This post is part of the June Food Stamp Challenge located over HERE.
As Saturday was the last day for the Sales Ads and we were out of fruit & onions(can't cook ANYTHING without onions!lol) and there were some things I wanted to stock up on, I headed to the grocery store.
1 x Cantaloupe on sale=$3.00
1 x 2lbs. Strawberries on sale=$4.99
1 x 2lbs. Onions on sale=$1.29
2 x Easy Mac on sale $.75=$1.50
8 x Hormel Chili on sale $1.00=$8.00
2 x Hanover Veggies on sale $1.67=$3.33
4 x Hanover canned Beans on sale $.80=$3.20
2 x Coffee-Mate on sale $1.50=$3.00
SubTotal.....$28.31
Coupons Used
1 x BOGO Hanover Frozen Veggies ManuQ=$1.67
1 $1/4 Hanover canned Beans ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/2 Coffee-Mate ManuQ=$1.00
Coupon Total....$3.67
$28.31-$3.67=$24.64 out of pocket*
*This total doesn't sound quite right to me(checking it against my receipt book) but I have to get the copy of my receipt out later from upstairs to check, as the actual receipt was sent in for a rebate. I'll correct this later if it's wrong.
The Easy Mac was bought for a rebate that needs mailing out this month. I've been waiting for it to go on sale somewhere to buy it cheaply. I needed beans and chili as I am low. #2 son eats chili with his burritos during the summer The Coffee-Mate was a treat for daughter. Everything bought was on sale and 3 items I had coupons for.
Saturday was Leftover's Day so assorted leftovers were eaten as part of the meal plan.
Sunday was #1 son's last day before leaving for the summer to go work on the opposite side of the state.
I was overruled on staying home and making my Enchiladas for dinner because DH felt we needed to go out to eat. #1 son is also never home anymore for his birthday in July so this was his Birthday Meal Out that we always do for each person in the family.
I am aware that food stamps does not cover hot food eaten out at a restaurant. And some people on food stamps can't afford to spend actual cash money on going out to eat, no matter if it's a fancy pants, family, diner, buffet, cafe or fast food type restaurant.
So I am undecided on what I should do here with my food budget for the challenge. Eating out generally goes under the "Entertainment" budget with us. Should I deduct the cost of this meal out from the food stamp budgeted amount? Or do I get a 'pass' here? Or should I deduct the cost of the food if I have bought it and cooked it at home instead of having eaten the food out from my food stamp budget?
Any thoughts here?.....anyone?
Having cash enough to go out, to spend it on a nice meal out, is a luxury that food stamp recipients probably almost never have. Yes, having money gives you more choices in your life. Having been poor(meaning lacking money, not the other kinds of poor) at times in my life, I am painfully aware of that fact.
Spending for Day Twelve & Thirteen...$24.64
Spent to Date....$140.66
June Food Budget Left....$270.06
Days of Challenge Left....17
Sluggy
Just an average Gal, older mom, trying to live a simple life & what happens along the way.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Satuday at Rite-Aid x 3
Made 3 trips to Rite-Aid on Saturday to finish some SCRebates......
Transaction #1
3x Old Spice Dedorant or Body Spray on sale $3.50=$10.50
1 x Rembrandt Toothpaste reg. $8.29, w/Wellness 20% discount=$6.63
1 x Pantene Shampoo on sale=$3.50
4 x Ramen Noodles on clearance $.12ea.=$.48
SubTotal....$21.11
Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x B2G1 Old Spice=$3.50
1 x $1/2 Old Spice=$1.00
1 x $3/1 Rembrandt ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $3/1 Rembrandt AdPerks/VV IPQ=$3.00
1 x $1.50/1 Pantene Home Mailer Q(Vocalpt.)=$1.50
1 x $4 +Up Reward /Wellness CRT Q=$4.00
Coupon Total....$21.00
$21.11-$21.00=$.11 OOP--put on Free Rite-Aid Gift Card=ZERO out of pocket
SCR qualifed for....$3(Pantene)** & $5 Gift Card(P&G items)
The $3 Pantene SCR is a "special rebate" I received notice of in an email from Rite-Aid. I do believe it's not so special really since everyone who is signed up for the Wellness Program got this notice.lol
And I have a big bone to pick with Rite-Aid due to this transaction.
