Costco $8.53 {$56.33 less $47.81 rebate}
I had absolutely no intentions of buying anything other than milk and eggs this month but then a Costco card renewal form and rebate check came in the mail for $47.81. Because Costco is so far away now, and I LOVE shopping at ADLI {there are only like 6 aisles and 8 customers in the store at any given time} I see no reason to shell out $120 for an Executive Costco membership anytime in the near future. Heck, I don’t even see the point in paying $60 just for the privilege to shop there.
And then I remembered about how I had major sticker shock last summer when I went to buy a new pair of glasses and was reminded of the fact the the glasses I am currently wearing, do in fact need to be replaced because there are two giant scratches in the right lens {thanks to Lucy}. So I decided to make a trip to Costco and order a new pair of glasses before our membership runs out at the end of the month and of course, cash in the Costco check.
But then I took a look around. 😉 Luckily though, the damage wasn’t too bad and I got out of there for less than $10 {I’ll get reimbursed from the insurance company for the glasses}. I don’t think I’m going to miss Costco, and their ridiculously large portions anytime soon. But the free samples? I’ll miss those.
Leftover corn, jello salad and mashed potatoes plus a weenie.
Possibly the worst picture of a pot of beef stew and Irish brown bread ever taken because the HH and I moved the kitchen table into the family room so we could watch the movie Dr. Strange while we ate a really late dinner {and it was nearly dark!}. Have you seen Dr. Strange? Totally not my kind of movie, but the HH and The Girl liked it so what do I know. I like real people, in real situations, documentaries and shows where I learn things. Superheros, shoot ’em up movies and sci-fi or make believe are not my thing.
Big salads make me happy. Although in hindsight I shouldn’t have added the avocado.
No knead crusty bread with 1 heaping teaspoon of crush garlic and 4 chopped green olives that were stuffed with blue cheese added in. Verdict? DELICIOUS! If you haven’t tried this recipe yet, you need to. Even if you’re not a baker, you’ll feel like one afterwards.
Banana muffins with Nutella. They are good for the soul.
Summer soup with leftover weenies, turnips, Swiss chard and a few other ingredients. Anyone want the recipe?
Someone left a comment last week about not being able to do the whole once a month shopping thing because they thought they wouldn’t be able to buy enough fresh produce to last themselves or their family an entire month.
The way I like to do it is to use up the perishable items first {avocados, broccoli, peppers, salad mixes, bananas and other soft fruits}. And then things like carrots, beets, onions, apples, pears, potatoes, squash etc. towards the end of the month. In fact, I still have a squash sitting on my kitchen counter that was harvested locally last fall, that I purchased back in April and it’s still fine. To me to concept {even without a garden to pull from} seems pretty basic.
But then again, maybe it’s kind of a mindset thing too. If I was living in suburbia and the store was only a mile away, and my kids were younger and I was always on the go, popping in to the store wouldn’t seem like such a big deal. But nowadays for me, it takes much longer to get to a grocery store and I don’t have kids to shuttle around anymore so going “to town” is much more of an event.
The General Tso’s sauce from ALDI? It’s a winner. 😉 I’ll have to stock up next time!
So what’s new in your grocery shopping world? Are you an avid Costco shopper? Are you like my Mother In Law and order all your groceries online? Do you shop weekly or monthly? Curious minds want to know.
Have a great Monday everyone,
~Mavis
Total Spent this week: $8.53
- Total Spent in June $161.49 <- Attempting once a month grocery shopping
- Total Spent in May on Groceries $216.50 <- Included a stock up trip to King Arthur Flour
- Total Spent in April on Groceries $169.98
- Total Spent in March on Groceries $306.75 <– Apartment life, moving across the country and settling into a new house
- Total Spent in February on Groceries $259.81 <- Living in an apartment and buying a lot of ready-made meals
- Total Spent in January on Groceries $240.15 <– Packing mode and not cooking from scratch as much
Go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories.
Pattie says
I love the look of your big salads! So yummy. What kinds of cheese do you like best with these? I’m kind of a cheddar only girl and wondered what other types I should try. 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Smoked Gouda and Asiago seem to go well on the big salads.
