It was another great week in the meal department thanks to some overcast and cooler days. I made a bean soup with sausage, zucchini and onions in the crockpot, and it lasted for days.
I also pulled some previously made meatballs from the freezer and we had some of those with pasta and Rao’s sauce {which happens to be the best store bought sauce on the planet earth if you ask me}.
Scrambled eggs, sausage, zucchini and onions… always a winning combination.
The best of both coasts… Homemade wild Maine blueberry pie and Washington state cherries.
Pickety bits {and pie} for an easy dinner after working in the yard.
Beans and rice. Rice and Beans.
Tuna and crackers. Because who wants to cook when it is hot and muggy outside?
Tuna casserole with a Ritz cracker topping.
10 ounces of homemade granola $4 at the roadside stand. {That was 3 breakfast bowls worth in case you were wondering.}
$5 for a slice of chocolate cheesecake, $4 for a dozen eggs at the same roadside stand. Tons of people sell eggs at the end of their driveways around here {most just put them in a cooler with a coffee can to collect the payments} and the prices range from $3 – $4 a dozen.
I like buying our eggs from the lady who also offers granola, cookies and sometimes pies/cakes on the weekends because when you pull into her driveway, you’re almost always greeted by a flock of happy chickens, ducks or geese wandering about the farm and I know her animals are so loved and well taken care of.
$1 for 4 small zucchini at another roadside stand. {I’m hoping ours will be ready to harvest this weekend.}
Scammaford $24.08
I dislike shopping there immensely, but we were in the area and so I loaded up on supplies for a tuna casserole.
Beth’s Farm Market $27.50 for 10 pounds of Maine wild blueberries.
Now, if I could only figure out when raspberry season is here in Maine, life would be grand. I had plans to make raspberry jam this summer but haven’t found raspberries sold by the flats yet.
Market Basket $430.38
I had an appointment with the vampire’s office last week and since I was close to a Market Basket, I decided to load up. Usually I do my big stock up trip for the rest of the year in early October {because I loath going anywhere near stores close to the holidays} but since I was down south, I decided I might as well go for it.
The way I see it, the HH can pick up any odds and ends at the little general store {milk, bread, dairy products} from now until January if/when we need them. But I’m done. TOTALLY done with walking into any store that has more than a handful of people in it for the next 6 months.
I’ve never been a fan of crowds and since leaving suburbia three years ago, I have gotten away from convenience shopping and have moved on to shopping with a purpose {get in, get what you need and get out without looking at shiny objects}.
I don’t drive by, see or even go into big box stores on a daily or weekly basis anymore, so when I do go into a large store and look around, mostly all I see these days is a bunch of stuff nobody needs, self service checkout lines that always have somebody looking around for a cashier and ridiculous prices on everything. {Thankfully Market Basket isn’t like that at all.}
I would LOVE to be the person who lives on an island and only leaves once a year to stock up on supplies. I could so be that person it’s not even funny.
Overall, the prices at Market Basket were pretty good {and much less than Scammaford or our tiny General Store} and I was surprise to find that beef and pork were pretty much about the same price as chicken breasts were going for.
1 pound of Kate’s Butter {made in Maine, creamy and on par with Kerry Gold} was only $2.50 at Market Basket while at Scammaford it was going for $5.99 a pound. Butter freezes well, so I bought 8 pounds {I probably should have bought more.}
And another sweet deal I found was on 2 pound bags of split green peas and navy beans, those were only $0.50 each! So ya, you better believe I stocked up on those as well.
Buying groceries, it’s been pretty much my main source of entertainment for the past year and a half… So what if we’ve spent a lot on food this year, who cares.
At least I know if we had to hole up here on our imaginary little island for a while, we’d be fine.
Wool and beans… what else could I possibly need?
~Mavis
P.S. How is YOUR pantry looking these days… and what have you been stocking up on? Curious minds want to know.
*****
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries and Bakery Treats We Brought Home $494.93
- Total Spent in July on Groceries and Bakery Treats $922.30
- Total Spent in June on Groceries and Bakery Treats $297.1
- Total Spent in May on Groceries and Bakery Treats $323.38
- Total Spent in April on Groceries and Bakery Treats $352.64
- Total Spent in March on Groceries and Bakery Treats $712.01
- Total Spent in February on Groceries and Bakery Treats $230.98
- Total Spent in January on Groceries and Bakery Treats $128.60
- Total Spent on Groceries and Bakery Treats We Brought Home in 2021 $3062.36
StephanieZ says
We save a bundle by making our own sausages, while controlling what goes into them. Our local market sells their inhouse made sausages (high quality) for $7 lb. I get the pork shoulder or butt for $0.99 lb and use the bone for pea soup. Suggestion – get HH a meat grinder/sausage stuffer and a foodsaver system for future presents. We also grind our own beef for high quality hamburgers.
