November 2017 grocery shopping journal

I have $221.68 going into the month for groceries, and a pretty empty refrigerator. November will be a very busy month for me, so I will need some easy to prepare foods. That will cost me.

Nov. 3. We need produce, cheese, and some easy to prepare supper foods. Cash & Carry is the spot for cheese at a good price, and they have okay prices on many other items I need. I bought 5-lb block of sharp cheddar (11.98 ), 5-lb bag of white rice (3.29 ), 5-lb bag of gala apples (4.15 ), 10-lb bag of small red potatoes (6.60), 17 bananas (49 cents/lb), 1 head cabbage (1.42 ), 1 large head of Romaine lettuce ($1.49), 4 #10 cans of diced tomatoes (2.40 ea ), 1 #10 can refried beans (5.98 ), 12-oz dried onions (3.77 ), 16-oz garlic granules (5.29 ), 5-lb bags of green peas, green beans, mixed vegetables (4.68 each), 4-lb bag of mixed Asian vegetables (5.88 ), 5-lb bag of beef meatballs (11.89 ), 5-lb bag of potstickers (10.58 ), quart of lemon juice (2.37 ), chicken soup base (3.17 ), 10-lb bag of carrots (4.07 ), 1-lb shredded Parmesan cheese (5.73 ), 3-lb block frozen spinach (3.08)

My daughters were both home when I drove in, and when they saw what I bought they were delighted. Lunches will be easy to make, again, and full of yummy items. Both daughters like having veggies and fruits to take for lunches. I forgot to get more tofu. I'll get that another time. If I'm going to buy prepared foods, like meatballs and potstickers, Cash & Carry is a good place to buy them. What I didn't buy at Cash & Carry was a 50-lb bag of sugar and a 35-lb box of cooking oil. I don't go through that stuff fast enough anymore. So I will be picking up smaller sizes of those items at Fred Meyer.

Spent - $117.50

Nov.7 Senior shopping day at Fred Meyer (10% discount on store-brand items and housewares)
I knew going in this might be expensive, and it was. I bought whole wheat saltines crackers, 2 boxes ($1.34/16-oz), natural peanut butter, 15-oz, 3 jars ($2.06 each), store-brand canned fried onions ($2.24--I normally don't buy these but make my own for green bean casserole, but someone else will make the casserole for me if I have the canned onions for them), 5 loaves of part whole wheat bread (80 cents each), bologna (90 cents), 2 packs cheap hot dogs (80 cents each), 1 package marked down Italian hot link sausages ($1.79), 1 turkey smoked sausage ($2.99), 5 lbs of summer squash marked down to $2 total (40 cents/lb), 2 packs tofu ($1.61 each), 4 cans of Campbell's mushroom soup (coupon + sale, 29 cents each), 2 cans c of chicken soup, (49 cents each), 11 lbs of raw almonds, year supply ($3.59/lb), 4 lbs assorted pasta shapes, (49 cents/lb), 2 large cans coffee, and 2 large cans decaf ($4.49 each), 64 oz soy milk ($2.51), 3 12-oz bags Seattle Best coffee (coupon and sale, $3.90 each), 10 half-gallons milk (89 cents each), 4 large jars applesauce, unsweetened, ($1.97 each), 4 cans green beans, 4 cans corn (44 cents each), 3 48-oz bottles canola oil ($1.79 each), 1 package whole wheat hot dog buns ($1.12), Uncle Ben's Spanish rice (freebie), 5 4-lb bags of sugar ($1.61 each), box of decaf tea bags ($2.24), 4 bags of marked down apples, 16 apples total, and about 2.25 lbs each bag ($1/bag, or about 45 cents/lb), 1 bag of 3 peppers ($1),  3 bananas (39 cents/lb), 1 chocolate cookie pie crust (80 cents). I bought a lot. So much that it didn't all fit in my trunk but I also loaded the back seat. I completely fill the grocery cart, and if there had been more room, I would have bought even more, I am convinced. We just needed a lot this time around.
Spent $149.13

Spent for the month, so far -- $266.63  That's a lot, but we are super well-stocked, now. I think we could get through a couple of months, if we had to.

Nov. 26. Sale on butter for today only at Fred Meyer, with downloadable coupon limit of 5. I buy 5 lbs for $1.99/lb. I also pick up 2 Friday freebies, a bag of Mother's Circus Animal cookies (will use for coffee hour at church on Sunday) and a package of Mentos candy. Total spent $9.95

Nov. 29. Low on fresh produce, so while out I stop at WinCo and buy 3 Fuji apples (98 cents/lb), 2/3 lb of broccoli crowns ($1.28/lb), 1  3/4 lbs red grapes ($1.78/lb), 1 bundle of celery (88 cents), 5 bananas (52 cents/lb), 1 cucumber (48 cents). Total spent $7.43

For the month, then, I spent $284.01, which is $62.33 over my budget for the month. I did buy a lot this month, so maybe I still have quite a lot in stock to carry me through a good chunk of December. we shall see.


What I bought:

Produce
17 lbs apples
25 bananas
10 lbs small red potatoes
1 head cabbage
1 head Romaine lettuce
4 #10 cans of diced tomatoes
12 oz dried onions
16 oz garlic granules
5 lbs green peas, frozen
5 lbs green beans, frozen
5 lbs mixed vegetables, frozen
4 lbs mixed Asian vegetables, frozen
3 lbs spinach, frozen
quart lemon juice
10 lbs carrots
5 lbs assorted summer squash
4 large jars unsweetened applesauce
4 cans green beans
4 cans cut corn
3 sweet peppers
2/3 lb fresh broccoli
1 cucumber
1  3/4 lbs grapes
1 bundle celery

Meat
5 lbs beef meatballs
5 lbs pork and veggie potstickers
1 package bologna
2 packs cheap hot dogs
1 package Italian hot sausages
1 large Polish sausage

Pantry
5 lbs white rice
1 #10 can of refried beans
chicken soup base
32 oz whole wheat saltines
3 small jars natural peanut butter
1 can fried onions
5 loaves whole wheat bread
1 package whole wheat hot dog buns
6 cans of cream soup for casseroles/meatballs and noodles
11 lbs raw almonds
4 lbs pasta
2 cans reg coffee
2 cans decaf coffee
3 bags better quality coffee
144 oz canola oil
1 package seasoned rice (freebie)
20 lbs sugar
1 box decaf tea
1 chocolate cookie pie crust
1 bag frosted animal cookies (freebie)
1 package Mentos candy (freebie)

Dairy
5 lbs sharp cheddar
1 lb shredded Parmesan
2 containers tofu
5 gallons milk
1/2 gallon soy milk
5 lbs butter