Lately I’ve been trying to figure how on earth I’m going to make it with only $195.17 left in my grocery budget for the year. With 87 days to go, it works out to be only$2.24 a day for 4 people. HOLE LEE CRAP!
A few days ago, The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird and I cleaned out the freezer so we could get a good look at the food we have on hand and make a game plan.
Basically unless we want to eat fresh kale from the garden for the next 88 days straight, it looks like we’ll be integrating a lot of seafood, weenies and strawberries into our meals over the next few months. Luckily our pantry is pretty well stocked with a lot of goodies we canned this summer and dry goods picked up from coupons deals over the past year.
I know we won’t go hungry, but I do think it’s going to get a little interesting around here pretty quick. Especially with baking season right around the corner.
Let’s just hope there is an awesome deal on baking supplies {especially lots of butter} to get me through the holidays and baking season.
If all I have to do is buy milk, butter, chicken and a few other things here are there, I should be fine. But the real questions is: Can I keep it together for another 87 days?
Hmmm.
Have you read the The Complete Tightwad Gazette
Jen J says
I think you should start a new series called “How Many Ways Can Mavis Incorporate Strawberries and Kale into Dinner”
Andrea says
I’m sure you can do it. It looks like a great start. The end is going to get interesting but that will be fun to read about what you come up with.
alliegator says
Do you have lots of beans and rice? Make crock pots full of beans to use in various meals. Make big pots of soup with whatever you have on hand.
It’s amazing at how much you can make with what you have on hand.
cptacek says
Don’t let your husband go grocery shopping for the next 87 days. That should help.
🙂
MaryBeth says
No kidding! We just finished our white rice, which I rarely have to buy, so I asked my husband to write it down for me so I won’t forget next time I go. Next thing I know he has filled an entire piece of paper for my shopping list.
Teresa Yb. says
You should be able to find some cheap turkey next month. That could be some cheap meat for a while.
I love the Tightwad Gazette!
Heather says
I have no doubt you will make it!
I am making your ginger cookies today, but wanted to share with you if you are in need of more molasses…todayI picked up at Target a 12oz. bottle of Brer Rabbit molasses (both the full and mild flavors) marked down from $3.09/bottle to $2.27! I saw the same bottle at FM for $3.50! WOWZA!
Linda M says
Girl, I know you are gonna do Fine! Just begin an Official Pantry Challenge….you can even blog about it. Get yourself a weekly meal plan that you pre-plan your meals for a week…seven days worth…don’t have to serve exactly menu #1 on day 1….just have seven days worth planned and Only! buy things to supplement the things you already have. Looks like you will have a great variety to me! Also, you are the queen of bartering…get the other gals to trade you for the things you are lacking. I can’t wait to hear about it. Been there and done this…it will work….just pretend you don’t have the money….lots of people live that way and don’t have any choice.
I, too, loved Amy’s books and they are and have been an inspiration….just like you are to us!!!!
Heidi says
Do you have any Zaycon credits available? I just placed a chicken order yesterday. Chicken can be stretch a million different ways.
Love, love, love the gazette. I have all three books on my bookshelf. I pull them out periodically to refresh my memory on the many ways to be frugal:)
Ashley says
Have you ever used the site supercook.com? Basically, you put in all the ingredients you have and it’ll give you recipes based on that. It might give you some meal ideas 🙂
Rosario says
I agree with Ashley. Supercook.com will find you thousands of possibilities once you enter everything you have. It’s super easy.
Ellen says
Hopefully, you can eat and barter eggs!
Nichole says
I love how frugal and waste-free you are with this kind of stuff. Food should be nutritious and not expensive. It just ends up in the toilet at the end of the day.
Amanda says
According to my family this is totally doable. I grew up in a military family where we only shopped once a month, the end of the month was ALWAYS interesting. As an adult I go through a stage about 2-3 times a year where we have “what’s on hand meals” until I’ve cleaned out the pantry and the freezer. I can’t stand to waste. That’s not to say sometimes we have things that don’t necessarily seem to go together, but we always eat! It just forces some creativity.
Kat D says
You’ll do fine. I only grocery shop for dairy and a few other essentials once every 2-3 months. The rest we grow or obtain locally in bulk. It gets a little lean those last couple of weeks, so just be willing to be adventurous instead of falling back on old recipes or convenience foods that require specific ingredients. Our family motto is “Suck it up and make do!” Most of the time the family doesn’t even notice what we’re doing without.
Mavis says
Do you freeze your milk?
Melannie says
I freeze mine when the Smart Balance milk goes on sale for $0.59 for 1/2 gallon.
Sandy says
I freeze gallons of milk when my local grocery store has it marked down. I remove a cup or two before freezing it so the milk jug doesn’t burst in the freezer when it expands.
Jen says
Did you order the Zaycon chicken? That would last a while 🙂
lyra says
Got any suggestions for a freezer, brand and/or minimum size. Chest or upright? I like how yours has 3 baskets.
Mavis says
We picked ours up at Costco a few years ago. I have no idea what the brand is but the baskets came with it.
Jen says
Oh and of course I’m sure you’ll find some things to barter with. I stocked up on dishwashing soap last week (ended up costing me only $1.49 each after coupon, doubler, catalina and doubler again) and traded 4 of those to my sister for a 25 pound bag of rice from Costco…not to mention I didn’t have to pay a membership fee to Costco to get it 🙂
Mavis says
Sweet deal Jen!
Beth says
Hopefully Albertsons will have one of the gift card promos- that would help get you some free groceries if you buy groceries and get Christmas shopping done at the same time!
Elizabeth F says
That seems to be really a lot of food there. Doesn’t seem like there should be a problem
at all. “Breakfast for dinner” is always cheap…make pancakes or waffles, eggs, and use up some of the strawberries for toppings.
I have read all 3 of Amy Daczysczyn books. They were very interesting and it was amazing how much money she saved. But it was at the expense often of good quality food. She was buying the cheapest, often out dated outlet food that she could find. I could not go along with that line of thought.
Michelle says
This may help your sugar stretch farther. I have been making the zucchini bread recipe you posted quite often lately and I have reduced the brown sugar amount from 2c to 1 1/4 cup and it is still great! Most recipes you can reduce the sugar in without noticing. hth
Mavis says
Thanks Michelle, I’ll try it. 🙂
Jen T says
I seem to have a lot of Smith Bros Farms butter in my freezer right now, would be happy to trade for some of those frozen strawberries:)
Shermika says
How did you get your bags so flat for the freezer. I am totally OCD like that and like how you were able to maximize your space. I love how they are all standing versus laying one on top of the other!