When I bought the 3 Old Spice items I was SUPPOSE to receive a $4 +Up Rewards that prints on the end of the receipt(like a CVS Extra Care Buck).....but it didn't print!
The cashier(who is the front end manager btw)warned me that the last person who bought the Old Spice items and used Old Spice ManuQs in her payment also did NOT get the +Up Reward. I told the cashier that I had bought the same items earlier in the week, using those same Qs and the +Up Reward did print......and now, while the offer was still valid and the tags were on the shelf and said NOTHING about not getting the Reward if you used coupons, the Reward didn't print!!
What's up with this Rite-Aid?
I am NOT happy with you!!!
Has anyone else had this problem with their +Up Reward NOT PRINTING?!? Let us know, willya?!
So I went to finish off my SCR#555(Skin Care) and now did NOT have that $4 +Up Reward to bring down my OOP total. I did however, have my $20 Allergy Rewards Certificate that came in the mail last week.
Transaction #2
1 x Sea Breeze Cleaner $5.29 w/Welllness 20% discount=$4.23
1 x Neutrogena Clinical Treatment $39.99 w/Wellness 20% discount=$31.99
SubTotal....$36.22
Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $5/1 Neutrogena Clinical IPQ=$5.00
1 x $5/1 Neutrogena Clinical In-Ad Q=$5.00
1 x $1/$10 any Skin Care Purchase Wellness IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total....$16.00
$36.22-$16.00=$20.22
Used 1 x $20/1 Allergy Rewards Certificate=$20.00 to pay.
$20.22-$20.00=$.22+ $.02 tax=$.24 OOP--put on Free Rite-Aid Gift Card so ZERO Out of Pocket
SCR qualifed for....$3(Sea Breeze) & the Neutrogena purchase took me over the $50 Skin Care items mark so I also qualify for the $25 Gift Card now + the Bonus $5 Gift Card for completing SCR#555.
In additional there is a $15 Mail-In Rebate(MIR)for this Neutrogena Clinical product.
1 more transaction to finish out the week, this time for my BIL's account....
1 x Gillette ProGlide Razor on sale but 20% Wellness discount better=$8.79
1 x Blink Tears on sale=$7.99
1 x Reeses Pieces bag $3.99 w/Wellness 20% discount=$3.19
SubTotal.....$19.97
Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $4/1 Gillette Razor ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $2/1 Blink Tears ManuQ=$2.00
1 x FREE ITEM Reese's Pieces(home mailer)=$3.19
Coupons Total....$14.19
$19.97-$14.19=$5.78 OOP--put on Free Rite-Aid Gift Card so ZERO Out of Pocket
SRC qualified for....$5(Razor),$7.99(Blink Tears)=$12.99
Here again, I didn't figure the lower price on the Razor as it was on sale, so my total was just under $20. They took the $5 off $20 Q anyway again.
I found another razor with the $5 Survey inside. Tried to use it for BIL and was told "thanks but we have enough responses." Dangit....
Value of Items today....$100.88
Out of Pocket....$6.13 put on gift cards
SCRs earned....$18.99 cash and $35 in Gift Cards
My Rite-Aid Totals so far this month......
Number of Transactions.....7
Total Spent....$43.48--all put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Total Value of Items Purchased....$228.54
SCR qualified for....$41.98 in cash and $35 in Gift Cards
Other Cash....$15 MIR from Neutrogena
+Up Rewards Earned....$8.00(it spends like a CVS ECB)--they owe me $4 on this!
Additional Rewards....$5.00 Gift Card from Gillette(for survey)
My actual overage is $41.98 after gift cards.
Add in the other $20 cash(MIR and Survey) and I'm up to $61.98 in cash rebates/overage.
