$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge: Week #51

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #51?

It was a slow week and I only spent $,30.17.  I desperately need hamburger (I am down to 3 lbs), but there were no sales.  I also found out my food allergies were much worse than I thought and I now have a list of foods a mile long I am not allowed to eat.  Luckily I grind my own wheat, we drink whole milk and I try to make as many items from scratch or I would really be up a creek.  I can't eat any fruit and this even includes olive oils and coconut oils along with many fruit based vitamins (Vitamin A Palmate found in all milks but whole) and I also am not to eat grains with potatoes.  And let me tell you potato starch is in everything!  It has been an interesting few days trying to figure out what I can and can't eat.  I can't even have baking powder or cream of tartar.  I guess my baked goods will come out of the oven a bit flat.


Here is the breakdown for Week #51

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  Cabbage ($.33/lb) - $1.72, Shredded Lettuce - $.98, 4 lbs Frozen Vegis - $.85 each

Dairy:  2 Gallons Milk - $3.89 each, 3 8oz Packages Cheese - $1.33 each, Free Package Cheese, Coffee Creamer - $2.22

Misc.:  2 Boxes of Taco Shells - $.98 each, 1 Jar Taco Sauce - $.98 (free Kraft cheese with these 3 purchases), Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (8 pack) - Free, MJB Coffee - $5.55, Ramen Noodles - $2.22, Cereal - Free



Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Leftovers

Monday - Bacon Ranch Casserole (I make my own Alfredo sauce and 1/2 the bacon since it is so expensive.  This is always a hit in our family - super yummy)

Tuesday - Breakfast for Supper :  We had Quiche

Wednesday - Supper at Church for Lent

Thursday - Seasoned Chicken, Twice Baked Potato (I didn't eat), Bread and Vegis

Friday - Corn Muffin and Hamburger Casserole

Saturday - Leftovers



Desserts: 
Strawberry Muffins (I increased the sugar by 1/2 cup and split it between white and brown sugar:  These were super yummy)

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge: Week #49 & #50

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #49 & #50?

I spent a whopping total of $145.36!!  The biggest factors in my spending was I purchased quite a bit of frozen chicken breasts, 12 lbs of butter and 1 gallon of olive oil. After 50 weeks of trying to stay under $50 per week I am still ahead by $168.58, but the last couple of months I have been spending slightly more than my target goal and this disappoints me a bit.  I suppose one reason is we are in the dead of winter and I do not have a garden to gather produce or a tree to pick fruit.  One other problem I see is inflation - prices are rising.  For example milk 50 weeks ago whole milk was $3.48 a gallon and the last time I purchased milk it was $4.00 per gallon.  And we are guzzling milk right now in our home.  We went through 9 gallons in 2 weeks.  So, unless we befriend a dairy farmer or a cow meanders into our yard, I must resign myself to the fact that I will be forking out at least $12-16 a week on just milk.  And I do not see a decline in my spending in the next weeks as I badly need hamburger.  But, to be honest for a family of 5 we have spent only $2,331.42 on food for almost 1 year.  I am sure there are families out there who have spent less, but I am proud to say we have kept within our budget.

Here is the breakdown for Week #49 and #50

Meat:  4 Packages of Chicken Breasts (3 lbs each) - $4.98 each, 2 Packages Imitation Crab - $1.48 each

Fruit and Vegetables:  Carrots - $1.79, Apples ($.88/lb) - $6.27, Bananas - $2.80, 5 lbs Frozen Strawberries - $8.98, Bananas - $1.36, Oranges ($.58/lb) - $3.05

Dairy:  2 Gallons of Milk  $3.81 each, Whipped Topping - $.88, 5 Packages of Cheese (8 oz each) - $1.28 each, 3 Gallons Milk - $3.79 each, 1 Gallon Milk - $3.89, 4 lbs Butter (3 packages) - $8.98 each, 3 Gallons Milk - $4.00 each

Misc.:  French Bread - $1.01 and another at $1.18, 2 Coffee Creamers - $2.48 each, 1 Gallon Olive Oil - $16.98, 20 Boxes Mac&Cheese - $.25 each



Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Popcorn night and leftovers

Monday - Samurai Sams

Tuesday - Pizza

Wednesday - Spaghetti

Thursday - BBQ Chicken, Twice Baked Potato and Corn

Friday - Homemade Hamburger Helper and Green Beans

Saturday - Leftover night

Sunday - Spaghetti

Monday - Mac & Cheese with Sausage and Broccoli, Potato and Broccoli Soup and Popovers

Tuesday -  Seasoned Baked Chicken, Olive Bread and Vegis

Wednesday - Supper at Church for Lent

Thursday - Hot Dogs, Pasta Crab Salad and Seasoned Potatoes

Friday - Oven Fried Chicken, Potatoes and Vegis

Saturday - Leftovers

Desserts: 

Chocolate Cake, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Cool Whip

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge: Week #48

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #48?

I only went to one grocery store.  Our whole family has an extremely bad cold and so shopping was not a high priority for me.  I spent $23.37.

