Posts: 2,088
2/6/12 12:45 A

depending where you are, this tip may or may not be useful for you.
Walmart has whole wheat pasta on sale this week: 375 grams for just a dollar. Whole wheat pasta is much better for you and is more filling than "white" pasta

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Posts: 999
1/31/12 6:55 P

I have found the store brands of cheese are often better tasting and less expensive than the national brands!

Posts: 126
1/31/12 1:37 P

Like some of you, I don't use much mayonnaise either...in fact, the only thing I use it in is when I'm making tuna salad, and I don't use very much.
I was watching a tv show yesterday (I think it was Dr. Oz), and they were talking about instead of using mayo. in tuna salad...use mushed up avocado instead (healthy fat).
Since avocado's have been on sale for $1.00 each in my area (CT), I may try that next time.

I love different types of mustard! I found a small jar of raspberry mustard (can't remember the brand) at Big Y on clearance for $.75 or so...was great on chicken breasts, or just spread on crackers.

My great find for the week was:
Nabisco crackers, 3 boxes for $6.00 (Wheat Thins, Ritz, Triscuits...you could choose any)
I had a coupon for $1.00 off...
so, 3 boxes for $5.00...what a bargain! (since the regular price for Ritz is $4.10 a box!)
Well, opened the box of Ritz crackers...most of the crackers in two sleeves were smashed up, but the box was in perfect shape. I called the company, and they are sending me reimbursement for what I would normally would have paid ($4.10) for the box.

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Posts: 2,088
1/31/12 12:48 P

I'm very interested in using pulses of various sorts so any tips, recipes, etc would be very welcome

current weight: 142.0

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SparkPoints: (32,886)
Fitness Minutes: (14,555)
Posts: 2,695
1/31/12 11:16 A

Great idea for a thread!

I was never a huge mayo fan but I LOVE mustard - the spicier the better. YUM! Will have to experiment with making my own next year when mustard growing season comes around again (winter for us in Arizona). I'll collect seeds and give it a shot.

I know this might seem like not a great savings but for Christmas I gifted myself with a small Fagor pressure cooker. Since then I've been buying dry beans/lentils and cooking up a storm. Organic canned beans can cost from $0.99 to $1.99 for 15 oz. I buy organic dried beans and they cost about $0.17 to $0.40 per cooked 15 oz. even including cooking costs. Now I'm free to try out a lot more recipes a lot more easily. Veggie burgers and other processed vegetarian meat products are pricey so I've enjoyed real savings by making my own concoctions (not always a success - but hey - I keep trying!)

As I've kept up with tracking my spending on groceries - I can tell you that this month I've saved about $120 thanks to cooking with dried beans as well as harvesting food from my winter garden. Not a bad savings!

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Posts: 2,088
1/31/12 11:05 A

i don't like mayo but find a bit of light Italian adds a nice taste and moistness.
I quit buying powdered milk when it became more expensive than fluid

current weight: 142.0

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129

SparkPoints: (42,435)
Fitness Minutes: (43,591)
Posts: 3,299
1/29/12 6:53 P

WOW! Sounds pretty pricey. I agree with the mayo in Tuna, there is no substitution, but I use very little with more relish. I like it chunky and slightly dry. Otherwise I don't care much for it, except in a broccoli and cauliflower salad which is cut with Apple Cider Vinegar. It is pretty tasty that way, and really thins, and stretches the mayo. I'm not sure what else it would be good with, but maybe a good experiment!

I don't have price comparisons, but one switch I have made is for frozen berries. They are very reasonable and keep for a long time. I enjoy fresh more, and buy some when in season, but try to stick with longer lasting fruits like apples and buy cantaloupes at the farmers market. Much larger for the price.

Mustard is a great compromise which I use a lot.

I've also began cutting my ranch salad dressing with a little vinegar prior to putting on the salad. I use much less dressing, it isn't so thick, and I can drizzle a little over the top.

Vinegars are a tasty way to add flavor to veggies too, without all of the sodium/butter/sauces, etc.

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Posts: 8,645
1/29/12 11:58 A

OK, I live in Canada and our dollar fluctuates a bit, but is currently about on par with the US dollar. (I just checked and it is currently worth about .998 cents USD.

Mayo (I forget which brand) was on sale for 5.49 for a 890 ml. jar in one store yesterday. (That's a bit less than a quart.( 1 US quart = 946.352946 ml.)

Skim milk was $5.49 for 4 litters (slightly more than a gallon - 1 US gallon = 3.78541178 litters )
Skim milk is the cheapest. Whole milk costs more. I don't buy it and don't remember the price.

Organic whole grain wheat bread - I have no idea... I don't buy it. We make our own bread. Not 100% organic, but definitely whole wheat and without preservatives. Making our own bread is a big money saver.

Subs for milk and mayo?

I agree, milk is milk. There are no substitutes. At one time the powder was cheaper, but no longer. We buy some to have on hand, but not to save money.

As for the mayo...
- when we were younger, I sometimes made my own. It's not hard if you have a blender, (but you have to make small quantities. I don't think it lasts more than a week.)
- At one point we were buying super big tubs at a substantial savings
- now I buy the regular containers, hopefully on sale, but I just don't use it as much.

Substitutions for mayo...
... it depends on what you are making.
- In my mind their is no substation for mayo in a tunafish salad, but... it can be cut with other things so you don't need as much...
- Mayo is great in potato salad too, but there are other ways to make it.
- I never use it just as a spread in a sandwich, mustard is cheaper and lower in calories.

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Posts: 126
1/29/12 11:08 A

Let's compare prices! In this economy, it's often difficult to lose weight & get healthy on a budget. That being said, let's post items that we see at the grocery store that are priced much too high. And, if you were able to substitute something else for the overpriced item, what did you buy? When you post, please list what state (or country) you live in.


Okay...I'll go first...
I'm Robin, and I live in Connecticut

Miracle Whip = $5.99 (for the large jar)
(Instead, I bought a small jar of Smart Balance brand for $2.79 & used a .35 coupon)

Gallon of Milk = $3.99 (there's no getting around this one...no coupons ever in my area)

Organic Whole Grain Wheat Bread = $5.20 (I forgot the brand, but this is for regular bread that you find in the packaged bread aisle)
Who ever thought we'd see the day when a loaf of bread cost as much as a very small package of ground beef?
(I went to the discount rack & bought a loaf of light whole wheat bread for $1.09)

Who's next?

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