Grocery Shopping for February

Before this week's snowfall, I cut some branches from the
native plum trees, providing us with an indoor taste of spring.

So the month of February is about over, and I'm done with grocery shopping until next month. I feel like I shopped an average amount of days in February. Some of these trips to stores were two-in-ones, going to two or more stores on the same run. I tend to grocery shop once per week. WinCo is further away, so I limit trips there to every other week. Walmart, on the other hand, is practically right around the corner, and Grocery Outlet is directly across the street from Walmart. 

WinCo is my preferred store, so even with the extra cost in gas, I still shop there, just less often. It's a more pleasant shopping atmosphere, even when crowded. WinCo has slightly better prices on many foods, an enormous bulk section, and better quality on dairy, eggs, and meat. While Walmart may not be as pleasant to shop in, they have some items, such as chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and vegetable oil, that are priced lower than anywhere else. In addition, I sometimes need to get milk or produce during the weeks I'm shopping local and will get those closer to home, meaning Walmart or Grocery Outlet.

The tally for the month

2 visits to Walmart

$40.74 - cabbage, bananas, Roma tomatoes, avocados, bell pepper, gallon milk, egg noodles, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, vegetable oil

2 visits to Grocery Outlet

$14.76 - graham crackers, strawberries (for Valentine's Day), canned beets, turkey bacon, smoked chicken-artichoke sausages

1 visit to Target

$14.76 - eggs, 4 18-count cartons

2 visits to WinCo 

$137.99  - red and green heads of cabbage, cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, avocados, bell peppers, carrots, bananas, Fuji apples, 2-pack of whole chickens, milk, sharp cheddar cheese, organic flour, canned tuna, mayonnaise, dried fruit, butter, 3 tofu, chia seeds, baking powder, pepperoni slices, corn starch, powdered sugar, flax seed meal, bran, pink M&Ms (for Valentine's Day), baking coconut, prepared mustard, garlic granules, roasted peanuts

Total spent for February -- $208.25

The last couple of months our spending has been on what may seem to be the low side. That will change for next month, as we get more high-quality beef again. It's expensive, but so worth it to us. To afford this, we're mostly sticking to the basics, cooking and baking from scratch, and buying in-season or budget-friendly produce (exception Valentine's strawberries). Anyway, our monthly grocery spending fluctuates significantly due to our periodic beef purchases now. 

What I bought this month

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables:

4 heads cabbage (green and red)

2 cucumbers

6 avocados

a dozen+ Roma tomatoes

3 green bell peppers

20 pounds carrots

several bunches bananas

4 bags Fuji apples

1 pound strawberries (Valentine's Day purchase)

Dairy/Refrigerated:

3 gallons milk

2 small blocks cheese

6 dozen eggs

3 containers tofu

4 pounds butter

Meats:

2 whole chickens

1 package turkey bacon

1 4-count package smoked chicken sausages

1 package sliced pepperoni (enough for 2 to 3 large pizzas)

For the Pantry:

1 gallon vegetable oil

1 package egg noodles

4 canisters cocoa powder

2 jumbo bags semi-sweet baking chips

1 bag baking coconut

2 bags powdered sugar

10 pounds organic flour for bread

1 box graham crackers

1 jar mayonnaise

1 bottle mustard

5 cans beets

2 cans tuna

bulk items:

pink M&Ms (Valentine's Day purchase)

dried fruit (dates, prunes)

chia seeds

baking powder

corn starch

flax seed meal

bran

granulated garlic

roasted peanuts

How is grocery shopping going for you in 2024? Do you drive out of your way to shop at a preferred store as I do? Are you still able to stick to your budget, or have you had to increase your budget due to rising costs or a new emphasis on eating better? It can be challenging, can't it?