Staples: Milk, Eggs, Sugar, Ground Beef 8.25.11

I've decided to add potatoes to the basic staples list. Potatoes, like eggs, are considered a "whole food," meaning you can actually live on solely that item for a period of time. Not that you'd necessarily want to.


Eggs
Albertson's $1.88/18 eggs (through 8/30)
WinnDixie $1.99/18 eggs (through 8/30) *not the best price ever, but not horrible.
CVS $1.39/doz (through 8/27) not great at all, but better than $1.85

Milk
Walgreens $3.29
CVS $2.79 after extra bucks (**Starting 8/28**)

WinnDixie is running a Make a Meal deal through 8/30. Buy 3 boxes cereal get milk, juice, donuts, fruit bowls "free" If you have coupons for any of the items on sale, sometimes it's worth it. Without coupons, it usually isn't worth it if the items are things you don't normally buy. (This is how I calculate it. Cereal should be $1.50 or less/box, milk is about $4/gal, juice has to be $1/64oz. The other items I don't buy unless they are free, so if I can use coupons and get the total to $9.50 or less, I'll buy it. It's priced at $17.97 without coupons.)

Sugar
Publix $2.99 5 lb Domino Sugar $2.49 after coupon from RedPlum insert 6/26 and Sept All You (through 8/31)
Ward's $2.49 4 lb Dixie Crystal (through 8/30) $0.50/1 Dixie Crystals Granulated Sugar Rolling I'm not 100% sure the coupon matches, but I think so. So, it'd be $1.99/4 lbs

Ground Beef
WinnDixie Flanders beef patties 64 oz $6.99 = $1.75/lb (through 8/30) *can't vouch for the quality, but it's a good price poundage wise)
Albertson's 73% lean $1.99/lb (through 8/30)
WinnDixie 73% lean $2.49/lb(through 8/30)
Sweetbay 73% lean $2.49/lb (through 8/30)
Hitchcock's Ground Round $2.68/lb (8/25-27)

Albertson's 85% lean $2.98/lb (through 8/30)
Publix 93% lean $3.99/lb (through 8/24)


Potatoes
Albertson's  $2.50 5 lb bag (8/26-28)
Ward's $2.50 5 lb bag (through 8/30)






**Harvey's note: If you are located near Harvey's check them out on Wednesdays. They seem to be doing Wednesday specials. This week, milk, potatoes, and beef were on sale, but only on Wednesday.

Remember, if you see a price you like and you don't want to go to the distance for that store or to all of them, you can always print the ads offline and take them to Walmart for a price match.
Weekly Specials searched in Gainesville, FL: WinnDixie, Albertsons, Publix, Food Lion, Dollar General, Hitchocks,Sweetbay, Fresh Market, CVS, Walgreens, and Harveys (Keystone Heights)

Staples: Milk, Eggs, Sugar, Ground Beef 7.27.11

Eggs
WinnDixie $1.99 for 18 eggs (not a terrific price, but not a bad one either)
CVS $1.49 for 12 eggs (not great but better than $1.85 or more)
Food Lion Free eggs when you buy Tropicana Orange Juice
   *There's a coupon for Tropicana: $1/1 Tropicana Pure Premium Product 7/10/2011 RP Insert
          (exp 8/31/2011)

Milk
Fresh Market $2.99 (July Tuesdays only)
Harvey's $3.00 (TODAY only)
Walgreens $3.29
I don't have the price for milk this week at CVS, but they're still running the 5 gallon milk deal. If you buy 5 gallons by August 6th, the 6th gallon will be "free." As long as you use your Extra Care Card each time, you do not have to buy 5 gallons in one trip.

Yes, as some say, you can freeze milk. However, we drink whole milk in our house and whole milk doesn't freeze well because of the high fat content. The less fat, the better it will freeze. DO NOT just put a gallon jug in the freezer. It will burst!

Sugar
WinnDixie 5lb bag $3.29 (not much of a sale)

Ground Beef
Sweetbay 73% lean Ground Beef $1.99/lb
Hitchcock's Ground Chuck $2.48/lb
Albertsons 85% lean Ground Beef $2.99/lb


Remember, if you see a price you like and you don't want to go to the distance for that store or to all of them, you can always print the ads offline and take them to Walmart for a price match.
Weekly Specials searched in Gainesville, FL: WinnDixie, Albertsons, Publix, Food Lion, Dollar General, Hitchocks,Sweetbay, Fresh Market, CVS, Walgreens, and Harveys (Keystone Heights)

Holy Eggs, Batman!