Alice says
The General Tsa’s–did you know there are three types in the same section at Aldi? There is a mandarin, and sweet and sour also. We love them all. But how much do you add to a meal? We seem to want to use about half a bottle to our meat/veggie mix. But we like noodles in ours and it all has to be smothered in that sauce because it’s so good. I always watch for my food to not have high fructose corn syrup in them. I have to watch Aldi carefully because a LOT of their foods have it in them.
We have Cosco somewhat close by but I don’t see the point in paying a fee so I stay away from them. I also don’t really need to buy in large quantities since my three kids really don’t live much at home with us anymore. They come and go. Aldi is my “go-to” for now. I will buy some things at Save-A-Lot as well and then there’s always Walmart (my least favorite store) and Meijer (slowly weaning myself from them).
I love reading about your adventures. We did just the opposite of what are doing. We had the country home with the big garden when the kids were little. We now have a city home with no garden but only potted herbs and potted tomatoes. No kids around to need a large garden anymore. 87 year old dad still has a huge garden so I get what I want from him.
Alice
Mavis Butterfield says
I figure we can get 4 meals out of that jar of sauce. After I cook the chicken, I add a bit of sauce, mix it in and then add then add the veggies, mix it around with a big spoon again, add the cashews and green onions and give it one more big stir to get all the sauce off the sides of the pan.
Marcia says
1. I went to Costco for glasses partly based on your recommendation (and we have new insurance this year, they take it!) $85 after insurance, for progressives. The quote from my old place with insurance? $600. I love Costco and I pestered my husband until he went and got new glasses too.
2. Not a fan of Dr. Strange either. I went to see it with hubby, but it kinda made me nauseous. I prefer actual people, but a superhero movie with Iron Man isn’t bad either.
3. I think for whether or not you can make it a month, depends on a lot of factors. Growing up, we lived in rural PA, and we were 20 miles from the grocery store. So we didn’t shop very often – every 2 weeks to a month. We had garden produce in the summer and canned in the winter. Distance from grocery store and what we ate made a difference.
Even now, though, I eat my produce in “order” (greens and berries first, oranges apples carrots later). However, our family of four eats approximately 30-40 pounds of produce a week. I have a hard time figuring out how I could purchase 120-160 lbs of produce to last a month. Plus, like you said above, I live in suburbia. I can walk to 3 grocery stores (approx 1 mile from home), can walk to 2 grocery stores at work (also about a mile), and drive past a million on my commute.
We visit our families every couple of years. When we visit my half, I have to adjust my shopping habits, because it’s a 20 mile drive! I usually have to shop 2x in a week. Mostly because I buy what I think we need for my family of 4 + stepdad (we stay with him). But inevitably, a sibling or two will show up with family in tow and eat the food that I made. Apparently I make good salads.
UpstateNYer says
So many fruits and veggies are available in the frozen section. They are just as fresh – if not more fresh – than the average grocery store finds (that take a week to get across the country from Calf.)
Marcia says
We are visiting UpstateNY soon! (In laws).
Probably a BIG reason why I eat mostly fresh (though I’m not gonna lie, I always have Trader Joe’s frozen green beans, peas, and mango, and 5+ lb bags of Costco frozen stir-fry veggies in my spare freezer, and they are a life saver) is…
that I live in Southern California. I get a box of produce every Saturday (delivered) that was picked that day! I am TOTALLY spoiled, and don’t I know it!
Connie says
Love to see what you eat.
It is very hot here so try not to use oven in summer. I do make the no knead bread in winter. It is so easy and yummy..
Only two of us now and Costco is 1 1/2 hrs away but go every couple of months. It has been a learning curve. Ours had a very limited selection of frames but will look again.
I do not like to go to store but husband always willing to go ! We sometimes grow a few tomatoes or summer squash. Otherwise go to farmers market weekly. I am going to grow lettce and greens when it cools off this fall.
