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| March 22 Groceries |
I did some grocery shopping, yesterday. I am going to consider it as March Week 3 Part 2, because there is another week left in March and I might go grocery shopping again before the month is over.
First, I went to the dollar store (I wanted to look for some hair bands and see if they had any vegetable plants or seed packets; they didn't) and bought:
3 cans table cream, @ $1 = $3.00
1 box cheese crackers = $1.00
1.49 lb. bananas @ $.49/lb = $.73
3- 5 oz. jars Miracle Whip @ 3/$1.00 = $1.00
Total: $5.73
I thought the little jars of Miracle Whip were the cutest things ever! I am one of those people who prefer Miracle Whip to mayonnaise, but I admit I bought these more for the jars than the contents! I would have loved it if they had been glass jars, but they are plastic. No matter; I know I will be reusing those jars for storing various things. I see myself making a lot of egg salads and tuna salads in the near future! LOL. In fact, lunch today, was an egg salad sandwich!
Then, I went to the regular grocery store, also in the same shopping mall and bought:
2-6 packs of soda (only one is pictured, above), @$2.50 + $.30 deposit = $5.60
2 lb. pack ground beef = $3.99
Tax on soda = $.49
Total = $10.08
The ground beef was on sale because the sell-by date was March 23 (today). There were two packages and I debated getting both, but that's a lot of ground beef for me, so I bought only one package. I want to brown it and freeze most of it for future meals.
Total spent = $5.73 + $10.08 = $15.81
March grocery budget = $75
Spent to date = $5.50 + $21.90 + $15.84 + $15.81 = $59.05
Balance left in the budget = $15.95
That's plenty for more bread, some milk, and fresh produce, next week.
How is your March grocery budget coming along?
Great job on your grocery budget, Bless! Those are cute little jars. They'd make great refrigerator storage jars.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Jane
Thank you, Jane. I am thinking that, if I keep next week's purchases to $10 or under, I'll put the balance towards stocking up on butter, when it goes on sale, next.
DeleteSmart shopping! I still have orange envy that you can walk outside and get fresh fruit!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anne. The oranges are coming to an end - there's less than half a dozen left on the tree. But they were good while they lasted.
DeleteI, too, prefer Miracle Whip to mayo. I tried to make egg salad today for lunch and found we are out of both spreads. It went on the list for the next trip to the store.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to make egg salad without mayo! We used to make it with butter, in Sri Lanka, since we didn't have mayo: softened butter, mixed with the chopped hard boiled eggs, a little minced green chilies, salt and pepper. My daughter doesn't like mayo or Miracle Whip, so I always make her egg salad sandwiches the Sri Lankan style. :)
DeleteYou remind me of some of my kids who also are into "tiny" containers and things, Bless! I'm surprised the dollar store didn't have any seeds. Mine (Dollar Tree) still had them the last time I went, but I guess that was about 3 weeks ago now. I'm done with my grocery shopping for the month (next week's trip will count as an April trip for me) and I'm way under budget thanks to the Walmart gift cards from Swagbucks and the CVS gift cards and ExtraCare Bucks from a panel survey, but I'm not ready to close the books on Food Expenses yet since there's still one week left in the month when we will have Eating Out expenses. I think you were smart not to buy too much ground beef. One needs to know her limits!
ReplyDeleteI love little containers and things! :D This dollar store had flower seeds and plants; but not vegetable seeds and plants. I will check one or two of the other stores. If not, I'll have to pay more for seeds at the garden center.
DeleteWell done on coming under budget, Nathalie. I love how you offset your grocery spending with the gift cards.
I don't have a big deep freezer; just the side freezer that comes with my fridge. Not a lot of room to stock too much. I browned the ground beef and froze 3/4 of it. Kept the rest in the fridge to use this weekend. By the time I finish this lot of ground beef, it will go on sale again, for $1.99/lb. and I'll buy another couple of pounds then.
