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| This Week's Groceries |
Saturday afternoon, I went grocery shopping at one of my favorite ethnic stores. I wanted to get more fruits and vegetables for the week, and I wanted to get some fish and meat for the freezer. Plus a couple of treats: cashews and dates (I finished the last of the dates when I made the muffins, last week).
I bought:
2+ lb. boneless/skinless chicken breast @$1.49/lb = $3.74
4 salmon steaks @ $3.49/lb = $7.59
4 pork chops @ $1.79/lb = $2.89
2 lb. ground beef @ $1.99/lb = $3.88
4 persimmons @ $.99/lb = $1.72
10 lb. potatoes = $1.89
1 lb. carrots = $.40
3 baby bok choy @ $.99/lb = $.36
4 small beets @ $.79/lb = $.41
2 zucchini @ $.49/lb = $.32
1 bag grapes @ $.99/lb = $1.70
5 tangerines @ $.79/lb = $.81
4 bananas @ $.49/lb = $.79
Pitted dates, 24 oz. container = $3.49
1 doz. large eggs = $2.99
2 pkts. raw cashews @ $6.29/lb; $3.37 + $3.46 = $6.83
Total: $39.81
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| Receipt |
We are exactly halfway through the month and I've spent most of this month's grocery budget, already! And I still need to buy milk and I'd like to get a bag of flour for holiday baking. Looks like I'll go over my grocery budget this month because I am stocking up and cooking for the freezer. It can't be helped, I guess.
I cooked the 4 salmon steaks with tomatoes and onions; I packaged and froze 4 portions for later; had a portion of it for dinner, there are 2 more portions in the fridge for meals for later this week.
I browned the ground beef, drained the fat, added half an onion diced, 2 ribs of celery diced, 4 small carrots grated, and 3 medium potatoes grated to it, with salt, pepper, and a bit of Worchestershire sauce. I will portion it up and freeze for later use.
The pork chops and chicken breasts, too, will be cooked and frozen.
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| Saturday Dinner: Salmon, Baked Potato, Zucchini |
The first camellia of the season had bloomed on my tree and my gardener had picked it for me; I brought it in and put it in a vase:
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| First Camellia of the Season |
I also received an orchid plant from my gardener, for my birthday:
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| Orchid |
The flowers brighten up my living room.
On Saturday, I was grateful for:
- Sleeping in
- Sunshine
- Phone calls from family and friends
- The variety of products and selection available at the grocery store
- Fresh flowers
How was your Saturday? How is your grocery budget coming along?
That camellia looks beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you! My gardener calls my camellia bush the "grande dame" of the garden! :)
DeleteCheck this out re: what you should be spending on food: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/sites/default/files/CostofFoodSep2015.pdf
ReplyDeleteYour $75.00/month is starvation level. Not good for your daughter either.
Your food haul yesterday was improved over what I've seen previously. It needs to be a sustained effort. If you stay with $75.00/month, it needs to be only meat, poultry, fish, fruit, green/orange vegetables, and whole wheat bread/cereal or oatmeal. No processed foods or treats.
Actually, I'm very familiar with the USDA cost of food charts, including how those costs are calculated.
DeleteI don't consider myself to be starving with what I spend on my groceries. Quite the contrary!
I keep the spending low by buying mostly items that are on sale. I could spend double, or even triple what I spend, if I simply pay full price. I just choose not to. Why would I want to pay $7.99/lb. for salmon (regular price) when I know it goes on sale for $3.49/lb. quite regularly?
I'm noticing the price differences from where I live. Our grapes are on special now for $1.99 Canadian, ($1.49 US) but usually they are $3.99 Canadian ($2.99 US). But then ours get to travel further than yours, and probably go Business Class, LOL!
ReplyDeleteBushlady
Bushlady, prices vary quite a bit, here, too, depending where one shops. According to this week's grocery ads, grapes are on sale/special for $1.69/lb at Store A, $1.48/lb. at Store B, $1.29/lb at Store C, $.99/lb at Stores D & E, and $.89/lb at Store F. Since I shopped at Store D this week, I didn't pay the lowest price for grapes. But the price difference wasn't worth my driving to another store, so I chose to simply buy the grapes from Store D.
DeleteI don't think I even know what the regular price for grapes are, any more (probably around $2.99/lb), because I would probably never pay that much! Not when I know they go on sale for $.99/lb. on a regular basis. As much as I like grapes, if none of the stores had it on sale that week, I'd just probably skip buying grapes and buy whatever fruit was on sale. I am a bit weird that way. :D
I wouldn't pay the high price either, unless there was a good reason, so I buy plenty when they are on special and then they are a treat.
DeleteBushlady
Exactly. For example, when strawberries are on sale for $1/lb., I buy them all the time. I'll even buy them for $2/lb.or $2.50/lb. if for a special occasion (such as when I hosted the prayer gathering). But, I usually don't buy them when they are priced $3.99/lb. (as they were, this week).
DeleteIt's so nice to have cooked ground beef/sirloin in the freezer ready to use - saves tons of time in the evenings during dinner prep. Beautiful flowers, Bless! We've not had super cold temps yet, so my outdoor container plants still look great - seems cold weather is slow to arrive this season. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carolyn. I am trying to cook ahead for when I'll be undergoing treatment and won't feel up to cooking. But I only have the freezer that comes with my side-by-side fridge/freezer and it's already rather full!
DeleteGlad you are getting to enjoy your container plants for a bit longer.
Pretty flowers. I'm planning on avoiding the stores as much as possible for a while and just use what I have on hand. I'm not good at just grabbing what exactly I need and tend to leave with a cart full.
ReplyDeleteJess, I'm always tempted to stock up on deals when I go to the store! But it is good to eat from the stock on hand, every now and then, to keep things from going out of date, spoiling, etc., not to mention keeping the spending down!
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