Now is a good time to examine what you really get in a discount food box. Let's see what's in AFM's 8/2011 Bountiful Blessing Box:
Meat:
4 lb. (avg.) Perdue Tray Pack Chicken Leg Quarters
1.5 lb. Steak Burgers (4 x 6 oz.)
1.5 lb. Bone-In Pork Chops (4 x 6 oz.)
1.5 lb. (avg.) Perdue Tray Pack Boneless Skinless
Chicken Breasts
1 lb. Deli-Sliced Ham
1 lb. Alaskan Pollock Fillets (Individually Wrapped)
1 lb. Roger Wood Sausage Dogs
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 lb. 80/20 Lean Ground Beef
Frozen Meals:
2 lb. Gourmet Dining Garlic Chicken Dinner (Skillet-type Meal)
2 lb. Mac & Beef
2 lb. Heat ‘n’ Eat Cheesy Broccoli Soup
(two one pound packages each)
Vegetables:
1 lb. Spinach
1 lb. Carrots
1 lb. Green Beans
1 lb. Triple Blend Veggies
1 lb. Broccoli
24 oz. Steak Cut French Fries
1 lb. Sugar Snap Peas
1 lb. Yellow Sweet Corn
24 oz. Hash Browns
1 lb. California Blend Veggies
20 oz. Steam Ready Classic Blend
(Rice & Veggie Blend, 2 x 10 oz.)
Other:
7.5 oz. Break-n-Bake Cookies
In your box, that's 9 packages of meat equaling 13.5 pounds, 6 Frozen Meals, 12 packages vegetables & 1 dessert.
AFM's Bountiful Blessing Box costs $46. To duplicate this savings, you would have to be able to buy 9 packages of meat, 6 Frozen Meals, 12 packages of Veggies, and 1 dessert - 28 items!!!
To simplify the cost of each item: $46 divided by 28= $1.64 each. That is actually really amazing if you think about the cost savings.
Your budget would look like this:
9 packages of meat= $14.76
6 Frozen Meals=$9.84
12 Vegetables=$19.68
1 dessert=$1.64
Total, $45.92
But, what if you look at the cost of the vegetables? In many supermarkets across America, packages of frozen vegetables can be had for $1 or less. I also know for a fact that the same cookie dough included in the AFM box is only $1 at the Dollar Tree. So, let's take our 28 items at $1.64 each and add back .64 for each of the 12 Vegetables and the 1 Cookie Dough. That gives you $8.32 to put into your meat budget.
Now your budget looks like this:
9 packages of meat= $23.08
6 Frozen Meals=$9.84
12 Vegetables=$12.00
1 dessert=$1.00
Total: $45.92
We already know we can buy the dessert and 12 packages of vegetables for $1 each or less.
What about the Frozen Meals? Those are pretty expensive, right? I have to admit you would be hard pressed to walk into a grocery store without coupons or a super good deal and just pick these up for $1.64 each.
I checked local prices and Sams' Club had 64 oz of Zatarain's Alfredo Chicken for $10.48 at my club - so that would be about $2.62 per pound. That's way overbudget. Sams' Club had 64 oz of Zatarain's Alfredo Chicken for $10.48 at my club - so that would be about $2.62 each. That's way overbudget.Now may be a time to examine whether prepared meals are a must for you or not.
I believe it is possible to buy a couple cans of soup and serve with grilled cheese sandwiches, or some macaroni & cheese boxes with some $1 hotdogs sliced thinly and have a quick, cheap no-brainer meals for those nights you don't want to cook alot. If you want to make your own skillet meals, the Simple Dollar has a post on how to do just that.
If they are a must for your family, Aldi had some 14 ounce Asian skillet meals this week for $1.99 each which is a little more in line with the budget, only .35 more per item than we would pay with AFM. Meijer had Boston Market or Oncor Family Meals 5 for $10 so that's only .36 per item more.
New Budget with Frozen Meals:
9 packages of meat= $23.08
6 Frozen Meals=$11.94 (6 @ $1.99)
12 Vegetables=$12.00
1 dessert=$1.00
Total: $48.02
At this point, you can choose to keep the $48.02 budget OR take $2.10 off your meat budget which would look like this:
9 packages of meat= $20.98
6 Frozen Meals=$11.94 (6 @ $1.99)
12 Vegetables=$12.00
1 dessert=$1.00
Total: $45.92
If you remember, the original amount of meat was 13.5 pounds. Four pounds of that was bone-in chicken - keep that in mind. That puts us at $1.55 a pound. Let's go back to Meijer and see if they have any specials on bone-in chicken.
This week, bone-in Chicken at Meijer is $.99 a pound. Four pounds would be $3.96. Let's separate that from our meat budget.
4 Pounds of chicken $3.96
9 POUNDS of meat= $17.02 (1.89 per pound)
6 Frozen Meals=$11.94 (6 @ $1.99)
12 Vegetables=$12.00
1 dessert=$1.00
Total: $45.92
Can we get meat for $1.89 a pound? We can probably all agree that is tough to do! I know it depends on your region, but I see specials all the time, and don't forget that if you save money on something else - buy that $.69 package of muffin mix instead of the $1 cookies, or get frozen vegetables on special for $.67 or $.79 which is very possible, then you can make more room in your meat budget and get it for $2 or so a pound.
Using Sundaysaver.com I did some shopping around the country:
Let's go to Missouri and check out Shop N Save where Pork Tenderloin tips are $1.98 a pound. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are $1.88 a pound, and John Morrell Smoked Sausages are 2 for $4. Wegman's in Allentown, PA has boneless, skinless chicken breast for $1.99 a pound, and 80% Ground Beef for $1.99 a pound. Whole roasting chickens are only $.88 a pound! Whole Pork shoulder is $1.29 a pound.
In San Francisco, CA at Safeway, you can get whole chicken for $.89 a pound, and pork loin chops for $1.99 a pound.
Shaw's in Maine has $1.99 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast as well.
When shopping, and you see a good deal like these, stock up! Something different will be on sale every week, so build up some nice variety in your freezer. Use a price book to keep track of the lowest prices in your area and soon you will be getting cheap groceries all the time, no Discount Food Box required.
RESOURCES: http://www.sundaysaver.com/
http://www.mygrocerydeals.com/
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