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Sunday, January 31, 2010

February - heart month!

I am challenged to buy enough fruits and vegetables to put in my Vita Mix. I love my Vita Mix! It has to be good for me to consume all this goodness. We will see what the future holds.

Lucky spent $60.18, saved $41.54 (41%)
Meat:
5 lbs cross rib roasts (boneless) ($1.88 a lb)
5 lbs pork loin or sirloin chops ($1.38 a lb)

Vegetables:
2/ 3 lb bags of organic apples (Fuji, and Gala $2.99)
4 bags of Grimmway Farms baby carrots (99 cents each)
4 lbs beefsteak tomatoes ($1.69 a lb)
3 lbs of asparagus ($1.27 a lb)

Beverages:
4 Full Circle apple juice ($3.29 each)
4 Minute Maid orange juices (2 for $5)

Safeway spent $47.10, saved $43.32 (48%)
Meat
Safeway chicken leg quarters value pack(67 cents a lb)

Dairy:
2/ 12 oz. Lucerne slice cheese (99 cents each with coupon)
10 Lucerne creamery fresh yogurts (49 cents each with coupon)

Cans/boxes:
2 boxes of Nabisco Ritz crackers (2 for $5)
10 Progresso soups (10 for $10)
10 Golden Grain pasta (75 cents each)

Vegetables/fruits
10 lb bag of russet potatoes
4 O Organics baby salad blends (3 spinach and 1 salad) buy1, get 1 free
2 lbs green seedless grapes (98 cents a lb)
4 lbs pears (99 cents a lb)

Raleys spent $64.83, saved $21.06 (24%)
Other:
4 Nature Pride Bread ($1.99 each)
4 Take and bake pizzas (2 for $10)
80 small cake plates (the cheapest you can find)
6 Hemp milk for baby (never on sale)

Vegetables/fruits
2 organic baby bella mushrooms (2 for $4)
2 organic celery

Nugget spent $34.02, saved $36.66 (more than 50%)
Cans/boxes:
10 cans of S&W beans (75 cents each)
5 cans of Chef Boyardee (99 cents each)

Vegetables/fruits
10 lbs Organic navel oranges (97 cents a lb)
4 packages organic blueberries ($2.97 for 11 oz.)

I spent $210 on groceries this week, however with $146 in savings. I am aiming for $150, but am struggling with quality (organic) versus cost. I have to buy what I believe is best for my families health. I will focus on additional savings this summer when I have more time to devote to going to the stores to look for saving opportunities.

Saturday (30th)
Take and bake pizzas, and salad

Sunday (31st)
Roast beef (purpose the leftovers for soup and lunches), asparagus, and bread and butter

Monday (1st)Staff meeting
Beans burritos, rice, and fruit salad

Tuesday (2nd)
Pork loin or sirloin chops roasted, steamed vegetables, and orange slices
Extra food prepackaged for lunches

Wednesday (3rd)TUTA meeting night
Beef and vegetable noodle soup (leftover beef), and bread and butter

Thursday (4th)Relational organizing group
Vegetarian chili and corn bread

Friday (5th)
Roasted barbecue chicken legs, braised carrots with dill, and fruit

Saturday (6th)
Shopping day

Saturday, January 30, 2010

The uphill battle of January

January always seems like the longest month of the year. I am always still dealing with the large volume of additions to my home, the weather is bad, the children (and dogs) are restless, the bills from holiday excess come in, and then you start to break your resolutions. Will I ever learn to make doable resolutions? I am such an optimistic person and plan to stay that way. I would rather plan more than I can do, and get more done than if I didn't try.

I have kept up with this journey of working to feed a family well or a budget. My families diet is of good quality, and our food budget is doing fine. I could still work harder to cut costs, and will continue to do that. I will start (next week) to see which meal was the most economical in price. I have realized that it is not a bargain if I will not cook it, my family will not eat it, or it is not good for us. A bargain to me is getting something that is on sale, nutritious, and delicious.

This week's menu was a struggle. It is work to make a menu from the sales papers. However, it does keep mealtime interesting.

Lucky- We spent $18.27, saved $18.14 (50%)
Meat:
3 lbs of beef rib eye steak ($3.88 lb)

Vegetables/Fruits:
6 lbs of navel oranges (3 lbs for 99 cents)
2 lbs of bananas

Safeway- We spent $52.87, saved $50.87 (49%)
Meat:
2 Jimmy Dean premium sliced bacon (2 for $5)

Dairy:
2/ 18 count Lucerne large eggs (buy 1, get 1 free)
2/ 8 oz. Lucerne soft cream cheese (99 cents each)(coupon)
10/ 6 oz. Lucerne yogurts (10 for $4)
Butter (salted variety)

Cans/boxes
Cheerios

Other
6 oz (at least ) mini chocolate chips
1 bag of walnut pieces (no on sale, buy a larger bag to put in freezer for oatmeal recipe)

Vegetables/Fruits:
12 large Hass avocados (2 for $1)
5 lbs red roma tomatoes (47 cents a lb)
5 lbs sweet fuji apples (78 cents a lb)

