Bulk Buys: Week of 2/26 (Broccoli, chicken, coffee, potatoes, sugar, toilet paper)

Some nice bulk buys for this week. As always, buy as much as you can use before it expires. Or, in the case of toilet paper, as much as you can store. 

Broccoli (florets/crown only):

Checkers / 0.78 per lb (fresh) / 2/26/14
(Chop it up and freeze what you can't use right away!)

Chicken (boneless, skinless breasts)
Aldi/ 5lb fresh/ 1.59 per lb / 2/26/14
(Freeze what you can't use right away)

Coffee:
Checkers/ 1.50 per 11.5 oz tub/ 2.08 per lb / 2/26/14

Potatoes (Russet):
Checkers/ 10lbs for 2.68/ 0.27 per lb / 2/26/14
HyVee/ 5lbs for 1.18/ 0.24 per lb/ 2/26/14

Sugar (granulated): 
HyVee / 1.48 per 4lb bag/ 0.37 per lb/ 2/26/14

Toilet Paper:
Checkers/ Charmin Basic 20pk for 5.88/ 0.30 per roll / 2/26/14


How do I come up with bulk buys?  I compare the current price with the prices I've recorded in my Price Book.  When a price dips below (or sometimes when it meets) the lowest price I've got recorded, I know to stock up. This way I "lock-in" that price for however long my supply lasts me.  That means I'm paying $0.78 per pound for broccoli all year long, even when the price jumps in a few months from now to $1.09 per pound.  See what I'm saying? 





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My Frugal Acts of the past Week:

Here are the frugal things I did in the last week or so. What did you do to save money this week?

• I started keeping a price book again (which I shared here.)

• I made some homemade All Purpose Cleaner. (Listed here with other solvent recipes.)

• I bought a Thermos (with a giftcard I got for Christmas) so I don't spend $5 per week on coffee at work anymore.

• I made my own Valentine's cards with materials I already had.

• I baked banana bread/muffins with overripe bananas from the freezer.

• I made a list of items that I am going to look for in thrift stores (and yard sales when the season begins!)

• Brought leftovers from home for lunch every day at work.

• Combined trips/errands to save gas.

I would love to see your comments on what you did to save money this week! 

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Two Frugal Recipes (sweet potato pie and hot chocolate!)

Frugal Hot Chocolate from The Complete Tightwad Gazette (p 81) by Amy Dacyczyn

1/3c dry milk

1tsp cocoa

1c hot water

Marshmallows to taste.

How easy is that? And it only costs about 10 cents per serving. Mixed up in a pretty jar this would be a nice gift as well. 

This recipe is from my friend George. He brought this pie to our staff picnic and it knocked my socks off. I'm now completely obsessed and making it for Thanksgiving, plus a few extra to freeze. I asked if it is a secret family recipe, he says its from The California Cookbook from LA Times.

George's Sweet Potato Pie

1 ½ c mashed cooked sweet potatoes

½ c butter or margarine, softened

4 eggs

1 c granulated or brown sugar (I used brown)

1 ½ t nutmeg

1 ½ t vanilla

½ c milk

1 -9 inch unbaked pie shell

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Let stand in refrigerator overnight.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours.

Photo courtesy http://www.sxc.hu/

You don't have to give up coffee, or bring it from home, to save money.

It seems like every financial advisor in the last 10 years has been promoting the idea that if you would just "stop buying expensive lattes" and invest the $50 a month you're spending on them, your financial woes will be over.

I'm here to tell you that no, it's not really a good idea to buy expensive lattes everyday. I can, however, tell you that you don't have to go without your good coffee.  One of my favorite blogs, The Simple Dollar, has finally done the math on just how much you can save by bringing your own GOURMET coffee from home. No Folgers for us, folks! The bottom line is that even with really nice coffee and expensive creamers, a 16 oz. coffee brought from home costs under $0.70.  So, keep that in mind.

But there is another option.

I brought my coffee from home for months. The coffee was delicious, but it created problems for me. Most notably:

• having too many things to carry across campus (not enough hands!)
• in the winter my coffee being cold by the time I got to my office
• and last but not least- spilling the coffee on myself repeatedly during my trek to the office. 

I have found a good compromise- it's still cheaper than the $4 latte, and only $0.27 more than bringing coffee from home. The refill! I am lucky enough to have a snackbar/coffeeshop in my building. I found out a few months ago that they charge only $1.00 plus tax for a coffee "refill", which means that you bring your own cup and get coffee from the pump pot. Then I found out that there is a free Coffee Club Card offered by Pulse (the company that runs the coffeeshops on the KU campus) that gives you a 10% discount on all purchases. So I've got my card, and a cup that I keep at my desk, and I get my coffee every morning for $0.97.  Besides, using a re-usable cup is good for the environment, too. I've had my trusty blue cup for years!

Now while you may not have a Pulse where you work, check out the "refill" prices at your regular stop, you may be surprised how cheap they can be. I know, for example, that Aimee's Coffeehouse has a cheap refill. Any other local Lawrence shops with a good refill price?

I hope you enjoy the cell phone photo of my cubicle with my coffee. :) And no, I did not pay full price for the No Coffee No Workee sticker!