Self-Reliant Saturday-- Don't Forget The Flavor In Your Food Storage!

Summer is here and that means BBQ's, picnics, and outdoor fun!  This is also the perfect time to stock up on all the foods that go along with those cook-outs.  Watch the grocery ads for ketchup, mustard, salad dressing, bbq sauce, relish, mayo, and spices.  These types of foods add flavor to your cooking.  Basic food storage will only be tolerated for so long by a hungry family.  Don't forget to stock up on the condiments and spices that add flavor to your food storage!  Paper products like plates, bowls, napkins, cups, plastic utensils, and paper towels are also on sale.  Who wants to do dishes in an emergency?!  Your challenge is to stock up now while the prices are LOW!

 And don't forget about all the camping deals out there. Take advantage of the great prices on tents, camp stoves, sleeping bags, and all the gear that goes along with camping.  Restock your 72-hour kits and car kits with camping tools, gloves, collapsible shovels, tarps, etc.  Father's Day and Fourth of July sales are the best time to purchase larger items for a great price.  Sometimes you can find great deals at the end of the summer season, but if you really need a tent and find a great price, buy it!

LDS Cannery Powdered Milk....Now Online!

Every month I try to order one or two items for my food storage from the LDS Church online. (lds.org) When I got online to order my oats guess what is now available..... non-instant powdered milk!!!  It wasn't previously available online.  I am sooooo excited!  I make yogurt with this milk and many other things, but I am so happy that it can be delivered right to my door, instead of driving all the way to the cannery in Salt Lake....it comes in a case of 12 28-oz pouches for $67.00.

Click HERE to see the milk.  Some don't care for this powdered milk as a drink, but there are so many other ways it can be used.  I use if for...

Homemade Yogurt

Homemade Cottage Cheese

Bulk Mixes

Broccoli Soup

Homemade Wheat Bread

Chocolate Mug Cake

And any recipe that calls for milk. For 1 cup of milk= 1 cup of water + 3 T of powdered milk.  There have been so many nights of making dinner and I am out of milk.  Powdered milk to the rescue.  It's a great, affordable, powdered milk!!!
 

Self-Reliant Saturdays-- Clearance Sales

There are two words that make me really happy....clearance & sale.  Becoming totally prepared in every way can be a pricey endeavor and I couldn't do it all if it weren't for sales and clearance aisles at the store.  While at my local Wal-Mart today I passed by the clearance aisle in the camping/outdoor section of the store.  I was on the lookout for flashlights and I hit the jackpot.  They had all sorts of flashlights, headlamps, smaller lanterns on clearance from $2-$7 each.  I was ecstatic!  As I perused the aisle a little longer I noticed a camping shower tent on the bottom shelf for $25!!  I have been on the lookout for one of these enclosures to use with my portable potty and also for my solar shower.  I couldn't believe the price, and there were several on the shelf.  I bought the shower tent, multiple flashlights, several headlamps, and two boxes of fire starters.

My preparedness tip for this Self-Reliant Saturday is to always walk by the clearance section of every store you visit.  

The selection is always varied and you'll never know what is there, but it will save you money! This is also an example of why I keep a running list of things that I need to purchase for my family.  You can run across those items on your list at the most random places and times.

What I'm Storing-- The Freezer Edition

It's recommended that we all have a 3-month supply of food and other necessities in our homes.  The food in your 3-month supply should be the everyday, normal food that you and your family eat.  The food in your pantry and even the food in your freezer are all part of a 3-month storage plan.  It is kind risky to have a lot of frozen food because of the possibility of a power outage, but storing frozen food for a rainy day type situation is a good idea.  Plus, if you store canning jars, a large canner, and a propane stove the frozen food can be processed in the event of a power outage.  Or maybe just plan on a neighborhood BBQ party :)

I wanted to give you a glimpse inside my freezers.  It's always fun to see how someone else lives, right?  I have two refrigerators, one in my kitchen, and one in my garage.  I must mention that I don't buy, or cook, a whole lot of meat because I am a vegetarian, so my freezers will not contain a massive amount of meat.  But I'll share what I do freeze....

 This is the freezer in my kitchen.  It's a typical household freezer.  I'll run down the numbers and describe what I have in here. 

