tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post2462497019114856513..comments2024-03-27T17:05:32.146-07:00Comments on creative savv: November 2016 grocery spending journalLilihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-1179793156502685292016-12-01T12:54:06.688-08:002016-12-01T12:54:06.688-08:00And your friend was probably thinking that you got...And your friend was probably thinking that you got the raw end of the deal!! You took care of the chore of getting rid of the wood!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-47438637305377128022016-12-01T11:51:32.840-08:002016-12-01T11:51:32.840-08:00I did not know that about non-pectin jam, although...I did not know that about non-pectin jam, although it makes sense. I've always used pectin to make my jam. It's easier (though more expensive). I did gift four jams to our friend who gave us a bunch of firewood (he had just cut down a bunch of cherry trees in his orchard & wanted the wood gone). He took a picture of the jams on his family's Thanksgiving table & sent it to my husband. It was awfully sweet that those jams were so appreciated, even though I felt he got the raw end of the deal on that trade. Matt Macduff Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11043554569369923416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-51154271317732694842016-12-01T09:07:31.812-08:002016-12-01T09:07:31.812-08:00You're right about how tiring all of the sugar...You're right about how tiring all of the sugary stuff can be. I've done 2 types of bread for Christmas gifts in years past, a whole wheat sandwich/toast bread and an almond and dried fruit braid. With the sandwich bread, I usually add a jar of homemade jam or jelly. It's always really appreciated because so few people bake bread, these days. And only a handful of people I know actually make jam or jelly the old-fashioned way, without added pectin (it tends to have more concentrated flavors of the fruit, than pectin-added). <br /><br />I think I'll give challah a try later this month. It sounds like it would be a delicious change for us.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-27422663889930002442016-12-01T08:59:25.516-08:002016-12-01T08:59:25.516-08:00Yes, I think it's nice. It's relatively e...Yes, I think it's nice. It's relatively easy to make (even I can make it) and with eggs so cheap these days it's pretty frugal, too. People love homemade bread. I also think folks get kind of tired of all the sugar during December, so bread is a nice change. Matt Macduff Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11043554569369923416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-1566237891768503402016-12-01T08:58:51.473-08:002016-12-01T08:58:51.473-08:00Hi Angie,
You and I are in similar positions with ...Hi Angie,<br />You and I are in similar positions with our grocery budgets, having really spent into the surpluses, and now little surplus left for December. But we're also very well-stocked, so won't be needing as many of the basic items, but can use our regular grocery budget for some stocking up in December. January is always a fun month for the budget, for me. There are not very many bargains, so I just don't shop much! That's something to look forward to.<br /><br />Have a wonderful day, Angie!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-37628199290524531932016-12-01T08:55:50.578-08:002016-12-01T08:55:50.578-08:00Hi Cat,
It sounds like you have, indeed, been stoc...Hi Cat,<br />It sounds like you have, indeed, been stocking up, even if you didn't spend more this month. It's nice to have all the baking supplies, on hand, for the winter months.<br /><br />Yes, I think we'll be eating well, and many of the meals will be simpler to prepare. So that's a win!<br /><br />Have a great day, Cat!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-35106813041173585472016-12-01T08:53:18.879-08:002016-12-01T08:53:18.879-08:00Hi Melissa,
Oh, I will look for spiral-sliced hams...Hi Melissa,<br />Oh, I will look for spiral-sliced hams, *after* Christmas! It is nice to have them pre-sliced, and they've usually been trimmed of some of the fat, so you're getting more lean meat per pound. <br /><br />Challah -- what nice neighbor gift! I bet that is always appreciated.<br />Thanks for the idea, Melissa!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-38638965319580751722016-12-01T08:47:03.202-08:002016-12-01T08:47:03.202-08:00Hi Belinda,
Not having more time because you are w...Hi Belinda,<br />Not having more time because you are working every week is a very good thing! I know it can be hard to get enough work, sometimes, as a substitute teacher. So this is indeed a "good" problem!<br /><br />Your holiday meal with your BIL sounded very pleasant and low-key. It's nice that you didn't have to cook the whole shebang, and could relax more.<br /><br />Have a wonderful day, Belinda!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-79415494161624978312016-12-01T08:44:20.059-08:002016-12-01T08:44:20.059-08:00Wow, Alice! You did great, and spent way less than...Wow, Alice! You did great, and spent way less than me! My guess is this means there's little waste or frivolous spending in your household. Good job!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-35517414692828788872016-12-01T08:42:33.716-08:002016-12-01T08:42:33.716-08:00Hi Sara,
