Every once in a while someone will ask me if I plan to change the name of the blog because I no longer feed my family for one hundred dollars a month. And my answer is always the same… No, I don’t plan to change the name of the blog. In fact I feel zero need to do so. For various reasons really, but mainly because these days, while I don’t focus on coupon shopping anymore, I do make an effort to spend at least $100 a month supporting the small mom and pop type shops in the town I live in.
I also spend on average of $100 a month giving back through fun little giveaways on the blog, and giving back in other ways in my community too. I just don’t feel the need to talk about it all the time.
Although I started this blog in January of 2009, it wasn’t until three years later that I decided to see if I could feed my family of 4 for $100/month. I had always kept track of the amount of money we spent on food {as well as everything else} and when I first started writing and sharing stories, I was actually more focused on spending my grocery dollars more locally, on real food. But when the whole double coupon craze started up, I quickly became obsessed with the idea.
But honestly, when we were spending $100 a month on groceries, we ate a lot of processed foods simply because those were the types of coupons big time manufactures were offering. These days, it’s a lot different.
And while there are plenty of different ways to get deals on groceries, I feel like you have to sell a little bit of your soul to get those deals. Downloading a bunch of apps, signing up for store programs {and getting their 10 million emails and notifications} having purchases tracked and then sold to other companies and taking pictures of receipts and bar codes and checking and re checking to see if they were accepted, just doesn’t appeal to me. Not in the slightest. Life shouldn’t be so complicated.
Local Bakery $13.48
If I really wanted/needed to save money… like a bare bones grocery budget… I’d stick to the following foods: oatmeal, eggs, pasta, beans, rice and spices to jazz things up. I’d grow a boatload of food in my backyard {mostly squash and root vegetables to get my family through the winter months so I didn’t have to preserve them with sugar or fancy ingredients}. It’s how people ate 100 years ago. It’s how many people eat today. It’s really not that tricky.
You can get by pretty cheaply these days if you truly just stick to the basics… no frills kinds of foods.
Back when the kids were in school, I used to cook loads of freezer meals in bulk, and preserved as much food as possible from my vegetable garden. I couponed like mad and over the years I have written about the list of pantry staples I always have on hand and The Best Foods for Eating Well on a Tight Budget. I’ve also written about How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half and even did a series on 52 Ways to Save $100 a Month.
But these days, it’s pretty much just the two of us {sometimes The Girl is here, but mostly she’s off working and doing her own thing} and although our grocery budget has increased over the past few years, I don’t feel the need to change the name of the blog just because we are no longer spending $100 a month on groceries.
We have been so insanely frugal over the past 25 years in other parts of our budget to get to the stage in life we are at. The stage where dropping $50 on assorted cheeses has replaced having to pay for a soccer uniform, or a new set of cleats for one of the kids. The stage where we have the time to take a 5 mile walk along the coast several times a week instead of spending hours behind a desk doing something we hate. Getting to this point hasn’t been easy, but we’re here, and we made it. And this is our life now. Things change. People change. Life marches on.
Blah blah blah. Why am I going on about this? Maybe it’s because we went to Costco last week {the first time I had been to one in over a year} and we spent $450.24 on food and {for some reason, I have no idea why} I felt a little guilty about it.
I don’t even know where to begin on this one. Maybe the beginning?
Prepare yourself to be grossed out.
When we got to Costco the HH had to use the restroom so I waited over in the electronics section with the cart. When he found me afterwards he had sort of a funny look on his face and so I was like…. WHAT!? What’s wrong.
And then he told me about the guy next to him in the restroom and how the man stood there doing his business with gloves on his hands. And then the guy zipped up his pants, walked right out of the restroom {with the GLOVES STILL ON HIS HANDS} and then proceeded to put his hands on his cart and wheel it around the store. There was no washing of the gloves, of the hands, of ANYTHING.
No, we didn’t buy the pre-cooked octopus.
Between the drive to Costco, shopping and driving back home, the whole trip took us about 5 hours. My only concern when we got back home was taking Lucy out while the HH unloaded the car. I hadn’t even noticed I forgot to get a photo of all the delicious food we bought until later that night and by then, I was done for the day and felt zero need to hunt down everything we bought just for a photo.