1. I keep my instant yeast in a resealable bag in this shelf. I can easily grab it for recipes that call for yeast. 
2. The shelf above number two is where I keep my unopened yeast storage and some of my frozen butter.  (yeast stays fresh if frozen for a long time)
3. This shelf has mostly bags of shredded cheese and most of the butter.
4. Tortillas, freezer meals, and leftovers from dinner are on this shelf.
5. This shelf is my baked goods shelf.  I store extra bagels, waffles, dinner rolls, and tortillas here. 
6. This basket holds frozen fruits and vegetables.  My kids love smoothies and so we always have a large bag of frozen mixed fruit.  
7. This area in the door holds mostly ice packs for injuries and a few baggies of frozen tomato paste, a few frozen bananas, and when I have frozen OJ it goes here. 

The garage freezer, where a lot of my food gets lost.  Just kidding, but it's hard to remember what I have out here sometimes.  (maybe I need to work on inventory of the freezer) I don't have that much in it right now because this is a really cheap fridge and if it gets too cold in the garage it won't turn on.  So I don't want to risk losing my food in the freezer out here.  The kids frozen popsicles go in the door cubbies.  In the main compartment I have several whole chickens, tilapia, more instant yeast, homemade bread sliced and ready to make toast, frozen ravioli, and leftover ice cream from my daughter's birthday.  You'll notice we don't have much in the ice cream department.  We aren't big ice cream eaters in our house. 

As you can see I don't freeze a whole lot of food, but what I do freeze are the foods we eat regularly.  I really love finding a great deal at the grocery store and stocking up my freezers.  It really helps extend my food budget.  For example, I found a great sale on butter a few months ago and I have plenty stored in our freezer that we'll use over the next few months. I also love having a few freezer meals ready to go as well.  

Nothing makes me happier on a busy night than knowing that I have dinner all put together in the freezer.  Making baked goods and storing them in the freezer is my other time saver tip.  When I bake muffins, or rolls, I make an extra batch and freeze them.  My kids eat bagels in their lunches every day, so when I bake up a batch, I double or triple the recipe and freeze the surplus.    

Remember that most food will last in your freezer for up to a year, IF wrapped correctly.  That means using freezer bags, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, a Food Saver, etc. to protect the food from freezer burn.  But....even if they are wrapped correctly freezer meals will only last about 3-6 months, label them with the date as soon as they go into the freezer.  Don't let the extra few steps of wrapping and labeling your food keep your from storing it in the freezer.  Even if it takes a few extra steps to freeze your food, it will be worth it because it gives you peace of mind knowing it's stored for when you'll need it!

Using the FoodSaver to Seal Dry Goods

Preserving and extending the life of food is important when you are planning on what food to add to your food storage .  Food is expensive and if there is a way to extend the shelf life by a couple of years, it's worth looking into.  There is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to prolong the life of food, and it's called a Foodsaver.  I'm sure a lot of you have heard of, or even use a foodsaver, but it is also a great little appliance for sealing dried foods.  I use my foodsaver and mason jars (or other food safe jars that have a metal lid, like spaghetti sauce jars) to seal up dried foods like candy, spices, chocolate chips, food from #10 cans, rice, beans, wheat, dehydrated foods...the list can go on and on. 

 

Freeze-dried cheese and cocoa powder sealed in mason jars.

The FoodSaver

 

I bought my foodsaver a few years ago on Ebay for around $50, and the tall canister I found on Amazon for about $20.  The canister is designed for sealing food inside of it, but it also works to seal mason jars. It acts like an air chamber that eliminates all air from the mason jar.  Today I am sealing candy, a must have in our food storage.  A store in my neighborhood is closing and all candy was 50% off.   I couldn't pass that deal up and ended up buying a bag to store for later chocolate cravings.  Besides cravings, it's important to have comfort foods, normal foods, in your storage.  This will give your family a sense of normalcy in an emergency.  Plus it also comes in handy when you need to make a treat last minute!!



When looking for a Foodsaver, make sure it has a port on the front of it. It is necessary to connect a hose from the base unit to the canister to suck all the air out.   I don't use my foodsaver for sealing using foodsaver bags, which most people want it for, so I bought the smallest unit I could find.

The port holds the hose that will attach to the Foodsaver canister, which sucks all of the air out of the glass jars. 


Now the fun begins.  Decide what you want to seal and put it into mason jars.  Every jar size will work.  I have sealed every size, from tiny jelly jars to half gallon jars.  And it is quite simple to do, unlike the teenage girl in the photo.  She's in a dramatic phase!  My 6 year old had no problem stuffing candy into the jars.  And don't worry about empty space in the jars, this isn't like canning, it will still seal with air pockets.

