Well so much for taking the week off from grocery shopping. I totally failed. I was planning on only buying milk this past week, but the stores were calling my name and I just had to pop in for a few things.
Here is what I picked up this week:
QFC – $6.38
I walked through the door and the Handsome Husband said “Did you buy milk? Real milk?” Meaning did you buy normal milk like 99% of the population is drinking or did you buy the milk in glass bottles again?
I just laughed.
He doesn’t even drink milk, so I’m not even sure why he was asking. What a stinker!
Safeway – $5.97
I was going to buy more sugar, but I ran into Girl Girl earlier in the day and stuck up a deal to spruce up her garden beds in exchange for a 25 pound bag of sugar from Costco.
I don’t get the sugar though until I do the work, so hopefully I can get to it in the next week or so. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE bartering with my neighbors. It makes me feel like a Pilgrim.
Albertsons – $6.43
I don’t think I have ever purchased chicken with spices sprinkled over the top before. Probably because I always thought that’s what stores always with the outdated chicken they wanted to sell fast. But I was in a hurry, and these looked really good, and a house full of teenagers were due at our house in like 2 hours and the kids were requesting chicken for dinner.
So I tossed the chicken in a pan, added a few fruits and vegetables on top, roasted all the chicken was served it for dinner. Yee- Haw. How’s that for an easy peasy dinner?
Harbor Greens Market – $5.07
Some days I think I could live off Fuji apples. Our local market has about 2 or 3 fruits or vegetables on sale every week. So if I’m in the area, I pop in and grab whatever ever is on sale. This week it was Fuji apples for $0.69, green peppers 3 for $1, red peppers $2 for 1 and bananas for $0.59 a pound. Pretty good deals if you ask me.
Mr. Produce Guy – FREE
Talk about a rock star week in the free produce department. Happy times are here again. There was seriously a little bit of everything last week, and The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird was over the moon happy with all those fresh berries.
How did YOU do this week? Are you keeping track of what you are spending on food this year?
~Mavis
Total Spent This Week $23.85
Total Spent This Year $488.13
Total Spent This Year on Garden Seeds/Supplies $744.79 {I bought a Meyer Lemon Tree, Rhubarb crowns, 6 Fruit Trees , 15 yards of soil} and 90 pounds of seed potatoes.
Judy N. says
Mavis I don’t see the mulch listed as part of your expenses for the years total. I know..you may wonder why would I care but I am trying to copy your tracking ways so I can apply to my own.. Happy Gardening
Mavis says
Hi Judy,
I did not include the mulch because I do not need it to grow food. It is for aesthetic purposes only. Dirt however, I need. 🙂 I hope that helps.
sara says
Impressive!! I kept track for the first few weeks of the year, but then stopped. However, I am trying to be a little more aware of what we are spending rather than just nilly willy buying anything and everything that looks good at the time. I’ve always wondered, you don’t include going out to dinner in your $100 do you? I told my husband we were cutting back and sticking to a budget for groceries, his reply was “when we reach the grocery budget we’ll just go out to dinner, different category”. Husbands….
Mavis says
The HH requested that I did not include going out to dinner in his years budget. We don’t eat out often so it wasn’t really a big deal anyway. Personally I think he didn’t want people knowing every stinkin’ time he goes to Costco for one of those gross weenies and a soda for $1.50. Ha! Yes husbands are funny that way.
Susan Sheets says
How do you get the produce guy to give that to you? Is it because you have a blog? I have been to all the grocery stores in our area, and they have ALL told me NO! I was polite and explained I really do have chickens, but most of them were rude. I have asked this question several times, and you never reply. I would like to follow your advise, so PLEASE reply!
Mavis says
Last year when I asked produce guy about getting produce scraps I barely knew him and he did not know I had a blog {he does now though because of the media attention}. I simply went up and asked him there was anyway I could pick up their discarded produce once a week for my chickens. I didn’t do anything special. I just asked. That was it. Every store is going to be different, whether it is a local store, chain store, or farm. 🙂
Eileen says
I am having the same problem. Each store is saying it is company policy not to give away the old produce due to liability issues.
Cait says
Coming outof lurkdom to say – first, I love your blog, and second, wow, I am totally envious of your apple prices! The cheapest I’ve ever seen near me (NoVA) is .89/lb – and that’s at farmer’s markets. In stores, it’s rockbottom at .99! Also envious of your garden beds – love the pallets!
Mavis says
Hello Lurker. 😉
Beth says
I know what you mean, our apples are usually in the $1.50-$2.00 range. Wish we could grow apples here.
Donna Brown says
I read your blog for the first time yesterday! I love it! The past few weeks I have been trying to use up the old stored foods so that I can get fresher ones! Been using what I canned too! I’ve been trying to use everything! And when I say everything, I mean everything. During the past two weeks I have been trying to find ways to use left over juices. Pear juice left over from canned pears makes a good addition to iced tea. Bread and butter pickle juice and olive oil can be seasoned to make a tasty salad dressing. Dill pickle juice, mayonnaise, lemon, and brown mustard make an awesome dill sauce for fish.
Heather says
Beware: It’s National Corn Dog day on Saturday, March 16th…just sayin’! My hubby is thrilled….he loves those dang things too! 🙂
Cindi Myers says
LOL — I’m not crazy about real corn dogs, but if you want something a little healthier, try the Morning Star Farms veggie corn dogs. I gave them to my husband and he didn’t even realize he wasn’t eating the real thing! A lot less fat and mystery ingredients.
Carol says
Any chance Monkey Boy paid Dad to harass you about the milk?