In order to use a decent amount of my current food inventory I decided to spend only 100 dollars this month and concentrate of using my freezer and pantry as my primary grocery sources. I need to create space in my freezer for the upcoming produce season, and my pantry items just need to be rotated and used instead of sitting on the shelf and ruining.Hmmm! I just did not do as well as I hoped I would this week. Not only did I spend more at the store than I wanted to, we also did take out twice this week so I did not use as much food inventory as I could have. Bummer
March 15
bought
The damn Ides got me. I know to beware but did I heed ancient advice? Nope! Instead I went to the grocery store. Sprouts: Asparagus 2.04, mandarins 1.98, radishes .34, cashews 5.15 (TheHub asked for more since he ate all I had in the pantry) 10.52 total including tax.
Aldi: onions, 1.89, potatoes 1.59, eggs.99, corned beef 7.13, cabbage .69, lettuce.89, bread 1.35, 6 pack seltzer water 1.59 (I thought I had corned beef in the freezer but I didn't , it was a hunk of ham, and this is why inventorying would have helped greatly) Total 17.74 including tax
used
2 pork sausage patties (freezer)
2 mandarins (fridge, still have 4 more before I open the new ones)
coffee (pantry)
almond milk creamer (bought)
mustard fridge
chicken legs (freezer)
asparagus (bought)
spring greens (bought)
tomatoes (bought)
cukes (fridge)
radishes (bought)
ginger miso dressing (fridge)
butter (fridge)
marzipan cake (leftover)
milk to put kefir grains to rest
eaten
breakfast: coffee
lunch: 2 pork sausage patties, mandarin
snack: handful of cashews
dinner: buffalo style baked chicken drumsticks, asparagus, potaotes, green salad, marzipan cake (TheHub) mandarin (me)
March 16
bought
zero
used
coffee( (pantry)
leftovers, fridge)
1 pack ground beef (freezer)
1 pack squash (freezer)
1/3 bag sweet potato fries (freezer)
1/4 bag green beans (freezer)
1 onion (pantry)
lemonade mix (pantry)
cabbage (fridge)
mayo (fridge)
canned peach (pantry)
green onions (fridge)
jalapeno (freezer)
spices salt and pepper (fridge)
vinegar (pantry)
eaten
breakfast: coffee
lunch: leftover spaghetti squash with leftover meat/veggie sauce
dinner: hamburger patty, squash green bean saute', sweet potato fries, Hotlanta slaw
March 17
bought
zero
used
coffee (pantry)
mandarin (pantry)
corned beef (bought)
cabbage (fridge)
potatoes (bought)
brownie mix (pantry at lake place)
eggs (fridge)
oil (fridge)
ice cream (lake place freezer)
tea (pantry)
eaten
breakfast: coffee
lunch mandarin
dinner corned beef cabbage potatoes (everyone else) brownie a la mode
March 18
bought
Thai take out (In the T&E budget not food budget)
used
coffee (lake pantry)
eggs (fridge)
grits (lake pantry)
sausage patties (freezer)
cheese (lake fridge)
onion (pantry)
bread (bought)
onion (pantry)
seltzer (bought)
lemonade mix (pantry)
eaten
breakfast: eggs and grits (theHub) homemade sausage patties, coffee
lunch: toasted cheese sandwiches, lemonade, leftover brownies
dinner take out Thai, seltzer
March 19
bought
2 tomatoes1.53
Bojangles chicken meal
(T&E budget)
used
coffee (Pantry)
tea (pantry)
bread (bought)
cheese (fridge)
tomato (bought)
onion (pantry)
graham cracker pie crust (pantry)
peanut butter (pantry)
cool whip (freezer)
cream cheese (fridge)
confectioners sugar (pantry)
vanilla (pantry)
eaten
breakfast: coffee
lunch: take out chicken meal
dinner: toasted cheese sandwiches with tomato and onion, tea, peanut butter pie
March 20
bought
zero
used
coffee (pantry)
salad greens (fridge)
can kidney beans
onion (pantry)
small pack corn (freezer)
can tomatoes (pantry)
can hatch chilies (pantry)
small pack ground chuck (freezer)
tortilla chips (pantry)
cheese (fridge)
seltzer (bought)
spring greens (bought)
milk for kefir (fridge)
eaten
breakfast:coffee
lunch: blt from Sonic (volunteering and not near home) seltzer from home
dinner: Mexicanish stew, green salad, water
March 21
bought
zero
used
chicken breast (fridge)
salad greens (bought)
cucumbers (fridge)
oil (pantry)
balsamic vinegar (pantry)
herbs, salt, pepper (pantry)
leftover corned beef (fridge)
leftover potatoes (fridge)
onion (bought)
leftover cabbage (fridge)
flour (pantry)
sugar (pantry)
egg (fridge)
safflower oil (pantry)
baking soda, salt, extract (pantry)
3 bananas (freezer)
mini chocolate chips (pantry)
tomatoes (bought)
kefir (fridge)
milk for kefir (fridge)
tea (pantry)
eaten
