What I Spent
I knew this week was going to be spendy.
I dropped $111 at Aldi, $60 at Costco, and $39 at another grocery store.
Plus I got a $25 Hungry Harvest box.
So, I’m starting June off at $235!
What We Ate
Monday
I tried a recipe for steak yakisoba noodles (from the Dinner Illustrated cookbook).
It looked beautiful and was pretty easy, but we all felt rather meh about it. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t memorable, and I didn’t think, “Ooh, I can’t wait until I make this again.”
You win some, you lose some.
Tuesday
All of our kids ended up being gone and I started to make dinner and then I thought, “Eh. Forget it!”. So when Mr. FG came home, I told him I wanted to go to Five Guys.
So that’s what we did. 😉
There are downsides of having older kids (such as car issues!), but this is one of the upsides.
Wednesday
I tried another new recipe (again from the Dinner Illustrated book).
This one was sauteed shrimp and tomatoes with lime quinoa, except I made one bowl with chicken for Zoe.
This was tasty, especially with lime juice squeezed on top, and I think I’ll make it again.
However, I might make it when Sonia’s not home because the sauteed tomatoes triggered her oral allergies, even though I cooked the tomatoes longer than the recipe called for.
(She has OAS, which gives her an itchy mouth when she eats certain raw produce.)
I suppose it’s also possible that the quinoa was to blame, as she’s never had that before. So, I’m going to have to try feeding her a little bit of quinoa on its own in order to figure it out.
Thursday
I needed a quick meal, so I cooked some chicken breasts, pulled them apart, added bbq sauce, and served it on buns. With watermelon on the side.
Friday
I haven’t decided what I’m making tonight! It’s fairly not-hot for June, so maybe pizza?
Kristen
Friday 29th of June 2018
Do you get your shrimp from Aldi's frozen foods?
Deidre
Monday 11th of June 2018
Shame about the noodles - they look good, I've been eating the freezer & shouted my sis & I to fish n chips on Sat night - sooo good, haven't had that in a long time. Been very lax with work lunches getting a couple a week from the work cafe but hope to knuckle down this week to return to meal planning. I tallied my budget for up to now & over the YTD average $5 a wk over budget which is pretty good as I originally budgeted $25 per wk over what I'm currently spending then revised it about Feb. Life has been so challenging lately but hopefully will settle a bit soon giving me back more time to plan & prep meals I am so exhausted but I have started to buy some staples of whatever brand is cheapest & now it's cold here I'm thinking I might get back in to porridge for brekky which will give me a boost & be really cheap. Good on you for the trouble you take to make more than one meal if required for your kids - that's ace.
Lindsay
Saturday 9th of June 2018
I hate to be the bearer of negativity, if it is even that, but I have to ask ... how the heck do you guys do it? I live with my dad and mom and I do the majority of the grocery shopping for the family. I rarely go a week without spending less than 150-200$. Do you guys not buy laundry detergent, softener, toilet paper, paper towel, etc? I mean a big pack of toilet paper can cost $13 dollars (we are NOT fans of the cheap paper) ... all of these amounts add to our grocery budget. But I guess for now I just get to read your guys' awesome posts about spending so little BUT I will not feel guilty for buying the needs we need and managing our food/household budget the best I can. (Yes, my parents give me the budget for groceries and household goods and I make it work)
Kristen
Saturday 9th of June 2018
Hmm. Well, I don't buy softener, and I don't buy a lot of paper towels. I definitely do buy toilet paper, though (at Aldi)! And laundry detergent (at Costco or Aldi).
How much you will be able to cut your bill depends on where you live, what stores are available to you, how big of an appetite the members of your household have, your dietary needs, and many other factors. So, don't get too hung up on comparing your spending to other households. If you're applying all the frugal techniques and your bill is at $150-$200, it's all good!
Amy
Friday 8th of June 2018
I managed to remember what the main dish was for the week, I am sure there we had a veggie /fruit/starch etc with our meals.
Monday- Meatloaf- It was chilly for a day in June and wanted something warm and comforting. Tuesday- I had something quick before leaving for work. Hubby made BBQ chicken pizza for the rest of the family. Wednesday- Ranch pork chops in the crock pot- no real recipe just made it up as I needed something in the crockpot due to scheduling. Thursday- I had an omelette before leaving for work, DD was with a friend and DH and DS went out for some guy bonding time at an Indian restaurant. Friday- We ended up with spaghetti and meatballs. Easy and everyone likes it
KimN
Friday 8th of June 2018
The OAS is very interesting. My daughter had a similar reaction twice within the last year. She is almost 9, but it never happened until the last year. I suspected it was walnuts but it could have also been zucchini. Did Sonia get allergy tested (the skin test) and get a positive result? We took Ellie to be tested and she tested positive for tree nuts, especially walnuts. Now we have to carry an epi pen. However, the reaction she described was that her tongue was itchy.