Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts

Budget Friendly Snacks for Your Young Athlete | Save Money Shopping at Grocery Outlet {Giveaway}

Friday, April 4, 2014

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Grocery Outlet. **This giveaway has ended**


Grocery Outlet budget friendly snacks for athletes

If you have school-aged kids, you already know keeping the pantry stocked with healthier snacks is a challenge. Call me biased, but I think sports parents have it even tougher. If your kid plays, be it on a rec league or travel, you know where I'm coming from. Take, for instance, the following scenario:

6:30am Wake up in time to eat breakfast before getting on the road for the hour-long drive to the tournament.

8:00am Arrive in time for team warm ups, hear "Mom, I'm still hungry," and throw a snack at your child.

9:30am Game is over. Hear "Mom, I'm starving! I will DIE if I don't eat something right this second! DIE I tell you!" Throw a snack at your child while standing with other team parents, using your phones to Google nearby breakfast restaurants.

11:00am Google local parks to kill two hours before you have to be back in time for the afternoon game.

11:30am Hear, "Mom, do we have anything to eat in the car? I'm thirsty."

12:30pm Pile into the car to head back for the afternoon game. Ask, "are you hungry? you should eat now if you are."

1:00pm Spot your child from across the arena. He is standing in the doorway to the locker room frantically waving at you with one hand, and pointing to his mouth, pantomiming eating with the other. Throw a snack at your child.

2:30pm Second game is over. Start loading the car. Hear, "Mom, I'm hungry." Throw a snack at your child.

3:00pm Use your phone to check traffic. It sucks. Steel yourself for two-and-a-half hour drive home.

4:30pm Traffic worse than what was on Google Maps. Curse silently because you know what is coming.

4:45pm Hear, "Mom, are we stopping anywhere for dinner?" Throw last of the snacks at your child. Hope to Heaven traffic breaks up and you make it home soon.

Am I right? 

Between packing lunches and sports weekends, snack foods have started taking up a bigger portion of my budget. There haven't been too many breakthroughs in terms of the variety of portable, healthier, non-perishables. My choices seem to be cheap and bad for you, or healthy and expensive. Organics? Hardly ever an option. 

I wasn't sure about taking my local Grocery Outlet up on their snack food challenge. I'm not used to shopping without coupons and couldn't see how I'd be able to save money without them. Plus, I thought the store would be filled with brands I'd never heard of. I was wrong on both counts.


Grocery Outlet sells heathy organic snacks

Since I've been paying attention to prices for so long, I have a good sense of when an item is priced well and when (even on 'sale') it is not. This knowledge came in handy while I was shopping. I picked up 26 items* and paid $29.34. 

When I took my receipt to Vons to compare, the savings were very clear. I found six items that were identical to the ones I purchased at Grocery Outlet. If I had purchased the same things in the same quantities from Vons, I would have spent $26.85 for only 10 items. 

Vons versus Grocrey Outlet budget friendly snacks for athletes

That's a significant difference. Again, since snacks go so quickly in our house, they're something I keep an eye on because they can quickly take over my grocery budget. Now, will I see these same items the next time I go to Grocery Outlet? Maybe. Maybe not. But I'm fine with that. I'd rather a slightly rotating inventory with low prices than the same things over and over. Overall, I'm happy with my first experience and can say with certainty I will go back again.

Luckily, Grocery Outlet would like to extend the challenge to you, too. If you live near one of their stores, enter below to win a $25 gift card. You may not be able to see the Rafflecopter widget on mobile devices.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

*There should be two more items in the photo: one more Yopa (I got hungry) and a 59oz bottle of Tropicana Orange Tangerine. 


This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. Mel, A Dramatic Mommy is not responsible for prizes lost in the mail or incorrect physical or email addresses. Giveaway is open to residents of the United States, age 18+. Giveaway will close at 11:59PM ET on 4/14/14. Two (2) winners will be selected. Winner(s) will be contacted by email within 48 hours. Winner(s) must respond to me via email within 24 hours or an alternate will be chosen. If you have any additional questions, contact Melanie at ADramaticMommy{@}gmail.com.

