For November, I had a loose budget of $163.64 to $193.64 allocated for groceries. I spent $156.96. At the beginning of November, I decided to borrow $30 each from January's and February's grocery budgets, to cover holiday expenses for November and December. (I spend less in January and February, as there are far fewer special deals and no significant holidays that call for extra grocery spending.) With that in mind, I have $171.68 to spend for December's groceries.
I don't know about you, but our refrigerator and freezer is overflowing with food. There is little room to store any new purchases and few needs. I will buy some seasonal items plus a few basics to get through the month. In addition, I'll watch for deals and promotions throughout the month.
Our garden is still giving us a very small amount of produce, kale, radish greens, sorrel. However, I expect that will slow to an end over the next week or two. We also have our indoor sprouts and microgreens plus lots of squash and pumpkin.
With a dwindling garden and a small grocery budget, I'm looking for the less-expensive produce. In winter, that means lots of fresh cabbage, onions, carrots, avocados, and oranges, supplemented with some canned vegetables, such as green beans and tomatoes. I did not find any stellar deals on canned veggies before Thanksgiving. However, this week, Fred Meyer has the Kroger 4-packs of canned veggies for $1.99, or $1.79 with my Senior discount, working out to 44 cents per can. I'll be stocking up on canned green beans and corn at that price.
For meat, we have leftover turkey, chicken leg quarters, ground beef, canned tuna, and a small amount of smoked salmon in the freezers and pantry. The only meat that I'll be buying this month
Fred Meyer Senior Discount Day ($41.19)
milk, 4 gallons 2 %, 1 gallon whole, 2.06 each (10.30)
coffee, 2.69
canned green beans, Kroger 4-pack, 1.79, 10 (17.90)
canned corn, Kroger 4-pack, 1.79, 4 (7.16)
bacon, 16-oz, 3.14
Cash & Carry/Smart Foodservice ($49.26)
mozzarella cheese, 5-lb, 11.97
carrots, 10 lb, 4.55
cabbage, 2 heads, 1.65 each (3.30)
lentils, 25-lb, 17.45
all-purpose flour, 50-lb, 11.99
Walmart ($10.64)
decaf coffee, 2, 3.57 (7.14)
6 avocados, 50 cents ea (3.00)
1 bell pepper, 50 cents
Bartell Drugs ($16.98)
mixed nuts, Imperial, $2.50/14 oz, 6 cans (15.00)
almond milk, qt, 99 cents, 2 (1.98)
In addition, I'll be buying the following items later in the month, seeking out the best deals:
1 bag of tangerines
case of oranges
half ham
pretzels
So far, I've allocated $118.07. I expect with the above additions, my spending will rise to about $150 to $155. This still allows close to $20 for any special deals, extra milk, or holiday foods.
If this looks like a meager list for a holiday month, keep in mind that I have some special items tucked away for making special meals and treats, such as canned pineapple, fruitcake fruit and whole almonds (for a loaf of holiday bread), and a couple of types of juice to go with our Christmas breakfast, dark, milk, and white chocolate chips, plus marshmallows, nuts, candy canes, food coloring, sprinkles, and peanut butter for baking and candy-making, some Christmas candy bought last year on clearance, ingredients for homemade cocoa mix, and lots of spices and flavorings. Those commercial cookies, sweet breads, cakes, and pies all look very tempting in the stores. However, with some effort, I can make a variation on most of what is found in shops right at home in my own kitchen.
That's what is on my shopping list. Are there any special items on your list for the month?
