8:36 When you were talking about the cookies and freezing them I said “girl bye, oh she has self control” 😅 then you switched the scene and said you ate them the next day 😂😂 you’re my kind of people lol
A habit I picked up lately is grabbing the weekly ad at my local grocery store and going through it with my husband to ask him what he wants for lunches and snacks, then I'll go shopping. I try to only stick to what's on sale. If it's not on sale, if it's cheap or a great deal, I'll buy it. Then, I check everything I just bought and check my pantry and chest freezer to see what I can make. I'll take my whiteboard and make a meal plan for the week just for dinners, because that's our biggest problem: what to make for dinner. Already, we've saved a lot of money on groceries and we're eating healthier and not wasting food as much.
I’ve thought about that but then get stuck on creating and sticking with a menu using this method lol but then when I think of something I always need (or want) additional items to make the dish I had in mind or taste for smh 🤦🏾♀️
With regard to name brand vs store brand, and forgive me if I’ve commented this before - my husband works for a local dairy producer and manufacturer. They produce their own name brand of milk, cottage cheese, ice cream and sour cream. They also make the same products for different grocery stores and even popular fast food chains. They tweak the formula based (more fat, less fat, more air) on the customers preference and change out the packaging machines. So my local grocery store brand is really made by the same dairy that makes their own higher cost item. Their plant manufacturing code (first two digits) along with the born on date (as a day number - 365 would be December, 31) is usually stamped somewhere on the product so if the plant number is the same, it’s made in the same place.
Favorite Mindy tip of all time - not all family members have to have the same plate of food! Really revolutionized my ability to decrease waste of a whole bunch of odds and ends over time!
On "leftovers night," my dear Mom heated everything up and laid it out almost like a buffet. We got to choose what we wanted to eat! It was a big deal because my dear siblings and I were picky eaters. Choosing what we wanted made it much more likely that we would eat the whole meal.
I like that you've taught us to use up what we have first and then go buy. It really helps me to not only save money, but to clean my fridge. Since the fridge has less leftovers and/or opened bags I have more space and less to move to clean. I also get ideas for meals and how to be creative with recipes! I know you do an emergency kit, but I was wondering if you could do a Go Bag/Bug Out bag, etc. With all the emergencies we have nowadays I think it would be helpful. Like maybe for a 72 hour departure. Have a great and blessed week! 😊
Great idea. I'm from Australia and in 2003 and 2020 we were on the edge of the kind of firestorm horror that California is experiencing now. What I learned was any food you take with you should require zero cooking and zero refrigeration. You may be sleeping on a concrete floor or in a hotel room or in a car. If you're in a rescue centre you won't be allowed to light a camping stove etc. A can of potatoes, a pouch/can of tuna or salmon in oil or a flavoured sauce, and a small can of green beans or peas makes a surprisingly good salad meal for a few people. Plan snacky meals using things like large crackers, a healthy spread, some nuts or dried fruit. Canned things from charcuterie boards that are healthy and satisfying like dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with cooked rice), stuffed mini peppers, crusty bread sticky or shelf stable cheese dip pots. Pack a bunch of ziploc bags and a couple of small Tupperware style containers for leftovers or portioning out food for future meals. P.S. and if unprepared food wise, throw into a shopping bag or small backpack - bread and/or crackers and pantry spreads that go with it, fresh fruit, any snack bars you have, some paper plates, a butter knife and some hand wipes.
Mindy, a tip for those unaware. Your local Dollar Tree type store may get fresh name brand bread deliveries every week. Just ask the clerks when the bread delivery comes. Ive gotten fresh BallPark buns ,Thomas brand English muffins, and Bobili pizza crusts for example, for only $1.25 each. Great deals! And to top it off, my local $ Tree gets these fresh deliveries twice a week!😂
This video hit the nail on the head with your core values you came up with for your channel and what you share on it: helpful, kind, positive, and realistic. Thank you for sharing your great ideas and what an encouraging way to start off the new year too with what you helped me, plus others learn! Consistency over perfection is good to remember too. I look forward to learning more from you in the new year and keep up the amazing (and more) work!
Hi Mindy❤ I used to food prep a bunch of stuff all in one day but I started hating it. I’m by myself so I didn’t want to cook every meal from scratch either but I am broker than broke, but still want to eat healthy. So I started to make a big meal everyday for the first week of the month. So for January I made a pasta bake one day, baked peppers the next, chilli, soup, 30 burritos, and spent one whole day baking bread and muffins etc. Every night I pack it all up for the freezer and eat it over the course of the rest of the month. Sooooo much easier. And I snack on bananas and fruit in season.😊
I do the same but alternate Saturdays. So one Saturday I prep my weekly vegetables, proteins for whatever and make a soup. The next Saturday I’ll make a casserole etc. it’s just me, and I get variety but don’t have to cook every night.
I am single. Don't love to cook. My strategy is a particular type of meal each day of the week . For example, soup Sundays, meat Mondays etc. then I can vary the recipes within the category so I can use what I have or only buy what I need. I do think ahead of what the meal will be. I pick one flex day, which can be a takeout or leftover day.
I have decided to only spend my money at local, co ops or farmers markets, and I'm lucky that I have all within 20 miles. It will take more work and more meal planning, but your videos help.