Katie says
A food saver has been on my wish list for a while! We freeze a lot, so I think it would be really helpful to have one.
Heidi P says
I have an extra that I would happily send to you. I was about to drop it off at Goodwill. I’m in Oregon. It’s not the newest but it wasn’t used much. Not sure how doable it is to get your address or if you’re up for it.
Dianne says
Oh Heidi, I would love to have it if Katie does not want it – I will pay you for shipping. I’d love to have one, but they have been out of budget for some time.
Dianne
Loy says
I have both a large Foodsaver that I rarely use and the FoodSaver 31161370 Cordless Food Vacuum Sealer, Handheld which I use all the time. It is $24.99 right now at Amazon and about the same price at Walmart, which is where I purchased mine. The bags are a little pricey, but I turn them inside out and wash them and reuse each bag several times. The bags are pretty sturdy. I have one for canned cat food that has been opened, closed, and resealed at least 50 times.
Heidi P says
Hi Dianne, I’m going to wait until tomorrow to see if Katie responds and if she doesn’t I’ll try to figure out how to get your information to send it to you. Nice to know it will go to someone who can use it.
Diane says
Hi,
In response to the above Foodsaver posts, I also love to get a gently use machine that is no longer wanted. I’m expecting a large fruit crop from my backyard trees.
I’ll gladly pay any shipping charges. Thanks to all for offering, I love when items can be recycled to folks who can put them to good use!
Katie says
Heidi thank you so much for your generosity! And Mavis, thank you for making the connection for us to communicate 🙂
Robin in WI says
I feel the same way about shopping and crowds. 🙂 I make a list, take a deep breath, go in, get what I need, and get the heck out. My husband likes to browse, so you can imagine his expression. 😉
Connie says
I agree. Have always stocked up for winter & flu season even though we do not have harsh winters. I need a few more roasts but they are running
$25 apiece here so waiting. Could not tell what you paid.
I read a blog years ago where woman did yearly food inventory and stocked for year. She knew exactly what she needed/ used. There is really no reason in my opinion not to stock up on basics if your finances allow it.
Mavis Butterfield says
Pot roasts were $3.99 a pound and an average of $8 per roast.
Dianne says
That is a great deal on your Pot Roast. Hopefully, we will see meat prices come down a bit. But, once prices go up, they never seem to come back down
Angie says
This is a fantastic price on roasts! A two pack at Costco where we are is $45 & up.
Heidi P says
I’m always curious how people know what to buy for that duration of time. I have a hard time making it two weeks without going to the store.
Lisa says
Same. I feel like I’m constantly running in to get a few things. I blame kids but it’s probably my lack of organization.
Monica B says
Same, except I have a hard time making it a week without going to the store, ordering it on Amazon or having it delivered from the grocery store. I have noticed though if I ask myself “do I really need this”, I don’t. I have plenty of food in the fridge in freezer that I need to eat first. But sticking to that doesn’t always work.
Kari says
I see a jar of clotted cream. What is that used for?
Mavis Butterfield says
Fancy scones with jam when the mood strikes. 🙂
Lindsey says
Did you know it is easy to make your own clotted cream? Lots of online recipes.
Elle says
Yea you! I’m with you on the ‘shopping’. I was not born with the shopping gene and really dislike it.
I think your grocery expenditures are not high at all! $4223 is our first 6 months expenditure-that does include our CSA that goes May 1 through the first week of October but still much higher than yours. I aim for 80% organic and as much local as possible. We have a local family that goes fishing in Alaska periodically. We buy their wild caught sockeye salmon $17/pound and lucked into King Salmon for $24/pound. YUM!!! We stocked up 20# when they were selling out in April before heading north for 4 months.
I have no doubt you will enjoy the rest of summer on your little island.
Amy B says
I have three little ones at home, so I mostly stock up by filling my freezer with meals that I’ve doubled or tripled so I don’t have to cook every night! We don’t eat a ton of meat, so I have lots of beans and lentils on hand.
I have some special dietary needs, so I always keep the foods I need on hand as well.
I have so much flour–I bake lots of sourdough bread, so I go through it pretty fast.
Beans and rice is one of our favorite meals!