Carrie says
I need that summer soup recipe pronto because I have all the ingredients listed! Just pulled up all the turnips yesterday to make room for the cukes. And I have Swiss Chard coming out of my ears! 😉
I shop weekly. There are two adults in my household. I love fresh fruit and eat a banana everyday and can’t live without it! Hubby survives on cereal as his fourth meal so we always need milk too. I go to Aldi every Sunday when they open and if I need something special like chicken breast (or BOGO popcorn!) I’ll stop at Costco. I pay for a membership because the price difference in gas for two vehicles more than pays for it. I do love grabbing a rotisserie chicken and the super food salad on the way home if I don’t feel like cooking. I think having an away from home job makes a difference. I just don’t have the stamina to plan a menu and shop once a month. I can barely keep the day’s menu in order. I use to work part time and was off at 3 and I would always have a good meal ready by 6. I kind of miss those days but having health insurance and a bigger salary so I can actually own a home and travel is worth it.
EJ says
The soup looks yummy-I love soups! Yes, I’d like the recipe, please. We live in CNY (north of Syracuse) and the weather is still cool enough for soup. Your Monday meal planning and grocery shopping posts are one of my favorites of the week!
Alice L says
You don’t need to be a member to use the Costco pharmacy. That MAY apply to the glasses too.
You can always go into to “check out the pharmacy or other non-member areas” and enjoy the samples.
Alice L says
Also, if you buy a small gift card, or have someone buy it for you, you can always go in with it (non-member) and buy what you want and never need to pay the membership fee.
Janice says
I was going to comment about using the pharmacy without a membership card and enjoying the samples as well. I’m not sure about getting glasses without a membership but that would be good information to know. They also have way better pricing on hearing aids for anyone who is needing one. In Canada they don’t allow you to buy a gift card for a non member any more…. They were losing out on too many memberships.
Jamie says
My understanding and experience has been, they can get in the door, but could only use the amount on the gift card, not even a penny more. My second child asked for her own membership for her 18th birthday, so no more gift cards for her! Also I do not believe (at least in my state) that you can buy glasses without a membership.
E in Upstate NY says
Don’t have access to Costco, but do have BJs, which we are members. While we don’t go there often, they have items just not available other places [WalMart, Aldi’s, Hannaford, Price Chopper, Topps]. Best price in town for very large boxes of Special K, and Cheerios.
Our town does not do garbage collection. Have to hire someone to do it. Lowest price could find a few years ago was $40 a month for twice a month pick up. The transfer station takes same bagged garbage for $3 a bag. Wasn’t hard to do the math to take our own bag every other week to the
transfer station which is about 2 miles away.
And guess what item only BJs carries? 55 gal trash drum bags! Learned that when running weekend soccer tournaments on three field every weekend.
Rebecca in MD says
I also love Costco for the incredibly good prices on glasses. Saved so much on them and need to have a new RX filled now, so I asked for a Costco gift certificate for my birthday this month. I find that the membership fee ($60) is worth it for me. I usually buy my fresh lump crabmeat there, and I save at least $4 per pound over any nearby suppliers. I also think the rotisserie chicken is a fabulous deal, coffee, and some produce. I guess it all boils down to what you usually buy. I LOVE Aldi, but Costco is still cost effective for me.
Dinners this week:
1. Chicken Tikka Masala – Not a hit
2. Fried Clams
3. Homemade pizza
4. Italian sausages with peppers and onions
5. Chicken gyros cooked on the grill
6. Beef tamale pie
7. Leftovers
Thanks for the tip on the General Tso’s sauce at Aldi. That would be good to have on hand in my house for stir fry.
Always love your recipes – – – please do post the soup recipe. I love soup any time of year, and particularly cooking soup in the crock pot during the summer to not heat up the house!
Sue V says
Hi Mavis, Just wondering if you’ve watched “Escape to the Country”, a wonderful British show. There is one season on Netflix and many more on YouTube. I find it addicting and enjoy the laid back approach to house hunting plus all the travel info about the area. I think you’d like it!
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes! I love that series.
Lynda Kling says
I watch them all on tv when I go to the U.K. to see the grandkids….the U.K. shows are the BEST!
Who else is hooked on Doctor Foster??!!!!!!
Janet howard says
Loved the country one and am now watching Escape to the Continent on Netflix. Same sort of content.
Mavis Butterfield says
I don’t think I’ve seen Escape to the Continent, I’ll have to check it out.
