Week 6 - Grocery, Couponing and Garden budget

With our new eating style I've noticed I spend a lot less scouring for deals and focusing on eating and feeding my family a whole grain/clean diet. Over the past month the hubster and I dived into juicing.

We haven't done a full cleanse but added a juicing drink as a meal supplement throughout the day. One thing is for sure, we have a higher metabolism and eat more often on this new eating style. I plan (not sure about the hubster) on rebooting myself every 3 months and do a juicing cleanse for 10 days. For me it's not about losing weight, it's about being healthy and putting things in my body that my body needs.

The past months have been filled with watching food documentaries like Farmaggedon, fat sick and nearly dead, dive! and other movies like that. A serious eye opener. The poor man opens the frig or pantry looking for a snack and sees stuff he no longer wants to eat... The cookies, chips, sauces, packaged stuff, canned stuff... the list goes on really.I have a feeling this year will be filled with me doing a LOT of canning and dehydrating things.

1/2 beet

1 grapefruit w/o peel

1 lemon w/o peel

2 handfuls of grapes

2 apples 

Publix Produce $ 66.85

 Publix Grocery/Couponing $10.59

Commi Produce $17.64

 Commi Grocery $ 76.53 I got a few lunch snacks for the family and I stocked up on oatmeal (I guess that could have gone into the couponing) and caved on some dark chocolates for valentines.

Commi Couponing $3.97
Not sure why I got the sandwich makers given the hubster might not eat them anymore but we'll see.


Minus having to go get milk and celery later this week, this all should last us (family of 5) two weeks. Keep in mind we have a stockpile of meats, cheeses, cereal, etc and some produce left over from last shopping trip.


Week 6
Couponing: $6.67
Grocery: $179.49
Garden: $13.71
Savings: $56.33

Shopping for 2 weeks worth of food.

I figured it was best to get a jump start on grocery shopping for the next 2 weeks before pay day. Although I forgot a few things, didn't know we were out of others and couldn't find certain things in stores I was able to get 2 weeks worth of supplies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

I normally do not have the time or patience to take pictures of our meals at dinner and who can blame me?! With a husband, 3 boys and a crazy dog running around I'm surprised I get as much as I do accomplished with them home. 

Shopping at the Commissary will save you about thirty percent off the bat but adding coupons to it makes the savings higher. I had a weak moment and bought candy bars and crackers for the hubster, little minions and I for the next few months, don't judge. ha!
Commi - grocery and couponing - $ 75.19

If we were not going to a BBQ this weekend and I didn't want to make a special dinner this week my cost would have been lower.

The hubster and I have been talking for weeks about what we eat, our family history of cancer and the long term. We've decided to drink Raw milk, incorporate less meat and more veggies (we'll never be able to give up meat really) and recently decided to start juicing for a 1 meal supplement.

Publix grocery - $ 61.44

The picture below is should be enough fruits and veggies for 5 days of juicing. I do have to hunt down some beets and kale around here but we're pretty set.

*we have meats and other things needed for each recipe from previous shopping trips*

Because I hardly have time in the evening to take pictures I will link each recipe. 

2 Week Dinner Menu: 

Tuesday - Chicken pulled sandwiches. with corn

Wednesday - Cheese Steak Sandwiches.  with homemade fries on the side and fruit as dessert. 

Thursday- Chicken and Avocado enchiladas  

Friday- Homemade chicken alfredo pizza 

Sat- Divisional BBQ - baking side dish, baked beans

Sun- Fend for yourself *mom is not cooking!*

Mon- Cobb salad

Tues- Mushroom and Barley soup 

Wed- Ropa Vieja served with rice, black beans and plantains 

Thurs- Fend for yourself

Fri- Homemade pizza

Sat- Sushi and miso soup

Sunday- Cranberry meatballs and rice (I normally make these with grape jelly and BBQ sauce but I'll try this) 

For lunches we normally eat left overs or come up with some creative ideas like bento lunches or lunches which look a lot like : 

egg or tuna salad sandwich or with crackers

yogurt or cottage cheese with a side of fruit

dried fruit and nuts for a snack

veggies with salad dressing

water

For the kids you can find some great ideas on pinterest. We only make the boys lunch 2 days a week and let them eat school lunch the other 3 days... which might change in the future. 

What's on your menu this week?

Week 4- Grocery, Couponing and Garden budget

Okay so last weeks shopping wasn't really enough to last 2 weeks. It seems we are eating more fruits and veggies, which is a good problem to have. I should also admit that I haven't planned the meals (holds head down in shame) for this past shopping trip. Many of you have asked how I can buy groceries for a family of 5 on such a budget? We the key is a LOT of planning; meals and shopping trips, and lots of restraint when shopping. My advice? Don't shop with the people who add unnecessary foods into your cart i.e husbands and children.

This is what I bought this week.

 Raw milk $ Free (I used a credit I had on my paypal.)

Commi $3.72

Bartering $ FREE


This week I decided I was not going to coupon even though there were MANY mm deals out there but I wanted to focus on the garden and saving some money.

If I can remember I will try to post our weekly dinner menu along with the normal pictures of what we buy to give you some new ideas of dinner and using what you might already have.


Week 4: 
Couponing: $0.00
Grocery: $3.72
Garden: $29.43
Savings: $14.07

YTD Savings: $358.70
YTD Grocery and Couponing: $236.40

YAHOO!!! I made it so far under budget from my original post about this years budget. As the year goes on and the garden becomes a bustling place of veggies and fruits I shall spend less money and have lots more to barter with. This make me a happy girl!!!

