October Grocery Shopping - Week 1

October 2 Groceries

I went grocery shopping on Tuesday (October 2).  I went to the dollar store and the regular supermarket/grocery store.

I will be hosting October's monthly prayer gathering, so, my groceries this month will include items needed for the prayer gathering luncheon, in addition to regular groceries.  I budget separately for the prayer gathering, $25/month, so I have $300 to spend towards the prayer gathering, although I generally don't use all of it.  But, it is there, if I need it.

While at the dollar store, I also bought a few household supplies, such as foil and food storage bags, as well as Fall themed paper napkins (two different sizes), to use at the October monthly prayer gathering.  While I don't usually include the cost of household items in my regular grocery budget, I will include these items this month, since some of them will be used during the prayer gathering.  Any extra items (extra food storage bags, for example) will be used later, in December, when I hold the annual almsgiving.

Here's what I bought:

Dollar Store:
- 2 bags (2 lb. each) frozen meatballs @ $1.99 = $3.98
Total (with other items included) = $12.74

Supermarket Grocery Store:
3 packs (4 count, each) bottled coffee drinks @ $3.99* + $.20 bottle deposit per pack = $12.57
1 loaf sandwich bread = $1.25
2 bags frozen shelled edamame (soy beans) @ $1.29* = $2.58
1 jar Miracle Whip = $1.99
Carrots @ $.50/lb = $.22
1 package shrimp @ $5.99/lb = $6.41
Total = $25.02

* The asterisk indicates the sale price of $1 off per item after buying 5 participating items.  The bottled coffee drinks are normally priced $4.99 per pack.  I bought 1 pack of coffee and 2 packs of mocha light.  As you might have already guessed, they are for my daughter (although I might share one or two of the mocha light).  She will not take them back, with her, but she'll enjoy them when she's home for the holidays. 

The carrots are to tide me over until I go to the Armenian store (their carrots are usually cheaper).  The green leaves in the bag with the carrots are a few broccoli leaves I picked for Dancer; he enjoyed two of them as soon as I unloaded the groceries!

The shrimp was a splurge, obviously.  They were large shrimp, already cleaned, headless and deveined (although not peeled).  I bought them because I haven't had much of an appetite, lately, for any of the other things I've cooked, recently.  I froze most of the chicken curry and beef curry I cooked, because I wasn't eating them.  So, I thought I'll get some shrimp and see if I preferred that - I bought the smallest package they had (a little over 1 lb.) and there's enough for at least 4 meals for me.  I cooked them on Tuesday night and had some for dinner both Tuesday night and Wednesday night.  I was able to enjoy my dinner on both nights, so the shrimp was a success!

Curried Shrimp

I sauteed them with onions, curry leaves, curry powder, chili powder, and other spices.  I left the peels on and the garden cats have been enjoying a bit of a treat!  Poor Dancer doesn't get any though, and he's not very happy about it.  This is him, looking on, as I gave last night's shrimp peels to the garden cats:

"What about me?"

I was happy to find the jar of Miracle Whip on the reduced rack (best by date of November).  I anticipate having tuna salads and egg salad sandwiches for lunch, in the near future! 

Grocery Store Receipt

I bought two bags (@ 2 lb.) of frozen meatballs at the dollar store.  My daughter had bought them at her dollar store and had said they were good.  They included a package of hot honey glaze, as well.  There are 46 "bite-size" meatballs in each package, according to the bag.  I am planning to serve them as an appetizer at the October prayer gathering.  The meatballs at the regular grocery store are on sale for $1.99 (one of the participating items on their Buy 5/Save $5 sale), for a 12 oz. bag of 24 mini meatballs.

Dollar Store Receipt

October grocery budget = $75 + $4.64 leftover from September = $79.64
October prayer gathering budget = $300

I usually lump the two budgets together, because, well, I use household supplies I already have on hand (such as oil, salt, curry powder, etc.) for the prayer gathering meal and I incorporate leftovers from that meal into my regular meals later on.  There really isn't a strict need to keep the funds separate, but I tried to do it, last year.  Reading last year's post reminded me that I used just over half what I had budgeted for the prayer gathering meal and I was going to consider reducing the amount I budget towards it.  But, I forgot all about that and continued to keep the budget at $25 per month!  Any leftovers from the prayer gathering budget will be used for stocking up and a bit of a splurge when I go to the Sri Lankan store, next!  Or, to augment the holiday gifts budget!  The almsgiving is budgeted for separately, as well.

Groceries:
Spent to date = $25.02
Amount left = $79.64 - $25.02 = $54.62

Prayer Gathering:
Spent to date = $12.74

Again, I might not be able to keep the two budgets separate as I do more shopping closer to the date, but for now, I will try. 

Have you gone grocery shopping in October, yet?  How do you budget for special events such as Thanksgiving dinner and holiday meals?