This week is our first official full week back in homeschooling, so I tried to stay home as much as possible to help us adjust to a new schedule. My husband is a teacher and has the summers off – which we LOVE, but it is really hard to stick to a consistent summer schedule with Daddy home. 🙂
This makes transitioning back to a regular routine in the fall a little more challenging! I chose to stick to a simple menu and focus on using what we already had in the freezer and pantry. I am also hoping to clean up some of the not-so-great eating habits (like too much sugar and processed foods) we fell into over the summer.
Farmer’s Market
1 large bag Brussel Sprouts, reduced – $2.00
1 huge box of assorted Fresh Vegetables, reduced (included Cabbage, Red and Green Peppers, Cucumbers, Yellow Squash) – $5.00
Total: $7.00
Walmart
I had my husband do some price-matching at Walmart this week, since it is 1/2 mile from our house and very convenient. The regular prices on the brown rice, potatoes and romaine are all cheaper at Aldi, but since they aren’t listed in their sales flyer, I couldn’t price-match those. Aldi is a good 15 minutes from my house, so I only make the drive there when I am buying more than a few items.
4 ears of corn ($0.25/each) – $1.00
5 avocados ($0.49/each – price-matched Aldi) – $2.45
1 16-oz bag Brown Rice – $1.28
1 15-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $5.68
5 dozen Eggs ($0.99/each – price-matched Harris Teeter) – $4.95
Red Seedless Grapes ($0.99/lb – price-matched Harris Teeter) – $2.54
1 gallon Milk (price-matched Harris Teeter) – $2.97
3-ct package Romaine Lettuce – $2.98
Total: $23.85
Weekly Total for all Groceries: $30.85
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Cereal x 2, Oatmeal x 2, Smoothies and Hard Boiled Eggs, Veggie Omelettes, French Toast and Scrambled Eggs
Lunches
Stir Fry Veggies/Salmon over Brown Rice, Baked Potato Bar, Leftovers x 2, “Snack” Lunch x 2 (plate of cut up fresh veggies and fruits, cheese slices), Build-Your-Own-Salad Bar
Dinners
Stuffed Baked Peppers (using ground venison), Corn on the Cob, Cucumber Slices, Grapes
Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, “Mock” Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Chicken on the Grill, Grilled Yellow Squash and Red Peppers, Grapes, Homemade Freezer Biscuits
Grilled Peppers with Chicken Sante Fe, Sliced Avocados, Balsamic Maple Brussel Sprouts and Cauliflower
Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls, Apple Slices, Homemade Freezer Biscuits
Dinner at a Friend’s House
Leftovers
Snacks
Homemade Protein Bars (for me – I am training for a half marathon next month plus nursing a 6-month old, so trying to focus on lots of healthy fats, carbs and protein!), Homemade Popcorn, Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (for the rest of the family)
Any special tips for scoring those awesome deals at the farmer’s market? I tried to go 30 minutes before closing 2 weeks ago and all the vendors were either gone or almost all packed up! Do you just walk up to an individual farmer and ask for a deal?
I must be confused; there are many items on your menu that you didn’t purchase which would mean the grocery bill is over $30.
If you follow along every week, you’ll see how much she spends to stock up on items so then she can have weeks like this where she doesn’t have to spend much because they are eating from their stockpile!
At my Walmart, you can price-match without an ad. I thought it was like this at all Wamarts now?
You can price match without having the physical ad in your hand, but the item has to be listed in another ad. Since most of Aldi’s prices are just cheaper, they won’t match those. Only the ones that actually do appear in the aldi ad can be pics matched.
Can you tell me more about “unstuffed cabbage rolls”? sounds good but am curious how you make them!
My husband loves cabbage rolls, but they take more work than I have time to do in the kitchen on an average weeknight (putting the filling into individual boiled cabbage leaves and rolling them up). Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls (if you google it, various basic recipe will pop up) is like throwing all the same ingredients together into a casserole. Not the most attractive presentation, but it works. 🙂
Wow Bridgette your amazing. I hadn’t been grocery shopping since July and went Wednesday and spent $235. I was sad. We had absolutely nothing but rice left though. There’s 3 of us and one is a toddler. I need to get my Dh to hunt.
Well, that sounds pretty amazing to me. If I hadn’t been grocery shopping in over a month, and I only had rice left in my house, I would be happy to only spend $235!! 🙂 But I totally get what you mean about being sad to have to spend that much money! ;(
I am so impressed as always. 🙂 My shopping trip was opposite. I bought more junk than I had in a long time. I snagged M&Ms and Cocoa Puffs for the kids, Psst brownie mix, Kroger’s Friday Freebie which was a frozen meal, and Savingstar’s freebie, a Reeses pb cup. Still, my son managed to whine that I never get anything he wants and he is sick of me only buying the stuff that is on sale and with coupons. Lol. Since my youngest son turned one, I have switched him to cow’s milk from breast milk, and my budget is taking a huge hit…3 boys and 5 gallons of milk per week! It makes me reconsider trying to wean him since he happily nurses before bed. It is nice not to pump at work though, but I digress. Lol. I also picked up some produce, frozen veggies, eggs, baby wipes, cheese, pork, my son’s OTC meds, and cat food & kitty litter and busted the budget at $80 for the second week in a row. Hopefully, now that all pet products are well stocked, I will do better.
Pet expenses is one thing we don’t have to deal with right now. 🙂 Maybe when the kids get a little older – i know they would love a pet eventually. $80 sounds pretty good for a family your size, especially if you are in a more expensive part of the country! Sounds like you are doing a fabulous job!