Mel says
I think I left that comment or a similar one. For us, even transitioning from perishable to root to frozen/canned over a month wouldn’t work. Our grocery stores are terrible quality, so I actually have to follow the perishable to less-perishable model just to be able to shop weekly. Perishable items only last 2-3 days before becoming a rotten mess (yes, I could cook them all the day I buy them, but roasted veggies don’t taste great on day 5 either). Three items I normally buy (including a type of frozen veggie) have been out of stock for four consecutive weeks. The onions are mushy or else rotten in the center, and fruit flies literally hover over that section of the store. In the past two months, I’ve had milk, eggs, and meat all go bad well ahead of their sell-by dates. We also have no pantry, so storing canned veggies is out.
Now I’m off work for the summer, I can buy most of our produce at the farmers market, and that helps. I also spend the summer stocking freezer meals, so in the fall and winter I only need to buy milk and produce for side dishes and snacks each week. By then, the more durable veggies (winter squash, cabbage, etc.) is in season, so it lasts a bit longer.
Marcia says
Yes, what is it with the onions! Some stores and some times of year, the onions are all rotten in the center.
Mel says
I know! It drives me crazy. My hunch (knowing nothing about the grocery industry) is that they either are selecting varieties that aren’t meant to store that long, or they are not fully curing them before rushing them to market. In any case, I’ve been buying frozen chopped onions instead, and they work perfectly. At our stores, a $1 bag of frozen is equivalent to two medium onions. That’s slightly pricier than I can normally buy them fresh, but they’re not rotten, and there’s no sobbing while chopping, so it works best for me.
Ronda says
I totally buy the frozen chopped onions too, but I normally save money as I didn’t tend to use a whole onion anyway and at least with the frozen ones I can put it back in the freezer and take out just what I need. So no more wasting food.
UpstateNYer says
Why would you get rid of your Costco account? You can order online and have it shipped to your home. Plus they have great deals on larger items perfect for your homestead each season.
Crystal says
The savings on glasses more than pays for the cost of membership. I sometimes consider not renewing as well, but I always find it worthwhile to continue.
I love the Monday posts! I get new menu ideas 🙂
Your salads look delicious. I wish I could get my boys to love salad as much as me.
Lissa says
I’m like your MIL and shop most frequently on line. I love the front door delivery. I find that I spend quite a bit less too. I start my instacart and add and delete to it over the course of a few days and then do a final edit before I order. I’m much more ruthless; previously I would just toss it in my cart. I order weekly. I also run into Aldi’s 2x a month to pick up a few of my favorites and to get a good deal on a watermelon or other fruit/veggies.
Do we get to guess about your big surprise? I think you might have bought a loom.
Deborah says
We shop about once a week. Our ad sales come out on Wednesday’s. Tuesday’s are Senior discount days. You get 10% off. We don’t always wait for Tuesday’s though.
We do stock up when it’s a buy one get one for a penny sale. Especially on meats.
Earlene says
Just watched “Queen of the Desert” with Nicole Kidman. It was a little slow at the beginning, but worth staying with it! I think you would like it. It’s a true story about Gertrude Bell.
Leslie says
Just joined Costco again because of the recent (maybe still current?) Groupon. And today was my first trip. I know they are all different, but Iw as disappointed they didn’t have a few things I wanted to find there. But was also pleasantly surprised to find a couple other things. We’ll see how we life it. It’s so close to our local Winco that I will be stopping at both to maximize my dollars.
Lissa says
Washington Post had quite the article today on tick paralysis. Not to freak you out…but check your hair (and the HH) if you’re in the woods much.
Lolly says
For yrs I shopped twice a month, cause dh got paid twice a month. Once we had kids, I switched to once a month for our big shopping, and a quick trip halfway thru for milk, bread, and fresh produce. I eventually stopped that and started deal shopping and also stockpiling…so my shopping trips were weird, like 40 cans of pineapple, 6 jars of pickles, and 10 boxes of spaghetti noodles. Or 20 packs of stayfree (bogo + bogo coupons….so free) plus 8 jars of jif, cause buying x amt of stayfree had store cash I could spend. Lol!!!
