What I Spent
I got a Hungry Harvest delivery ($25).
I spent $34.11 on an Aldi run, and then $32.45 at another local grocery store.
And lastly, Mr. FG and I made a quick stop for bananas, carrots, and milk, and that ran us $4.43.
I’m coming in at $95.99, so we’ll just say $96.
Which is very fabulous, but due to my super high spending on week one, I’m still over for the month. Ugh.
In fact, in order to come in on budget this month ($150/week), I need to spend only $103 this coming week. Can I do it???
March Spending
Week 1: $245
Week 2: $156
Week 3: $96
What We Ate
Saturday
Mr. FG and I hit up the taco truck for our date night. $15 of deliciousness!
Sunday
I made Asian chicken lettuce wraps along with some potstickers from Costco’s freezer section.
I cut up some fresh fruit as well.
Monday
I sauteed some fish fillets and topped ’em with a mango salsa.
We also had corn and green beans from our Hungry Harvest box.
Tuesday
We were here and there and everywhere!
Mr. FG ate out with his uncle, and the kids and I all fended for ourselves individually.
(I ate a plate of scrambled eggs, roasted beets, and sautéed pepper, onion, and carrots.)
Wednesday
I had a beef brisket in the freezer from our last side of local beef, so I thawed that and made onion-braised beef brisket from my big Cook’s Illustrated cookbook.
I also made a fruit salad, and I wanted to make mashed potatoes, but I had no potatoes in the house. Nuts.
So we just toasted some homemade whole wheat bread to eat with our brisket.
Thursday
It was one of those days where late afternoon rolled around and I had no dinner plans.
I hate that feeling!
My freezer saved me, though. I dug around, found stuff to thaw and made green salads with bacon, brinerated and grilled chicken, cheese tortellini, carrots, snap peas, and avocado.
Phew. Crisis averted.
I also found some homemade French bread in the freezer and I used that to make garlic bread.
Friday
I think I’ll make some homemade pizza.
Kathleen
Sunday 25th of March 2018
We have an early spring farm share and I am so happy to have a box of local veg again every week.
Monday - pasta with roasted butternut squash and almonds, sauteed greens Tuesday - pasta with oil and garlic and basil and grated cheese, mashed squash and turnips Wednesday - rice with chick peas and carrots and kale Thursday - pasta with spinach and mushrooms, roasted beets Friday - rice with sauteed arugula, baked tofu, roasted carrots
We normally eat vegetarian at home, but my younger daughter has been sick. She’s better now, but she has definitely lost weight and is a little anemic. She’s not opposed to eating meat, so I got some beef and made stew for her and my husband last night. My older daugher and I ate leftover this and that and we all had rice.
Kristen
Sunday 25th of March 2018
I totally know the "this and that" kind of meal! Good for using up little bits of food you'd otherwise waste.
Cindy
Saturday 24th of March 2018
Monday- Chicken sandwiches and lettuce salad
Tuesday- Spaghetti and Marinara Sauce
Wednesday- Scrambled eggs, toast and fruit
Thursday- Sloppy Joes, chips and fruit
Friday- Homemade Veggie pizza with cauliflower crust, bell peppers and hummus
Laura in NH
Saturday 24th of March 2018
I totally pushed the easy button this week as we’re all a bit tired of this cold weather and such.
Saturday through Friday we ate leftovers smorgasbord, pork rolls and veggie fried rice, spaghetti and meatballs, soup from the freezer and grilled cheese plus grapes, grilled kielbasa and veggie-loaded pasta salad, slow cooker pulled pork on buns with coleslaw, and last night I made deep dish pepperoni pizza and Caesar salad with berries and whipped cream for dessert. My spending has been a little random his month but so far at about $700 for the month and it’s likely I’ll need to shop once more next week - I guess that averages out to about $150 a week which is really good for us!
Laura in NH
Saturday 24th of March 2018
And my mental math was off...more like $175 a week for us. Pretty average.
Kristyna
Friday 23rd of March 2018
Love the random veggies and eggs dinner. Reminds me of some of the leftover lunches and dinners we have around here for a quick meal and to use up leftovers so they don't get thrown out.
Monday - don't quite remember, but I'm going to assume brown rice, meat and veggies.
Tuesday - venison stew (meat, onions, carrots, celery, cabbage and tomatoes)
Wednesday- ground meat, rice, carrots and asparagus
Thursday - Deer steak, mashed potatoes, cauliflower, carrots
Millicent Borges Accardi
Friday 23rd of March 2018
Years ago I read about Cory Booker (New Jersey) who, as an experiment, tried to eat for a week on the money people get from Food Stamps (following SNAP rules about what he could buy as well). I was wondering if you ever considered a project like that with your kids, maybe as part of a home-schooling lesson? Or maybe do a week where you made recipes and are like in the The Great Depression (with ration portions and old recipes)? Maybe even watch that PBS series about people who lived in a 1940's house. Your goal of $100 for next week made me think of it, like it could be a fun challenge, again, perhaps tied to a school lesson or book?
Kristen
Friday 23rd of March 2018
I've thought about doing something like that before, when Katy from NCA did a food stamp challenge. But when I looked it up, the SNAP allotment in our area was more than I spend on a regular basis. I looked it up just now and this is still true...my budget is $250 less per month than what they'd give us for a household of six. I'm never quite sure what to make of that!