When we had kids at home, I tried the whole meal planning. I ended up spending more than usual. I go by what I have in the house and fill in with what’s on special and our usual stuff. I love to cook, learning to cook for 2 is a process 😊. I have gotten the hubs to take leftovers for his lunch. Better than a cold cut sandwich and it’s cost effective. Tonight I put the leftover curry in a freezer container and one for his lunch tomorrow.
I'm tickled that you (a reasonable person) said you didn't need butter because you had some, but you picked up 1 pound because of a sale. While I'm over here (in a household of 2!) with four and half pounds of butter stashed in my freezer. I bake a lot, so when they run the butter sales during the fall/winter baking season, I stock up! :)
haha! Yes, I definitely stocked up before Christmas, so I had some left from holiday baking. One of the reasons I don't stock up on stuff is because I usually show specific hauls for various meal plans to go along with my videos. If I ever stop making YT videos, I would probably do more of what you do!
I really envy people that can meal plan. When I did plan something, things would come up and we didn’t eat the plan. But lately I have been cooking directly from my freezer and pantry for about two full weeks. Then the holidays came. I’ll start that again soon. Thanks for all of your great ideas!
I "plan" by having a bunch of recipes that use most of the same main ingredients but different cooking methods. So I get a few fresh things to go with what's in the pantry or freezer and then see what happens that week. I got a bell pepper thinking I might make a chilli and ended up making a Thai style stir-fry 😊
Thanks for the ideas Mindy! ❤ We are currently doing a low-spend/no-spend January and February. We've only spent $40 this month on milk and fresh vegetables and fruit. So far, the only request my family has made is lettuce and tomatoes for burger toppings.
I stretch out grocery dollars by purchasing markdowns and freezing a lot of it for future use. I try to plan meals that leave leftovers for my work lunches. I also save veggie scraps to make broth. Little things add up over time and help us stay within our budget.
LOVE your channel, and especially the comparisons/perspective you always show us. One great thing about buying large cuts of meat on sale at a 'regular' grocery store is they usually have much better cuts than Walmart or Aldi.
Thank you! You might be right, especially during these sales. Because they turnover a lot of product, they are constantly putting out fresh packages. We ate the roast last night, and oh my goodness...it was so good!
🇨🇦 so much snow in 48 hrs - sidewalks and “no bus routes streets” had yet to be ploughed - tried a shopping service for first time - all dozen items she got for me were on sale - so the sales covered the fees - plus - no impulse buying 🤭 while I always keep my pantry and freezer topped up - I got caught by poor health and crummy weather so my fridge stuffs were down to one egg and the only cheese was some of the cheese powder from a GF Kraft dinner otherwise just condiments 😮 thnx to videos like yours - I had planned the beegeezies out of what I had in the fridge to get me as far as I could get it to go - knowing it could be 3 or 4 more days before I could get out and shop for myself - this time a shopping service worked for me - stay safe stay well - keeping California folks in my prayers 🇨🇦🙏
Oh wow! We're getting a little snow here as I type this, but nothing like what you see up north. I hope you can get to the store soon, but I'm glad I could give some help or some ideas to get through!
@@SeeMindyMom it wasn’t easy meal planning watching all the fresh foods disappear - but I used this as a challenge not a burden and who knew what interesting fun meals would come from it - you know the ones you couldn’t make again if you tried 🤣😂 went back and watched your clean out the fridge playlist and got inspired by those - that’s not to say I wasn’t happy to see that free subscription for a shopping service show up in my email - by the time I sent them my list - I already knew what basics I had to have from ten days of “cleaning out my fridge” - thnx for the encouragement - time to think about supper 🇨🇦🙏
Thanks for the New Year’s Inspiration! I’m a veteran grocery budget shopper, but you are so right on with the months of holiday splurges. Back on track and on my list! Love your content! We are now empty nesters and have been able to adapt our budget with your strategies. 😊🌟
I am fortunate that my local grocery which is thankfully a 2 minute drive (Aldi is 2 minutes from there) has rewards and digital coupons and of course weekly specials. Before Thanksgiving I was rewarded a free FREE 20 pound turkey and somewhere in there I had $20.00 off our purchase!!! Just after Christmas had $5.00 off a purchase!! The rewards add up quickly and it’s so close to my house it our go to now! Wal Mart is now a 10-15 minute and just doesn’t make sense. You look so beautiful and I always love your videos
I agree, the store coupons and rewards can be a great savings strategy. I used do a lot of my shopping about 10 years ago at a grocery store that doubled coupons!
Current snowing in Kansas! I've had my crockpot going for 3 days now! It's easy and more time for being under the blanket! Lol this cold weather is getting old really quick!
Wow! I didn't know that they sold the Delallo brand in OK. I'm originally from Jeannette, PA, where the Delallo store and factory has been located for over 70 years. It is definitely top-notch in quality. I'm glad to see that it is more than just a Pittsburgh staple.
Perfect timing, watching as I make my meal plan for the next few weeks. My hubby had a rotator cuff and shoulder completely replaced on Tuesday. My appointment with the surgeon went okay. I'm starting a new medicine to help reduce my chances of surgery.
My husband had rotator cuff surgery years ago. It was a good thing, but the rehab was so important. Glad you are getting to your appointments and I'm hoping you can avoid surgery too, though praying for complete healing for both of you!
If you go into food processing facilities, you will sometimes see a store brand coming off one line, and a top name brand coming off the line next to it...from the same bulk raw material...
