I went out shopping last Saturday evening to four different stores — all by myself!– and got some great deals. It was so weird to be kid-less, as I usually always take at least one child with me.
I was amazed at how cathartic and refreshing it was to go grocery shopping by myself to multiple stores — something I’ve not done in months, as far as I can remember. I came back feeling like I’d just spent two hours at the spa! 🙂
Here was my “loot” from the health food store, Aldi, Target and Dillon’s:
Altogether, I spent right around $45 for all the groceries shown.
I think my favorite deal of all was the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips for $0.99 per bag. I have to admit that it took quite a bit of self-control to not buy all 20 bags they had on the clearance shelf. But I convinced myself that I really did not need 20 bags of chocolate chips — especially since we usually only use an average of one bag of chocolate chips per month.
I also was excited to get free Finish Powerball Tabs and Rimmel Eye Shadow at Target by combining Target coupons and manufacturer’s coupons. Now that we don’t live near a CVS anymore, I’m rarely able to score free makeup or dishwashing detergent, so I was especially thrilled about these two deals.
And avocados were only $0.25 each at Aldi — a price we rarely, rarely see around here. So that was another exciting bargain. I’m considering trying putting a few in our smoothies in the mornings just to keep things interesting. Anyone have a great smoothie recipe which uses avocados?
This week, we also bought four loaves of bread at the dollar store (I’ve recently discovered that our Dollar Tree sells soon-to-be-expiring Nature’s Own bread for only $1 per loaf so I’ve been buying a few loaves every few weeks and sticking them in the freezer to use as needed.) and milk, more cheese and some fruit and veggies at Dillon’s.
So all totaled, we spent around $65 on groceries the past seven days.
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Kroger brand chocolate chunks work just fine for my dairy free boys. There’s no milk fat in the chocolate chunks.
We make smoothies with avocados all. the. time. Our favorite is really ripe bananas (I mean really ripe and sweet, milk, and avocado). Sometimes I add a smidgend of vanilla and a shake of cinnamon, but usually not.
Well Crystal. I started couponing, and I am at a complete loss and slightly overwhelmed. That being said… I tried it. I used 3 coupons (LOL!) and took cash in hand. I had a budget of $80 (normal grocery bill is $130), and I ended up spending $82.65. Had I not used the coupons, total would have been $87.00
So… I went two dollars and 65 cents over budget, and I used a whopping three coupons, but it’s a start, right? I mean, the way I figure it, just planning what I was gonna do and setting a budget saved me almost $50.
I shall venture again next week!
I was blessed enough to find the Enjoy Life choc chips at our Ralphs for .69!!! I did not exhibit self control however, and bought all 9 🙂 They had been marked down 3x so I figured no one else wanted them. It was a nice pick me up after missing out on the Babyganics wipes deal at Babies R Us the day before when a lady cleared out the shelf and was in line right in front of me 🙁
I buy avocados to make “pudding” for my wheat free/gluten free, dairy free family.
1 avocado
a handful of fresh or frozen fruit(we use frozen because my kids like cold “pudding”)
sweetner to taste (we usually use dates)
water- just enough to get the blender going or to desired consistancy
Or try this one
Chocolate “Pudding”
1 lg avocado
1/2 cup honey or agave or we use 4-6 pitted dates
1/4 C. cocoa
water-add to get the blender spinning and then add to desired consistency
You can’t really taste the avocados. My kids don’t like avos, but they also know that avos are in this pudding and they still literally like their bowls clean.
We will frequently make chocolate and strawberry and then layer the two for chocolate/strawberry “pudding”.
My kids and others I have talked to will eat it after it has sat in the fidge overnight. I, however only like it that day.
put everything in the blender and blend away.
I’m from Brazil too. My dad has avocado smoothies almost every morning (avocado, milk to cover, sugar to taste – if you don’t use enough sugar you won’t like it). Sometimes I leave it in the freezer for 20 minutes or so until it starts to freeze…..SO good cold!!! One of our favorite desserts is VERY mashed avocado, a couple teaspoons of lemon or lime juice and sugar to taste. Hope you are brave enough to try it. 🙂
What a great deal on the chocolate chips! My daughter has severe food allergies but I can not afford the expensive chocolate candies from dairy free and nut free companies. So, I went to Michael’s craft store and purchased a few candy molds for around $1 each with coupons. I melt the chocolate chips in a glass bowl with just a few drops of oil in the microwave. You have increase the time slowly. Maybe 30 sec. each time your check. I pour it in the mold and put in the refrigerator to harden then I pop out. I just got done making some valentine lollypops. For Easter I make “peanut butter” cups using soynut butter and a mold shaped like small peanut butter cups. Just some thought on how I have learned to duplicate a few special treats for my children to save money.