Some candy will already be in packages and filled with air.  I make a small cut in the bags to enable air to escape while sealing. Otherwise the bag will fill up with air, like a balloon, and take up too much space in the mason jar.  Yes, you could just pour the candy into the jar, but I think it stays fresher when they are in the original packaging. 

After filling the mason jar, add a lid and band.  This is really important...Don't tighten the lid too tight!!  Twist the ring on until just tightened, not any tighter.

Place the jar into the canister and attach the hose. 

On my machine there are stars on the corners and that is where you press, with both hands, to start the machine.  My 6 year old is the one using the machine in the photo.  She loves to help!

The machine does all the work for you.  It will make a loud humming noise while working but just let it do its thing.  It will almost be over when a green light goes on.  Wait for the green light to blink, then hit cancel, and take the hose off of the canister, not the machine end.

After taking off the hose, press the grey button on top of the canister and hold it down until all the air has escaped.  You'll be able to tell by sound when the air is done.  It sounds like a balloon losing air.

Your mason jar is now sealed!  Check the lid on your jar to see if it clicks when you press on it.  If it still moves up and down you will have to re-seal it. 

 Problem Solving When a Jar Doesn't Seal

•  Check the rim of the jar and make sure it is clean,  check the underside of the lid too. You don't want any food particles or dirt/dust to be on a jar or lid. 
• Always check glass jars for nicks or scratches especially along the rim of the jar.  Jars with defects shouldn't be used for food any longer. 
• Old or used lids may not seal very well.  Use new lids for best results.
• It you still can't get a seal, place a lid upside down on the original lid and try sealing again.  This usually solves the problem.
• Your ring may be screwed on too tightly.  Check how tightly you turned the ring on the lid.  Finger tight, not screwed on all the way.
• If you are sealing powdered items, such as spices, flour, baking soda, cake mixes, etc. place a muffin liner, or cut-to-fit paper towel, in the top of the jar before putting the lid and ring on.  This will create a barrier between the powdered item and the foodsaver.  You don't want fine food particles getting into your foodsaver hose.  It WILL ruin your foodsaver.  
• When using pickle jars, spaghetti sauce jars, and other food safe jars, clean them well!  If the lids aren't clean it may not seal.  I like the smaller pickle relish and jam jars for sealing extra spices in. 

It only took about 10 minutes to finish all the jars in the picture.  I take the rings off and store the jars on a shelf in my storage room.  And I have been know to hide the candy jars where they aren't easily accessible.  That helps the kids forget that we have them.  Ok, it helps ME forget we have them :)  Once on the shelf the jars should have a life of 2-5 years.  I have read varying time frames for the shelf life of sealed food in mason jars.  I always go with my own intuition and my sight, smell, and taste of something before eating it.  If it passes those tests, we eat it.  Most of the time food will lose nutrients, but won't be bad and make you sick. 

A simple and affordable way to preserve food and extend the shelf-life.  All in one little machine! Check your local thrift stores and garage sales for these amazing little contraptions.  People love to try the latest craze and the foodsaver was one of those crazes a few years ago.  I found a large canister, brand new in the original wrapping, at a second hand store for $2.  Just make sure the foodsaver unit has a port on the front and you'll be ready to start sealing!

Ever Wonder What Products Are Best of The Best.....

I have a favorite food storage website.......

myfoodstoragecookbook.com, and I have learned so many things from Megan.  She comes up with the most inventive ideas when it comes to using food storage.  Her latest post is one that should be read by everyone.  It is titled "Food Storage Products That I Buy", and it is chock full of her recommendations for the best food storage products on the market today.  And, she isn't sponsored by any of these companies, so you know her reviews are unbiased.  And I have to say, I agree with everything she reviewed!

Check out Food Storage Products That I Buy, from myfoodstoragecookbook.com.

Using My Food Storage: Making Mixes

My goal when grocery shopping is to stock up when an item is at its lowest price point.  This way I am getting the most bang for my buck.  I usually can keep my pantry stocked using this method but lately I haven't been able to find brownie mixes for under $1.00.  I  know it isn't that difficult to make brownies from scratch, but my children usually want them after dinner and I don't want to mess up the kitchen again getting all the baking ingredients out.  So my goal for today was to mix up a big batch of brownie mix and only make the big mess one time.  Now we have a container of brownie mix that will make at least 7 batches of 8x8 size pans.  

