She called me from the store to ask about the butter - I have never heard of the brand (Farmbest), but, looked it up and apparently it is made by the same company that makes Challenge butter, so I told her to go ahead and buy it to try.
She sent me a picture and a list of what she bought:
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| Daughter's Groceries |
Weight Watchers Smart Ones Chicken Strips and Sweet Potato Fries - $1.00
Oscar Mayer Mini Sausage Rolls (12 ct) - $1.00
Total = $20.08
She said she will need to buy some half and half ($1.69) and a dozen eggs (on sale for $1.79 this week, which is a good price for them at Berkeley) from Trader Joe's midweek, but that is all she really needs. She budgets $30/week for groceries, but she thinks she'll be able to keep it to under $25 this week.
I think she did well with her grocery shopping this week, don't you?
I've never seen plantain on sale in the UK though I expect some of the specialist grocers may sell them in London or other big cities. I have tried it once. I'm not sure where it was, maybe Madeira. Sweet potato fries are popular in some restaurants and I notice that they are now sold in the frozen section of supermarkets. I like them but not as much as ordinary potatoes.
ReplyDeletePlantains are readily available, here. We used to have a different type of plantain, called "ash plantain" (they had a green peel that had a grey, powdery substance that looked a bit like ash) which we used to cook, but that is not available here. Sweet potatoes are supposed to be more nutritious than regular potatoes, but, like you, I prefer the regular potatoes. :)
DeleteShe did very well. If she doesn't spend her budget does she treat herself to something extra the following week or does she just put it to one side in a savings pot? Sorry if I've missed any updates but did she decide whether or not to renew the lease on her apartment? xx
ReplyDeleteSuzanne, she says she saves the money. I think it is more a matter of whatever doesn't get spent remains in her checking account. :)
DeleteShe is most probably going to renew the lease and stay on for another year, although she hasn't officially notified the apartment management, yet. Her employers are trying their best to keep her for at least another year - they have applied (to the parent company) to give her an additional stipend for the remaining months of her current contract and a raise next year. We are just taking it as it comes. :)
Love seeing your daughter's grocery shop. Especially did well on the butter and blueberries. That is an amazing budget for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You must be so proud of how she manages.
ReplyDeleteI have seen plaintains at the store but I do not know how to cook them!
Glad you enjoyed seeing it, Sandy. I know a couple of people have said they liked seeing what she buys. :) She wasn't sure about the butter, but I told her that it was a good price.
DeleteThere are many ways to cook the plantains - fried or baked, they can be eaten as a side dish or a dessert, depending on the recipe. If you do a search, you will find several recipes. I'll ask daughter how she made them. :)
Your daughter has done extremely well with groceries. Does she have several close by, as in walking distance? Does she shop more than one store, or does she usually visit several?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan. She has two grocery stores within walking distance - one of them is the dollar store (across the street from her apartment) where she bought all the groceries pictured in this post and the other one is a Trader Joe's, which is located next to the bus stop where she catches her bus to come home from work. There are also some ethnic grocery stores within walking distance, but the majority of them aren't good for produce (we checked them out). She used to go to a supermarket, earlier (reached by 2 buses, although she would often walk instead of waiting for the 2nd bus), once a week, but now, she only goes there to buy meat, as the dollar store doesn't carry meat and the meat at TJ tends to be expensive. She tends to go to the dollar store and to Trader Joe's on a regular basis - about once a week, though not on the same day.
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