Saving with Coupons at the Grocery Store without Going Extreme

Too bad cars run on gas instead of milk. Harris Teeter wants to lure you into their store with milk priced at $2.77 a gallon (sale ends 5/17). Yeah, it worked for me. I try to always purchase milk at the supermarket with the lowest price. Usually that means Harris Teeter, but they recently raised the price to $3.19. Sam’s is definitely cheaper and I would imagine Costco is too, but it’s hard to get out of those stores without plucking down $100 or more. 

 I know, lots of you easily spend $100 or more at the local supermarket. Me, I’m cutting coupons, loading up the electronic ones, requesting rain-checks and sending in rebates. Too much work you say. Time is money but I netted a savings of $50.30 (just factoring in coupons and rebates) for 20 minutes of my time. Turn that into an hourly rate and I’m making around $150 an hour. 

In that same shopping trip, I bagged an eggplant from the produce markdown bin for 48 cents. It made a wonderful baba ganoush. 

Baba Ganoush
1 eggplant
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons tahini
1-2  tablespoons  finely chopped green onion or Vidalia onion
juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or squeezed through a press
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin or smoked cumin
Fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place on rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the eggplant is soft the skin has a shriveled appearance.  Let the eggplant cool for about 30 minutes.
3. Once the eggplant has cooled, slice off the stem end and cut the eggplant horizontally in half.  Using a large spoon, scoop out the flesh and seeds and place in a medium sized bowl. 
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, mashing the eggplant with a fork until in reaches a chunky dip like consistency. 
5. Place in a serving bowl (drizzle with extra virgin olive oil) and serve with pita chips or use as a sandwich filling.
6. Makes about 2 cups.