November $25 a Week Grocery Challenge

[YankeeMom]

I don't plan on breaking down per meal. I'm just going to post what we spend on food during the month of November and what we eat. I don't have the time or the patience to figure out per serving, per meal, etc.

[sunshine]

I'm sorry -- guess I was doing it wrong. . . I'll not do the price per meal anymore.

[MisaLady]

Sunshine, I'd love it if you continue doing that. You're not doing it "wrong" and I think it's helpful!!!

[khjmom]

I am so excited about my first shopping trip for this challenge. I have $100 per week for groceries according to the challenge rules. I am also using this amount to cover any health and beauty, paper products and cleaners that are needed. For $97 I was able to buy enough groceries for the week's menu, and several items that will last the month.
This week's menu:
Sunday - BBQ chicken (just purchased sauce, chicken is from stockpile)
mashed potatos (stockpile)
green peas (stockpile)
rolls (purchased)
Monday - Spaghetti (purchased sauce & hamburger meat, noodles from stockpile)
toast (purchased)
Tuesday - baked mac and cheese (purchased)
green beans (stockpile)
rolls (purchased)
Wednesday - fried chicken (stockpile)
rice (stockpile)
corn (stockpile)
Thursday - hamburgers (purchased buns and meat)
chips (purchased)
Friday - paid for meals ($12/4 meals) for away football game the band feeds their kids at this game due to big time rivalry
Saturday - Hamburger gravy (purchased meat)
rice (stockpile)
peas (stockpile)

We also purchased alot of snack items, that will be used in lunches along with leftovers from the week. They include poptarts (on sale), crackers, peanut butter and a variety of apples and bananas. I purchased bisquick (for pancake breakfasts),laundry detergent,deoderant, shampoo, dish soap, trash bags and toilet tissue that will last the month. I purchased the following for my stockpile...tomato sauce, peas and corn. I feel really good about this!

I also wanted to add that there were more grocery items purchased, like cheese, soda (we are cutting back), syrup and such. I just didn't list everything. There is also enough hamburger meat for some meals next week along with plenty of chicken.
I do admire those who can break down the cost of each meal. I wish I had them time and patience for doing that.

[Domestic Gal]

I am keeping track of how much is coming from the stockpile and how much is being spent. But if the package is open it is not being counted as it was opened in October.

Nov. 1 meals
Breakfast
DS had cream of wheat opened in pantry
The rest had fried potatoes with onion, peppers and sausage.
DD had fried ham with hers.
Breakfast cost was .0 as everything was already opened and peppers and onions were from garden.

Lunch
DS and DH had nothing
I had leftover stew and opened some corn chips from stockpile
DD had a easy mac from stockpile

Lunch cost was
Corn chips $1.27 stockpile
Easy mac. .25 after coupon stockpile
Total $1.52

Dinner
DD when to a sleepover and ate there
DS had leftover stew
DH and I went out. Used a B1G1 coupon was $12.00
Total for Dinner $12.00

Total for day 1
Stockpile $1.52/$200
Budgeted money $12/$200

Nov. 2
Breakfast
DH had coffee
DS had toast opened in pantry
DD had cereal opened in pantry
ME I had a muffin baked this a.m. from opened stockpile items and coffee
Cost for breakfast .0

Lunch
I had leftover stroganoff and opened soda.
DH took leftovers (will ask to see if he opened anything new)
DS did not eat ate late breakfast
DD did not eat ate late breakfast
Total for lunch .0

Dinner will be
Pork Tenderloin $5.90
Squash $1.42
Sweet potatoes .58
Leftover green beens from Friday .0
Cinn. Swirl cake .88 for cake mix, .44 for pudding. Rest of stuff was already opened.
Total for Dinner 10.22

I also did some baking today and opened some new things.

Opened from pantry
5# flour $1.58
vinegar .24 after coupon
milk $1.00
Total pantry items opened $2.82

Total stockpile for day $13.04
Budget money for day .0
Total stockpile for month $14.56/$200
Budget money for month $12/$200

[sunshine]

I went grocery shopping yesterday and got:

6 bananas
head of green cabbage
4 Healthy Choice microwave dinners for my mom
5 lbs flour
2 cans beans and weenies
OJ concentrate

Total spent: $19.09

I'm having to change my diet in the midst of all this , due to some health issues.

[qsaver704]

OK. Here I go.
My family is me, my DH and 2 year old son. It seems like he would not need $25 a week, but I am still leaving it at $300 a month.

Nov. 1

breakfast-none
lunch-
pork chops-reduced (can't remember price, part of a big pack)
green beans-free from mom's garden
cooked potatoes- about$1
tea
juice

dinner
fried fish$2
homemade fries about $0.50
mac n cheese 1.50
tea
soda

snack
halloween candy
ALL FROM STOCKPILE

Nov 2nd

breakfast
1/2 banana each .30
leftover fruit cocktail .25

lunch
leftover fish and fries free
halloween candy free

dinner
DH:little smokies in bbq sauce -reduced 2.69, .40 sauce
leftover beans, mac n cheese
ME and DS: 2 flour tortillias and refried beans with cheese about .75


ALL FROM STOCKPILE

total so far $0 of 300.00

[brainyblonde]

Hmmmm - - I always used coupons when we got food stamps, and I see others using them as well. And some farmer's markets can take credit cards, and food stamps -- in fact my niece gets a discount at the Farmer's Market near her, if she uses her LINK card there.