Yes the Brussels are a great idea. I do that with broccoli at my store. It’s much cheaper to just pick and buy the bunch instead of buying frozen or a bag.
Thanks for all your videos - I enjoy it when you buy a weeks worth and tell exactly what you will be making. We are retired and with only two of us I can make one of your dinners and it will last for two days - even more savings - but even better, only one days cooking and I usually let the slow cooker do that. We are in Alabama and have 3 inches of snow today - trying your “dads chili”.
@@jennibennecke669 yeah, they used to have 10 for 10 and so did Kroger.. they did away with that but Meijer used to have 5 for 5 then they changed it to 7 for 7, either way it is a great way to stock up on some pantry items
I shop monthly , with one or two fresh vegetables and fruit in between the month. I meal plan by the what’s in pantry and freezer , then add on for the remainder of the month , I buy some things mostly staple items and meat at Costco or Sam’s Club , then fill in the rest from Aldi and Walmart .
My whole grocery world (shopping, planning,cooking) changed a year ago. I became CARNIVORE for health improvement reasons. My husband is not. But what a difference. Less time cooking and shopping! There is no increase in spending to eat carnivore and the 30 lbs lost last year is never coming back.
I normally do not mind store brand items but recently I have decided that I really do not like HEB store brand cheese - so for some items I am brand loyal. Since there are only 2 of us, I like to buy the cookie dough and freeze them in 6 packs. When I want a cookie I want it NOW 🙂 I love that I can just bake up 6 cookies at a time that we can enjoy.
I've been subscribed forever but i never realized you were also in Oklahoma! Been trying to tell everyone I know for years they need to be hitting Reasor's weekly sales.
Sams has 2lb blocks of sharp cheddar and montery Jack for less than 7$ also winco for produce is typically best priced for me... but if you find yourself at the ba walmart on 121st elm they usually have frozen blueberries 1lb bag for 1$
There was a fantastic recipe using meatballs that Grocery Addict had that I made and you might want to try. It used just 4 ingredients - frozen meatballs, 1 can of cranberry sauce, 1 14 ounce can of saurkraut, and 3/4 c. of brown sugar, It was absolutely delicious. She served it with mashed potatoes (as did I). Try it.
I live in the northern part of North Carolina and we are under a winter weather watch. Suppose to get around 2 to 3 inches then later turning into all rain.
I buy a lot of store brand items and only a few name brands, because there are certain items I grew up eating. I buy 90% store brand items and 10% name brand items. It depends on what I ran out of and need to get.
As usual, this video was jam-packed with fantastic ideas. The cold front is heading our way and we should see snow and ice tomorrow…quite an event for us here in SC. 😊 I pray that 2025 is filled with joy and blessings for you and your family, Mindy.
Thank you so much, and I hope 2025 is full of blessings for you too! We got 6 inches of snow yesterday, so enjoying a nice day at home while the kids build snowmen. ☃️☃️☃️
I buy generic for most things, but a few name brands are superior. It takes trying stuff out! Aldi brand cheez its are better than name brand, but nothing comes close to a real Ritz! 😂
There's only 3 things that i buy namebrand... Duke's mayo, Heinz ketchup and cereal on the rare occasion that i buy it. I just find that the store brands taste like cardboard. Very helpful tips Mindy!! I hope you have an amazingly New Year!! God bless you and your family ❤
I have all 3 of those things in my house right now. I always buy the kids a box of sugar cereal for Christmas. 2 of them have finished theirs, but one is still working through hers!
I only shop sale items. My grocery shopping is not like most others. Only a few items come from Walmart because no sales. When an item goes on sale I stock up. I have built a pantry like this and the majority of the time I save $75 or more on my orders. I have a great variety of items just like everyone else the way I shop. Talking about butter...i have about 30 pounds in my freezer. I have two freezers and stock up too. If you're able to shop this way before long you'll have plenty of food and you have not paid full price for anything!!!
They are one of my kids' favorite: 1pkg frozen fully-cooked meatballs (26-32oz, the mini ones are THE BEST if you can find them), 1C grape jelly, 1C BBQ sauce. Slow cooker on low 2-3 hours usually heats them through for us.
Oh yeah, that's a good point on the chicken. Maybe that was the issue. Although I saw it in my other stores later that week, so I don' t know. We had the chicken and wild rice soup last night and it was delicious, so the frozen chicken worked out just fine!
I wasn’t able to find any chicken or egg recalls. I did see pet food that was recalled for Bird Flu. Where can I learn more about the meat and egg recalls? -Kryste
Thank you so much! We had a great break, but I've also been working for the better part of 2 years to keep more margin for rest and recharge in my life. :)
Yes, I've had others over the years, even ones that are specifically marketed as "chip clips", but I always come back to the clothespins. Cheap and effective. :)
I did Thrive in the past. Great company, but didn't save money. The costs in my stores (I live with only Walmart and 2 other grocery stores nearby - no discount stores) are the same as Thrive, but with Thrive I also had to pay a membership fee, so it cost more.
when she said wee kids and bougie in the same breath I thought once her son can be described as bougie she needs to up her game and call them young kids 😂🤣 🇨🇦🙏
@See mindy mom do you have a special "these are for dinner do not eat" section of the fridge? Im thinking of the t peps where one was for lunches... do they end up getting eaten by accident? Lol
LOL, sometimes! Occasionally I will let the fam know, "these are for dinner tomorrow", or even "these are for a video". I've been on YT for almost 7 years now, so sometimes they'll even ask me. But I pass several stores in my day-to-day so generally I don't worry about it. I can always pick up an extra if need be.
