Later, in the afternoon, the sun began to shine and I went shopping. First, to the pharmacy to pick up the iron supplements. Then, to the dollar store (adjoining the pharmacy) for a few things:
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| Dollar Store Purchases |
I mostly went to buy the nightlight bulbs and the toothpaste (not included in the grocery budget), but I also bought:
2 packets of rice cakes (1 whole grain, 1 sesame) = $2.00
1 packet of Spanish rice & pasta mix = $1.00
1 packet cheese crackers = $1.00
1 can pineapple pieces = $1.00
1 jar apricot preserves = $1.00
1 packet sunflower seeds (pepitas) = $1.00
1 lb. packet bacon = $1.99
bananas @$.49/lb = $.48
Total = $9.47
The store also had these wheat crackers, but, I thought, with a name like that, I had better leave it on the shelf!
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| I do like the serving suggestion that is pictured, don't you? |
After that, I went to the regular grocery store (in the same shopping mall).
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| Grocery Store Purchases |
I bought:
1 gal. drinking water (not shown; earthquake supplies) = $.99
1 smoked sausage (14 oz.) = $1.99*
1 bag frozen meatballs = $2.27*
2 packages shortbread cookies, @$1.49 = $2.98* (to take to the temple on Friday)
1 package bagels = $1.99 - $.40 coupon = $1.59
1 package low fat cream cheese = $1.79
3 mangoes, @$.33 = $.99
1 small sourdough bread = $.71
4 bags dried pea pod snacks, @ $.99 = $3.96 (treat for daughter, who will be visiting next weekend)
Total = $21.23
* Mix and Match sale items; sale price is $1 off the regular price.
Total spent on groceries today = $9.47 + $21.23 = $30.70
In addition (not shown and not included in the grocery totals), I bought 3 solid air fresheners (@$.99 - $.60 coupon = $2.37; 1 can insect spray = $3.69; 2 bags cat food @ $8.99; and a box of laundry detergent (68 loads) = $15.49. These items are all taxable and the tax came to a total of $3.81
This is the first time I've had to buy laundry detergent since the end of 2015, when I bought a big bucket from Costco, which I have been sharing with daughter (she has already asked if she can have some of the laundry detergent to take back with her!). I have allowed my Costco membership to lapse and haven't renewed it. I wonder how long this box will last me; I usually do about 3 loads of laundry a week.
May grocery budget = $70
Spent to date = $34.50 + $6.11 + $30.70 = $71.31
Over spent = $1.31
Oops! Maybe I shouldn't include the cookies for the temple and treats for my daughter in my grocery budget! As it is, I will need to borrow from the June grocery budget to buy milk, next weekend!
Today, I am grateful for:
- Being able to take another day off from work
- Sunshine in the afternoon
- Being able to do my grocery shopping
- Phone calls and emails from friends
- Video chatting with daughter
How is your May grocery budget coming along? Are you within budget for the month or have you already overspent like I have?
I've overspent by a lot this month but we had family round for a meal on Saturday evening so at least there's a reason and it was a nice overspend.
ReplyDeleteI hope the iron tablets kick in quickly, I think it's one of those things that you see a difference with quite soon, so hopefully your energy levels will be much better. Hope youve managed to sort out or let go of whatever was stressing you out earlier in the week. xx
Oops! I seem to have lost the reply I posted!
DeleteI saw pictures of the desserts you made for the family meal, Suzanne, and was drooling over them!
Still trying to work through the thing I was stressing about the other day; but I think I have it under control, now. :)
I do hope the iron supplements work soon. The nurse practitioner rattled off a list of symptoms, asking me if I've experienced any of them (before she went over the blood test results with me) and, it seems I'd had every single one of them, except I put them down to other causes, such as lack of sleep, side effects from medications I am already on, etc. Then, she said I had iron deficiency and apparently, those were all symptoms from that! I was shocked!
I wonder if you've researched the side effects of iron supplements to prepare should any affect you. I know you don't like vegetables and I have consistently been too much a coward to suggest you give your lists of food purchases to a nutritionalist to attribute nutrition value of your purchases.
DeleteYou help me understand how crazy the USA medical system has become. My imagination sees 135M people paying intermediaries to intercede between the patient, the medical service provided and their insurance clerk. It would be like hiring an IRS specialist accountant once a year to file income tax.
Have you ever looked into ordering RX by mail providers? BTW, if your insurance provisions change as a result of retirement, you might check the cost differentials between Costco and other pharmacies. Our rules changed here several months ago and as result the low cost Costco pharmacological fee made it worth the effort.
Hon, yes, I have researched the side effects of iron supplements and have since discussed them with the nurse practitioner who prescribed them.
DeleteDepending on what medical insurance plans are available to me upon retirement, and which I choose, I might have to change pharmacies. If I go with Kaiser, for example, I will have to use their pharmacies.
Are you getting excited about your impending retirement? It’s nice that you have so much time off between now and then ... it may help to ease the transition. A while ago you mentioned possibly selling your home and moving to the Berkeley area to be close to your daughter (if I followed you correctly). Are you still considering that? Retirement brings so many new and exciting options!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I am excited, as such, yet, Carolyn; I am still stressing over the details! I don't like change and this is going to be a big change for me. Not in terms of what I will do or how I will occupy my time, but in terms of changes in medical insurance coverage and other medical benefits, etc.
DeleteWell, anything is possible, I suppose, in terms of moving houses, but, most probably, I will choose to remain down here, at least for the immediate future. Houses in the Bay Area cost too much and I am not sure if I want to have a mortgage, again. :)
Truth be told, I don't really have a grocery "budget" yet. Because of my new way of eating, I have just been buying groceries and keeping track of how much I spend on food and non-food items. But I really should sit down and average up my monthly costs so that I have some kind of guidelines to go by. I still buy the cheaper cuts of meat and look for the stores that offer the best prices on dairy. Some habits are ingrained. But without being able to eat any grains, there aren't really any "cheap" foods I can bulk out my meal with like I used to (rice,pasta, potatoes, bread, dried beans, legumes, and the like)
ReplyDeleteAs long as it works for you, Susan, it should be fine. I, too, should adopt a more low-carb diet for health reasons. And if I do that, I will definitely need to adjust my grocery budget!
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