I was a bit shocked at my grocery spending this past week. I spent a bit more than I'd normally spend. Then I took time at last to tot up my totals for the month and I was over budget for the month! Not the direction I want to go in at all.
When we shopped Thursday I tried to keep in mind what we needed for two or even three weeks. Fresh produce, obviously and extra milk and bread. I also did a bit of pantry buying. This week I concentrated on beans: green, black, red kidney, cannelini, 3 bean salad. I did not buy all I wanted but enough to at least plump that part of the pantry a bit.
Friday I sat down before the fridge and cleared it out, one shelf at a time and discovered I'd enough leftovers to manage two full meals for Friday and Saturday and then a few leftover items for the first part of this new week, too. Since I 'saved' two meals from the past menu by using up the leftovers, I'll share the leftovers menus this week.
Breakfasts: Egg and Toast (x2 John's work days)
Apple Pancakes and Sausage
Mini Bagel Breakfast Sandwich
Cheese Toasts
Banana Bran Muffins with Peanut Butter
Bagels with Cream Cheese
Dinners: Corned Beef, Baked Cabbage, Potato Pancakes
Oven Fried Chicken, Potatoes with Green Beans, Pear Salad
on my own
Kid's Favorite Casserole, Muffins, Fresh fruit Cups
out with Mama
Tamale Pie, Salad with Pico di gallo
Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables, Brown Rice, Pears (fresh)
Jobs This Week
I've been hard at work on both my porches and have reined myself in to keep from tackling the patio as well! With my usual work, writing and such to do as well, I need to focus.
It rained every day last week. I'm not complaining but it's why I've put this on my list a third week in a row: Wash the quilt on my bed. I'm adding in the spread on the guest bed as well.
Take a few new items to the booth and consider removing a few as well.
Mop the kitchen and bathrooms floors.
Start sanding the rocker.
Start painting the front porch railing.
Load Coke points on MCR site.
4 comments:
I have been restocking some things. Frankly I liked the look of not having the pantry as full but ended up filling in the empty spots again. I will make a run to 2 other stores then quit. We do not have a big pantry but do try to keep a bit of this and that on hand. This month I did a bit more. I waited for many things to go on sales. For months. A few did but most not! You know how it is. We were all used to the sales cycle in our stores and could depend on this and that we used to be on sale in such and such a month. Not anymore! So we all try to grab the good sales when we can, don't we. I see people wondering all over the grocery store now looking for the markdowns and some with their carts already burdened down. Our one store will mark down some produce but throw out others depending on store policy. Same with other products. Hubby and I look around when we go to get fresh fruit each week. We have found a few and are grateful for any we find we or others we know use. This month our grocery bill is higher too.
I am trying to put my thinking cap on and come up with ideas to change out some old recipes to freshen things up a bit. I will still use the same ingredients we keep in our pantry as basics of these recipes. Also to gain new skills in food preservation. I used to sprout things years ago so will start that again and can can a bit more instead of drying mostly. I could ferment things but those foods do not appeal to us. It is the season here to plant the fall garden. That is if we can keep it watered enough in 100 degree heat! :-) I have been gathering and cutting up any greens I clip to have it to mulch with as needed. Taking it one idea at a time it will come together. Actually I find it a good challenge to try to again step up and do better. Try new things to save our budget. We all know it can be done. We have all had to do this over and over through the years! :) I did learn some new easy canning recipes that I am seriously thinking of doing for presents this Christmas. Food has always been a welcome gift to give. Perhaps incorporating it in a gift basket with hand made t-towels and such?
Seeing that our weeks fly by and one day it is Monday and the next you find it Saturday again..or so it seems..I best start gathering supplies for those presents! Oh no!.... another trip to the grocery store!!!!!! Sarah
This morning I was just sick to find out that last week while helping with putting away groceries, Hubby put a large package of cube steaks in the refrigerator in the garage instead of the freezer. I had bought them as a treat to have Swiss steak while our son is visiting this week. Into the trash they had to go. Ugh!
The whole thing is that we are just trying to get so much done before cold weather that we are not even thinking straight anymore. The work is piled up in front of us like a wall that we have to get over. Most of the rotten siding on the house is replaced now but many, many hours of painting on a ladder will have to be done and I cannot help him with that since I am terrified of heights. We did finally have to hire help to get the siding done because it was so much and ladder work on top of that and it needed two up on ladders to do it. We were fortunate to find some workers to get it done and they were reasonable. Seems everyone is backed up for months here and cannot get to jobs for 2-6 months.
We do have a getaway planned to our house at the lake and we go in about 10 days now. We can just hold on to that glimmer of rest coming and press on. I am so thankful that we bought the share of that house 16 years ago or we would never stop and recollect ourselves. There is nothing to do there but rest since we do not have a landline, internet or much TV reception. We sleep 10-12 hours a night and just rest. It is very quiet and dark there so it helps us to sleep well.
I have a pile pf caps that need to be entered into the MCR site too. I hate doing it because the codes are so hard to read! Hubby and I worked together to do a whole pile of Kelloggs codes last week. Glad that is done at least.
I love your always helpful suggestions of using leftovers. I need to do so much better in that area and like Lana, all too often I'm so distracted that I don't notice some of the food items going to waste. I am buying less these days so that helps tremendously.
Have you shared the Kids Favorite Casserole recipe before? If not, would you?
I believe my task this week is to actually start scanning old photos and get that project going. I've been putting it off for a long time now. I figure even if I only spend about 15 minutes every few days, eventually it will all get done.
My menu plan is done for the week and my daughter is at the store right now getting groceries for me. She's off work and offered to do that so I said yes!
Oh, that is one area that I need to work on ... watching the grocery budget weekly and keeping it to the amount I've budgeted. I'm wondering if I should go back to a cash envelope for groceries. If I only have $40 in cash, then I know I won't spend more! (Smile)
A menu helps me tremendously because it helps me remember to use what I have on hand!! So many of the sales at our store are things I do not use. And if there is a good sale, we are only allowed 1-3 of the item. We stock up at bigger stores when we get to a larger town!
We've stopped buying cold cereal and I make granola instead. I need to get back to making all of our bread. Coming off a very busy harvest season and then a week of kids/grands home, it is time to get back into so many grooves ... like walking 2 miles to keep my hip working without pain and menu planning. Pam
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