I had that same issue too and starting putting those items in the garage fridge. Teens have learned to ask first when it comes to those items. But a small basket in the kitchen fridge would work just as well. A “Do not touch” bin. I don’t live close enough to pop into stores and sometimes one or two missing ingredients means that meal won’t work at all (or worse, it was meant for an occasion)
Ok, I see that you have Aldi salmon in your freezer at 50% off. I used to be able to get it at that discount every time I got to the store at 9:00. They’ve had no discounted salmon for months at my store! What about yours?
My hsbamd and daughter refuse to eat the same thing for dinner 2 days in a row so leftovers don't really work , the best I can do is freeze it and save for a week or two later .
Wow! That's crazy to think about. I will say...I live in a part of the country where beef is pretty reasonable. We raise a lot of it around here, and I have many friends who purchase from local ranchers.
I have no idea what you're talking about...do you mean camera filters? I filmed this video with the same camera I've been using for 3 months and I wouldn't even know how to use filters on this camera (or my previous one). Or if it even has them. 😂
Have you tried using AI to sort through all the prices and all the deals at all the stores in your area and then create tailored shopping lists from each store based on best available price?
Thrive is impossible. Their site demands you join before they even show you what their products are. Also, they have no such thing as a store brand or a generic. Everything is high priced brand name pseudo-natural products. They're not selling things for people who actually cook. Their stuff is all geared toward people who rely on processed convenience foods that happen to be labeled "natural."
Interesting. I buy generic brands in their thrive market label all the time. I even showed several in this haul (tomatoes, seasonings, olive oil...). Sounds like it's not a good fit for you, which is totally your call. I have some friends with dietary restrictions who love it, so...I guess, to each their own.
We're getting some snow right now in Tulsa, but it's very manageable so far. It's a nice, pretty snow, and perfect for snow men, so we're hoping we get enough! ☃️☃️☃️
That's good. I have a new Kindle fire. I think the issue must've been my WIFi. I watched the video again without the fuzziness. Who knows what it was caused by. Hmm?
8:36 When you were talking about the cookies and freezing them I said “girl bye, oh she has self control” 😅 then you switched the scene and said you ate them the next day 😂😂 you’re my kind of people lol
haha! I thought I had a good plan, but oh well...they were tasty! :)
A habit I picked up lately is grabbing the weekly ad at my local grocery store and going through it with my husband to ask him what he wants for lunches and snacks, then I'll go shopping. I try to only stick to what's on sale. If it's not on sale, if it's cheap or a great deal, I'll buy it. Then, I check everything I just bought and check my pantry and chest freezer to see what I can make. I'll take my whiteboard and make a meal plan for the week just for dinners, because that's our biggest problem: what to make for dinner. Already, we've saved a lot of money on groceries and we're eating healthier and not wasting food as much.
It’s so smart to plan ahead and make sure you’re using what you have on hand!
I’ve thought about that but then get stuck on creating and sticking with a menu using this method lol but then when I think of something I always need (or want) additional items to make the dish I had in mind or taste for smh 🤦🏾♀️
That's how I shop if it's not on sale or good price you don't get it.
With regard to name brand vs store brand, and forgive me if I’ve commented this before - my husband works for a local dairy producer and manufacturer. They produce their own name brand of milk, cottage cheese, ice cream and sour cream. They also make the same products for different grocery stores and even popular fast food chains. They tweak the formula based (more fat, less fat, more air) on the customers preference and change out the packaging machines. So my local grocery store brand is really made by the same dairy that makes their own higher cost item. Their plant manufacturing code (first two digits) along with the born on date (as a day number - 365 would be December, 31) is usually stamped somewhere on the product so if the plant number is the same, it’s made in the same place.
That is so interesting and really helpful to know! I've heard this from a few others with "insider" knowledge in this industry. Fascinating!
Favorite Mindy tip of all time - not all family members have to have the same plate of food! Really revolutionized my ability to decrease waste of a whole bunch of odds and ends over time!
I'm so glad! It changed my mindset, too, when I decided years ago that not every plate needed to be exactly the same.
On "leftovers night," my dear Mom heated everything up and laid it out almost like a buffet. We got to choose what we wanted to eat! It was a big deal because my dear siblings and I were picky eaters. Choosing what we wanted made it much more likely that we would eat the whole meal.
I like that you've taught us to use up what we have first and then go buy. It really helps me to not only save money, but to clean my fridge. Since the fridge has less leftovers and/or opened bags I have more space and less to move to clean. I also get ideas for meals and how to be creative with recipes! I know you do an emergency kit, but I was wondering if you could do a Go Bag/Bug Out bag, etc. With all the emergencies we have nowadays I think it would be helpful. Like maybe for a 72 hour departure. Have a great and blessed week! 😊
Great idea. I'm from Australia and in 2003 and 2020 we were on the edge of the kind of firestorm horror that California is experiencing now.
What I learned was any food you take with you should require zero cooking and zero refrigeration. You may be sleeping on a concrete floor or in a hotel room or in a car. If you're in a rescue centre you won't be allowed to light a camping stove etc.
A can of potatoes, a pouch/can of tuna or salmon in oil or a flavoured sauce, and a small can of green beans or peas makes a surprisingly good salad meal for a few people.