Well, the hunter has to cooperate. 🙂 No shooting the big bucks with the awesome antlers! The young females are the best (least gamey). We use the crock pot and cook on low for long periods for the roasts. And you have to add fat like butter or olive oil since venison tends to be leaner and drier. As far as the ground venison, season with things like fennel and sage and pepper to make it taste like sausage. If making hamburgers on the grill with it, mix in some healthy fat and season with things like garlic, salt, Worcestershire sauce, A1 sauce, etc instead of just cooking it without anything added. Basically, it is all in the right seasonings. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Thanks Brigette. We also prefer the doe. I will try your suggestions.
YAY – good luck with the half!!!! That is quite the amazing commitment with such a young baby. I did my first half in May and I am hooked. I cannot wait for the training to fit into my schedule again. It is the distance that really helped me transition from “I run to attempt to stay in shape” to “I LOVE running”. Please post after you finish!!!
Aww, thanks! I have decided I am totally doing it for fun, with a friend or two, so that eliminates some of the rigorous training right there – no need to beat personal records at this time in my life. I completely get the LOVE running thing. My husband thinks I am officially crazy. 🙂
Brigette,
My husband too, is a hunter. I would like to know how you get the venison to taste like beef. Thank you so much.
Jean, I replied to you, but it is not showing up directly under your comment. So see below. 🙂
Okay, it’s official. You must be a superwoman. When I remember back to nursing my son at six months there is no way on this earth I could have trained for a half-marathon. I was back working full time then but still. All I did was work, nurse, and eat and eat and eat and eat.
Good luck 🙂
You worked fulltime AND nursed your son? THAT’S superwoman, girl!!! I seriously do not know how people manage having two careers like that – but I am always cheering for the pump-at-work mommies. 🙂 As far as the eat and eat and eat thing goes… Um, yes.:)
I really like the deals/steals you got at the farmer’s market this week. I think I may go check out our local market this weekend. Thank you for the motivation! 🙂
I hope you score some great finds! Ours is hit and miss, but this week was a hit. 🙂
I love to see the great deals you get at your farmer’s market. The one nearest me has some wonderful produce, but the prices are typically not the best. I still go there sometimes to get some good-quality local produce. Also, I just wanted to cheer you on as you train for a half-marathon while nursing a little one. That’s very impressive!
Good quality local produce is always worth a little more if you ask me. 🙂 And thanks for the encouragement! It has been really fun to get back into running!
Is there a trick to getting marked down veges at the farmers market? I.e. go later or something? I never see that at any of the ones I go to.
Early morning and right before closing are the best times for mine. I would just ask at yours if they ever mark things down or sell in bulk at reduced prices.
I’m curious looking at your menu. You don’t include any meats in your list of what you bought – is it safe to assume these are things you already had on hand?
I didn’t buy any meat this week. My husband hunts, so we don’t buy any red meat since we always have lots of venison and I have figured out how to make it taste like beef. 🙂 We usually do at least one meatless dinner a week. I bought two bags of frozen chicken breasts last week, and we still have one of those left to use this week. So yes, I am using things I already had on hand. 🙂
Oooh, please share! This was my first year cooking venison. We’ve used most of last year’s deer but there’s still some in the freezer and hunting season is coming up. I’ve tried a few recipes but haven’t come up with anything I like much.
Never mind, just needed to scroll a bit. Thanks for the tips 🙂
Any advice/ideas for substitutes for the fish meals? I do chicken, chicken, chicken until we’re all ready to sprout feathers. I’m allergic to fish and nuts. I’m trying to stay on a budget, also trying to avoid processed foods. Thanks for any help!
Well, this won’t help you with the “about to sprout feathers” thing (hilarious, by the way) … but my two favorite easy chicken meals are chicken marinated in Italian dressing (thanks, Crystal!) and chicken cooked in the crockpot with salsa and taco seasoning (you can make your own if you want all non-processed), then shredded for tacos or taco salads. If you want something non-chicken, have you tried quinoa? It’s great protein. Last night I made something similar to this, and we all loved it: http://www.soveryblessed.com/2012/01/03/cheesy-quinoa-bites/ . We added ham, and sprinkled extra cheese on the top. Yum!
Have you tried lemon chicken? Very cheap and uses fresh foods.
http://thejewishlady.com/lemon-chicken/
My walmart wouldn’t let me price match another store’s eggs bc it wasn’t exactly the same’!
Seriously??? I am so sorry! I have had NO issues with my Walmart, although I seem to be in the minority. You might read their price-matching policy and print it off and bring it with you.
Does she use the new Price catcher feature? Even if I price match I upload my receipt just in case I missed something! I’m using that as a Christmas savings. I’m not putting it towards the gift card till right before.
I haven’t used that yet, but I am totally going to check it out after reading your comment. Thanks for the reminder!
The Savings catcher is awesome! Just in 2 receipts I have $10 and change ready for an egift card. I like the one lady’s idea of using for Christmas! Also if you have a smart phone check out the ibotta app and checkout 51. I have I believe $8 in my checkout51 acct. $10 or more in ibotta! Just by taking pics of my receipts!!!!
That’s awesome!! I am getting excited about it and I haven’t even started it yet. 🙂
I wish you success! I do the majority of my grocery shopping at the commissary on a military base, but manage to still shop at Walmart weekly as well, I have yet to have the Savings Catcher find me any savings at all. :c
savings catcher is great for people like me who like the “idea” of price matching but don’t want to spend the time looking for ads or at the checkout doing the matching. You should definitely give it a try!