Shaw's Bargain Meal week of 7/17-7/23

Shaw's has a lot going on this week, which is great and all, but it can be pretty confusing to figure out what's a good deal and what's not, especially on the fly when you're rushing through the grocery store at 5:37 with assorted kiddos in tow...

So there's a "pick4" meat promo where you can choose 4 packages of meat and pay 19.99 (with a coupon from the flyer and your rewards card, of course.) So basically the packages of meat would be 5.00 each. It's hard to compare prices and see whether this is a good deal for all the different types of meat featured. You have to basically figure out the cost per pound and see if it's worth it to you to stock up.

We like ground turkey, and Shady Brook Farms Turkey is part of this deal- a 3lb. package. So if you got 4 of them, it would be like getting 12 lbs of turkey for 19.99, which would be 1.66 a package. That's a pretty good price for ground turkey. I'm not sure if it's worth spending 19.99 on meat for (especially since my freezer is absolutely loaded with meats...) We might be able to get a good price on steak as part of this deal, but it's really hard to tell because there's no information about package sizes. So I will probably end up deciding in the store whether or not I will partake of this deal. It's promotions like this that really challenge my mental math skills (I don't carry a calculator with me when I shop- I really should!)

(There is also a $3 off coupon for $10 worth of various products... on the back page of the circular. Since it's a store coupon, you can combine that sale with other coupons and possibly get some good deals.

And... there is another sale that is "Buy $20 Get $10" on some random products- Chee-zit Crackers, Dr. Pepper, Rice Krispie treats, and a few other things... I tend to love those sales at Shaw's and make multiple trips to avail myself of such savings, but I don't think we eat any of those products- just Cheez-its, really. We like Rice Krispie treats too, but when you can buy cereal for next to nothing and make a huge pan of homemade Rice Krispie Treats, it seems silly to pay for a teensy little box of prewrapped snacks, even on sale. Check the Shaw's forums at A Full Cup for details on these promotions.)

Confusing sales aside, there are some good prices on produce (.99 Bell peppers and Broccoli Crowns) and cabbage is .49 a pound. So it would be worth it to make some healthy slaw to serve with some meat from the grill...

Healthy, Easy Cole Slaw

3 cups shredded cabbage .75
1 broccoli crown, diced and blanched ( I dunno about you, dear readers, but the thought of raw broccoli makes my stomach hurt- plus, cooking it a little makes the color so green and pretty.) .50
1-2 cups diced veggies of choice (carrots, bell peppers, green onions would all work well) 1.00
1/2 cup plain yogurt .30
1/4 cup mayo (low fat is fine) .25
1 tbsp cider or balsamic vinegar .01
pepper & salt to taste .01

Mix up all your veggies. Mix up your yogurt and mayo and vingegar. Mix it all together. You can garnish it with some nuts or whatever you like. You could also add a little bit of honey and some raisins if you like a sweeter slaw. Put it in the fridge until you're ready to eat. Total Cost: $2.82- and you can probably eat leftovers the following day.


So, decide what meat you will get from the "pick 4 meat sale," divide it into meal-size portions, throw it on the grill, serve it with some cole slaw and some bread or Near East Rice Pilaf/Couscous (10 for $10 or .90 if you use the Shaw's internet printable coupon and buy 10 boxes.) (Total meal cost approximately $5.38, depending on what meat you use.)

Even with meat on sale, grilling can be tough on the grocery budget- in the cooler weather I definitely make many more "one-dish" meals- soups, stews, and casseroles, where it is much easier to use just a little bit of meat as an accent, rather than a big slab of meat in the middle of your plate. In an upcoming post, I'll list some of my favorite ways to save money on dinner during the summer months!