Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Rainy Monday and January Grocery Shopping Part 2

 

Yellow Rose

As the weather forecast promised, we had scattered showers of rain, today!  I was very grateful for the rain, but, equally grateful for a long enough gap between rain showers in the early afternoon, during which I picked up my groceries!  My favorite grocery worker, Jennifer, wasn't there, today; it was the other grocery worker, a young man, who simply loads the groceries into the trunk and waves at me when he's done.  I received all the groceries I ordered, nothing was unavailable and no substitutions.  I was very grateful for that, as I had been hearing about supply chain issues and empty store shelves.  

Today's groceries included:

3 packages salmon fillet (3+ lb) @ $7.99/lb (reg. price $9.99/lb.) = $28.69 (splurge/stock up item!)
1 bone in pork roast @ $1.98/lb (reg. price $3.99/lb.) = $11.00
2 lb. butter @ $1.97 (reg. price $3.69) = $3.94
1 doz. eggs (reg. price $3.79) = $2.49
1/2 gal. half and half (reg. price $4.79) = $3.99
1 yogurt (32 oz.; reg. price $3.49) = $2.49
6 cans coconut milk @ $1.50 (reg. price $3.49) = $9.00 (stock up item)
2 lb. red lentils @ $2.29/lb. = $4.58
10 lb. bag long grain rice = $5.79 (stock up item)
1 loaf multi-grain bread = $1.99
2 jars peanut butter, 16 oz. each, @ $1.99 = $3.98
3 apples @ $.99/lb.(reg. price $1.99/lb) = $1.57
6 bananas @ $.65/lb. = $1.56
2 lb. carrots = $1.99

Total = $83.06

My January grocery budget is $200.  So far, I have spent $23.12 (1/8/22) + $83.06 = $106.18

Today's art class was postponed due to bad weather and intermittent internet connections at the location from which the class was to be conducted and postponed until Wednesday, which was fine with me.

Instead of painting, I tidied the kitchen, cleaned out the fridge drawers, and scrubbed the top of the fridge/freezer!  

Lunch had been leftover chicken stir fry (there is at least another serving left); dinner was salmon, with Brussels sprouts and corn (daughter had leftover quinoa instead of the corn).  I had a banana and some blueberries for snacks; daughter finished the rest of the pineapple.  

I am not doing too well with meal planning at the moment, but, there is leftover salmon for tomorrow's dinner.  I'll just have to cook a couple of additional vegetables for sides - I've some spinach and kale that need to be used up before they spoil.  

Today, I am grateful for:

- The rain for the garden
- Contactless grocery pick up
- Receiving all the groceries I ordered
- A safe drive to the store and back
- Chatting with my daughter

Today's joyful activity was watching the rain fall!  

Plans for tomorrow include mending the new sheet that had a tear in it.

How was your Monday?  What are your plans for Tuesday?

30 comments:

  1. Your roses are gorgeous! I love the shape of the petals on this yellow one. You got excellent deals on the groceries. I try to meal plan but usually go way off! Celie

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    1. Thank you, Celie. Gardener M held off on pruning these two rose bushes because they had all these rose buds and I'm glad he did because the roses are beautiful! I was happy with the grocery deals; trying to buy sale items as much as possible. Meal planning is very loosely based on what is on hand and what needs to be used up! :D

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  2. I see red lentils on your grocery list. They are hard to find around here. We used to be able to get them at Walmart, but they haven't had them in months. The other 3 stores we frequent, haven't had them either. I'm sure they're around, just not on my beaten path.

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    1. Red lentils are a staple for us! I couldn't find any in 2020, during the initial Covid-related lockdown and I was very grateful when neighbor S's mother gifted me with some that she had bought. I do have some yellow and green lentils, too, which can be used instead, but, red lentils are what I prefer. I hope you will be able to find some; have you tried ordering them online?

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  3. The yellow rose is beautiful and you've captured it perfectly.

