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Farm Kitchen:  Grocery Challenge 2008  |
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 24 2008 : 9:46:31 PM
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I hear ya on the cost of kids being on spring break. I went shopping this past weekend - totally forgot DD was out this week and the cupboards were thin - spent more than usual so she wouldn't starve.
I need to find another day to shop though because the shelves are picked bear on the weekends. They were out of so many things. I have been able to make a fuss over them always being out of something that's on sale or I have a coupon for and they give me an equal item for the same price. Don't know what that does to their bottom line, nor do I care.
All in all I think I did pretty well, considering some of the items were special because of DD being on spring break. $48.28 with $21.62 in club card and coupon savings. A few items I bought were on good specials like mayo 2 32oz jars for $4 and 1 lb. butter $1.99 so I was stocking up.
The thing that really wrecks havoc on us is produce especially if I can't make it to my little ethnic market. Tomatoes are up to $4.99 a pound and no apples were on sale so they were all $1.99 a pound. I'll be glad when my garden starts coming in.
Our make due meal is scrambled eggs with cheese and ham. Although tonight I ground up a few small pieces of beef and a lone pork chop that got buried in the back of the freezer to make meatloaf. After mixing it with all the veggies I actually had enough to make two meatloaves  big enough for dinner and meatloaf sandwiches.
Oops! didn't sign up for the challenge or make a budget my bad
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2008 : 11:42:10 PM
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I am so glad to see everyone thinking about what you are buying. When you went to the store, did you hesitate to throw that extra item in the cart because you were thinking of the challenge? Good if you did! I know it helps keep me on track- and by putting it all up here it also helps me really see where things are going!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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Firemama
True Blue Farmgirl
1731 Posts
Amanda
Medical Lake
WA
USA
1731 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2008 : 07:34:04 AM
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Still havent needed to go to the store. But I will today or tomorrow, for milk and eggs and olive oil. Everyone seems to be doing well!
Mama to 2
FarmGirl# 20
Rich or Poor, It Dont matter We're all the same everybodys hungry in a different way....
http://myfarmdreams.blogspot.com/
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2008 : 07:38:33 AM
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Alright, Alee. I blew it this weekend, but it was OH SO worth it! Our local grocer has started carrying Kentucky Proud products (products from small farm producers here in the state) and I splurged on a $4.39 1/2 gallon of whole milk from grass fed, humanely produced cows in Russellville, Kentucky. It has the cream on top and is in a glass bottle and again, I say, IT WAS SOOOOO WORTH IT!!!
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Firemama
True Blue Farmgirl
1731 Posts
Amanda
Medical Lake
WA
USA
1731 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2008 : 5:09:54 PM
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ok I had to run to the store today this is what i got
1 Gallon of Milk 2.99
Dozen Eggs 3.72
Olive Oil 4.23
Bananas 1.71
Total of 13.00 give or take a bit for tax
We have been really extending our meat. The kids and dh have left over sandwhiches for lunch, and I find a way to make a new meal from the leftovers
Mama to 2
FarmGirl# 20
Rich or Poor, It Dont matter We're all the same everybodys hungry in a different way....
http://myfarmdreams.blogspot.com/
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
Posted - Mar 25 2008 : 8:53:47 PM
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Alee - I did pass up an item, but I'm not sure I was thinking about the challenge. Was I in a coma when ice cream went to $6.50+ for a 1/2 gallon and never on sale anymore? Needless to say it didn't make it into my cart. If our milk had cream on top we could make our own or have berries and cream like I did as a kid. Last fall when I made jam out of my leftover frozen berries I kept the juice. Maybe I can make sorbet or a granita with it.
I seem to be noticing fewer and fewer decent specials at least on the stuff I buy. |
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Hideaway Farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1553 Posts
Jo
Virginia
USA
1553 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2008 : 07:34:49 AM
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This week's haul (after purchasing one year's worth of beef so you'd better slap me if I list any beef products here!)
Some items were for Easter Dinner items; I made twice-baked (loaded) potatoes, a cake, devilled eggs and cranberry/orange salad using an extra bag of cranberries I bought on sale and froze last fall.
Oreida French Fries - 3.69
1/2 gallon Skim Milk - 3.09
Zatairains Red Beans and Rice - 2.06
Hormel Real Crumbled Bacon - 3.79 - found this again at Costco three days later for $6.49 a package about 4x size at grocery. Bought that, too for future savings.
