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Grocery Spending/Menu Plan | I overspent. But it’s ok.

On Saturdays, I share my menu plan for the upcoming week along with a photo of my groceries and a tally of my spending. My goal is to spend $100/week for our food, toiletries, and cleaning products. I’m currently in the midst of trying to buy more local, sustainably-produced food while sticking to my budget. Can it be done? I don’t know, but I’m going to try, and I’ll share what I learn as I go along.

This week, I spent $46.36 at Aldi, $22.02 at Weis, $10 at the produce stand, and $20 for a half bushel of local peaches (from a different farm).

I also spent $71.30 at Costco (for laundry detergent, crackers, pecans, honey, pistachios, and syrup).

That means my total grocery outlay for the week is $169.68. Fortunately, I have an extra $60 in my grocery budget right now due to some underspending in the last month and that means that I’m only over budget by $9.68. Sweet. As long as I manage to spend around $90 next week, I’ll end the month exactly on target, despite this crazy week.

The food pictured here includes only my Weis and Aldi purchases…the local produce and my Costco purchases went unphotographed. 😉

Somehow, these items didn’t make it into the other photo, so they get to star in their own picture. 😉

I had another odd week last week, where I switched meals around (which was good! I used up some things from the freezer.), so some of these poor meals are the same ones that have been on the last two menu plans.

Saturday

  • Pizza. I haven’t decided for sure what kind yet!

Sunday

Monday

  • Chicken/ Basil Panini
  • local corn and green beans

Tuesday

  • Broiled Tilapia
  • Pull-Apart Garlic Bread
  • Spinach Salad

Wednesday

  • Cilantro Chicken Pasta Salad
  • homemade English Muffins
  • green beans

Thursday

  • Seafood Subs
  • green salad
  • chips

Friday

  • Takeout for Mr. FG and me, and something easy for the kids (leftovers, breakfast for dinner, sandwiches, etc.)

Today’s 365 post: So, usually she looks small.

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jan

Wednesday 25th of August 2010

Hehe...I'm chuckling at the 2 lonely shrooms in the 2nd picture but know EXACTLY why you did that (see, I faithfully read, sometimes a little late!). I'm so stinkin excited, we have an Aldi's opening up in the next few months here in South Florida! Woohoo ... Hubby and I have been known to take an empty suitcase to stock up when we visit the midwest (Aldi's on every corner, it seems!) ... and now we will have one here ... although 15 miles (which equates to about 30 minutes with traffic) away, I will be scoping it out ... :)

Vicky Kelly

Monday 23rd of August 2010

Hey I think perhaps some of your purchases at Costco are photographed if I'm correct. I just looked at your 365 page & the pics you have there of your cutie pie with another little kiddo, & I saw some Ritz crackers & other stuff. Recognized the carts b/c Sam's Club also has the double seaters lol

mara

Saturday 21st of August 2010

KK ... you're killing me .... is that bread you purchased?

Kristen

Saturday 21st of August 2010

lol! I was waiting to see how long it would take someone to notice.

Yup, I bought a loaf of whole wheat bread. I needed to send some sandwiches with Sonia and Lisey on Friday (they went to Six Flags) and I didn't have any bread here that would work.

Fear not, though...that's the first loaf of sandwich bread I've bought in eons. =P

Frugal Liz

Saturday 21st of August 2010

Kristen, Sometimes I have to use vinegar or baking soda as a laundry booster if our clothes are particularly dirty! That recipe from The Simple Dollar isn't as good, if I'm recalling it right.

Andi

Saturday 21st of August 2010

What is that extra large Blow-Pop? That's the first thing my kids saw in the photo, figures: )

Kristen

Saturday 21st of August 2010

Oh, that's Sonia's! She has two stuffed BlowPops (one was given to her, the other she bought at Goodwill a while back).

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