A lot of people know about the iron in mo...Hi Sara,<br />A lot of people know about the iron in molasses, but it's also really high in manganese, magnesium, potassium and B6. I like the flavor of blackstrap molasses in my coffee. And it's nice added to whole wheat bread dough, for color and flavor. It's good stuff, and not just for gingerbread! (That was all my mother ever used molasses for, so I didn't know how good it could be in so many recipes.)<br /><br />Have a great day, Sara!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-63958741759014807052016-12-01T06:04:32.578-08:002016-12-01T06:04:32.578-08:00You did an excellent job this month, and have a lo...You did an excellent job this month, and have a lot to show for the money! <br /><br />November is definitely the month I spend the most on groceries! I was over my grocery budget by almost $400, and depleted most of my surplus. I only have a $50 surplus to roll into December, but there are few items on my list right now. I'll be looking for markdowns on some holiday treat items, and buying some dairy, eggs, and produce. That's about it. Besides, my pantry is so full, I honestly couldn't fit much more in it! I feel kind of worn out from all of the grocery shopping, toting, pantry organizing, and spending. On the other hand, I feel blessed, and relieved to be stocked for awhile. I'm looking forward to less shopping this month, and even less in January!<br /><br />Angie<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-74000871360292069412016-12-01T04:54:58.613-08:002016-12-01T04:54:58.613-08:00Hmm. Was trying to decide if I've shopped mor...Hmm. Was trying to decide if I've shopped more or not as my budget has stayed the same. However, I have been extra aware of stocking up on sale items or great deals the past few weeks so I think that, despite spending about the same, I've been able to put way more in the pantry/freezer. An extra ham and turkey, quite a few pounds each of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes, brown sugar, coconut oil, butter, baking chips, unbleached flour, my high protein chocolate milk (favorite protein source while hiking), cranberries, pomegranates, oranges (though we've been eating those like crazy), etc... . Good feeling to be stocked up with winter coming!<br /><br />I think you got an amazing amount of food for what you spent. Lots of tasty meals at your house will come from it!Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00396716408304381802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-46631172392922543222016-11-30T17:44:04.672-08:002016-11-30T17:44:04.672-08:00Our total for groceries was $446.09 which was exac...Our total for groceries was $446.09 which was exactly in line of what I expected.<br /><br />AliceAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-75391122696963165682016-11-30T15:54:24.610-08:002016-11-30T15:54:24.610-08:00Hee, hee, Kris and Lili--
I have 2 1/2 gallons o...Hee, hee, Kris and Lili--<br /><br />I have 2 1/2 gallons of molasses in my storage right now. :) The price by the gallon is MUCH thriftier, it lasts sealed a long time, it has a lot of vitamins and minerals, and we like it for both cooking and "syrup"-type uses. We don't have any trouble using it up!<br /><br />Another fabulous month of saving, Lili! You're an inspiration! Sara<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-39413600245229409672016-11-30T12:34:00.353-08:002016-11-30T12:34:00.353-08:00Kudos to you, Lili! I love that you let yourself ...Kudos to you, Lili! I love that you let yourself spend that much of your surplus & you got some really good buys!<br /><br />I stocked up in November, too. I only went about $100 over what I normally spend & I stocked up on canned green beans, canned pumpkin, sparkling cider (I got the same price you did), Chex cereal, powdered & brown sugar, chocolate chips, nuts, tea and sausage. I only bought the two turkeys and those are now gone. I will wait for some good ham deals to pop up after Christmas. Last year I got spiral cut hams for 99 cents/lb. They don't need to be heated before eating so they make great sandwich meat. <br /><br />I will be heading to Cash & Carry sometime soon to pick up a 50 lb. bag of bread flour. Our eldest daughter makes challah bread every year as neighbor gifts. It's so nice to have someone take over that job & the bread is cheaper to make than cookie plates. Melissa Matt Macduff Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11043554569369923416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-39405025792730443262016-11-30T11:29:00.132-08:002016-11-30T11:29:00.132-08:00I have not done more grocery shopping than usual p...I have not done more grocery shopping than usual probably because I've not had time. LOL<br /><br />We did spend T day with the brother in law, so I brought soup beans and chocolate cake, so my expenses were lower than if I had cooked a full T day meal. <br /><br />You got some great bargains this month. It's so nice to be stocked up. :)Belindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17486895127003368291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-7598999085062162692016-11-30T09:25:30.430-08:002016-11-30T09:25:30.430-08:00Hi Patti,
That's strange, the potato thing. I ...Hi Patti,<br />That's strange, the potato thing. I hope you do find potatoes at a great price, very soon! And butter, too!<br /><br />It is nice to be well-stocked. I'm just tired of the spending money part. December should be an easier shopping month for me. <br /><br />Hope your day is off to a wonderful start, Patti!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-89829750074312812642016-11-30T09:10:01.342-08:002016-11-30T09:10:01.342-08:00Good for you getting all those groceries. We are p...Good for you getting all those groceries. We are pretty stocked up except potatoes. I will look again this week.<br />We are out of potatoes. We ordered some from an online<br />site that we had a credit and coupons. They were suppose to send 5lbs they sent 4 potatoes. Kinda funny.<br />the other stuff was a great price I have 2 giant heads<br />of cabbage to do something with just not sure what. We still need butter I will continue to watch but if the price does not come down we will stock up at Costco on<br />butter.I bet you are glad all that shopping is done.<br />Have a great day!<br />Patti<br />Precious People Preschoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02284398084100195331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-44113751699544366742016-11-30T08:55:01.089-08:002016-11-30T08:55:01.089-08:00Hi Alice,
