frugalfoodiemem)!

You can always find links to general instructions and a full month's menu at the top of the blog.

Let the ordering begin!  I look forward to hearing from you, and, as always, COOKING for you!  (Even more so now that I have a new beauty sitting in my kitchen!)