Here is the breakdown for Week #48

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  3 Avocados - $.99 (I purchased 9 total), Apples $.98/ lb - $2.73, Celery - $.98, Cilantro - $.99, Cabbage - $1.54, 8 oz Mushrooms - $1.48

Dairy:  2 Gallons Milk - $3.97 each, Cottage Cheese - $2.78

Misc.:  2 Packages Tortillas- $.98 each



Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Young Family Event at Church - Taco Bar

Monday - Spaghetti

Tuesday - Leftover night

Wednesday - Lasagna

Thursday - Breakfast for Supper :  We had Quiche

Friday - Quesadillas and fixings

Saturday - Take out pizza



Desserts: 

Chocolate Cake - probably one of the best homemade chocolate cakes ever.  Plus I made it with 100% whole wheat and it still was light an fluffy.  My husband thought it was a box mix. Frosted with a homemade chocolate frosting and I could't keep from eating it.

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge: Weeks #45 - #47

How Much Did I Spend In the Last Three Weeks?

One would think as I approach my 52 week challenge of spending $50 or less per week I would be eagerly recording each week, but for some reason I have been neglecting my blog.  Not because I am not staying on track - I am - but for some reason I have had just a "ho-hum" attitude about this and just ignored my blog.  I can't explain it, but that is the case.

Well, I must get down to the brass tacks and say what I have spent on groceries for the past 3 weeks:  $151.16.  So, I went over my goal by $1.16!  Not bad, especially with grocery prices going up.  Milk is skyrocketing in price!

Here is the breakdown for Week #45:  $59.44

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  Cilantro - $.68, 1 lb Mushrooms - $3.00, 3 Avocados - $2.64, 3 More Avocados - $2.64, 3 lbs Clementines - $3.98

Dairy:  2 Gallons Milk - $3.81, 2.5 lb Block Cheese - $6.12, 5 lbs Shredded Cheese - $12.98, Coffee Creamer - $1.59, 15 Packages of Kraft Cheese (8 oz each) - $14.7 [plus with each 5 package purchase I received $2-$3 coupons for my next visit]

Misc.:  Gluten Free Crackers (for a friend of mine) - $3.49

Here is the breakdown for Week #46:  $50.55

Meat:  2.5 lb Chicken Breasts - $3.88

Fruit and Vegetables:  None

Dairy:  1/2 Gallon Buttermilk - $2.15, 7.5 Dozen Eggs - $11.56, 1 Gallon Milk - $3.81, 1 Gallon Milk - $3.97!!!, 5 8oz Packages Kraft Cheese - $4.90, 2 Gallons Milk - $3.69 Each [Milk has fluctuated so much lately]

Misc.:  Bagal Crisp Chips - $4.98 and 6lbs Tortilla Chips - $7.92 (for a super bowl party), Spaghetti - Free

Here is the breakdown for Week #47:  $41.17

Meat:  2 Packages Bacon - $2.67 each

Fruit and Vegetables:  Apples at $.98/lb - $3.28, Red Potatoes - $1.98, 5 lbs Onions - $4.98

Dairy:  3 Gallons Milk - with my previous grocery store coupons = $.91, 2 Dozen Eggs - $1.16 each

Misc.:  2 Containers of Folgers - $6.44 each, 10 Cans of Spaghetti Sauce - $.50 each, 1 Small Jar Peanut Butter - $.98, 3 Packages Spaghetti - $.85 each, Free Jar of Jelly, 1 Box Cake Mix - $.98,  Sunny Delight - Free

Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  
I am unable to recall - sorry.


Desserts: 
I have no idea what I made, but I know we had at least 1 dessert each week.

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge: Week $44

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #44?

This post is going to be short and sweet as I have a paper to write for a class and unlike my usual self I have not started and it is due tonight.  I am a bit frantic thinking about it.

For some reason my family has been downing milk and I purchased 5 gallons this week!  I spent a total of $43.98.

Here is the breakdown for Week #44

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  Bananas - $1.48, Carrots - $1.48, Cabbage - $.98, Spinach - $2.98, Onions - $1.97

Dairy:  2 Gallons Milk - $3.79 each, 3 Gallons Milk (from Menards - they have the best price for milk but they never carried whole in the past, but I looked this week and they had some!) - $3.59 each

Misc.:  25 lbs Sugar - $12.44, 2 Boxes Cornstarch - $.96 each, Coffee Creamer (a treat for my addiction) - $2.38



Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Leftovers

Monday - Tacos with all the fixings

Tuesday - Macho Nachos

Wednesday - Chicken and Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Thursday - Samurai Sams

Friday - Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Twice Baked Potatoes

Saturday - Pizza



Desserts: 
Monsters Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and an extremely awful coffee cake

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge: Week #43

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #43?

I spent a fair bit this week as not only did I shop at two different grocery stores, but I also purchased my supply of bulk spices from Azure.  I wait for Azure to have its sale on their spices and this year I bought 5 lbs some of which included cinnamon, garlic, and chili powder.  My total for this week was $73.15.  On a side note we finally were able to celebrate Christmas with my in-laws and spent the weekend away from home so I will not be recording those meals.


Here is the breakdown for Week #43

Meat:  3 Packages of Hot-dogs - $1.00 each, 5 Bags of Frozen Chicken Breasts (2.5 lbs each) - $3.88 each

Fruit and Vegetables:  3 lbs of Apples - $2.77, Salad Mix - Free, 3 lbs of Frozen Corn - $.77/lb

Dairy:  3 Gallons of Milk - $3.63 each, 3 8oz Packages of Italian Cheese Blend - $1.66 each

Misc.:  2 Boxes of Saltines - $.97 each, Spanish Rice Packet - Free, 5 lbs Spices (Cinnamon, 2lbs Chili Powder, Garlic and Minced Onion) - $28.86
(I also had $1 coupon to use at one of the grocery stores.)



Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Leftovers

Monday - Pot Roast, Potatoes and Carrots

Tuesday - Pork Chops and Hash-browns

Wednesday - Spaghetti and Salad

Thursday - Sweet and Sour Chicken, Rice and Broccoli

Friday - On the road to Grandmas = McDonalds

Saturday -



Desserts: 
Pumpkin Bars

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge: #41 & #42

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #41?

This was a slow week: no meat sales and really not a sale on anything, so I only spent $14.71.  I was craving nachos and so splurged on a couple of avocados (wished I lived in Hawaii and had an avocado tree).  Other than that I hunkered down in our warm home and stayed out of the 20+ below weather.  Sometimes I wonder why we live in this area?


Here is the breakdown for Week #41

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  1 Head of Lettuce - $.88, 3 Avocados at $.88 each

Dairy:  3 Gallons of Milk - $3.73 each

Misc.:  1 Bottle of Catalina Dressing - Free



How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #42?

I spent a little more this week, but not much - $22.26.  This brings my total spent on groceries for the past 42 weeks to $1,894.40.  That is an average of a little over $45 per week.


Here is the breakdown for Week #42

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  Bananas - $1.89

Dairy:  3 Gallons of Milk - $3.73 each

Misc.:  1 Brownie Mix - Free, 1 Loaf of Bread - Free, 24 Cans of Tomato Soup and 12 Cans of Creamed Corn (they were supposed to be $.37/can, but I never looked at my receipt until now and I am not sure how it happened, but they came to a bit more than $.25/can?)




Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Kabobs (Baked not grilled - it was close to 20 below, I wasn't venturing outside.)

Monday - Nachos

Tuesday - Went to the movies for $5 plus free popcorn - got full on popcorn

Wednesday - Quiche, Potatoes and Banana Muffins

Thursday - Meatloaf, 3 Corn Casserole and Baked Potatoes

Friday - Nachos

Saturday - NDSU Bison party (They won!) and a late Christmas Party with my husband's employer.  So FULL!

Sunday - Leftovers

Monday - Spaghetti

Tuesday - Chili and Corn Bread

Wednesday - Chili Dogs

Thursday - Orange Chicken, Rice and Vegi

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Leftovers



Desserts: 
Banana Muffins, Lemon Poppy Seed Bread, Brownies

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge: Week #38, #39 & #40

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #38, #39 and #40?

Wow, what a busy December.  I haven't posted any of my grocery shopping for the last 3 weeks and I apologize.  I want to finish this year and see if I can keep my average spending around $50 per week.  And part of keeping myself on track is to be honest and post everything I spend on my blog.

So, for this post I will just list all of my grocery purchases, but not break the items down.  It would take forever.  Also, I will not add my meals or desserts as I have no clue what we ate 3 weeks ago.

11/20/13 Fleet Farm:  I made this purchase on Black Friday and forgot to add it to my grocery amount.  I purchased all the nuts I needed to make my 12 Sweets of Christmas:  $16.18

12/09/13 Cash Wise Foods - $42.02

12/11/13 Hornbachers - $13.28

12/17/13 Hornbachers - $7.84

12/16/13 Cash Wise Foods - $61.46

12/23/13 Cash Wise Foods - $21.55

12/26/13 Sams Club - $41.89

My total is:  $204.22

I spent $54.22 more than I would have liked, but I had over $200 left in reserve, so it isn't the end of the world.

For the past 40 weeks I have spent $1857.43 and I still have $142.57 in reserve.  I think this is pretty good for a family of 5.  I can't wait to see if I can keep this up for a whole year.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Week #37

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #37?

I am getting ready for my annual 12 Sweets of Christmas (I am hoping to post all 12 goodies I make) and had to purchase some ingredients for the cookies and candy.  I spent $49.86.


Here is the breakdown for Week #37

Meat:  3 Packages of Chicken for $1.00/lb - $4.00 each

Fruit and Vegetables:  2 Avocadoes - $.88 each, Pears ($.98/lb) - $2.58, 3 lbs Clementines - $2.98

Dairy:  2 Gallons Milk - $3.73 each

Misc.:  2 Bottles of Corn Syrup - $1.88 each, 3 Jars Maraschino Cherries - $1.88 each, 3 Taco Mixes - free, Mac and Cheese - 3 for $1.00, 2 Bags of Coconut - $1.88 each, 2 Jars of Spaghetti Sauce for $2.88 (I received a free BBQ Packet with this purchase), Tortilla Chips - Free, Almond Extract - $2.88




Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Popcorn Night

Monday - BBQ Chicken in the Crock-pot, Mashed Potatoes with Green Onions and Sour Cream, and Peas

Tuesday - Homemade Pizza and Bread Sticks

Wednesday - Pasta with Marinara Sauce

Thursday - Burritos made with Homemade Tortillas, Re-fried Beans, Guacamole and Salsa

Friday - Pizza with the Grandparents

Saturday - Soup from a Can (we have been working on our basement and I was glad I had a few cans of hearty clam chowder to serve up.  Quick and easy.)



Desserts: 
Pumpkin Streusel Muffins (I had made Sweet Potato Souffle for Thanksgiving and it called for a brown sugar topping, but it was way too much so I used the leftover topping for my muffins.  As they say "Waste not, want not" and they were so yummy too.)

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge: Week #35 and #36

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #35?

This week I spent $47.43.  Most of it was spent on our addiction to coffee and our families sweet tooth.


