I found during my mid-month check in that we had spent quite a lot on food so far this month so on last Wednesday's trip to the main grocery store I only bought produce, flour, oatmeal, and a few other things. Of course we also shop at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods to get specific things but we have quite a lot at home and need to eat it down.
So what did we eat for dinners this past week?
Wednesday - salmon, wild rice/rice mix with dried cranberries, spinach
Thursday - turkey burgers, salad, black beans
Friday - black beans, wild rice/rice mix with dried cranberries, broccoli, squash, oranges
Saturday - date night so ate out
Sunday - pork chops, broccoli & corn, mango
Monday - beef & barley vegetable stew, salad, baking soda biscuits
Tuesday - cod, stewed tomatoes, carrots & peas, pineapple & banana salad
What is amazing is how much is still left in the house to use as main dishes.There are at least 9 meals of meat (ground turkey, pork chops, fish, chicken) available int he freezer, plenty of eggs for an omelet, lentils and chicken broth for soup, beans and tomatoes for chili, leftover beef & barley stew, etc. I will be really holding back on my grocery shopping other than fresh fruits/veggies, dairy and things we actually run out of and need until we see the end of this supply.
I recently read this article, 147 Meals Later, about a couple who decided to only eat what they had on hand (except for buying milk) for a month to help pay of a credit card bill and found themselves not needing to shop for 9 weeks!
Why do so many of us stockpile food? Part of it is to avoid having to shop more frequently, part of it is packaging that favors large quantity purchases, part of it is shopping "deals". I'm not sure what the rest of it is in my case. Thoughts?
I really liked the 147 Meals article! I emptied my fridge's freezer once last year but have never completely eaten up everything in the cupboards. I am sure I have some old Jello and ramen in there!
ReplyDeleteHis experience was interesting although I think I would have gone shopping before eating pancakes three times a day - or eating so poorly that I gained weight LOL.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think it has to do with the thrill many of us getting from shopping in any size shape or form. Granted, it's not the shopping mall, but it still involves spending money, and many of us are intensely addicted to that sensation.
ReplyDeleteEven though I'm terrific about staying on budget when grocery shopping, I'm still guilty of unnecessary stockpiling when things go on sale. I mean, do I really need 20 packages of pasta when they get marked down to .49 cents just because I can within my budget?
I could probably cut our weekly grocery budget back from $100 to $80, but I'm resistant because I enjoy the freedom that extra $20 provides to indulge whims and stockpile sales. Looks like I'll have to give that some thought now! :-)
Good points. I think I am addicted to saving money on groceries LOL. I didn't buy any protein items today but I did buy a few things I don't need right now (but we use regularly) because they were on sale. And then I forgot the items I need to make an apple pie to take on my book club's weekend in the mountains this weekend so I'll have to go back.
DeleteSince we have adopted an herbivore (vegan) diet I am having fun shopping mostly at Sprouts (our veggie market) once a week. I only need to go to the regular grocery about once a month now.On regular market day now I fill up my cart with greens, dry beans, lentils from the bin, beets, carrots, caulifower, cantaloupe, berries, --all very colorful. I do have a lot of canned goods stock piled, like beans and canned tomatoes, but we do eat them often so ..
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
I've been to a Sprouts store in southern CA and it is yummy. Here we have Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and an incredible local market that caters to every possible international food taste. We also have lots of outdoor farmer's markets. Love fresh fruit and veggies too.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete