2016 Groceries Week 52 - $201.32

I was pleased to have my coupons back and sorted again this week.  It had been a couple of months since I had everything organized.  I was delighted to spend just $38.26 Monday at Fred Meyer using 10 newly organized coupons. Crackers were $1.17 each after coupons, creamer was $1.50 after coupons, cottage cheese was just $0.19!, chips were $1.51 each, frozen fries were $1.59, cheese was $2.85 for a pound, and little smokies were $1.75.  On clearance I found hot dog buns, donuts, and turkey lunchmeat. I also got a gallon of organic milk, some bananas, and brownie mixes.

 

I popped in to QFC for milk and fruit on Thursday.  I also found some deli strawberries for $0.99, and pork for $2.19.  I was excited for the pork since I'm making a pork chili for a party next weekend.  I spent $14.91 this trip (including the gallon of organic milk not pictured).

I had an interesting experience at Costco on Friday.  I bought way more than I intended which is a little unusual for me, but when I went through the very busy checkout line I left a few bigger items in the cart with their barcodes up, ready to scan.  The cashier scanned the movie tickets I was buying and moved on to the conveyor items.  I finished the transaction and waited for the cashier assistant to return with the movie tickets.  While waiting I looked over my receipt and realized those 3 items in the cart hadn't been scanned.  The cashier had moved on to the next customer so I told the assistant.  He said, "Oh, they would have caught that at the door.  We'll get this taken care of."  He got the cashier's attention to tell him and he seemed annoyed.  Yes, he'd made a mistake but I said, "Sorry.  Just want to do the right thing."  He said, "Well, they'd catch it at the door anyway" and rang up the 3 items.  By then I was kind of annoyed that no one was taking responsibility/admitting error and instead making ME feel uncomfortable.  So I put the receipt for the 3 items in my pocket and exited with the original receipt.  Of course no one 'caught it' and I felt a smug private satisfaction that I had indeed done the right thing.  I spent $125.74 on food including organic chips, kettle chips, organic juice boxes, chicken cordon bleu, organic coconut milk, tortillas, GF bread, curry sauce, organic feta, snack cheese, cinnamon, yellow curry, chicken nuggets, bananas, organic sugar and vanilla beans to try and make the Against All Grain vanilla creamer recipe.

We were out of milk - again - on Saturday so I zipped into QFC before they closed for the night and bought a gallon of organic milk, a gallon of clearance chocolate milk, clearance naan, clearance mayo, clearance black beans and clearance cooked chicken. I also grabbed sour supreme for my GF/DF kiddo because she was out.  I spent $22.41.

Week 52 Total: $201.32

YTD 2016 Total: $8,121.18

Weekly Average: $156.18

 

For the first time in the 4 years I've been keeping track of groceries I'm having a week 53.  My 2017 Week 1 will start on January 2. 

 

The annual January pantry challenge will also begin on January 2.  This year I aim to spend just $20/week on dairy & produce and have to use my pantry & freezer stockpile for everything else. 

Katie

2016 Groceries Week 51 - $82.56

 

My Aunt invited us to Portland in week 51 for a baking extravaganza.  Mostly it was her and me baking while the kids played on her wii, but we got lots done.

 



While in Portland I made a trip to Fred Meyer right when we arrived.  I bought some chips, popcorn, & peanut butter m&m's along with a bunch of non-food stuff I forgot.  I spent $3.00 on food.  Later in the week I went to Grocery Outlet for evaporated milk & sugar and ended up finding mostly organic mac'n'cheese for just $0.50/box and DD2's favorite GF/DF snack bars for $2.00/box.  I also picked up a bag of lettuce and a little pouch of lunchmeat.  I spent $23.67 on food.  And my sweet friend found wide, egg-free, GF noodles and picked me up  package.  Yay! 