Um, am I the only one who is “green eggs and ham” about having avocado in a smoothie? 🙂
Love it in sandwiches and love guacamole, though…
I have never used avocados in smoothies, but they freeze really well! I just mash them (not super-smooth), place in dollops on a wax-paper lined baking sheet, freeze, and then put into freezer bags once frozen. You can then take them out and use them for guacamole, on sandwiches, tacos, whatever. I’ve never seen a price that good, if I did I would buy up as many as I could and freeze!
It’s always great to see your trips, Crystal! I think my favorite is the $0.25 avocados! That’s fantastic! I hope to see that price at my nearby Aldi, sometime. I’ll also be checking out Dollar Tree to see if they have Nature’s Own bread at that price. Nice! 🙂
Oh, I’d be in bad shape in chocolate ships and avocados went on sale in the same week. They are both huge weaknesses of mine. Now that I’m pregnant with number 4, I’ve been craving avocados a lot. I might even try them with chocolate chips 🙂
Got some great deals this week at Earth Fare and Kroger! Thanks for allowing me to share here! 🙂
I had just gone to Walmart and splurged on the Nature’s Own bread ($2.79) on Friday. Then on Saturday I stopped in our Dollar Tree and saw it there for $1! I bought a couple loaves and I’m hoping that they stock it regularly so I can go back next week and buy some more.
Just this week I snuck an avacado into my kids strawbarry/banana/yogurt smoothies. They gobbled them right up!
I really wish you lived near me…I so would give some $ to have someone be able to do this for me!! I really like those Enjoy Life products for my milk free daughter, but they are so expensive in our local grocery store!
This is what I have for Lunch everyday, and my son has it as a bedtime snack:
GREEN SMOOTHIE
1 carrot
2 bananas
1 apple
½ avocado
1 yogurt, flavored
1 stevia pack
tbsp flax seed
tsp cinnamon
blend w/water
1 chard leaf
2 bok choy leaves/stems
2 spinach clumps
blend w/more water
Freezing them for me would make me eat them more!!! Yum! I am not a big chocolate fan, but frozen it is so good! I am not sure I could waste Avocados in a smoothie!!!
Now see with me, I have no self control with junk food (sweets… cookies, candy, etc) so I would have had to grab 1 or 2 bags of the chocolate chips then walked away fast before I changed my mind. Then I would have had to hide the bags from myself so I would not down half a bag at a time. Then if I find a recipe calling for them, I remember where I put them but they’ll be out of sight out of mind so I wouldn’t pig out. Yes I do realize this is sad :/ lol
Saved over 70.00 at Rainbow this week! Whoo Hoo!
Sorry. Avocado’s are just too good to waste in a smoothie. Whenever I get them I make turkey avocado sandwiches. Sometimes grilled, sometimes not. My kids just love them, and hubby, too!
Yum! Turkey Avocado sandwiches sound delicious!
Guacamole with Celery/carrot sticks 🙂 or a Mango and Avocado smoothie or even better adding an avocado to a green vegetable juice. Satisfying and nourishing. Enjoy!
Oh and we use [bittersweet] chocolate chips to make homemade hot chocolate or chocolate milk. They go fast in our house 🙂
That’s a good idea for putting the avocado in a smoothie since it really is quite bland by itself. A good way to add fat.
I like to spread maybe 1/3 an avocado on a piece of buttered toast, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lime. Delicious!
If you don’t already know( you probably do) avocado freezes beautifully. I mash it and freeze it and when I want a dab I defrost it in a plastic baggy in cool water. It defrosts really quickly and you would NEVER know it was previously frozen.
Thanks for the link!
CVS, Rite Aid, Meijer & Warehouse Produce Shopping Trips!
A friend gave me this recipe. Delish!
Classic Avocado Smoothie
½ large avocado
1 ripe banana
3-4 table spoons of yogurt
…¼ glass skimmed milk
Add a dash of honey, agave, or yacon syrup,
and a dash of cinnamon
Thank you for sharing!
I grew up in the Philippines eating avocado with crushed ice and condensed milk. Your kids might love it too.
that does sound good. We make something similar called avocado ice cream: a 1/2 of an avocado, 1/2 c. French Vanilla half and half then fill blender with ice
Or you can do guacamole with the avocado–add sour cream, chili powder, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Eat on chips or tacos/fajitas. Wish I could find ’em for .25–that’s amazing!!
The avocados make the smoothies nice and creamy. I usually do banana, frozen mango, strawberry &/ pineapple. Sure wish I had an Aldi near me.