Here is the breakdown for Week #35

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  Bananas - $1.36, Celery - $.77

Dairy:  4 Gallons of Milk - $3.70 each

Misc.:  25 lbs of Sugar - $12.58, 3 Cans of Folgers Classic Roast - $5.97 each


How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #36?

I spent quite a bit this week - $71.38.  Even though I went over the $50 I put aside for the week I am still doing quite well with my challenge.  I have almost $200 left from the past 36 weeks.


Here is the breakdown for Week #36

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  4 Jars of Black and Green Olives - $.68 each, 9.27 lbs of Yams - $4.45, Celery - Free, Carrots - Free, 3 Packages of Coleslaw - $.97 each, 4 Packages of Frozen Vegis - $.68 each

Dairy:  4 Packages of Cream Cheese - $.97 each, 2 lbs Butter - $1.48 each, 3 Gallons of Milk - $3.73 each

Misc.:  Mayonnaise - $2.18, 2 Cans of Folgers Coffee - $5.98 each, 4 Bags of Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar - $1.18 each, 4 Jars of Grape Jelly - $1.93 each (but I had a coupon for by 4 and get $3.00 off), 2 Packs of 24 cans of Coke - $9.98, 4 Boxes of Pasta - $4.88 (plus I had a coupon for another one free), Free Marshmallows, 2 Cool Whips - $.68 each

Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Popcorn Night

Monday - Clam Chowder

Tuesday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wednesday - Beef Stew

Thursday - Swedish Meatballs with Noodles and Corn

Friday - I can't remember

Saturday - Again, I didn't write it down and now I am unable to recall what we had.

Sunday - Popcorn Night

Monday - Pot Roast, Potatoes and Vegis

Tuesday - Chicken Soup with Dumplings

Wednesday - Samurai Sams

Thursday - Thanksgiving:  Too full to make anything for supper

Friday - Left overs

Saturday -

Desserts: 
Banana Bread

Homemade butterfingers (made with candy corn and peanut butter).  They surprisingly tasted very much like the real thing.  I melted 1 lb candy corn in the microwave (it never did get gooey - so don't over cook) and then added 1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter.  Mixed like mad and then patted it into an 8x8 pan.  Chilled and topped with melted chocolate chips.  It didn't last a day.

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Week #33 & #34

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #33 & 34?

Once again, I let time slip by and so I had to combine two weeks of my challenge into one post. Our house finally sold, but we are still waiting for the appraisal and I am quite literally living out of boxes in our new home with no furniture to speak of (we left much of our furniture in our old home to stage it).  Our kitchen is a work in progress and there are days where I am unable to use it due to plumbers turning off my water, cabinets being hung and now today my counter-top has been installed.  With my life in a bit of a chaotic spin, I have misplaced one of my receipts.  I went to Sams Club and spent $35.11 on milk, cheese, bananas, buttermilk and butter for week #33.  Week #34 I went to two stores and spent $46.70.  Most of the food was for our early Thanksgiving meal and I was in charge of the appetizers.  I made a cheesy apply dip and olive bread.  I should have taken pictures as they are interesting dishes, but taste amazing.


Here is the breakdown for Week #34

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  3 Bags of Red Potatoes: $1.88 each, Apples at $.98/lb:  $5.38, Green Onions:  $1.15, 1 Jar Green Olives: $2.24, 1 Can Black Olives: $1.42, Apples for $.97/lb: $1.47

Dairy:  2 Gallons of Milk:  $3.80, 2 lbs Monterrey Jack Cheese: $8.28, Sour Cream: $2.00

Misc.:  Swiss Miss Cocoa Mix:  $5.98, 2 Loaves of French Bread:  $1.68 each, Generic Wheat Thins: $2.18



Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Leftovers and Sandwiches

Monday - Pizza and Minestrone Soup

Tuesday - White Chili and Corn Bread

Wednesday - Southwestern Hamburger and Cornbread Skillet

Thursday - Sandwiches

Friday - Pizza Hut (the two youngest earned their free personal pan pizza through the Book It program and so we also purchased a $10 pizza combo for the rest of the family.  I forgot how buttery the crust and yummy Pizza Hut pizza is!)

Saturday - Samurai Sams Chicken

Sunday - Sandwiches

Monday - Spaghetti

Tuesday - Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Wednesday - Sweet and Sour Chicken and Fried Rice (I love this sweet and sour chicken recipe, but I make my own fried rice)

Thursday - Mac and Cheese with Hamburger

Friday - McDonalds (on the road to Grandma and Grandpas for an early Thanksgiving)

Saturday - An Early Thanksgiving Meal

Desserts: 
Rhubarb Dream Dessert, DeeDee's Brownies (twice)

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Week #32

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #32?

This week I went to 3 stores and spent $57.07.


Here is the breakdown for Week #32

Meat:  2 Packages of Hotdogs - $.98 each, Sliced Turkey and Ham (1 lb each) - $1.96 each plus a $1.00 coupon for each

Fruit and Vegetables:  3 Kiwi Fruit - $1.44, Bananas - $1.36, Bananas - $1.82

Dairy:  2 Gallons of Milk - $3.70 each, 2 lbs Block Cheese - $5.78, 5 qt. Ice Cream - $3.95, 3 Packages of Cheese - $1.48 each

Misc.:  6 lbs Tortilla Chips - $7.92, Candy Corn - $.99, 2 Bags Choc. Chips - $1.72 each + $1.00 coupon, 4 Cans Cream Soup - $.48 each, Pizza Crust - Free, Marshmallows - Free, Hot Cocoa - Free, 2 Bags Egg Noodles - $.99 each, 1 Bag Powdered Sugar and 1 Bag Brown Sugar - $1.24 each, 3 Boxes of Cereal - $2.00 each plus Free Gallon of Milk with coupon, 4 Boxes of Corn Bread Mix - $.58 each, 2 Dozen Eggs - $.96 each

Plus I had a coupon from the store for another $1.25 off



Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Super Nachos with Homemade Refried Beans and Homemade Salsa (For the salsa I open a jar of my canned tomatoes, add a ton of chopped onion and cilantro, a jalapeno or two, sprinkle in quite of bit of garlic, salt and pepper and finally I add a splash of lime juice.  Let sit for a while.  This is quite yummy and a quick way to make salsa.)

