Note from Crystal: My oldest sister, Brigette, lives in South Carolina with her husband and four young children. I asked her recently if she’d start sharing her shopping trips here since she’s an amazing bargain-shopper and has some different stores in her area than Gretchen and I do. Enjoy!
(Note from Brigette: I generally try to stay around $50/week for groceries, but this week my brother and his family of 4 will be staying with us for 3 days, so I gave myself a little extra in the budget!)
Aldi
1 bag frozen boneless Chicken Breasts – $5.99
2 packages Butter ($2.49 each) – $4.98
3 dozen Eggs ($1.35 each) – $4.05
1 jar Salsa – $1.69
1 5-lb bag Flour – $1.55
2 42-oz containers Old Fashioned Oats ($2.29 each) – $4.58
2 24-oz cartons Cottage Cheese ($2.29 each) – $4.58
1 jar Olive Oil – $2.99
2 Avocados ($0.79 each) – $1.58
1 Cucumber – $0.39
1 package Baby Carrots – $0.99
2 3-pk Colored Peppers ($1.99 each) – $3.98
1 3-ct package Romaine Hearts -$1.99
1 8-oz package Baby Mushrooms – $0.99
2 packages Grape Tomatoes $0.99 each) – $1.98
1 bunch Bananas (2.84lb @ $0.44/lb) – $1.25
1 10-lb bag Potatoes – $3.49
1 12-oz package Chocolate Chips – $1.59
1 box Honey Wheat Puffs – $1.79
1 box Corn Flakes – $1.49
1 box Frosted Flakes – $1.49
1 can Black Olives – $0.99
Total: $54.40
BI-LO
5 8-oz packages Oscar Meyer Oven Roasted Turkey (B1G1 free) – $7.45, plus receive a $4 catalina wyb 5 – $0.69 each (I realize these aren’t the healthiest choice ever, but with out-of-town company here, I thought these would be great for quick, easy lunches! :))
2 64-oz cartons So Delicious Coconut Milk ($2 each) – used $0.55/1 So Delicious Dairy Free Product (doubled) – $0.90 each (I am dairy-free right now since dairy doesn’t agree with my nursing baby!)
1 box (30-ct) gallon Freezer Bags – $1.59 (not a good deal – we just needed these!)
1 package Foam Plates – $1.21, used $1 off any paper plate purchase (BI-LO catalina coupon) – $0.21 after coupon :
Total after Sales and Coupons: $11.05, plus receive $4 catalina back
Harris Teeter
3 boxes Annie’s Mac and Cheese (B1G1 ) – $3.28, used 3 $0.35/1 Annie’s printable – $0.39 each after coupon
1 8-oz Daisy Sour Cream – $1.00
2 bags Utz Multigrain Tortilla Chips (B1G1) – used 2 $0.75/1 Utz Chips (doubled) – $0.24 each after coupons
1 Eggplant – reduced to $.60
1 family size bag Pictsweet Green Beans – $1.84, used $0.50/1 Pictsweet Product from Red Plum insert 03/02/14 (doubled) – $0.84 after coupon
Used $4 catalina received from previous BI-LO purchase (Yes, Harris Teeter is AWESOME about taking OYNO catalina coupons from other stores – even Walgreens register rewards!)
Total after Sales and Coupons $0.09 (!)
Sunbeam Bakery
(I love stopping at this factory outlet store – it’s right on the way to other grocery stores, and they almost always have reduced-price bread! Several of these loaves will go straight to the freezer.)
3 loaves Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread ($0.50 each) – $1.50
1 loaf Sara Lee Honey Wheat Bread – $0.50
1 package Sara Lee 16-ct Hot Dog Buns – $1.00
Total: $3.00
Local Farmer’s Market
(I’m SO happy it’s fresh peach season here in SC! Yum!!)
1 box Green Beans (11 lbs) – $5.00
Tomatoes ($0.99/lb) – $1.50
Peaches ($0.99/lb) – $2.42
Total: $8.92
Total for all Groceries for the Week: $77.46
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Fruit, Homemade Granola, Cereal, Banana Muffins, Freezer-Friendly Baked Oatmeal, Smoothies
Lunches
Turkey Sandwiches, PB and J Sandwiches, Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Potato Bar, Fresh Raw Veggies, Fruit
Dinners
Homemade Pizza, Tossed Salad, Pineapple
Grilled Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Homemade Freezer Biscuits, Fruit Salad
Haystacks, Green Beans
Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Baked Potatoes (I always use olive oil and sprinkle with additional spices such as rosemary), Steamed Carrots, Pull Apart Oat Rolls
Three Cheese Baked Spaghetti, Homemade French Bread, Green Beans, Tossed Salad
Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup, Banana Muffins, Fresh Veggie Plate
Leftovers
Snacks
Chewy No Bake Granola Bars, Fruit and Veggies, Smoothies
Elizabeth says
Out of that shopping trip, 8 possibly 10 are safe for our family.
Elizabeth says
That was a great week. For our family of 5, with 23 food allergies that would be impossible for us!
Brigette Shevy says
I can’t imagine cooking with 23 food allergies! Does each person have different ones???
Elizabeth says
Some of the allergies overlap, the person who has the most is me! I have 22 food allergies and 3 pose a risk for anaphylaxis. My middle child also has 2 foods at risk for anaphylaxis. No one gets to eat those at home!
Paula Laird says
This is so inspiring! I’m going to give Aldi another shot and hope to check out the Farmer’s Market next weekend! (They’re only open every other week.) And put sort my coupons on the list for today! 🙂
Brigette Shevy says
Go you!! 🙂
Teda Brooker says
I really enjoyed reading your posts. But I didn’t notice beverages. Do you prepare homemade beverages or is it water only?
Brigette Shevy says
We are pretty much water-only. I like hot tea and herbal coffee during the winter months, and we do orange juice once a week for Saturday morning breakfasts. So we are pretty boring. 🙂
Laura says
So jealous of all the deals you are able to get. That olive oil you bought for $2.99 sells for $8.99 here where I live in Vermont. Cucumbers are cheap here when they are $1 each! I always wondered about the advice to go to farmers markets because the produce is cheaper because in Vermont, it seems much more expensive. There is a huge “eat local” following here, so I find our farmers markets to be much more expensive for produce, but after seeing what you are able to get, it makes much more sense when frugal living sites suggest shopping there. This year, we planted a huge garden so hopefully I will be able to keep our costs down this summer. Great job on your good deals! Thanks for sharing!
Brigette Shevy says
A garden sounds like the way to go in your situation! Yikes!!! Have you checked into online prices for things like olive oil? I personally love vitacost.com, which has free shipping once you spend a certain amount (not very much).
Heather says
What I love about this is that TOO many times I see low cost shopping trips, but the food is unhealthy and junk. You have so many healthy options, fruits, veggies, meats, olive oil – I love it! So glad I found this on Pinterest! – Heather, Life of a Traveling Navy Wife
Brigette says
Thank you SO much for the encouragement!
Martha Artyomenko says
Great job! You must have some other meat and cheese in the freezer, it looks like for your menu plans? That is similar to how I tend to shop. My boys are a little older than your children and have been able to eat much more than I think is possible some days! I think it is best to eat the healthiest you can, on the budget you have, and with the needs you have. Sometimes that means store bought bread too!
Brigette says
Thanks! I do have meat and cheese in the freezer. I stock up when it is on sale, so I only buy it every couple of months or so. My husband is a bow hunter, so we go through 3 deer a year as well.
Brigette says
I love gardening! I hope you get rewarded for all your efforts soon!! 🙂 we do like beans. 😉 I will freeze most of what I bought to eat in the coming months.
Amie says
I love your shopping trips and menu plans. Your family must really love green beans…11 lbs fresh AND a bag of frozen? 😉 I wish I could get produce that cheaply. I have a garden that we started, but a major ant problem delayed my planting. I hope to plant beans, squash, and lettuce this week. I also have some berry bushes that are doing well. I planted grapes and some fruit trees last year. Maybe one day they will produce fruit, too. I remain hopeful.
Danielle Spears says
Brigette,
I have a question regarding your bread freezing. I recently started to do that when I make homemade bread or when I get really good deals on healthy bread.When I defrost the store bought bread I have ended up with soggy bottoms. I’ve never had that problem with my homemade bread though. How do you defrost your bread?