breakfast: leftover chicken breast (and yes I know it sounds horrid, but it was there and already cooked), coffee
lunch: spring greens salad with cucumber slices, coffee
dinner: corned beef hash, tossed salad, double chocolate cake (TheHub), tea
I spent 29.79 this week including tax. (Tax on food purchases just sucks, especially our 10 percent sales tax!) I had only 45.97 left in my 100 budget for this month, leaving me with a grand total of 16.18 for the next 9 days. With tax that only leaves me right at 14.50 in real food dollars to spend. I may or may not make it, but I am going to seriously try! I have looked over the food ads and am secretly happy that the food sales this week are not great. With the exception of boneless skinless chicken thighs there is nothing I even care about stocking up on, and the chicken thighs will be on sale another week, so it's all good>
That is one tight budget. It would be interesting to see if we could really go a month without spending anything. I don't think I could do it. Powdered milk yuck, but what if we had too?
ReplyDeleteAs long as everyone is on board it would work fine. I have the rogue one and I am finding evidence that he is buying candy bars and individual turnovers which he sneak eats. I decided as long as he thinks I don't know I will let it be his secret .
DeleteI am really impressed at the no spending days. And proud to say that we had one today. Everything we ate (which included some treats) was already here.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to have no spending days and error, not just grocery spending. It has been fairly successful
ReplyDeleteChicken breast for breakfast sounds great to me. I don't have to eat breakfast food for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteI don't have to either and generally don't eat breakfast, but I should have at least warmed it,
DeleteWe are definitely not as well stocked as you are, but there is still plenty to eat here. Part of the reason is our chest freezer died in the move. We have ordered a replacement that should be here any day. That will make stock up a little easier.
ReplyDeleteNice that you are getting a new one! My freezer and I have a love hate relationship. I love the ability to store food, but I tend to overstock it.
Deletewishing you luck to stay within $100 for the month. You may be able to make it with coupons and hunting for deals. fingers crossed for you and waiting to see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteIt is not going to affect my life one way or the other if I do go over, but I love a challenge, even if it is self imposed!
DeleteThe Ides of March will get you every time.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I think so too, Janie!
DeleteIt'll be a challenge but if anyone can do it it's you! Time to get really creative :) My entire March budget is close to being gone so looks like I'll be using gift cards and walking everywhere!
ReplyDeleteI think since TheHub is at a business dinner tonight, I am doing blueberry pancakes just to finish off the pancake mix. I still have a ton of food in the freezer, it's just not exactly what I want to cook. First world problems, huh?
DeleteAs Sluggy said, what if you had to, I mean go without buying much. You give lots of great ideas to stretch, but still eat well. It is challenging though, and so easy to want to just stop and top off with new food. Your budget's so tight-I've got $31 left to get to March 31, so need to plan, plan plan.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to I know I could make it on 200 a month, but it would stretch my imagination and time severely. Add to that the fact that we would not be eating what we wanted to, but would be eating what we had.
ReplyDeleteYou can do it, Anne! I know you can! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Bless. Hope I can.
DeleteGreat job.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteWe're about at the same place. Or were -- I spent most of the remainder last night. I may go over by a few dollars. We have eaten out quite a bit this month, so to some extent the challenge isn't reflective of us eating all meals at home, but the majority. Especially since we quite literally DO eat all of our meals at home, given that we both work from home. I'm not sweating it.
ReplyDeleteI am not worried since it won't affect anything if I go over or not, but I do really enjoy a good challenge. I must have some latent masochistic tendencies.
ReplyDelete