Grocery Shopping May 2023

May 8. Fred Meyer primarily for bags of chicken manure for the garden, plus some other non-food items (OTCs, hair conditioner, thread). While there, I checked the clearance sections for deals. I found boxes of Rice-a-roni pasta shells and cheese side dish (basically mac and cheese) for 38 cents/ea, I bought 8 boxes. I also found half-gallons of 2% milk for 52 cents (exp date not until the 15th), I bought 8. Spent $7.24

May 12. Running errands and stopped at Walmart for bananas (58 cents/lb). I know, small purchase, but I was literally in the same strip so walked over to Walmart. Spent $1.84

May 13. Day before Mother's Day. One daughter and I went to Fred Meyer to buy the rest of what we wanted for Mother's Day brunch. While there, we also bought flowers for the new beds, a purple sage plant, and more potting soil. For Mother's Day food, we chose mango lemonade ($2.50), raspberry lemonade ($2.50), coconut-pineapple juice ($4.49), a bagged salad ($4.49), 1 lb of deli salad ($7.51), and cut-up cantaloupe ($5). We also cruised by the clearance section and found 2 cans of peas (38 cents each), 2 cans green beans (38 cents each), 1 can of mixed peas and carrots (42 cents) and a bunch of marked down bananas for 49 cents/lb. Spent $29.20

May 16, It's Tuesday, Senior discount day at Value Village. Nothing I wanted today, but I popped into Walmart next door and bought a 5-lb bag of carrots ($3.88) and a couple of bunches of bananas (58 cents/lb). Spent $4.95

I also went across the street to Grocery Outlet where I bought 7 packages of Birds Eye frozen shredded veggies (cabbage, carrots, green onions) for 49 cents each, 1 16-oz bag of frozen peppers and onions for 99 cents (it was mostly onions), 2 16-oz bags frozen peas (good product) for $1.29/ea, 3 boxes of graham crackers (99 cents each, for s'mores this summer), 1 package of fig bars (99 cents), 1 package of Oreo-type cookies (99 cents). Spent $11.95

May 22. A bunch of errands today. I first stopped at Grocery Outlet where I bought 2 more packs Oreo-type cookies (99cents/ea) and 2 more fig bars (99 cents/ea), 10-oz frozen blueberries (for muffins) at $2.69, a box of Kashi cereal for $3.99 (I thought I could eat this cereal, turns out I can't), a 2.5-lb bag of apples for $2.99, 16-oz mushrooms for $2.99, frozen stir fry vegetables for 99 cents, the last 4 packages of the Birds Eye veggies for 49 cents/ea, and 4 frozen pizzas for 50 cents each. I spent $21.87

I'm struggling with digestive issues still. Miso soup is a food that always helps. I went by World Market and bought an 8-pack of instant miso soup for $3.99

May 23. It's a Tuesday, so I'm checking out Senior day at Value Village. One of my daughters came with me to use my discount if she found anything and to go to Grocery Outlet to buy a few pizzas for herself. She didn't, but I found a set of 8 pink glass dessert plates for $6.97. Right next door to Value Village is Walmart. I popped in for bananas (58 cents/lb) and a head of green cabbage (82 cents/lb). Spent $3.86

Directly across the street is Grocery Outlet. I bought the last 3 frozen pizzas for 50 cents/ea and a 16-oz bag of whole almonds for making almond milk ($5.99). Spent $7.49

May 25. At Fred Meyer for gardening supplies. I went into the main store and also bought marked-down bananas at 49 cents/lb and a 3-lb bag of onions for $1.79. We'd just recently run out of onions from the 50-lb bag I bought at the end of last summer. We've been using chives in place of onions, but some dishes just work better with bulb onions (pot roast on the menu this week). Spent $2.28

May 28. On the way home from church, I stopped at Walmart to buy a box of donuts for my family ($3.48), along with some rolls ($2.42) and 2 veggie trays ($4.04 ea, on markdown) for Memorial Day. I spent $13.98

What I bought this month

8 boxes pasta and cheese

2 cans peas

1 can peas & carrots

2 cans green beans

3 boxes graham crackers

3 packages fig bars

3 packages Oreo-type cookies

1 box cereal

instant miso soup

1 lb whole almonds

1 box of donuts

8 half-gallons milk

several bunches of bananas

5 lbs carrots

1 head cabbage

2.5 lbs apples

1 lb mushrooms

3 lbs onions

11 bags of frozen cabbage/carrots/green onions

1 bag frozen peppers and onions

2 bags frozen peas

1 bag frozen blueberries

1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables

7 frozen pizzas

Mother's Day foods

3 bottles of juice

1 container cantaloupe chunks

2 salads

Memorial Day foods

whole wheat rolls

2 raw veggie trays

Spent for the month of May -- $108.65

That probably doesn't look like a whole lot of money to spend on food for a month. My digestive issues make me unhungry and not interested in buying food. We've been living off of what we have in the freezers and pantry. It's been somewhat surprising all of the meat I have pulled from the freezer. Today I found 2 more pounds of ground beef purchased in 2021. 

There were 2 special days in this month, Mother's Day and Memorial Day. We used foods we already had and supplemented with a few purchased foods for each special meal. Our menu for Mother's Day comprised of an egg, sausage, pepper casserole (daughter bought the pepper), turkey bacon, croissants and muffins (son and daughter-in-law brought), 2 salads, strawberries (son and daughter-in-law brought), cantaloupe, and juices. Our menu for Memorial Day included grilled marinated pork loin, whole wheat rolls, raw veggies and dip, tortilla chips and home-canned salsa, rhubarb pie, homemade lemonade, and some probiotic soda my son and daughter-in-law brought.

The end of last season's garden overlapped with the beginning of this season's garden, which means we've had a continuous supply of fresh veggies. A week ago, I pulled up the last of 2022's Brussel sprout plants, picking off the leaves to be used as greens for several night. These were the last 2022 veggie plants to be pulled out. The next day I planted a second batch of Swiss chard in its place. I've been using frozen 2022 garden veggies and fruit regularly -- still have frozen blackberries, carrot greens, apple chunks, sorrel, and whole grape leaves left. And now, we have 2023 salad greens, nasturtium leaves, chives, parsley, garlic greens, and rhubarb several days per week. The turnips are about a week away from the first to be used. And the kale is looking pretty great with perhaps harvesting beginning in mid-June. The zucchini just began blooming. So, we're doing well.

I did buy a lot of what I think of as junky or snack foods this month for my family. The frozen pizzas are all for them, as is the pasta and cheese dinner boxes. I try not to eat the Oreos or fig newton-type cookies as they really aren't good for me. And of course, the donuts weren't the healthiest food I bought this month. I see these foods as treats to make our lives a little more interesting at a small cost.

I can't seem to stick to a strict elimination diet for more than a couple of days. I don't have the will power right now. So, I'm stuck in a persistent flare until I can just stop eating the foods that are problematic for me.

Well, that's it for grocery spending in May of 2023. I've got some extra $$ now that I can put towards stocking up for next winter.