Grocery Spending and Menu Plan-January, week 1
Here's my groceries, and some wired children.
All four of them managed to make it into one of the pictures I took.
Some hamsters also made their way into the picture this week.
I spent $57 at Aldi, and at Weis, I spent $45, which makes for a total of $102.
Here's what we'll be eating for dinner this week.
Saturday
- French Bread Pizza
- green salad
- root beer
Sunday
- We're visiting my in-laws, and I think I am contributing French bread to the meal.
Monday (it isn't at all summer-like here, but I have bratwurst in the freezer that need to be used!)
- Grilled Bratwurst
- Doritos (yes, I realize these aren't even faintly nutritious, but they are fun to eat every now and then)
- Grilled Vegetables
Tuesday
- Chef's Salad (I'm trying a Cook's Illustrated recipe)
- Bubble Bread (recipe to come)
Wednesday
- Cubano Quesadillas (a new CI recipe)
- fruit
Thursday
- Baked Ziti (aaaand, one more new CI recipe)
- French bread
- green salad
Friday
- Ham and Mushroom Panini sandwiches
- side dishes will depend upon what is on sale next week (I shop on Thursdays)
I love seeing your grocery shop photos, they are always so full of colourful fruits and veg!
What ARE those things stuck on top of the milk bottles?
Those are Zhu-Zhu pets, the toy hamster craze of this year. They're $10 toys that people were selling for huge amounts of money on Ebay before Christmas. Our kids spent some of their money on them after Christmas, when they were available for $10.
You know what? I love checking in each day and seeing what you have posted! And today - I loved seeing your son in your photos! He must be camera-shy because he isn't in a lot of them. All your children are beautiful. I started surfing around for frugal blogs as a secret gift to my husband. He is very frugal. Much of my lack of frugality comes from being too busy and unorganized I think.... That is why I love your site. You seem to be very organized, have a well-thought-out life, and seem to have found a nice balance. I find it extremely hard to manage this with 3 children coming and going with sports, music and friends....still, I hold out hope for myself. So, for someone who understands very little on this front: do you really go to the store once a week? We drink a lot of milk so end up going more often for that - and then invariably pick up more items each time.
Yes Ma'am! Once a week is usually it. I find that I spend much less that way.
And yeah, my son and my older daughter are much more camera shy than my younger two, so they just don't get to show up here on my blog as often. I really do love them as much as my younger two! lol
They are adorable! I can understand why your children like them!
What's a CI recipe? Cubano Quesadillas sound yummy. 🙂
Stephanie
Oh, that's just short for Cook's Illustrated, simply the best recipe magazine out there. I started abbreviating because I was going to have to type it so many times. But, I suppose that would have been fewer words than this response is! lol
The kids look so happy, fun!
What great pics! I love kiddos in grocery pics, so cute!
Do you ever put the CI recipes on? I would be interested in the Baked Ziti. Thanks!
I do sometimes. If I like the baked ziti recipe, I'll share it with you!
I also love seeing your grocery photos and menus each week! I often get menu planning ideas and there's just something about the photos as well that is enjoyable. Is that weird? I'm an Aldi shopper too and I think sometimes I like seeing what others are buying at Aldi. I do about 80% of my shopping at Aldi and then like you, the other 20% I do at Kroger, etc. There's just a few things they don't carry or that my kids are picky about. My boys don't like the yogurt from Aldi for some reason. Haven't figured that one out!
How much for the "wierd children" if they were a bargain I am buying they are adorable!
The children? They are priceless. 😉 No coupons or sales on those.
These pics always make me hungry!! I see now the truth comes out...sans kids your pictures have always seemed very serene -- glad to see that the kids your involved too-- makes it just that more relate-able!! I can see now that they "help you" as much as my kids do!! 🙂 Love all the fruits and veggies!!
I have to say how much I enjoy reading your blog. I also admit I love the grocery posts because seeing Weis reminds me of home. I am also an Aldi's shopper and can usually find everything I need there. I also would love that baked ziti recipe,good,bad or ugly. I do have my own and curious to see the differences.
Your children are so precious!!! Its so cool seeing them in the pics.
Thanks,as always,for sharing.
Hi Kristen!
I'm a longtime lurker - first time commenter, and I'm writing because after 6 months of avidly reading your blog, my (only!) New Years Resolution this year is to be more frugal. I like the way you live - frugality in certain areas where the lower-cost substitution won't be noticed, so you can spend/achieve in other areas that give you more joy - your camera, working part-time etc.
So I am writing to ask for advice: Where do I start? I have drawn up a budget with four categories - bills, grocery money, entertainment money and savings. I am have been through each category and am trying to cut the inessentials, with a view to whatever I save gets to go into the savings category. I intend to re-read your series on the emails you sent to your husband RE finances, as I think that might be a good goal for me to see my progression each month.
But any tips as to things you do - or things you wish you had known earlier in your frugal journey? We are a little different - I mean I'm realistic - I'm never going to be the type to make my own yogurt and as a single person there is no point in baking my own bread (I buy one loaf a fortnight - maybe less), but nonetheless I am feeling very strange 10 days into my new frugal life, and whilst I want to stick with it I have this awful feeling that if I don't give myself enough 'slack' I'll give up entirely - but then again, too much slack and there will be no achievements.....
I'd be grateful for any advice?
What was tickling your kids so much, anything in particular? I can hear their laughter through the photo ...
Ham & mushroom paninis sound so good....would you expand on the process of making paninis? I love eating them but have never made them. I'd like to see (hear) how you do it. Thanks.