tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post5385832830742750172..comments2024-03-17T08:58:39.402-07:00Comments on creative savv: August 2017 Grocery Spending JournalLilihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-43951875203690797882017-09-01T09:00:56.122-07:002017-09-01T09:00:56.122-07:00Hi Alice,
Your trip to the Amish store sounded exc...Hi Alice,<br />Your trip to the Amish store sounded excellent. You picked up a lot of bargains which will come in handy this next month or two. Sorry to hear about the costly car issues. Those are never fun. But now your car is in good shape for a while, again.<br />Have a wonderful weekend, Alice! Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-62590850950447755612017-09-01T08:49:54.906-07:002017-09-01T08:49:54.906-07:00Hi, Lili--
Your coleslaw sounds good. I made one ...Hi, Lili--<br /><br />Your coleslaw sounds good. I made one once with a no-mayo dressing, and it was a really refreshing change (though I like mayo dressings, too!) <br /><br />I've been shopping far less than I normally do, and I didn't write it very clearly yesterday. What I was thinking was that even spending a little more per-item than usual, I was so careful about only buying what I absolutely needed to get through the next couple of days, and thinking out of the box to make it stretch and work with what was on-hand, I'm sure that the meals I've made this month have been much more frugal than what I would have made if I'd had the wider variety of options from a bigger shopping at a bigger, cheaper store. <br /><br />I find that sort of encouraging, actually, because we can't all always access the lowest prices or best sales. It's wonderful when we can, but I've been glad to see how frugal (and still healthy) I did with limited resources, too. <br /><br />In another couple of years, hopefully we'll have a garden again, which would have helped me a lot in this situation, since minimal fresh produce was one of the things I had to buy. <br /><br />Hope everyone will have a safe, fun weekend! SaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-39395180370663403932017-09-01T08:01:14.382-07:002017-09-01T08:01:14.382-07:00Hi Shara,
Oh, I understand the warm weather of lat...Hi Shara,<br />Oh, I understand the warm weather of late summer vs. wanting cool weather foods dilemma. I wonder how much of this is hard-wired (need to fatten up a bit before true cold weather sets in) or emotional (anticipation thoughts of pleasant fall occasions)? Whatever it is, I do this too.<br />Have a great weekend, Shara!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-11243398887112470342017-09-01T07:48:23.694-07:002017-09-01T07:48:23.694-07:00Hi Sara,
I know you shop far less than I do! I ima...Hi Sara,<br />I know you shop far less than I do! I imagine that the backbone of many of your meals is your supply stored away in the pantry and freezer. And yes, definitely, I am far more creative in my cooking when I am running low on some ingredients. I made a really tasty cole slaw without mayo a couple of nights ago. It was a success and a twist I might not have thought of, if I had had mayo on hand.<br /><br />have a great weekend, Sara!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-9510925031751689472017-09-01T07:44:19.583-07:002017-09-01T07:44:19.583-07:00Hi Kris,
Ha! Yeah, those baby red potatoes were a ...Hi Kris,<br />Ha! Yeah, those baby red potatoes were a splurge. For snacks I like microwaving, then slicing and pan-frying in a little butter/oil. They are so delicious. And I love that they are something better for me than Oreos. I do also love sweet treats, but I make most of those.<br /><br />I love your quick-to-make dinner from last week. Those pockets sound delicious, and far more satisfying than a take-out pizza. Excellent job, Kris!<br />Have a great weekend!Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-30280112257524774332017-09-01T07:40:07.276-07:002017-09-01T07:40:07.276-07:00Hi Melissa,
I do sometimes load other coupons onto...Hi Melissa,<br />I do sometimes load other coupons onto my Fred Meyer card, if there's something I need in the coupon list. I used to be better at couponing than I am now. Maybe in the future I'll get that aspect together. Thanks for the tip on Coupon Project.<br /><br />All of our fruit trees did poorly this year, except the figs. we had that cold and wet spring which just kept on, and now so much heat and no rain. But we'll survive. I'm glad you picked up corn and peaches at a good price for freezing/canning. Good luck with your budget this next month. You did well for August, it sounds.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-90004148939148319472017-08-31T12:03:05.914-07:002017-08-31T12:03:05.914-07:00It was going to cost more than the car was worth t...It was going to cost more than the car was worth to get a new transmission, so ... yeah. I now have a new vehicle. My dad was a GM employee so, thankfully, I qualify for the family discount, which is substantial. Hoping to have it paid off in a year. I was hoping our car would last another year or two, but life doesn't always go according to my plans (to say the least!). The good news is ... my old car had front wheel drive but this one has all wheel drive--you know how awful our winters can be. I really hate driving on the bad roads, so hopefully this will make it less scary and enhance my safety! Only trouble is, the car is wayyy more techie than I am. Trying to figure out what features I am likely to use and which ones to ignore. <br /><br />I don't have a great blender, so I don't make smoothies very often, which is too bad, as my kids and I like them and they are a good way to sneak in a lot of healthy foods. Yours sound so tasty!Krisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-60298386877991479352017-08-31T11:33:48.334-07:002017-08-31T11:33:48.334-07:00Hi Lili,
I would say you did just fine in spite o...Hi Lili,<br /><br />I would say you did just fine in spite of your circumstances. Everyone got food when they needed it so that's the important thing.<br /><br />I'll tally mine up tonight. I'm sure it's not good but after last month, I just don't know. Last month we were eating through a lot from the freezer and needed to buy a lot PLUS having five people home 100% of the time, we went through a lot. Now we're down to three, have a lot of veggies in the freezer (it's full to the brim) and there's a little bit of meat in there. So this month was getting the other stuff that we ran out of last month.<br /><br />I did go to the Amish store early Aug. and there little country store had so much stuff nearing the date of expiration and discounted that I bought a lot of stuff. Things like peanut butter, stuffing, a couple of cream soups, etc. The stuffing was 2/$1. <br /><br />Kris, I also had my transmission replaced toward the end of July. That and my AC needed attention that turned out to be a costly affair. But it was cheaper than buying a different vehicle. Things like that really bother me due to the expensive repairs but since we don't live close to public transportation, we have to have it done.<br /><br />We drink our breakfast in the morning these days so we now buy lots of discounted bananas to freeze, grapes, mango or peach if the costs aren't too much, greens (we often can get a bag discounted!), oatmeal, chia, peanut butter. I don't even have cereal or eggs/toast for breakfast much anymore. Maybe on a weekend. <br /><br />AliceAlicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06024364480893258511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-40478914113427384782017-08-31T11:20:27.639-07:002017-08-31T11:20:27.639-07:00Everything sounds good!
