Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Month O' Menus FAQ

It seems like my month long menu has sparked some curiosity as to how I pull that it off so cheap.  Are we raising our own Chickens...uh, no. Nor do we have a cow in the back.  Hopefully I can help answer some of the questions you have sent and help you start saving some moolah!

#1) Where do we get our meat and how do we get it so cheap?

Answer: We buy 90% of our meat at a local meat shop, Jackson's Meat Market for the local readers.  We like to shop at Jackson's for a couple of reasons, first we like to support a local business. Second, they have a great selection of hormone free meat and third, great prices, frequent sales and reduced meat.  We also are able to  buy in bulk there which is how we save so much $$$.  Take boneless pork for instance, pork is typically $2.89 - $3.99 a pound in our neck of the woods.  But, at Jackson's, we can but a 12-15 pound pork loin for $22 - $26 (or $1.60 - $1.80 a pound).  Then, the fine folks at Jackson's cut it up for me (to our desired thickness) and package it up, 3 to a pack.  So I get 9 - 15 packs of pork chops all in vacuum sealed packs which will usually last us 1.5 - 2 months. 

But, it doesn't stop at pork.  I often buy LARGE packs of ground beef (73/27%) at a significant savings over regular prices and when it's on sale I really stock up and fill up our chest freezer.  I NEVER buy any meat that isn't on sale and always buy whatever is on sale or reduced to put in the freezer.  Since my bill is usually around $100 the fine folks at Jackson's try to accommodate my needs, like cutting and packaging my meat for me (for free)! I'm sure that if my little town has a meat shop like this each of you probably do too: ask around, check the yellow pages and if all else fails ask a lil' ole' lady at your church that knows how to cook up a storm, she'll know.

2) Where do we get our chicken, do we raise or own?

Answer: Heck no this ain't no chicken farm!  We only buy hormone free chicken, boneless, skinless chicken....usually Tyson.  I ALWAYS buy it on sale at Kroger, Jackson's or our local grocery store for $1.89 - $1.99 a pound.  Again, when it is on sale I stock up and buy 7-8 packs that will last us a while.  I also cut the chicken breasts into several smaller pieces to stretch them a bit further.

3)Are all of our veggies out of date or from the dented aisle?

Answer: No, we actually use frozen steamer type veggies. I buy them, as you probably guessed, on sale and use a coupon.  Our local store typically have them on sale 10 for $10 every couple of months, I can get coupons for $0.50/2 which they will double so I get them for $0.50 each.  I REALLY stock up when they are on sale. We made the switch to frozen in order to try to lower our sodium intake. Now, we really love the steamers!

I think that covers a lot of them, hit me up if you have any more!

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