$300 grocery experiment: week 3 finances

I hit a bump in the road Monday morning after we set out to the grocery store. It had been snowing non-stop since the previous evening and school was cancelled, but I didn't think much of it and headed over to Aldi. The parking lot was deserted and a sign was on the door saying they didn't have any power. At this point, I got a little nervous thinking Kroger might be closed too. Thankfully, they were open, but this meant in order to get all my shopping done there, I had to make some changes to my meal plan to compensate for price differences.

The two biggest changes were switching loaded potato soup for a half batch of broccoli cheese soup and pumpkin pancakes for banana muffins.

Here's how things ended up working out:

Turkey (for Thanksgiving) $.98/lb (when you spend $10) =$12.37
Pork roast $10.11 (it's a little smaller than I was originally planning, but it was all they had)
4 half gallons of milk at $1.50 each
5lb bag apples $3.99
4 lbs bananas $.55/lb
2.35 lbs ripe bananas $.45/lb
pasta sauce $1.29
assorted canned beans $.69 each x4 (3 for chili and 1 backup in case I didn't have enough pulled pork leftover for the quesadillas)
28 oz jar peanut butter $2.99
16 oz oatmeal $1.59
whole wheat tortillas $1.69
taco sauce $1.50
hot chocolate packets $.99 (part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
fruit snacks $1.49 (part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
non-stick cooking spray $2.49 (part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
apple juice $1.99 (part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
Cheerios $1.99 (part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
Barbeque sauce $.99 x2 (part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
frozen broccoli $1.49 (part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
2 bags frozen stir fry vegetables $1 each
4 bags frozen peas and carrots $1 each
shredded casserole blend cheese $1.99 (for broccoli cheese soup)
shredded mexican blend cheese $1.99
dozen eggs $1.99

Total for week 3: $71.96
Total spent on experiment so far: $213.83

A few notes:

• I was not originally planning to do the buy 10 save $5 promotion, but it had part of what I was looking for and allowed me to say yes when Quinn asked for the princess fruit snacks. I did not have any pulled pork leftovers to use for the quesadillas or a BBQ pizza. I settled for black beans in the quesadillas and a cheese pizza with the some of the pasta sauce from spaghetti night on it.
• You might notice that the pasta and diced tomatoes for the chili are missing from the above list, but I purchased those last week to have a little extra since they were on such a good sale. 
• This week I budgeted a large jar of peanut butter instead of a small jar, because the price per ounce is cheaper. I also ended up with an extra bottle of barbeque sauce since I didn't need it for the pizza.
• The 10 lb bag of potatoes I bought the first week finally ran out this week as did the bags of flour I bought last week.

Join me next week for the exciting conclusion to my experiment, which will include the makings for the rest of Thanksgiving dinner in addition to the week's worth of meals.

$300 Grocery Experiment: week 2 finances

What a week! I was completely swamped with school work and barely had time to finish it all, let alone do anything else.

This week was so much easier to budget than last week, but I did need to think ahead for Thanksgiving, so I didn't use my entire $75. Click here to see this week's menu and continue reading to see how shopping went.

• all-purpose flour (5lb) $1.38 Aldi
• whole wheat flour (5lb) $2.69 Kroger
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded (1lb) $3.69 Aldi
• Tomato Sauce $.25 Aldi
• Italian Seasoning $.99 Aldi
• garlic bulb $.49 Kroger 
• Pepperoni $1.99 Aldi
• Butter quarters (1 lb) $2.49 Kroger (as part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
• Pasta (x2) $.69 Kroger (as part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion) 
• canned tomatoes (x6) $.49 Kroger (as part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
• frozen tortellini $2.49 (as part of a buy 10 save $5 promotion)
• peanut butter (16 oz) $1.69 Aldi
• apples (3lb) (x2) $2.49 Aldi
• milk (gal) x3 $1.99 Aldi
• pancake syrup $1.69 Aldi
• eggs (doz) $1.59 Aldi
• powdered sugar $.99 aldi
• blackberries (6 oz) x2 $.99 Kroger
• bananas 3.4 lb @ $.55/lb Kroger
• Frozen peas and carrots (x2) $1 Kroger
• Soy sauce $1.39 Kroger
• fresh grape tomatoes $.69 Aldi
• Raspberry Jam $2.59 Kroger
• yeast (jar) $2.89 Kroger
• canned beans (x4) $.59 each Aldi
• frozen chopped spinach $1 Kroger
• block cheddar cheese $1.89 Aldi
• Turkey Ham $4.99 Kroger
• pretzels $1.29 Aldi
• Cheerios (store brand) $1.69
• Brussel Sprouts $1.99 (manager special)
• loaf bread $.65 (manager special)

