October grocery money journal: the stock-up begins!!

I get excited about stocking my pantry for winter. Do you? I recall one of the Little House books, where Laura peeks into the surveyor's pantry for the first time, and sees a winter's supply of ingredients that will keep her family and others very well-fed for the months ahead.

So here I begin, with my own pantry (and fridge/freezer) stock-up. Let me preface with last month I went over budget by $6.30, so that will be deducted this month. But -- and a big but -- I still have my surplus of $112.11 (from August's minimal spending) to tap into. So, my net surplus now stands at $105.81. Add that to this month's budget (of $170), and I have $275.81 to spend on stocking up. I hope I don't spend it all, and that there is something extra left over for special gatherings in November and December. We'll see.

Oct.1  I have some store coupons to use at Albertson's on butter (1.79/lb), eggs (.98/dozen), and sugar (1.49/4 lbs). I buy my limits and also find orange juice in 64 oz containers on markdown for $1.49. This is cheaper than frozen concentrate in our area, so I buy all that's left (8 containers). Once home, I pour off a couple of cups of oj from each container into other freezer containers, and freeze the whole lot. We'll have a decent supply of orange juice this January and February. I also find bacon on markdown (2.99/lb) -- 3 one-pound packages of maple bacon. At home, I split each pack in half and froze. We'll have 6 breakfasts with bacon in the next couple of months. Total spent -- $46.45.

Oct.1  Need to stop in at Cash and Carry for flour (50 lbs), more canned tomatoes (whole tomatoes this time, 2.77 per #10 cans, I buy a case of 6 #10 cans), frozen peas (5 lb bags - two), mozza cheese. While there I also find a dented can of coffee for $5.77.  Total spent $50.97, for a start of the month spending of $97.42

Oct.2  Trader Joe's for cocoa powder. $2.49

Oct. 2  Produce stand since I'm in the area I stop in. I find corn on cob 7/$1, whole cantaloupes for 50 cents each, a bag of peppers marked down for 99 cents, and red delicious apples for 50 cents/lb. spent $6.54, for a month to date spending of $106.45

Oct. 2  Dollar Tree. They have peanut butter again (they've been out for a few weeks). I buy 12 jars. Spent $12. total month to date -- $118.45

Oct.2  One last stop today, hoping to find milk on markdown. QFC is right next to pharmacy where I pick up a prescription. I find 3 gallons of 1% milk at $1.99/gal. Spent $5.97, for a month total of $124.42. Whew! We're getting up there!

Oct. 8  Albertson's coupons this week are for whole milk (1.89/gallon) and Parmesan cheese (1.59/6 ounces). I buy 2 gals milk and 3 packets cheese. Spent $8.85 for a month total of $133.27

Oct. 9  At the nursery picking up bulbs, right next door to Fred Meyer. I find more milk (89 cents a half gal) and some marked down bananas. Spent $4.28 for a total of $137.55

I seem to be stopping in at a lot of stores this week and last. I find myself on the road taking the girls to and from various bus stops and transit centers, depending on their schedule of the day. Consequently, I am out and about a lot these days. But that's okay, I can take advantage of it by stopping at stores along the way.

Oct. 11  Trader Joe's once again, on my way to the produce stand. It's just down the street. I pick up almonds (2 lbs at $4.99/lb -- marked wrong but they gave me that price anyways, saved $1 per pound), pecans (1 lb at $7.98/lb), a couple of bananas (19cents ea)  and more cocoa powder. Spent $21.02 for a total of $158.57.

Oct. 11  Produce stand. I'm scouting out their prices and supplies before the end of the month clearance. While there I find melons for 50 cents again, and also need garlic (50 cents a head -- ouch!). Spent $1.50 for a total of $160.07

Oct. 20  Albertson's coupons this week, again on the whole milk (2 gallons), this time $1.99/gal, and English muffins (50 cents a package). Spent $4.48 for a total of $164.55

Oct.22  Produce stand. Pick up 15 lbs of apples at 50 cents/lb, 6 avocados for 3/$1, 2 yams at 69 cents/lb, and some large squash at 39 cents/lb. Spent $13.26 for a total of $177.81

Oct. 25  Albertson's coupons for apple juice (99 cents for 64 ounces, limit 2). Also buy a family pack of ground beef (1.99/lb). The beef I'll divide and freeze to use in meatballs a couple of times this winter. Spent $8.67 for a total of $186.48

Oct.29  Produce stand for more squash, apples, oranges and yams. But no large bags of carrots left. Spent $12.58

Oct. 29  Top foods for 25 lb bag of carrots. Same price as produce stand had them last week, $7.98. Also buy a large head of cabbage and some cut bananas. Spent $12.70 for a total of $211.76


No more spending until November!! I spent $211.76 out of my $275.81 budget plus surplus. I now have a surplus of $64.05 to carry forward into November. While our pantry, fridge and freezer are stuffed to the gills, I feel like this is going to be a squeaker as to whether or not we can maintain an average of $170 per month grocery spending.

