How to save money at the grocery store
Rewards Card. Whatever grocery store you shop at, be sure to get their rewards card. Mariano’s is my favorite grocery store. Not only do I save money with the rewards card on groceries, but I also get discounts on gas. Last week I was able to save forty cents per gallon of gas. Mariano’s also has digital coupons. Just go to their website before going to the grocery store, sort through the digital coupons and clip them before you leave home. That way you aren’t scrambling at the register to download coupons.
Shop the sale flyer. If chicken isn’t on sale that week, I probably won’t be eating chicken. Conversely, if chicken is on sale, I’ll buy a family pack, even if I live alone, and portion and freeze the rest to use later on.
Shop your house first. In case you didn’t know, Hannah and I have printables so that you can keep track of what’s in your fridge/pantry/freezer. Start with making a list of proteins, pasta, etc. and build your meal plan off of stuff you already have. Not only is this cost efficient, but you can sometimes come up with creative ways to use up the food you have that could turn into a family favorite.
Easter on a Budget
My Easter meal is by no means traditional, but it’s super delicious. Proteins will be the most expensive on your dinner table, but chicken legs, even not on sale, can be bought for around $5 a package. Carrots, apples and potatoes are always low cost. And I used a boxed cake mix and frosting to make the dessert for only $4 total.
- Fried Chicken Legs
- Carrot Apple Salad
- Dill and Sour Cream Twice Baked Potatoes
- Spiced Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting and Peeps
Fried Chicken Legs
The secret to extra crispy fried chicken is double dipping! This is my guilty pleasure I have once every couple of months.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken legs
- 1 cup low fat buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Mix the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper together. Add chicken legs and let soak for 30 minutes.
- Mix the flour, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper together. Heat deep fryer to 350 degrees.
- Dip the chicken into the flour mixture, back into the buttermilk mixture, and then back in the flour mixture, using your hands to squeeze the breading onto the chicken.
- Deep fry until it reaches a temperature of 165 degrees. My chicken thighs took 11-13 minutes. Sprinkle with salt immeditely after pulling from the fryer.
Notes
I know everyone is going to ask "can you air fry these?" I did not try, but my guess would be to spray the legs with avocado oil spray, and cook at 360 for 15-20 minutes, or until they reach a temperature of 165 degrees.
Because I didn't use all the flour, each wing is 5 WW points.
Dill and Sour Cream Twice Baked Potatoes
I love the brightness of the dill in these dill and sour cream twice baked potatoes. Perfect for your Easter dinner or weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 4 baked potatoes (previously bake and make this the next day)
- 2 tablespoons light butter
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup lowfat buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 4 slices monterey jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
- Slice the potatoes in half and scoop out most of the filling, leaving a 1/3 inch jacket, into a large bowl.
- Add the butter, paprika, salt, pepper, buttermilk, sour cream and mix to combine. Taste to see if additional salt and pepper are needed.
- Divide that mixture into the four potato jackets, top with the cheese slices and broil for 4-5 minutes, or until cheese is all nice and bubbly.
- Garnish with dill.
Notes
If you are using potatoes that aren't fresh out of the oven, you may need to melt the butter to the potato mixture to mix.
Click this link for the WW point tracker. As of the date of publication, each serving is 8 WW points - you can thank the cheese for that - ha!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 323Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 332mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 12g
Carrot Apple Salad
This simple carrot apple salad is ready in minutes because I used store bought salad dressing. This is best eaten the day made, but if you made it early in the day, add the almonds right before serving.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds carrots, peeled and shredded*
- 2 large apples, cored and shredded
- 2 tablespoons lemon vinaigrette salad dressing*
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup roasted almonds
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- I used a mandolin to julienne the carrots and apples, but you can finely slice with a good knife.
- Add the sliced carrots, apples, cilantro to a large bowl. Add salad dressing and mix to combine.
- Top with roasted almonds.
Notes
I used Marzetti brand simply dressed lemon vinaigrette. I have to count points for apples since I am on the diabetic plan, so click this link to see what the points would be on the WW tracker.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 190Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 261mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 7gSugar: 12gProtein: 4g
In total, my cost for this dinner was $28 for a family of four.
I’d love to hear your tips and tricks on saving money at the grocery store – leave them in the comments!