I did end up needing to switch my planned meal of chef salad to ham, brussel sprouts, and bread since I found the brussels on sale and the lettuce didn't look great.
My total for the week came to: $66.96 and my total so far for the month is $141.87.

I was able to buy ahead a little this week. I bought an extra box of spaghetti, 1 extra lb of butter, and 2 extra cans of tomatoes. I also budgeted buy a jar of yeast instead of the little 3 packs, since they get so expensive. I had to buy a loaf of bread since by the experiment standards I ran too low on flour last week to make a loaf before grocery shopping, so I made sure to buy more this week. Whole wheat flour helps to fill you up better, so I may be able to get the rest of the month with what I bought this week, though I won't know for sure until next weekend.

Just for full disclosure, we did find ourselves at my parents for part of the weekend and they fed us, but I'm still treating the budget as if we really did eat all the meals I bought supplies for. I didn't get to make the tortellini soup or spaghetti, but those ingredients are independent of others, so I'm putting them away into my regular food storage.. I'm also pretending like we finished off the oatmeal during the breakfasts and the peanut butter and jams during the lunches. I made about the right amount of bread anyway, since I took some with us and fed a bunch to the pig.

$300 Grocery Experiment: week 1 financial

 If you're just tuning in, check out this post explaining the experiment and this post sharing my plans for this week.

This week has been challenging. When I first came up with the idea to do this series with a $75 budget, I thought it would be a piece of cake, but I forgot to consider how expensive getting a pantry started is. What I really hope to show through this series is how quickly a bit of sacrifice can turn in to a way to constantly save money.

Here's the break down of this week's budget:

Basic pantry staples: $18.35

• sugar (4 lb) $1.49 @ Aldi
• baking soda $.49 @ Aldi
• baking powder $.99 @ Aldi
• salt $.39 @ Aldi
• cinnamon $.99 @ Aldi
• nutmeg $1.69 @ Aldi
• cumin $.99 @ Aldi
• chili powder $.99 @ Aldi
• rice (3lb) $1.49 @ Aldi
• flour (5lb) $ 1.29 @ Aldi
• oatmeal (16oz) $1.59 @ Kroger
• yeast (active dry 3 pk) $.99 @ Kroger
• bouillon $1.69 @ Aldi
• oil $2.29 @ Aldi
• brown sugar $.99 @ Aldi

These are items that I don't like to be without. I have a small stash of all but the spices and continually replenish as needed. For the purposes of this experiment, I calculated the yeast and bouillon from different packages than I typically buy, due to store and price restrictions. I usually buy a higher quality bouillon from Kroger, but I've used the Aldi stuff in the past and the taste is fine. I also buy 2 or more pounds of yeast at a time from GFS and store it in my freezer. One package will last me a year or more and it costs less than $5 dollars.