Now next month I will have to stock up on some chicken and fish/shell fish but that should not mess us the overall budget, let hope. 

How are you doing in the budget sense? Keeping up with it?

P.s I've been working on a few interior projects around the house. Maybe I'll post a few soon. 

Bartering and Diving

 As a kid of a single mother there were times we had to go on wellfare and even at one point we "dumpster dived" I know..I know.. The thought of that might make your stomach turn but it wasn't like we were picking rotten mold food items from the trash. Back then the grocery store had a semi separate bin that was filled with the bread and chickens they did not sell along with meats and fresh veggies that were "expired" or past the sell by date. It was specific and only had food items that they store could not legally sell but they did not want to throw away.

Many of these items were not bad or really expired. The fruits were not moldy or rotten but just slightly bruised. 40 percent of food in america is wasted and thrown away, about $165 BILLION dollars in waste which takes a toll on the country's water resources and increasing greenhouse gases according to the NRDC.   Think of it like dumping 80 quarter pound burger patties in the garbage each month. Crazy!!

Food is too precious to waste.

Reducing losses by 15% could feed more than 25 million american each year. 25 MILLION.

I'm not sure when things changed or when it became taboo to do but clearly we need to do something different. This is food that is still eatable, still very much good but might have a bruised strawberry in the WHOLE box but instead of picking out the bad strawberries, they throw the whole box out! WHY?!

Now not all food items that are thrown away is good to eat, and I will always advise to dumpster dive at your own risk but you can find day old bread, milk, veggies, fruits, gourmet cheeses,etc . There was a documentary called Dive!   I suggest adding it to your weekend night movie, it'll open your eyes to the wastefulness of the US.

If diving is not your thing than maybe bartering might be.

Bartering can save your family money by exchanging items or services for things you might need. Some tips for sucessful bartering:

Know the value of your trade: Know your item and the trade item is worth. If you are offering more or less then the other person, negotiate. You can negotiate more items or cash but having an understanding of what items are worth is "priceless".

Be specific about what you have and what you want: Don't say you're looking for a sitter in exchange for lawn service. That is too vague. Say you are prepared to give 5 hours of babysitter service for lawn mowing and edging on ___ acre property. The more specific you are about exactly what you are will to give in exchange for it the less likely you will encounter problems or become dissatisfied with the result.

Keep it in writing: Facebook or email. Keeping it in writing keeps confusion away, everyone will be on the same page.



I've traded for items in the past and have great success with it and have decided again to pick up the bartering bit and hopefully save my family more money in the grocery area.

This was today's barter:

This is what I got..........

 In exchange for..........

What do you think? Was this a fair trade?



I'd like to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Week 3- Grocery, Couponing and Gardening budget

This past Sunday there was (1) SS insert. If you missed getting to your news stand for some papers you can order inserts from Insert Insanity.  I highly recommend them!

This week was my real grocery shopping, I buy 50/50 in veggies and fruits and plan my meals around what I buy. I take examples from Bountiful Baskets and buy the same things they put in their baskets. Doing it that way I find we eat more things we wouldn't normally buy and learned that we kinda love leeks.

I went shopping at Publix and the Commi a few days ago and loaded up on the next 2 weeks worth of veggies and fruits.... Although we are already out of bananas and low on milk so I might have to go back out and get some mid/late week.

Publix:  $25.96

Commi: $59.66 if you count in the typical 30% savings just by shopping at the commissary plus the coupon savings, I saved 78% this week.

Since I don't count personal products and household products in my grocery budget I excluded these but the total paid after coupons were $2.92

Week 3

Couponing: $19.33

Grocery: $69.95

Gardening:$0.00

Savings: $119.44

Week 2- Grocery, Couponing and Garden budget

Last week we got 5 inserts and this week we get 2 and I still haven't cut my coupons!! Making sure you get your weekly coupon inserts is vital if you are going to coupon and stockpile. 

 My weeks shopping trip at Publix went well although this really was my junk week as far as stocking up.

• 12 pasta
• (3) 12pk sodas (this will last us close to 4-5 months)
• 2 grapefruit juices
• 1 five pound bag of grapefruit
• 1 bunch of bananas
• 2 kosher salts
• 1 advil 
• 2 salsa jars
• 2 party size bags of chips
• 4 knorr noodle mixes (totally bad for you but I LOVE the broccoli noodles)
• 4 bags of denastix for dogs

$18.74 after taxes

• 2 half gallon milks from The Davis Family Farm 

$8.00

• 1 King Arthur whole wheat flour
• 1 five pound bag apples
• 3 pears
• blueberries
• 1 greek plain yogurt

$15.36

• 1 box of chips ( the boys begged for it)
• 1 box of pretzels (for my oldest, we bring snacks in after their basketball game) 

Ignore the apples, blueberries and oranges, I forgot that I took pictures of them already. 

$12.88

Keep in mind when I tally up my budget spending I do not count household, personal or animal items.

After tons of google searching and some advice from others I decided I would buy 2 4ft shop lights, which are pricey!! and while at the good ol blue store I saw they had raspberries, blueberries and grapes. I ended up getting 6 raspberries, 2 more blueberries, bring of totally for those to 6 and 4 grape plants. I circled around and saw some snapdragons (which the hubster likes) and some Caladium bulbs that I will be adding to my white garden and in the front in the tree area.

Total spent this week for Gardening
$179.57


Week 2
Couponing:$12.47
Grocery: $31.27
Gardening: $179.57
Savings: $80.77

The end of the month I will show my YTD balance on all.


Anyone grow Grapes in our zone? Any tips or tricks?