Plan snacky meals using things like large crackers, a healthy spread, some nuts or dried fruit. Canned things from charcuterie boards that are healthy and satisfying like dolmades (vine leaves stuffed with cooked rice), stuffed mini peppers, crusty bread sticky or shelf stable cheese dip pots.
Pack a bunch of ziploc bags and a couple of small Tupperware style containers for leftovers or portioning out food for future meals.
P.S. and if unprepared food wise, throw into a shopping bag or small backpack - bread and/or crackers and pantry spreads that go with it, fresh fruit, any snack bars you have, some paper plates, a butter knife and some hand wipes.
Mindy, a tip for those unaware. Your local Dollar Tree type store may get fresh name brand bread deliveries every week. Just ask the clerks when the bread delivery comes. Ive gotten fresh BallPark buns ,Thomas brand English muffins, and Bobili pizza crusts for example, for only $1.25 each. Great deals! And to top it off, my local $ Tree gets these fresh deliveries twice a week!😂
This video hit the nail on the head with your core values you came up with for your channel and what you share on it: helpful, kind, positive, and realistic. Thank you for sharing your great ideas and what an encouraging way to start off the new year too with what you helped me, plus others learn! Consistency over perfection is good to remember too. I look forward to learning more from you in the new year and keep up the amazing (and more) work!
Thank you so much, you're so kind! I appreciate the encouragement, and i"m very glad those values shine through. :)
@ You’re very welcome! I’m very grateful that you give me encouragement and that I can give some in return! Thank you Mindy!
Hi Mindy❤ I used to food prep a bunch of stuff all in one day but I started hating it. I’m by myself so I didn’t want to cook every meal from scratch either but I am broker than broke, but still want to eat healthy. So I started to make a big meal everyday for the first week of the month. So for January I made a pasta bake one day, baked peppers the next, chilli, soup, 30 burritos, and spent one whole day baking bread and muffins etc. Every night I pack it all up for the freezer and eat it over the course of the rest of the month. Sooooo much easier. And I snack on bananas and fruit in season.😊
That is a great idea and so smart!
@ thank you Mindy. The best thing is I only have to shop once or twice a month 💰
I do the same but alternate Saturdays. So one Saturday I prep my weekly vegetables, proteins for whatever and make a soup. The next Saturday I’ll make a casserole etc. it’s just me, and I get variety but don’t have to cook every night.
I am single. Don't love to cook. My strategy is a particular type of meal each day of the week . For example, soup Sundays, meat Mondays etc. then I can vary the recipes within the category so I can use what I have or only buy what I need. I do think ahead of what the meal will be. I pick one flex day, which can be a takeout or leftover day.
I have decided to only spend my money at local, co ops or farmers markets, and I'm lucky that I have all within 20 miles. It will take more work and more meal planning, but your videos help.
When we had kids at home, I tried the whole meal planning. I ended up spending more than usual. I go by what I have in the house and fill in with what’s on special and our usual stuff. I love to cook, learning to cook for 2 is a process 😊. I have gotten the hubs to take leftovers for his lunch. Better than a cold cut sandwich and it’s cost effective. Tonight I put the leftover curry in a freezer container and one for his lunch tomorrow.
I'm tickled that you (a reasonable person) said you didn't need butter because you had some, but you picked up 1 pound because of a sale. While I'm over here (in a household of 2!) with four and half pounds of butter stashed in my freezer. I bake a lot, so when they run the butter sales during the fall/winter baking season, I stock up! :)
haha! Yes, I definitely stocked up before Christmas, so I had some left from holiday baking. One of the reasons I don't stock up on stuff is because I usually show specific hauls for various meal plans to go along with my videos. If I ever stop making YT videos, I would probably do more of what you do!
I was like 1 lb is a stock up 😂... I bought 4 during that sale... if I have less than 5lbs on hand I feel like I can't make it.
@@notasfancyasmyname1286I can fit 6 pounds in one of my freezer door shelves. If It's not full, I feel like I need to stock up.
I really envy people that can meal plan. When I did plan something, things would come up and we didn’t eat the plan. But lately I have been cooking directly from my freezer and pantry for about two full weeks. Then the holidays came. I’ll start that again soon. Thanks for all of your great ideas!
I "plan" by having a bunch of recipes that use most of the same main ingredients but different cooking methods. So I get a few fresh things to go with what's in the pantry or freezer and then see what happens that week. I got a bell pepper thinking I might make a chilli and ended up making a Thai style stir-fry 😊
Thanks for the ideas Mindy! ❤
We are currently doing a low-spend/no-spend January and February. We've only spent $40 this month on milk and fresh vegetables and fruit. So far, the only request my family has made is lettuce and tomatoes for burger toppings.
Everyone got fed. That's the goal! Great video, Mindy 😊😉❤
So glad you found it helpful!
So excited to see a new video! I hope you enjoyed the break and got some rest and time with your family. Love this video!
Just stopped at Walmart discount bakery section and got 2 packs of 5 flatbread🫓for $1.37, a 6 pack of pita 🥙for .99 and a 12 ct of rolls for .58!
I love the discount bakery rack at Walmart!
Yes! Since we've discovered the discounted bakery section, it is truthfully our first stop at Walmart! Great deals!
I stretch out grocery dollars by purchasing markdowns and freezing a lot of it for future use. I try to plan meals that leave leftovers for my work lunches. I also save veggie scraps to make broth. Little things add up over time and help us stay within our budget.
