So, I did actually go shopping this week.

And I spent more than the $20 I shelled out last week.   😉

However, if there’s a reward for being the most disorganized, random shopper, well, this week I’d win it.

First up, last Friday I had some coupons for a local grocery store, so I popped in there for a few things.

I had a coupon for a free muffin, $1 off bread (I bought a loaf that was $1.29), $2 off meat (the marked-down uncured sausage was $3.67, so $1.67 after the coupon), and $2 off produce.

And I bought the milk and eggs full price because I needed them!

I spent $15 on that stop, even with the coupons, which reminded me just how lovely Aldi’s low prices are.

Speaking of Aldi, early in the week, we realized that we were completely out of butter, which is kind of an emergency.

(!)

So I went to Aldi to pick up butter, and some other things we were out of.   I spent $68.16 for these groceries.

I’d planned to do a more official grocery shopping trip early in the week, but I kinda procrastinated on that, so I stopped into a local grocery store for necessities ($37.15) for the meals I was making.

And finally, I was near Costco on an errand, so I stopped to fill up my van with gas, and also popped into Costco for coffee for Mr. FG and for milk.   I spent $24.42 there.

Oh, and it was produce box week, which costs me $33.

Altogether, my random trips ended up totaling  $177.73.

Monday

I had a different dinner planned, but my day went wonky in the afternoon (because, parenting).

So I ended up rummaging through the freezer to see what could be cooked quickly!

I found several packages of sausages, which I grilled.   I also discovered a package of frozen, marked-down croissants (I just halved and heated those in the oven) and I roasted some carrots from the fridge.

Sausages are not the cheapest thing to eat for dinner, at least by themselves, but I like to keep them around for occasions such as these because they are still far cheaper than eating out.

Tuesday

We had turkey and ham hot subs (with lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, and mayo), plus veggie chips from Aldi, and sliced apples.

Wednesday

I made paninis, and this time I filled them with chicken, mozzarella, and pesto, and I added some sliced tomatoes after I cooked the paninis.

(Because some members of my family are squicked out by warm tomatoes.)

We had fresh pineapple with our paninis.

Thursday

I made clam chowder  early in the day because I had kind of a crazy day planned.   I used leftover homemade French bread from the paninis to make garlic bread, and we had a green salad as well.

Friday

It’s pizza night, but my kids are going to be here and there, so I’m not sure exactly what dinner will look like tonight!

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Oh, before I go, I want to share a time-sensitive thing.   Limeapple (a small company that makes the activewear sets from Costco which I reviewed earlier this year) also makes comfy holiday dresses for active girls, and today they’re having a one-day 40% off sale.

They sent Sonia and Zoe each a  Gracie dress, and while this dress is fancy enough for a holiday event, it’s made of stretchy, activity-friendly material.   Aaand, its washable, which is great, because I am not about to dry-clean my children’s clothes (not even holiday clothes!)

Our Limeapple activewear sets are looking brand new even after many washes, so I think these holiday dresses will still be in great shape when it’s time to hand them down to my nieces.

One note: we find that Limeapple clothes run a little bit on the big side, so do be sure to use their size chart when you order, and go by that rather than by the size your girls usually wear.

I don’t get a kickback when you order from Limeapple and these are not affiliate links.   But 40% off of a dress from a small company that makes high-quality clothing is a deal worth checking out, so, there you go.