PB&J, Hamburgers and Hot Dogs and Beans

Nothing special to see here today, folks. No tried and true recipes, no new adventures in culinary prowess, just some every day eats with affordable standbys as we reach the end of the monthly economic cycle.


My income is extremely fixed, so when the money's gone, it's gone. Sometimes I make it until the next check, sometimes I don't. 

Things are thinning out a bit right now, so when I went shopping, it was for the most affordable foods. I got some hamburger at the in-town grocer and other items at Dollar Tree. I love Dollar Tree because there are just some foods that you can get there whose prices you can't beat. I get my chicken and beef broths there, my tortillas (seriously - try finding tortillas in your regular grocery for $1.00 - unless you're wanting jumbo sized), sometimes I get eggs, hot dog and hamburger buns (very good and very fresh), 3 liter bottles of sugar free soda, and, lately, 8 oz. bags of shredded cheese. I really feel no reason to pay a higher price for something I can get for only $1.00. Granted, there are things there I won't buy because I can get them cheaper somewhere else (like canned veggies, soups, etc.), but the things I can get for less money there are totally worth it!

So, I have had fewer full-sized meals of late, other than the two I posted recently. And, one of those was made primarily with ingredients obtained from Dollar Tree (cheese and pasta). I made hamburgers a couple of nights with the hamburger and the burger buns and fries I had bought at Dollar Tree (they frequently have frozen fries and tater tots, sometimes hash browns). Twice I had hot dogs (Bar S brand from Dollar Tree both times) with canned baked beans and the hot dog buns I had and a jar of applesauce on the side.

Now, the peanut butter and jelly did not come from Dollar Tree. That's one of those things that I either can get a better value elsewhere or they don't have what I generally use. Because I'm diabetic, I've been buying sugar-free jams and preserves and found a wonderful Triple Fruit Spread at our local Wegmans grocery. Naturally sweet without that sweet intensity so often found in other jellies. As soon as I can, I'm getting more. 

The peanut butter I got at Dollar General; not because it was the best price, but because I happened to be there when I needed some and the price was comparable to others. However, it is by far the best crunchy peanut butter I have ever had!! I LOVE crunchy peanut butter. I'll eat the creamy, but I get no pleasure from eating it. This peanut butter truly lives up to its "crunchy" moniker. These are the crunchiest peanuts I have ever found in peanut butter, bar none!! It's fantastic. I plan to get it there from now on, as long as they have it in stock. It is their brand and I'd love to know who they contract with because it's not like any I've ever had. 

I've been eating whole grain white bread lately. It's actually very good. This last loaf came from Wegmans. Really dense, but not gritty, yet soft like we've all gotten used to bread being. Larger slices, too, so when you're done making your sandwich, it's a sandwich of substance.

I'll eat PB&J for breakfast, as a late night snack, lunch and occasionally for supper. That and tuna fish sandwiches. I'm not really much into eating sandwiches on a regular basis, but if I have good bread on hand and either of those two fillers, I will enjoy having a sandwich instead of making a mess making eggs or pancakes for breakfast.

Upscale Eating at an Affordable Price

As you may have seen in some of my blog entries, I am definitely not well off financially. Yet, I enjoy eating out. One of the ways we try new restaurants is with coupons or certificates we can purchase online. This way we can try restaurants that are normally beyond either our means or our spending comfort levels without straying too far from our spending limits.


The site we used to use regularly was Restaurant.com. Restaurants will use them to advertise themselves in order to increase their customer base and customers can get gift certificates that they can use for half their face value (i.e. pay $25, spend $50; pay $12.50, spend $25). They often have sales where you pay less than half of the certificate's face value. It's a great way to try a new place out. I would advise, however, that you contact the restaurant before you buy the certificate just in case they've stopped accepting them and haven't yet told Restaurant.com. Always ask upon arrival, too, just in case. It's not often that it happens, but it does happen and you should not wait for a surprise before you find out. Restaurant.com will credit you with the money for the purchase, though, that you can use on another purchase of a different certificate, so you really don't lose your money.


Each restaurant has its own rules that apply to the use of the certificates, so be sure to read the fine print. Some require groups of four, some restrict to certain days of the week, etc. Be sure you know what you're paying for before you buy. Once you've bought the certificate, print it and tuck it away to take with you to dinner.


We have also used these when we're traveling if we've planned our stops in advance. It has saved us more than once during a road trip.


Another way is in the weekly or monthly coupon books that arrive in the mail. They will often have BOGO or other deep discount coupons for local restaurants in them that expire at the end of that month or the next. 


The Entertainment Book is another source of discounts if you're willing to pay the price of the book itself. End of year discounts on the book are a good way to go if you realize that their year ends November 1. My daughter and I have used these for years. She makes full use of the movie coupons and my friend and I use the restaurant coupons, but it doesn't take long to recoup the original cost of the book. And, restaurants aren't the only discounts being offered. There are other discounts that the Entertainment Book has such as car washes, auto maintenance, lawn care, car rental, etc. 

One of the restaurants we visit that has a "Sunset Menu"

Locally, several of our restaurants have what they refer to as "sunset menus", a type of "prix fixe" menu, that are only good between the hours of 4PM and 7PM (generally). They offer a more limited selection, but also often include beverage, soup, salad, entree and dessert, for a lower price than their main menu offers just for the entree. We have really enjoyed using that option.


All in all, there are quite a few ways to enjoy dining out at a reduced price even when your budget is tight. Even if it's only once a month, we all deserve to treat ourselves once in a while.