You are a grocery wizard, very thoughtful with your purchases and planning
LOVE your channel, and especially the comparisons/perspective you always show us. One great thing about buying large cuts of meat on sale at a 'regular' grocery store is they usually have much better cuts than Walmart or Aldi.
Thank you! You might be right, especially during these sales. Because they turnover a lot of product, they are constantly putting out fresh packages. We ate the roast last night, and oh my goodness...it was so good!
I use the flipp shopping app to comparison shop. Happy New Year!
🇨🇦 so much snow in 48 hrs - sidewalks and “no bus routes streets” had yet to be ploughed - tried a shopping service for first time - all dozen items she got for me were on sale - so the sales covered the fees - plus - no impulse buying 🤭 while I always keep my pantry and freezer topped up - I got caught by poor health and crummy weather so my fridge stuffs were down to one egg and the only cheese was some of the cheese powder from a GF Kraft dinner otherwise just condiments 😮 thnx to videos like yours - I had planned the beegeezies out of what I had in the fridge to get me as far as I could get it to go - knowing it could be 3 or 4 more days before I could get out and shop for myself - this time a shopping service worked for me - stay safe stay well - keeping California folks in my prayers 🇨🇦🙏
Oh wow! We're getting a little snow here as I type this, but nothing like what you see up north. I hope you can get to the store soon, but I'm glad I could give some help or some ideas to get through!
@@SeeMindyMom it wasn’t easy meal planning watching all the fresh foods disappear - but I used this as a challenge not a burden and who knew what interesting fun meals would come from it - you know the ones you couldn’t make again if you tried 🤣😂 went back and watched your clean out the fridge playlist and got inspired by those - that’s not to say I wasn’t happy to see that free subscription for a shopping service show up in my email - by the time I sent them my list - I already knew what basics I had to have from ten days of “cleaning out my fridge” - thnx for the encouragement - time to think about supper 🇨🇦🙏
Currently practicing no spend Janurary and a pantry challenge. Its amazing what can be made when you commit to what you already have!!
Thanks for the New Year’s Inspiration! I’m a veteran grocery budget shopper, but you are so right on with the months of holiday splurges. Back on track and on my list! Love your content! We are now empty nesters and have been able to adapt our budget with your strategies. 😊🌟
I'm with you! I usually splurge a lot on holiday items and special meals, and January is when I kind of hit the reset button with the grocery budget.
I am fortunate that my local grocery which is thankfully a 2 minute drive (Aldi is 2 minutes from there) has rewards and digital coupons and of course weekly specials. Before Thanksgiving I was rewarded a free FREE 20 pound turkey and somewhere in there I had $20.00 off our purchase!!! Just after Christmas had $5.00 off a purchase!! The rewards add up quickly and it’s so close to my house it our go to now! Wal Mart is now a 10-15 minute and just doesn’t make sense. You look so beautiful and I always love your videos
I agree, the store coupons and rewards can be a great savings strategy. I used do a lot of my shopping about 10 years ago at a grocery store that doubled coupons!
Current snowing in Kansas! I've had my crockpot going for 3 days now! It's easy and more time for being under the blanket! Lol this cold weather is getting old really quick!
Wow! I didn't know that they sold the Delallo brand in OK. I'm originally from Jeannette, PA, where the Delallo store and factory has been located for over 70 years. It is definitely top-notch in quality. I'm glad to see that it is more than just a Pittsburgh staple.
Yes, I discovered it years back. It's so good!
Jeannette native here! 👋🏽 Hi there!
@tonipancoast5491 Hello. Nice to see a fellow Jayhawk on here, since it's such a small place
Pizza tip! Some family owned/local pizza restaurants will sell you pizza dough for really cheap and you can baked it at home and make your own pizza!
@@allison8138 thank you! That’s a great tip, I didn’t know some restaurants offered that!
We buy our vitamins from thrive! We LOVE it! Our toddler even enjoys them, too.
Perfect timing, watching as I make my meal plan for the next few weeks. My hubby had a rotator cuff and shoulder completely replaced on Tuesday. My appointment with the surgeon went okay. I'm starting a new medicine to help reduce my chances of surgery.
My husband had rotator cuff surgery years ago. It was a good thing, but the rehab was so important. Glad you are getting to your appointments and I'm hoping you can avoid surgery too, though praying for complete healing for both of you!
@@SeeMindyMom thank you, Mindy. We appreciate all of the prayers.
If you go into food processing facilities, you will sometimes see a store brand coming off one line, and a top name brand coming off the line next to it...from the same bulk raw material...
Panera's creamy chicken n wild rice is literally the only hot item I buy there. Love it! I really should figure out how to make it myself.
We also cannot keep cookies in the house for long. They are usually gone with a couple of hours after baking them.
Most meats are cheaper at other stores than Walmart.
Yes the Brussels are a great idea. I do that with broccoli at my store. It’s much cheaper to just pick and buy the bunch instead of buying frozen or a bag.
Great advice.. we all need to save money!!
Consistency isn’t exciting, it’s necessary.
Thanks for all your videos - I enjoy it when you buy a weeks worth and tell exactly what you will be making. We are retired and with only two of us I can make one of your dinners and it will last for two days - even more savings - but even better, only one days cooking and I usually let the slow cooker do that. We are in Alabama and have 3 inches of snow today - trying your “dads chili”.