Other items I usually to keep on hand: $28.01

• 16oz peanut butter $1.69 @ Aldi
• 2 9oz boxes off-brand cheerios $.99 each @ Aldi (special sale price)
• tomato sauce $.25@ Aldi
• dozen eggs $1.59 @ Aldi
• 3 lb bag onions $.99 @ Aldi
• frozen ravioli $2.99
• real bacon bits $1.49 @ Aldi
• cream cheese $.99 @ Aldi
• canned pumpkin $.89 @ Aldi
• 20 oz raisins $2.89 @ Aldi
• natural strawberry jam $2.59 @ Kroger
• butter (1lb) $3.79 @ Aldi
• canned tomatoes $.50 @ Kroger
• 3 cans beans $.50 each @ Kroger
• spaghetti noodles $.89 @ Aldi
• pasta sauce $.99 @ Aldi
• 12 oz frozen peas and carrots $1 @ Kroger
• 12 oz frozen peas $1 @ Kroger

I rarely pay this much for butter. I stock up when it's on sale and put it in my freezer. However, all of the canned goods prices are at stock-up prices.

What I would have purchased had this been a normal week: $25.86

• 2 gal milk $2.79 each @ Aldi
• 2 3lb bags apples $2.49 each @ Aldi
• 3.99lb bananas $.55/lb @ Kroger
• celery $1.25 @ Kroger
• 2 lb grapes $1.98 @ Aldi
• pineapple $1 @ Kroger
• bag mini sweet peppers $4.99 @ Kroger
• 1 lb carrots $.79 @ Kroger
• 1 bunch green onions $.49 @ Kroger
• 10 lb bag potatoes $1.99 @ Aldi
• 1 tomato on the vine $.62 @ Kroger

These are the items I either need to buy every week or don't buy unless I need them. I lucked out on the milk prices, since they've regularly been over $3 recently. The mini bag of peppers should last beyond this week unless Wyatt really gets to snacking on them, so even though $5 is a little ridiculous for peppers, they'll last longer than buying single peppers at $1.50 each.

What I couldn't get this week:
 I have to make a few adjustments to my recipes this week. My fried rice will need to be made without soy sauce, my enchilada will skip the olives and be made with a very basic homemade enchilada sauce.

How I made a few things work:
I chose the spices this week for their ability to go in multiple recipes. Each on will be used mulitple times this week and in the weeks to come.

$300 Monthly Grocery Budget: Family of 6

Is your budget tight? Are you looking for real ways to cut your grocery budget. I am a full-time online student, mother to 4 children, ages 5 and under, and wife to a husband that between work and school is gone for 60+ hours each week. I, like you, don't have the time or energy to clip a bunch of coupons and drive to several different stores each week. This month I'm opening my life to share with you that it is possible to spend less, eat well, and not spend all day in the kitchen.
Join me on instagram, facebook, and twitter as I share regular updates and tips on this project. Then be sure to check back here on the blog every week for my meal and grocery plans.

Things you should know:

• This is for a school project on provident family life. I picked all the factors and wanted to find a way to incorporate things I'm already doing with something that will be a small challenge.
• I have a 9 month baby that eats some table foods, a 2 year old that is hit and miss on eating with no real rhyme or reason, a very picky 4 year old, and an always hungry 5 year old that can eat almost as much as a teenager.
• I normally pull foods from food storage, but for this project, I will factor all of the prices in as if I bought it that week/this month and I will use current grocery store prices. I won't necessarily use the same name brand prices, but I will use the lowest price of a brand I would be willing to buy and feed my family. 
• I am only shopping at (and using prices) from 2 local stores: Kroger and Aldi
• I live in central Ohio, where the cost of living is comparable to many, but lower than other areas. To see if this is realistic for your area, compare prices for the same items in your area.
• Recently, I have been spending about $100 at the grocery store each week. So $75 will be pinching. 
• We have chickens that lay eggs, so I won't be factoring in the cost of any eggs we eat unless I need to buy a carton from the store. I will be using our eggs, but calculating them by the store's lowest price.
• I will be showing you both my plans and what actually happens 
• There are some products I will buy/substitute for this project that are slightly different from my usual, because I am trying to make this as applicable to as many people as possible. I'll explain each of these as I go along.

What is your favorite way to lower your grocery bill?

Grocery Shopping Tip: Clearance sections have stock-up items too!

