Dinner on the cheap

I've recently become a fan of Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, particularly for days when I don't have a ton of time to prep food.

To save money, because convenience isn't always cheap, I've come to check out the "clearance" food section. I'm picky and won't get just anything. All the foods in the section are foods that can only be sold through the end of the day. Some items look much better than others.

Knowing that I had a hectic night ahead, I picked up a family-size broccoli and chicken Alfredo dish and garlic Parmesan flatbread for a grand total of $6, or 50 percent off. A few weeks back I picked up perfectly good ahi tuna steaks for $5 (ahi in the fresh aisle was $15 to $20) and two slices of cheesecake for $1.50.

Takeaways:

- Get there early. The good stuff goes fast.

- Don't forget your Fresh & Easy coupon. I haven't noticed a weekly advertisement in the newspaper without one. Coupons are generally $3 to $5. Pay attention to minimum purchases.

- Prepare your dish that day or investigate whether it can still be frozen without compromising food safety.

I'm glad dinner will be done in 8 minutes and won't cost me as much as take out.

Cheers!