Saturday, January 19, 2019

Grocery Shopping on Saturday

Another bright, sunny day.  I slept in, then, had a relaxed morning.  In the afternoon, however, I went grocery shopping.  I went to one of the Kroger affiliated stores; the one closest to my house, where you have to bag your own groceries (at the other Kroger affiliated store, they bag your groceries for you).  But, this store had some good deals, this week, so, that's where I went, today.

1/19 Groceries
I bought:
1 lb. round steak (3 pieces) @ $2.99/lb = $2.74
3 lb. round roast @ $2.99/lb = $8.25
Green beans @ $1.49/lb = $.70
1 iceberg lettuce = $.99
1 cucumber @ 2/$1 = $1.00 because the cashier charged me for 2 and I didn't catch it until just now!
1 bag (12 oz.) frozen corn = $1.00
1 dozen large eggs = $1.49
1 loaf whole wheat bread = $1.99
2 bags (1 lb @) unshelled almonds @ $.99 = $1.98
1 bottle salad dressing = $2.19
Total = $22.33



1/19 Receipt (sorry it's blurry)
I also bought two bottles of shampoo and two bottles of conditioner at $2.99 each (must buy 4 to get the discount), which is reflected in the receipt, but isn't part of my grocery budget.  This is not a brand of shampoo that I normally buy (I usually buy one that is usually $.99; sometimes on sale for $.79 for 12.5 fluid ounces/370 mL), but, my daughter tried this shampoo (they had it at her dollar store for this price), and she thought it was good.  So, I bought it to try it.  The two bottles each of shampoo and conditioner (each 28 fluid oz/828 mL) will probably be enough for me for all of this year and into next!  The shampoo and conditioner, with sales taxes, came to $13.10.  It comes out of my Toiletries budget, which is set at $10/month, so I have used $3.10 from February's budget for this category.  Which is OK, because, other than a packet of toothbrushes to have on hand, I don't see myself needing any additional toiletries, next month.

I plan to make something like a pepper steak with the round steak - I will cook them with onions and a little of the bell pepper strips I have in the freezer.  I want to cut the roast into two portions and make a pot roast with one part and maybe make a beef stew with the other part.  Or, I just might make a pot roast with the whole thing and then, freeze half of it.

I don't know how many ounces of almonds I will get from one lb. of unshelled almonds, but, I thought it was a good price (it was in the clearance bin).

Here's my grocery spending to date:

1/4: bananas @ $.59/lb = $.99

1/9: bread ($1.29) and bananas ($.78) = $2.07

1/16:
Cesar salad kit = $1.79
Green beans @ $1.49/lb = $.66
Carrots @ $.50/lb = $.30
Bananas @ $.59/lb = $.64
2 Beef steaks @ $4.77/lb = $3.53 + $3.29
Total = $10.21

1/19 (today's groceries) =  $22.33

Spent to date: $.99 + $2.07 + $10.21 + $22.33 = $35.60

My January grocery budget is $75.  I didn't have to buy a lot during the first half of the month as the fridge was full of leftovers from the holidays.  I have almost $40 left in the budget for this month.  The Armenian store is having salmon steaks on sale for $4.99/lb.  I might go there, tomorrow, to buy some salmon and maybe more fresh produce (carrots, broccoli, zucchini, etc., since those are the vegetables I like to eat and they are cheaper there than in other stores, in general).

I had a bowl of my chicken soup for lunch (there is still enough left for one more bowl).  I didn't have tea after I came home from grocery shopping; instead, I had one slice of the whole wheat bread with a little butter and some cheese.  One of my cousins from Australia brought me some cheese when she visited, last year, as it is similar to the cheese we had as children.  I don't eat a lot of cheese, but when I do, this is the cheese I use.  It is rather salty, so a little of it goes a long way.  Dinner was leftovers - a piece of beef steak with carrots and green beans, and some (1/2 cup) of the frozen corn:

Dinner




Today, I am grateful for:
- Sunny weather
- Sleeping in
- My hair growing back nicely (it is shoulder length, now!)
- Overall good deals at the grocery store (except for being over charged for the cucumber!)
- Dancer sleeping on his towel on the floor, next to my chair.

