I have a confession - I bummed my challenge this month. I went shopping on Tuesday, and on Wednesday! I have depleted all my subscription food boxes pretty quickly, and I am gearing up to participate in a recipe challenge, so these trips were imminent. I had to shop! What do you make of that when a housewife like me gets bombarded with offers even at night hours in my mailbox and email box! I think I have been brainwashed to buy food! Oh, wait, don’t we all do that? Ok, I guess that makes me feel better… No matter how frugal you are or claim to be, you have to eat something, and last time I checked dumpster diving was not considered to be something my husband would endorse (I know he is reading, so I am hoping for a chuckle right at this point).
Anyway, I shopped at Albertson’s and Central Market. I got some deals, and not so deals, as I need some ingredients for my recipes I am not yet disclosing, as I will shortly once everything has been cooked.
First Albertson’s trip -
Barbara’s cereal - got 2 boxes $5.49 +$5.69 less $9.98 in coupons for those = $1.20
Splenda $2.09 (man was I out of this ingredient, and was trying to gear up for Costco for it, but didn’t make it and bought here, and got a $2.00 coupon off 2 packs)
Prune juice for the baby $5.19
Arborio rice (my husband wants to repeat the recipe for shrimp rice from the other day from Hello Fresh box) $8.99
Rockstar drink $1.99
Pacific all (have no idea what that is 🙂 $3.39
Butter $1.99 +$2.99+$3.49+$3.49 (we eat a lot of butter)
Baby food 8 jars
Vitamins $3.99
Blueberries frozen $10.99
alcohol (for cooking and baking!) $9.99 +$2.83+$6.99+$19.99+$1.41 (man does it cost any more than that!)
flank steak $15.64
plantains (An unusual for me ingredient!) $2.49
mint $2.99
strawberries $5.00
asparagus $5.39
lemons $3.99
green onions $0.79
cilantro $0.99
mushrooms $2.29
rhubarb $1.02
Total shopping - $147.71!!!
I was able to use only 2 coupons and got only two Monopoly tickets. All this will help me feed my baby with about half of her meals, and make about 1.75 dinners and 2 desserts for the family. Also, about 1.5 weeks of breakfasts, of course…. So, if we ignore breakfast food and baby food, this will make each plate at about $21 per person, which is actually more expensive than those subscription boxes! It is a rough approximation now, I will be coming up with a detailed price comparison for the meals shortly, but it is what it is!
My second trip to Albertson’s got me the following:
2 packs of Splendas (can never have enough of that) $2.09+$2.09 less $2.00 coupon = $2.18
Smart One frozen entree (for my Crowdtap challenge - I love Crowdtap!) $3.29
2 salad mixes $3.00
basil $5.00
mangoes $4.98
Total shopping $18.45. I even took a picture. Ignore the odd foot in the picture.
My third trip was to Central Market.
Here is what I bought -
some decorative elements $9.29
cheese $9.98 +$5.99 + $4.99 +$7.20 (I love cheese and I need some for my recipes)
olive bar $5.39
free soup (used my coupon)
got more Barbara’s cereal, 3 more packs - free after coupons
Zevia soda $3.00
more cheese $13.78
dishes $11.34
bananas $1.77
shrimp $10.39
salmon $10.51
used $5.00 off coupon
Total paid $89.53
Budget looks not good for the month - -231.05!!! Well, I also have to add my dairy purchasing on Monday that I haven’t taken into account yet, and I have to decide whether I am going to get a new veg box on Monday coming up or not.
Here is what our meal plan looks like right now
Thursday - potentially going to WholeFoods for a tasting or making shrimp risotto
Friday - salmon and/or shrimp risotto
Saturday - lunch - flank steak, Blue Apron dinner
Sunday -Blue Apron lunch, Blue Apron dinner
Sounds simple enough! Now I only have to plan meals starting Monday - easy-peasy!
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