Penny By Penny

I am lucky enough to have access to a military commissary and am able to save an average of 25-30% on my groceries. Normally, an additional savings on a military base is that there is no sales tax, but we do not have tax on food in CA so I save no matter where I shop. If I can save that percentage, why do I need a price book, you ask? Why go to all that trouble? Loss leaders at the local stores! Thats why! A gallon of whole milk at the commissary is normally $2.35. I got the sales papers this week and CVS had milk for $2.15 a gallon. My chicken thighs last week saved me 25 cents a pound because Safeway had them on sale. I can scan the ads and compare quickly with my pricebook. Yes, it was a lot of work, but the difference in prices can save money better spent elsewhere, like paying off our debt!
Our meals since last post
Homemade pizza. I did use a loaf of frozen bread dough ($1.00), sauce I had in the freezer, shredded cheese that I had already shredded from a purchased block, mushrooms left over from another meal, and my splurge was a stick of pepperoni. I used half of it for the pizza, so the entire thing (it was the size of my largest cookie sheet) gave us a meal and one lunch for Mark. Cost $4.12Homemade chicken potpie. Chicken thighs from that sales package, veggies, pie crust top, and the sauce made from chicken broth, milk and flour. Two full meals. Cost $4.28 (thats 2.14 a meal!)
Today I pulled some chicken breasts out of the freezer (marked to let me know there was enough to make an extra for lunch) skinned and boned them myself and marinated them in lime juice, chopped cilantro, chopped garlic, chopped jalepeno's and honey and baked them. (Next time I will freeze them already in the marinade!). Served over rice. Enough rice and that extra breast packed for Marks lunch tomorrow!
Entertainment for the weekend. Saturday we went to a Pirate Festival, free admission, loads of fun and we ate lunch before we went so there was no temptation to stand in those God awful lines for over priced festival food and I threw some bottles of water in my bag! Sunday we took a motorcycle ride to a lake about 45 minutes away, packed drinks in the saddle bags. Admission to the federal park -- free. Beauty and enjoyment -- priceless!