Now, I do a bigger shopping at the beginning of the month, and a smaller one 2-3 wks later…to get bits and pieces. Prolly 2/3 of what we need in the first shopping, then 1/3 of what we need. I buy mostly what we need at a little store called Grocery Outlet (consistently 1/2 the cost of walmart!!!!), then I go to walmart for those things that are the cheapest there….tp, baggies, green chilis…and then all the other stuff, bandaids, vitamins, cough drops, toothpaste, lightbulbs, lol. And the 2nd shopping is at Grocery Outlet, too.
We have no aldis, no save a lot, no costco. Sams is 35 min away. The commissary is 25 min away. Grocery outlet and wm are 6&7 min away, respectively. And we only have one other grocery store in town, locally owned (no chain)….and it is $$$.
Lolly says
I’m trying to order some of our normal needed items on walmart.com, to save me a trip (I HATE how big wm is!!!!), AND to save me from the extra $80 worth of crap that ends up in my cart every trip!!!!! But durn, their chilis online are more $$, and I can’t get butter, lol! And…AS SOON as I make a big order, dh or the kids NEEEEED something from wm!!!! Lol! Oh, and we live in a teeny town….so we don’t have pickup nor do we have delivery….nor will we, most likely!
bobbi says
I am loving the Aldi recommendations! Thanks. I hate nothing worse than to buy a product only to hate it, haha. So far, so good. 🙂
Why no avocado in the salad? looks yummy? 🙂
Hawaii Planner says
We shop at Costco (weekly), as it’s our primary grocery store. But, we have two pre-teen boys & two adults, so we go through quite a bit. We buy meat, dairy & produce at Costco, but try to avoid the snack food. We’re mostly successful. Costco is also close to us, so it’s not hard to go weekly. We have a house on the Oregon coast, and the Costco is about an hour away. If we lived there year round, we definitely only go monthly, although, on the Oregon coast, almost everything is an hour away!
Gina says
The Aldi’s Sweet and Sour sauce and their Teriaki are good as well. Thought of you when driving by a neighbor’s front lawn. There was a wooden stand with a sign, ” free mangos”. It is south Florida, after all!
Lynda with a smile says
I have done my shopping monthly since about 1986. With 6 of our 7 kids at home was always on a budget and shopped sales. I still buy in bulk at Winco. It is just my husband and myself, but still make most everything from scratch. Thank goodness I like to cook and bake. Have a pantry in the spare bedroom. We eat the most perishable fruits and veggies first. Grow herbs and a few veggies. I freeze veggies and fruit when I find them on sale. Shop Grocery Outlet occasionally on Tuesdays for green bananas and cheese that has been marked down, olives and bread. We usually buy enough to put in freezer to last the month of the cheese and bread. You learn to use what you have and make do till the next month.
Karen H says
Don’t know if Costco is the same…but I buy my contact lenses at Sam’s Club. You don’t have to have a membership to get the optical and pharmacy services, but you can still get the great prices. I’d do some checking to see if Costco offers the same.
Gale says
So glad you found Aldi. I have several around me and just never think to stop there. Since you have been posting your purchases and taste testing them, I have been making an effort to go to Aldi. I love the cheeses and frozen food. Also love the holiday goodies. At Christmas they have amazing gingerbread and stollen which I bought for gifts.
Michelle says
I shop at the commissary once a month which saves me about 20% off my grocery bill. It’s 45 min. away but I feel it’s worth it in savings. I buy all my staples, dog/cat food, meat, health & beauty and non-perishables there and then supplement about twice a month at Kroger.
I find Kroger high but not if you are purchasing milk (.99 a gal) or eggs (.69 large/18). I also shop their markdown areas and purchase several items (pre-made pizza 3.99-5.99 large for the teens, bag of zucchini .99, bag of apples .99). Signed up for their coupons and they regularly send me coupons for free water, tea, etc.
I keep frozen vegs like chopped onions and green peppers for when I run out of fresh. I’ve become a master at turning leftovers into a new dish. Leftover steak becomes fajitas or taco the next night. Roast chicken becomes bone broth and chicken and dumplings or chicken and rice soup. Leftover vegs become a frittata and just about anything can be turned into a soup.