 

We came home Saturday and I immediately went shopping for ingredients I needed for a party that night. I bought organic spinach, orange juice, garbanzo beans, organic mint, organic hummus, organic fennel & a veggie tray.  On clearance I found a bag of apples, isernio's sausage, and gf pizza crust mix.  I spent $28.90 after a weird 15% off that appeared at the end of my transaction.

 

 I knew Chex were on sale at Fred Meyer from my visit in Portland.  I had my coupons on Saturday so after the party we swung in and I grabbed a few things.  6 boxes of Chex for $1.99 less $0.50 each with coupons.  I grabbed chocolate chips because I was completely out and peanut butter m&m's because they were on sale and I had a coupon.  I also bought clementines and a bag of clearance pears, 2 organic zucchini and an organic cucumber.  I bought some eggs so I could make deviled eggs for a brunch Sunday morning.  I spent $26.99. 

I didn't shop Sunday.

Week 51 Total: $82.56
YTD 2016 Total: $7,919.86
Weekly Average: $155.29

Katie

2016 Groceries Week 50 - $126.85

This week was a little different.

No shopping Monday, but Tuesday I ran to the store and bought frozen pizza for the babysitter Tuesday.  I dropped it off to her at 5:30pm before I raced to meet DH for dinner.  I spent $29.95 on 4 conventional and 1 GF/DF pizzas.  No photo due to the rush.  2 conventional pizzas tossed in freezer.

Next I stopped at QFC Wednesday for creamer since we were completely out.  I bought 4 because of the buy 4/save $4 deal, also got a gallon of organic milk, found organic sour cream for $1.49 each, and found a couple clearance cans of pineapple ($0.69 each) and tomatoes ($0.49 each).  I spent $17.89.

I ordered an Amazon Prime Now delivery for Saturday morning and somehow missed a picture again.  DH had Bible study and then was helping someone move so I'd have had to leave the kids at home in order to run to the store.  This is an indulgence for me.  I like going to the store so I can find great deals on clearance items and shop the sales.  In this case I needed a few specific items that wasn't shopping for on sale so I went ahead and paid a little more.  Here's what I ordered:

• gallon of organic milk, $6.49 and about $0.50 more than what I normally pay
• Udi's gluten free, whole grain hamburger buns, $4.85 and far less than the $6.00+ the grocery store usually charges.  I typically look for these on clearance and pay $3.99, but I only have hot dog buns in the freezer.  In a pinch I'd have just asked DD2 to have her pulled pork sandwich in a hot dog bun, but I didn't mind buying the hamburger buns at this price.
• organic whole wheat hamburger buns for the rest of the family, $3.55 and more than I would have paid at the grocery store, but comparable to other good quality buns
• GF rolled oats, $6.99 Bob's Red Mill and about what I'd pay elsewhere.  We're trying certified GF rolled oats for DD2 to see if the certified GF makes a difference in this typically GF food and are almost out of our prior package.
• Organic russet potatoes for about $1.00/lb.  I got about 7 pounds and it's about what I pay at Fred Meyer, but other stores have much higher prices on organic potatoes
• Finally, I ordered a $2.00 organic pomegranate, but they delivered a red onion.  Not a big deal, but lame all the same.  

My whole Prime Now order cost $31.38.

Late in the day Saturday I stopped at Fred Meyer for hair gunk DH asked for and to peruse the sales.  I'm so busy I barely have time to look at the ads much and regularly end up at QFC because it's the closest store.  However, the best deals still tend to be at Fred Meyer.  Anyway - I was delighted to find daiya cheese for $3.50/package and some clearance mini-pizza kits for $2.69 each.  I also found dairy-free hot cocoa powder for $3.50 on clearance which was a real find!  I also got a mom treat of fresh mozzarella that was on clearance since I had roma tomatoes at home and basil leaves were on sale.  Caprese salad is SO my favorite.  I picked up bananas, oranges, & organic apples as well as a Fred Meyer staple, plain organic yogurt for $2.79 that my kids eat with granola and/or jam.  I spent $47.63 because I had a coupon for $10/$40 purchase and my rebate from the last quarter taken off.  I wish I'd brought all my coupons because  would have saved more, but overall still good shopping.  *PHOTO COMING*

