October 2012 – Healthy Food Budget

My Healthy Food Budget: October Month 12 / Week 3

Healthy Food Budget Weekly total: $101.33

My healthy budget goal is to eat seasonal (local if possible,) home-cooked meals while sticking to a $400 monthly budget for all food including groceries, dining out, entertaining, vitamins/supplements, and gardening.

There’s two of us eating (mostly) 3 meals per day. My husband occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.

October – Month Twelve, Week Three

This week, I spent $101.33, with a monthly total of $297.04. That leaves $102.96 for the rest of October.

Dining Out: $30.63
Groceries: $70.70

I placed an unexpected order at iHerb.com because all the Frontier Natural & Simply Organic products were on sale @ 20% off. I couldn’t resist!

So, with 1½ weeks left in October, I think I’ll be okay sticking to my budget total. I’m excited to end my full year of budgeting at the end of the month too! And even more excited to start a new budget year in November!

Spending Details

Freebie! This week, DH went on an ocean fishing trip and came home with pounds of fish! I kept the haddock and “red fish” and packed in the freezer. We had enough cod and cutter fish to share with both sets of parents too!

Market Basket $3.95: 5lb bag o’ onions and bananas

Local Farmstand $2.95: local Cortland apples

Whole Foods Market $36.28: Cashews, 12pk Organic Valley milk, Costa Rican chocolate, organic celery, red grapes, organic Gala apples, avocado, ginger root, (1) whole chicken (sale @.99lb)

iHerb.com $20.29: Unexpected sale on Frontier Naturals. I love their products, so I stocked up: Caraway seeds, fair trade vanilla, active dry yeast, & poppy seeds.

Local farmstand $7.23: local Cortland apples, local white potatoes (sale! .25lb), green pepper, and red lettuce

Week of Meals

Sunday: Roasted potatoes & onions with fried egg
Monday: Pasta with freezer tomato eggplant sauce & salad
Tuesday: DH’s boss’s fundraiser dinner
Wednesday: Crockpot chicken with leftover potatoes & leftover tomato sauce
Thursday: Light dinner with sandwiches
Friday: Burgers & brownies at Fuddruckers
Saturday: Dinner out – DH’s boss’ treat

My Healthy Food Budget: Oct Month 12 / Week 2

Healthy Food Budget Weekly total: $69.57

There’s two of us eating (mostly) 3 meals per day. My husband occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.

October – Month Twelve, Week Two

This week, I spent $69.57, with a monthly total of $195.71. That leaves $204.29 for the rest of October.

Dining Out: $20.00
Groceries: $49.57

I did very well this week. Last night, I made the choice to NOT go to a sit-down restaurant, but opted for take-out instead, saving $10-$20.

With 2½ weeks left for October, I am confident that I’ll remain within my budget. I’m shooting for $70-$75 spending for next week.

Whole Foods is having a month-long sale on whole chickens at $.99lb and I really want to pick up at least 3 or 4 for about $15-$20. I know it’s not “local” or pastured, but it’s nice to save a little money once in awhile on a loss leader product. I also am thinking of stocking up on a couple of packages of their 365 whole wheat flour, on sale for $2.50.

Spending Details

Local Farm $2.34: Pear and Apples (Cortlands are still .99/lb)

Trader Joe’s $22.03: Feta cheese, cheddar cheese, organic chicken broth, organic unsalted butter, organic raisins, organic gold potatoes, and fair trade chocolate (I was desperate, even though TJ’s isn’t on the list of trusted sources to buy)

Market Basket $4.21: Bananas and balsamic vinegar

Wilson Farm $14.49: (2) 3lb bags o’ carrots, scallions, Kendall apples, red leaf lettuce, green cabbage, white cauliflower, PLUS another freebie of beet greens from another shopper that didn’t want them!

Local Farm $6.50: 2 dozen xlarge eggs

Week of Meals

Sunday: Fried egg sandwich with salsa
Monday: Leftover meatloaf with leftover tomato veg sauce (freezer) topped over pasta and lentils
Tuesday: Garden carrot ginger soup with fried egg topped brown rice
Wednesday: (Leftover) chicken & brown rice soup (tomatoes, carrots, celery, greens)
Thursday: Chicken & brown rice soup (with homemade stock plus tomatoes, carrots, scallions, greens)
Friday: Take out Italian
Saturday: Family birthday party

My Healthy Food Budget: Oct Month 12 / Week 1

Healthy Food Budget Weekly total: $126.14

There’s two of us eating (mostly) 3 meals per day. My husband occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.

October – Month Twelve, Week One

This week, I spent $126.14, so that leaves $273.86 for the rest of October.

Dining Out: $22.53
Groceries: $103.61

Starting out a little strong, but that’s usually how it is at the beginning of the month!

Spending Details

Amazon Subscribe & Save $28.32: Tuna & maple syrup

Local Farm (Monday) $7.20: Cortland apples (sale @.99lb), pepper, cucumber, scallions, radishes w/ greens, red lettuce

Market Basket (Tues) $18.94: mushrooms, broccoli, bananas, and (2) California olive oil (big big sale – $6.99 for a huge 33.8 oz)

Whole Foods (Tues) $41.04: 4+lbs of split chicken breast (sale $1.99lb), (2) Frontier salsa (sale 3.50each), WF Costa Rican chocolate bar, organic chicken broth, Calrose white rice, organic short grain rice, peanuts, (2) local mozzarella (rain check for previous sale @3.99 8oz), organic celery and organic delicata squash

Local Farm (Tues) $4.12: Cortland apples (still on sale @.99lb) and green beans

Market Basket $3.99: Applegate Farms deli chicken

Week of Meals

Sunday: Veggie salad and buttered toast (making up for an extravagant weekend!)
Monday: Fried eggs with brown rice and salad
Tuesday: Baked chicken with winter squash, broccoli, garden carrots, & mushrooms
Wednesday: Chicken veggie soup (bok choy, celery, leftover carrots & broccoli) & homemade raisin bread
Thursday: Slow roasted garden tomatoes with garden carrot greens, garden carrot, scallions over pasta
Friday: Bread pizza with salsa and mozzarella
Saturday: Chinese take out – (steamed chicken & veggies with veg fried rice)