24 days into our Urban Pantry Challenge I have over shot the $100 per month grocery budget.
I hate to lose.
Without any fan fair and a limited amount of excuses ( justifications ) here's the details of my defeat. I won't disclose the dear price owned to my husband ( opposing view that we spend closer to $150 per month ) except to begrudgingly deliver the spoils of my defeat to him.
Personal Care Items - $9.81
CVS had Colgate Toothbrushes on sale BOGO for $1.99/2, then I had coupons so each toothbrush ended up costing me 50¢ each. Also bought Colgate Toothpaste on sale for BOGO for $2.79/2, also had coupons so each six once tube of paste ended costing 89¢ each.
All total I saved over $20.34 according to my CVS receipt on 6 brushes & six tubes of paste.
We're all set on oral hygiene for the year!
Meat - $50.93
Local chain grocery store had a lost leader special on whole Prudue Roaster Chickens - 79¢ per lbs. Don't know about the rest of the country but I haven't seen under 99¢ a pound in ages for plump meaty birds.
On average I picked out roasters that were well under $6 each for a total of 7 birds.
Menu plan is to stretch each bird into two meals or one meal & sandwich fixings for lunches.
Also bought two discounted packages of pork chops and a discounted package of large cap stuffed mushrooms for DH.
Odds & Ends -$5.84
Milk from the dairy $3.
Bag of barley for soup making $1.29/16 oz.
Soy sauce $1.55 loss leader. Should last @ least a year as DH has a thing about soy products.
$66.58 over budget ( NYS tax included ).
I hate to lose.
~~ pelenaka ~~
Posts
Don't beat yourself up about it. That happens!!! You still did much better than the average family.
ReplyDeleteWhy not make your own toothpaste? I have a recipe on my blog that we enjoy. You can even nix the aloe and mint and go it plain-jane for even cheaper.
ReplyDeletehttp://theorganicsister.com/2008/09/29/homemade-toothpaste/
We've decided to cut back our meat consumption and pt for more vegetarian/vegan meals. That will cut back out expenses greatly.
Even if you did go over, you're still doing great in comparison to most of us!
I WISH I had only spent $152.56! I think I spent at least that much just last week! I am always shopping the "reduced" meats/cheeses sections, and have done a few vegetarian meals to cut back. In my defense, I have 2 men I cook for, (hubby and 19 yos) and my 16 yod, myself, and my ultra finicky 7 yo grandson. I think my downfall is the "fresh" stuff. Veggies and fruit are so $$$!
ReplyDeleteA bag of oranges runs over $5 here - use to be that was the cost of a package of meat.
ReplyDeleteYou have a very filled blog that I will enjoy reading. Thank you for including me on your blog roll.
Thank you for the words of encouragment TOS & the link to your recipe for toothpaste. Call me a product of all those ADA seal of approvals hype but I still buy into floride.
ReplyDeletePlease re-think buying into the floride. It really is bad for you. I make a simple toothpaste from baking soda. I put the recipe on my blog a few days ago...
ReplyDeletehttp://the-big-red-barn-blog.blogspot.com/
You are doing great on keeping cost down. We try to eat from our pantry & freezer as much as possible but I know I spend way more than that a month!
Barb
lol I hear ya.
ReplyDeleteMy aunt is a hygenist and my uncle a dentist. They both support flouride 100% (and go toe-to-toe with me over its benefits) but still will prescribe baking soda and peroxide to their patients over any other toothpaste. Perhaps your dentist/hygenist could suggest how many times a week to use the store-bought stuff and you could stretch out your current supply with the homemade stuff the rest of the time.
Either way, I still think you're doing great only averaging $37 a week this month!
You inspired be to shop a bulk supplier. i get my supply tomorrow! :)
~Tara