Shredded cheddar cheese - 2.50
Flour tortillas - 1.79
2 each of Perdue Roasted Chicken Strips - 5.99 = 11.98
1.86 lbs of Bananas - 1.10
2 each Naval Oranges - 2.78
6 baking Potatoes - 4.60
Bunch celery with tops - 1.69
1 lb. bag Carrots - 99cents
Potato toppers pkg mix - 99cents
1 bunch asparagus - 1.62
2 pkgs. Beef Cube Steaks (OK! The one item not included in our annual beef purchase!)- 3.51 + 3.99 = 7.49
Corned Beef Flat Brisket - 9.39 ( on sale after St. Patty's Day and the first one was SO good)
2 cartons Reduced Fat Sou Cream - 1.50 + 1.50 = $3.00
Provolone cheese slices - 3.99
Glazed pecans - 4.99
Decaf Green Tea - 40 bags - 5.19
Progresso Bread Crumbs - 2.19
2 large tomatoes - 3.26
18 Lucerne Eggs - with FREE second carton of 18 Lucerne Eggs - 5.49
Yogurt - 4.99
Rye Bread - 3.19
SUBTOTAL - $95.84
BULK PURCHASES
2 packages Costco fresh green beans (8 meals) - 10.98
Hormel real bacon bits - 6.49
Romaine - 5 heads - 3.59 (these last up to at least one month)
Vinegar - 2.79
3-pack Guacamole - 8.69
subtotal - $32.54
total: $128.38
This is a pretty accurate good estimate of my weekly shopping costs, for two adults, few dinners or lunches out, based on having a really well-stocked freezer including the aforementioned beef purchase. I usually estimate $600 a month, for food, wine and cleaners, paper goods, etc.
Big SCORE of the week: my friend obtained two dozen farm fresh eggs from a lady she knows and shared one dozen with me! I am so excited to try them out.
Jo
"Wish I had time to work with herbs all day!" |
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mommom
True Blue Farmgirl
854 Posts
Susan
Lancaster
Pennsylvania
USA
854 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2008 : 08:14:29 AM
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| I am up for this one! We have several food outlets here where the boxes are smashed which doesn't bother us at all. A box of cereal in the regular store may cost $4.50 but I can get it there for about $1.29. I am blessed to be able to freeze all the veggies my DH can grow in the summer and therefore I never buy any veggies all winter. Our supermarket here has a meat sale two times a year so we load up there on those two days. We grow our own potatoes and my dh is a chicken farmer so I get free eggs. I do all my baking, hence, no store bought cookies or goodies in this house! We love ice cream. All of us! I usually stock up when it's four for ten dollars or buy one get one free. Gas is another story altogether and milk is out of this world. I use coupons whenever I can. Last year I froze 52 loaves of zucchini bread using zucchini from our garden. We can eat a loaf a week! I don't buy napkins or papertowels because it makes my heart hurt to use them and throw them away. Money thrown away! This is an interesting forum because I can learn new ways to do my shopping! Thank you so much for starting it! Susan |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2008 : 10:00:21 AM
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I think everyone is doing great! I think just being aware is helping. And typing up a receipt helps you analyze whether it was a wise purchase or not.
We had to buy a gallon of milk for Nora yesterday, but we are still eating on the groceries we bought at the beginning of month.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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sweetproserpina
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
meg
Vinemount
Ontario
Canada
535 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2008 : 3:10:59 PM
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It's really interesting to see what everyone is paying for similar things around the country (continent?) like milk or butter. Butter just kills me at the supermarket. 4$ for 2cups. That's only two batches of cookies! But I refuse to buy marg any more so needs must, sigh.
Yep, I definitely agree Alee, when you have to type it out, you really notice how much you paid for something! Usually I just notice quickly at the store, and think, oh, that's good etc. but when you look at it away from the glare of the supermarket you can really see where you need to spend less or do without.
I'm having guests next week so I'm off to the farmer's market on Saturday morning to see what's availible. Think I'll pick up some yummy ontario apples and bake some good things for them!
