Post by Kcthepouchh8r on Jan 11, 2016 13:22:59 GMT -5
In the interest of posting more this is an example of how I shop for less without living on Mac and cheese. I will need to go back out another time for more eggs, block of mozzarella, and some produce so about $10-15 more and some stuff I had from previous trips but gives you a general idea. I usually average about $80-90 with some weeks being $50 like this, others being $120 when I need to stock meat. I'll break down how it gets used.
Breakfast:
dd and I: smoothies. Avocado and cucumber will be a part as will my freezer stash of various fruits and veggies from summer garden/sales on seasonal produce) etc, almond milk (that I stocked last week), walnuts and flaxseed (that last months).
ds: whole grain waffle and apple or banana
dh: egg with peppers, onion, chicken sausage or Canadian bacon or oatmeal
Lunch:
me: the Spinach kale and avocado sandwiches from list, I'll make up a batch of leftover steak, brown rice, beans. Soup and half sandwich.
dd: will only eat banana and pb for lunch at school. Snacks are a rotation of carrots, peppers, veggie sticks, popcorn, apples, raisins, mango, cashews (I buy a big container for $6 from a big lots type store).
ds: cucumber and cream cheese or nitrate free sliced ham/turkey (I freeze extra so only buy once a month) and cheese on whole grain crackers, either yogurt or cheese stick, and some combo of snack list above.
dh: leftovers from above, employer paid lunch on Tuesdays, tuna on crackers
The babybel is all mine. I don't share. Lol.
Ds and I usually have a bowl of cereal after school at 3.
Dinners:
today: ham, mashed potatoes, corn tomorrow: steak, sweet potato fries (I make batches and freeze), peas wednesday: ham and avocado omlets Thursday: chicken drumsticks roasted with veggies (zucchini, carrots, celery) friday: out saturday: homemade pizza. I'll use some of leftover chicken and make BBQ chicken on one, plain cheese for ds. Sunday: wings and potato skins for football, leftover pizza
The ham was 5+lbs so I will have probably about 2-3lbs leftover to freeze.
Is that for only 1/2 dozen eggs? Even aldi doesn't have a dozen eggs for under $2. Eggs are a fortune these days. Though, I did manage to get 3 dozen at wegmans for $6 the other day. Just standard, though, no cage free, veg fed or anything.
Also, if you bring your own bags you'd have saved 20 cents and the environment!!!!!!!!
Post by Kcthepouchh8r on Jan 11, 2016 13:32:33 GMT -5
No full dozen. I swear I usually bring my own reusable bags. I have a raging ear infection so I forgot at home. Usually I would just stock a box but so many loose fruits and veggies and yogurt.
Post by dizzycooks on Jan 11, 2016 14:05:01 GMT -5
I think eggs were $1.60 here for a dozen at Aldi's last week.
Also, why don't you buy the big can of raisins? A six pack would last somewhere around 2 days depending on if dh eats them or I want oatmeal. A can lasts two weeks or more. I just put them in glad cups of i want them as a snack for the kids.
yea, I forget mine a lot, and end up dumping everything in my trunk b/c I can't bare to buy a bag. But I've been called stubborn.
I forget mine more often than not, lol. Usually I just grab a big box and bag when I get home, but earache and freezing temps. Plus I didn't want to spend my morning hunting through my trunk for six avocados, six yogurts, two mangoes and a cucumber since there was no boxes to boot lol.
Plus I always repurpose (and eventually recycle) old Aldis bags.
I think eggs were $1.60 here for a dozen at Aldi's last week.
Also, why don't you buy the big can of raisins? A six pack would last somewhere around 2 days depending on if dh eats them or I want oatmeal. A can lasts two weeks or more. I just put them in glad cups of i want them as a snack for the kids.
Dd used to eat raisins in a canister in a bowl or Tupperware but autism so now she demands them in a box. Lol. I refill the boxes she eats at home but I have to get ones for school. Sometimes they send the box home as they're in on my devious plan, sometimes they forget.
Impressive. I rarely meal plan and often go off list because I'll get to the store or farmers market and change my mind. I was silently high fiving myself for getting out of Whole Foods today having spent less than $50 for dinner for just tonight and lunch tomorrow. I don't keep track but I'm sure my grocery spend exceeds $1000 per month.
Ok maybe it's a weird egg shortage in my neck of the woods!
I have no problem with aldi for some things, but most comes from Costco. I spent $25 there today on produce - but that was before we'd run out at home. Still have at least $10 worth at home.
I just can't not buy pastured eggs. I can't. So I usually pay at least $3 a dozen, and that's if I get it from Costco or with a good coupon. Otherwise it's more like $4 or $4.50 Yesterday, DH went shopping and I sent him with a $1 off coupon for eggs, and apparently there was an in store special too so he got a dozen organic, pastured eggs fro 2.19!! I was soooo excited. We generally go through 2 dozen eggs a week.
This makes me laugh every time. The fruit we buy that's considered "in-season" at this time of year are clementines, bananas, pears & some apples still. They're all grown in the US.
Just like I don't buy apples or oranges in June, I don't buy blueberries in December.
There's always an exception - like raspberries were dirt cheap at aldi the other day so I bought a pack. But they only tasted okay. Normally at this time of year berries are at a premium price wise and I'm not paying that for meh raspberries.
In my experience when I buy in season I'm getting better food and a cheaper price that usually has traveled less distance.
Obviously summer is best because I can buy everything locally grown and it tastes the best.
Post by Kcthepouchh8r on Jan 11, 2016 20:03:31 GMT -5
Are you still seeing clementines? I feel like that's more a fall fruit; from October-December we all sustain life on them, lol. I feel like it's more navel oranges now (which admittedly I don't love as much as clementines). I wasn't sure when that transition officially happened though.
Are you still seeing clementines? I feel like that's more a fall fruit; from October-December we all sustain life on them, lol. I feel like it's more navel oranges now (which admittedly I don't love as much as clementines). I wasn't sure when that transition officially happened though.
Clementines here still - just bought some organic and locally grown. Mandarins and all sorts of citrus going strong here.
Are you still seeing clementines? I feel like that's more a fall fruit; from October-December we all sustain life on them, lol. I feel like it's more navel oranges now (which admittedly I don't love as much as clementines). I wasn't sure when that transition officially happened though.
Clementines here still - just bought some organic and locally grown. Mandarins and all sorts of citrus going strong here.
When does the season officially taper? You give me hope I might see some more.
Ok maybe it's a weird egg shortage in my neck of the woods!
Yeah. My eggs are expensive too. Even walmart was $3 a dozen 2 weeks ago.
I looked it up; a bunch of articles about egg prices in pa doubling and tripling last summer because of bird flu somewhere? But they have started coming back down.
A year ago, 3 dozen basic xl eggs were maybe $4.50 at Costco. That same 3 dozen went down to large eggs and up to almost $8 at the peak, IIRC. Now it's maybe $6-7.
That's crazy cheap. Is the milk a gallon? I bought a cucumber today for $1.49. The cheese is pre shredded? A block of at my grocery store is over $9, on sale is $7 ish.
That's crazy cheap. Is the milk a gallon? I bought a cucumber today for $1.49. The cheese is pre shredded? A block of at my grocery store is over $9, on sale is $7 ish.
Where is this? That all seems high!
I buy cheese at Costco; 2lb block of cheddar is $5.75.