July 2022 Frugal Chatter: All about fresh products and gardening!!!

[harbie]

It’s been a loooooooooong week. A sad anniversary, long work days, being a buffet for the mosquitoes ,they are normally not this bad but due to the extended wet spring and sudden heat we are overwhelmed. Our home isn’t too bad unless you’re at the garden at night but we went on a trail run and got attacked at the end of the 10k!

I’m off today which is rare so I started the day off with a coffee and cartons. Yes I’m a child at heart. Sometimes I just need them in the background instead of the depressing news. Now time to do some laundry, vacuuming, dusting and check out the flyers for our list.

Enjoy the day everyone.

[walkonby]

All you gals have such busy schedules!

@Frugalbigmama You're motivation and attention given to being organized serves you well! I am always impressed!
@harbie that is a bad word! MOSQUITOES! I hate' em. They always find me first. lol
@Angela273 that is so aggravating to pay OOP each time you re certify, I feel for ya.
@SassyAshley I loved your " proposed " salads plan for the fridge....that can save plenty of time later.
When you spoke about making room in your fridge, did it ever mirror what I did this morning.

I had bough a massive bag of baby spinach yesterday, so I gently steamed up over half of the 1.13 kg bag and hilariously once it was all the liquid was squeezed out of it I had just under 2 cups cooked. This will be divided up for both my lunch and dinner sides.
( I DO love cooked spinach more than raw)
I made DH and DS a batch of egg salad for their work meal today, freeing up some egg carton space!
Cleaned and trimmed away the few rusty bits from the 3 heads of romaine which were bought a week ago.
We'll use these up first, I hid the other 2 packs of 3 heads WAAAY in the back that I got at NF.
Thank goodness the guys enjoy making their very large Caesar salads. I tend to just add broccoli slaw bits and my diet dressing to the chopped romaine.

[cath007]

This week in my card I had an offer for buy President Choice frozen vegetables and pay 2,89$ per bag reg 4,99$..so I bought 2 Bangkok mix and2 peppers and oignons mix 500 gr (for topping spaghetti and maybe quesidellas)they are good for 1 year...is that a good price or it can be cheaper? I figure it out it was an okaie deal as I want to eat more veggies.
I just hope I will have more of the paid $ for x product offer..I had before the greek yogurt pc and the coffee pc but that it..
I just hope to see that kind of offer for frozen fruits haha

Also I had an offer I had not seen in age ..haha ..1000 pc points per 5$ bottles pepsi

Also rehave the 17 500 wub 175$ in cumulate purchase..wish I had this one last week haha...
others offers are just blah

So QOTD: Do you think it is cheaper to prepare and freeze yourself your veggies or buy it frozen? What is a good price to pay?
Example I saw 4 packs peppers for 3,99$ so the pc frozen veggies seems to be cheaper..??

[HermanH]

This week in my card I had an offer for buy President Choice frozen vegetables and pay 2,89$ per bag reg

[SNIP]

So QOTD: Do you think it is cheaper to prepare and freeze yourself your veggies or buy it frozen? What is a good price to pay?
Example I saw 4 packs peppers for 3,99$ so the pc frozen veggies seems to be cheaper..??

I always make decisions on a price / pound calculation. Compare fresh veggies you buy for $0.50 / pound vs. the $2.89 you paid. Was that one pound? More? Less? I do not bother calculating for the electricity used to freeze the product. I consider that cost incidental.

[Frugalbigmama]

@Cathy. I have tons of the PC frozen veggies in my freezer and my price was $1.88/$1.99 usually with PC Pts added.
They haven't been that price in a long while. I do know Walmart had frozen veggies for $1.97/$2.29 but I haven't looked in awhile but will this weekend. Guessing the price has probably gone up.

My plan is to keep my eye on the flashfood app. Mine always has tons of peppers. So I will chop and freeze. ( I have some in the freezer now that I am using and it really works great) I add them to omelettes, pasta sauce, stir-fry etc.
I have tons of frozen veggies at the moment so I'm not planning to buy any since we have so much to use up. But I will buy fresh stuff as I see a deal like usual. I use frozen when there aren't any deals on fresh stuff that week.

[cath007]

A little shop at maxi and cie:
Famillial Package of Petit Quebec mozzarella gratted cheese 483 gr reg 11,49$ sale 6,49$ minus 1,00$ coupon x3 so 5,49$ each I freeze 2 and they are good until october 2023
PC frozen veggies x4 I had an offer for paying 2,89$ per bag reg 4,99$ is that a good price? Never bought frozen veggies before
10 lbs potatoes @1,99$ limit of 2
Big Brocoli pmMetro at1,88$
Big Cauliflower pm iga @1,99$
6 x 710 ml pepsi diet x 4 @2,77$ pm super c +2000 pc points(personnal offer I had not seen in a while)

[cath007]

@Frugal bigmoma: thanks!!
I was not aware we can have points on top of this..I will check that next time haha

[cath007]

@HermanH : it was for 500 gr bag so I am now questionning myself haha if this was a good price.