But the freezer and fridge are now stuffed, and if we had to, we could totally go until the end of the year without going to the grocery store again. True, I’d miss fresh milk for my tea and candy candy candy, but we could totally do it {not that I want to test my theory, but it’s a good feeling to have}.
The cheese drawer is full, which is always a good thing.
And so now, this week my big project will be getting the root cellar cleaned out, painted and organized for the canning season ahead. Once finished, this area will be our new pantry as the upstairs cupboards are mostly filled with dishes and baking items. I only wish I had a time lapse photo of what this room has looked like over the past 90 years, the different foods that were stored in this room over the generations, what a treat that would be.
Food on your shelves, it’s as good as money in the bank.
Wishing you all the best on this lovely May morning,
~Mavis
Total Spent This Past Week on Groceries, Bakery Treats We Brought Home $463.72
- Total Spent in April on Groceries and Bakery Treats $1083.55 WOWZA
- Total Spent in March on Groceries and Bakery Treats $446.03 {includes a $50 gift card}
- Total Spent in February on Groceries and Bakery Treats $416.98 {the fridge and freezer are packed!}
- Total Spent in January on Groceries and Bakery Treats $346.47
- Total Spent on Groceries and Bakery Treats in 2020 $2292.23
You can go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories
A big thanks to everyone who entered the Seaside Care Package Giveaway. Sue, who left this comment “Take my sister and go shelling again to St. George Island, Florida” was randomly chosen as the winner.
More fun giveaways are in the works, stay tuned. Have a great day everyone. 🙂
Sue says
Thank you Mavis, I messaged you my mailing address.
Nice surprise, since yesterday was my birthday. I’m smiling.
Mavis Butterfield says
Hi Sue, I got your message! 🙂 Will pop your box in the mail today. 🙂 Thanks for entering.
Kari says
Thanks for keeping it real. In all honesty, it’s really not hard to drop 450 at Costco. As for the $100 a month, you shouldn’t have to explain yourself to anyone. It’s your blog, you can do what you want. I just appreciate you letting us tag along for the ride.
I can’t wait to see the before and after of the master. It looks adorable!! You never cease to amaze me. Wishing you a beautiful week of painting.
Stephanie hughes says
Thanks for the inspiration. There is zero reason to rebrand and zero reason to feel guilty.
My hh wants me to increase the size of our garden from 25’x75′ to 50’x100′.
Not sure i told him that would require him to spend 3 hours a day in it.
Barbara says
I totally agree with your thoughts on using coupons. While it worked it was great. Now there are just 2 of us. We love supporting the local/little guys trying to make it through these tough times. Always enjoy reading your posts and trying your recipes.
Pamela says
I’ve been following you for years. Love this post, it is so true how we evolve over the years as kids grow and move on so our shopping needs change. I had stopped stocking up but with this new shopping situation I’ve readjusted again, not excessive couponing like in years past but very mindful of being sure I have multiple weeks supplies. Shopping is different also because husband is diabetic so the high carb ‘filler’ foods are no longer options. Thank you for your continual inspiration.
Kim says
I wish I could remember when I started following your blog. But, I really appreciate this explanation of the blog name and it’s meaning. I have to say, you are a hoot and delight to my day, so thank you for entertaining us and inspiring us.
And yes, you two have worked long and hard to get to this fun stage of life. Enjoy!!!!!
Mel says
I’m with you. I’ve also stopped feeling guilty about what we spend on groceries. If we can afford it, if it’s healthy, and if it’s not wasted, then I don’t think it needs to be reduced. We spend over $100 a month just on organic local produce deliveries. It’s an investment in our local growers and in our health.
With the impending meat shortage, we just spent $58 on curbside pickup of meat at a local farm. That’s over $7 a lb, which seems high in some ways, but given the quality and the context right now, it seems like an absolute bargain. We really stretch meat and don’t eat it every day, so that purchase will last us for some time. (I was vegetarian for 7 years and vegan for one, so I can definitely live without meat, but I am MUCH healthier if I eat it occasionally for some reason.)