My pantry is full of grains, beans, oil, canned tomatoes, spices/herbs, baking supplies and squash. My freezer has enough fruit to get through the months of January, February and March. My fridge is packed with oranges, carrots, apples, pears and onions. We have some butter and eggs, and a good deal of frozen veggies, My garden is still producing greens. I picked Swiss chard this morning. The garden will continue to give us greens for another 3 weeks. So, maybe we'll do okay over the next 2 months after all. I've been organizing my freezer space to make room for turkeys and hams. So far, I have one entire shelf cleared and half of another. I'll keep working on the freezers.

Saving money on produce: buying juicing carrots

Carrots are one of the inexpensive, long-keeping vegetables, essential for my frugal autumn and winter cooking. We go through a little more than 5 pounds of carrots per month, here.

Every fall, I buy at least one, sometimes two, bags of juicing carrots. They come in 25 lb plastic bags. Yes, that's 25 pounds! I have found them at the produce stand as well as several of our area markets, alongside the other bagged carrots.

Juicing carrots are just like regular carrots, perfectly clean, edible and suitable for table use. It's just that there may be broken carrots (most often broken during the mechanical sorting), carrots with blemishes, and irregular shaped carrots. I've never found a moldy carrot in a bag of juicing carrots, and only one or two floppy carrots per bag.


To give you an idea of how much I save on carrots by buying the 25 lb bag of juicing carrots, instead of the 5 pound bag -- this month, the 25 lb bag was $7.98, about 32 cents per pound. At the same store, the 5 lb bag was selling for $2.79, or 56 cents per pound. I saved 24 cents per pound, or $6 (on the 25 lbs) by buying our carrots in the 25 lb bag.


Keeping and using a 25 pound bag of carrots


When I get the bag home, I sort them right away. Getting the carrots out of the plastic is essential. Trapped moisture could lead to rot.

I have one pile of broken pieces, one pile of blemished or floppy carrots, and one large pile of good keeping carrots.

these may look bad now, but after peeling and trimming,
they are good for eating

I deal with the blemished/floppy carrots, first. These are the ones that could be lost to spoilage if not cooked or frozen right away.  Some may be split (I cut those portions off). Others may be blemished (again, I trim those portions out). And one or two may be a bit on the floppy side (best to use or freeze today).

ready for the freezer

I peel, trim and chop them for the freezer. They'll be handy when I need some diced carrots for soups or stews.

good keeping carrots

Next, I bag the good keeping carrots. I divide these carrots into about 5 lb. parcels each. I do a double layer of paper inside of plastic, to keep the carrots fresh and crisp for months.

I wrap them in paper towels, or loosely place in small paper bags, then slide into plastic grocery bags.

The paper absorbs excess moisture, while the plastic bags hold hold just enough moisture in, to keep them fresh.

I loosely tie the plastic bag closed and store in the fridge. (This is a great use for those plastic bags with small holes in the bottom along the bag's seam.)

four bundles of carrots, to use through fall and winter

I check on each parcel of carrots every other week. (If I find that the carrots seem a bit dry -- going floppy -- I sprinkle the carrots with about 1 teaspoon of water, wrap back up and check again the next day. A quick sprinkling of water will usually cure the "floppies".) They will keep for 3 months or more in my garage fridge, when stored this way (I usually run out of carrots in late January).

it's been one week since I bought the bag of carrots,
I just finished off the salad spinner of broken pieces for tonight's dinner

Finally, I place the broken carrot pieces into the salad spinner, cover and keep in the kitchen fridge, to use within a week.


Our family can easily use 25 pounds of carrots in just a few months. We make carrot soup, carrot desserts, roasted carrots, carrot salad, carrot sticks, carrot-potato puree, and I add them to soups and stews all season long.

Do you use carrots often in your cool-season cooking, too? What are you favorite ways to use carrots? I am always looking for new and interesting flavor combinations.