One of the best ways to save money on groceries is to stock up when things are a good price. Sometimes it's a lot easier said than done. A tight budget can make it seem impossible to stock up. I've been there, but I've always managed to make it work so I enjoy helping others do the same.

An unexpected way to save at the grocery is with clearance. Clearance? Isn't that the stuff that's about to expire? How can I stock up on that? Depending on your store, it's easy. Yes, clearance has a lot of soon-to-be expired items, but it also has items that are being phased out for one reason or another. At my local Kroger, they clearance items that they just got too many of. Clearance is also the home of damaged packages.

This 2lb bag of rice was on clearance for more than 1/2 off because the bag was cut when they opened the box.

With this in mind I check the clearance sections almost every time I go in to the store. I say almost, because it depends on what my list looks like. If my list puts me at the top of my budget and I don't want to consider changing anything, I skip the clearance. If I am below budget or am willing to substitute some items, then I take a look.

This cheese, a favorite treat, was marked down, but the sell by dates are still months away.

Some weeks, the clearance is a barren wasteland and I don't find a thing. Other weeks it's a complete treasure trove of things we like and use at fantastic prices and I have to figure out which items on my list and in the clearance need to go home with me. The majority of the time, I just find an item or two and I can easily fit them into my trip.

This baking spray was marked down because the lid was damaged, since I usually ditch the lids anyway, I didn't care.

The pictures in this post are from this week's grocery trip. My list included items for this menu, but I already had all of the meat and cheese which is the expensive part. Plus there weren't many sales I wanted to take advantage of, so I had plenty of space in my budget. I found all sorts of items and honestly part of them I don't typically buy, but I justified them and still had some money leftover.

This package was marked down by more than a dollar because it was missing one bottle! I like to have these for the kids.

What's the best bargain you've ever found on clearance?

A Little Act of Kindness

It was a Saturday evening, David was working late, and I had to buy more formula for Claire. Normally I don't run out of formula or even come close, but we had just taken her off of the expensive Alimentum to put her back on the basic stuff. One bottle later, it looked like it was an allergy issue and not the other problem we fixed. Now I needed to buy more Alimentum and I needed it before the next bottle. I packed all of the kids back in the car when I'd normally be getting them ready for bed and headed off to the store.

Since I was there and Claire was sleeping peacefully in my Ergobaby Organic Baby Carrier (affiliate link), I decided to grab a couple other items to push off my next grocery trip by a day or two. While I normally feel as though I could brag about the behavior of my children at the grocery, this trip was not one of those times. Honestly, they weren't being bad. They were being 1,3,and 5. They were playing with each other and every time I stopped the cart, they'd hightail it out of the little car in front to better play with each other. They'd pile back in for me when I told them to, but I found it highly irritating that I had to repeat myself so many times in one trip. At the end of our time inside the store, we did have a small incident, which had me leaving feeling embarrassed and overly ready for bedtime.

While I was loading the kids into the van, the gentleman next to us, waiting in his car for his wife, commented, "You have your hands full." I get that comment all the time. It's a fairly even split between the people who mean it as a positive thing and people who mean it more like, "Holy cow, are you nuts?" Anytime I'm not sure if they are being positive or not, I make sure to let them know I'm happy about it. So, I replied something to that affect and continued loading the kids into the car. As the conversation continued, this man revealed that he also had 4, but his oldest and youngest were 10 years apart. He was clearly more on the positive side and it was a nice conversation, though I hardly remember any specifics.

The conversation was a nice way to end the stressful shopping trip, but what happened next really made my evening. It was such a simple act, but it is the simple acts that we often need/appreciate the most. As I grabbed the last bag and set it on the floor on the inside of my van, the man's daughter came over and offered to take the cart for me. This left me free to finish buckling the kids and not have to worry about walking across the aisle of the parking lot to put the cart away. Their family still left before I was even buckled into the driver's seat and I'm sure the girl has already forgotten about the nice thing she did. I don't even care if her dad told her to do it. For me, at that time, it and the conversation that preceded it were just what I needed to get through the rest of the evening.