Beverages:
4 Minute Maid orange juice (2 for $4)

Raleys- We spent $72.78, saved $39.47 (35%)
Meat:
6 lbs R Everyday split chicken breast ($1.69 lb)

Dairy:
2/ 4 pack of Dan Active drinkable yogurt (2 for $4)

Cans/boxes:
2 Full Circle organic peanut butter (creamy) ($3.99 each)
Quaker old fashioned oats ($2.50)

Other:
2 Sara Lee bagels ($2.59)
1/ 17 oz. Star Olive oil ($3.99)

Vegetables/Fruits:
4 lbs of red pears (99 cents a lb)

Frozen:
15 Birds Eye steamfresh vegetables ($1.49 each)

Beverages:
2/ 18 packs of Pepsi ($4.49 each)(coupon limit 2)

Nugget- We spent $51.92, saved $30.33 (27%)
Dairy:
4 Land O Lakes sliced cheese (2 for $5)
Sargento shredded cheese (Monterey jack) ($2.99)

Cans/boxes
4 Wacky Mac noodles (4 for $5)
4 Pacific Foods organic broth (chicken) ($2.99)
4 jars of Francisco Rinaldi pasta sauce (2 for $3)

Other:
4 Oroweat bread (2 for $3)
1 package of Jumbo Seeds ($1.29)

Vegetables/fruits
2 Organic Girl salads (2 for $5)(spinach)
2 lbs of red peppers (41.97 a lb)
2 lbs of italian squash (97 cents a lb)

I spent a total of $195.96 for a week of groceries for a big family ($32.66 per for the week, $4.66 per day, or $1.56 per meal). This is an interesting way to look at my spending amount.

This week's menu includes a treat night with steak for dinner. Every once in awhile I have to make something to tell my amazing husband that I love him. Nothing does this like steak.

I am going to mentally extimate the cost of each meal and add that data. I estimate that $76 dollars of our spending is for dinner, which means $120 in other meals. I am spending more on breakfast since that is the meal that I am focusing on trying new recipes this month.

I also stocked up on some staples that will be in future meals, which accounts for at least $27 dollars. (pasta, pasta sauce, and frozen vegetables - I love the steamfresh vegetables due to the ease of cooking them).

Next week, I will plan from the cupboards. I wonder if we could skip a week of major shopping. It would be neat to do that every 3rd or 4th week.

Monday (18th)($16.00)
Steak, veggie, and baked potatoes

Tuesday (19th)($9.00 the broth is organic)
Bean soup (didn't make it last week)

Wednesday (20th)($9.00)
Grilled cheese and tomato soup (I will use my tomatoes to make a tomato soup in my new Vita Mix)

Thursday (21st)($11.00)
Roasted chicken breast, steam vegetables, and bread and butter

Friday (22nd)($9.00)
Chili (with ground turkey), and fresh fruit

Saturday (23rd) ($12.00)
Chicken noodle soup

Sunday (24th)($10.00)
Breakfast for dinner- muffins (make extras for next week’s breakfasts and snacks for the girls), bacon, scrambled eggs. 1

Sunday, January 10, 2010

New Year, and new outlook

I am so impressed with my new Vita mix. I just constantly look for recipes to make and make up recipes. The amount of vegetables you can put into tasty foods with a tool like this is wonderful. I bought so many fruits last week that I had 4 grocery bags of pears, apples, oranges, avocados, bananas, carrots, and greens. Yesterday I cut up the leftover fruit and got 9 bags of fruit to put in the freezer for smoothies. I don't want to waste food. I don't have to buy as much fruit this week. I don't need any carrots, but we used all the bananas and avocados.

Lucky (spent 72.58 saved $46.15 (39%))
Meat:
4 lbs of petite sirloin roast ($2.49 a lb)
4 lbs of pork sirloin chops ($1.69 a lb)

Cans/boxes
20 cans Sunny Select canned beans (pinto, red, white, black, and any other varieties on sale)(89c)
19 cans of Del Monte tomatoes (select the seasoned varieties) (10 for $10)
1 box baking soda

Other:
2 Bohemian Hearth breads (1.99 each)
Cupcake papers

Vegetables:
3 mangoes (3 for 99 cents)
4 lbs of navel oranges (69 cents a lb)
2/ 4 ct bags of avocadoes ($2.49 each)
2 lbs of red bell peppers ($1.99 a lb)
5 lbs of Roma tomatoes (97 cents a lb)
3 green peppers (3 for 99 cents)

Safeway (spent $50.05 saved $19.93 (28%)
Meat:
6 lbs Foster Farms split chicken breast ($1.99 a lb)
2 packs of Foster Farms lean ground turkey (2 for $7)

Dairy:
10 Yoplait yogurts (10 for $5)

Cans/boxes
1 bag of whole wheat flour

Vegetables/fruits
2/ 3 lb bags of O Organic apples (granny smith and gala) ($2.99 each)
3 large bunches of bananas
10 lb bag of russet potatoes ($2.99)

