I was excited that we were able to stay well under our new grocery budget this week. Jesse and I made the grocery list together — looking at where to get the best deals on what we were planning to buy — and then he offered to go shopping on Monday morning after his workout at the gym.
Here’s what he bought:
Kroger
Smoked Turkey — $19.60
Kroger Peanut Butter — $1.79
Kroger Whole Milk — $2.99
3 dozen brown eggs — $2.99 per dozen (got $0.50 back from Checkout51)
2 packages of Kroger bacon — $2.99 per package
Total: $42.18
ALDI
2 packages of Broccoli — $0.99 each
2 tubs of Ham lunch meat — $2.49 each
3 Avocados — $0.99 each
Egg Whites — $1.99
Butter — $3.49
2 packages of Boneless Chicken Breasts — $6.49
3 bags of Gala apples — $1.99 per bag
2 bags of Sweet Potatoes — $1.99 per bag
Bananas — $0.44 per pound — $2.42 total
2 bags of multi-colored peppers — $2.49 each
Total: $49.17
Total spent: $91.35
Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Bacon & Eggs or Oatmeal (I also ate Healthy Blueberry Crisp.)
Lunches
Sandwiches or Leftovers
Snacks
Popcorn
Fruit/Veggies
Cheese
Apples with Almond Butter
Snacks sent to us from Wild Oats Organic
Protein Shakes
Healthy Cake in a MugDinners
Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Stuffed Chicken Breast
Crockpot Stuffed Peppers
Italian Sausage with Potatoes and Vinegar
Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry with Sweet Potato Fries
Marinated Chicken
Dinner Out
What’s on YOUR menu this week? Tell us in the comments!
Heart and Haven says
I’m liking the changes your family has made to your meal plans. This week your menu is very similar to how our family eats even. My hubby does the majority of the shopping too; I certainly appreciate not having to go to the store with all the kids (even if hubby doesn’t always get all the best “deals”, lol). We usually do our “bulk” shopping once a month at Smart & Final (not sure which kinds of bulk stores you have near you. One way we’ve saved money is buying meats on manager’s special (and either cook to eat right away or freeze for later use) and buying meat on sale/in bulk and portioning into family sized meals in freezer bags prior to putting in the freezer (ie. 10 lb of ground beef we’ll divide into 1 lb packages in quart-sized freezer bags). Shopping for the month takes a bit more pre-planning budget wise (if you’re used to weekly shopping), but it’s been the best I’ve found to save money on meat. We still do weekly shopping for milk, eggs, bread & fresh produce. And since I keep a variety of meats, starches (ie. rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.) and veggies – I can still “weekly meal plan” even though I do monthly shopping. Anyway, just some suggestions 🙂
RachaelP says
Crystal, I’m so glad you are able to increase your grocery budget!! I just want to take a minute to thank you because you have encouraged me so, so much during some very lean days. Your posts on how to survive on $40/week a long time ago were just what I’ve needed over the past 5 years – to know that it IS possible to feed a family on that little. I’m so excited because my husband just got hired to a new job and he’s going to be making more money than he ever has before (it’s not extravagant by any means but for us, it feels like a million bucks!!). God has been with us all along the way and He has used you to bring real life encouragement. Now, I’m going to be able to increase my budget too and it will be a relief!
Brittany says
Thanks for sharing your shopping trip & meal plan! I’ve been missing your weekly shopping trips. (Nothing against the other ladies who have been filling in the gap for a while, but I really enjoy reading your shopping trips on your blog.) Keep up the great work, and a belated welcome to the eastern US 🙂
Jolene says
What tier are you doing? Are you doing the strict paleo/zone or the original?
Julie C says
So the $19 of smoked turkey is lunch meat? How many pounds is that?
Crystal Paine says
It’s 3 pounds — enough to last for lunches all week long. 🙂
Jessi Fearon @ The Budget Mama says
So awesome that Jesse went shopping! Whenever my hubs goes to the store he spends double and buys way less. He unfortunately has the mentally “more expensive meat = better meat.” Oh I love that man. Great job staying under budget – I’m jealous because I went over budget this week! :-/
Kim says
What do you do with the avocados?