My hands may be full, but so is my heart.

I'm sure in time I'll forget all about the man and his daughter and how nice they were. You may still be wondering why I even bothered to share the story, because it is not extraordinary. I'm sharing this to remind all of us that we may never know how our little everyday actions may effect others, so we should always be kind.

Has someone been kind to you recently?

12 Tips to Make Grocery Shopping with Children More Enjoyable

I have 4 kids, ages 5 months to 5 years, grocery shopping with all of them presents it's challenges, but it's essential. During the school year, I did my best to go while my two preschoolers were in school, but during the summer they are usually all in tow. Most of the time, we have an enjoyable shopping experience and people compliment the kids on their behavior. So, I've compiled my list of things that make it happen.

1. Have a meal plan and grocery list. For more tips on this, check out my series on meal planning and list making.
2. If possible, shop in the morning or after dinner. At least try to avoid the after work/ before dinner rush and the pre-holiday rush. I find the store to be less crowded in the morning. So, if my kids aren't on their best behavior, there are less people around to get annoyed. This means I get less stressed and am able to calm the situation a little easier.
3. Go to a store with family friendly carts. Aldi is nice, but they have one type of cart and it's chained up outside, so there is a greater chance my kids will get into something they shouldn't. Plus, if I want more than one kid to ride in a cart I need a second cart. I am currently loving Kroger. They have these car carts that can hold up to 4 small children and still have room for groceries.
4. Wear your baby (if applicable). I am constantly getting comments concerning my wrap and carrier. People can't get over how adorable and content my babies are. By wearing my baby, I don't need to take up space with a big bulky carseat and my baby is more likely to fall asleep and stay asleep.
5. Let the kids know what's going on and your expectations. If you have a big trip planned, let them know. A simple, "We have a lot of shopping to do. I need you on your best behavior, so we can get it all done and go home quickly" can be very effective
6. Let them know their consequences. I almost always tell my kids that if they are good the whole time we're in the first part of the store, they can have a cookie when we get to the bakery. Did you know many grocery stores give these away for free to children as a courtesy? If they aren't behaving, they can't have the cookie. That's just our rule and no one has ever pushed it far enough to get their cookie taken away- we've come close and needed reminders, but that immediate reward helps. 
7. Bring snacks. Having a snack or getting a cookie (or both) can be a great distraction. Sometimes kids whine because they are hungry and being surrounded by all of the food doesn't help the matter. 
8. Let them help. You don't have to make them their own special list to get them to help. My kids love helping to pick out produce; I tell them what we are getting and they help to pick it out. I also teach them what each item should look and feel like and we usually end up practicing our counting. In the aisles, you could ask the kids that walk to find a certain item, this can be especially helpful if they are getting antsy and wanting to wander.
9. Praise them. I do my best to make the store a happy place for my kids. I make it a point to let the kids know I appreciate their good behavior. If they are struggling, I make it and even bigger point. A trip with a rough start can quickly turn around when you give them a second chance and are quick to praise their efforts. 
10. Let employees do their job. Since my kids are younger, I find it easiest to only worry about getting my groceries onto the conveyor belt. The cashier rings it all up (I pay attention if I can) and the bagger, bags it and puts it back into my cart.
11. Ask for help if you need it. Usually, I will get asked if I need help to my car, so I simply say yes, but don't be afraid to ask the bagger or let the cashier know you need help (they can usually get someone to assist you). This little bit of help cuts my time in the parking lot in half since they usually have all the groceries neatly stacked in the trunk by the time I finish buckling all of my kids in. 
12. The grocery trip isn't over until everything is inside. When you get home, let the kids help again. My kids know that everyone helps bring in the groceries. Even little Wyatt (1) takes a bag and carries it to the kitchen. Everyone is usually tired and hungry by the time we get home, so if I can reduce the number of trips I need to take, I can start getting lunch ready that much sooner.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! Is there anything else you do to make your shopping trips more enjoyable?