Couponing

So I've decided to actually plan some menus based on what's on sale, and use coupons to help me find some good deals. The thing that triggered this decision was when the Deseret News sales person called us last week and practically begged us to sign up for the newspaper again. They have a deal going on where you just get the Fri-Sat-Sun paper for one low price. The best part about the Fri paper is the crossword puzzle; the best part about the Sat paper is the Church news and the crossword puzzle; and the Sun paper--well, I guess I'll learn to use the coupons.

My new effort has coincided with the grand opening of Salem's new grocery store. Stokes, of Idaho, has come to Salem and opened a combination grocery store and Ace Hardware store. Today was their Grand Opening. I stopped by there twice, and Jim stopped in once. Everybody in Salem stopped in there today, I think. It's been crowded every time we've been there. They had some good sales, comparable to what I mapped out for Smith's and Macey's. Their boneless skinless chicken breasts were on sale for $1.29 a pound, so I bought two packages, along with some pork chops and some chicken thighs. I came home and put together some freezer meals. My hope is that these will last us for at least a week, hopefully two, when combined with what we already have on hand. Broccoli and cauliflower were 79 cents a pound, sour cream 98 cents, fresh pineapple 79 cents a pound, and a package of coleslaw was 99 cents.

The freezer meals I put together include:

barbecue crock pot chicken (for sandwiches)

ginger chicken to be served over coleslaw

peanut butter chicken (to be served over spaghetti noodles and snow peas)

apricot-honey-glazed chicken (I kind of made this one up)

and one other chicken one, I forget.

and 2 packages of apple-honey pork chops

I still have some coupons and lists for Smith's, Wal-Mart, and Walgreens, but they'll come as I am in the area.