Raleys {spent 17.41 saved $9.40 (35%)}
Dairy:
18 ct Raley’s large eggs

Vegetables/fruits
Organic celery

Beverages:
4 half gallon R everyday 100 apple juice (4 for $1.49 each)
2 gallons Bayview Farms orange juice ($2.99)

Nugget (go to on Tuesday)
Meat:
2 packs of pork or chicken teriyaki pineapple sausage ($2.99 a lb)

Other
2 Thomas Bagels (1.99 each)
4 take and bake pizzas (bought on Tuesday)

Vegetables/fruits
2 Fresh Express (spinach and a salad)

Monday (11th)
Chicken breast in the crock pot
Tuesday (12th)
Take and bake pizzas and salad from the Nugget
Wednesday (13th)
Sausages,
Thursday (14th)
Roast (crockpot), steam vegetables, and bread and butter
Friday (15th)
Roasted chicken breast, pasta and vegetable, and sliced apples
Saturday (16th)
Spaghetti with ground turkey sauce
Sunday (17th)
Bean and ham soup (made with frozen ham bone from New Years), rice

Friday, January 1, 2010

2010 has arrived!

I am excited to start the new year with a new kitchen toy - Vitamix. I have bags of fruits and vegetables to blend into delicious smoothies and soups. I seem to be the only one excited (Jenny is excited except for the chunky smoothies). My little grandson, who needs fattened up, loves my smoothies and I add fats to his. I have two new blogs up and many projects to keep me busy, as if I am not busy enough. lol

I must confess that we have stunk in the saving money on food dept. this month. It is hard to buy holiday favorite all on sale. We will fine tune our spend in 2010. However, I need to work on having more disciplined shoppers, who don't impulse shop without thought to my goals. Perhaps a motivational meeting will serve this purpose.

Lucky's spent $76.14 saved $79 (51%)
Meat:
8 lbs Boneless skinless chicken breasts ($1.77 a lb)
2 Johnsonville breakfast sausage (get 1 free dozen eggs)
2 lbs 80% lean ground beef ($2.49 a lb)
Max pack country style ribs ($1.49 a lb)

Dairy:
2/ 8 oz Sunnyside Farms whipping cream (99 cents)
2 Sunnyside Farms old fashioned regular egg nog (2 for $5)
1 dozen large Sunnyside Farms eggs (free)

Cans/boxes
4 boxes of Post cereal (4 for $1.49)(Honey Bunches of Oats and Selects Apple Caramel Pecan Crunch)

Vegetables:
20 avocados (47 cents each)
5 bags of Grimmway farms baby carrots (5 for $5)
10 lb bag of russet potatoes (97 cents a lb)

Beverages:
2 bottles of Martinelli’s sparkling cider (2 for $4)

Safeway spent 63.04 saved 28.93 (32%)

Vegetables/fruits:
4 large bunches of bananas
4 lbs of Gala apples (79 cents a lb)
10 lbs large CA Navel oranges (39 cents a lb)

Frozen
4 bags of frozen peaches (not on sale but only source we could find :( )

Other
2/12 pack Northern bath tissue ($5.99 each coupons)
2/ 12 packs of Brawny paper towels ($5.99 each coupons)

Raley's spent 80.58 saved $48.36 (37%)
My shopper lost focus and impulsed shopped and bought Pillsbury danishes, bacon, and a $14 bottle of Chardonnay. This was about $30 of what was spent. She has been refocused. lol

Cans/boxes
4 boxes of Nabisco Snack Crackers ($1.79 each)

Bread:
2 Ultimate Dinner Rolls (buy 1, get 1 free)
Vegetables/fruits:
7 lbs Granny Smith apples (97 cents a lb)
7 lbs Organic D’Anjou Pears (99 cents a lb)
2 containers of micro greens ($1.79 each)
2 bunches of organic celery
2 bags of cut ‘n clean country greens (2 for $4)

Frozen
10 bags of Birds Eye Steam fresh vegetables ($1.69 each)
2 bags of frozen peaches ($1.99)

Nugget $50.19 saved 26.09 (over 50%)

Meat:
2 packages beer n’ brats ($2.99 a lb)

Dairy
15 Yoplait yogurt (50 cents each)

Other
4 Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce (4 for $5)
Fresh Bread ($149 a loaf)
Virgin organic honey bear ($2.99)

Vegetables/fruits:
2/ 11 oz containers of black eyed peas (2 for $4)
2 Fresh Express salad mixes (baby spinach and sweet butter)

Frozen
3 Red Baron Pizzas (3 for $10)

Beverages
Soy Delicious Coconut Milk ($3.99)


Saturday (2nd)
Cheese burger baked potatoes, and steamed vegetables
Sunday (3rd)
Bean soup w/ leftover ham
Monday (4th)
Chicken beer n’ brats, fried potatoes, and steam vegetables
Tuesday (5th)
Pork lo mien (leftover pork)
Wednesday (6th)
Roasted chicken breast w/ tomato marmalade sauce, and steamed vegetables
Thursday (7th)
Pizza and salad night
Friday (8th)
Crock pot country style ribs w/ barbecue sauce, and steamed vegetables
Saturday (9th)
Chicken noodle soup (homemade) (use leftover chicken breast meat)