bulk shopping question

[readyaimduck]

Steve.....Great information!

[readyaimduck]

ready out and for bed, however...
since I have to go to Whicheverita to do shopping   
guess, I had better read up, show up and bring my own bags....(do the one's under my eyes count?   )

Thnak you all for those suggestions...I may just alter my shopping days!! 
I also think Howard needs some business!

ready....<<<<yawning     

[jarhead]

Unless Sam's has changed their policy in the last couple of months, they take personal checks. Aldi's in B-ville will not take checks. Another good store is Save-a-Lot in Coffeyville. Check out the Big Lot's stores too for bargains. That is where ol Sarge buys sardines and smoked herring but of coarse if he was a good fisherman like me he wouldn't be buying ol stink'n canned fish.
Ready, do you can meats ? Last few hogs and a side of beef we butchered I pressure cooked a bunch of the meat. Cubed it up, put in qt jars and pressure cooked for 90 minutes. Can my broth too. My wife loves it that way. Dump a qt of meat---a qt of broth--bring to boil---dump in noodles and 20 minutes later I'm hogging down.

[Catwoman]

Jar, you're correct...Sam's takes checks, if you are a member there.  If you're not, then you have to take cash along to give the person with you who does have a membership there.  The Advantage membership is the lowest cost level and is available to anyone.  I also go to Big Lots but have found that their prices can actually be higher on quite a number of things.  It's like anywhere else...You have to know what it is you're buying and where you can get it cheaper.  I don't can my meats, preferring to freeze them.  However, I do quite a lot of pressure cooking of my meats.  I can take the toughest cut of meat and make it fall off the bone tender. 

[jarhead]

Cat,
I wish you had told me this sooner. My kids always say for me to include their groceries with mine and ME write the check for all----OK, that's a big fat lie.
I have noticed that sometimes at Big Lots the stuff is outdated. Big bag of pretzels marked way down but outdated. I don't care though. Throw them puppies in the freezer and they last a lot longer.
Try pressure cooking/canning some meat. You won't regret it. Looks like C-ration meat but very good. Plus if the electricity goes off I don't have to worry about a freezer. Just lock my bunker/ cellar to keep ol Sarge out and I'm good to go.

[Catwoman]

Jar, canning is the last unexplored frontier for me!  I used to help my mom can tomatoes, cukes, green beans, watermelon pickles, etc.  I once went and figured up what it would cost for me to get into canning and then went to the store and figured up how many cans of canned veggies, etc., that would buy and came to the conclusion that it was more cost effective, for me, to just buy it when it goes on sale at the store.  If I could find someone that was getting rid of all of their jars, lids, the pressure cooker, the hot water bath pot, etc., and just wanted rid of them or was willing to take a low price for them, then maybe I'd be more interested in the canning thing.  I would like to learn how to can again, though, just to be able to say that I'd done it! lol

[jarhead]

No doubt that canning ones own food can be more expensive than buying it a lot of the time. I canned more pickled beets this afternoon. The copious amounts of cold beer it took to get the job done I roughly figure I have  $47 dollars a quart in the beets----but I was gonna drink them cold beers weather I canned or not !! What I like about canning is I know what's in my jars. Aint nothing better than home canned green beans cooked with bacon in them. Jars are usually easy to get. So many people with cellars with jars and if you aint afraid to stand knee deep in nasty water to get them---they are there for the taking(by permission of coarse). Pressure cookers can be bought for a song at auctions and I use them to hot bath stuff in too if I'm too lazy to go out in the fur shed to get the water bath pot. Once people find out you still can you will be surprised at all the jars and rings people will give you just to get rid of them. I had another pressure cooker gave to me a couple months ago but this beast looks like the USS Hunley and I'm about half arsed scared to use it. I plan on selling it to ol Sarge--cheap.

[srkruzich]

I got a pressure cooker for 10.00.  You don't have to pay top dollar for a shiny new one. 
Jars go on sale usually around this time of year, guess dolllar store is the cheapest.  The thing about the cost is did you figure the initial cost in the total savings over 20 years.  Thats where you find that it's cheaper than buying.

[readyaimduck]

  I have never pressure cooked meat.  Do you add anything to it?  That reminds me of the 'real' mincemeat mom had canned for our pies.  I may have to try it, but will need a few pointers.
I, too have canned for years and it does come in handy if you are snowed in and can't get to the store, or when the electricity goes out like it did in 2007.
Cat, I used all my jars from when I was a kid, until they just got plain worn out.  Then a friend gave me 30 qt jars for $1.00, so am back into business. 
The pressure cooker I don't always use...steralize the jars in the microwave.  The only expense is :  jar flats, time, and expense of the beer (I agree with that!)

And, I agree that I KNOW what is in my jars and I get a FULL quart, instead of 2/3 for the expense.

[srkruzich]

  I have never pressure cooked meat.  Do you add anything to it?  That reminds me of the 'real' mincemeat mom had canned for our pies.  I may have to try it, but will need a few pointers.

LOL Mincemeat isn't meat.  I think the only thing that might be considered meat is the suet. Its beef fat.    But you can use vegetable suet to cut down on the fat content.  Alas though i won't be partaking of any mincemeat.  Tooo much sugar! :O

I think the thing about canning meat is to make damn sure you pressure cook it long enough, make sure that those  jars are completely sterile.  it would turn out bad if you got botulism.  Not enough acid to kill it.

I'll tell ya the best thing to use mason pint jars for is the Home made rheumatism medicine you make out in the barn.