Monday - Miscellaneous Noodles with Meat Sauce and Green Beans (Whenever I make spaghetti or something that calls for noodles I inevitably end up with extra noodles.  But not extra sauce for some reason?  So into a zip-lock they go and I toss them into a freezer.  Once I collect enough baggies of noodles I heat up some water and dump the noodles in.  Not the baggie though - I think we have enough plastic in our diet without adding more.  I do each batch separately and then everyone gets their individual meal.  It only takes a few seconds for the pasta to heat up and so we usually have this on a night when I have no idea what to make.)

Tuesday - Pot Roast, Hashbrowns and Corn

Wednesday - Seasoned Baked Chicken Breasts and Imitation Crab Pasta Salad

Thursday - Pizza

Friday - Mac & Cheese (It was a busy day.  We finalized the offer on our home.  Plus I had a lot of yard work to do so my husband made mac & cheese for the kids.)

Saturday - Cajun Pasta and Chicken


Desserts: 
Angel Food Cake with Strawberries and Cool Whip, Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

$50 Grocery Challenge - Weeks 27 Through 31

How Much Did I Spend For The Past Five Weeks?

Will our home ever sell?  This is a question I have been asking myself for the past several weeks. Sometimes I wonder if we made a horrible mistake purchasing our dream home.  I hope not.  For the past 5 weeks I have been busy keeping our home clean for prospective buyers.  So far we have had close to 40 showings and it was driving me batty trying to keep it neat and clean with 3 kids and 2 dogs and still trying to keep up with homeschooling.  What a crazy time.

On October 4th we closed on our dream home and I literally painted 2 rooms from floor to ceiling and the next weekend we officially moved in.  We now are living in a sea of boxes as we left quite a bit of our furniture to stage our old home.

Now that life has settled down a bit I think I will be able to keep up with my blog.  I did keep track of all the groceries I purchased, but today I do not have the energy to type it all up.  So here is a quick breakdown of what I spent:


Week #27:
Hornbachers:  $25.18
Costco:  $17.37
Azure:  $37.98

Week #28:
Sams:  $57.19

Week #29:
Sunmart:  $3.55
Hornbachers:  $13.87

Week #30:
Hornbachers:  $2.23 and $5.93
Cashwise:  $8.13 and $11.39
Azure:  $49.26

Week #31:
Hornbachers:  $24.39
Cashwise:  $17.64

My 5 week total was $274.11.  I spent $24.11 more than my goal, but I also had 2 bulk food orders from Azure Standard.  This included 40 lbs of wheat and 18 lbs of natural peanut butter (which by the way my family loves).  I still have $204.34 that I have not spent in the last 31 weeks.  This brings my average to slightly over $43.

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Week #25 & #26

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #25 & #26?

Last week we spent $44.16 and this week we spent $49.47.  I am making this short and sweet as we are still trying to sell our home and pack to move to the new one.  And between a daily showing for the past 2 weeks, school, v-ball, 4-H and life I feel a bit overwhelmed.

We ate out at McDonalds twice and picked up a Little Caesar's Pizza once when we had people come and look at our home.  Our house has only been on the market for 16 days, but it feels like a lot longer.  Most people would consider me a neat freak, but trying to keep a house spotless is driving me batty.  So far today we haven't had a showing and even thought we need someone to buy our home I am a bit grateful for the repast.


Here is the breakdown for Week #25

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  Grapes for $.98/lb - $1.97, Onion for $.88/lb - $2.78, Pears for $.98/lb $1.88, Bananas for $.57/lb - $1.40, Carrots - $1.48

Dairy:  5 lbs Shredded Cheese - $12.12, 3 Gallons of Milk - $3.60 each, 1 Gallon of Milk - $3.81

Misc.:  6 lbs Tortilla Chips - $7.92


Here is the breakdown for Week #26

Meat:  9 lbs of Hamburger - $17.82

Fruit and Vegetables:  Apples for $.88/lb - $3.05

Dairy:  2 Dozen Eggs - $.98 each, 1 Gallon Milk - $3.60, 3 Gallons of Milk - $3.58 each

Misc.:  12 Boxes of Mac & Cheese - $4.00, 2 Boxes of Saltines - $.98 each, Free Bag of Tortilla Chips, Free Box of Lasagna Noodles, $28 oz. Peanut Butter - $1.99, 2 Liter of Root-bear - $.48, 3 Jars of Spaghetti Sauce - $.99 each, Soy Sauce - $.65, Marshmallows - $.25



Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Fend for yourself night

Monday - Roast on the Grill, Seasoned Rice and Green Beans

Tuesday - Sausage, Eggs and Cinnamon Bread

Wednesday -  Sweet and Sour Chicken, Rice and Peas

Thursday - Grilled Cheese

Friday - Little Caesar's Pizza

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Fend for yourself night

Monday - Enchiladas (I made these with leftover rice, added some black beans and taco meat)

Tuesday - Nachos with homemade re-fried beans

Wednesday - Sweet Garlic Chicken, Rice and Peas

Thursday - Nachos with homemade re-fried beans

Friday - Muffin Frittatas and Hash-browns

Saturday - Clam Chowder Soup and Beef Stew

Desserts: 
Zucchini Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Root-beer Floats

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Week #23 & #24

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #23 & #24?

