Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Back with my latest frugal mission.

I'm not quite ready to write my story about what I've been going through lately.  It will come, in time.  Patience, dear readers, patience.

I spent a few weeks visiting my parents halfway across the country with Bear and had a great time.  However, more than once I was asked how I could possible feed my family HEALTHY meals while sticking to a budget.  Coupons and sales are only for over processed junk and THEY like to feed their family healthy meals.

This is downright insulting.  I would say 80% of the time I shop the outside of the grocery story with cereal and pasta added to it.  We live in an agricultural area so our seasonal local produce is usually ridiculously cheap and very fresh and ripe.  Our milk products are usually inexpensive, but meat is through the roof.  Finding protein for around $2.00/lb is quite the bargain here.

After getting home yesterday, my mom kindly accompanied me to the grocery store so I could stock up.
Here's what I got all for under $25.  (Some of these are approximations because I think my mom took my receipt home).
1 head red leaf lettuce - $0.89
1 head romaine lettuce - $0.89
2 cucumbers - $0.33/each
1 bunch of radishes - $0.33
1 box (24ct) of quart sized tea bags - $1.69
1 pack of fresh stuffed mushrooms -$2.99 after a $2.00 coupon on the package (these are in the produce department)
2 mushroom burgers made with lean ground beef - $2.04
rainbow sherbet - $1.99 (ice cream was too expensive)
1.5 lbs peaches - $0.99/lb
2 lbs grapes - $0.99/lb
1.75 lbs organic bananas - $0.39/lb (these are perfectly ripe so they were on the sell fast cart in the produce section marked down)
1 seedless watermelon - $2.98
2 cantaloupe - $0.98/each
2 lb baby carrots - $1.99
1 dozen brown eggs - $2.29 (I am picky about eggs, you can buy grocery store eggs for as cheap as $1/dozen)
11 cups of dannon yogurt - $0.32/each
3 half gal of milk (1%, skim, whole) - $1.25 each
1 lb tomatoes -$0.99/lb

plus a $10 rewards coupon from my grocery store.

Somehow I'm failing to find the over processed junk food or exorbitant spending.  I even managed organic bananas.

Meal plan for the week (Bear and I didn't get home till Monday afternoon)

Monday
Dinner: Restaurant treat for my mom because she drove us home

Tuesday
Lunch: chicken salad over lettuce
Dinner: stuffed mushrooms, burgers and Gingered Baby Carrots

Wednesday
Lunch: I don't know what Hubs had, but I had a late breakfast of cereal so I didn't eat lunch
Dinner: Baked Corndogs for the Hubs (we only use all beef hot dogs (Nathans or Hebrew National) and it was a homemade cornbread mix.  I have a frozen TV dinner from Amy's Organic line.  They're all organic and some are even gluten free.  I love their Tortilla Bowl and Mac and Cheese.   They've also got new light and lean meals which are fabulous.  We both had a salad with dinner.

Thursday
Lunch: Leftover corndogs and turkey salad over lettuce (I had frozen cooked turkey leftover from the last time we had a turkey, added mayo, celery and onion)
Dinner: Crockpot ribs, frozen corn and watermelon

Friday
Lunch: Salad
Dinner:  Mexican restaurant.  My Dad is out here on business so he wants to take us to dinner, yes my Mom was just here Monday and part of Tuesday.  She had to leave Tuesday by lunchtime to get home so she could drive my Dad to the airport on Wednesday morning.

I don't usually plan Saturday or Sunday meals because we usually decide together in the morning what we're having.

I do know we have a carry-in at church on Sunday for the annual meeting.  I plan to make gluten-free chocolate cupcakes and maybe corn pudding. 

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