I've been keeping a close eye on our grocery spending lately. M prefers doing the Costco run, & I go to every other store we might need (typically one of either the store down the block, or Trader Joes, occasionally Safeway on my way back from the gym).
We are well under our grocery budget for the year, which makes me happy. I thought I'd share what we bought on a recent Costco trip & their prices, as I always enjoy a peek into what others purchase:
- Milk - $6.19
- Sparkling water - $8.99 + $1.20 state tax (this is a splurge for sure)
- Garbanzo beans (canned) for hummus - $8.79
- Salmon - $15.88
- Chicken wings - $15.99
- 3 pack of cucumber - $5.99
- Plums - $5.99
- Bananas - $2.49
- Two bags of salad - $8.99
- Cauliflower - $6.49
- Strawberries - $4.99
- Feta - $5.99
- 4 lbs of apples - $5.99
- Pears - $5.99
- Butter - $13.99
- Olive oil - $14.49
- 3 lbs of limes - $6.99
- Shishito peppers - $5.99
- Peanuts - $7.99
Total = $159.40
We have a few things that will last for longer than a week (garbanzo beans, butter, wings, olive oil, peanuts & limes) but the rest will be largely eaten in a week. Our grocery stops are typically like this: majority of items we will consume in a week, but always a few things that will last much longer. As you can see, we buy a lot of produce. We don't keep treats in the house, and the teens eat a bowl of fruit every evening after dinner. We also have a salad with dinner, and I tend to have a salad for lunch. The chicken wings will make several Friday "appetizer style" dinners. M loves salmon, and will likely have that for 3+ dinners. On a week when he buys salmon, I tend to serve more carb focused meals, which the teens enjoy, but M can't eat.
What else am I up to today? M is in charge of dinner again (woohoo!), grilled chicken & rice. Hopefully it stops raining.
- Clean the kitchen
- Work on my resume
- Farsi lesson
- Journal
- Meditate
- Workout class
- Stretch
- Pay calculus tutor
- Help Sam with essay
- Corral teens into their bathroom chores
- Package & mail eBay sale
- Make schedule for next week
What about you? What are you up to today?
I guess what they say about not being able to get out of Costco for under $100 spent is true. lol I've only been in one of their stores a couple of times(my brother in VA has a membership)as we've never lived anywhere a Costco is located.
ReplyDeleteCurious though, where do you buy your toiletries/paper goods/OTC meds, etc.?
I'd say we have an under $100 trip every other week, but if we're buying meat, that definitely tips us up.
DeleteWe buy paper products at Costco. Toiletries: we don't buy much here, but if I see a good sale at CVS or Rite Aid, we will get them there. Otherwise, Costco consistently has the lowest price, but they may not have every brand you want. Nick requests a very specific face wash (teen, acne), so that I buy at CVS when I have a coupon.
For OTC meds & the like, we don't keep much on hand. We have Costco generic Tylenol, and cold medicine. We buy both at Costco, as they are the cheapest by a large margin. Knock on wood, we also don't need much at this phase of life.
Hawaii Planner, you appear to be embracing your new routine! I love that you're still using all your frugality and productivity habits, and I also love that you are now able to write more detailed posts. And speaking of details, I would be interested in knowing more about your meditation and journal writing practice, exercise routines, and time management/scheduling tips. Enquiring minds want to know! I no longer have teens at home or jobs to apply for, but as a "woman of a certain age", I still want to make the best use of my time and life as it gets shorter by the day, and I don't want to waste it.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I found you through The Frugal Girl when you were a guest reader on her blog.
Hi Tess! Welcome :-) Those are all great suggestions for posts, so I'll start thinking about them. Thanks for the ideas. I love when people have asks, because it removes my writers block ;-)
DeleteYour shop seems very reasonable for four, with two hungry boys. I'm trying to up the produce too.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing you can count on at our house - minimal carbs & lots of produce! The first is because we don't keep much in the way of snacks, and M can't really eat carbs. The second is because we go through so much of it at a time!
DeleteI agree that your shop is very reasonable for the four of you. We spend much more, but my freezers and pantry are very well stocked. I could probably miss shopping for a few weeks except for produce, fruit, and milk.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
We definitely have weeks that are more, particularly when we're stocking up on ground beef or chicken. We're usually out of something, so this is a pretty average week. The teens eat a ton, but they are also out with friends quite a bit, & get free lunch at school 5x/week.
DeleteNice shopping list--it looks well balanced and like you can make several yummy (and healthy!) meals out of it. We went to Costco yesterday and forgot the cardinal rule--never go to Costco on a weekend! Lesson learned :)
ReplyDelete