It has been a roller coaster of emotions the past two weeks.  Our beloved dog, Odin, passed away Sunday August 25th right after we came home from church.  We knew it was coming, but it was still extremely tough to say goodbye.  We buried him that afternoon out in the country at my sister's home.  He will be missed.

On that same day, we made an offer on a home.  The offer was accepted on Wednesday of that week and the process began for getting our house ready to be sold.  For a week I scrubbed, packed, painted and reorganized.  It was good to be so busy so I didn't have to dwell on Odin.

Because of this, we hardly did any grocery shopping and I ignored my blog completely.  With the impending move to a new home, hopefully quick sale of our current home and of course school, I know the next few weeks, or even months, it will be tough to keep up my blog.   Never a dull moment.

For week #23 I spent only $10.74 and week #24 I spent $41.32.  That is an average of $40.83 per week.


Here is the breakdown for Week #23

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  None

Dairy:  3 Gallons of Milk at $3.58 each

Misc.:  None


Here is the breakdown for Week #24

Meat:  2 Packages Bacon - $2.98 (This was a sale and I still think it is highway robbery for bacon, but we needed some.)

Fruit and Vegetables:  1 Cantaloupe at $.48/lb - $2.58

Dairy:  1 Gallon of Milk at $3.69 (Milk is always most expensive at the beginning of the month.  My theory is that is when EBT cards and WIC coupons are renewed and the grocery stores know that there will be more purchases of dairy.), 3 More Gallons of Milk - $3.60 each (Milk dropped 8 cents per gallon in just 4 days!)

Misc.:  3 Bags of Nestle Morsels at $1.68 each, Folgers Coffee - $$6.98, 2 Free Toaster Pastries, 6 Dozen Eggs - $.98/ dozen


Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Fend for yourself night

Monday - Samurai Sams

Tuesday - Chicken Helper and Garden Peas

Wednesday - Hamburger and Mac & Cheese with Corn

Thursday - Date Night!

Friday -  Grilled Pork Chops, Fried Potatoes and Green Beans

Saturday - I was on my own until Monday night and so I just ate sandwiches, leftovers or made nachos.

Sunday -

Monday -

Tuesday - Cranberry Chicken on top of Rice

Wednesday - Cajun Pasta and Chicken

Thursday - One Pot Spaghetti

Friday -  McDonald's

Saturday - Hamburger Helper


Desserts: 
Caramel Rolls, Brownies

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Week #22

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #22?

This past week I went to one store and purchased quite a bit of meat along with a couple of other items.  I didn't need milk and that is unusual for us.  My total for the week was $33.69


Here is the breakdown for Week #22

Meat:  Roast for $2.98/lb for $6.73, Hamburger for $1.98/lb for $13.17 and Steak for $2.98/lb for $4.44

Fruit and Vegetables:  1 Cabbage - $1.39

Dairy:  2 Pails of Ice Cream - $3.98 each

Misc.:  None




Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Mini Pronto Pups

Monday - 4-H Picnic

Tuesday - Stir Fry: Chicken, Carrots and Cabbage

Wednesday - Spaghetti

Thursday - Chicken and Broccoli Fettuccine

Friday - McDonald's Dollar Menu


Desserts: 
Banana Bread

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Week #20 & #21

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #20 & #21?

We went on a family vacation to a lake resort in central Minnesota.  The kids had so much fun spending time with Grandma and Grandpa and their cousins.  It was so relaxing, but now back to reality.  School starts Monday for us along with v-ball, music lessons and just the everyday things which need to get done.

For week #20 I spent quite a bit as I not only needed to buy supplies for the week vacation, but I also needed replenish some of my staples.  I went to 6 stores - yes I said SIX! and spent a total of $105.58!!  And yes, I think that amount deserves a couple of exclamation points.  One reason for the large amount was the families decided to each make 2 large meals.  I figured I should not only make some really good meals, but to not skimp on the ingredients.  I made tacos with all the fixins including guacamole and homemade refried beans and the 2nd meal I made kabobs.  All the meals were so good and I know I came home quite a bit heavier than when I left.  Diet starts Monday!

For week #21 I spent $36.26 and my total for the 21 weeks is $894.13.  That averages to $42.58 per week.  I have $155.87 left over.  And we are still eating well and not starving.  Not bad.