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I was not compensated for this post. I was provided with a gift card to facilitate my shopping. Opinions are my own. Grocery cart image courtesy of Grant Cochrane and FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Smart and Final Extra, Revisited

Thursday, July 1, 2010

I had an opportunity to shop at Smart and Final Extra a few days ago. I haven't been there in ages, mainly because we have a Costco membership and I didn't see a need to visit another 'big box' store. I'm pleasantly surprised with the changes they've made to attract 'regular' grocery shoppers. 

The fact that they own Henry's Marketplace, one of my favorite stores for produce, is a big plus for me. I can definitely see myself going there to take advantage of really good sale items. Their prices are in line with the stores I shop in now and fit with my goal of keeping our grocery budget in check.




More check-ins at Smart & Final Extra
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What I liked about Smart and Final Extra:
1. They accept coupons!
2. You don't need a card for the in-store savings.
3. The prices are competitive.
4. The produce section offered a wide variety.
5. I can shop there 'normally' but also go in for the large sized items I'd typically buy if we're ever having a party (without the long lines!).
What I'd suggest as future changes:
1. Expand the store circular to include more of the Smart Savings items. It will make for more thorough coupon matching.
2. Expand their social media profile and start to work with frugal bloggers on a regular basis.
3. The website could be a lot more user friendly.
4. Printable coupons and a partnership with Cellfire.com.
5. E-coupons and/or mobile coupons that can be scanned straight from a smartphone.
6. Even though I could effectively plan a party and shop there, Costco still has a slight edge in that I can order a custom cake, the baked goods selection is huge and I can bring home a hot meal or heat and eat meal.

I forgot to ask Chris (who was super helpful) about their coupon policies. I'd like to know two things:
1. How they handle a coupon that is more than the cost of the item eg: if I have a $1 off coupon for a .99 item, will they adjust the coupon down to be .99 or will I get the penny overage?
2. Are shoppers allowed to use multiple coupons for the same item in one transaction eg: I buy 8 boxes of granola bars and have 8 coupons, will I have to make separate purchases? (some Target stores do this and it's a HUGE turnoff)
I'm really impressed with the changes I saw and will be following the progress to see what other ways Smart and Final Extra will be improving their stores. 

How about you? Have you shopped there recently? What did you think of the store and do you have any suggestions to add? 

*Thank you to Smart and Final Extra for the gift card used to make my purchases. I'm not being monetarily compensated for this post. The gift card did not influence my opinion of the store.

Vons Deals: My Awesome Shopping Trip

Friday, June 4, 2010

I had a fabulous trip to Vons today! I so appreciate all the hard work the frugal bloggers do. I've saved so much money since I started really focusing on cutting our grocery bills. If you'd like to start but feel intimidated, finding a site that gives offers for what's available locally to you is a great way to start. Kerri from Save at Home Mommy has been my go-to for So Cal stores.
We have friends coming into town next week and school is out soon, so I've been stocking up on snacks and kid drinks. I wasn't planning on heading to Vons but the in store promotions coupled with the available coupons were just too good to pass up, especially the Buy 8 Save $4.


This is my shopping trip:
10 SoBe's*
2 Cheerios*
1 Lucky Charms*
3 Coffee Mate creamers (major score)
4 Mac N Cheese (braces friendly)*
3 Crescent Rolls*
6 Yoplait
2 Chex Mix* (might have been free)
1 pretzels
1 Ritz Crackerfuls*
2 milk
4 Odwalla smoothies* (also a major score)
3 Lunchables (do not overlook the manager's specials sections of the store, these were .88 each)
1 half dozen eggs

43 items
Total: $90.13
Paid: $37.20
Savings: $52.93
(*Buy 8, Get $4)

The way Tyler is eating lately, this will all be gone before school is out!


What have you scored on lately?