Our local store had beef roast on sale this week so we made a spicy shredded beef and made quesadillas out of it. It was delicious 😋
I love that, it sounds yummy!
Yay! A new video. 🩷🤩🥳
Your hair is so cute!!! 🥰
Thank you!!
my local Meijer has their 7 for 7 going on right now.. i look forward to this sale.. i can stock up on lots of things and only pay $1 for each..
that sounds like a good stock-up sale!
Love Meijer. I do miss the 11/10 sales
@@jennibennecke669 yeah, they used to have 10 for 10 and so did Kroger.. they did away with that but Meijer used to have 5 for 5 then they changed it to 7 for 7, either way it is a great way to stock up on some pantry items
Happy to see you’re back on RUclips! I hope it was a great holiday break! 🎉
It was!
The cookie dough!!😂😂😂 You had such good intentions!
I know, right?
I shop monthly , with one or two fresh vegetables and fruit in between the month. I meal plan by the what’s in pantry and freezer , then add on for the remainder of the month , I buy some things mostly staple items and meat at Costco or Sam’s Club , then fill in the rest from Aldi and Walmart .
My whole grocery world (shopping, planning,cooking) changed a year ago. I became CARNIVORE for health improvement reasons. My husband is not. But what a difference. Less time cooking and shopping! There is no increase in spending to eat carnivore and the 30 lbs lost last year is never coming back.
As always, great tips and tricks.
Side note- your hair looks amazing!!! ❤😊
Thank you! I'm still trying to grow it out, I'm liking the longer length, at least for now. :)
I normally do not mind store brand items but recently I have decided that I really do not like HEB store brand cheese - so for some items I am brand loyal. Since there are only 2 of us, I like to buy the cookie dough and freeze them in 6 packs. When I want a cookie I want it NOW 🙂 I love that I can just bake up 6 cookies at a time that we can enjoy.
I LOVE the crime show music!
Another great video Mindy!😊
Thank you for the video. Have an amazing week!
Thank you! You, too!
I've been subscribed forever but i never realized you were also in Oklahoma! Been trying to tell everyone I know for years they need to be hitting Reasor's weekly sales.
Your hair looks so pretty! I love the color 😊
Thank you!
Sams has 2lb blocks of sharp cheddar and montery Jack for less than 7$ also winco for produce is typically best priced for me... but if you find yourself at the ba walmart on 121st elm they usually have frozen blueberries 1lb bag for 1$
There was a fantastic recipe using meatballs that Grocery Addict had that I made and you might want to try. It used just 4 ingredients - frozen meatballs, 1 can of cranberry sauce, 1 14 ounce can of saurkraut, and 3/4 c. of brown sugar, It was absolutely delicious. She served it with mashed potatoes (as did I). Try it.
Oops! Make that 5 ingredients. I forgot the bottle of chili sauce. Glad you're back. I've been missing your videos over the break.
I live in the northern part of North Carolina and we are under a winter weather watch. Suppose to get around 2 to 3 inches then later turning into all rain.
Gotta love this Oklahoma weather lol. Hope you're staying warm.
I am! The kids are out building snowmen, and loving it! ☃️☃️☃️
I wish my local grocery store had deals like this. They only have sales on their store brand specialty items. So sad! Thank goodness for Aldi.
I buy a lot of store brand items and only a few name brands, because there are certain items I grew up eating.
I buy 90% store brand items and 10% name brand items. It depends on what I ran out of and need to get.
As usual, this video was jam-packed with fantastic ideas. The cold front is heading our way and we should see snow and ice tomorrow…quite an event for us here in SC. 😊 I pray that 2025 is filled with joy and blessings for you and your family, Mindy.
Thank you so much, and I hope 2025 is full of blessings for you too! We got 6 inches of snow yesterday, so enjoying a nice day at home while the kids build snowmen. ☃️☃️☃️
I buy generic for most things, but a few name brands are superior. It takes trying stuff out! Aldi brand cheez its are better than name brand, but nothing comes close to a real Ritz! 😂
Funny, I've heard that from others about Ritz. I feel that way about Oreo cookies! And also some household things like dawn dish soap.
We buy the butter at Costco and feeeze it. It thaws in the fridge with no issues at all.
There's only 3 things that i buy namebrand... Duke's mayo, Heinz ketchup and cereal on the rare occasion that i buy it. I just find that the store brands taste like cardboard. Very helpful tips Mindy!! I hope you have an amazingly New Year!! God bless you and your family ❤
I have all 3 of those things in my house right now. I always buy the kids a box of sugar cereal for Christmas. 2 of them have finished theirs, but one is still working through hers!
Can you please mention the price of each item. Thank you. Greetings from Philadelphia PA USA
I only shop sale items. My grocery shopping is not like most others. Only a few items come from Walmart because no sales. When an item goes on sale I stock up. I have built a pantry like this and the majority of the time I save $75 or more on my orders. I have a great variety of items just like everyone else the way I shop. Talking about butter...i have about 30 pounds in my freezer. I have two freezers and stock up too. If you're able to shop this way before long you'll have plenty of food and you have not paid full price for anything!!!
Love your strategies.
May I please request your recipe for those meatballs? They look absolutely delicious! Thank you!
They are one of my kids' favorite: 1pkg frozen fully-cooked meatballs (26-32oz, the mini ones are THE BEST if you can find them), 1C grape jelly, 1C BBQ sauce. Slow cooker on low 2-3 hours usually heats them through for us.
