I spent $42.85 at Aldi. My big ticket item there was a three pound boneless ham…it was marked $2 off, and I figured that we could get several meals out it.
And, at Weis I spent a mere $29.12.
Grapes were on sale for $.88 a pound at Safeway, so I stopped in there and picked up several pounds for $4. $.88 a pound is an awesome price!
So, all told, I’m at $75.97, a few dollars under my $80/week goal for February. I’m super happy about that, especially because I bought a ham and two large packs of chicken pieces that aren’t even on this week’s menu…they’re for next week. So, I should have no problem staying at or under $80 next week either.
Here’s what I’m cooking thing week with my cheap groceries. 🙂
Saturday
- Ham sandwiches(on homemade rolls, naturally)
- purple grapes
- potato chips
Sunday
- Pancakes
- OJ
- fried cornmeal mush
Monday
- Arepas with a chicken, lime, and cilantro filling
- grapes
- maybe some chips if there are any left by Monday 😉
Tuesday
- Beanless Chili(because my husband was sick last week, we had chicken noodle soup instead of this. Soo, it got bumped!)
- Cornbread
- Grapefruit
Wednesday
- Chicken and Shrimp fajitas with grilled peppers and onions
- fruit salad
Thursday
- Pizza
- I know! On a Thursday???? That’s because…….
Friday
- ….on Friday, the husband and I are having our annual Valentine’s Day seafood takeout dinner(we send the kids to their bedrooms to play quietly and we pretend we are eating all by ourselves). And yes, I know that Friday is most certainly not Valentine’s Day, but we like to do this a day early to avoid the rush at the seafood place. And yes, I know that a seafood takeout dinner is not at all frugal, but sometimes a girl just has to splurge. 🙂
Alison in KY
Tuesday 24th of February 2009
I was just wondering what seasoning/spices you use to make your fajitas. I've looked around a bit and it seemed like everything I've every seen involved ingredients I never have on hand. I want to know how to throw it together without alot of effort.
TIA
Alison in KY
Kristen
Thursday 12th of February 2009
Maddie, re the fruits and veggies, I totally agree. I buy less than I used to, and I end up with so much less waste.
And I'm really happy that my blog has helped you save money...that's awesome! My blog has helped ME save money too! I'm much more on top of my grocery spending now that I have to post it here every week, plus I'm saving a lot of money by not wasting food. So, I'm helping myself in the process of helping my readers! It's a win-win. :)
maddie
Monday 9th of February 2009
Until I started to grocery shop weekly, I, too, would have thought this was not enough food for a family for a week. However, I now realize that we go thru 4 gallons of milk a week, not five...and I was shocked that the 30 flour tortillas I bought lasted an entire month! We eat a lot of cereal for breakfast, and my teenage boys eat it for a snack as well. We also eat a lot of quesadillas, but I guess more like 30 in a month, not in a week.
We also have fruit and veggies every day. However, once again, until I started to shop weekly I did not realize that we could get by with less and thus throw less away. Also, I buy big bags of frozen veggies and green beans so those will last a couple weeks at a time.
I appreciate your blog so much Kristin! It is so inspiring! Obviously, I have to spend more on food, etc. than you (my kids are bigger!) but I think that your goals are reasonable and doable...and in fact, I have managed to squirrel away about $120 every month since starting to budget better and shop weekly.
Kristen
Sunday 8th of February 2009
Oooh, good job!!! Parties can really blow a grocery budget if you're not careful, but $13 is very good.
Stacey
Sunday 8th of February 2009
Great! Thanks so much for your speedy reply! Yes, you and I are very much alike when it comes to how we look at this matter. I really appreciate your perspective - and, as in all matters, how open and honest you are about sharing.
Oh, and just for you, I did an Amy Dacyczyn-like cost break down of the party fare I served last night. :) I fed a crowd of 8 adults and 3 kids for $13! I was very, very pleased! You can read about it at my blog. :)