Wordless Wednesday: Doing My Part, Stimulting the Economy the Green Way

Wednesday, February 18, 2009


For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5 Minutes for Mom, Mom Dot, What's That Smell

Easy Weekend Recipe #4: Chicken and Rice Wraps

Thursday, November 20, 2008

My grocery budget has taken a serious beating. We've been eating a lot of chicken lately and I found a really good chicken cookbook on the clearance rack to add a little variety to my usual go to's (I actually bought two, perhaps for a future giveaway?). I forgot to pictures, I'm sorry! But the recipe turned out really well and we I had leftovers for days.

Easy Chicken and Rice Wraps

1 box of Rice A Roni Spanish rice
2 Tbs butter
1 cup of your favorite salsa
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 cup black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn
2 cups water
8 6-inch flour tortillas*

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the rice mix with the butter until it is golden brown.

2. Slowly stir in the water, and seasoning packet. Add salsa and chicken. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink.

4. Stir in beans and corn. Let stand, covered for 5 minutes then serve in warmed tortillas with your favorite garnishes.

I bought a large package of boneless, skinless chicken tenders and used some for this recipe and froze the rest. *These are supposed to be wraps but I didn't think Drama Kid could eat them that way without half ending up on the floor so I made them into burritos instead and wished I had purchased burrito size tortillas rather than soft taco sized.

Strained Wallets and Waistlines

Thursday, July 3, 2008

I read an article in the June/July issue of Cookie magazine. The author, Sally Schultheiss, and her husband were fighting about food. Specifically, she wanted their family to be all natural, all organic all the time.

He saw nothing wrong with the occasional bowl of Cocoa Puffs. He wants Duncan Hines, she wants made from scratch with Valrhona chocolate ganache. He wants American cheese slices, she wants blocks of goat's milk Camembert. Reading the article, my thoughts kept straying to "how can they afford all that organic food?!"

I don't think it's speculation, conjecture or marketing hype that our society is getting fatter. Our weight and our health is a pressing issue, particulary for our children. Personally, I would love to include more organics into our diet but honestly, I just can't afford it.

Which makes me wonder, when is the cost of food and the strain groceries can create on the family budget going to be touted just as heavily as a reason behind American's expanding waistlines as fast food?

The cost of living is going up. Housing, utilities, gas, health care and everything else associated with running a household is rising. And I would argue that one of the things most families find it easiest to cut back on is their grocery bill.

But, on our most recent trip to the grocery I noticed something. The boxed, pre-packaged, preserved, unnaturally colored unhealthy stuff? Some of which I have in my pantry right now? The prices haven't really gone up that much since the first time we were buying it as broke newlyweds.
Consider this: on our last major grocery run (6/14) I bought three boxed "Helpers" for .90 each and I used an in store coupon for .75 off three. The three packages of ground beef were $1.69, $1.71 and $1.73. That's three meals (more if there are leftovers, not including sides) for $7.08.

If a family is on a budget (and who isn't?!) the financial benefits to shopping in the center aisles, rather than the perimeter as the health experts advise, is pretty clear. At least to me.

But all that stuff in the center of the store is generally the unhealthiest. Yesterday at Henry's, I saw a package of organic lunch meat for $6.79. I'm sorry but that's just insane.
However, I don't know anyone who, could they afford it, would say "nah, organics are great and all but I think I'll stick to the high sodium stuff."

Now, I realize no one is holding a gun to my head. We don't have to buy pre-packaged. The same goes for fast food. No one made me go to El Pollo Loco for lunch (BRC burrito and quesadilla for $1.28 each).

And I know there are places I can shop where the prices are reasonable and the food is healthy and high quality (Trader Joe's and Henry's are my two faves). But I wonder if the same is true in other cities?

While I believe everyone needs to make informed choices, read labels, have a balanced diet and excercise, I don't believe poor impulse control and fast food are the sole reasons people have ballooned.

I don't have any answers and I'm not really sure what the solution is. What's happening in your family? Are groceries a big strain on your budget? Have you had to compromise on the things you buy?

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