Poor as a Church Mouse

My eldest son used the expression "Poor as a church mouse" to describe his early adult life as he had a family to feed and he was a student trying to get his university degrees. I checked on-line this morning to find the origins of this simile, but it isn't quite understood WHY it came to be. But everyone understands the expression to mean destitute and hungry (without a crumb to eat).  I was beginning to feel that way recently....(not really), but I am determined to keep my household costs as low as possible. I went for a few groceries this morning because I had run out of everything. There were no eggs for my breakfast omelet this morning, so I had blueberries and yoghurt. I was also completely out of milk for my tea after finishing the last of it for my morning 2 cups of coffee. The forecast is calling for a snow watch this afternoon and evening, so it was important to get the shopping done early.  The temperature was minus 20 degrees C, which translates to minus 4 degrees F.

I made two stops. One was for No-Frills and the other was Shopper's Drug Mart on the way back home.  Both places give me Optimum points on my loyalty card. Here is what I bought.

Produce cost me $28.05 (5 bags of winter veg, 2 of oriental mix, 2 kg of blueberries, 1 rutabaga and 1 sweet potato)

Dairy cost $30.26 (2 blocks of cheese, yoghurt which wasn't on sale, milk, 2 doz. eggs, 2 pkgs. of cream cheese, and 2 heavy cream)

I had already spent $41.55 of my remaining $45.00 grocery budget at No Frills, so I had to spend a $15 gc at Shoppers from Christmas, plus $1.75 cash oop.  With my remaining $1.70 I spent all of it at the Dollar Depot for another roll of 2-way tape that I am completely out of. I don't have one nickel left. Usually, when I return from a shopping trip, I put all my nickels and dimes from my purse into my "found change" jar, but there was nothing today. On the way home I spent the budgeted $50 on gas for my van, so I have almost a full tank of gas.

This afternoon I have placed my bed sheets and light load of laundry into the washing machine. I will be making my own yoghurt after lunch  (I don't know why I stopped making it), and a loaf of keto bread. Lunch is the last of my turkey soup and dinner tonight will be the leftover roast pork and veggies from last night. Almost the entire $300 household budget went to groceries this past month, as well as $55 in gift cards.  I am beginning to think that $300 is going to be unrealistic, but I don't quite believe yet that I am as poor as a church mouse.