Also I just have to brag to someone. I had two good buys at the store. At Target I found some hair dye that retails for $10.99, on clearance for $2. 49. With my $2 I got it for .49. AWESOME. Then at Kroger I get melatonin gummies. They go for $7.99. They are on sale (about every three weeks they do this sale) for B1G1. So $7.99 for 2 and then I got a catalina coupon for $4/2. Plus an extra $1 coupon I got for another purchase I only spent $4. Saved 80%. I was so excited.
Brigette says
You got amazing deals!! Way to go! 🙂 I don’t do anything special with my frozen bread. I just move it from the freezer to the fridge. 🙂 hmmm…that is wierd. Maybe someone else can be of help. Have you tried transferring the store bought bread into freezer ziploc bags (or whatever you use for your homemade bread) before freezing it to see if that makes a difference?
Danielle Spears says
I’ll have to try that. Its happened a few times now but I really couldn’t figure out why. I’m going to a bread outlet store today so it will be a time to experiment.
Janice says
A baker told me to thaw frozen bread upside down. This avoids soggy bottoms and the crusty top part of the bread absorbs any moisture leaving the crust soft instead of hard. Works great!
Cheryl says
Thanks for sharing your trips with us. I am also a SC girl. Would you share which farmer’s market this is? Thanks.
Brigette says
It is in Rock Hill, at the corner of Celanese and Cherry Rd.
Tammy L says
Wow, that’s a lot of food! Good job, Brigette! Those fresh green beans look so yummy. 🙂
Brigette says
We are big eaters. 🙂 Some of it will last us more than a week (beans, bread, potatoes, etc.), and I am feeding 10 people for 3 days this week because of company. But yes… We go through a lot of food!
Lisa Porter says
I was trying to get the recipe for the Chewy Granola Bars. When I click on the name that should bring me to the link, it gives me a blank page?
Crystal Paine says
Try this link: https://moneysavingmom.com/2012/09/chewy-no-bake-granola-bars.html
Kim says
Not trying to be negative or anything but I believe in making informed choices and while I can get Sara Lee bread here for a $1 a loaf also, I choose not to because it as high fructose corn syrup. Maybe yours doesn’t but I thought I’d mention it. 🙂
Love your pics and menu plan. Thanks for sharing.
Brigette says
I appreciate you letting me know! I normally make homemade bread, but there are definitely weeks when I buy bread for 50 cents a loaf and don’t stress about it. 🙂 Since we have company staying with us 3+ days this week (and I have had sick children this week plus a nursing baby = very little sleep for mom), I decided this was one of those weeks!
Danielle Spears says
I’m like you I try to stick with as healthy as possible and make homemade when possible. But $.50 a loaf is good and I think that Sarah Lee is one of the better brands. And actually those breads you bought are without high fructose corn syrup, no artificial colors or flavors. So you go Brigette, no need to explain why you did it. That is good bread at good prices!!
Julie says
I love how balanced and minimally processed this shopping trip is. So many people feel like in order to save they have to buy lots of processed junk. Simple nutritious eating does not have to be complicated or expensive.
Brigette says
Aww, thanks!! We are on a very limited budget, so I just try to do the best/healthiest I can with what I have to work with. 🙂
carol says
Wouldn’t a 6th package of turkey and a 4th box of mac and cheese have been free?
Brigette says
B1G1 at both of those stores just ring up at 1/2 price, so you don’t have to buy in even numbers – I just buy as many as I have coupons for usually. 🙂
Amanda Brandon says
Question. Do you do the menu plans before or after the shopping trip?
Brigette says
After. I know most people don’t do it that way, but I never know exactly what I am going to end up with at the end of grocery shopping (I do plan a list, but stores are often out of the really good coupon deals, and I never know what I will score at places like the farmer’s market). Basically I try to find the best deals and plan my menu accordingly. 🙂
Anneen says
Wow!! Those prices are awesome. Time to leave NY and head south. 🙂
Great ideas. I pinned the ones that I could. Definitely trying your menu. Thanks for sharing!