September 15 Savings

After a long day at work, I stopped by my parents to pick a peck of apples (actually 2 pecks). I learned a peck is 10.5 lbs here. Then, I stopped by Fareway on the way home for $27.76 in groceries-milk, eggs, OJ, fresh fruit, and some essential toiletries. I debated getting the bulk TP because I didn't want to spend money on grocery/household items this month, but I couldn't justify getting the smaller pack with a higher price/roll. After spending an afternoon on spreadsheets figuring out purchase price/landed price/customer cost per unit/end user cost per unit for the candy products I market, I was very in tune to the cost per unit idea.  Ahhh, the stockpiler/justifier in me will never die.  

Tonight's activity was peeling and chopping apples to freeze for later use in pies, apple crisp, apple bread, etc. Tools of the trade: a Pampered Chef peeler (although I wish I had their new handle), a good paring knife, and an ULU knife I bought in Alaska that is perfect for slicing and dicing apples. Read "What the Heck is an ULU" by The Ulu Factory in Achorage (where I visited, but bought a cheaper knockoff version at the tourist shops).

Investment: Picking a 5-gallon bucket full of apples for free (and throwing the bruised ones in the bull pasture), then spending about 2 hours peeling, coring, and chopping 29 cups of apples. (I only did about 1/3 of the bucket.) I packed in 4-cup freezer bags so I can thaw the perfect amount for an apple crisp.

Instead of: Buying about 7 lbs. of apples at the grocery store, which would have cost $.99/lb. today.

Savings: $7

Bonus: My grandpa was happy I picked up the apples so he could mow under the apple tree and now I will be able to bake my favorite apple crisp recipe anytime this winter without a trip to the grocery store.