We are in that weird we...Everything sounds good! <br /><br />We are in that weird weather stage where we know fall is coming and we want to eat heavier meals, but it is still hot and we don't want to cook a lot. I think putting the chili aside is a great idea.Sharahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08766692049927299389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-54314186062519147202017-08-31T08:28:21.206-07:002017-08-31T08:28:21.206-07:00Hi, Lili--
Looks like a good chunk of food for th...Hi, Lili--<br /><br />Looks like a good chunk of food for the amount you spent, as usual. :) Hooray for you! You're my grocery-thrift hero! <br /><br />About the number of shopping trips you make per month.... I haven't been to a major grocery store (or any other major store) all month, due to a complex set of circumstances (which are unimportant). But although I always hate to use up a lot of my back-up stores, because eventually I'll need to re-stock them, as you said for your fall supplies, I sometimes find it's a fairly economical thing. Don't you find that you are sometimes very thrifty and creative with your pantry/freezer stores when you can't get out or choose not to go out until a more practical time or sale time? I seem to do that. I haven't added it up, but I am pretty sure I saved a lot this month. <br /><br />Take care! SaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-1196108417946861502017-08-31T08:21:53.511-07:002017-08-31T08:21:53.511-07:00I love it that baby red potatoes are a splurge ite...I love it that baby red potatoes are a splurge item for you. Much healthier than, say, Oreos! <br /><br />It was smart of you to stock up on easy meals for your family at home when you went on vacation. Yes, a little pricier than normal, but if you make it easy, it takes away from the temptation to eat out and spend even more. <br /><br />When my transmission died on my car last week, I got home and made chicken pockets for dinner (basically, cooked and sliced chicken mixed with cream cheese plopped into 2 crescent rolls which have been formed into a square and baked). I told my husband, "Wow, didja see how quickly I got dinner on the table tonight even after my crazy afternoon?" and he said that he was surprised I didn't suggest takeout pizza. Funny thing is, the thought didn't even cross my mind. I guess we frugalistas are just programmed for DIY. :)Krisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-47989023453696726542017-08-31T07:40:08.481-07:002017-08-31T07:40:08.481-07:00You did well, Lili! I came in slightly under budg...You did well, Lili! I came in slightly under budget, even with buying corn for freezing and peaches for canning (our peach trees did terrible this year--one farmer told me our cold spring affected everyone's peach trees). Next month is a long one, budget wise, so I'll be digging deep into our food storage & getting creative the best I can.<br /><br />P.S.--Do you ever load other Fred Meyer digital coupons? I got 10 jars PB there this month for $.99 cents per jar (2 different trips--5 jars each, the coupon limit). I also picked up some snack items for my daughter's upcoming birthday for super cheap using the digital coupons. The Coupon Project does lots of good match-ups. I don't have time to research this stuff by myself :) MelissaMatt Macduff Familyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11043554569369923416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-60772316211553056842017-08-31T06:32:27.452-07:002017-08-31T06:32:27.452-07:00Hi live and learn,
Thank you. I am trying to find ...Hi live and learn,<br />Thank you. I am trying to find a balance between pushing myself to do the regular things in my life and giving myself a break when the dark cloud descends. Overall, I think my outlook is improving. It helps that a certain amount of stuff just has to get done.<br /><br />For my grocery budget, I've been using up our surplus, which I would need this fall to stock up on canned/frozen vegetables. I'll either have to find money elsewhere in the budget, or try and be more careful.<br />I hope your day is off to a great start, live and learn.Lilihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13292553654219380455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4055690688282230469.post-9653363246707377712017-08-31T03:49:40.537-07:002017-08-31T03:49:40.537-07:00Lili, it's so nice that you feel well enough t...Lili, it's so nice that you feel well enough to do some of your regular posting again. Looks like another good month of grocery shopping even with the convenience foods.Live and Learnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13493777474885053903noreply@blogger.com