I Made It

I made it through another two weeks without having to do any grocery shopping. I think that this is saving me some money by not running out to pick up stuff I have run out of. Because as you know, if you go out for ONE thing, you end up with ten. I will have to continue doing this for a couple of months to see if I can establish a realistic food budget for the new diet. At 9 AM this morning I was driving into the city to shop at two different stores: Freshco and No Frills.  I had run out of a lot of things by "making do", so I did end up spending quite a lot today. I spent a total of $207.28   I spent $99.15 at Freshco and $108.13 at No Frills. When I opened my wallet at No Frills, I know that I lost the first receipt from Freshco, but try as I might, I could not find it ANYWHERE. It wasn't on the floor or my cart or anywhere that was obvious; therefore, I don't know if I am  able to break up the costs of each category.

Frozen produce cost  $46.  I know that because I bought no-name produce from No Frills. The blueberries are $11 a bag, the veggies are $2 a bag and the spinach is $1

The cauliflower cost only $1.88 a head and the 10 lb bag of carrots was also only $1.88  Cremini mushrooms were only $1.27 If my calculations are correct on the rest of the groceries, then I spent only $13.34 on fresh produce.

I bought 4 lbs of ground chicken (because ground beef is way too expensive anymore). The smoked ham ($1.88/lb.), eye of round roast ($2.88/lb.), and the half loin of pork $1.44/lb.) were all on sale, as was the kielbasa ($3) and salami (2.99). So meat cost me $66.90

I spent a LOT on dairy because there were some very good sales. The butter was $2.88 each pound, the eggs were $2.88 for 18 count, the sour cream was $1.49 and each tub of cream cheese was just $2.49 (which was cheaper than the no-name brand). Dairy cost $64.24

Pantry items cost $16.80  The coffee was on sale for only $6.88 and salmon was less than $3 a tin. If I am trying to keep my monthly budget to $300, I hope my big spend at the first of the month will last well into the second half of the month. I will need to top up my dispenser for my washing machine with vinegar (I use it in the rinse) and I need to make myself more Miracle Spray cleaner for my spray bottles, but the rest of the vinegar I will use as my weed killer.

I did well yesterday. I started the day with paying my bills on-line. I printed out the usual "Stocking Stuffers" list from Organized Christmas so that I can start keeping track of gifts I make and/or buy in stores or as they arrive from Amazon. I shredded my last cabbage and sauteed in butter. Then I headed outside to tackle the largest outdoor project.....my veggie bed that I have not dealt with in two full years. After receiving two days of rain, the weeds that were taller than me came out very easily by the roots. Only two had to be dug out with a spade. No I am not finished. It is going to take several days, but I stayed out until 2 PM working on it and it felt so good to manage all that I accomplished. When I came inside, I was very sore and wanted a wee nap. But instead, I got a good start on my first Christmas craft project.

Today, as I have stated, I got an early start on my grocery shopping. After organizing, taking pictures and putting everything away, it was already noon. So I had sauteed shredded cabbage for my brunch. Although it started as mostly cloudy, it looks as though the sun is out to stay. I could go outside and continue with the weeding, but my muscles still ache, AND I have a lot of food prep to do. I have to peel and cut 10 pounds of carrots for the freezer. I have 4 cauliflower to grate. I need to slice up the smoked ham and butcher both the roast beef and the half loin of pork into chops/roasts. If any time remains after that, I will continue working on my Christmas project. It is Friday. Do you have any plans for the weekend?