Aldi
1 Vegetable Oil – $2.39
1 Salsa – $1.69
2 Strawberries – $1.29 each
1 Pineapple – $1.29
1 Cucumber – $0.59
1 Rice Cakes – $1.29 (I’m thinking these are going to become a staple at our house. My son loves them!)
1 Corn Chips – $0.89
2 Grapefruit – $0.29 each
1 Cauliflower – $1.69
1 Flour Tortillas – $1.19
1 Italian Dressing – $1.39
1 Old Fashioned Oats – $2.29
1 Half & Half – $1.69
3 cans Beans – $0.59 each
1 gallon Milk – $2.73
Total with tax ($1.72): $25.77
Dillons7 Mom’s Best Cereal – $1 each (I was so thrilled about this price as this is some of our favorite cereal!)
1.2 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $0.71
1 Lettuce – $0.99
1 Kroger Cottage Cheese – $1.34
0.71 lbs Broccoli @ $1.59/lb – $1.13
1 Kroger Frozen Green Beans – $1
1 Kroger Butter – $2.50
1 Breyer’s Ice Cream – Marked down to $2.70
1 Kroger frozen Apple Juice – $1.29
1 Clabber Girl Baking Powder – $2.25
Total with tax ($1.71): $22.62
Total for all grocery items: $48.39
Menu Plan for this Week
Breakfasts
Cereal, Homemade Granola
Lunches
Cheese Quesadillas, Fruit/Veggies/Crackers, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Mac & Cheese, Leftovers
Dinners
Chicken Rice Casserole, Steamed Broccoli, 30 Minute Rolls
Haystacks, Sliced Pineapple
Lasagna Casserole, Homemade Bread, Tossed Salad
Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Sliced Strawberries, Butterhorns
3-Bean Chili, Cornbread, Sliced Veggies
Date night
Dinner with family
Ann says
I believe Gretchen is shopping for herself, hubby and a toddler.
Maybe this would be a good thread to have a Mr. Linky, and people could post their groceries for the week!
We have 5 in our family. This week I spent $37.67 at Aldi for produce, lunch stuff, beans and cheese; and $30 at Kroger stocking up on cereal (yippee for the Mom’s Best deal, as well as GM + coupon + free milk offer) and some meat. We often get Groupons to be able to afford meat at a free range/locally sourced butcher, so that adds another $25/mo.
Amy says
How many people is this for? I have 2 adults and 4 children under the age of 4.
M. says
I see that you use beans on a weekly basis. Do you ever buy the dry ones? Wondering if they are worth the extra effort. I only buy maybe 1-2 cans per month. Also, your menu is pretty basic and repeats often. Doesn’t your family tire of this? My kids are 13, 10 & 7 and get bored with the same old stuff so I’m always looking for new recipes. I also base my meal plan on what’s on sale or marked down, buy meat on sale and freeze it and can usually feed my family of 5 for around $60 per week.
Sheri says
I’m wondering how many people you are cooking for? And what kind of appetites do they have? I think my family could eat that in two days. We have seven people at home with big appetites. I have to ration some meals so we can get a second meal out of it. They would have thirds and fourths if I didn’t stop them!
For instance, a pasta meal, we eat two pounds of pasta AND the salad. Chili is a six quart meal. A 13×9 lasagna would be polished off, easy! You get the idea… When fresh-baked bread comes out of the oven, two loaves are finished immediately.
I need to find inexpensive, healthy and balanced options for my family. We are eating more brown rice and beans… And lots of salads and fruit.
I do shop opportunistically! Meat and cheese on sale or whatever… Ham has been really well-priced lately. 99 cents/pound. I wait for the right price.
Becki @Running with Team Hogan - says
Our gluten-free house has developed a LOVE of Aldi’s rice cakes too. My 4-year old son treats the plain ones like bread putting peanut butter or nutella on it.
Jennifer Hoffman says
Always love your meal plans! What do you do for snacks/desserts? Do you do freezer cooking in an hour like crystal?
Tammi says
Half and half, milk, cottage cheese, butter, ice cream.
Rebecca says
It’s a low budget but I don’t see any meat, cheese or dairy in the shopping trip though and those are the expensive things…
RuthS says
There’s milk, cottage cheese, half and half, butter, and ice cream 🙂 She buys meat and freezes it when there is a good deal.
Susan says
Her weekly shopping trips don’t correspond exactly with her weekly menu. She buys groceries when they are at a good price. For her meal plan, in addition to what she purchased that week, she plans meals from what she has on hand.
Jennifer says
Wow! That’s stuff my kids will eat. We could actually survive on that budget for the week and meal plan.
Karen says
Great job Gretchen! I love reading about your trips each week.
Crystal says
I’d like to issue a challenge to you Crystal, your sister Gretchen and your readers…… Feed a large family of 7 on as little as possible…. I spend about $700 a mth now….. Would love to cut it in half if possible… We don’t eat out, no special diets….. Need to snowball our debt (house,car, student loans)…… I make a penny stretch as far as I can but am looking for ways to cut more corners as we want to buy a house in a better school district….
Nicole Roberts @ The Lady Prefers To Save says
I’ve been able to stretch a budget of $225.00 for a family of four and six pets, so I could give you a few pointers! I’ve been blogging about it for the last year, and I understand where you are coming from!
Crystal says
That does not even include my feed bill (that’s a whole norther budget) having horses means vet and Ferrier bills that even if we don’t go see them that month I set aside in a animal health fund…. Helps in times of emergencies for injuries…… That is just food for people…… I came over and checked out your blog….
I buy milk when walgreens has it on sale for 2.99, it’s cheaper than our Aldis plus it’s hiland…… Meat is a big expense but I’m checking out a new meat market that has some awesome advertised deals…..we buy rice and beans in bulk and do have a SAMs membership…….I find I spend more if I shop more often than two-three times a month…
Sheri says
I spend about $100/week, sometimes more, when I have it. See comment below. I have found that shopping my produce every other week means that more gets eaten and less goes to waste. Also shopping like that keeps the impulse shopping down. With a full freezer from shopping opportunistically, on a slim money month, I can spend less than $200 in a month. Like I said, that’s with my pantry well stocked too.
Rice, beans, barley, wheat and oats are all bought in bulk when we have money. Produce and milk is all I get when it is slim. Sometimes, not even milk… The Lord provides through friends with too much produce in their gardens and trees!
Rebecca says
Hi. I love your blog. Thank you. What day do you go to the grocery store? CVS? and Walgreens? I usually go on Thursdays so I’m stocked for the weekend but I’m thinking it’s probably more cost effective to go on Tuesday, which is the last day of sales. What do you think? Thank you for your time.
Angela says
wow your grocery budget is pretty good…very cheap I don’t think I could get things at that price here in California