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world."
http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/ |
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
Posted - Mar 26 2008 : 10:10:03 PM
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Meg, I agree with you. I too like seeing what prices are from around the country. It's interesting to see the items that are cheaper and those that are the same.
But, I too can't get over how some items have just skyrocketed - like you said milk and butter. When not on sale butter here is almost $5 for a one pound box. When I go to Whole Foods I can buy cream for less than $3 a qt and make our own. But, with my job change last year I'm not in that town as much so it would be a special trip. I try to buy butter at Costco where it's about $5 for 3 one pound boxes.
I was telling my friend about our challenge, she's a CPA, and she told me that one year she tracked all of her food purchases on an Excel spreadsheet. She said it was really interesting to see what items they spent the most money on and what they could cut back on or do without. It was becasue of this project that she stopped buying paper goods like napkins, plates, cups and towels. Like someone said it was a waste of money.
Intersting idea, but I'm not sure I want to go that far. |
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nouveau_farmchick
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Paris
Sequim
Wa
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2008 : 05:06:48 AM
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I am so glad that we purchased two mini jersey cows last year. My wonderful girls give us 3-5 gal. of milk (each) per day. We have all the butter, milk and cheese that we need. Also, buttermilk, yogurt, icecream and cream. I breed them to (A-I) a lowline Angus and raise the calves for freezer beef. My Step-Dad has land and haying equipment so we purchase 10 ton of hay (@ $2.50) a bale in the summer. We fill up our barn, but this year we ran out of hay in Jan. and have been paying $13.00 a bale! ouch! I raise tons of veggies, in our 100'x30' hoop houses and maintain 20-30 laying hens, for meat and eggs. We also have ducks, geese and turkeys for more variety in our freezer. Don't go to the grocery store very often. I call my root cellar our grocery store! I do put in large Mary Jane food orders for budget mixes and for convenience foods. They are wonderful when I'm working around the farm and just need to make a quick delicious, healthy meal!
God bless Farmers |
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2008 : 08:57:27 AM
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Pennie, I envy your setup. I'd love to have just one mini cow for meat and milk, but not enough room at my place. I know what you mean ouch on the hay. I paid $18+ a few weeks ago. Those are some high priced lamb chops.
But, we do have room for lambs so that will have to be the majority of our red meat. We also started raising meat chickens. Now that I've got the hang of it and my friend and I have worked out a schedule for butchering together I will do a bigger batch for the freezer. I'm also thinking about doing a small batch (15) of ducks for the freezer. And, if I can figure out the timing maybe a little feeder pig. Ihave arrange raising some animals around when the lambs are gone because that's the pen I would use.
It's been interesting this past year, I've noticed that DD and I are not eating as much meat especially in the summer, so I have to be careful about how much I raise. Not a good market for selling extras either. People here are pretty sqeamish about buying off the farm.
Anyway, we do what we can, which is better than nothing. |
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corporatefarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
389 Posts
Tamara
Pikeville
TN
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2008 : 09:34:54 AM
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This is great Alee
We have a large family but do pretty well
I always make weekly menues and use leftovers. We have chickens for meat and eggs. We sell enough of the eggs to cover the cost of chicken feed, so meat and eggs are free!
We eat a lot of veggies and pasta. Every one loves my lemon pasta. I cook pasta and while it is hot toss with olive oil, garlic(fresh of course ) and salt ( to taste). Then I add lemon juice, chopped fresh spinach and tomatoes. Great and cheap. We also use a lot of beans. Hummas, soups, ect....
We make our snacks - homemade fruit rolls, real popcorn ( not the micro kind), and sandwich snacks.
For the sandwich snacks make homemade biscuits, cut them out. Then roll out each biscuit and fill one side with goodies - We like ground turkey and sauteed veggies. Fold over, seal and bake until golden brown. Freeze them for snacks.
small farms give big benefits |
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joyfulmama
True Blue Farmgirl
1175 Posts
Debra
Silver Springs
NV
USA
1175 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2008 : 09:46:05 AM
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the lemon pasta sounds great! we are eating a vegan diet so that fits the bill... I shopped yesterday for 2 weeks worth.. thankfully I had lots of beans in the pantry.. So for just about 2 weeks I spent $290.. Jeff will be getting more avocados and red onions on Saturday.. so I guess it will be $305. I got 3 cases of bananas, 1 case of spinach, 1 case of romaine lettuce and a case of oranges. I put 10 cans of garbanzo beans, some lemons to make hummus.. but I got 4 containers of premade hummus as it was on sale and I couldn't find tahini so I thought I could use the premade with the homemade for more of an authentic taste. I got 2 #10 cans of Bush's chili beans for quick meals, 3 packages of corn tortillas and 2 packages of whole wheat pita bread. 2 packages of wasa whole wheat crisp bread. large container of salsa, creamer. onions, avocado and garlic. I got one small watermelon for the little ones when we got home..
