I want to buy groceries but I shouldn't (Mexico)

I am going to Mexico soon and I don't want things to go bad, so I shouldn't go buy things even though I want to. I bought 5 kirby cucumbers ($1), 2 zucchini ($1), and a bag of grapes ($1) yesterday. I'm also trying to eat healthier. But then at night, friends brought over beer and potato chips so shopping healthier doesn't even work.

In Mexico, I probably won't buy groceries. Last time I went to a store and bought a bottle of Clamato because I love that stuff. I didn't like the lid on the bottle though. It was hard to screw back on.

Some of the things I bought today

 I haven't updated in a while. I guess I've been eating a lot of eggplants. Usually tomatoes get cheap in the summer, but I haven't seen many on sale and when they are, they are pink so I'm not going to buy them. I keep finding eggplants though. They are good on focaccia. Today at Mr. Plum, I got 3 for $1. I also got a seedless cucumber for $0.50 and 4 plums for $0.50.

Since I had already started making dough using my sourdough starter, I went to Ozzie's. I got a pound of Genoa salami for $6 and a fresh mozzarella log for $4. And I got 5 lbs of pasta for $4. The best part was that this counted as a small business for American Express's current small business promotion and I got $5 off.

I'd never pay $6/lb for regular meat, but then I do on salami. I guess my standards go out the window.

Yesterday I went to Western Beef and got a dozen medium eggs for $0.89, some pop for $1.25/bottle, 3 lemons for $1, and 3 green peppers for $0.99/lb. Then when I was walking home, the bus pulled up beside me, so I got on it. It was my first time on public transportation since the pandemic. It was free.

Labor Day Deals

I assume there are some! Let's look together.

Key Food: Nine page circular. That's a good sign. I bet they have a beer rebate scam that no one can use. Cantaloupe is $1.5 (I still have a honeydew to use... but I could get another one for $2.5). Corn is $0.29 per ear, which is way less than a pirate would pay. So many cereals are on sale, for school starting I guess. I don't dabble in cereals. Hot dog buns are $1.25 so maybe I should make banh mi hot dogs again. Big Heinz ketchups are 2/$5 (must buy 2) but I might do that anyway. After the rebate (that no one can use) an 18 pack of Bud Light would be $9. Oh well. Pierogies are $2.5 for a box. Cool Whip is only $1! Time to make Koolaid Pie again!  Well, Cool Whip will last a long time, so when I find pie crusts on sale is when it is time to make Koolaid Pie. Romaine is on sale for $1 or you can get 3 for $4. Smh. "Super select" cucumbers are 3 for $2. I don't know what makes them super select but they look long. Maybe the flipped the pic with the seedless ones. Tonic water is $0.60 for a liter. A 12 pack of hard seltzer is $8 after the rebate you can't use. :-(  A pie crust is $2.49 but I am not willing to pay that.

Bravo: Plums are $0.99/lb. Mozzarella is $3 for a pound and ricotta for 2 lbs. Sweetended condensed milk is $1.69 here (it was $2.50 at Key Food). That's another important ingredient in Koolaid Pie. Pizza rolls are $2 for 40. They seem to have a bunch of the sales that C-Town had last week.

C-Town: Wishbone salad dressing is $0.79. I can use that with my pizza rolls (if I buy them). Pepsi products are 4/$5, which is what the circular said last week but it was Coke products in real life. Plums are $2.99/lb here. What a big difference. "Prune plums" are only $1.99. I looked that up yesterday because that phrase didn't make sense. It's an Italian variety.

Green Corner: Nothing much.

Ozzie's: Didn't update their website yet again.

Associated on Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Lefferts Gardens: I am going to be in this neighborhood so I will look. I got so many good deals last week. Heinz Ketchup is $2/5 but I do not have to buy 2. Coconut milk is $0.69. Cracker barrel cheese is $2. Grapefruits are $0.80 which I think is a good price.

I bought Heinz BBQ Sauce and it wasn't on sale

I was walking around after riding a bike a little bit and ended up cutting through the Food Bazaar parking lot. I wondered if they had the Heinz Carolina vinegar style bbq sauce, which is my favorite and the hardest to find. I went in, and they had it but it was $2.89 because it wasn't on sale. I bought it anyway. I also bought a Heinz yellow mustard for $2.50. I want brown but I can't find that either. Maybe it's at Western Beef.

Then I went to Kings Mart and got 2 big eggplants and 1 seedless cucumber for $1.50. The guy behind me got a pack of gum for $1 so I got the better deal.

My groceries just pile up because I don't have anyone to cook for.

The sales this week

I really ought to go buy olives and maybe tahini at Parrot Coffee. But this is limited to my local stores. I also bought 2 eggplants and 1 seedless cucumber for $1.50 at King Mart yesterday, and I made baba ghanoush so I should get something to eat that with.