We have 3 sets of Jumbo Coturnix Quail (5 hens to 1 rooster). They mature 8 weeks after hatching. Our birds were all mature by the end of May, middle of June. They laid sporadically during June. During most of July, we averaged 5-6 eggs/day. On Thursday, this week, we didn't get ANY eggs, not one! Well, yesterday, they made up for it and we got 18 eggs! We only have 15 hens! This morning when I went to feed and gather eggs, I found only one. After Friday's 18, I wasn't surprised. Then this afternoon, I gave them dinner and found another 9!

Last week, I told my husband it was time to clear out animals. We have too many! (2 dogs, 2 miniature horses, 5 chickens, 5 peacocks, 9 rabbits, 18 quail, 2 ducks, a 150 gallon tank of koi, and 1 betta) The rabbits are leaving tomorrow. I'd planned on getting rid of the quail too, but we're selling their eggs for $3/doz. As long as they lay at least 4 doz/week, they're paying for the feed for all of the birds, so they can stay. If they lay 2 doz every 2 days, I may consider raising more and getting into the egg business.

Staples: Milk, Eggs, Sugar, Ground Beef 7.20.11

Eggs
Kmart comes to the rescue of all who didn't get eggs before Tuesday. 99 cents/doz. So you can buy eggs at Kmart before Sunday or take the ad to Walmart (or possibly a Publix within 5 miles of Kmart) and get your 99 cent eggs that way.

Milk
Fresh Market $2.99 (July Tuesdays only)
Albertsons $2.99
$3.19/gal this week at CVS, Plus the 5 gallon milk deal. If you buy 5 gallons by August 6th, the 6th gallon will be "free." As long as you use your Extra Care Card each time, you do not have to buy 5 gallons in one trip.

Yes, as some say, you can freeze milk. However, we drink whole milk in our house and whole milk doesn't freeze well because of the high fat content. The less fat, the better it will freeze. DO NOT just put a gallon jug in the freezer. It will burst!

Sugar
Hitchcock's Dixie Crystals 4lb bag $2.50
WinnDixie Valu Time 4lb bag $2.99

Ground Beef
Hitchcock's Ground Beef Patties $1.98/lb
Hitchcock's Ground Beef $1.48/lb (7/21-23 only, limit 10 lbs, additional $20 req.)
Albertsons 73% lean Ground Beef $1.88/lb
Harvey's Ground Beef $1.99/lb

Weekly Specials searched in Gainesville, FL: WinnDixie, Albertsons, Publix, Food Lion, Dollar General, Hitchocks,Sweetbay, Fresh Market, CVS, Walgreens, and Harveys (Keystone Heights)

Cheap Staples: Milk, Eggs, Sugar, Ground Beef

Eggs
Harvey's is running a special. If you buy 2 packages of Borden cheese, you get eggs free! Borden cheese is 2/$4 which is the maximum I'll pay for cheese, but paying that and getting the eggs free makes a good deal. 
Albertsons has the best Egg deal this week $0.88/doz. This is the cheapest you'll find eggs! I believe there is a limit of 2. So you'll have to make multiple trips if  you want more than 2 doz. Despite popular belief, eggs actually keep for a good amount of time in the refrigerator. Older eggs are better for hard boiling. Fresher eggs are better for baking. You can freeze eggs in ice cube trays with a little salt, if you want to.
Winn Dixie this week are $1.99 for 18 eggs. It's not the best price for eggs, but it's a good price.

There are several coupons available for discounts on eggs. You MIGHT find a good deal if you have any of them, depending on the price of the required item.