How was your Saturday?  How is your grocery shopping for the month coming along?  Are you finding good deals?  Are you seeing anything at a good "stock up" price?





12 comments:

  1. I am always interested in other people's shopping lists - here in the UK I would have to may more for meat and eggs, but less for bread and salad dressing. Fruit and veg seem similar. This year I'm trying to eat less meat. I hope that will be good for my budget, and also help the planet!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I guess we are all curious, that way, to see what others are buying and eating. I also like to compare prices, to see what others pay for their items. Prices tend to vary so much from place to place, and even from store to store. I could have bought the same meat from a different store for a higher price! I could have bought a less expensive loaf of bread or, a more expensive one! I bought this particular brand because I like their multi-grain and whole wheat bread. There were less expensive brands of salad dressings, too, but, I have developed a liking for Caesar salad dressing and it was a choice between this brand and another that cost even more. Usually, I wait for a sale, but, this time, since I am trying to eat more salads, I went ahead and paid full price. The eggs are on sale (or, on offer, as you might say over there) this week; regularly, they are priced at $2.49.

      I, too, wanted to eat less meat, this year, with the intention of eating more lentils and legumes for protein. But, since they are considered starches on the diabetes food guidelines, I decided to continue to eat my normal amounts of meat.

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  2. I didn't bother to consider the prices this month. I just place an order for the delivery I needed to restock the cupboards and bought all the rest in the one store without looking around to check prices. I'm struggling to have the energy to do much to so decided it was better to have the food in the house rather than delay restocking and then not feeling well enough to shop when it became desperate! I'll have to try to do better next month.

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    1. We all need to do what we have to do when it comes to our own energy levels. When I was undergoing chemo and my daughter did all the grocery shopping for me, I just handed her a list and had her go to only one or two stores because I didn't want to tire her, too much. Not that I could eat much, anyway, as I lost my appetite, completely! But, I didn't do a lot of price comparisons or wait for sales, then. I'm glad you were able to restock your cupboards without having to worry about the prices. I hope you feel better and your energy levels improve in the coming days and weeks. Take care of yourself.

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  3. I wonder what it is that makes us so interested in other people's shopping? I love to see pictures of food posted by fellow bloggers and I'm always peering into other people's trollies!

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    Replies
    1. Ha, ha, innate curiosity, I suppose. I, too, like to read about what others bought, how much they paid, what meals they prepare, etc.

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  4. Your dinner looks so good (but so little). I'm afraid that amount would only whet my appetite for more. I need to learn about portion control I'm afraid. No wonder my grocery bill is so out of control.

    Yes I have found some good buys this month. Meat is still very expensive, but I did find pork loin for only $1.44 a pound. I bought 2 large ones which I butchered at home into several pork chops and a few roasts. I buy as many no-name generic products as I can (unless I find a better sale price) and I try to buy my dairy products and eggs at the Drug store where they often are the cheapest price in town.

    I went over budget this month, but had gift cards to offset the increase. I am going to re-examine my budget this week to see where I can find the money for the shortfall.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Susan. In hindsight, I wondered if it would have been better not to have corn along with the carrots, but, it didn't raise my blood sugar levels, too much.

      I'm glad you found some good buys, this month. I'm sorry you had to go over budget, but, that happens to all of us, from time to time, doesn't it? Maybe you need a higher budget in the winter, when fresh produce is more expensive, and lower it in the summer?

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  5. Before you had your cancer treatments and lost your hair, how long did you wear it? Are you trying to get back to that length or trying a new hair style?

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    Replies
    1. My hair was at waist length, Live and Learn. I used to have even longer hair, when I was younger. I would like to grow out my hair to waist length, again, if it will grow that long. I don't know if it will or not. When my hair was first growing out, I was told, by many people, that short hair suited me. But, I prefer long hair. :)

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  6. I guess you are sensible when it comes to using shampoo if you expect your bottles to last out this year. I remember reading that we only need to use about the amount that would cover a quarter each time we wash our hair, and I roughly follow this idea. However I suspect that DH uses more for his small amount of hair as we certainly get through a few bottles in a year!

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    1. I don't wash my hair every day, Bushlady, and I don't have as much hair as I used to, either. So, a little bit goes a long way. My daughter, however, has long hair and uses more shampoo and conditioner than I do.

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