More for Less | Eat and drink well on a budget

Editor’s Note: Because we’re all feeling the pinch of inflation, the Gazette has begun “More for Less,” a recurring list of budget-friendly things to experience and buy to help stretch your dollar a little further. 

Sometimes it seems like robust, clean eating has become more of a luxury, but saving money on a good meal has to do with being strategic with your BOGOs and sales. 

For a winning stirfry, Winn-Dixie has USDA Choice Certified Angus Beef Boneless Stir Fry on sale for $8.99 a pound. Store-brand, 1-pound packages of brown and white rice are just $1 apiece, and Bolthouse carrot chips are $2 a bag. 

Craving a burger with quality meat? Winn Dixie’s SE Grocers Naturally Better Grass Fed Beef is also marked down to $6.49 a package. All sales expire March 28. 

Are you tired of fish on Fridays, but don’t want to eat meat? Or, do you just love seafood of all types at any time? Faroe Island Scallops are $9.99 a pound, and around 40 to 80 scallops make up a pound; wild-caught, previously frozen. 

It’s a great time to buy strawberries, and Publix has them priced “2 for $5,” which if you’re not familiar with the company’s sales parlance, means they’re only $2.50 a pint. You don’t have to buy two. 

Digital coupons, on Publix’s website or app, include a $1.50 off coupon for a bag of Avocados from Mexico (Sorry about putting that TV jingle in your head!) and buy-two-get-one-free Suja cold-pressed juices. 

Coffee lovers seek out whole-bean coffee, but the prices have risen to absurd amounts lately. Thankfully, Publix, Target and Winn-Dixie stock a variety of whole bean and ground varieties, and mark down their Starbucks 12-ounce packages and K Cups every few weeks. Target has them on sale this week, but the catch is, you have to buy two to get the $7.99 sale price. Since Target hosts Starbucks cafes in their stores, their stock tends to be a little newer than the grocers’ varieties. 

While cooking homemade is always healthier, sometimes you just don’t have time. Good & Gather products at Target are some of the best store-brand items you can find outside Trader Joe’s. They often feature wood-fired frozen pizzas, distinctive hors d’oeuvres and pantry staples for a relatively low price. 

“A lot of foods are both inexpensive and nutritious,” the medical advice publication “Heathline” explains in “19 Clever Ways to Eat on a Budget.” 

“By making some adjustments and using ingredients that you may not be used to, you can prepare many delicious and inexpensive meals,” the article assures.