Thank goodness your back I was getting bored 😂
haha! So glad I can entertain. :)
Happy new year .that was a good sale.i have frozen chicken because chicken and eggs are recalled for bird flu ❤we can eat anything
Oh yeah, that's a good point on the chicken. Maybe that was the issue. Although I saw it in my other stores later that week, so I don' t know. We had the chicken and wild rice soup last night and it was delicious, so the frozen chicken worked out just fine!
I wasn’t able to find any chicken or egg recalls. I did see pet food that was recalled for Bird Flu. Where can I learn more about the meat and egg recalls? -Kryste
@ maybe not wear you are my daughter works a market they don’t have any.
FDA has a list I don’t know how to get on it
Love your hair!
Thank you!
Yes it looks so pretty!
It seems to have grown so fast. Looks great.
Good job
Mandy, you look so" pretty and rested" in this video! ❤
Thank you so much! We had a great break, but I've also been working for the better part of 2 years to keep more margin for rest and recharge in my life. :)
I laughed out loud at your cookie freezing comment! 😂
Thanks so much, I do your meals.
I love the clothespins (chip clip) i do the same thing!
Yes, I've had others over the years, even ones that are specifically marketed as "chip clips", but I always come back to the clothespins. Cheap and effective. :)
I did Thrive in the past. Great company, but didn't save money. The costs in my stores (I live with only Walmart and 2 other grocery stores nearby - no discount stores) are the same as Thrive, but with Thrive I also had to pay a membership fee, so it cost more.
"bricks gettin a little bougie" 🤣
when she said wee kids and bougie in the same breath I thought once her son can be described as bougie she needs to up her game and call them young kids 😂🤣 🇨🇦🙏
Thank you
I can not afford take out once per week for one person, and certainly not for a family when I had a total of 4 years ago. How do you do it?
@See mindy mom do you have a special "these are for dinner do not eat" section of the fridge? Im thinking of the t peps where one was for lunches... do they end up getting eaten by accident? Lol
LOL, sometimes! Occasionally I will let the fam know, "these are for dinner tomorrow", or even "these are for a video". I've been on YT for almost 7 years now, so sometimes they'll even ask me. But I pass several stores in my day-to-day so generally I don't worry about it. I can always pick up an extra if need be.
I had that same issue too and starting putting those items in the garage fridge. Teens have learned to ask first when it comes to those items. But a small basket in the kitchen fridge would work just as well. A “Do not touch” bin. I don’t live close enough to pop into stores and sometimes one or two missing ingredients means that meal won’t work at all (or worse, it was meant for an occasion)
Ok, I see that you have Aldi salmon in your freezer at 50% off. I used to be able to get it at that discount every time I got to the store at 9:00. They’ve had no discounted salmon for months at my store! What about yours?
I picked that one up last month. I still see some markdowns occasionally at my Aldis. There are 2 in my day-to-day path.
My hsbamd and daughter refuse to eat the same thing for dinner 2 days in a row so leftovers don't really work , the best I can do is freeze it and save for a week or two later .
It's Friday today no shopping untile Wednesday pay day no snacks no pizza even pasta with sauce will do
HAHA I thought me and my mother in law were the only ones who used clothes pins to seal up bags..lol
That roast that you bought would cost $40 in Canada. No lie.
Wow! That's crazy to think about. I will say...I live in a part of the country where beef is pretty reasonable. We raise a lot of it around here, and I have many friends who purchase from local ranchers.
Wow. I am afraid ot would just sit in the store.
Go meatless!
Love your videos, do not appreciate the filters on this video early on
I have no idea what you're talking about...do you mean camera filters? I filmed this video with the same camera I've been using for 3 months and I wouldn't even know how to use filters on this camera (or my previous one). Or if it even has them. 😂
Have you tried using AI to sort through all the prices and all the deals at all the stores in your area and then create tailored shopping lists from each store based on best available price?
I have not. Interesting idea.
I may need to try this.🤩
What do you mean? Can you give more details?? I’m not even sure how you would do that.
Thrive is impossible. Their site demands you join before they even show you what their products are. Also, they have no such thing as a store brand or a generic. Everything is high priced brand name pseudo-natural products. They're not selling things for people who actually cook. Their stuff is all geared toward people who rely on processed convenience foods that happen to be labeled "natural."
Interesting. I buy generic brands in their thrive market label all the time. I even showed several in this haul (tomatoes, seasonings, olive oil...). Sounds like it's not a good fit for you, which is totally your call. I have some friends with dietary restrictions who love it, so...I guess, to each their own.
cool
♥♥♥
Soooo….shop the sale
Hopefully yall aren't getting nailed too badly with the snow/ice.
We're getting some snow right now in Tulsa, but it's very manageable so far. It's a nice, pretty snow, and perfect for snow men, so we're hoping we get enough! ☃️☃️☃️
👍
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The video is a little out of focus. Darn. 😕
That's your takeaway from this video? 🙄
It is clear on my ipad❤
If you read the other comments you'll see I left another long paragraph that compliments everything. Sorry you're offended. Its not what I intended.
That's good. I have a new Kindle fire. I think the issue must've been my WIFi. I watched the video again without the fuzziness. Who knows what it was caused by. Hmm?
You do to much talking instead of showing the food
*too
This is an educational channel. Teachers talk.
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