I grabbed a couple hours this afternoon and went grocery shopping. Because I was able to go alone and had a detailed list with estimated costs by each item, I did fairly well. There were a couple things I decided we could live without this week and one item I couldn't find in the brand or for the cost I wanted, so I may have to research that one. Having only lived here for 9 weeks, I am still learning the stores. I am thinking I may have to plan some field trips with the kids to different stores in town and try to budget a couple dollars for a treat after we explore the store.
So, here's the breakdown of my grocery trip:
Kroger
Chicken Breasts (8+ lbs) $16.72
Frozen Vegetables $ 1.00
Frozen Peas $ 1.00
Cheddar Cheese $ 3.79
Lemon Juice $ 1.99
Instant Oatmeal $ 1.50
Potatoes $ 4.29
Bananas $ 1.53
Total $31.82
Aldi
Pizzas (3) $ 5.97
Pie Crusts $ 1.69
Frozen Broccoli $ 0.99
Yogurt $ 1.79
Gala Apples $ 2.37
Crescent Rolls $ 0.99
Milk $ 3.29
Hot Dogs $ 1.99
BBQ Sauce $ 1.98
Fries $ 1.69
Party Cups $ 2.49
Cr of Chicken Soup $ 0.98
Monterey Jack Cheese $ 1.89
Cream Cheese $ 1.98
Butter $ 2.29
Lettuce $ 1.19
Cheddar Cheese $ 1.89
Muffin Mix $ 1.89
Onions $ 1.59
Celery $ 1.29
Honey Nut Oats $ 1.69
Fruit Rounds $ 1.69
CinnCrunch Squares $ 1.69
2 dz. eggs $ 3.18
Tortilla Chips $ 1.19
Egg Noodles $ 1.25
Burrito Tortillas $ 1.39
Hot Dog Buns $ 0.89
Potato Rolls $ 1.99
100% Wheat Bread $ 1.29
Tax $ 0.17
Total $56.65
Bi-Lo
Black Beans $ 1.00
Shealy's BBQ Sauce $ 3.99
Plastic Forks $ 0.89
Plastic Spoons $ 0.89
Tax $ 0.12
Total $ 6.89
So, I spent a grand total of... $95.36! I am thrilled that I actually have a few dollars left. However, I still need to find Tahini for the hummus, unless I can stretch what's left in my pantry.
Do you have a grocery budget? What are your favorite grocery stores? Share in the comments section below!
Hi Julia! I love your idea for this blog! Food budgeting is sometimes a head ache and sometimes a fun challenge :) I'm so glad you have an Aldi! They're the best! And sometimes I can find great deals in the weekly flyers from other stores like HyVee (and match-price at Walmart to save me a trip). Your butter is a little cheaper there; I'm jealous... I've found that, if I need to make a dessert, it's cheaper to make an oil-based dessert over cookies/bars because of the spike in butter prices. Potatoes should be going on sale soon, with Thanksgiving coming up, so look for that (I think I've seen them for $0.99 for 5 lbs. around this time of year. We eat lots of eggs and potatoes, and we pretty much always use bread in place of buns. Right now, we budget about $400 a month for "grocery/house" items. I include diapers, paper products, soaps, light bulbs, sometimes, socks, etc... in that. I have gone over a bit at times with those non-food items, but I stick pretty close to budget. However, with Ryan's hunting, I probably only spend about $100 or so per year on beef hamburger to mix with venison. I still buy some chicken, ham, hotdogs...but I don't buy roasts or steaks (we get a few from the deer)...that's a big perk...but still costs for licenses/bullets/gas.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your budget! That butter I bought this week was spreadable butter. Unfortunately, the sticks of butter are over $3 here. I did pay more for potatoes than I would like, but recently the potatoes at Aldi have not been as good. I do plan to watch for sales as Thanksgiving nears. I also need to check out a farmer's market here. I had one in Houston that I went to frequently and walking through the aisles of fruits and vegetables always inspired me.
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