Grocery Spending/Menu Plan | Well, that wasn't my best trip ever.
Things started out ok....I got my groceries to the counter at Aldi, but then remembered I didn't have any cash because I'd used it all to pay for my blueberries from Jersey.
So, then I decided just to use my debit card, which would have been great except for the fact that it had expired the day before. I was dumbfounded and couldn't figure out why my band hadn't send me a new card.
I had to leave my groceries at Aldi, drive to the bank, go inside (can't use an expired debit card at the ATM), order a new debit card (with a new number, in case the one they sent me had gotten into the wrong hands), get some cash, and then go back to Aldi.
On the bright side, though, my bank is just across the highway from Aldi and my kids aren't nearly as hard to get in and out of the car as they used to be (they all walk and they can all buckle and unbuckle themselves. Life is pretty good.).
After leaving Aldi with my paid-for groceries, we went to Weis, and I realized that I hadn't gotten peppers or onions at Aldi. Red peppers are usually prohibitively expensive anywhere other than Aldi, so I was thinking I'd have to go back to Aldi again (3 times in one day is just tooo much!), but then mercy of mercies, I saw that red peppers and sweet onions were both on sale at Weis. Yay!
Anyway, by the time we got home it was more than lunchtime, so all I have for you today is a picture of bagged groceries.
Want to know something that makes the debit card scenario more funny?
While I was putting away my groceries, I discovered my new debit card at the bottom of the fruit bowl.
Oops.
How it got there, I have no idea...normally when I get new credit/debit cards in the mail, I activate them right way, put them in my wallet, and shred the old ones. This one must have arrived on an unusually busy/disorganized day or something.
I spent $64.60 at Weis and $83.72 at Aldi for a total of $148.72. Since I'm trying to keep an $80/week budget to save up for a future beef purchase (I failed at that last month, thanks to my blueberry purchase!), that means I've got about $11 left for an off-week milk/produce run.
Breakfast this week will be granola, fruit, cereal, yogurt, and toast.
Lunches will be comprised of sandwiches made with whole wheat bread, homemade yogurt, yogurt smoothies, cottage cheese, fruit, raw veggies, nuts, cheese, and leftovers as necessary. Of course, we don't eat all of that every single day...it's just a list of the things we choose from for lunch each day. And Mr. FG eats leftovers for lunch pretty much every day.
Dinners are as follows:
Saturday
Sunday
- Instead of our usual breakfast for dinner options, we're going to try making crepes, and we plan to fill them with strawberries and whipped cream.
Monday
- Grilled Hamburgers
- Chips
- fruit salad
Tuesday
- Broiled Tilapia Fillets
- steamed broccoli
- watermelon
Wednesday
- Meatball Subs
- green salad
Thursday
- Fajitas (made with chicken, shrimp, and grilled peppers and onions)
- fruit salad
Friday
- Takeout date night for Mr. FG and me, something super-duper easy for the kids
Enjoy your Saturday! I'm off to have breakfast with my kids, get some whole wheat bread dough and homemade yogurt started, and then we're going to tackle decluttering Joshua's room. (check his 365 post today for a before picture of his nightstand!)
I am cracking up because my card was denied at Aldi yesterday! It was also expired! But I knew my new card was sitting in the bottom of a basket and lucky for me, I had cash for once! Hope your next trip is less frustrating!
You know what's really, really odd? When I pulled out my debit card, my mind flashed back to the one time before when I had to leave my groceries at Aldi to go get cash (I forget why), and I thought, "Ooh, I'm glad I won't have to do that today!".
Ahem.
Ugh! That's enormously frustrated. Multiplied by four because wonderful as kids are, they simplify logistics.
Alternate explanation for the food still being in bags: you did a total food slum trip and what you actually bought boneless sauced chicken wings, tombstone meatlovers pizza, 3 boxes of peeps, chicken nuggets, and a case of beer for this week's date night.
Is the crepe recipe the new one from CI? I'm going to try that this week, to go with the duxelles I made a couple days ago. Usually I stick strictly to lemon-and-sugar or butter-and-sugar crepes but while the duxelles are excellent (as anything made with sauteed mushrooms, red wine and cream is likely to be) they're too rich to eat by themselves.
Also, maybe I'm hiding pop-tarts in there for some breakfast variety.
Oops. Make that "Multiplied by four because wonderful as kids are, they DON'T simplify logistics."
Looks like you might be a human after all. 😉
wow this sounds like one of the best weekly menus yet! I may have to show up LOL!
yesterday was my bad day - ended up with a kaput car battery in 90 something heat but $95 and an hour later I was on my way(AAA showed up super fast this time! big difference breaking down in a city vs out in the middle of nowhere)
Frustrating, but it's good that you can laugh at finding the card in your fruit bowl... I would have probably been a little miffed at that point!
I did laugh at the STRAWBERRY filled crepes, I'd think with all those blueberries you'd have BLUEBERRY filled crepes! Or perhaps they're all frozen & jam by now. I am suddenly hungry!
I don't know why we're choosing strawberries...I guess I just associate them with crepes more than I do blueberries!
Yum, whatever you put in them, the crepes are going to be great! You also reminded me that I have a credit card to activate and switch out---thanks!
Ha. Yeah, I wouldn't recommend waiting on that.
I have found that using these green bags by Debbie Meyer which I found on the internet. http://www.debbiemeyer.com They are reuseable for at least 10 times if not more. Keeps things fresh for weeks for some food. Must say I so love your letters. You remind me of when i was young. Now I am 73 yrs. I was a stay at home mom and did all the things you do so i could. God Bless
LOL! I have done the same thing! In fact, reading this post reminded me that I just wrote my last check at Costco this morning. Thank you, Kristen, for reminding to go put a new book of checks in my wallet. You have done your good deed for today!! Enjoy your day.
does anyone shop ahead and buy like two months worth of food? do you think its wise to have a pantry at home like some of those extreme couponers?
Dunno if it's wise or not, but there are a few things that I have that much of, including flour, chocolate candy, and rice. The flour was at a very good price; the chocolate I bought on sale after Easter, Easter being the last time for discounted seasonal chocolate till Halloween; and rice because we eat that much of it. I also keep a couple weeks of everything because our emergency plan is to shelter in place, we need the food to be able to do that.
Stocking up only works if one has space for it, and a way to keep the foods in good condition.
I'm expecting to be laid off from my job any day now, so I'm stocking up on non-perishables while I'm still working. This includes paper products, personal care stuff, and cleaning supplies. I have a small freeze above the fridge, so I don't stock up on frozen food much.
These extreme couponers go way too far. Devoting an entire room, buying shelving unit after shelving unit, spending days getting ready to shop -- it's just too over the top. As an organizer, I would advise stocking up only if you have the space for it. Think about what you might use in one month and start there.
"Momma said there would be days like this!" I am sure it happened so you could be a great example to the workers at Aldi-- you probably exemplified grace! 😉
It must me contagious! I left my wallet on the floor at home last week and had to sheepishly explain this at the grocery store.
Try a few extra crepes, add a couple of cut-up scallions and then fill with asian chicken (fab!).
Yum! What a great menu! very inspiring 🙂
Better luck next time. Caring for children is more important than mail. You don't look your age. Have a nice week and don't be so hard on yourself. We cannot win them all!!
I've had days like that! One thing I'm bummed out about is the prices at Aldi going up, up, up. Within 2 weeks' time, we went from paying $1.79 for a gallon of milk to $2.19. And eggs, oj, sour cream, cream cheese - all have inched up. Hope it slows down.