The 99 Cent Chef: Best Cheap$kate Food Finds of 2022

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Best Cheap$kate Food Finds of 2022

It's back to basics in this roundup of my Best Cheap$kate Food Finds of 2022. That doesn't mean you won't find a few outrageously one-of-a-kind cheap deals that I crow about. It's just this year prices have reached record heights for my regular finds. So go ahead and read 'em and reap (the savings, that is!).

My goto 99c only Store and Dollar Tree have raised prices all around. Dollar Tree prices are now at $1.25 for rock bottom. And the 99c only Store has fewer 99-cent deals that I've grown to depend on -- good luck finding small containers of mushrooms or fresh berries for one dollar, they are now in the $1.99 range.

Click on any photo to see larger.

But I shouldn't complain as there are still plenty of deals to be had, just not as many. So read on and check out what I came across in 2022.

My neighborhood Latin market, Superior Grocers, is where I get most of my veggies for less than a dollar per pound, and still a great deal.

My chain grocer, Ralphs, sells Collard Greens for 99 cents per bunch. And that includes mustard and turnip. I have been adding greens to more of my recipes including Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Black-eyed Peas.

I go to Dollar Tree for frozen bags of vegetables in a Stir Fry. I like the frozen Peas & Carrots combo.

My Latin market has dried beans and so does Dollar Tree. I get Pinto Beans for a Mexican-style Beans recipe and Great Northern White Beans for a chicken and sausage French Cassoulet.

The 99c only Store has small boxes of cooked organic beans and they are low in sodium. I would add some to fill out a fresh salad or mash them for my famous Huevos Rancheros recipe. Don't know how much longer they will be carried. As I've said many times, you should shop impulsively there as these deals do not hang around very long.

I can still get Deli Meat for a buck every once in a while. I've found you can freeze deli meat and cheese, so get plenty of it when you see it on sale. With these finds, I can make Deli Sandwiches cheaper than Subway.

I prefer Almond or Oat Milk in my breakfast cereal and regular Milk in my coffee.

I haven't seen eggs at Dollar Tree lately, maybe they will come back? I do find 4-slice packages of Bacon and small packages of Breakfast Sausage, though. That's enough for Country Gravy with Sausage.

Meat is expensive these days, but I still can get Chicken legs for 99 cents per pound. Just this past Thanksgiving and Christmas whole Turkey was still on sale for way less than a buck a pound. I always get a Turkey to semi-defrost and break down (like in my animated GIF below) for later use in Gumbo, Jambalaya, Soup, or roasted Turkey Breast. I hardly ever finish a whole Turkey so I have leftover recipes you can look up here.

I get small tins and packs of Fish for around a buck apiece. Just add the fish to cooked pasta for a quick entree. Frozen small packs of Shrimp are enough for a Stir Fry with veggies and rice. I make a cheap$kate Salmon Spread (schmear) with packs of Salmon.

I often have a can of Fish or Smoked Oysters with crackers and Olives while parked in front of the TV.

Pasta and cans and jars of Pasta Sauce are plentiful and still cheap. Check out some of my Pasta Entrees here.

Corn and flour Tortillas for Tacos and Burritos are still good deals.

Can't get Hamburger cheaply like I used to, but individual 5.3-ounce Beef Patties with Buns make appearances at my local Dollar Tree. You can still get Hot Dogs and Buns, along with Condiments, too. Here is a link to my favorite Hot Dog Recipes.

Well, let's get to the wild finds of the year. I couldn't believe it when I saw such good quality Turkey Bacon. I bought enough to freeze for later, too. And I made a yummy Turkey BLT.

I like a bar of chocolate so I was all over this organic Hershey Bar. There are always plenty of desserts and sweets that show up for the right price.