Sausage, Peppers, and Yogurt...But Not Together

I forgot to mention one VERY KEY part of how I stay near my budget at the grocery store.  I calculate my average as I add items to the cart.  Rounding up to the nearest dollar for each item guarantees you won't underestimate.  The one week I was with Carrie and didn't pay attention to the total cost of our cart....we were over $100!!!  If you have kids with you, make a tally on your list every $10 or so to keep your average while you multitask.  I also save the maybe items (Beer, Ice Cream) for last in case my items are more expensive than I thought and extras need to be scratched.

This week I knew I would be in a pickle because I needed Tide Detergent, which was going to eat $15 off my food budget (remember we don't have extra money set aside for pantry or household items).  Here was the plan for the week.

Monday-Curried Carrot Soup (Rolled over from last week)
Tuesday- Leftovers
Wednesday-Out
Thursday-Sausage and Peppers on Hoagie Roll
Friday-Burgers and Salad
Saturday-Baked Potato Bar
Sunday-Crock Pot Cheesy Tortellini

What I Spent..............$89.16

What I Saved........$18.37

Percent Savings.....17% ( yeah baby!)

Before you scream at me for going over my $75 budget for the week, remember I spent $62 last week which means I am over budget by $1.  This week I tried to get a coupon for every possible item I could.  This meant going the extra mile to the manufacturer websites to find coupons.  I was able to get 55 cents of my International Delight creamer just for signing up on their website.  I also had to buy halloween candy for the mountain of children that will arrive Thursday night (CHECK YOUR SUNDAY PAPER FOR COUPONS FOR CANDY!)

I had to sacrifice some items I planned to get to keep in the budget, which included reynolds wrap, hoagie rolls, and beer (dang....guess its bourbon on the rocks this week).

Notice that my freezer meals are homemade.  I prefer to make my own food and freeze instead of buying ready made.  Eating on a budget doesn't mean it needs to be unhealthy.  You can shave some money off your meals just by replacing meat with canned or dried beans.  Vegetarian meals once or twice a week are less costly than meat.

Where are you spending when you could be saving??  Let's take a look at an item that I now refuse to buy without coupons.

Yoplait 100 calorie Greek Yogurt

This yogurt is my go to for several reasons.  I can get a coupon on Coupons.Com  for $1.00 off 5.  If I use two coupons combined with the Kroger $10 for 10, each yogurt is 80 cents!  Score!

Lets also look at sugar content.

Yoplait: 9g a serving

Chobani: 19g a serving

Breyer's Ice Cream: 14g a serving

I have nothing against Chobani, but I did stop eating it once I realized the sugar content.  Yoplait contains natural sugar and sucralose (Splenda) so it is a toss up between artificial sweetener or sugar content.    I am still on the hunt for a better option that will not break the bank if you have a favorite!

I would love to hear more stories about how you save at the grocery store!  Or how you save anywhere!

Here is a money saving recipe for you this week!

Pat's Smoked Sausage and Pepper Sandwich

Ingredients
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into quarters then lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
2 medium yellow onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beer
1/2 cup Neely's BBQ sauce
4 fresh hoagie rolls
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausages and brown on all sides, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from skillet and reserve.

Add onions and peppers to the skillet and saute until tender and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste, beer, and BBQ sauce. Cook for a few minutes, then add the sausages back to the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is nice and thick, about 10 minutes.

Slice the bread open, put on sheet tray, and toast in the oven while the sausage is simmering. Remove the bread from the oven and fill with the sausages and peppers.

Transfer to serving dishes and serve.

Cost:  $7.94 for 4 Servings

(I omit the tomato paste and will be omitting the rolls this week and substituting rice as that is what is in the pantry!)

FREEZER ALERT!!!!

Cut extra peppers, onions, and sausage and throw into a bag uncooked with marinara sauce.  When you need an easy meal, pop into your slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low, then blend in batches for a sausage pepper soup.  Delicious!