101 Uses for Refried Beans

With the rising price of pretty much everything in the world, we try to find ways to save a few pennies here and there. Over the weekend, Eric and I did some "warehouse" type comparison shopping. We brought the calculator and tried to find some good deals. First stop was BJs. (Eric is a member, he got a cheap membership through work.) I have a few "usual" items I always get. The first of which is a giant package of to-go coffee cups. I bring coffee with me every morning to work that I make at home. Saves about $2/day by not stopping at Dunkin Donuts. The cups are about $8 for 72 of them. That's about 10 cents a cup. Not too bad. I've also found that doggie treats are a good price there. The "big find" this time was a package of 6 cans of Old El Paso Refried Beans. I had bought a can at Target the day before for 89 cents. The price at BJs was $4.99 for 6 cans. Which was 83 cents a can. So I grabbed it. I like to make burritos and nachos, so they will be put to use. (I could probably use a few more recipes if anyone would like to share... seeing as I now have 7 cans of refried beans in my cupboard...)




Eric found a few good buys as well. 4 boxes of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls for $4.29. Which I split with him, so I ended up with 2 boxes. They usually go for about $2/box at Wegmans. They're great snacks for the kids' lunches. He also got a big package of toothbrushes (I forget the price, but it ended up being $1/toothbrush.) And he got a fun package of deodorant that also came with a razor. It was apparently a GREAT deal. (I took his word for it.)



After BJs, we stopped at Aldi's. We mostly just wanted to see what it was all about. It was a very different experience. You have to pay 25 cents for a cart, which you will then get back after you return the cart. I guess the theory is that people won't leave the carts in the parking lot, so they don't have to hire someone to bring them back. It seemed to work, I didn't see any carts other than in the cart area or in the store. You also have to bring your own bags (or use empty boxes, if you see them you can take them). The brands in the store were mostly brands we have never heard of. I felt almost like I was at a Dollar Store, but maybe a "step up". I was weary to buy anything just because I wasn't sure how it would taste. The prices seemed very good. I imagine that pasta is pasta and green beans are green beans. Neither of us bought anything however. I think we were a little nervous of the unknown. We'll have to ask around to see if anybody shops there before we dive in.

I shop at Target a lot too. They expanded the grocery area at the Target near my house. Every single item I have checked is cheaper than at Wegman's. And the "Target" brand is always very good, so I'm fine with buying their items. As far as Wegman's goes, the only things I seem to buy there anymore are fresh foods, such as milk, veggies, fruits, things like that. I will gladly go to 3 different stores if it means I will save some money. Especially since the 3 stores I tend to go to (Target, Wegmans & BJs) are all within a mile radius of my house. If they were farther away, I would probably think differently. But you have to save money where you can since prices just seem to keep going up and up...