Katie says
I love going grocery shopping, especially if it’s a stock up trip! It’s just satisfying to me. A coffee while walking the grocery store – that’s often my “escape” from the kids haha. This summer I started doing one stock up trip at the beginning of the month and buying everything I could that would be able to last for the month. Then the remaining weeks I’d pick up our bread, milk, and produce for the week. This is been so much better for our family right now as it’s hard for me to get to the store for a full grocery trip every weekend. I really do not like doing pick up grocery orders. Some stores have convenience fees (which I understand, but still), some mark up their prices for online ordering (no thanks), and there’s no guarantee I’ll get everything I want. If I were in the store myself I’d get to choose my replacement. I also have had obviously bad (moldy) produce! Needless to say, I reserve online orders for when I’m desperate. Our pantry is pretty full, but only to the point that I could walk in there in pull together some kind of meal any night of the week. We would not be prepared if we had another snowmageddon and Texas went dark again. I’d like to remedy this, but it hasn’t happened yet. I DID finally teach myself how to can. So I’ve put up about 30ish jars. Mostly jam, but I also have spaghetti sauce and ketchup and whole cherries. I’ve got the stuff to make peach jam this week. I haven’t even thought about pressure canning yet, but I’m hooked so I’m sure it will happen this year.
Katie says
I forgot to mention that we get a butcher box subscription. It’s definitely more expensive than what I can get at the grocery store. BUT it’s great quality, I feel better about their sources, and we get new cuts of meat I’ve never tried. So it keeps meal planning from getting too boring. I also married into a hunting family, so at the end of the year we usually get stocked up on deer meat. We process ourselves, so we usually get a lot of ground meat, pan sausage, and my father in law will make link sausage. Sometimes summer sausage and jerky. The backstrap never lasts long because it’s so good.
Ashley Bananas says
I have similar sentiments about paying for curbside fees. It seems as if the grocery stores are now competing with amazon, while trying to stay on trend with delivery services like shipt and instacart. However, if I have to pay a fee for curbside I may as well just do shipt or instacart and let someone bring it to my house. Other random fee I’ve noticed, when we were doing curbside take out orders for a while I realized one our favorite restaurants now had an upcharge for take out containers. It was kind of high too. It may have added an extra five dollars to our order for two people. Mixed feelings on that….
Mel says
I haven’t been able to freezer cook the past this summer or last due to work and avoiding crowds, but we’re reasonably well stocked with other stuff like rice, pasta, and beans. We don’t have a pantry, so there are hard limits to what we can stock in the way of dry goods. We have year round vegetable CSA delivery and buy all meat locally, so it’s not a big deal not to be fully stocked up, but I will miss the convenience of four months of freezer meals, especially as I return to the office instead of working from home and have to pack lunches, etc. I might “freezer cook as I go” this fall instead since I can’t do it all in advance. I do have something like 50 lbs of tomatoes frozen that I need to turn into sauce.
For right now, I’m just trying to get back in the swing of meal planning and nightly cooking since we’ve had to do far more takeout than usual this year due to so much going on. I just tried out a new recipe for sausage cheddar scallion scones, and those were delicious.
Linda says
I hate to shop and always have a well stocked pantry for baking and necessity items. I can and freeze everything possible, if I can’t grow it I purchase in bulk from a farm stand. We grow our own blueberries, raspberries,
blackberries, apples and pears. My Amish friends let me
purchase peaches with them. My husband fishes for salmon every year in Lake Ontario and he hunts.
Like you Mavis, I could easily live a secluded life but with quilt fabric, wool knitting yarn and audible books.
Annette says
Is your bean soup recipe posted (First pic)?
Mavis Butterfield says
No but here it is:
2 cups mixed dried beans
1 can Rotel
1 4 ounce can diced green chilies
1 heaping tablespoon chicken base
6 cups water
Cook on low in the crock pot for hours or until the beans are tender.
The last 15 minutes toss in some grilled Aidell’s sausages {sliced}.
Season with salt and pepper.
*This time around though we had some left over grilled vegetables and rice in the fridge so I tossed those in at the end as well.
Annette says
Thanks. It looks extra good with the rice.
Margo says
The farmers market here was selling a dozen eggs for $8 last Friday! Wanted to make a pot roast but didn’t want to pay $17 for a small one at our local chain grocery. Prices are a little crazy here right now. We are a retired military family so next time I need meat think I’ll avail myself of the military commissary. It’s a few miles away, but may be worth the trip. I keep a full pantry as well, cuts down the impulse shopping.