Sluggy
Transaction #1
3x Old Spice Dedorant or Body Spray on sale $3.50=$10.50
1 x Rembrandt Toothpaste reg. $8.29, w/Wellness 20% discount=$6.63
1 x Pantene Shampoo on sale=$3.50
4 x Ramen Noodles on clearance $.12ea.=$.48
SubTotal....$21.11
Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x B2G1 Old Spice=$3.50
1 x $1/2 Old Spice=$1.00
1 x $3/1 Rembrandt ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $3/1 Rembrandt AdPerks/VV IPQ=$3.00
1 x $1.50/1 Pantene Home Mailer Q(Vocalpt.)=$1.50
1 x $4 +Up Reward /Wellness CRT Q=$4.00
Coupon Total....$21.00
$21.11-$21.00=$.11 OOP--put on Free Rite-Aid Gift Card=ZERO out of pocket
SCR qualifed for....$3(Pantene)** & $5 Gift Card(P&G items)
The $3 Pantene SCR is a "special rebate" I received notice of in an email from Rite-Aid. I do believe it's not so special really since everyone who is signed up for the Wellness Program got this notice.lol
And I have a big bone to pick with Rite-Aid due to this transaction.
When I bought the 3 Old Spice items I was SUPPOSE to receive a $4 +Up Rewards that prints on the end of the receipt(like a CVS Extra Care Buck).....but it didn't print!
The cashier(who is the front end manager btw)warned me that the last person who bought the Old Spice items and used Old Spice ManuQs in her payment also did NOT get the +Up Reward. I told the cashier that I had bought the same items earlier in the week, using those same Qs and the +Up Reward did print......and now, while the offer was still valid and the tags were on the shelf and said NOTHING about not getting the Reward if you used coupons, the Reward didn't print!!
What's up with this Rite-Aid?
I am NOT happy with you!!!
Has anyone else had this problem with their +Up Reward NOT PRINTING?!? Let us know, willya?!
So I went to finish off my SCR#555(Skin Care) and now did NOT have that $4 +Up Reward to bring down my OOP total. I did however, have my $20 Allergy Rewards Certificate that came in the mail last week.
Transaction #2
1 x Sea Breeze Cleaner $5.29 w/Welllness 20% discount=$4.23
1 x Neutrogena Clinical Treatment $39.99 w/Wellness 20% discount=$31.99
SubTotal....$36.22
Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $5/1 Neutrogena Clinical IPQ=$5.00
1 x $5/1 Neutrogena Clinical In-Ad Q=$5.00
1 x $1/$10 any Skin Care Purchase Wellness IPQ=$1.00
Coupon Total....$16.00
$36.22-$16.00=$20.22
Used 1 x $20/1 Allergy Rewards Certificate=$20.00 to pay.
$20.22-$20.00=$.22+ $.02 tax=$.24 OOP--put on Free Rite-Aid Gift Card so ZERO Out of Pocket
SCR qualifed for....$3(Sea Breeze) & the Neutrogena purchase took me over the $50 Skin Care items mark so I also qualify for the $25 Gift Card now + the Bonus $5 Gift Card for completing SCR#555.
In additional there is a $15 Mail-In Rebate(MIR)for this Neutrogena Clinical product.
1 more transaction to finish out the week, this time for my BIL's account....
1 x Gillette ProGlide Razor on sale but 20% Wellness discount better=$8.79
1 x Blink Tears on sale=$7.99
1 x Reeses Pieces bag $3.99 w/Wellness 20% discount=$3.19
SubTotal.....$19.97
Coupons Used
1 x $5/$20 Purchase AdPerks/VV IPQ=$5.00
1 x $4/1 Gillette Razor ManuQ=$4.00
1 x $2/1 Blink Tears ManuQ=$2.00
1 x FREE ITEM Reese's Pieces(home mailer)=$3.19
Coupons Total....$14.19
$19.97-$14.19=$5.78 OOP--put on Free Rite-Aid Gift Card so ZERO Out of Pocket
SRC qualified for....$5(Razor),$7.99(Blink Tears)=$12.99
Here again, I didn't figure the lower price on the Razor as it was on sale, so my total was just under $20. They took the $5 off $20 Q anyway again.