Even I get a little queasy reading throu...Hi Alice,<br />Even I get a little queasy reading through my list, especially all the dairy! I am counting on it lasting for several months, with minimal esle that I need to buy. (fingers crossed)<br /><br />I think your chili dog dinner sounded great. It's okay to occasionally have a less-balanced meal. My daughter's dietician has told her the same. I'm sure you do a good job, overall, and that's what matters. And as you pointed out, none of it was take-out, so financially, your dinner was the better choice. Right now, spending time with your parents is more important than many other things.<br /><br />I've been hoping to make some soups too. When I was at the store a couple of weeks ago, I was stunned by the price of canned soup. I've been thinking that several types of soup in the freezer would be nice to have on hand. Good luck to you, as you prepare for your kids being home for their break.<br /><br />Have a great day, Alice!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-15668980374262481582016-11-30T08:48:20.188-08:002016-11-30T08:48:20.188-08:00Oh, I understand. Our old fridge was a side by sid...Oh, I understand. Our old fridge was a side by side and you couldn't get anything wide into the freezer. I hope you find exactly what you want.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-31862202935034429822016-11-30T08:07:42.976-08:002016-11-30T08:07:42.976-08:00I also think that is A LOT OF GROCERIES! I get it ...I also think that is A LOT OF GROCERIES! I get it that you have 5 adults living, eating, etc. I'll get my all-inclusive tally figured out tonight. I know I spent a bit more since kids were home for Thanksgiving so we'll see how I did.<br /><br />I am hoping not to shop much this month. There is a lot going on and I am not in the mood to fight my way through the stores so it will only be groceries and freezer/pantry options. Not bad considering I also will have my house full with 5 adults for at least the latter part of the month. The deep freeze is so full that we have to push our way through that. I have to do a better job of balancing our meals. Last night was a poor example. I spent some time after work visiting mom and dad and then I needed to cook dinner which was fine but I decided to make myself chili dogs since that sounded so good. Probably not the best food for me but I enjoyed it and got hubby's dinner made. Not terribly balanced but I did get everything out of my freezer and pantry. <br /><br />I want to make a variety of soups and also some brined chicken pieces and I have lot of turkey broth to use up. These are ideas I will use when the kids come home again.<br /><br />AliceAlicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06024364480893258511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-319589618275812912016-11-30T07:16:08.083-08:002016-11-30T07:16:08.083-08:00We definitely want to replace it. Our new fridge i...We definitely want to replace it. Our new fridge is a side by side and because of its shape, it's hard to store a lot of things in it.Live and Learnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-40522381303592100632016-11-30T07:10:04.460-08:002016-11-30T07:10:04.460-08:00Hi Kris,
oh that must sound like a ridiculous amou...Hi Kris,<br />oh that must sound like a ridiculous amount of molasses! It will last us for 2 years, about. I don't buy brown sugar, but add molasses to white sugar, so 1 gallon is not too much for us.<br /><br />From your comments in the last day or so, I do think you're doing a lot of stocking up this month. ;-) There are just a few more items on my stock-up list that I'll look for in December. So next month's shopping shouldn't be nearly as extensive, for me. Where you live, with Aldi, there isn't as much need to stock-up with fall sales, I'd imagine. <br /><br />I hope your day is off to a great start, Kris!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-18093790462861206102016-11-30T07:01:14.630-08:002016-11-30T07:01:14.630-08:00Hi Jayne,
I know. It is a lot of groceries. I can ...Hi Jayne,<br />I know. It is a lot of groceries. I can hardly get into the pantry these days. But, as you know, with a full family living here, we will go through all of it, and likely sooner than I can imagine right now. When I look over my complete list, even I think oh my goodness, that is a whole lot of food.<br /><br />I hope that Christmas and New Year's holidays bring some good sales your way. It did seem to me that this year there were fewer great deals around. That's a little disappointing. But we adjust, and we do what we can.<br /><br />Have a great day, Jayne!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-17263564442461409812016-11-30T06:56:24.384-08:002016-11-30T06:56:24.384-08:00Wow! I didn't know you could buy a gallon of ...Wow! I didn't know you could buy a gallon of molasses! <br /><br />I try to hit the sales during November and December, but I'm not nearly as good at it as you are!Krisnoreply@blogger.com