Susan says
I have maintained a well stocked pantry and freezer(s) for years. I went through a long spell of food insecurity and now am almost obsessive about being well stocked.
My children and friends used to mock me about it, but after I fed the whole neighborhood for 4 days after a hurricane and supplied my kids with tp and other things last year during the pandemic shortages, they’ve all come around to my point of view.
Lisa says
This is my goal. Between covid and supply chain problems, not to mention droughts and floods, I want to be well stocked.
Rebecca in MD says
My pantry is usually well stocked with flour, beans, condiments, pastas, etc. We also have an upright freezer, which usually has plenty of frozen, peeled tomatoes, homemade marinara sauce, homemade stocks, and a variety of meats. I started using Butcher Box for my meat purchases, and while it is more expensive than grocery store sales, the quality is much better (everything is grass fed/grass finished, free range, organic). I was using Misfit Market for my organic produce, but now that the local farmer’s markets are in full swing and the garden is producing I am getting my produce there, and I will be doing lots of canning and freezing for the winter.
Ashley Bananas says
I’m a single mom with a 12 year old. There have been times of food insecurity that push me to still shop for discounts and clearance items, as well as keep a stocked pantry to be prepared in case of hard times. I recently went to a new Aldi that opened near me when it had a lot of $5/30 coupons and bought flats of canned goods. I also have water and gator-aide flats from Costco on hand. We live in Florida and it’s good to have food like this in the event of a storm; hurricane season end in September.
I’ve been following couponing blogs and watching out for freebie items. CVS has had one free item every week, this week it was a 50ct of CVS brand ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Winn Dixie does the same, this week I got a free bag of frozen broccoli. Ibotta did several items for free at Walmart for back to school – bread, pb, jelly, drinkable yogurt shakes, cheese rounds, pencils, erasers, notebook, etc. Coupons.com has also created an app and to promote it did free hotdogs, buns, mustard, and mac and cheese at Walmart. I know these items may not fully round out a grocery list, but it helps. Also shopping clearance meat at Winn Dixie and Aldi.
We also went to a book bag drive and were given a free book bag with some school supplies, and every family who came was given a very generous bag of food to take home too; which I didn’t anticipate, but said thank you for all the same. It was mostly shelf stabilized items and kid oriented items like pb, jelly, juice, etc.
I just reread this and feel tired….lol when kids are little and expenses are high, I guess we all do what we can to make our finances work.
Katie says
I’ve got a family of six. I get 80-90% of my groceries from ALDI! I would hate to see my grocery budget without this option. I’m impressed that you’ve found so many deals for free things. I know that takes a lot of work to keep up with!
Ashley Bananas says
Aldi is such a life saver!!
Every Summer I feel like I’m keeping up with my electric bill here in FL. Then back to school shopping is looming. Between the increase in food and gas costs, I just have a feeling it’s time to be more frugal and resourceful. I also lowered my cell phone bill by switching carriers to Mint @ $15 a month, and lowered my car insurance to the absolute minimum, the vehicle is almost 20 years old. I’m so glad I did these things, it’s made my budget balance despite raising costs from inflation.
Angela W says
Thank you Ashley for mentioning Mint. I switched! Can’t wait to use the savings to help pay the mortgage.
Lissa says
You are a smart, thirty momma! Good for you.
Stacie says
I loathe grocery shopping, so I have been trying to do everything curbside. I’ve had good luck with curbside as far as freshness of produce and the substitutions aren’t too off base when needed. The markup is only 3% so that’s $3 per $100 spent; it’s a small price to pay to keep my sanity and avoid the crowd.
Lindsey says
Our grocery store gives free curbside pickup for orders over $35, and if I am short of that I add something like toilet paper to bring it up to that.
Stacie says
Ours too (we use HEB). It used to be a $4.95 fee plus the 3% markup if I didn’t book 48 hours in advance. Not the $4.95 fee is waived over $35, but it’s still the 3% markup. Still way better than battling the crowds any day.
Diane says
At some point, I would like to get a small freezer as I have maxed out my freezer. I’d like to freeze some summer fruit and maybe freezer meals. I will have a bumper crop of pears and plums this year. Didn’t get many cherries this year due to weather related fruit drop.
I have a pretty well stocked pantry. I’m stocking differently than before and so I’m on a learning curve on to rotate items. I think it is easier in the winter as I’m a big fan of soups and stews.
Mavis, would you ever consider an article on stock rotation? I know it would help me. My biggest adjustment is being an empty nester. Thanks.
