Aug. 6. After church a quick stop in at Albertson's for a few very basic necessities. I bought 1 small jar of peanut butter ($1.99), a dozen eggs ($1.39), 1 gallon of whole milk ($1.79), a loaf of bread ($1.50), a large head of Romaine lettuce (99 cents), and 3 bunches of bananas (about 15) for $3.26. Total spent $10.92.
This should get us through several days. I hope to go grocery shopping on Wednesday and do a good stock-up.
Aug. 9. Fred Meyer -- I'm going out of town for a week and I want to leave a good stock of easy to fix foods behind. This won't be cheap! I find a large box of mixed variety donuts on markdown for $2.29, a package of hot dog buns (for tonight's dinner) for $1.25, 2 loaves of wheat bread for 89 cents each, large bag of tortilla chips for $1.25, package of hot dogs for 89 cents, package of Black Forest lunchmeat ham for $3.49, 2 dozen eggs for 79 cents/dozen, 5 jars of peanut butter (1 free with coupon, 4 for $1.49 each), 2 chicken strip frozen dinners for $1.29 each, 2 Marie Callendar frozen turkey pot pies for $2.50 each, a large veggies tray marked down to $4.99, and a smaller veggies tray with dip for $4.49, a deli bean, pepper and salsa dip bowl for $5.99, a box of frozen fish sticks for $5.79, a bottle of Ranch salad dressing for $1.67, a large bottle of vegetable oil for $2.29, half-gallon of skim milk marked down to 89 cents, a 5-lb bag of carrots for $2.99, about a dozen bananas for 59 cents/lb. Total spent -- $57.14
A lovely facebook friend sent me a 10% off Friends and Family coupon (Thank you!) which I had every intention to use today. I printed it out (along with some other papers), put the coupon and other papers into my purse as I was getting ready to leave. At the last minute, I grabbed my purse and saw all of those other papers and thought "I don't need those with me right now, I'll leave them on the bed." Well, of course, I'd forgotten about the coupon until I drove into the FM parking lot. At that point I figured it would cost me about as much in gas as I'd save with the coupon, and I was short on time. So I missed out on using that coupon. Frustrating.
Spent for the month, so far -- $68.06
Aug. 21
When I got home there were actually a few things left from the convenience items I had bought, even a couple of donut halves -- kind of stale, but a quick zap in the microwave and a stale maple bar becomes edible. I do need to get out for a good stock-up of basics and produce. I decided to go to Cash & Carry, where I splurged on produce. I bought a 5-lb bag of frozen green beans ($3.89), 3-pack of celery ($1.32), 4 lbs of strawberries ($6.28), 3 lbs of red grapes ($4.28), 4 bundles of bananas (49 cents/lb), 2 heads of Romaine lettuce ($1.49 each), 3 pack of English cucumbers ($3.37), head of green cabbage ($1.18), 5 lb bag of baby red potatoes ($4.78), 32 oz of frozen cranberry juice concentrate, enough to make a gallon of cranberry juice ($1.99), an institutional-size can of Stagg chili ($9.87), 5 lbs of frozen beef meatballs ($11.89), 5 lb block of mild cheddar cheese ($11.69), 2 gallon box of 2% milk ($4.87), 12-pack of hoagie rolls ($2.72), 1 gallon of soy sauce ($5.69). Total spent $81.23.
What a contrast in shopping weeks, right? I came home from my week away determined to eat as healthy as I can, even if it means spending more on produce than I would normally. And I also wanted to build in some conveniences, and that's where the hoagie rolls, canned chili and pre-made meatballs come in. The chili weighs about 6 lbs. It could easily feed our entire family for 3 meals, with maybe a little leftover, and very little work for me. I have this can tucked away in a closet for now. My plan is to pick up several institutional-size cans of chili, soup or stew this summer and fall, to make for easy meals later on. The meatballs will be added to some homemade marinara sauce, pre-made in large batches, and kept in the freezer, for spaghetti and meatballs or meatball subs (with the hoagie rolls, already tucked in the freezer). The hoagie rolls will serve as buns for pizza subs, meatball sandwiches and a base for garlic bread. I froze them so they wouldn't get gobbled up as snacks. The baby red potatoes were a real splurge for me, at almost $1 per pound. But again, these are a convenience item. They are pre-scrubbed, small, and ready to give a quick rinse, prick and microwave. One or two of them are just right for a quick addition to my lunches, or chopped and added to an otherwise meager dinner if topped with some butter, or added to a salad. And I wanted them.
I had wanted to pick up some cocoa powder, but at Cash & Carry it's overpriced unless you buy a 5-lb bag. So I also made a stop at Trader Joe's, where I bought a 9 oz canister of cocoa powder ($2.49) plus a 1 lb package of applewood smoked bacon ends and pieces for $4.49. I also enjoyed tasty samples and free coffee. Total spent $6.98.
Total spent for the month so far -- $156.27
Aug. 26 Running errands, spending time with one daughter, going to the farmer's market (way overpriced, here), window shopping, we stopped by Fred Meyer to pick up whole chickens on sale for 87 cents/lb. I picked out 6 chickens, bought 1 loaf of bread for 89 cents, and got a free box of Annie's mac and cheese. Spent $28.36.
Total spent for August -- $184.63. I had $230.27 available to spend this month, which leaves me with a surplus of $45.64 to roll over to September.
What I bought
Meat
1 package hot dogs
1 lb ham lunchmeat
2 frozen dinners
2 frozen pot pies
family-size box fish sticks
5 lbs meatballs
1 lb bacon ends and pieces
6 whole chickens
Produce
3 heads Romaine lettuce
45 bananas
2 veggie trays
1 bean, salsa, pepper dip bowl
5 lbs carrots
5 lbs frozen green beans
3 bundles celery
4 lbs strawberries
3 lbs grapes
3 large cucumbers
1 head green cabbage
5 lbs baby red potatoes
32 oz frozen cranberry juice concentrate
Dairy
3 dozen eggs
3 1/2 gallons milk
5 lbs cheddar cheese
Pantry
dozen donuts
4 loaves bread
1 package hot dog buns
1 large package hoagie rolls
1 bag tortilla chips
6 jars peanut butter
1 bottle Ranch dressing
1 bottle vegetable oil
large can of chili
1 gallon soy sauce
1 canister cocoa powder
1 box of macaroni and cheese (freebie)
It doesn't look like a lot of food, does it? We're still using up all of our surpluses in the freezer and pantry, and getting a smidge out of our very poor garden. I may go shopping later this morning, or I may just try and wait this out until Senior Shopping Day on Tuesday. For the month, I stopped at stores 5 times (with 2 of those times on the same outing), which tells me that I am not spending a whole lot of my time grocery shopping these days.
I hope that summer has been easy on your grocery budget!
Foods that we are now out of, and what I am doing to get by:
- fresh milk -- mixing up powdered milk from the pantry
- sliced bread -- baking biscuits; making pancakes; making an occasional batch of focaccia, plain and seasoned
- bananas, grapes, other purchased fresh fruit -- using wild blackberries, and figs from our trees
- mayonnaise -- making dressings with oil and vinegar instead; using individual packets of salad dressing which contain mayo
- eggs (not quite out, down to 2 eggs, so saving those last two) -- using egg substitutes