Milk
Publix $2.99/gallon!! Only this upcoming sale week. If you sales start Wed, it'll end Tuesday. If you sales start Thurs, it'll end Wednesday. (Check your store first! I don't know if all of them are doing this deal.)
Harvey's has TG Lee milk BOGO for quarts of whole milk. It doesn't say what the cost is however. If you were to buy a gallon at $3.85, the BOGO quart would be $1.93. If it's less than that, you're ok. If it's less than $1.50, it's the same as Publix.
Milk is on special at CVS for the next few weeks. I called and they can't give me details on dates. The manager said he believes it runs through September (Don't take that as a guarantee, I'll try to get more info). If you buy 5 gallons, the 6th gallon will be "free." As a general rule, CVS and Walgreens have the cheapest milk, usually around $3.19-$3.39/gallon. Right now, it's $3.99/gallon. If  you divide it out (3.99-3.69=0.60x5=3.00) it means your 6th gallon costs $3.00 which is still better than the $3.85+ at the grocery store.
Yes, as some say, you can freeze milk. However, we drink whole milk in our house and whole milk doesn't freeze well because of the high fat content. The less fat, the better it will freeze. DO NOT just put a gallon jug in the freezer. It will burst!


Sugar
WinnDixie $3.29/5 lbs = $0.66/lb
Sweetbay $2.99/5 lbs = $0.59/lb


Ground Beef
Albertson's 73% lean $1.99/lb 7/15-7/17 only
Sweetbay 80% lean patties $1.99/lb
Sweetbay 80% lean ground chuck value pack $2.00/lb


Coupons in ads: Hitchcocks ($5/$50), Albertsons
Weekly Specials searched in Gainesville, FL: WinnDixie, Albertsons, Publix, Food Lion, Dollar General, Hitchocks,Sweetbay, Fresh Market, CVS, Walgreens, and Harveys (Keystone Heights) 

Best Deal on Milk

This is only valid Saturday, 7/9. CVS has the best milk price as $3.19/gallon.

Some CVS stores are doing buy 5 gallons get 1 free through August or September. Check at your local CVS to see if they're participating. You don't have to buy all 5 at once, just use the same CVS card each time.

I'll try and post the best deals on milk and eggs each week.

Go to Coupons.com and enter zip code 84771 to get $0.75 off milk and $1/2lbs cheese! (Well, never mind, I just read the fine print and they're only good in ID & UT. What a bummer! Coupons.com doesn't give you details on the coupons before you print them.)

Dead Goose

It happens on the "farm." Things die. We try our best, but it's part of life too.

My husband found our goose (who'd been sitting on 7 eggs for the past 3 weeks!) dead in her pen today. We believe she was attacked by fire ants internally. (Not the way I'd choose to go, given the choice.) He disposed of her body and move the eggs to the incubator.

We'll see how it goes. I believe the hatching rate for artificially incubating goose eggs is 40%. They have to be sprayed with or dunked in water everyday and turned between 3 and 24 times per day by hand until day 27. We believe she started sitting  April 26. That makes today day 21. It's too bad she couldn't have just waited a week or so until they hatched. (Ok, that sounds really cold, sorry, but the eggs probably would have done better with her care than mine.)

I'll keep you posted and let you know how many hatch.

Buying Hatching Eggs

About a month ago, we purchased some coturnix quail eggs to hatch as well as 2 hovabator incubators. It was $116 to buy 250 eggs, so we figured that was a pretty good deal. My husband is cooking a huge feast for about 100 people over Memorial day weekend and planned to serve quail. If you buy it in the store, it's really expensive ($5+ per bird). We thought this would be a cheaper way to go and we'd have incubators for another time.

Well, we received 269 eggs UPS. The box had huge letters on every side that said "Hatching Eggs." We figured the box would arrive on a Thursday or Friday. Friday came and went with no eggs. We weren't sure what was going to happen because UPS doesn't deliver on Saturdays. Saturday morning, my husband went down to the gate and found the box which looked like it'd been dropped over the gate. It wasn't there at 9pm on Friday, so it must have been delivered late Friday. It got REALLY cold that night. Of the 269 eggs, 228 were not cracked. Many had been jostled out of their slots. The packaging looked more than adequate and we don't feel it was the hatchery's fault at all but blame UPS for the poor delivery. My cell number was clearly on the label and a quick call would have been more that adequate.

Anyway, of the 240 (I decided to incubate 12 I was pretty certain wouldn't hatch just in case) we incubated, about 75 hatched (31%). (Quail have a 60% hatching rate normally.) Of those, about 45 survived to adulthood (18%). We won't do that again. It was a total waste of money. I won't accept UPS for eggs again anyway, that's for sure.