Lissa says
I’d like that too. It seems that you’re pretty remote right now. Curious if you’d elaborate on why an island is so appealing?
JoAnn Moran says
Prices are rising, there’s drought in lots of areas, there is a world wide shipping container issue, etc., etc., etc. I’ve been stocking up for a while now. Hope we keep power to cook with, but I do have a camping stove and sterno just in case. I have been trying to stock up on food that I actually want to eat. I love your beans and rice recipe. I will be trying that soon.
Catherine says
For the past six months I’ve been keeping a simple spreadsheet of the items I buy each month and how many. Now that I have and idea of what I buy consistently I think I can do a big shopping trip once a month and just fill in with the perishables every couple of weeks. It’s a good exercise and eye opening.
Kathy Wolfe says
I have been wanting to try the Raos sauce but its $10.00 a jar here. It seems it never goes on sale.
Kari says
Costco has two jars for about $10.
Diane says
Also seems like Costco puts Rao’s on sale a couple times a year for about $7/2 jars.
Sue says
I have enjoyed reading all the comments today. Since the pandemic started last year I have had to be very careful about crowds. My husband has serious kidney issues and can’t be exposed to the mess we are dealing with. I haven’t shopped a big box store in over two years and I haven’t missed it at all.
I stocked up really well when I saw what was happening in Europe.
I can and freeze and buy meat to freeze. I have to cook and freeze in small portions for the times I need something quick for him.
I could absolutely be that person that lives isolated, just give me my art supplies, my books and the nature around me.
I have earth boxes, a garden, green house outside and an aero garden in my
kitchen. Growing something all the time.
Joely says
I totally agree. I garden with earth boxes and aero garden. Unfortunately my greenhouse didn’t survive one particularly brutal New England winter but my cold frame does so with ease!
Allison Barry says
We bought half a cow at 5.29lb. It’s the best meat I’ve ever had in my life! I love the way you can order the cuts you want in the pounds you need. We have a 9 year old boy and a 16 year old boy so my husband and I figure it will last a year. We also buy boneless chicken in 40 pound packages from the same farm. Grass fed beef is so good! I’m never going back!
Lisa says
I think I finally figured out how you stay so slim. No chips or a lot of snack food. Impressive.
What do you do for cleaning products, TP, etc?
Karen says
OK, I’ll finally mention this. Your title is missing something. Shouild it be:
“How Much We Spent ON Groceries and Meals We Ate Week 30 of 52,” or
“How Much We Spent: Groceries and Meals We Ate Week 30 of 52.”
Keep up the good work!
Mavis Butterfield says
Hilarious! I never noticed that before. Thanks.
Kippy says
No car here and the walkable grocery store is generally $$. Friends will pick stuff up at Costco if I ask or do grocery pickup. No extra fee for pickup at Fred Meyer but delivery is $10 extra. I always hit the no substitutions buttons on items as sometimes the substitute is $$$$ in comparison or not as good as brand I want. A friend and I go to Grocery Outlet a couple of times a month. They don’t always have same items or as good a selection (cheese) every time but prices are great.
Candice says
Hi Mavis!
I loved the part about the lady who sells eggs and whose animals you know are loved! It made me smile today, so thanks! Why don’t you plant raspberry plants on your property? I had tons of wild ones that grew along the woodline in one of my houses when my sons were little boys. They got morning sun and were in the shade in the afternoon. We would pick them when they were ripe and make jam that lasted all winter. My sons would pick them and eat them when they were outside playing, too. One of the best memories we have! Thanks again for the laugh today! XOXO
Mavis Butterfield says
We are hoping to plant blueberries and raspberries next spring. 🙂
Connie says
I read back in the 1990s about a family that lived remotely in Alaska. They had garden and hunted. But for rest she made a list of all they would need for entire year. Oats beans flour etc as well as toiletries. She said if she forgot something they did without.
Order was flown in. I found it fascinating and saved that list all these years.
Stacie says
Now that’s the way to do it!! Once a year shopping!! I need that list lol.
Linda J says
Two years ago I was in Caratunk, Maine and a worker at the bed and breakfast we were staying at overheard me talking about how much I was missing the berry season back in Oregon. She brought me a bowl of raspberries the next day, hand picked from her garden. They were absolutely the most delicious raspberries I’ve ever eaten! Not sure if the berries in Maine really are sweeter or the thoughtfulness of the gesture made them so. Either way – raspberries were ripe inland exactly this time of the year in 2019.
I hope you find some!