We have been eating nothing but beans and green smoothies.. it has totally changed our taste buds.. we actually are craving more beans and healthy foods.. I had been craving hummus for a week!
Blessings, Debra
Psalms 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want."
"Your life is an occasion, Rise to it." Mr Magorium..
http://myvintagehome.blogspot.com
http://woolieacres.net |
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corporatefarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
389 Posts
Tamara
Pikeville
TN
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2008 : 09:59:11 AM
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Debra -
It all sounds good...
If you like hummas try this.
Cook a pkg of garbonzo beans by using 1/2 cup of tomatoe juice in with the water. Add salt, lemon, garlic and onion. cook till tender. The beans are FAB and are great with pita and a salad on the side. I take leftovers and toss my ww penna pasta with it YUMMMM
small farms give big benefits |
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joyfulmama
True Blue Farmgirl
1175 Posts
Debra
Silver Springs
NV
USA
1175 Posts |
Posted - Mar 27 2008 : 10:20:42 AM
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Thanks for the hummus tip.. I heard that hummus is also good with sundried tomatoes blended in.. or kalamata olives.. The one I got yesterday has roasted garlic in it.
Blessings, Debra
Psalms 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want."
"Your life is an occasion, Rise to it." Mr Magorium..
http://myvintagehome.blogspot.com
http://woolieacres.net |
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nouveau_farmchick
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Paris
Sequim
Wa
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2008 : 05:20:40 AM
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Jennifer,
how about a mini Dexter cow? mine are under 500 lbs. VERY docile and they wouldn't take any more space then a lamb. Just a thought. Good job and all that you're doing. I don't mind plucking the chickens but ducks and geese are much harder. It's really a good idea to do the job with some help, that's for sure.
God bless Farmers |
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sissysquilts
True Blue Farmgirl
368 Posts
sissy
wa
USA
368 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2008 : 09:09:47 AM
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It's so great to see the money saving recipes and ideas, healthy too! *~*
Debra what do you use in your green smoothies? I can't seem to get the combination quite right :)
My stand-by quickie dinner is a 15 minute dash :) I usually have a bag of large frozen shrimp in the freezer and we ALWAYS have pasta in the larder so I take a handful of the shrimp and add it to a hot pan of alittle butter and olive oil, throw in some garlic and a splash of white wine, stir it all around then put a lid on for about 2 minutes, take it off and fry it up for another minute then add cooked pasta and parmesan (or other finely grated cheese) and maybe some italian seasonings or fresh herbs. Cheap and fast :)
I make a bit of extra pasta that doesn't get mixed with the shrimp. I put the extra cooked pasta in a ziploc, sprinkle heavily with lemon pepper, drizzle with olive oil then close and mush it all around to mix and put it in the fridge. Great for a cold snack the next day or added to veggies for dinner.
Thanks for all the great ideas. I'm trying to carefully work out a budget to start in on April 1st for the challenge.
*~* Sissy *~*
Farmgirl Sister #117
"The good stars met in your horoscope. Made you of spirit,fire and dew"
Robert Browning |
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La Patite Ferme
True Blue Farmgirl
623 Posts
Jenn
CA
USA
623 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2008 : 09:58:43 AM
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Pennie,
Are the Dexter's the white and black belted breed? I didn't know they were that small. I'll have to think about it. For the lambs, we have 4, I have about 5'x12' inside the barn and about 16'x16' outside under a tree. Would that be enough space? And, since there is only two of us, what is the minimum weight we could butcher? My friend has offered to sell us one of her pigs, but she raises them to 300lbs+ and that's too much meat for us. Although my street is zoned for animals there's only three homes that have them. One guy only raises chickens and a few turkeys, and the other one has pygmy goats and mini southdowns. I didn't think Southdowns could be any smaller I think they will be more for pets. So, I'm not sure how they would react to a steer or a cow.