Before the pandemic started, I never would have imagined we could go a month between grocery runs, but here we are. Produce delivery obviously helps, and we are pumping a lot of money into our garden for later in the season, but mostly I’ve just gotten really good at using ingredients strategically.
Also, the story about the gloves makes me deeply grateful that our store has been sanitizing carts and everything else. *shudder*
Deborah says
Mavis, don’t forget about inflation. Things cost more now than they did in 2009. I May be dating myself, but I can remember bread at 19 cents a loaf. Of course, that was 50-ish years ago. And it now cost about $2 a loaf.
Peg says
I love this! No one should feel guilty or the need to apologize/explain about how or why what they do. One of these days, I’m going to go back to the very beginning of your blog and read all your posts until I started following you a few years ago.
Laura L. says
This may be obvious but where do I find the original blog posts and read them one by one…..I can’t seem to find any links for the original posts. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Dianne says
Mavis – loved your column today. So true. Things change as we become empty nesters and adapt to living as only 2. I think everyone, including myself blew their grocery budget in April.
Maxine says
We’ve only gone out once. We’ve managed 5 weeks before needing groceries and could’ gone more, but didn’t want to be completely out, then had to go to two stores. We have our milk delivered and we can add eggs, bread – and even produce or meat boxes (but expensive).
My garden will be bigger this year, but I had planned that last year. My success rate isn’t great but I try. I added more blueberries and strawberries so far this year. Still hoping to get native plants in but they may have to come from my weak seed starting attempts (I have some seed pots in my car trying to get them a little more warmth. It’s working!).
Love your blog. Your blog by any other name would still be as sweet, but why mess with a good thing. Doesn’t superstition dictate you don’t change the name of a boat lest you have bad luck?
Seriously, you’re a ray of sunshine. My daughter is a high school senior and I think I’m more upset than she is about missing all the fun things of Senior year. Selfishly I’m getting more time with her before she, maybe, goes off to college and she’s OFFERING to help me in the garden!
Jennifer says
We are quickly approaching the stage you are in. Oldest about to graduate college, freshman in college and 2 in high school – will be junior and senior. But we have had some changes in life with them that have suddenly increased our usable cash by about $1300 per month! The freedom to not have to watch every penny is amazing. So I don’t worry right now that every time I go to the store I drop $200 minimum. We are also ordering carry out from restaurants in town 1-2 times per week and I am so glad that we are able to do that right now. And we have still been able to kick our savings goals into high gear.
We are redoing our garden boxes this year and spent almost $400 to build 20 inch boxes and get good soil. Yikes! But it was needed for sure. And this year in particular I feel the need to get it producing as much as possible.
As for the name of the blog – I like what it means now and I am glad you explained it. I prefer to shop local if I can, and we have several farms around that we get some of our food from. Having that already in place has really helped in this time.
Leslie H says
People are funny. If they’re concerned about accuracy, why aren’t they figuring that you should add inflation to the 100 each year!
Tamara says
You are a salad artist! I love eating salads and I hate making them, but whenever you post photos of yours I feel inspired to try again. Thank you!
Sue says
Mavis, Will you please stop sharing photos of your splendid salads? ha! Just kidding. I so would love a salad like the ones you make but then again, I just don’t enjoy making salads very much. I make very plain salads compared to yours. Hmm, my fault. I love that you support your local shops and bakeries by buying from them.
Jennifer Jo says
A photo of octopus after a description of a man peeing — great visual!
Diana says
Yes it made me giggle too
Lori K says
I came upon your blog in the last 6 month so I am new and figured out fairly quickly that your blog theme had changed. So I didn’t come to it by the name or that theme and I don’t care about that. I just enjoy your ideas and lifestyle and its giving me ideas for my retirement. Plus I am a crafter and I enjoy your bits about places you find and your rugs and other handmade things. All in all I enjoy reading every morning regardless of the title. So there’s that, have a great week!
Amy says
Oh, I had the exact same thought about our own root cellar – that I wished I knew what foods were stored there over the 110 years it’s been there. I was cleaning it out and realized that the door has an original lock on it – I wonder why it would be locked. The house once held a family with 5 daughters, a lady boarder from Ireland, and a housemaid. I’ve always thought the father must have felt outnumbered!