I am not a huge user of  homemade mixes, but there are a few that make my life a little easier.  I use the book "Make-A-Mix" for most of my recipes and mixes. The brownie mix has always sounded so good, and....

...the brownie mix can be used for more than brownies too!!!  How about chocolate chewy cookies, Texas sheet cake or Brownie Alaska. These all sound so good, can you tell I really love dessert!!!  (Click HERE to view a previous post I wrote on making mixes.)

The original recipe calls for melted butter and eggs when you mix up the brownies, but I food storagized the recipe and used powdered butter and powdered eggs.  If I was a math whiz I would've figured out how much to add to the dry mix, but I freely admit math isn't one of my talents, so I just added it in when we mixed up the batch of brownies.   It worked great and the brownies cooked up fluffy and looked just as brownies should.  Although as I type this I remembered that I totally forgot to add the vanilla in.  I had "help" making this (my 5 year old was mixing) so I can blame it on that :)


My other new find that I am using all the time is chalkboard contact paper.  This may be too crafty for some of you but stay with me.  I bought the chalkboard contact paper, chalk paint pen, and a cute punch out stamp on amazon.com and I have been labeling everything.  It started with my flour and sugar canisters and now I am labeling my food storage containers.  What is so wonderful about the contact paper is it is removable and the chalk pen ink is erasable!!!!  

 All the items in the picture (not the container) were purchased on Amazon, but I assume craft stores would carry these supplies as well.  When the brownie mix is all gone I may want to fill the container with corn meal, and all I have to do is rub the chalk ink with a damp paper towel and rewrite the label.  I am in love with this stuff!  I even made labels for my dehydrated food...

My dehydrated food jars will always be changing depending on what I am dehydrating and the labels are so easy to change.  Plus I can peel off the contact paper label so easily if I need to water bath or pressure can with these jars.  Maybe I am a little to excited but this has been so fun to do!  And I am not usually a crafty person, but I like to be really organized and this system really makes the pantry look put together. 

Here are our brownies made from a mix using butter and egg powder.  They are definitely more of a cake-like brownie, but we did add chocolate chips to our batch and that helped to make them more fudge-like.  (and I had no idea how to reconstitute the butter powder.  I probably did it wrong and so the brownies aren't that fudgy )And I don't know if it is me or the butter powder but I can totally taste it, even when it is cooked.  I have heard great things about Thrive's butter powder so I may look into trying that brand.  For the next batch I will make them with real melted butter and see if I can taste the difference. And as I was putting this in the oven I mentally smacked myself because I could've made this in the sun oven today, it was so sunny outside.  Next time....

I'm sorry that there is no mix recipe in this post, but I highly recommend buying the Make-A-Mix book for all of the recipes in it. I just wanted to give you all an example of what I do daily to use my food storage.  This may inspire you to do something today with your storage!!  If you would like a brownie mix recipe, I found this one on pinterest and it seems to be really popular.  CLICK HERE  to view it. 

Frugal Emergency Preparedness

Emergency preparedness can be an overwhelming and expensive, but there are ways around each of those barriers.  I covered the overwhelming feeling of food storage HERE a few weeks ago.  But today I want to cover the expense of emergency preparedness. 

Most of you probably recognize this store front from the Dollar Tree Dollar Store.  I noticed a sign they had in the window advertising their emergency supplies.  They do have quite a few items that work great for emergency preparedness.  I have found duct tape, bungee cords, water, batteries, canned food (they carry canned strawberries that are really great for pureeing and dehydrating into fruit leather), small organizing containers for my storage room, lots of first aid items, baby items, solar yard lights, etc.

Some of the items from the dollar store may have fewer in a box or not as much tape on a roll, but the quality, I feel, is pretty close to other brands.  

Don't shy away from discount stores like Big Lots and the Dollar Stores.  There is nothing to be afraid of shopping at these stores and no one is judging you for it either.  Big Lots even has 20% off days where everything in the store is 20% off.  Read about one of my shopping trips to Big Lots HERE.  Just sign up for email alerts and you'll know when the next sale day will be.  

If you don't have a Dollar Store or Big Lots try your local Army Navy store, or camping store.  In Utah, Recreation Outlet carries a large variety of camping and emergency prep items for a fraction of retail prices.  I purchased all 7 of our sleeping bags from them and they were all under $60 dollars.  The children's bags were only $39.95, and they are quality sleeping bags with a -20 rating.
 
