Month: September 2013

Sept 30 Healthy Food Budget: $66.11

It was a long last week, but I ended up under budget for the month! Shocking!

September Month End Food Spending $66.11 / Total $380.54 $398.92

Dining Out: $0 / Total $100.09
Groceries: $66.11 / Total $280.45 $298.83

(2013-10-8) CORRECTION Adjustment: I was viewing my meat freezer “inventory” and I realized that I didn’t apply a ham steak we ate earlier in September. (Meat from the farm was paid in full, and I apply the cost to my budget as we consume it.)

There was a family birthday take-out dinner this week, which doesn’t post to my food budget. Even if included, I would have still been under. Plus instead of getting take-out pizza or Italian, I’m opting for the frozen isle. It’s cheaper!

I can’t believe how many quick trips to Market Basket there were this week.

Where I Spent My Grocery Dollars This Week

Ocean State Job Lots $14.14 – me and DH shopped for Bob’s Red Mill (20% sale + October Unprocessed coupons!) 5lb bag unbleached white flour (free), organic farro ($3.99), rolled oats ($1.64), teff (free), garbanzo beans ($2.87), organic quinoa ($5.64)

Market Basket $17.48 for bananas, organic raw cheddar, California Olive Oil (bonus bottle $7.99 SALE!), salsa, lundberg brown rice cakes (sale $2)

Wilson Farm $12.38 for farm red lettuce, farm heirloom tomatoes, farm beets with greens, farm muli-colored cauliflower florets, local mac and ginger gold apples

Market Basket $4.90 for organic apples, bananas

Market Basket $4.99 for frozen lasagna (Mama Rosie’s) – cheaper than takeout!

Market Basket $7.77 for bananas, organic half & half quart, ghiradelli chocolate bits

Farm $4.45 for local apples, local peach, and (not local) potatoes

Grocery Store Breakdown (corrected)

Market Basket 74.98 (25%)
Whole Foods 71.35 (24%)
Open Meadow Farm 35.85 (12%)
Farm 29.85 (10%)
Wilson Farm 27.39 (9%)
Trader Joe’s 21.82 (7%)
Ocean State Job Lot 19.37 (6%)
Penzeys Spices 8.04 (3%)
Seven Acres Farm 7.50 (3%)
Mann Orchards 2.68 (1%)
Total Grocery Food $298.83

Total local farm spending was $103.27 or 35% of my spending. Great! Considering that money has been tighter and prices are higher! But we’re really not eating as healthily as I’d like.

About My Healthy Budget

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. DH occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.

Sept 21 Healthy Food Budget: $126.79

To save a little money this week, I purchased a 5lb bag of Trader Joe’s white whole wheat flour instead of my usual Bob’s Red Mill, but then yay, Ocean State Job Lots had their occasional 20% off sale, PLUS I had awesome Bob’s Red Mill coupons from the October Unprocessed challenge so I bought another 5lb bag.

September Wk 3 Food Spending $126.79 / Total $314.43 / Balance $85.57

Dining Out: $50.53 / Total $100.09
Groceries: $76.26 / Total $214.34

With 9 more days, and $85 left, fingers crossed I’ll be in good shape for the rest of the month. I’d love to come in UNDER budget, but that will be stretching it, since I’ll probably be heading back to Ocean State Job Lots for more Bob’s Red Mill!

As for my yearly budget, which will be ending in October, I’m in really great shape. I am well under $5000 and if I keep to my $400 goal for Sept and Oct, I’ll be just over $4800 for the year. Considering how much food prices have increased, I’m happy.

Even when I add what I spent for vitamins & supplements and vacation food this year ($160 so far), I’m still under $5000, and that makes me even happier! But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. 😉

Where I Spent My Grocery Dollars This Week – $76.26

Penzey’s Spices $8.04 for garlic powder, onion powder, FREE 3 oz taco seasoning, and FREE 1 oz BBQ seasoning

Trader Joe’s $21.82 for organic raisins, organic half & half, organic unsalted butter, peanuts, organic frozen raspberries, pasta bowties, white whole wheat flour, organic chocolate

Wilson Farm $15.01 for farm broccoli crowns, local mcintosh apples, farm red lettuce, farm orange cauliflower, farm beets, farm savoy cabbage.

