November's grocery budget will be $200. The regular monthly grocery budget of $75 will be augmented with $125 set aside for the year-end almsgiving, scheduled for December 4, this year.
I went grocery shopping twice, this week. The first time was on November 3:
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| November 3 Groceries |
I bought:
2 Bread rolls ($.25@) = $.50
2 cans of condensed milk ($1.59@) = $3.18
1 package roast beef cold cuts (7 oz.) = $3.49
6 pack soda = $2.49 plus $.30 CRV plus tax
1 yogurt = $.39
The total came to $10.61.
I did my second grocery shopping trip on Saturday. I went to one of the Armenian grocery stores:
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| November 5 Groceries |
I bought:
2 persimmons (.97 lb. @ $.99/lb.) = $.96
4 russet potatoes (2.38 lb. @ $.25/lb.) = $.60
.24 lb. serrano chilies (@ $.79/lb.) = $.19
2 lb. green grapes (@ $.99/lb.) = $1.98
6 packets of raw cashews (@ $6.29/lb) = $19.63
1 broccoli crown (.44 lb. @ $.49/lb.) = $.22
1 lb. container yogurt = $1.99
4 cans coconut milk (@ $.89) = $3.56
1 zucchini (.24 lb. @ $.39/lb.) = $.09
1 jar (225 g) chicken bouillon powder = $2.59
3 bananas (1.35 lb. @ $.49/lb.) = $.66
1 package (8 oz.) pita bread = $.50
Total = $32.97
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| November 5 Receipt |
Daughter will be coming down for Thanksgiving, but we will be going to my aunt's or cousin's house for Thanksgiving dinner. I am generally asked to bring my cornbread muffins as my contribution to the dinner; I already have a box of corn meal in the pantry, so I won't have much to buy for Thanksgiving.
November/Almsgiving grocery budget = $200.00
Total spent on groceries in Week 1 = $10.61 + $32.97 = $43.58
Amount left in budget = $200-43.48 =$156.42
Have you gone grocery shopping yet, this month? Do you budget separately for Thanksgiving?
I haven't been to the grocery store yet in November, but I think a trip is in order today since we've run out of milk. Looks like you're doing well with your budget.
ReplyDeleteYes, running out of milk will warrant a trip to the grocery store! Do you generally shop once a week? That's what I used to do, but these days, I seem to be buying smaller quantities more frequently.
DeleteI don't have a real schedule for grocery shopping. I prefer Aldis which is not on any of my daily routes, so I don't go there as often as I might. Aldis is located in a shopping center with several other stores we go to, so I try to keep a running list of what we might need from the area and only go once a week or so. However, that doesn't always happen because we're not always so well organized.
DeleteI've heard good things about Aldis. The closest one to me is more than 30 miles away, so I haven't shopped there. Hope you were able to get your milk this weekend and that the week ahead will be a good one.
DeleteGrapes are so much more expensive up in Canada but once in a while we get a good deal on them. Last week there was a particularly good price for large seedless green grapes and I bought extra and took some off the stems and froze them to enjoy at another time. Of course letting a frozen grape melt in your mouth is not really a winter thing, but no doubt we will enjoy snacking on them.
ReplyDeleteBushlady
The price of grapes can vary from store to store, even here. The other store I went to on November 3, for example, had grapes on sale for $1.99/lb., double what I paid for the grapes I bought yesterday. I try to buy grapes only when they are at $.99/lb. or less. I've never tried freezing them! Frozen grapes sounds like a lovely treat!
DeleteYou do awesome shopping. x
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lyssa! I try to buy what's on sale that week, unless I am really craving a particular item. The store I went to yesterday sells most varieties of apples for $.89/lb., but every week, they have at least one variety on sale for $.39/lb. or $.49/lb. This week, they have large Fuji apples on sale for $.49/lb. and large Red Delicious on sale for $.49/lb. But apples are available year round and I still have an apple in the fridge. Persimmons, on the other hand, are a seasonal fruit and their price was reasonable (they were $1.99/lb., earlier in the season, and, if I am lucky, they might go on special sale for $.79 or even $.69/lb., later in the season). I was happy to buy some at $.99/lb. Now I have to wait until they get very, very ripe; otherwise, they leave an astringent, bitter taste in your mouth.
DeleteOops! I meant to say that the Red Delicious apples are on sale for $.39/lb., not $.49/lb.
DeleteA lot of food is much cheaper in the states than here. Tesco have apples that are around £2 a kg, maybe £1 a lb. I don't have the exact exchange rate, but I think it's around double the cost of your apples. I have never had persimmons. I am getting an education! x
DeleteI did a quick search on-line; the current exchange rate seems to be 1 British pound is $1.25; $1 = .80 British pounds. I took a quick look at the Tesco site. :) Just the fresh fruits. I will take a look at the vegetables, later.
DeleteWe don't have Thanksgiving but I don't budget as such for Christmas, I just buy extra bits in the weeks running up to it so it's not a massive expense in one go.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to note down and watch what I spend my money on this month. I should add I start doing this every month and fail miserably but so far so good.
What is Love Cake? Is it for a special celebration? xx
Good job keeping tabs on what you are spending this month. Try to save your receipts, so that you can look them over at the end of the month; sometimes, that's easier than noting down each expense.
DeleteLove Cake is a piece of heaven! :D It is a special occasion cake, just like Christmas cake. It is mostly made at Christmas, although it can be made at any time of the year. But, basically, it is a flour-less cake made with semolina, butter, sugar, cashew nuts, LOTS of eggs (my recipe, copied from my mother's cook book, calls for 18 eggs, but the whites of only 10), spices, honey, rose water, almond essence, and a type of candied squash we call pumpkin preserves. It is moist and dense, leavened only with egg whites and baked at a low temperature. It is perhaps my favorite cake and definitely my daughter's favorite cake. I haven't made one in years (not since my mother died, come to think of it!) but I feel like we need a special cake to celebrate, this year.