Week 50 Total: $126.85
YTD 2016 Total: $7,837.30  (this looks like such a huge number to me!!!)
Weekly Average: $156.75

Katie

2016 Groceries Week 49 - $138.22

Monday I stopped into QFC for dairy-free cream cheese.  I was delighted to find about 25 pounds of Organic Honeycrisp apples on clearance.  They cost $10.00 in total and I was sure they would make delicious applesauce & teacher gifts for our homeschool co-op.  I also got a gallon of organic milk, 2 half gallons of juice for $0.99 on clearance, soy yogurt on clearance, organic cottage cheese on clearance, and a couple of bell peppers also on clearance.  Seriously, bargain central for $29.80.

I went to the Dollar Store Tuesday with the kiddos because DD4 really wanted to buy silly putty.  I spent $3.00 on a couple grocery items.

I had found Annie's organic fruit roll-ups at a Grocery Outlet out of town recently & all my kids liked it!  So I went to a local Grocery Outlet when I was out on errands Tuesday to see if I could find more.  No luck on the fruit-roll-ups, but I scored majorly with the rice krispie treats.  Boxes of 16 were just $2.49 making each snack just about $0.15, well below my price point of $0.25 each.  I also bought GF granola bars for $1.99/box for the kiddo that can't have rice krispie treats due to her gluten allergy.  I also found Glutino cereal bars for $1.49and GF Annie's bunny crackers for $0.99 each.  There was also a big box of Annie's organic fruit snacks that were Halloween, some tomatoes, and a bag of onions.  I spent $36.76.

Friday, I went to QFC for olives & zucchini.  I found clearance organic ground turkey for $3.50 each, 16 oz brick cheese for $2.49 each.  I also grabbed a hand of bananas & a pound of bacon on clearance for $3.29.  I also picked up Daiya dairy-free shredded cheese for DD2 for a whopping $5.49 since we were completely out.  Incidentally, I placed an Amazon now order later that evening to get quick birthday gifts for a party on Saturday.  I wasn't at the required $20.00 so I thought I'd look at grocery items to see what was reasonably priced.  To my surprise I found the same shredded Daiya cheese for just $3.92 for the same sized package!  So I bought 3.  I spent $11.76 on Amazon and $50.91 at QFC.

Saturday morning I got parsley at Haggen on my way to a friend's house & a gallon of organic milk on Sunday when I was out with a kiddo (none left at home).  I spent $1.00 on the parsely & $4.99 on the milk.

Week 49 Total: $138.22

YTD 2016: $7,710.45

Weekly Average: $157.36

Katie

2016 Groceries Week 48 - $162.52

A reasonable week for Thanksgiving!

First stop was Costco on Monday night.  I picked up two bags of organic tortilla chips & two bags of veggie straws, two dozen organic eggs, organic hummus, & bananas.  I spent $31.73.

I went to QFC Wednesday morning in hopes of a thawed turkey (since I hadn't pulled mind from the freezer).  No luck, but it thawed just fine in the sink of cold water.  I bought chips for $1.88 each for a Thanksgiving treat.  I bought an apple pie my mother-in-law likes, the special rolls my sister-in-law likes, fresh green beans, celery, and an organic butternut squash for our dinner.  I also bought a pumpkin pie and cool whip because well, Thanksgiving.  I found soy yogurt on clearance, guacamole on clearance, several organic cottage cheese on clearance for $1.49 each, and some wild rice for a healthier stuffing I ended up not making. I bought onions & zucchini, organic half and half, whipped cream, organic milk, and a 20 pound turkey, too.  I spent $81.41.