Yep, this is true. Clients are encouraged to use coupons to stretch their foods stamps.

Our county provides low income elderly coupon booklets for Farmers' Markets at the beginning of the season to encourage healthy eating.

[joyofsix]

I wanted to join and then figured out that I'd have to increase my budget soooo I guess I"ll just read along.

[mnmarty03]

Hi! Just thought I'd let everyone know that I ran out of bread and attempted to make a homemade loaf - which didn't cook completely... so I went to the store and bought clearance bread... I got 2 loaves (of good quality stuff) for $2.15. So that was added to my total in my signature.

I do agree with the person who said that shopping for one person seems like it'll be harder than shopping for a lot of people... With more money, $5 one way or the other doesn't make a big difference... but with only $100 for a month, that does change things.

On the other hand, the poster who said planning is the way to deal with this is also probably right..

For me, a single gal, I am right now planning on trying to spend about $25 a week. This fits in well with my life right now. Unfortunately a lot of my "stockpile" foods are running out all at the same time... I need to get margerine, flour, yeast, olive oil, and peanut butter very soon. Those alone would cost me around $10 I think (I'm guessing here). That would leave me w/only $15 for the rest of the week. Plus I'll need to get jelly or jam soon as well. And after this week I'm out of meat in my freezer to use (I seldom eat meat) so there's that to consider as well...

I do think the answer to this is to plan really really well and spend most of your budget on the first trip. Then on the other trips only to spend a small amount on basics - a gallon of milk, fruits, etc.

Unfortunately I'm not in the habit of shopping 1 big shop a month anymore.. I am used to planning only a week at a time. I don't buy convenience foods very often (though I do for snacks/lunches sometimes).. and I don't eat meat too much. I drink lots of milk, but am working to change that since it's so expensive now.

Don't worry, I'm still determined to make it on $100 for the month! If all else fails I can eat noodles every day... I know how to make several cheap, yummy, pretty healthy meals out of that.

My other thing about all this is that I don't want to buy premade meals. For instance.. if Hamburger Helper goes on sale for $1 a box, I don't want to buy a bunch of it and eat that all the time. Prepackaged stuff like that has too much salt.

I think maybe after this month I might stick to the budget and try to plan for the whole month... instead of just a week at a time. I might also try to keep my overall budget at $100 and use the extra that I used to spend on groceries on stocking up on things... I don't have room for a huge stockpile (I only have a studio apartment) but I could do better if I stocked up on cereal when it's really cheap or peanut butter, etc. If I spend more now (now being December) than I will be able to eat cheaper later, for instance when my fiance moves here from Germany and we have to both eat and live off of only my income (he can't work for the first several months due to visa issues).

Alright. Enough rambling. I worked today and am putting off cleaning my apartment. And I spend all day alone at work mostly and live alone (with my cat) at home, so I feel like I haven't talked to anyone really today.

I enjoy reading everyone's meals! Go Team!

[Starlight9803]

I'm also not going to be listing my costs per serving. Too tedious for me. No shopping so far this month. Meals below are all from things already in the house:
Breakfast: oatmeal with bananas for kids, l/o sausage biscuits for DH and I
Lunch: PB&J sandwhiches for kids, bologna for DH, small salad for me
Dinner: chicken casserole, l/o sugar snap peas, and sliced peaches
Snacks: kids each picked out 2 pieces of candy from their halloween stockpile

[sunshine]

I wanted to join and then figured out that I'd have to increase my budget soooo I guess I"ll just read along.

My weekly budget is generally $60 for the 3 of us, and I'm keeping that and lowering it, if I can - even with Thanksgiving, my son and his family coming for 2 weeks, etc.

[Wendy99]

I'm sorry -- guess I was doing it wrong. . . I'll not do the price per meal anymore.

Oh please don't stop I love seeing the price per meal!!

[MisaLady]

Today, except for some soda and cheetos *cringe*, we ate completely out of what we already had at home:

No breakfast
Microwave shrimp meals/baked shrimp for lunch, along with cheetos and soda
Dinner was a Hamburger Helper with green beans
Dessert drink: Lime-frappy-thingy. Just some lime juice, water, ice, and sugar blended together. Very tasty.

[qsaver704]

Nov. 3rd for me:

Breakfast
me-none DS- cereal (stockpile) $0
Lunch
leftover mac n cheese, little smokies, and green beans$0
Dinner
chicken pot pie (stockpile) $0

Went shopping:
Mt. Dews,10@.79, 7.90
pie crust 1.79
hotdogs-reduced 2 @ 1.47, 2.94
juice-2 @ 2.99, 5.98
milk, free with coupon

TOTAL: 20.86
month total 20.86/300.00