PB&J stuck on repeat; It's not just Milli Vanilli anymore.

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Peanut butter and Jelly, pasta and sauce, bean and cheese. Clearly timeless combinations are making a comeback this week for our Challengers. Items that can be used over and over again for meals means getting the most bang for your buck. Eating PB&J everyday for lunch isn't that bad, ask any 7 year old. Also, thanks for the great tips, CalFresh Challenger!

Day two down.  I am continuing to work from the supply of groceries that I bought on Sunday.  Here is what I had to eat today:
Breakfast- Bagel and peanut butter
Snack- banana
Lunch- Broccoli wrap and grapes
Dinner- bean and cheese burrito
Feeling good and not deprived.
Some tips for eating well on a budget include:
            Be smart about where you shop, some grocery stores are just more expensive
            Go for inexpensive proteins such as eggs, peanut butter and beans.
Go for fresh produce that is in season.  Not only is it tastier, it is more often on sale because it is more plentiful at the time and the store needs to move it out faster.
Shop sales.  Look at the grocery circular that comes in the mail and see what is a good deal that week, you can save a lot of money this way.
Plan, Plan, Plan!!!!  Don’t go to the store without a list!  You will buy stuff you don’t need if you don’t have a list.
Use coupons.  I don’t because it is so time consuming, but if you have the time it is really amazing what you can do.
-Submitted by: CalFresh Challenger
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I went shopping Sunday to get my basic food together, and it’s an interesting situation.  I spent $22.95 and am pretty well set for lunch and breakfast.  Toast and fruit for breakfast (I bought bananas and apples).  Lunch all week will be yogurt, fruit and a carrot.  I only bought a quart of yogurt, so I may need to buy more yogurt or fruit as the week goes on. The $10 I have left will be needed.

Dinner is where I will really need the help. I bought eggs for Sunday dinner (toast was my side dish), so that may be repeated for another night or more.  In addition I have pasta and marinara sauce, and tortillas, black beans and jack cheese (cheaper than cheddar).  I bought some mixed lettuce ($1.99) to go with the burritos, or maybe a salad one day.

So it looks like I’m headed for a boring and repetitive week, hoping that the budget will hold.

-Submitted by: CalFresh Challenger

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Day two

For breakfast I had some toasted bread, an apple and a cup of coffee. For lunch I made myself a turkey sandwich (again)from the food I had left over from yesterday and for dinner I made myself some flour breaded chicken and some white rice. I bought one small skinless chicken breast, so I cut it up in strips and then dipped it in flour and fried it and then made some white rice to go with it. It was easier today since I was at work most of the day. I do have to say it is hard going grocery shopping and having to look at the price first to see if I can afford it. For example, when I bought the chicken I had to made sure it did not go over $2.00. I also bought a couple of apples and a small bag of rice. The lady at the meat counter must of thought I was weird when I kept telling her it could not be more than two dollars. Well, will see how day three goes.

-Submitted by: CalFresh Challenger