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| Fried Breadfruit Chips |
It's the 10th of March; we are one third into the month and I've already shopped twice for groceries!
The first grocery shopping trip was to the Sri Lankan store, on March 6, after my follow-up visit with the oral surgeon. A trip to the Sri Lankan store is always something I look forward to and enjoy. It is definitely a treat and while I budget carefully, price check, and look for deals during my regular grocery shopping, I leave my frugal shopping habits firmly outside the store when I step inside the Sri Lankan store! This is the one place where I will buy what I want without considering the price of the items. For the most part, they are specialty items I am not able to buy in any regular grocery store.
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| Melon Candy |
Items I bought at the Sri Lankan store include a packet of my favorite tea, macha latte flavored chocolates for daughter, biscuits/cookies, fried breadfruit chips, premade jars of seeni sambol (a spicy onion relish), passion fruit nectar, melon candy (preserved ash gourd also known as winter melon), chili sauce, and frozen grated coconut.
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| Sri Lankan Store Receipt |
My total at the Sri Lankan Store came to $69.63.
The $73.64 carried over from the February grocery budget will more than cover that amount.
Then, on Monday (March 9), I ordered some regular groceries from the supermarket. Originally, it was to be for pick up, but, my daughter has been looking into the store's delivery program and wanted to try it. Regular delivery is $69 per year for next day delivery, which averages out to $5.75 per month (one gets a 30 day free trial, but, I'm averaging it out over the year). There is an option for same day delivery, too, but, the fee for that service is higher and I've rarely needed a particular grocery item that very same day. My current sciatica flare up has shown that, if I am unable to drive to the store to pick up groceries for whatever reason, then, that is yet another household task that daughter will have to do, either after work or on the weekend and she is willing to pay for the delivery service, saying the cost is worth her time and having to drive. Basically, $5.75 is the cost of a gallon of gas in my area, currently (we passed several gas stations charging more than that for a gallon of gas, yesterday)!
So, the long and short of it is, daughter signed us up for the grocery store's delivery program for next day delivery and as she is paying for this service, this is a gift from her to me!
This morning, I received a text notification allowing me to add or make any changes to the order before the items will be picked (I didn't need to make any changes, but, I was glad to have that opportunity to do so, if needed). I was also notified when the person picking my groceries needed to make a substitution and I approved the two substitutions that were made. There was one substitution that I didn't authorize, when the shopper picked an English cucumber (which cost more) instead of the regular cucumber I had ordered, but, I am not going to quibble about that.
I picked the 2:00-4:00 p.m. time slot for the delivery and I received notifications when the shopper checked out the groceries and when he was on his way, with an estimated time of arrival. My groceries were delivered to my doorstep just before the estimated time of 2:15 p.m. I was pleased with this first delivery.
My mother used to have some groceries, mostly pantry items, delivered to the house on a monthly basis when we lived in Sri Lanka and other items like baked goods and milk were delivered on a daily basis. So, in a sense, I am going back to what my mother used to do! Even so, having groceries delivered feels a bit like an indulgence!
I ordered milk and half and half, bananas, chicken, ground beef (on sale for $6.99/lb. for 90% lean; cheaper than the 80% lean which was regular priced), cold cuts/luncheon meat, canned lower sodium tuna,the free bagels with my Best Customer coupon, bananas, a cucumber, more sparkling water, vanilla extract, and a container of salt.
Order Summary
Item Details
18 Items
Other Fees
$1.00
Total = $57.54
March Grocery Budget: $250 + $73.64 carried over from the February grocery budget = $323.64
Spent to date: $69.63 + $57.54 = $127.17
Balance left: $323.64 - $127.17 = $196.47
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| Cold Cuts Sandwich |
Weekly Meal Plan Options: March 9 - March 15
Well, the March Week 1 meal plan options went a bit awry as I bought take out food at least three times, to celebrate daughter's birthday (Japanese food for dinner on Monday), convenience and indulgence (pizza and bread sticks on Thursday on the way back from the doctor's), and for a treat (Sri Lankan food on Friday)! It was a week of feasting and we enjoyed every bite of it!
This week is going to be a little less extravagant and a little more sensible with our eating. We are going to focus on finishing up leftovers and eating what's on hand.
Having said that, on Monday, we had leftovers for our brunch and dinner.
Today (Tuesday), I made us cold cuts sandwiches; daughter had hers on a toasted bagel while I had mine with store bought sandwich bread. I didn't take a picture of daughter's sandwich, but, she put garden greens (arugula, mizuna, etc.) on hers while I used the last of the romaine lettuce I had in the fridge.
So, here's the tentative meal plan for this week:
Brunches: Cold cuts sandwiches (on bagels or bread), leftover fish rolls from the Sri Lankan restaurant; toast/bread with peanut butter and bananas; French toast to use up stale bread; tuna salad sandwiches or egg salad sandwiches
Dinners: Leftover zuppa toscana (Monday, me); leftover pittu with beef curry, coconut milk and coconut sambol (Monday, daughter), leftover fish rolls, leftover chicken curry with parathas, leftover chicken and kale stir fry with rice and cucumber salad, pasta with meat sauce (to be cooked), beef pot pies (from the freezer)
Snacks/Desserts: Fruit (bananas, grapes, mandarins, apples); yogurt; ice cream; cereal with milk; cookies/biscuits; melon candy; chocolates; chips; granola bars; etc.
That is the plan. How it all works out is yet to be seen, of course.
I am grateful for:
- Being able to order groceries online
- Being able to have the groceries delivered, thanks to my daughter's gift to me
- Having access to a Sri Lankan store and restaurant
- Being able to celebrate daughter's birthday with special meals all week
- Having a varied diet
Joyful activities have included indulging in some delicious meals and favorite snacks.
Do you get your groceries delivered? If so, do you pay for it? Do you consider paying for the delivery service worth it?
Are you making any meal plans or meal plan options this week?
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