Anyway, ramblings from someone else with a beloved elderly house 🙂
Lana says
Oh that loaf of bread looks so yummy! I’m with you on the wonderful life worked for for so long. We raised 5 kids who all went to college and now we have plenty of funds to be easy here. We long ago stopped setting an alarm clock and just go with the flow. It”s great! Enjoy!
Christine VanHuss says
Very good article. Thanks for sharing the tips and opinions.
Margo says
Really enjoyed your rationale for not changing the name of your blog! Who cares what it’s called, it’s fun to read. I love your sense of humor too. Those beet salads look delicious. And I see you have one of my favorite cheeses in your cheese drawer — Wensleydale with apricots. Yum! Have you tried Stilton with ginger? Usually only available around holiday time. I discovered both of them on a trip to England a few years ago. Hard to find them here. Keep writing!
Mavis Butterfield says
We haven’t tried the Wensleydale with apricots yet but I love the Wensleydale with cranberries that they sell around the holidays so I’m excited to try it.
Terena says
I didn’t come to your blog to learn how to make the budget stretch. I happened upon your blog a couple of years ago and was engaged by your writing and your descriptions of a life unlike my own, but sharing the same things at its core.
I love your projects, the yard, the baking tips, and your sense of humour. Keep on doing what you’re doing, unapologetically!
Marcia says
My husband did the Costco run. First of all: gross on the not washing of hands guy. Ugh.
We spent $360 at Costco, $250 of that was food. (There were some medications in there. Sadly, they had no TP.) I wish we could go until the end of the year, but no such luck with a teenaged boy in the house.
We bought that goat cheese too. My husband never buys enough cheese, but we are fine until the next grocery trip.
I think I’ve been reading your blog since the $100 a month days, or close to it. I can’t imagine why you would change the name. No reason to, really.
DebbieB says
I’ve been reading your blog for 5 or 6 years now and it’s become something I look forward to so much each day. I used to read many more and a lot of them have been discontinued because I’m sure it is a lot of work. What I love about yours is sometimes it’s a long post, sometimes short, but always entertaining and feels like chatting with a friend. I love the comments also and read through all of them and have gotten to “know” some of the regulars. And now best of all you live in Maine which I have visited 4 times and would love to live there. We all evolve for the better hopefully, and whatever you want to call your blog I will continue to read it as long as you want to continue to write it!
Rose says
I found your blog just before you moved east. I subscribed because your garden zone, timing, weather was so close to my own (I garden just north of where you lived on the west coast but in Canada). I stayed because I was enamored by your hunt for small tea shop/bakeries! Then your whole move and trip east kept me looking forward to your blog updates. I love your concept of spending at least $100 per month to support your local shops/artists. I had heard of the $50 within 50 km monthly goal…. But $100 is even better. Better for our communities, better for sustainability and better for the world.
Gwyn says
Great post! I am glad to see that I am not the only one that looks forward to reading your post each night.
We are starting to change our mind what retirement will look like. I really like your model. Thanks for sharing.
My favorite part is your annual goals and how you keep on track.
Rebecca Briscoe says
My husband and I are basically at the same point in our life. and i am doing the grocery thing once every 2 weeks, I spent $185.00 at aldi, I have never spent that much in one shot!
Dianna says
Costco man = gross. I guess he thought they were magic disinfecting gloves.
We are making a major life change right now, one that will result in less money but greater family happiness and togetherness. To help offset the lower income, I’m making more of an effort with my cooking habits and garden preservation. Your blog inspired me to learn how to can, so thank you! I’ve always kept a small vegetable garden just for my own enjoyment, but I’m looking forward to using it to take care of my family.
Gina says
Thank you for not apologizing for who you are, what you do or how you spend. I like coming to your blog bc i always felt like i had to apologize to my circle of friends for not always going w the flow and acting in a way that was expected. I am frugal when i don’t gave to be and that makes some uncomfortable for some reason.
That being said, i now drop about $450 at Costco and have all the emotions when i do. Grateful, scared, anxious, guilty? I get it.
JulieK says
Thank you for this post. Love the blog, love the name, love ALL the cheeses! Thanks for all you do!