I found another razor with the $5 Survey inside. Tried to use it for BIL and was told "thanks but we have enough responses." Dangit....
Value of Items today....$100.88
Out of Pocket....$6.13 put on gift cards
SCRs earned....$18.99 cash and $35 in Gift Cards
My Rite-Aid Totals so far this month......
Number of Transactions.....7
Total Spent....$43.48--all put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Total Value of Items Purchased....$228.54
SCR qualified for....$41.98 in cash and $35 in Gift Cards
Other Cash....$15 MIR from Neutrogena
+Up Rewards Earned....$8.00(it spends like a CVS ECB)--they owe me $4 on this!
Additional Rewards....$5.00 Gift Card from Gillette(for survey)
My actual overage is $41.98 after gift cards.
Add in the other $20 cash(MIR and Survey) and I'm up to $61.98 in cash rebates/overage.
Sluggy
Saturday, June 12, 2010
JUNE Food Stamp Challenge....Using Coupons with EBT/Snap
This post is part of the June Food Stamp Challenge located over HERE.
One way to make your EBT/SNAP/Food Stamps stretch further is to utilize store and/or manufacturers coupons. Every dollar you use in coupons is one more dollar that isn't used of your food stamps allotment.
Pretty basic concept,huh?
But I've read where many people who receive governmental food benefits don't realize they can combine their food stamps with coupons.
I am sure as well that there are people who use food stamps who just don't care or want to take the time to clip coupons just like in the non-food stamp using population.
But we need to get the word out to people who just don't know that you CAN use coupons with your food stamp benefits.
If you live in a state that taxes food purchases, if you pay with food stamps, you are not taxed. For example, if your state taxes food and you buy $50 of groceries and pay with cash or with a debit/credit card, you would be charged $50 + whatever the sales tax rate for your state is on that $50 purchase.
If you buy the same $50 in groceries and pay with EBT/Snap benefits, you would not be charged tax on the purchase.
However, if you use manufacturer's coupons along with your EBT/Snap benefits to pay for your groceries, you will owe CASH on the face value of the coupons at whatever the sales tax rate is for your state.
Store issued coupons on the other hand are NOT taxable.
Both types of coupons are solely an adjustment of the sales price of items and outside of the food stamp sales tax exemption.
Here's an example using my state of PA(sales tax rate of 6%)....
You buy $11 worth of eligible food.
You pay for your $11 of groceries with your EBT/Snap.
You are out of pocket no actual cash and $11 in EBT/Snap benefits for the month.
But--
You buy $11 worth of eligible food, using $1 worth of manufacturer’s discount coupons, and $10 in
food stamps.
Since the sales tax is imposed on the dollar amount of the coupon, the recipient
would pay $10.06 and would therefore have to supplement the $10 in food stamps with 6¢ in cash.
If the $1 coupon is a store issued coupon/discount it's not taxed, and the recipient pays $10.
While the coupons save you some EBT/Snap credit, you do have to pay out actual cash.
If you are in a situation where you can not afford using any of your cash to cover the tax on the coupons, you may not want to use manufacturers coupons.
Personally, I don't quite understand the reasoning of how this works. You would think the government would encourage people to combine coupon use with EBT/Snap benefits so they could stretch their food credits further or be able to buy a higher quality/price of food.
Dinging someone with such low cash resources who wants to utilize coupons makes little sense to me. You would think the government would do everything in it's power to encourage thrift among it's recipients!
Perhaps we need to get the rules changed and make manufacturer's coupons exempt from sales tax when used on food stamp eligible purchases.
Sluggy
Friday, June 11, 2010
JUNE Food Stamp Challenge....Day Ten & Eleven
This post is part of the June Food Stamp Challenge located over HERE.
