Weekly Grocery Bill

$65

Not too bad, but not as great as I would like.  I even went to two stores after checking ads and comparing prices!  I’ll keep trying…

Weekly Grocery Bill

Yikes!  It is the second week of posting my grocery bill total and I’m right back to where I didn’t want to be!  I spent $81.00!!!!!! Ouch!

In my defense, I purchased several items for my Super Bowl spread that I normally wouldn’t buy.  But, this isn’t about excuses.  I know I’ll have some weeks higher than others.  I’ll just have to be way more frugal on the weeks that there are no special occasions.

Pantry Staples

What ingredients do you keep on hand in your kitchen?  This question is asked a lot on the cooking message board that I frequent.  So, I thought I would go ahead and leave my list here for people to reference.

Freezer staples:

boneless skinless chicken breasts

ground beef

hot and sweet Italian, kielbasa, and breakfast sausage

bacon (separated into bundles of 4 pieces)

veggies (stir-fry mix, corn, green beans, peas, broccoli, etc…)

fruit (blueberries, strawberries, mixed berries)

juice concentrates (lemonade, orange juice, limeade)

whipped topping

homemade waffles

pizza dough

Fridge:

skim milk

eggs

butter

sour cream

fresh produce (lettuce, carrots, celery, bell peppers, apples, citrus fruits, etc…)

coffee and creamer

lots of cheese, assorted kinds

cream cheese

ricotta

crescent rolls

olives, pickles

ketchup, mayo, mustards, worcestershire, hot sauce, soy sauce, salad dressing, jam/jelly, other condiments

lunchmeat

beer and soda

Shelf/Pantry:

dry pasta, multiple shapes and sizes

garlic

onions

potatoes

crackers

rice

corn meal

tortillas

breadcrumbs

bread

canned and dry beans

canned tomato products (paste, sauce, diced, etc…)

chicken, beef, and veggie broth/stock

tuna

canned fruits and veggies

applesauce

salsa

cans of olives, mushrooms, green chilies

cream of ____ soups

bottles of juice (cranberry, pineapple, tomato…)

granola bars

cereals

croutons

peanut butter

hot chocolate mix

vinegars (red & white wine, rice, balsamic, white, apple cider, etc…)

oil (EVOO, canola, vegetable, olive, sesame)

spices (dried basil, Italian seasoning, grilling spices, cloves, allspice, cumin, red pepper, cayenne, chili powder, lemon pepper, black pepper, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and many more)

onion soup mix

ranch dressing mix

taco seasoning

bouillon cubes

liquors

Baking:

all purpose flour

biscuit mix

oats

tapioca

white sugar, powdered sugar, light brown and dark brown sugar

kosher salt

cocoa powder

honey

corn syrup, molasses, and maple syrup

evaporated and sweetened condensed milk

Pam nonstick spray

shortening

baking chips (chocolate, white, etc…)

coconut

marshmallows

extracts (vanilla, clear vanilla, orange, almond, lemon, mint, maple, etc…)

baking powder and baking soda

corn starch

cream of tarter

meringue powder

food coloring and decorating sugars/sprinkles

dried cranberries, raisins

nuts (walnuts, pecans, pistachio, cashews), sesame and sunflower seeds

brownie mix

corn bread mix

 

Grocery Savings!

My total bill was $46.50!

Ok, wow!  That is not normal for our household!  I’m in shock!  Last week I spent just over $50.  Before that, I was easily spending over $60, most weeks close to $80!  

Tonight, I stocked up on many pantry staples including numerous canned beans, crackers, bread, milk, cheese, carrots, celery, potatoes, other canned goods, etc…  I even grabbed a few impulse items that weren’t on my list!  I’m so excited to have a restocked pantry and have what I need for several upcoming meals that I have been thinking about.  

Now, you may be thinking that this is still a lot to spend at the grocery store, but keep a few things in mind:  The hubs and I love food.  I cook/prepare everything that we eat.  Usually from scratch or nearly from scratch.  We almost never eat out – maybe once or twice a month.  Not even take-out pizza.  We pack our lunches for work everyday. 

I will be posting my weekly grocery bills on here in the future to encourage myself to keep the total under $60.  I know I can do it!  I resolve to be more frugal in 2009!  Can you shave down your grocery bill?  Imagine squirreling away $20 a week!!  Now that’s incentive! 

*Tip*  I know its easy to get lazy and mindlessly throw the items into the cabinets/pantry after shopping.  But remember the following when restocking your pantry:

Keep similar items next to each other.  All tomato products should be on the same shelf, soup, dried pasta, beans, etc.  This makes it easier to grab what you need in the middle of a recipe and easier to see what you are low on when writing your grocery list.

When bringing in new purchases, shift the older items to the front of the shelves and place new items in back.  That way you use the items with the nearest expiration dates first.  It only takes another second or two.