Keep your eyes open wherever you shop for clearance bins and percent off baskets.  Especially check stores the week after a holiday for deeply discounted items.  I found LED small flashlights at Walgreens after Halloween for .50.  They had vampires on them, but they were the same as any other LED flashlight. They had the same metal casing that non-vampire flashlights have and work just as well.  Plus, they are kind of fun to talk about when people give you weird looks :)

After holiday sales are also a great time to stock up on candy.  I store my candy in mason jars and then I seal it with my foodsaver. 

Have an open mind when you are shopping and don't look over something because it may have a vampire picture on it :) Think outside of the box when it comes to prepping and you'll be able to save money.

Applesauce: A Food Storage Must Have

There are a few items in my food storage that I feel I must have at all times, such as wheat, dehydrated onions, pasta, rice, etc., but one of the most important items that I have in my storage is applesauce.  That may sound funny, but applesauce is so versatile and almost everyone likes it, and that's why it is a food storage must have item in my house.  

 My favorite place to buy applesauce is Costco.  Now, I have to let you all know that I am not a Costco shopper because I feel I can get better deals using coupons, case lot sales, and buying in bulk from Honeyville, but this is one item I feel is such a great price that I ask my sister to buy a few (or 15) when she goes shopping.  The applesauce comes in #10 cans and is unsweetened, which was the BIG selling point for me.  Now, you are probably wondering why I don't have a great photo of this #10 can of applesauce inserted into this paragraph.  I am writing this post because we just used up our very last can of applesause and I am stressing out that it is all gone!!!  I just moved and my storage has been a mess, so now that I am some what settled, I need to ask my sister to get me applesauce the next time she goes to Costco!!

These are the ways that I use applesauce in my house.

• I use applesauce cup for cup as a substitute for oil in baking.
• When I have sick kids I need applesauce for sick tummies.
• Applesauce makes a great side dish at dinner.  We love to eat it with cottage cheese mixed in or with a dash of cinnamon.
• My children love a small container of applesauce in their school lunches.
• Use applesauce for baby food.
• I add applesauce to muffins, smoothies, and quick breads (just a 1/4 C or less) to make the final product moist. If you freeze the applesauce in ice cube trays they can be tossed into smoothies quite easily.
• I dehydrate applesauce to make apple fruit leather.
• In an emergency situation applesauce is a great way to have fruit in your diet.
• I also love to use dehydrated applesauce in my baking and I save the regular applesauce for eating.    

I am sure there are many other ways to use applesauce but as you can see it is a very versatile food.  I remember a comment that Sherida Raddigan from My Year Living On Food Storage  made about applesauce. Her family lived solely on their stored food and  she said she wished she had stored applesauce to break up the monotony of what they were eating.  They ate really well for 3 months and then their diet became really bland without a lot of fruits.  When I read that it really comfirmed to me that it was a smart idea to add more applesauce to my storage. 

Here are some yummy varieties of applesauce that you can bottle at home. 

Buckets O Fun

This is my life right now. Moving boxes and 50 some odd buckets carried to the garage to move next week.  I love my food storage but this was crazy.  The buckets are 3 rows deep in this picture.  My husband couldn't believe all this came out of our tiny little storage room.

 

We are slowly clearing out the storage room and it made me realize how bad my inventory system was..LOL!  I was finding #10 cans of food I forgot I had.  I am making a New Year's resolution to have a better tracking system for what I bring in and out of my food storage.  In my new home I will have a much bigger room and I will be able to visually see the food better.  This time next week the move will be all over and we will hopefully be back to a semi-normal schedule and I will have more enlightening posts :)

 

Honeyville Grain's New Store!!!

If you don't know, I am a HUGE Honeyville Grain fan :)  I love the people, the products, and the preparedness mindset that Honeyville promotes.  I have been attending cooking and preparedness classes at Honeyville for over a year and a half now out by the airport.  Some people have commented to me that it is too far to go for a class, so NOW you have NO excuses!!  The new Honeyville Retail store will be open on Monday, September 24th!!  I had the privilege of attending the grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony and I couldn't wait to let you all see the brand new store!!  Lets take a tour....

 

The ribbon was cut and excitement was felt all through the crowd.  I wish you could have seen the smiles on all the faces there, we were all so happy to be a part of this day!