On Day Ten of the June Food Stamp Challenge I was finally able to cook the Turkey. I had planned on serving Sweet Potatoes with this meal so while #1 son & I were over in the neighboring town I stopped in for some inexpensive taters and to use a coupon on a special on bagged salad at a small market there.
5 x Sweet Potatoes--1.98lbs. @.69lb.=$1.37
3 x FE bagged Salad on sale B1G2=$2.97
3 x Friendly's Ice Cream on sale B1G2=$5.99 **Not Pictured**
SubTotal....$10.33
Coupons Used
1 x FREE Fresh Express Salad(won in giveaway)=$2.97
Coupon Total....$2.97
$10.33-$2.97=$7.36 Out of Pocket
Regular Retail of Items purchased...$28.31
While the ice cream was not a need(I'm still stocking up on some items) everything else was bought to be used this month during the Challenge.
I served turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and home-grown beans on Day Ten.
Cost breakdown on the items I already had on hand....turkey(free last fall for buying $x amount during a promotional period), stuffing($2.00), cranberry sauce(.80), beans(free from our garden last summer-the last of them)=$2.80.
Since I had ground beef thawed in the fridge I still needed to make and serve Sloppy Joes this week and I was still out of rolls and bread. Another bad day for baking on Day Ten so I planned on going to the Entenmman's Outlet in the big city for inexpensive bakery products as usual.
But you know what?.....They don't take EBT at the Bakery Outlet. So someone on Food Stamps is out of luck procuring day old bread there and I don't feel right while on this Challenge shopping there.
So the Entenmman's Outlet was out.
Luckily, I remembered a Stroehman's affiliated Outlet near the little grocery we shopped at in the neighboring town. So we checked them out and they DO take EBT....yay!
I found a loaf w/out HFCS for .99 but all the rolls had HFCS in them so I picked the least expensive ones.
1 x Bread=$.99
2 x Rolls(2/$1)=$1.00
Total....$1.99
I am working on tonight's dinner(Day Eleven)now. We will have the Sloppy Joes and I have made no trip to the grocery store today. Items used from the stockpile for today's meal amount to $1.00(Sloppy Sauce).
Spending for Day Ten & Eleven...$13.15
Spent to Date....$116.02
June Food Budget Left....$294.70
Days of Challenge Left....19
Sluggy
On Day Ten of the June Food Stamp Challenge I was finally able to cook the Turkey. I had planned on serving Sweet Potatoes with this meal so while #1 son & I were over in the neighboring town I stopped in for some inexpensive taters and to use a coupon on a special on bagged salad at a small market there.
5 x Sweet Potatoes--1.98lbs. @.69lb.=$1.37
3 x FE bagged Salad on sale B1G2=$2.97
3 x Friendly's Ice Cream on sale B1G2=$5.99 **Not Pictured**
SubTotal....$10.33
Coupons Used
1 x FREE Fresh Express Salad(won in giveaway)=$2.97
Coupon Total....$2.97
$10.33-$2.97=$7.36 Out of Pocket
Regular Retail of Items purchased...$28.31
While the ice cream was not a need(I'm still stocking up on some items) everything else was bought to be used this month during the Challenge.
I served turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and home-grown beans on Day Ten.
Cost breakdown on the items I already had on hand....turkey(free last fall for buying $x amount during a promotional period), stuffing($2.00), cranberry sauce(.80), beans(free from our garden last summer-the last of them)=$2.80.
Since I had ground beef thawed in the fridge I still needed to make and serve Sloppy Joes this week and I was still out of rolls and bread. Another bad day for baking on Day Ten so I planned on going to the Entenmman's Outlet in the big city for inexpensive bakery products as usual.
But you know what?.....They don't take EBT at the Bakery Outlet. So someone on Food Stamps is out of luck procuring day old bread there and I don't feel right while on this Challenge shopping there.
So the Entenmman's Outlet was out.
Luckily, I remembered a Stroehman's affiliated Outlet near the little grocery we shopped at in the neighboring town. So we checked them out and they DO take EBT....yay!