    You had some good deals with your shopping to help with the restocking. It's a shame Jennifer wasn't on duty as you might have been given a discount!

    I've been in to town this morning to meet friend Joy and look around the museum. I did some shopping before I came home and am looking forward to a quiet afternoon reading one of the new books I bought.

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    1. Thank you, Eileen; I'm trying to take better pictures! :)

      Ha, ha, yes, too bad Jennifer wasn't there! Not because I was hoping for a discount, but, I had a small gift for her for being so nice to me; but, I will give it to her the next time I see her. :)

      Sounds like you spent a lovely morning! I'm glad you were able to meet with Joy and visit the museum, after having to reschedule things last week. Enjoy your new book! :)

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  4. I am to the point where I hate grocery shopping. So many things are missing off the shelves or, worse, overpriced because they are in stok.

    I just mended two sheets yesterday. They had ruffles that had seen better days and were tattered. They are now nice flat sheets- no ruffles.

    Have a great Tuesday- xo Diana

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    1. It is getting harder to find many good deals these days, isn't it? I guess all these supply chain issues just go to show that we need to be more self-sufficient! I'd like to grow more vegetables, this year, if possible, and I'm hoping my new fruit trees will bear more fruit, this year (they were planted last year and I didn't really expect any fruit from them in the first year).
      Well done on mending those sheets! :)
      Thank you, Diana; hope you, too, are having a good day.

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  5. You got a good deal on the coconut milk. Looking at the list, you got some great bargains. I am so impressed at how well you eat. It's a shame about the art class, but it sounds like you kept busy.

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    1. Thank you, Lyssa; yes, the coconut milk was a good price. The sad thing is, the current sale price is higher than what used to be the regular price, just two years ago! But, I'm grateful that this item is still available. I can use regular milk instead of coconut milk in my curries, etc., but, I think coconut milk gives it a better flavor.
      I am trying to eat better, healthier meals, after over-indulging in sweets over the holidays!

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  6. That is a beautiful rose and its colour gorgeous! I cant get over how cheap meat is in the US. Your butter is also half our price normally it is NZ$6 or more. The two items we export to the world! The other items seem to be the same as ours. They say it is going to rain tomorrow, but our town often misses out as the front peters out over the ranges, We surely need it as everything is drying out, the grass is brown!

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    1. Thank you, Sharon; I love that yellow rose bush! It almost died out, a few years ago, due to the drought and borers! My gardener M pruned it all the way back to just one cane. It is coming up nicely, now. Still have the bush it once was, but, it is still alive!
      After you mentioned some of the prices you pay in one of your earlier comments, I decided I will not complain about our prices! I buy the store brand butter when it is on sale for $2 or under (used to wait until it went on sale for $1, but, I don't anticipate seeing those prices, again!). Other brands of butter tend to be more expensive. I remember Anchor butter from New Zealand from my childhood. :)
      Pork was on sale at 50% off, this week. The bone-in roast was the cheapest per lb., all the other cuts were more expensive. I chose to buy the roast; it's in the freezer, right now, but, once I cook it, it will provide a lot of meals, either as a roast or made into a curry (or both).
      I hope you do receive some of the rain. I'm sure your garden will appreciate it. :)

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  7. Thanks for posting another rose photo - I love them!

    Glad you were able to get all your groceries. It's hit and miss around here. I think people are stockpiling again too. I just try to pick up an extra couple of bits when I am there (if it's something I'll use and a good price).

    Sounds like you got quite a bit done!

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    1. You are welcome, Sharon. These last two rose bushes weren't pruned with the rest because they still had buds on them. Most probably they'll get pruned this week.

      I was very happy to receive all the groceries I ordered; sorry it's a bit hit and miss over there. I like to stock up when I can; the key is to keep the stocks rolling - using up the older items and replacing them with new ones.