 Honeyville is located very conveniently between Home Depot and Costco in Salt Lake City (right between Zurchers and The Dollar Store in the strip mall).  If you visit Costco frequently then you will have no reason not to stock up on your food storage, Honeyville is right next door!  The address is 389 West 1830 South.  You can take the 21st south exit off of I-15 if you are coming from the south, OR take the 13th S exit if you are coming from the north off of I-15.  

 The new store is beautiful and has all of your food storage, bulk grains (go in just to look at all the different grains), and emergency preparedness items that you may need.  They even carry gluten free items as well.  The new store is light, bright, and so well stocked!

 And you MUST sign up to attend one of Honeyville's classes!!  They are free and you learn soooo much from each and every class.  The new teaching kitchen is gorgeous and will make teaching and learning much more efficient. Isn't it pretty!! There will be a large mirror so everyone will be able to see what is being cooked.  Click HERE to see what classes are coming up.

Picture yourself here, learning everything you ever needed to know about food storage!!

 The next few photos showcase all the amazing products that Honeyville carries in their store.  You will find everything you need to cook with, bake with, and complete your food storage. And they also have fun kitchen gadgets that we all just need to make us smile :)

If I haven't sold you on this store yet, come by next week and meet Doug Wright and the Food Nanny (Liz Edmunds).  Doug will be airing live from Honeyville on the 28th and there will be giveaways and prizes all week long.  

Lisa chats with Liz Edmunds the Food Nanny!!

 What time you may ask????  Monday, September 24th at 9:00AM-6:00PM  and Saturday 9-5.  The whole week will be filled with fun, food, prizes, and amazing people!!  Don't miss out! 

Honeyville Farms
Salt Lake City Store

389 West 1830 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84115

Phone:(801) 839-7576
FAX: (801) 972-8412

Hours of Operation

Monday - Friday: 9:00AM - 6:00PM
Saturday: 9:00AM - 5:00PM

Honeyville on Facebook

And you would think that I work for them, but I don't.  I was not compensated for this post, I truly love this company and the people that do work there!!

Food Storage Gadgets

I love finding new (new to me)  food storage gadgets.  This latest find is probably not new to most of you, but I was so excited to order them.

 Canning jar lids!!!  My home bottled chicken doesn't always get used all at once and I keep it in the fridge.  (I am a vegetarian, my kids are lucky they get the amount of chicken that they do)  Many times I bend the jar lids when I pry them off so having another lid that twists on so simply, is a great thing to have!!  I also use them when I make yogurt and on the jars of canned maple syrup. No more sticky canning rings.  The canning jar fits so great in my thermal cooker and the plastic lids are perfect!!

 I bought my lids on amazon and I got 8 for around $6.  Click HERE to see them.  So you see it doesn't take much to excite me :)  But I figured if I didn't know about these, then maybe some of you could use them too!

What I Am Buying

I had a friend this week ask me where I buy some of my food storage. I realized that I haven't done a post of what I buy and where I buy it from. Most items can be purchased at the grocery store, but to get the best price when you are buying in bulk there are better deals out there. I will go through the items that I use for my family so this is not a comprehensive list by all means. It just helps to know what my bottom line price is and what I will and won't pay for certain items. Buying items at their cheapest price point allows you to save a LOT of $$$.

If you would like to read a wonderful price comparison list click HERE . The list was put together in April during the case lot sales, and compares the case lot prices to Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club, & the LDS Cannery by preparedldsfamily.com. I actually printed it out and keep it in my purse so I am prepared at the store if I find an item on clearance and I know whether or not it is a stock up price. FYI: case lot sales are in April and September for Smiths and Macey's grocery stores.

Here's What I Am Buying: Prices are from May 2011 (add about 10% for 2013 prices)

Frozen Items

• I buy frozen veggies at the grocery store and I wait until they are .88 or less for 16oz.
• I buy Kroger frozen chicken in bags and I wait for it to go on sale for $6.96 or less.

Meat- I have to add a disclaimer here. I don't eat meat and my family really only eats chicken. I buy ground beef TVP, aka "fake" meat at Honeyville grain in 25lb bags.

• Tuna- .50 or less at the grocery store during case lot sales. Fresh Market & Macey's is where I purchase it.
• Canned chicken is the best price at Costco. You get 6 12.5oz cans for $9.99 (bottle your own chicken and buy chicken in bulk on sale to save the most money)
• The best way to get meat for cheap is to wait for a sale and buy enough for 3 months and freeze it well.

