February's main grocery shopping

I had no intention of doing the bulk of my grocery shopping today. I didn't have time, for one. My priority should have been my daughter's bath. The budget said I could comfortably spend $30, which implies a "tide us over a week" trip, but the list starting looking more and more like a $100 shopping trip. So, I whipped out the charge card and bit the bullet.

As my blog documents, if you avoid the grocery store, especially when you're busy, the combination of lack of time and lack of food equals no desire to cook. Whereas, if you have the food, something looking good might be enough motivation to squeeze a budget and health-friendly meal into the day. I went to a stress management seminar and at that seminar we had to take a self survey. That survey dealt with our tools to deal with stress and how prone to stress we should be. The survey said to give oneself five points for everyday of the week where you ate ONE nutritional balanced meal. Not three, one. The person next to me gave herself a zero. And she was a heart attack survivor. I was shocked. I think me

als are an easy lifestyle habit... but anyway...

Today I went to Giant, hoping to keep it around $100 but knowing the reality was more in the $120 range. The list included toilet paper ($8= 8 triple rolls); bathroom items like shampoo, conditioner and antiperspirant for the stinky man ($4 for 2 bottles of conditioner and one bottle shampoo, $2.19 for the unstinky man), the Dryel starter kit ($8, remember I was dumb and bought the refills last time without the kit); Liquid Plumber ($4); chicken, $8, but I hope to get four meals out of it... Several budget hogs on there.

And before I resorted to the chemical drain cleaner, I tried the vinegar/baking soda volcano, the natural enzymes and plunging.

Now, on to "how I did." Total: $128.57, no coupons.

The purchases:

Pantry supplies: two cans vegetable broth ($1.54), one splurge of white wine/herb/chicken broth (32 ounces/ $2.15),  chicken broth (74 cents), JIF natural (28 ounces, $2.99), nut topping (1.29), slivered almonds (1.69), Arnold Flax and Fiber bread ($1.99), Simple Seasonings Organic chili powder and ginger ($1.69 each, the McCormick was $2.69), sugar (5 pounds/ $2.50), organic canned beans in several varieties, black, light red, and dark red (five cans/ 99 cents each)... I meant to get dried beans but forgot... Five pounds unbleached white flour ($2.29), five pounds whole wheat flour ($2.95), organic rainbow peppercorns in grinder ($4.29, grrr... I thought it was cheaper) 

Fruit: the BIG canister of raisin

s, the box of Sunmaid Golden raisins ($2.39), sliced peaches in pear juice (3 cans/ 99 cents each), sliced pears 

(also 99 cents), crushed pineapple and chunk pineapple (1 can each, 20 ounces, $1.03 each), broccoli crowns (almost a pound, $2.27), bananas (two pounds, $1.09), two red delicious apples ($1.83), mango (fresh, $1.25), four watermelon slices ($1.08), 

Coffee: [I count this separately because I feel coffee and associated supplies would be wiped from our budget should finances dictate it. It is totally a luxury. Caffeine addicts, don't argue with me on this.] Folgers French Vanilla coffee (11.5 ounces, $3.99), Coffeemate biscotti creamer (16 ounces, $1.99)

Dairy: chocolate Silk soy milk ($2.99), unsweetened Silk ($2.99), half gallon whole milk ($1.60), Light and Lively large curd cottage cheese ($3.21, the big one), one pound of cheddar cheese, shredded mozzarella, 32 ounces of yogurt

Bathroom: see introduction

Other: Club soda, 1 liter, and lemon seltzer, 1 liter (50 cents each); baking soda, three little boxes (43 cents each), two cans sliced ripe olives (95 cents each), deli counter turkey breast (3/4 pound, on sale, $4.73), fresh garlic (99 cents), packaged salad for the tortoise (that we can share $2.50), one pound organic carrots (99 cents), orange juice with calcium ($1.99) 

I may have missed a few things but here's some of the meals I plan to make:

• pizza
• chicken and fruit casserole
• grilled cheese with turkey and apples
• hungarian paprika chicken with broccoli
• beef bourgogne (I still have beef in the freezer)
• chili
• ham soup? (We still have a ham hock in the freezer)
• peanut butter noodles (think Thai)

And for snacks:

• orange creamsicle smoothies
• cottage cheese and apple butter
• mango and watermelon

The photos are just a portion of our bounty. My daughter took the one of me putting groceries away and one of our cats.