      Yesterday turned out to be a fairly productive day. Today has been a good day, too, with washing some of my wool sweaters, mending, cooking, etc. :)

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  8. That's great that you can just pick up your groceries. I might try grocery shopping that way. Our Vons offers curbside service. I have just been going to the local fruit stand and shopping early in the a.m. I like your way, though.

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    1. I've been doing curbside pick up since the first lockdown and have not stopped. I order from Ralph's as that is closer to my house, but, I'm sure Vons works just as well.

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  9. What a beautiful rose!

    I stopped meal planning a long time ago. :)


    The college was closed for MKL Day yesterday. So I had almost a week off. :)

    Hope you have a great week, Bless.

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    1. Thank you, Nil. I'm glad you had a long break! Hope you were able to get some rest!

      Meal planning is a bit iffy, right now! My daughter prefers meal prepping, especially when she's on her own and has to go into the office - she'll cook several dishes on the weekend and have them over the week.

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  10. I love yellow roses. They are my favorite rose.
    I am glad you bought the salmon as a splurge stock up item. We all need to splurge occasionally.
    I keep noticing groceries going up and up, so I am very aware of buying when things are stock up prices. I really don't need 2 quarts of mayonnaise but Wednesday they will be BOGO and I will look for the longest sell by date because they will last a while and I will eventually,y use them.

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    1. Yellow roses are among my favorites, too.
      The salmon is more for my daughter than for me. She just loves it and I like to indulge her when she's here! I froze some of the salmon for later - you never know when they'll go on sale for that price, next! I'm just very grateful that I can afford to splurge every now and then, especially since we are not going out to eat and, once again, with Covid numbers being as high as they are, we are not doing take out, either, unless it is a drive through!
      Stocking up when the prices are low is the only way to go!

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  11. Lovely rose again! I'm glad your grocery pickup went smoothly.
    It has been a lovely sunny day, not too cold so I did make it to the mailbox. The temperature is dropping right down again tonight, and quite early in the evening I noticed that ice was forming at the bottom of the windows, which usually happens as soon as the temperature reaches 5°F. It is colder than that now.

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    1. Thank you, Bushlady. Yes, very thankful the grocery pickup went smoothly. :)
      I'm glad you had a sunny, not that cold day, today! Hope tomorrow will be as pleasant, but, stay inside and be warm if it gets cold!

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  12. I do like your roses, I know I say this every day :) You are doing very well managing your grocery budget, shame Jennifer wasn't there to give you a discount. You got everything you ordered so that is good.

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    1. Thank you, Eileen. :) Once upon a time, I had a garden full of roses with almost 100 plants! Several years of drought and pests (borers, mainly) killed the majority of them. I now have fewer than 15 rose bushes, but the ones that survived are the hardy ones.
      I'm pleased with my grocery spending so far, this month, and I was very happy to receive all the items I ordered. I did miss Jennifer, though! :D But, I mustn't count on a discount every time! I wouldn't want her to get into any trouble with her employers!
      Hope all is well with you and Tilly is recovering well.

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  13. You did well with your order, getting everything you ordered. You got some good prices. Stocking up on the salmon is smart when it is on sale. I know you and your daughter enjoy it and now you won't have to buy at a higher price if it doesn't go on sale for a while.

    That is the softest yellow on that rose. It's so pretty.



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    1. I was very happy to get everything I ordered and to be able to stock up on the salmon. I probably wouldn't have bought it at $9.99/lb. unless it was for a special occasion! Then, again, that's what I used to say when the regular price for salmon was $6.99/lb. and I'd wait until it went on sale for $4.99! :D

      I picked the yellow rose, today (the stem had bent and broken for the rain) and brought it in.

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  14. Stunning rose. Glad to hear your grocery order was complete. When I did a quick run on Saturday evening I noticed the shelves were slowly filling back up these past few weeks. Hopefully fully stocked is in our near future.

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    1. Thank you, Susanne. I was very happy that the grocery order was complete. Glad your store shelves are filling up, too. Maybe, just maybe, the supply chain issues are being resolved! :)

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