new credit card for the 4th of July

 I got a new credit card that gives you 5% back on whichever category you spend the most on every month. Which is grocery stores. And I got it just in time to spend $200 on groceries for the 4th of July.

Cheap hot dogs were harder to find this year. I got them at Dollar Tree. You can get 8 turkey or chicken hot dogs for $1.25. They are only 10 oz instead of 12 like most places, but I don't care. People want the condiments.

I can't get chicken quarter for less than $1/lb. Peaches were $1.49/lb at the best place I could find. Onions are $2/bag everywhere. Ketchup was $3.50. I got buns for $1/bag of 8, which isn't that bad. And a watermelon was $5 which is fine. The cheapest tomatoes I could find were $1.49/lb. I spent over $7 on Cheez Whiz! Bulgarian sheep feta was $5/lb but that's still a good price. Pasta is over $1 box. I got 3 bags of chick peas for $1.25 each though which is an incredible price. Cracker barrel cheese is $2.50 but then I got $1 back from Ibotta. I should go get more. I had to pay $4 for a pound of store brand mozzarella.

I'm not even making dessert this year. I'm too worn out.

Memorial Day sales during coronavirus time

Food Bazaar's ad is back! It's only 4 pages (used to be 6) but it's back. Jumbo shrimp are $9/lb. Hamburger and hot dog buns are $0.79. 4 lbs of frozen hamburgers are $8 and hot dogs are $1. Celery is $1. I haven't been to Food Bazaar since this started, but I'm happy about this.

C-Town has been back for 2-3 weeks, but with only one page of sales. I haven't been there in forever.

Key Food has been publishing its sales and has been good at actually having the things on sale in the store. I'll look at that circular now. Peaches are $1/lb. A peach in May though? (I usually make them into salads, so it would work. It makes use of its firmness and tartness.) Cracker barrel cheese are $2. (I doubt those will actually be on sale.)  Hot dog and hamburger buns are $1.25. Coke products are $4/4. Hellman's mayo is $3.49.

Key Food is the only store that still publishes a circular

So I'm going to read it! I haven't been in a grocery store since March 21 :-(  But I think I will go sometime this week.

I wish I could go to Whole Foods and buy potted herbs to plant in my window too. Basil, parsley, rosemary, and thyme.

Anyway, Key Food: Ham is $1.29/lb because Easter is soon. I want one. 16 oz white mushrooms are $3.49, which isn't bad. 30 oz Hellman's mayo is $3.49. A pound of PollyO mozzarella is $2 and 2 lbs of ricotta are $3. I want both! Cracker barrel cheese is $2. Canned tomatoes are 4/$5 and you must buy 4. Usually that is too many for me, but in these Covid times, I can take 4. This says flour is on sale, but I doubt it's in stock. Pepsi and Schweppes 2 liters are also 4/$5 MB4 but I don't think I can carry 8 liters of pop in addition to everything else and I'd rather not make multiple trips. Tonic water is $0.60 per liter. Jarred fried peppers are $2.50. A pack of hot dogs is $1 and I'm tempted.

The Sales 9/6/19

Last week I didn't buy any groceries until the last minute. I went to Key Food for the Cool Whip and ketchup, and also bought mushrooms, jarred hot pepper rings (which they overcharge me for), jarred red peppers (which were $1.69 and I guess evens out with the pepper rings). Then I went to Bravo and got salad dressing, pizza rolls, plums, mozzarella, cheddar, onion rings, Diet Coke, 7-up, Fresca, and sweetened condensed milk. So now I have too much stuff and I don't know how much this list of sales will help me. But I will look anyway.

I'll start with the stores I went to yesterday.

Bravo: Pork shoulder is $0.89/lb. Bananas are 49¢/lb. Green peppers are 99¢/lb. I could make ratatouille. Luigi Vitelli pasta is 79¢, but I have a lot. On the other hand, that's what I want to eat every day. Table salt is 69¢. I don't know if that's a good price. Some things I bought yesterday are more expensive now, like pizza rolls and Polly-O cheese. Cilantro is 79¢.

Key Food: London broil is $2.99/lb. A big chunk of pecorino romano is $4.99/lb. People really should be buying that. Both iceberg and romaine are 99¢. You can buy a gallon of corn/canola/vegetable oil for $4.99. Tide Simply is $1.99. Pepsi products are $1.25. You can buy 2 pounds of Velveeta for $10, which makes it the same price as imported pecorino romano. I'm not saying Velveeta is bad. Just expensive.

Green Corner: Mussels are $3 for 2 lbs. Cilantro is 3/$2. Eggplant is 99¢/lb. Nothing else is very good.

C-Town: Bananas are 49¢/lb here. An 8=12 pack of Bounty paper towels is $9. Shredded cheese is $1.50.

Food Bazaar: Cantaloupe is $1.50. Medium shrimp $6/lb. The Canada Dry/7-Up family of pops is $1 for 2 liters. A ceramic/copper frying pan is $5. Table salt is 80¢ here so I guess it's a better deal at Bravo. Kielbasa is $3. A pack of hot dogs is $1. Maybe leftover from Labor Day inventory. Beef tripe is $4/lb. Why is it more expensive than the good parts of a cow?!

A sad postscript to the Fresca tale + Party Plans

The last two times I've gone to C-Town looking for Fresca, they've been out :(

But I'll move on. I'm having a 4th of July party in 6 days and making a lot of food. It's going to require all my grocery skills to minimize costs. I'm going to make hot dogs 3 ways, plus hot dog salad, beet salad, chick pea/orzo salad, pesto pasta salad, and probably some other things. Probably pimento cheese. I don't know what the three ways of hot dogs will be yet. Definitely baked potato dogs. Maybe taco dogs? Banh mi dogs?

I got some good deals at Key Food

This is from a trip a few days ago. I hope I remember how much I paid for everything. The eggs I remember. They were $0.99 for a dozen large. You could get extra large for $1.99. Pierogies were $2.50. "Meat" hot dogs were $1.69. I don't buy nice hot dogs because I don't care. I just want a method to eat ketchup. Crushed tomatoes were $1.50. I already had some, but I use them a lot. The pasta was $1 and it rang up as $1, unlike at C-Town where it was $1 and rang up as $1.69 and made me mad. The artichoke hearts were $1.69, which is more than what C-Town charges for the La Squisita ones I like, but they don't seem to stock them anymore. Frozen broccoli was $1.46 for a pound.

I guess I have food I could eat. I was going to put ketchup on noodles for lunch. I can't get enough ketchup lately.