I found a loaf w/out HFCS for .99 but all the rolls had HFCS in them so I picked the least expensive ones.
1 x Bread=$.99
2 x Rolls(2/$1)=$1.00
Total....$1.99
I am working on tonight's dinner(Day Eleven)now. We will have the Sloppy Joes and I have made no trip to the grocery store today. Items used from the stockpile for today's meal amount to $1.00(Sloppy Sauce).
Spending for Day Ten & Eleven...$13.15
Spent to Date....$116.02
June Food Budget Left....$294.70
Days of Challenge Left....19
Sluggy
Thursday, June 10, 2010
JUNE Food Stamp Challenge....Days Eight & Nine
This post is part of the June Food Stamp Challenge located over HERE.
Again I am having to show ya'll a photo of leftovers.....sigh.....get it together Sluggy for pete's sake!lol
This was dinner on Tuesday...Day Eight. The only reason we had leftovers is because #2 son had an Orthodontist appointment that afternoon and his teeth didn't feel like eating that evening so he had soup and applesauce instead.
If you guessed that this is Spaghetti and Meatballs you are only partially correct. It's actually faux meatballs or meatless balls. They sure look like meatballs and with the sauce on them they sure taste like meatballs(albeit less dense than my homemade meatballs).....but they have no meat.
They do have dairy in them however.....alot of dairy!
(cheese, egg and a dash of milk)
The recipe is posted on my bloggy friend Annie Jones's blog HERE.
I can attest that these are VERY GOOD. The teens didn't know they were meatless until I told them. I did double the batch and making my usual sized meatballs, the mixture made 20 meatballs total. Everyone got a serving of 4 meatless balls with their pasta and sauce.
I think next time I'll tweak this recipe by chopping or grinding up some rolled oats and adding that to the mix as well as coating them with the rolled oats.
Making the traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs sans meat is one way to bring the cost down when you serve this meal. Meat products are by far as a group the most expensive items in a food budget. If you are living on Food Stamps you need to be frugal with your purchases if your EBT is going to last the entire month.
The cost of this meal for the ingredients I haven't bought during my June food shopping came to $4.00(counting #2 son's food).
(I served a salad along with the Pasta just so you know we did have veggies too.)
Wednesday's dinner plan was a disaster.
I had planned on serving the Turkey that night....but the Turkey had other plans of it's own.
I still wasn't thawed. ugh
So I went to the next night's plan which was Sloppy Joes and pulled a package of Ground Beef out of the freezer.
And that refused to thaw in time.
Plus I had planned on making rolls today for tomorrow's Sloppy Joes but the rainy humid day was NOT conducive for baking today.
So 2 hours before dinner I pulled out a tupperware container of leftover BBQ Pulled Pork, popped it into a glass bowl and set it on defrost in the microwave since I didn't have much time left.
After 2 rounds of nuking, I discovered that my BBQ Pork was NOT BBQ Pork.....it was leftover homemade Chili!!
Hey, frozen into a solid block they looked the same, ok?lol
So we changed the plan again. Now we were having chili and burritos with a side of corn.
But I had no burritos.
This meant a quickly thrown together plan for a trip to the grocery store.
There were some things I wanted to pick up at Weis this week on sale that I had coupons for, so that's where I went....
1 x 1/2 Gallon Skim Milk=$1.59--we were almost out of milk
4 x Sargento Shredded Cheese on sale $2=$8.00
2 x Hanover frozen Broccoli on sale $1.69=$3.38
1 x frozen Burritos=$3.99
SubTotal....$16.96
Coupons Used
4 x $.75/1 Sargento Reduced Sodium Cheese ManuQ(doubled to $1)=$4.00
1 x BOGO Hanover Vegetables=$2.19**
1 x $7 OYNO Catalina from last week's shopping=$7.00
Coupon Total....$13.19
**The Veggie coupon when scanned took off the maximum value allowed on the item($2.19) even though the item was only $1.69. The cashier asked the front end manager if that was ok and he said yes, so I received an extra .50¢ discount on my order I wasn't expecting.