Here is the breakdown for Week #20

Meat:  3 lbs Hamburger for $5.94 (plus $2.00 off), 3 Packs of Hotdogs - $.77 each

Fruit and Vegetables:  2.54 lbs bananas - $.91, 2.81 lbs Onions - $2.42, 3 Bags of Coleslaw - $.98 each, 3 Avocados - $2.94, Cilantro - $.64, 2 Bell Peppers - $1.36, Romaine Lettuce - $1.58, 2 Bags of Coconut - $1.78 each, 1 lb Mushrooms - $2.94, Lemons (I add a slice to my water) - $2.87, 2.85 lbs Grapes - $2.79

Dairy:  3 8 oz Blocks of Cheese - $1.67 each, 16 oz Sour Cream - $.99, 3 Gallons of Milk - $3.58 each, 5 lbs Shredded Cheese - $12.36

Misc.:  4 Hamburger Helpers at $.97 each (1 was free, plus I received $2.00 off hamburger), 2 Containers of Salt - $.44 each, Swiss Miss Cocoa (for my coffee addiction) - $5.98, Peanut Butter - $4.56 each, Taco Sauce - $1.09, 2 Boxes of Taco Shells - $1.25 each, Tortilla Chips - $7.92, Olive Oil - $12.88, 3 Packages of Tortillas - $1.00 each


Here is the breakdown for Week #21

Meat:  6 2.5 lb Bags of Chicken Breasts - $3.98 each

Fruit and Vegetables:  6 Cans of Corn - Free, 6 1 lb Bags of Frozen Vegis - $.77 each, 2.79 lbs of Bananas - $1.65, 2.18 lbs Grapes - $2.11

Dairy:  3

Misc.:  Day Old Donuts (14 of them) - $4.00

Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - We got a new puppy today (future post with pictures) and I was not going to do any cooking.  My husband made Mac & Cheese for himself and I had a sandwich.  The kids are at Grandma and Grandpa's so our meals this week will be simple.

Monday - Sante Fe Stew and Corn Bread

Tuesday - Nachos with homemade re-fried beans

Wednesday - Baked Chicken Breast and Seasoned Noodles

Thursday - Left Over Sante Fe Stew

Friday - Nachos

Beginning of Our Week Long Vacation:

Saturday - Tacos

Sunday - BBQ Chicken on the grill

Monday - Chinese Chicken and Rice Meal

Tuesday - Kabobs

Wednesday - Hamburgers, hot-dogs and brats on the grill

Thursday - Left Over Night

Friday - Spaghetti

Saturday - Whatever the kids could find in the house.  We had a long day of mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, getting ready for school, etc. and I wasn't in the mood to cook.

Desserts: 

Apple Crisp made from my Apple Pie in a Jar, Brownies (twice), Cookies (Twice), Ice Cream Cones, Root Beer Floats

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Week #19

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #19?

I didn't spend much this week (only $33.57), but there was one item which irritated me to have to purchase.  We were invited to a friend's lake cabin and I brought a rhubarb dessert and a taco dip. For the taco dip I needed a tomato and one would assume by the beginning of August I would have red tomatoes on the vine by now, but with the late spring and cold weather all my tomatoes [Goodness, I need to interrupt myself here.  "All my tomatoes?"  Seriously - I have literally 30-40 teeny, tiny and very green tomatoes on my poor and quite pathetic plants.  It would be laughable if I wasn't planning being able to can them and use them this winter.  Anyway, back to my story] - are green and I didn't think those eating my dip would have enjoyed green tomatoes.  And so I paid a whopping $.60 for one measly tomato!  I almost thought of using my canned tomatoes instead, but a freshly diced tomato is so much prettier.

But even with my extravagant purchase of a $.60 tomato I still stayed under budget!  Next week we have a family get-together and I need to purchase quite a bit of food for it.  I am positive I will spend quite a bit more than the $50, but it will be fun to see how I do.


Here is the breakdown for Week #19

Meat:  None

Fruit and Vegetables:  Tomato - $.60, Celery - $.90, 3 lbs of Strawberries - $.97/lb, 17 lbs Peaches - $13.95

Dairy:  16 oz. Sour Cream - $.99, Square of Ice Cream - $1.48, 3 Gallons of Milk - $3.57 each

Misc.:  16 oz. Box of Pasta - Free, Toaster Pastry - Free, 2 Loaves of White Bread - $.98 each (I was lazy and didn't want to bake any bread and I do love a PBJ made with white bread now and then as a treat.  I know, no nutritional value, but I love it anyway.)




Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Nachos

Monday - Spicy Creamy Cajun Chicken and Pasta

Tuesday - Kid Free for part of this week and so we went out to eat at a local hamburger restaurant/bar.  It's nice getting out and letting someone else cook the meal.

Wednesday - BBQ's and Green Beans

Thursday - Sausage and Mac & Cheese Bake

Friday - Leftovers (Note: BBQ and Mac & Cheese do not go well together!)

Saturday - Pot-luck at the Lake

Desserts: 

Strawberry Shortcake and Ice cream, Rhubarb Dream Dessert

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Weeks #17 & #18

How Much Did I Spend For Weeks #17 & #18?

Really, how hard is it to list a few grocery items and then post it?  You wouldn't think that would be difficult and you would think I could do it once a week, but for some reason the last 2 weeks have flown by.  What have I done?  Nothing.  I can't say literally nothing as I have moved from my bed to the shower and to a chair and I have made a few meals now and then, but really I've done almost nothing.  Oh, and I went grocery shopping too, hence the need for this post, but again I've done almost nothing to warrant me to neglect my blog.

Due to my lack of ambition these past 2 weeks I have combined weeks 17 and 18.   Week #17 I went to two stores and purchased $53.49 worth of groceries.  It has been quite a while since I have gone over $50.  It was bound to happen and I have quite a stash to dip into.  Week #18 I only went to Sams and spent $42.87.

So far for the 18 weeks I have spent a total of $718.72.  This is an average of $39.93 and I have $181.28 for future use.  The challenge is still going well.  Only 34 weeks to make it a whole year.


