Expensive Goldfish (Week Ending December 4, 2024)
My Optimum Week
Upon sober reflection, I didn’t go for the two basket PC air fryer that was at the top of the Black Friday deals. It’s always the nine-cent thermistor made in China that ends the life of one of these cheap appliances. This one had the dual basket Sync mode blah blah blah bells and whistles. It scared me off. For the same price they had a simple single basket Ninja model that was a better fit in my little kitchen. $150, on sale for $100. 25,000 points and $20.45 in stamps means we paid $54. It’s works better than either one of my last two purchases in this category.
Flyer Madness
Last week, you will remember I took umbrage when the Zehr’s flyer said $5 for a bag of potatoes was a PRICE DROP? Ya, this week, they are $1.79. That’s a PRICE DROP. Aren’t you glad you didn’t buy any? Wait? I told you to buy them? Well … don’t listen to me, I day drink. Buy them again. I had a look for the easiest thing to make and freeze with potatoes. It looks like these raw hash browns are the answer.
Here is how you might want to use up to half a bag (5 lbs.) and get a lot of carbs for eighty-nine cents!
- 15 small, 12 medium or 9 large potatoes, peeled and grated
- Soak in cold water for 15 minutes, drain
- Bring large pot of salted water to a rolling boil
- Working in batches, drop in a large handful of potatoes
- Let it return to a boil, give it one minute and remove with a slotted spoon
- Repeat until done and place everything in a large mixing bowl
- Add salt and pepper to taste, 3 eggs* and half a cup of bread crumbs
- Make small pizza sized versions that fit your frying pan. A cake tin works
- Fill it to ¾ of an inch after using non-stick spray, tip out on a plate (again non-stick spray and freeze for one hour
- Place singles in a large Ziploc bag and freeze
*Raw eggs can be problematic during the thawing process. There may also be some closet vegans out there. I looked up a substitute and they say to replace the three eggs with 1/3 cup of oil, 1/3 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of baking powder. I’ve never tried it but it sounds like it would work. Let me know?
More Flyer Madness
Once again, this is one of those late month flyers where it would appear Zehr’s is taking a breath. Don’t worry, everyone on the planet (including the folks who manage Zehr’s profit margins) is keen for your Christmas grocery spending dollars. Just wait a week. Let’s look at the calendar and prognosticate?
Christmas is on a Wednesday this year, so the flyer / Optimum cycle from December 19th (that’s three weeks from now) will be your last chance, grocery wise. There will be very few deals, except for red and green stuff that they are afraid to get stuck with. That disgusting Candy Cane Ice cream comes to mind. It’s also the week when you should stay far away from grocery stores, malls, post offices, basically everyone on the planet who doesn’t have your last name. . If you absolutely have to get something … send your spouse? I have a buddy who still talks about his wife sending him to the post office in a Shoppers Drug Mart (ffs) two days before Christmas! We laugh and we laugh.
Now the week before that (December the 12th) is zero hour. Zehr’s muffed the turkey sale timing at Thanksgiving and made Food Basics an extra three or four million. Unless they muff it again, I suspect one of these two weeks will have the Butterballs for $1.99 Get the pre-stuffed one! This is also the week where you will need your Christmas fruits and vegetables. If you buy it on the 15th, it’s gotta still be good twelve days later. Freshness matters here. Pay the lady.
So next week (beginning December 5th) should be excellent. Get your turkey, ham, smoked salmon, baking goods and hors d’oeuvres. It is now legal (ladies) to put up that Christmas tree and assorted dusty relics from your past. If you go early in the day (and not on Saturday), store staff might even still have smile for you. Probably not, but it’s worth a shot. So, this week, I would shop light and let the deals come to you next week. Eschew the Ninja two basket air fryer. You can get the same model for the same price on Amazon, delivered to your front door. There were a few deals and they are on your list:
At the eleventh hour this week, I found a triple. You are going to see a flyer deal for a 10-piece Glass food storage set. Regular price is $66 on Amazon and they are on sale at Canadian Tire for $50. Zehr’s has them for $24! Then there is digital points deal coming out in your offers for 6,000 if you spend more than $25 on food storage.
Plan A – If you can use two sets or want a nice $20 present for someone under the tree. Pay $48, get $7 back in points. That’s $41 for two 10-piece sets!
Plan B – It’s no accident that the points deal hits at one dollar more than the Glassware deal. Just buy a single piece of Tupperware or better yet, buy one of those foil turkey roaster pans. Saves the ugly part of clean-up. Just pitch it after you make gravy. You got your glassware set for $17!
Offer Madness
This describes my reaction to getting this message when I got up at four to finish this week’s list!
The little smiling fat blob was a nice touch. One thing I did see last night in the coming soon category was a Dyson V15 Cordless Vacuum for 400,000 points and $99 from Shoppers. My first reaction was Big Whup. Then, I looked them up! A thousand bucks for a stick vacuum? On sale at Best Buy for $800. I know it’s Dyson and all that but jeesh. If you are in the market for an $800 vacuum, you can save $300 off the sale price. I guess that’s a deal?
I got a call after last weeks list and was asked “Did you stop reading?” No, I just got behind in doing my book reviews on Goodreads, so I said nothing. Almost caught up now.
Finished:
The Wrong Side of Goodbye (Connelly)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6998969670
Two Kinds of Truth (Connelly)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7032992126
Icerigger (Foster)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7033017487
Decision at Doona (McCaffrey)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7033040784
Watched:
Exmas on Netflix (sucked Neutonium, sucked it hard, sucked it deep)
The Old Man (Season Two) – Wonderful
Watching:
Grace on BritBox (excellent)
I bought a $62 bubbler to keep $10 worth of gold fish alive through the winter. I am not sure it was a wise spend for a senior on a fixed income, but it sort of keeps my garden alive until spring. Bloop bloop.
Happy Thanksgiving to my US friends.
Mitch & Maddie