Weekly Grocery Budgeting Tips & Half a Cow for September Part 3
- Chelsea Stolte
- Sep 25, 2025
- 4 min read
Note: I am posting this 9/25 because the ads from last week are still active up until mid this week :)!
So, this week is a little off for me. We ordered a half cow back in May and it is ready. This week is going to be freezer clean out and leftover eating for us to fit this 300+ pound cow in our freezer(s). I guess tip of the week, buying half a cow @ 3.75/lb saves you tons in the long run. Call up a local butcher and get put on a list! Save a couple hundred a month while waiting on the list and have meat for the whole winter! I know, easier said than done. Hop over to a budgeting sheet to help you save money! I can even help you start planning out for 2026!
Cuts that come off a cow: (options are endless!)
Chipped Beef
Steaks, Del Monico, NY Strip
Roasts
Ground Beef
London Broil or Round Steak
Tongue
Heart
Stomach
Ideas for Preserving Other than Freezing:
Beef & Vegetable Stew Pressure Canned
Pressure Canned Ground Beef
Beef Chili W/ Beans
Dehydrated Jerky
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Garden Seeds to Plant
Kale
Spinach
Lettuces
Beans
Snap Peas
(1" tall cauliflower seedlings)
(1" tall cabbage seedlings)
Root Veggies (beets/turnips)
PLANT YOUT GARLIC HEADS!
I ordered mine from Keene Garlic - check around for a 5% coupon floating around
Get a Zone 5 or 6 Garden Planting Zone Planner For Yourself Here:
Let us dig into the sales to look into this week. This is for my local folks in the tri-state area of Maryland, West Virginia, & Pennsylvania. Maybe some of my fellow Virginia folks!
Food Recalls:
Our least favorite read of the week. Here is your newest list of recalls. What is up with all the lead levels in our food? Lots of spikes in this "contaminant". Keep your eyes peeled!
Shrimp Aquastar (Kroger Brand)- Radioactive Contaminant
Cinnamon - Jiva Organic - Lead Levels Contamination
Sprouts Organic Baby Food Pouches (sweet potato apple & spinach) - Lead Levels Contamination
Wegmans Canned Fruit - Lead Levels Contamination
Costco - Kirkland Brand Ahi Poke Tuna - Possible Listeria Contamination
Walmart - Middlefield Original Cheese - Possible Listeria Contamination
Haifa's Cold Smoked Salmon / Sea Bass - Possible Listeria Contamination
Grocery Savings
Onto the notable SAVINGS! (I am keeping Sam's club this week to see if there are any additional savings). If you treat your grocery shopping like diversifying your funds for a "safe" return, you will be in great shape!
In-Season Fruit/Veg
Try to base your meal prep around the savings you find each week. For example, APPLES are in season! Guess what else is in season? Your Fall / Winter Squashes. don't forget these have an awesome shelf life, keep them cool and in a dark place and you can hang on to these for at least a month! You can pressure can squash like butternut, please do so safely. Try Butternut Squash & Pork Soup. This is one of my favorite home canned meals!
Couponing:
Save A Lot: (same sales as last week) They usually have a few days of break until the next sale. Try another store for savings!
Winners:
Avocado - .79 cents each
Iceburg Lettuce -1.48 each
Rump Roasts - 5.99/lb
Round Steaks - 6.59/lb
Aldi:
Winners:
Avocado - 2.89 6 pack
Winners:
Frozen Mussels - 2.49 (14-16oz)
Winners:
Organic Tomato Pasta Sauce - Simply Nature
Sam's Club:
Winners:
Celcius Energy Drinks
Food Lion:
Winners:
Pork Chops 2.99/lb
Chicken Leg Quarters - .69 cents / lb
Ground Chuck 80% 4.49/lb
Winners:
Russet Potatoes - 1.99/ea
Winners:
Nature's Own Butter Bread - BOGO
Martin's:
Winners:
London Broil - 5.99 / lb
Winners:
Store brand shredded cheese - 1.88 / ea
Winners:
Milk & Toilet Paper Deals:
Save up to $4 on milk - The deal will be ready tomorrow to view.. bummer!
Winners:
4/$5 Progresso Soup - Stock up for the winter!
Winners:
Shrimp: 6.49/lb
Honeycrisp Apples: 1.47/lb
Asparagus: 1.97/lb
Winners:
3.49/lb Ground Beef 80%
My Shopping List
Freezer Clean out! - Nothing for me this week. I gave my opinion on some winners above to get your meals sorted.
Organize! Don't forget you can purchase your own downloadable grocery budget sheet below:
My Meal Plan 9/22- 9/26
Meal | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
Breakfast | x | x | x | Yogurt / Gronola | Yogurt / Gronola |
Lunch | x | x | x | Chicken Burritos | Iceburg Salad with Chicken Avocado and Ranch |
Snack | x | x | Banana | Banana | |
Dinner | x | x | x | Chicken Leg Quarters Grilled | Shrimp with Pasta |
Happy shopping my tri-state friends! Next week there will be a special blog on how to preserve have a cow. Stay tuned :)
~DIY With Chelsea
9.25.2025
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