Whole Foods $16.57 for organic red grapes (sale 2/lb), bananas, deli turkey breast, 85% ground beef (sale $3/lb), and Bell & Evans whole chicken (sale $2/lb)

Market Basket $6.91 for Palermo’s frozen pizza (cheaper than take out, right?), bananas, 2 cans of Hunts tomatoes (sale .99 ea)

Mann Orchard $2.68 for apples: 1 lb Ginger Gold (sale .79/lb) and 1.3lb of Mcintosh.

Ocean State Job Lots $5.23 for Bob’s Red Mill (20% off PLUS coupons): 5lb whole wheat flour ($2.84), flaxseed meal ($2.39) and cornmeal (FREE with my BOGO coupon).

About My Healthy Budget

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. DH occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.

Sept 14 Healthy Food Budget: $80.74

To keep my spending in check, I feel like I’m starting to lower my standards a little. For instance, this week, I bought Polaner All Fruit jam, which is not organic and sourced from an unknown region. Plus, I’m purchasing a lot more meat from Whole Foods when it’s on sale.

Food costs are escalating, and our income has been reduced this year, so I’m forced to cut corners. Thankfully we are still able to eat healthily, but we can’t afford some of the luxuries like organic or farm-raised meat.

I’m definitely humbled, now that I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it really is for the average family. I can only imagine it’s going to get worse.

September Wk 2 Food Spending $80.74 / Total $187.64 / Balance $212.36

Dining Out: $2.14 / Total $49.56
Groceries: $78.60 / Total $138.08

The reason dining-out was so low, was because we had a mini-vacation weekend, so most of our “dining out” was expensed as “vacation food”.

Where I Spent My Grocery Dollars This Week

Whole Foods $16.26 for Mindful Mayo ($1 coupon), boneless pork chops, bananas, buckwheat groats, and cashew butter.

Local Farm $12.07 for local produce

Market Basket $11.75 for avocado, bananas, King Arthur all purpose flour, Teddie organic peanut butter, Polaner All Fruit jam (First time I’ve needed to purchase jam for over a year, since I’ve canned!)

Whole Foods $38.52 for dry roasted cashews, chocolove milk chocolate, hummus, deli ham, Bell & Evans whole chicken (sale $2/lb), 2 1/2 lbs of grass-fed ground beef (sale! $5/lb)

About My Healthy Budget

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. DH occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.

Sept 7th Healthy Food Budget: $106.90 / Balance $293.10

Dining Out: $47.42
Groceries: $59.48

Where I Spent My Grocery Dollars This Week

7 Acre Farm $7.50 for 2 doz jumbo eggs

Open Meadow Farm $17.47 for beefalo strip steak (farm meat stashed in freezer is paid in full, so technically no real money is actually spent, but I apply the cost to my budget as we consume it.)

Local Farm $13.33 for local produce

Market Basket $7.49 for ice cream & Newmans Own frozen white pizza – cheaper than getting take-out!

Market Basket $13.69 for Applegate Farms deli chicken, vidalia onion, bananas, quart Organic Valley half & half cream, organic cheese, Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips

About My Healthy Budget

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. DH occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.

August Healthy Food Budget: $421.21

I’ve been so busy that I didn’t have time to post many details for the last two weeks budget spending, but here’s my month end summary for August.

We did go over for month total, but considering my husband were running around on the road for a couple of weeks, we didn’t do too bad overall, especially with dining out spending.

PLUS, I purchased $30 for 50 lbs of tomatoes that I froze and canned. I won’t have as many tomatoes put-up as last year, since my garden was a lot smaller, but I’m doing my best with what I have.

Dining Out: $96.87
Groceries: $324.34

Where I Spent My Grocery Dollars August, 2013

It’s nice to see my combined local farm spending ($130.30 @ 40%) is higher than what was spent at Whole Foods.

MARKET BASKET 77.90 (24%)
Whole Foods 69.80 (22%)
Local Farm 62.40 (19%)
Wilson Farm 43.38 (13%)
Trader Joe’s 36.78 (11%)
Open Meadow Farm 15.02 (5%)
Target 9.56 (3%)
Seven Acres Farm 9.50 (3%)
Total: $324.34

About My Healthy Budget

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. DH occasionally eats take-out lunch at work, & that $ comes out of his personal cash stash.