Green Corner: Limes are still a dime. I bought 5 last night. Peaches and jalapeños are both $0.99/lb so maybe I should make peach-o de gallo. I got 2 serrano peppers last night though and made salsa verde. I don't know how many salsas I should have. A bag of yellow onions is $1.25

Ozzie's: Hellman's mayo is $3. A watermelon is $3. The last time I bought one it took too long for me to eat, but I might get another anyway. A dozen large eggs is $0.89. I should make another dozen hard boiled ones. I steam them in a metal colander now.  Oooh extra large eggs are $1. Heavy cream is $1.50. I could make ice box cakes if I find fresh fruit, which shouldn't be hard. Vintage tonic water is $0.60 for a liter bottle. A can of tomato juice is $1.69. I should have brunch. Lots of good stuff at Ozzie's.

C-Town: Salad dressing is $0.79. I need ranch for all my pizza rolls. Cranberry juice is $2.5, but I fell for this a couple weeks ago and they didn't actually have it. Romaine is $0.99/lb. I think that is good, but I don't know how much a head of romaine weighs. If it's 1 lb, that is good.

Bravo: "slicing tomatoes" are $0.99/lb which I would like, but Bravo never has good tomatoes. Sweetened condensed milk is $1.5, so I can finally make kool-aid pie.

Key Food: Iceberg lettuce is $1. They advertise a 12-pack of Miller or Coors after rebate but this store doesn't know how to do rebates. The egg sale from Ozzie's is also here. So is the tonic water. Heinz bbq sauce. I am still looking for vinegar carolina style.

What's on sale this week

I'm going to look at all the grocery circulars and write what I see. I have all the tabs open. I am not looking for anything in particular, but I might like to have a roof party, a Memorial Day party, or a burrito party. I don't have any friends or money though, so I will just imagine what I would do with any deals I find.

Green Corner: They didn't update their circular again. They're bad at that. I went there this week and bought 2 beets, 1 bag of onions, and 1 carrot. It cost $2.67.

Food Bazaar: Shrimp are $6/lb. 2 liters of Pepsi are $1, but I am trying to drink less pop. That doesn't make me less fat though so maybe I'll go back to the pop life. Kielbasa is $2.50. I should go on the kielbasa life too. I haven't bought any meat in 2 weeks, but that also has not made me any less fat. Moules are $3 for 2 lbs. Not bad. I should get those. A cucumber is $0.40. I still have most of a seedless cuke I got for $0.50 this week though. (I ate it on a sandwich with luxury butter and Ikea cheese and it was good).

Bravo: 38 oz of Heinz ketchup is $2. Stock up! (I have ketchup in my cabinet waiting for action, so I won't. But you should.) A pound of different Krasdale cheese is $3.49. That could be good for a burrito. Sour cream is $1.50 which could also be good for a burrito. The avocado price is not good, so it shall not be mentioned. White mushrooms are $1.50 for 8 oz. That's good.

Ozzies (fka Associated): Peaches are $0.99/lb. I can make peach salad! Cans of Starkist tuna are $0.89. Starkist is my favorite tuna brand because it's from Pittsburgh. I used up all my tuna this week making pan bagnat.

 

Chicken of the Sea solid white tuna is only $1 so maybe I'll get that too even though I never like it much. Flour tortillas are $2.50. That could be good for a burrito.

Key Food: This probably a lot of the same sales as Ozzie's because they are both distributed by Key Food. Peaches are $0.99. A watermelon is cheaper here: $4. And Key Food has 9 pages of sales so maybe more stuff is on sale. 18 beers are $9 after the digital rebate. A bag of lemons is $2. I could make limoncello. That's nice for summer.

C-Town: A can of pineapple juice is $2.29. That's the best price I've seen in a while. A can of olives is $1.49. I need those. A lot. I can make tapenade.  Cool Whip is $1.50. I can finally make Koolaid Pie! Cream cheese is $1.50. I should stock up on that for cheese balls and pimento cheese.

I went on a journey to Associated

The Associated near me switched to an off brand Key Food, but I sometimes check the Associated in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. There were a lot of good sales this week so I biked 4.5 miles each way to go there. There are closer Associateds, like in Greenpoint, but the sales are completely different.

I did not get a "barril."

I got a 9 oz jar of garlic powder for $2.50 (marked down from $4.19). A pound of dried chick peas for $1.69 (not on sale, but that's just a good price). A can of chick peas for $0.69 (usually $1.19, but I would never pay that). Coconut milk for $0.89 (was $0.99), evaporated milk for $0.79 (was $1.49), sweetened condensed milk for $0.99 (was also $1.49), 2 cucumbers for $0.25 each (usually $0.67), a pound of carrots for $0.79. I think those are usually $1. A lemon was $0.40. I guess that's not a great price.

Overall I spent $9.24 and the receipt says I had $4.21 of savings. I also got 5 Citibike points.