Crystal Paine says
Those are for the mashed sweet potatoes recipe.
Darla says
Could you share your recipe for the Italian Sausage with Potatoes and Vinegar. Sounds interesting. Thanks.
Jessica says
Can you post some of your recipes? Especially casseroles like the broccoli chicken mentioned above? I always have a hard time finding delicious recipes with cheap, minimal ingredients.
Crystal Paine says
We’re using the MealFit menu plan service so most of these recipes are from there. I will be posting more healthful recipes we tweak and love over the coming months, though. Stay tuned for those!
Jennifer says
Our menu this week: BBQ ribs/sweet potatoes/corn, chili dogs/fries, sweet Korean beef with broccolli/rice, chicken/mashed potatoes/green beans
Plus, I am super excited because I have stayed under budget the last two weeks! That has not been accomplished in quite a while:)
Lana says
You might really find that you can save money with a Sam’s or Costco membership now. I am really finding their prices have not gone up like grocery store prices and so they are a good value now. With your new way of eating and higher grocery budget you might really be surprised. I am shopping there more and more and we are just a household of two. They have many of these items for cheaper. Three pounds of Smithfield bacon at Sam’s is $8.48 which is $2.82 a pound. The brown eggs would be cheaper as would the milk and butter. Lunch meat is a crazy good price at Sam’s if you buy the brands like Oscar Mayer. You can go to the Sam’s website and print a one day pass to go in any time and take a look. There is a learning curve to shopping more in bulk but I have really come to like it. I do supplement with Aldi for some items but I like not having to look for sales on items we use everyday like lunch meat for hubby’s lunches and being able to afford organic produce items.
Crystal Paine says
Thanks so much for the recommendation!
Anna says
We love stuffed chicken my husband makes- cordon bleu and florentine. I used to go to Publix and check out their prepared meals section for ideas- like salmon or steak pinwheels and stuffed peppers. Then we would make our own version at home.
Alaina says
We currently base our menu plan on the veggies we get from our CSA share each week. The last week is next Wednesday…major frown! We’re doing the winter share too, but it is still sad to see the veggies start to dissipate. This week we are having: cabbage roll casserole, broccoli cheese soup, carrot sweet potato ginger soup, shepherds pie, grilled brats with peppers and onions, and stuffed squash. We’re having sides of sweet potatoes, beets, radishes, turnips, and squash. Yum! Breakfasts are apple cranberry crumble, hash with potatoes/eggs/whatever is in the fridge, and apple oat muffins. We’re drinking fresh homemade apple cider too.
Melissa says
Love seeing the shopping trips again!
Here’s what’s on our menu for the week:
http://www.momsplans.com/2014/10/menu-planning-october-12-2014/
Marianne Hardy says
I think you need to release yourself from the low budget for groceries. You are in a new season of life. You are making more money and you should enjoy it. Your children are entering into the more activities. So many families juggle this by eating out everyday. Maybe focus on that. How to eat healthy on the run. I find feeding a family of 4 (2 teens) on $150 challenging enough and we cook from scratch.
Crystal Paine says
Be sure to read my post about our new grocery budget that I shared two weeks ago: https://moneysavingmom.com/2014/10/ready-48-hour-giveaway-3-month-meal-fit-silver-package-5-winners.html
Marianne Hardy says
Yes I did! I read your blog everyday! I’m probably one of your longest longtime readers. I followed you over from your first blog and I found your blog initially because I googled how to feed my family on $40 dollars a week. I was fascinated on how you did it.
Crystal Paine says
Thanks for being such a long-time reader!