My friend I butcher with also told me ducks were a pain, but if I wanted to try she would raise another batch with me so we could butcher all at the same time. She's got all the equip and we set things up assemble style. And with all the chatting it goes by pretty fast. Plus it's a good deal for her because when we finished my 6 to 10 we did her 50. After our fair in August I'm going to raise 25 to roaster size and cut them in half, which is a better size of DD and I.
Sissy - your pasta sounds yummy. We make one similar with all kinds of spring or summer veggies and then sometimes an Alfredo with shrimp and fresh steamed asaragus. Takes longer than 15 minutes though. I think DD would like the lemon pepper one. We'll have to try it.
I love this thread - get so many great ideas from all of you. I can't remember if it was this thread, but I'm going to call our local LDS about their dry goods. We have a large temple about 10 miles away.
BTW - went to the Farmers Market last night - 3-pack of strawberries $7 and a pound of asparagus $2.50. Neither of which will last the weekend - I just love Spring
Also, heard people talking about a shortage of honey due to the drought. Have any of you expereinced this? Fortunately, XH has a bee guy that sets hives in the orchards so we get citrus honey (raw, spun and regular) from him once a year. |
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joyfulmama
True Blue Farmgirl
1175 Posts
Debra
Silver Springs
NV
USA
1175 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2008 : 11:24:12 AM
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Sissy, I am making enough for 8 people to drink twice during the day.. For one person who was trying to get all of her greens and beans in for the day here is what I would do.. 1 cup of cooked pinto beans and 1 lbs of greens- that is 1 bunch of spinach. add enough water to blended it up. Now add enough fruit to make it sweet enough to drink- lots of bananas and frozen strawberries are our favorite.
Blessings, Debra
Psalms 23:1 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want."
"Your life is an occasion, Rise to it." Mr Magorium..
http://myvintagehome.blogspot.com
http://woolieacres.net |
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2008 : 11:29:45 AM
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This is kind of a fascinating thread! My grocery shopping is really hit and miss, since it's just me and my father right now. Whenever there's nothing left to scrounge from the cupboards, we'll usually hit up the store and fill a cart up. I used to do my shopping at Walmart, since that was the nearest store that carries some organic foods. I don't buy a lot of pre-made foods, although I'm starting to fall into that more and more since I've started school on top of my work schedule. I could get a cart full of groceries there for around $250-$300, and that would last us the month. Now we've started going to a grocery store, Winco, (instead of a super-center like Walmart), and I can get the same amount of food and such for about $100 less. It's amazing the price difference!
I do have a question for all you smart shoppers--where is the best place to find coupons? Just clipping them from the paper? Or are there websites that have coupons? I can't remember the last time I used coupons, but I could probably cut back on my spending even further if I did this...
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2008 : 12:27:31 PM
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Sunday papers often have great coupons. Winco won't take the printed-off-the-Internet coupons as they can be faked, but instead they often have a couple little computers throughout the store that will print out coupons for you.
Okay, so I know that I sound like and advertisement, I'm not trying to be, but really- MaryJanesFarm good is so much a better value than store-bought convenience food. I know it seems more expensive at first, but I can eat a cup of MJ's mac and cheese and be satisfied for lunch whereas with Kraft or even Annie's I have to eat the whole box to feel full. So if you have to eat 2-3 times as much to feel full on the less wholesome foods it's really not an economy, and especially not an economy of calories!
As soon as the fall Financial Aid rolls around, Doug and I are going to buy a hoard of food from MJF. If food prices are going to skyrocket as predicted, it makes sense to stock up now, especially since MJ's foods are good for 2 years.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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nouveau_farmchick
True Blue Farmgirl
173 Posts
Paris
Sequim
Wa
USA
173 Posts |
Posted - Mar 28 2008 : 5:51:29 PM
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Hi Jennifer,
no dexter are not the belted cows, they are generally black.
You might want to check out the dexter cow society web site. I'd say that some of our dexter "dressed" out to be 250-300 lbs. when butchered. Plus, being dual purpose they are easy to milk!
God bless Farmers |
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Farm Kitchen: Grocery Challenge 2008 |
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Grocery Challenge 2008