And I went to Fred Meyer Friday afternoon to buy bread and ended up buying a bunch of stuff on clearance including apples, applesauce squeezies, crackers, organic beans, tomato sauce, evaporated milk, coconut milk, and organic chicken broth.  I bought the bread, grapes, bananas, 7# clementine oranges, green onions, and a head of lettuce, too.  I spent $25.77.

DH also went to the store for a couple things on Thanksgiving.  He spent $23.61 on potatoes, 2 gallons of organic milk, 3 bottles of sparkling cider and two bottles of salad dressing.

Week 48 Total: $162.52
YTD 2016 Total: $7,572.23
Weekly Average: $157.75

GF/DF Menu Plan

I miss making a menu plan!  Life is just easier with it.

Dinners:
Monday - pizza
Tuesday - Saucy chicken
Wednesday - Sausage stew
Thursday - Turkey and all the fixings
Friday - Turkey Soup or dinner out
Saturday - leftovers
Sunday - popcorn & smoothies

Lunches:
Monday - Finger food lunch
Tuesday - Quesadilla
Wednesday - chicken curry
Thursday - hors d'oevres before dinner
Friday - leftovers
Saturday - Turkey soup or sausage soup
Sunday - pot roast

2016 Groceries Week 47 - $145.14

I went to Fred Meyer for milk and found udi's on clearance.  I bought 2 packages of hot dog buns and cinnamon rolls.  Grapes were on sale, as were organic pears and broccoli.  I also got some lunchmeat on clearance.  I spent $35.69.

Wednesday morning I ran into QFC for corndogs & fries since I was spending the day with a friend and providing lunch for the dozen kids between us!  I setn $8.97 on those things.

Friday DD2 and I shopped at QFC for birthday food.  We bought lemonade, chips, strawberries, licorice, jack cheese, and pretzels for the party.  I bought cucumbers, bananas, mlk, apples & potatoes for regular use.  I also found silk yogurt and pita bread on clearance and had a coupon for Brookside treats.  I also bought a turkey for thanksgiving.  I spent $51.49.

I was back at QFC Saturday to pick up birthday cupcakes and I found some clearance potatoes, almond milk yogurt, and bell peppers.  I also bought puffs for DS since we're on our last container.  I also bought apple juice, a veggie tray, and those cupcakes (not pictured).  I spent $20.43.

Finally, we stopped at Grocery Outlet for an emergency potty stop Sunday.  I found 6-packs of organic fruit roll-up for $0.99 so I bought a case of 12.  I also found organic chicken thighs for $2.49/lb!  I bought 3 packages.  I spent $28.56 altogether.

Week 47 Total: $145.14
Year to Date 2016: $7,409.71
Weekly Average: $157.65

A good week! I'm kicking myself though.  I should have bought every package of the organic chicken thighs for that price.  Oh well.   My freezer is so frosted over I just didn't want to deal with finding space for it.

Katie

2016 Groceries Week 46 - $100.74

This week I felt like I shopped much less than usual.

Monday I went to Costco for a few things.  I spent $45.95 on organic tortilla chips, organic coconut milk, pecans, dye-free cheddar, & spaghetti sauce.

We had a birthday this week so I went to the Dollar Store for balloons & picked up a couple things, too.  I spent a big $3.00 on lemon juice & olives.

Tuesday I went to QFC for creamer & found some organic potatoes on clearance for $0.99, some baguette rounds for $0.99, cream cheese that was $0.74 after a store coupon, & progresso soup for $0.74 each after a store coupon.  I spent $18.51 on food.

Finally I went to QFC again on Friday.  I needed milk & found some great clearance deals on lettuce, prepared veggies, organic mushrooms, organic sour cream, organic green tea & a bit of deli chicken salad.  I also bought hot dog buns, creamer, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, 2 onions, & a few bananas.  I spent $33.28 on food items.

This week I spent $100.74 in total.
Year-to-date 2016: $7,264.57
Weekly Average: $157.93