September's Grocery Plans

Yes, we really did go through 9 gallons of milk this month! I thought maybe we might have 1 extra gallon leftover. But nope -- we must be heavy-duty milk consumers. Well, 3 of those 9 gallons were made into yogurt. Does a 6-gallon milk consumption sound any better?

Making the Plans

This week, I've been reviewing what we went through this past month, surveying the pantry and freezer, and working on the shopping plans for next month. We need milk again, as well as yeast for baking bread. We have enough eggs, chicken, and beef to last through September. In addition, September should be a good month for our garden. Even though we have a huge stash of blackberries, we will need some pieces of fresh fruit for lunches. I don't want to spend or allocate all of our budget for the month, up front, but instead want to hold some back in case I find some unexpected great deals or to save for fall sales, later. I will be watching for canned vegetable sales, and deals on fresh green peppers and bottled lemon juice.

At the end of August, we have $7.08 of the budget remaining. Add to that a coupon for $5 off any purchase at Fred Meyer plus the $135 that I have allocated, so we have $147.08 to spend on food.

Budget - $135 plus $7.08 + $5.00 = 147.08

My List

WinCo

cocoa powder, $2 worth

chocolate chips winco/Walmart 1.88/12 oz – only if < 1.88/12 oz, otherwise wait

powdered milk, $1 worth - bulk bins

coffee creamer, $1 worth - bulk bins

raisins, $1 worth - bulk bins

check chili powder price < 4.91/lb

Sprouts

peaches 3 lbs/$1, 9 lbs – before 9/4

jalapenos, 5/$1

Fred Meyer (Senior Discount Day -- get up and out early, hoping for milk on markdown)

Simple Truth coconut milk, ½ gal. (45 cents w/ $2 off coupon)

milk, 6 gals 2%, 3 gals whole, 2.06 ea (18.54)

tea bags, One of the Perks, 100 ct., 1.07

decaf tea bags, One of the Perks, 100 ct., 2.24

hot dogs, 1 pack, Heritage Farms, 75 cents

Chicken of the Sea canned tuna fish, 69 cents, 5 oz (get 5)

Walmart

decaf coffee, 3.57

bananas, 10 lbs (later in month, over a couple of visits), 4.20

House Foods tofu, firm 16 oz 1.44 (2)

Great Value frozen orange juice, 12 oz, 1.23 (3)

Cash and Carry – will wait to see what specials are, hold out if I can until 2^nd set of specials mid-month

Red Star yeast, 2 lbs 7.38

Fiesta pinto beans, 50 lbs, 21.98

10 lb bag carrots, 4.57, check also for 25-lb bags of juicing carrots

onions, 50-lb bag, 12.55

cheese, 12.50/5 lb bag, this is a maybe (still have some cheese in freezer)

Simply Value canned whole tomatoes, #10, 2.89

chili powder, 3.99/13 oz, First Street (4.91/lb)

So far, $114.27 max for grocery planning. I may or may not buy cheese and/or chocolate chips. And I may add a little bit of fresh produce as I find deals on veggies that don't grow in my garden.

My usual run down the highway goes something like this: Sprouts, WinCo, Cash & Carry, and Walmart. These stores are all along the same major highway in my area. So, if it sounds wasteful for me to stop at Sprouts for a bag of peaches and some jalapenos, or WinCo for a few items from the bulk bins, understand that the actual extra gas usage is not too bad for each individual stop. Fred Meyer is not along this run and has a specific day of the month for my shopping tied to a discount. Fred Meyer also sells gas at a competitive price, so I plan this shopping stop separately from the rest.

The cocoa powder, powdered milk, and coffee cream powder are for making cocoa mix (yes, it is that time of year again, isn't it?).  I was going to get some tea, but decided to save these items for November. I've got enough other teas on which I can rely for 2 months. The pinto beans, yeast, and onions will be stock-up items for the month. And I'm adding to our stock of canned tuna. We don't eat a lot of canned tuna but it is one of the meats that is shelf stable, so I think it's good for an emergency pantry. And the canned oj is to add to what I think we will want this winter. I have a few cans in the freezer already. I am buying a few cans each month to build up a supply -- Walmart's price is pretty good.

As you can see, I'm holding back a lot of our money this month. I'll spend about $35 to $45 at the farm stand's end of season sale on November 1, buying apples, pumpkins/squash, garlic, cabbage, and sweet potatoes. In addition, when the November minimum-spend-to-buy-a-turkey deals come out, I want to have plenty of foods on my shopping list to be able to get the cheapest price per pound on our turkey.

You know, there's a part of me that enjoys making out this list, but also a part of me that feels quite stressed by it all. Will I have enough to get us through the month? Is there enough produce, meat, and easy to grab food for my household? It really would be easier if I shopped once per week and loaded up my cart, without too much thought to cost. But this is the best way that I can ensure we keep to our budget and still eat well.