Here is the breakdown for Week #17

Meat:  Little Sizzlers - $.88, 2 Packages of Imitation Crab - $1.48 each, 3 Packages of Hot Dogs - $.88 each

Fruit and Vegetables:  2 Packages of Mushrooms - $1.48 each, 4 Cans of Peaches - $.97 each, Bananas - $1.19, 3 Avocados - $3.00, 3.84 lbs Peaches - $3.72, Carrots - $1.68, 2 Bags of Onions - $1.66 each, Head of Lettuce - $.77

Dairy:  1 Gallon of Milk - $3.58, 2 Packages of String Cheese - $1.48 each, 2 Packages of Cream Cheese - $.98 each, 2 More Gallons of Milk - $3.57 each

Misc.:  4 Jars of Peanut Butter - $1.58 each, 2 Bottles of Soy Sauce - $.98, 4 Boxes of Spaghetti at buy 1 get 1 - $1.28 each, Free Box of Brownie Mix, Free Can of Rotel, Free Box of Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal

Here is the breakdown for Week #18

Meat:  Nothing

Fruit and Vegetables:  Bananas - $1.36

Dairy:  3 Gallons of Milk - $3.58 each, Buttermilk - $2.15, 5 lbs Shredded Cheese - $12.72, 4 lbs Butter - $7.98

Misc.:  Tortilla Chips - $7.92


Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Beef Stroganoff (I made a homemade "hamburger helper" knockoff with hamburger and egg noodles.)

Monday - Grilled Chicken, Grilled Pork Chops, Garden Fresh Green Beans, Garden Salad, Cole Slaw, Corn Bread and Banana Cake (We had family visit us tonight.  It was so much fun seeing them and having someone actually stop in.  No one ever wants to visit Fargo so it is a treat to have visitors from out of state.)

Tuesday - Spaghetti made with home canned tomatoes

Wednesday - Ditto

Thursday - Free Birthday Meal at Paradiso - (The kids had to fend for themselves as my husband and I went out to eat.)

Friday - Steak on the Grill, Fresh Garden Green Beans and Pasta Salad with Garden Peas

Saturday - Leftovers.  (Once a month my husband's work feeds us at the mall i.e. Mall Lunch and we always have leftovers to take home and eat for supper.)

Sunday - Fend for yourself night

Monday - Nachos with all the fixens.

Tuesday - Browned and seasoned hamburger, noodles, tomatoes and spaghetti sauce all baked together.  (Unfortunately I left this in the oven too long and the noodles got a bit soggy.  Now, how to handle all the leftovers from this mess?)

Wednesday - Breakfast for supper:  Whole Wheat Pancakes, Breakfast Sausages and Eggs.  (I love breakfast for supper.)

Thursday - Twice Baked Noodle Meal from Tuesday and Stuffed Mushrooms.  (I took the mushy pasta meal and placed it in a casserole dish.  Covered it with tons of pepperoni and cheese.  You can't go wrong with pepperoni and cheese!  The family loved it.)

Friday - My oldest and my husband went out to eat to celebrate the fact this child finally finished school with only 3 weeks left of our summer before the next school year starts.  I stayed home and had leftovers.  The other 2 kids were at the grandparents.

Saturday - Leftovers

Desserts: 

Apple Enchilada made with our canned Apple Pie in a Jar

Pineapple and Blueberry Dessert - This is an easy dessert to make.  Take 1 can of pineapple and 1-3 C. frozen blueberries and place into a 9x13 cake pan.  Sprinkle 3/4 C Sugar.  Combine 1 stick of butter and a cake mix until crumbly and sprinkle on top of the fruit.  The recipe calls for yellow, but all I had was a funfetti cake mix and it worked out. Bake at 350 for 35 min.

Lemon Bars

$50 Per Week Grocery Challenge - Week #16

How Much Did I Spend For Week #16?

I had a fairly easy week.  We spent half the week at my parents' lake and, lucky me, I didn't have to plan what we would be eating for dinner and supper.  I love not having to decide what to make for the next meal.

Before heading out to the lake I went to two grocery stores and spent a total of $28.89.  This is week #16 and I have spent a grand total of $622.36.  That is an average of $38.90 for each week. I am saving the $177.64 for a major meat run when I finally use up the hamburger and roasts in the extra freezer and a bulk food buy from Azure.


Here is the breakdown for Week #16

Meat:  3 2.5 lb Bags of Frozen Chicken Breasts - $3.98 Each

Fruit and Vegetables:  2 Bags of Coleslaw - $.98 each, 3 Kiwi Fruit - $1.14, 2.85 lbs of Grapes - $2.79, 4 One Pound Bags of Frozen Vegis - $.98 Each

Dairy:  2 Gallons Milk - $3.57

Misc.:  4 Pack Chocolate Pudding - Free,


Meals we had this week:

Breakfast:  Homemade Granola, Homemade Grape Nuts, Oatmeal, Malt-O-Meal, Waffles or Toast.

Dinner:  Leftovers from supper or Sandwiches from my Freshly Ground Whole Wheat Bread and Yogurt

Supper:  

Sunday - Fend for yourself night and popcorn.

Monday - McDonalds (We had judging at the fair for 4-H and it was a long day.  Plus I was sick so we went to McDonalds and ate off the $1 menu.)

Tuesday - Meatloaf, Baked Potatoes and Corn on the Cob

Wednesday - At the lake

Thursday - At the lake

Friday - At the lake

Saturday - At the lake

Desserts: 
None