I am so jealous of the choc chips- I was just looking at those at my health food store for over $5!! each
jen
I got Aldi avocados this week too. They’re great for smoothies (good with banana and chocolate) but what I bought them for was pudding. My toddler is dairy-allergic and avocados make the most delicious, nutritious dairy-free chocolate pudding. I can feed it to him for breakfast with some bananas sliced on top and he thinks he’s getting the greatest treat! Use a hand blender or food processor and for each avocado add:
– 2 TBL cocoa powder
– 1 tsp vanilla
– 1 pinch of salt
– 1/4 cup maple or agave syrup (start with 1/8 cup and add to taste)
It keeps for several days in the fridge and the chocolate masks the inevitable color change with the avocados. It is delicious!
Thats an awesome idea Whitney- Thanks for sharing! I am definitely going to try that!
Thanks for this, I passed it on to a friend who is dairy free for her nursling.
Thanks so much for this!
$28 spent, $12 RR remain.
I add spinach leaves to my kid’s smoothies! Just a big handful and then a banana and other fruit. They don’t even know it’s there. You can also add the tops of carrots/celery etc. The key, in my opinion, is to add a banana for sweetness…sugar isn’t necessary if you use a banana.
I do that too with smoothies for my son, I always add some frozen blueberries too, it disguises the green from the spinach. You really can’t taste spinach in a smoothie- other lettuces and greens however are another story. I also add avocado to almost all our smoothies- you really can’t taste it, they just add a nice creamy richness to any smoothie. I add 1/2 of an avocado per huge smoothie that feeds 3-4 people. Then I just put the other half of the avocado in the fridge in a plastic bag and cut off the browned area the next day for another smoothie. If you mainly just put fat free fruit, veggies and juice or fat free milk in your smoothies- the fat in the avocados is good for helping your body to absorb any fat-soluble vitamins that are in your smoothie.
Not only did you get some great deals, you showed great restraint too! That had to be tough, even for a minimalist : )
Avocado is really good in scrambled eggs
Seriously, enjoy life chips for $.99? Do you know how much I HAVE to pay to get safe chips for my two food allergic kids? If you have any friends with food allergies, please, please, go back and buy them all for those friends! I am sure they would buy them from you (or I would) and it would be such a gift! When you have limited choice due to food allergies, deals just do not come along often…
I’m with Stacie. Please share your find with anyone you know with food allergies. Chocolate chips are a rare treat and would really brighten up a child’s day, esp a child who probably never gets to eat chocolate chips anymore.
Yes! What store did you find the clearance choc chips at? I bake so few chocolate-containing things because it’s just too expensive to buy the Enjoy Life or Divvies brand that are diary/egg/nut free.
Unfortunately, it’s a local-only store with one location. 🙁 I wish it were nationwide so more people could snatch up these great bargains!
Anytime I find a great deal at a local store, I try to pass the word along to my bargain-shopping friends — and they do the same for me! It’s a great way to help everyone save money!
Believe it or not, I was lamenting the fact that I didn’t know more people with food allergies when I saw that deal!
What a steal of a deal. I wish I lived near your health food store. With the growing epidemic of food allergies, I guarantee that it won’t be long before you know more people with food allergies.
You can use those avocados (and the tortillas and cheese) to use make some good chicken ranch wraps!
Great deals especially on the avocados! We freeze chocolate chips when we get them on sale to make them last longer.
Yes, we always keep our chocolate chips in the freezer. Keeps them much fresher and helps them last longer. And possibly, just possibly, it keeps me from eating so many handfuls of them. 😉
I think frozen chocolate chips are still tasty! =)
Just FYI things like chocolate will absorb flavors of other items in your fridge or freezer and they are not recommended to be stored in the fridge or freezer.
I completely understand about the kid free shopping trip, I love taking my time at the grocery store and being able to completely focus. This week I went grocery shopping with my three boys ages 8, 4 and 18 months – by the end of the day I had a major migraine:)
Great deals, and what a steal on the avocado.
JR from
Frugality Is Free
I second Tara – I’m from Brazil and it was one of my favorite snacks growing up. Just blend some avocado with milk and sugar to taste. It’s very yummy!
I just might try that! Nutritionally, it’s quite balanced and satisfying, with carbs, fat and protein. Ever put lime it or anything?
Not in a smoothie but sometimes I will just mash some avocado in a bowl and add lime juice and a little sugar for a snack. It’s an acquired taste but I like it!
You can just take an avacado some milk (amount depends on the consistency you like) and a little bit of sugar (again to taste) and blend it together and it is good. Some times I add a little vanilla too.
I did really good today myself. Saved 45 bucks today with coupons!
I’m loving the recipes on sparkrecipes.com, so I would start there with the avocado smoothie. There were several to choose from, just need to know what you have on hand that you want to throw into the blender 🙂 And I hope that’s a national sale, I’m heading there tomorrow for some veggies and would love to pick up on the $.25 sale! That’s incredible!!