Beans

• Canned beans are cheapest at Smiths during the case lot sales. .50 a can
• Dry beans are cheapest at the cannery. Black beans 25lbs $14.50, white navy beans 25lb bag $14.10, pinto beans #10 can $4.65
• Pinto beans are cheapest at Costco 25lb bag $13.99

Pasta

• I always get pasta during the case lot sales 8 48oz bags for $14.55
• I also found great sales at Smiths this year and got 1lb bags for .29-.49 and with coupons I got 25 boxes of spaghetti for free (it is really worth it to coupon)
• Mac'n Cheese is also cheapest at the case lot sales. WF mac'n cheese. 24 boxes for $6.00 at Macey's, If you have to have the Kraft brand it is cheapest at Walmart.

Soups

• Ramen noodles I buy at the Smiths case lot sale. 12ct for $3.00
• Kroger broth at the case lot sale. 24ct for $11.99.
• Chicken Noodle soup, WF at Maceys 24ct for $11.28
• Kroger Tomato soup at Smiths case lot sale 24ct for $10.68
• Creamed soups I bought at Macey's. 24ct for $11.76
• Progresso soups I buy in the winter during sales at Smiths and Walgreens

Vegetables

• Canned tomatoes from Smiths case lot sale. 24ct for $11.99
• Kroger tomato sauce 8oz cans from case lot sale. 24ct for $5.99
• Kroger tomato paste from case lot sale. 24ct for $7.99
• Hunt's pasta sauce from case lot sales and other sales during the year. I don't pay more than .75 a can.
• Canned veggies from Macey's case lot sale. 24ct for $10.56
• Dehydrated carrots from LDS cannery. #10 can for $7.10
• Canned mushrooms from Winco .45 ea and Walmart for .46
• WF diced green chilies from Macey's case lot sale. 24 for $12.00 (these go on sale all year for .50, don't pay more than that)
• Dehydrated onions from LDS cannery. #10 can $6.00 (I rarely buy real onions, I use these in all my cooking)
• Potato flakes from LDS cannery. #10 can $2.85 (shelf life of 30+ years)

Fruits

• Raisins are cheapest at Macey's during the case lot sale and at Sam's Club for 32oz for $3.49ea. Costco's bag is only one penny more at $3.50 for 32oz.
• Dehydrated apple slices from LDS cannery. #10 can for $4.90
• Applesauce from Costco in #10 cans are $3.xx. I can't remember the actually price, but it is natural applesauce with no sugar and it is great for substituting for oil in baking.
• Kroger mandarin oranges from case lot sale. 24ct for $7.99
• WF canned pineapple is cheapest during the Macey's case lot sale, but I have found Dole pineapple for under .70 with coupons during the year.
• I buy canned pears from the case lot sales and it is always a little different between Smiths and Macey's, but I don't pay more than .68 a can.

Sugars

• Sugar is cheapest during Nov. and Dec. I stock up when there are sales. I don't like to spend more than $12 on a 25lb bag.
• Powdered sugar and brown sugar are cheapest during the holiday's as well. Don't pay more than a $1.00 for a 2lb bag.
• Honey can be found at Costco all the time for 6lbs for $11.99. Macey's also has really great prices during the case lot sales. 6 5lb containers for $59.88

Grains

• I buy rice from Costco in 50lb bags for around $15.00. The price goes up and down all the time. You just have to watch it. Sams Club has 50lbs for about the same price. The cannery has 25lb boxes for $8.45 and are really easy to store.
• Oats I buy at the cannery. 25lbs for $7.60. Winco also has oats in their bulk area for .58lb!
• Flour is cheapest during the holiday's but there are also great sales during the year. I like to wait until I can get 5lb for $1.50 with coupons.
• Hard White Wheat is a great deal at Macey's case lot sale. 45lb bucket with lid sealed for $11.99. LDS cannery 25lb bag for $5.80.