[SassyAshley]

@cath007 , for vegetables I think it all depends on the vegetable.

Most of the frozen vegetables I buy is because I find the frozen option cheaper.

Brussel Sprouts, I find fresh to be expensive and have more waste vs buying frozen. Fresh I usually see for $4.99 at the time I was getting frozen for $1.99/pack (pre inflation).

Green Beans are the same, I just find the frozen to be so much cheaper.

Corn, I feel you cannot beat the Costco bag especially if you get it on sale, it is massive and last us months. With the amount you get buying cobs of corn even on sale and breaking them down would cost more.

As for buying your own and freezing it really depends on the deal you find. A 4-pack of Peppers for $3.99, no I would not freeze those but if I got peppers for $0.99/lb would totally consider it.

One big thing to remember/consider is some veggies cannot just be cut up and frozen, some need to be blanches first so they are more work than freezing fruit. For example Broccoli would need to be blanched first. So in this case I find a good sale is a better option.

[cath007]

Good earlier afternoon!!!
Well I sticked to my list at Costco this week but with the fact I did not know the prices before and realized it cost me 200$..but it was a stock up shop...So I am happy but not to much.Good news all the planning on the meals for the next 2 weeks is made .!!! We are well stocked on a bit of everything,.
So no more hassle of take out or what for dinner haha
Planning variety too,trying new recipes for a change of routine..I think that will force me to not buy something else.
Ok I received a part of my Reitmans order,That was quick,next time I am waiting n 1 remaining t shirts Everything fit properly I am happy,
But I was at Public Harvest when the parcel came and it was put in the lobby not on front of my door.. a little rant
Ok I am making this afternoon salmon pot pie, and gratin of chicken cauliflower and brocoli with cheese..they are easy affortable recipes!! Excited to have that planned to my agenda and to recooke again haha
The gratin we use to purchase at 8,00$ from St-Hubert is not good so I prefer for the same cost or a little bit more expensenve i dont care to make it homemade.

So appart milk and cherries and maybe pork,my grocery for the week is made

Have a good afternoon,very sunny and 24 degres,the perfect summer day

[cath007]

@SassyAshley : thanks for the infos,I will check more the deal.I want to eat more veggies so starting with forzen ones i thought to myself it was an idea.

[SassyAshley]

@cath007 does your Maxi & Cie carry any of the Naturally Imperfect products?

I saw a number of our Loblaw Banner stores are advertising the Naturally Imperfect frozen Fruits this week. If they have a blend you like these work out cheaper than buying the smaller bags.

[cath007]

@SassyAshley : Yes,I will check that.I know t hat I saw unperfect peppers but the bag was big but yes it would be a great option thanks

[cath007]

For Costco last post sorry haha I did not find the greek yogurt kirkland in vanilla flavor so I purchase it a bog 2 kg pouch of Iogo reg yogurt vanilla at 7,49$ 2,50$ cheaper than grocery
The boxe of small bottle of vegetables juice oasis was 13,99$ for 24 x 330 ml I think..same price at maxi and cie will know next time
Cheetos were cheaper more a big bag(580 gr i think for the same price as for grocery
Trail Mix nuts I bought 2 bags instead of 1 I go trough a lot and they are 737 gr for 13,49$..really more worthed than buying smalls krispies kernels bag at 8,00$ at grocery
and A big canister of iced tea nestle..I figure it out it will be more conveniant and easy than paying 4$ a bottle of 1,75 l of Pure Leaf at the grocery
Big bag of cooked shrimps will last us forever at 21,99$
But my father said l2 year ago with my auntie it pay 25$ for a piece of salmon...now it is none less than 40$,,,it increased so much..
and big bag of cheese caramel popcorn for a treat at 7,49 $ so much better than the cracker jack 4$ for a small bag..lol
The chicken breasts are definatelly bigger than the maxi ones.
The frozen fruits i took the big bag of nature touch tropical mix at 12,99$ since i had frozen berries
and I added almond chocolate cup at 12$

but the darn taxes
a nice shop overal
I dont plan to rego sooner tought..will think of my list harder next time..

[cath007]

the only thing I failed and will check is how to seasonning-spice it up my meat..so I will check for spices sales