YOu are doing so well my friend! I need to do an update on my March Grocery Challenge since I hit both Trader Joe's and the Grocery Outlet over the weekend while we were away. Be blessed!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debbie. Hope you are doing well on your challenge!
DeleteThose jars are adorable! I've not seen those before. Great size for reuse. :)
ReplyDeleteThey are, aren't they? I was thinking, just the right size to take something to the office, etc. Some tea bags, sugar, etc., to keep in my desk drawer, perhaps.
DeleteYou are doing well with your budget. I haven't spent anything on food this week, I splashed out on a new fridge freezer that has a much bigger freezing compartment. So I was trying to use up what was in my old one. It has just arrived and it looks so empty, so toying with thew idea of using whats left of my March budget to fill it. The other idea is to put any unspent money from the budget into a sealed jar and open it at Christmas for a treat or two. I love small jars too!
ReplyDeleteSharon, that's great that you didn't have to buy any groceries this week! I like the idea of putting away the unspent money towards Christmas treats, or stocking up. Maybe do half and half?
DeleteI grew up in post war Britain and do not remember mayo - my mum lightly buttered the bread, mashed the egg and added maybe a sprig of cress if she had it and I still make mine that way today. Delicious however you eat.
ReplyDeleteI think those smaller jars of mayo are brilliant. Usually here in the Midwest if you want a small size of a product you always have to pay more. It is annoying for the single or two person household. My local grocery store sends out questionnaires and I suggested that they provide a few smaller packages of ground beef, pork chops etc. at the regular price for smaller families and they do. I was so happy about that.
After a cold day yesterday with on and off rain in the morning, it is Spring like and warm today, although storms forecast late afternoon. I was able to put my laundry on the line.
Sandy
Sandy, it is about the same here, too - smaller sizes often cost more. That's nice that your local grocery store is so responsive to customer suggestions!
DeleteI was reading that war time rationing in Britain allowed something like 2 oz. of butter a week per person. That's not much at all, is it? We had ration books in Sri Lanka, too, when I was growing up. Rice and sugar were among the items that were rationed. I don't remember what else was rationed.
I completely understand the attraction to those containers. I have found specific jars that I couldn't part with and found a way to reuse them instead. I don't use margarine now, but years ago I bought it in wonderful 5X7" plastic boxes with sturdy red lids and I have 3 of them. I keep cookies or crackers in them. I have several square instant coffee jars, also with red lids that have been storing dry goods in my pantry for years. Little round jars are also treasures. I have made maple butter and put it in them.
ReplyDeleteBushlady
Small jars are good for storing bulk buy spices and herbs, as well as dried herbs, etc. :)
DeleteI am still slogging my way through the cupboards and freezer. I did pick up a few bits and pieces to complete meals I have planned. I have a break this weekend but have to work out meals for the upcoming week. I need to look up some new recipes.
ReplyDeleteWell done with cooking what you have in the cupboards and freezer! I've several cans of condensed soups I need to use up! One of the nice things about the internet is one can type in a couple of ingredients and find new recipes for them. My daughter tries out new recipes, all the time. I just tend to stick to the ones I always make!
DeleteBLess, I had to smile when I read about your little jars of miracle whip.. I am, the worse , to buy an item to get the container.ha I once went to the dollar store and bought some little crackers in a funny shaped container. [just to get the container]. Well, when I opened them up. They were awful !!! Even our dog would not eat them.lol However.. I made myself feel better... because I would have paid $1 for the container anyway.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day...
ps.. I am shocked I have gotten so far behind on reading your blog post.. Didn't realize it. I have been working on a prom dress for one of my granddaughters.. so busy..
Ha, ha, yes, we'd have paid for the empty containers, wouldn't we? Don't worry about being behind on the reading. Reading and commenting takes more time than one realizes and sounds like you are busy. Hope you'll post a picture of the dress when you are done. Lucky granddaughter!
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