Milk/Dairy

• Powdered milk from the cannery. #10 cans for $7.05. I bake with it a lot and make yogurt from it. Mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese can also be made from powdered milk. You will need it whether you like to drink it or not. It also has a shelf life of 25-30 years.
• Morning Moos dried milk alternative. I bought a 50lb bucket a Costco last year for around $60.00, now the best price is a 37lb bucket at Costco for $39.97. #10 cans for $10.99 can be found at Macey's during the case lot sale.
• Evaporated milk at Smiths case lot sale. 24ct for $15.60
• Cheese- don't pay more than $1.50 for a pound of cheese. It goes on sale ALL the time and is good for a LONG time. Look at the expiration dates on it when you buy it. Tillamook goes on sale at Winco for $3.98 for 2lbs all the time, and it lasts for months.
• Dried eggs-I cook with these now instead of real eggs. I only use real eggs for boiled eggs. Canned eggs are best at the Macey's case lot sale, #10 can for $14.00. I found some at Honeville Grain for $12.00 last month, so keep a look out for sales. Don't pay more than .99 for a dozen of eggs. Costco has great deals and so do the grocery stores.

Baking Items

• Salt is cheapest at Walmart. 26oz for .38
• Yeast- I use instant yeast and wait until it is $2.99lb. Emergency Essentials had it in May on sale. I stocked up. Yeast keeps indefinitely in the freezer. Costco and Sam's Club have great prices on yeast.
• Lemon juice, vanilla I get at Maceys during the case lot sales.
• Cake mixes and brownie mixes from case lot sales at Macey's and also during the holidays. .78 is an awesome price for mixes. With coupons I have gotten them for .50 and less.
• Baking cocoa is the best at Costco. 23oz for $5.59. It also has an indefinite shelf life.
• Spices are cheapest at Winco in their bulk area. You can fill a whole spice container for mere pennies. I filled my chive container for .11, it really is an awesome store!!

Oils and Fats

• Kroger oil was $2.00 for 48oz at the last case lot sale, but they had a sale in April and I got them for $1.48 so watch. (This is why it is great to have the price list printed out and with you)
• Cooking spray-Pam goes on sale, but Walmart has it all the time for $1.58 for 8oz.
• Peanut butter is cheapest at Smiths during the case lot sales. 18oz for $1.00 and it is the Kroger brand or Skippy.
• Olives are cheapest during Thanksgiving time for .88. Case lots and random sales during the year also have that price. I found some at Reams today (5/29) for .88.
• Ketchup is cheapest during Memorial day and Fourth of July sales. Try not to spend more than .80 for 24oz. Case lot sales have them as well.
• Mustard is cheapest during summer holiday's as well. Under $1.00 for 32oz is a great price.
• Salad dressing goes on sale all the time. It doesn't have a long shelf life so watch the dates if you are stocking up. With coupons you can get it free a lot of the times too.

Water

• 24 packs of water for $2.50 or less is a great deal. It goes on sale all year long, just watch for the price.Costco has a 35ct of water for $3.45 if you don't want to wait for a sale.

Misc.

• 5 gallon buckets with lids- $3.99 at Macey's during the case lot sales
• 5 gallon Gamma lids (these are amazing) Don't pay more than $5.99 for these. Macey's and Honeyville have these on sale during the case lot seasons.
• 55 water drum- don't pay more than $39.99 for these. During conference these go on sale at Emergency Essentials and Macey's has them at the case lot sales.
• Paper towel and toilet paper I buy at Macey's during the case lot sales. It was $3.98 for 12 double rolls of TP and 8 big rolls of paper towel. I buy enough for 6 months which is the time until the next case lot sale.
• Laundry det. goes on sale all the time. I wait for sales with coupons so your best bet would be to watch for sales and learn what the bottom line price is for the brand you use.
• Dishwasher detergent I also get for free with coupons but watch for sales for what brand you like to use.

Ideas to get the best price:

1. You can't be brand specific, a lot of store brands are made in the same facilities as name brand.
2. Know what you use. Buying 50 cans of stew because it is cheap and finding out no one likes it, saves you no money.
3. Know what price you are willing to wait for and pay for.
4. Be patient and know that food goes on sale about every 3 months. You will catch the good deal the next time around.
5. Watch the blog on Wednesday's for the weekly grocery sales. Knowing what is a good price will help in saving you a lot of money.

MAY GOALS

1. PURCHASE VEGETABLES THAT FIT INTO YOUR 3-MONTH MENU. THINK OF CANNED, DEHYDRATED, FREEZE DRIED, AND FRESH. (185lbs per family is a year supply)
2. PLASTIC BAGS OF ALL SIZES, ALUMINUM FOIL, AND PLASTIC WRAP.

Enjoy the journey!
Enjoy the blessings!
Feel the peace!