$16.96-$13.19=$3.77 Spent Out of Pocket
A savings of 84% over regular retail.
Other items on hand not bought in June we used on the Burrito Meal came to $.80.
Total of additional spending on food in June for the last 2 days....$8.57
Spent to Date....$102.87
June Food Budget Left....$307.85
Sluggy
Again I am having to show ya'll a photo of leftovers.....sigh.....get it together Sluggy for pete's sake!lol
This was dinner on Tuesday...Day Eight. The only reason we had leftovers is because #2 son had an Orthodontist appointment that afternoon and his teeth didn't feel like eating that evening so he had soup and applesauce instead.
If you guessed that this is Spaghetti and Meatballs you are only partially correct. It's actually faux meatballs or meatless balls. They sure look like meatballs and with the sauce on them they sure taste like meatballs(albeit less dense than my homemade meatballs).....but they have no meat.
They do have dairy in them however.....alot of dairy!
(cheese, egg and a dash of milk)
The recipe is posted on my bloggy friend Annie Jones's blog HERE.
I can attest that these are VERY GOOD. The teens didn't know they were meatless until I told them. I did double the batch and making my usual sized meatballs, the mixture made 20 meatballs total. Everyone got a serving of 4 meatless balls with their pasta and sauce.
I think next time I'll tweak this recipe by chopping or grinding up some rolled oats and adding that to the mix as well as coating them with the rolled oats.
Making the traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs sans meat is one way to bring the cost down when you serve this meal. Meat products are by far as a group the most expensive items in a food budget. If you are living on Food Stamps you need to be frugal with your purchases if your EBT is going to last the entire month.
The cost of this meal for the ingredients I haven't bought during my June food shopping came to $4.00(counting #2 son's food).
(I served a salad along with the Pasta just so you know we did have veggies too.)
Wednesday's dinner plan was a disaster.
I had planned on serving the Turkey that night....but the Turkey had other plans of it's own.
I still wasn't thawed. ugh
So I went to the next night's plan which was Sloppy Joes and pulled a package of Ground Beef out of the freezer.
And that refused to thaw in time.
Plus I had planned on making rolls today for tomorrow's Sloppy Joes but the rainy humid day was NOT conducive for baking today.
So 2 hours before dinner I pulled out a tupperware container of leftover BBQ Pulled Pork, popped it into a glass bowl and set it on defrost in the microwave since I didn't have much time left.
After 2 rounds of nuking, I discovered that my BBQ Pork was NOT BBQ Pork.....it was leftover homemade Chili!!
Hey, frozen into a solid block they looked the same, ok?lol
So we changed the plan again. Now we were having chili and burritos with a side of corn.
But I had no burritos.
This meant a quickly thrown together plan for a trip to the grocery store.
There were some things I wanted to pick up at Weis this week on sale that I had coupons for, so that's where I went....
1 x 1/2 Gallon Skim Milk=$1.59--we were almost out of milk
4 x Sargento Shredded Cheese on sale $2=$8.00
2 x Hanover frozen Broccoli on sale $1.69=$3.38
1 x frozen Burritos=$3.99
SubTotal....$16.96
Coupons Used
4 x $.75/1 Sargento Reduced Sodium Cheese ManuQ(doubled to $1)=$4.00
1 x BOGO Hanover Vegetables=$2.19**
1 x $7 OYNO Catalina from last week's shopping=$7.00
Coupon Total....$13.19
**The Veggie coupon when scanned took off the maximum value allowed on the item($2.19) even though the item was only $1.69. The cashier asked the front end manager if that was ok and he said yes, so I received an extra .50¢ discount on my order I wasn't expecting.
$16.96-$13.19=$3.77 Spent Out of Pocket
A savings of 84% over regular retail.
Other items on hand not bought in June we used on the Burrito Meal came to $.80.
Total of additional spending on food in June for the last 2 days....$8.57
Spent to Date....$102.87
June Food Budget Left....$307.85
Sluggy
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