Lisa says
Crystal I have enjoyed reading your posts, I have a question but since you have moved, what does your husband do for a job? what is your income? I may have missed you stating that somewhere-just curious….also, I know you probably have a pantry full of ‘pantry items’ – so do you put them on your weekly list when you need them? like almond flour? etc. I’m trying to feed 2 adults, a 16yo (very active) sone, a 17 & 13 & 11 yo daughters – love them!! Thanks Lisa
Crystal Paine says
Yes, I add pantry items to our list as we start running low on them. And here’s where I share about why we moved and what we’re doing business-wise: https://moneysavingmom.com/2014/05/im-happy-back-moved-nashville.html
Susan says
Gosh, I thought this grocery list and menu plan looked really good. In the past I’ve sometimes wondered how you’re not all starving because it looked like, well, not a lot of food. But your family has always appeared healthy, so not my place to judge. 🙂
This looks great, and I’m impressed that you spent only $100 to combine with what you have on hand.
Personally, one thing I never buy is processed meat, no matter how cheap it is. We eat sandwiches and wraps and salads with meat for protein regularly, and I’ll invest in quality meats because it is so much healthier. I set aside meats from dinners for lunches. If I had a bigger family I’d invest in a meat slicer, but it’s just two of us, so we don’t need all that much. Turkey breasts are especially easy to slice up. When pork tenderloin is on sale, I’ll stock up and slow-cook a bunch for pulled pork, which is easy to freezer is small portions.
Crystal Paine says
I’m not a huge processed meat fan either, but my husband is. 🙂 We’re making babysteps in the healthy living arena and, someday, he may be ready to give up processed meat, but for now, I’m just encouraging the big changes he’s made and excited to see what the future holds. 🙂
Ellen @ Cutting Tiny Bites says
It all looks great! Here’s what we’re having in this week!
http://www.cuttingtinybites.com/2014/10/menu-plan-monday-october-12-18.html
Sarah says
Way to go! I spent nearly the same this week but we go through way more milk than that. Probably more like 2 1/2 gallons. Do you get your kids to drink water all day. I’ve gotten mine to cut down on milk since they’ve gotten older (6&3).
Jessica says
Growing kids still need milk.
Lana says
The body cannot absorb calcium from milk that has been pasturized so it is really just a beverage.
Ann says
Do you have a citation for that claim? Pasteurization kills germs, it doesn’t change the calcium content or availability. (I’m a biochemist).
melissa says
Unless you are giving your kids organic milk, you are just pumping their little bodies full of hormones and antibiotics that were given to the cow. More harm than good.
Ann says
Evidence for that claim? Most (if not all) conventional dairy farmers do not use BGH and that is stated on the label. Milk containing antibiotics is discarded and not allowed to enter. http://www.dairyfarmingtoday.org/Learn-More/MythsvsFacts/Pages/MythMilkContainsAntibiotics.aspx It is to the farmer’s advantage to take care of his cows. If your kid had strep throat, wouldn’t you want to treat it and prevent everyone else in your family from getting it? Crystal feeds her family very healthfully on a small budget. Please don’t bash her choices because they’re not yours. You are welcome to go back to the good ol’ days of rickets and stunted growth; I’ll keep giving my kids milk to drink.
melissa says
As much as you think you know, you shouldprobably research from sites that are neutral, and have nothing to gain or lose. I’m not bashing her at all. I give my kids whole milk, organic whole milk. I like her and her page, if I wanted to bash her for I would nt be on her page, I would just unlike it. Make sense?I was simply statingmy well researched opinion.
Ann says
What sources do you recommend? Here is a quote from the Food and Nutrition Magazine, published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: “In 2013, the National Milk Drug Residue Data Base, a voluntary industry reporting program, found that 99.987 percent of bulk milk from tankers tested negative for residues of 10 different groups of drugs, including antibiotics, and 100 percent of all pasteurized fluid milk and milk products were negative for drug residues.” http://www.foodandnutrition.org/July-August-2014/In-the-Matter-of-Milk/
melissa says
http://www.ejnet.org/bgh/nogood.html
Ann says
Ejnet.org is an individual’s website. There are no citations on that page. Their list of additional resources is very biased. If you want to find reputable sources, look on PubMed. All the info there is peer reviewed articles in quality journals.