Welcome to my one hundred dollar a month grocery budget week #2 show and tell.
Before I show you the groceries I bought and the meals I ate this past week, I wanted to remind you of the ground rules I set for myself for this challenge.
The Ground Rules
- Start with absolutely nothing in the pantry.
- All my meals {and beverages too!} will be at the studio this month.
- No cheat days, free meals etc. If it’s going in my mouth, I’ll report it.
What’s In My Kitchen
- Hot plate, frying pan, saucepan & basic utensils {no oven!}
- Toaster
- Crockpot
- Rice cooker
- Microwave
The Plan Is Simple
- Start with $100
- Buy food
- Show you what meals I made/ate
Week 1 Shopping Trip
On my first shopping trip I spent $38.89. {What you see above.} I wrote about the meals I made last week HERE.
Week 2 Shopping Trip
On my second shopping trip I spent $38.58 {what you see above}.
I now have $22.53 left in my one hundred dollars a month grocery budget. And I’m not worried. Not one bit. In fact, I actually think I’m going to get to the end of the month with a little money left in my pocket.
And if I do, I know exactly what I’m going to do with that money {and maybe you do too}. 😉
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Let me tell you why I bought the things I bought on my second shopping trip of the month.
I walked into the grocery with big plans! I was going to buy everything I needed for a “big salad” week.
I was planning on having giant chicken caesar salads for four of my big meals. But when I got to the store there were NO rotisserie chickens! Oh no!
And there wouldn’t be any for a few hours {that will teach me to go looking for a rotisserie chicken right when the store opens!}. So I quickly made a new plan.
I bought ham instead. The ham was on sale for $.99 a pound, so I bought the smallest one I could find {eight pounds!}. And you know what? It was an excellent decision.
Another item that was on my original list was jam. But the cheapest jar of jam was $2.99 and full of junky junk ingredients so I passed.
I grabbed a jar of peanut butter which is full of protein and on sale for $1.99 and called it good.
The grocery ad and the deals I found in the store were pretty decent.
5 pounds of potatoes for $2.49, Granny smith apples for $0.99 a pound, English muffins $0.99, Eggs $1.32 a dozen {cheap!}.
Avocados $0.99 each, green beans $0.99 a pound, red peppers $1.99 a pound {bagged}, bananas $0.49 a pound {cheap!}.
I found a cart with day-old bread and grabbed a loaf for $0.50. Another cart had applesauce cups for $0.25 each.
I also checked the produce markdown cart and it was full of squishy zucchini, brown cauliflower and pints of moldy tomatoes. No thanks!
I thought about buying butter, but the store brand butter was $2.99 a pound {or $2.29 for 8 ounces}.
Margarine was totally out of the question. 😉 And then I realized… I didn’t need no stinkin’ butter. I had a ham!!
Ham = LARD
I could use lard to cook with, I could make soap, heck, I could even make some candles!!! With lard, the possibilities are endless.
This is what my cupboard looked like at the beginning of week #2 after my trip to the grocery store. {The donuts were my “luxury, fill me up with sugary goodness” item of the week!}
12 powdered donuts for $2. Heck ya! It took all my willpower to get home and photograph my groceries before I ripped the box open.
This is what my fridge looked like. Is that sucker packed or what!?
Below Are The Meals I Ate This Past Week
Day 8
Breakfast – 2 Donuts!! Best empty calories on the planet earth!
Lunch – Peanut butter toast with bananas
Dinner – Giant bowl of chicken soup with extra rice {leftover from week #1}
Beverages – 2 Cups of tea with milk and sugar, water
Day 9
Breakfast – 2 Donuts – I love sugar!
Lunch – Peanut butter sandwich, banana
Dinner – Hummus, red peppers, carrots, hard boiled egg
Beverages – 3 Cups of tea with milk and sugar, water
Day 10
Breakfast – 1 Donut, banana
Lunch – Black beans, 2 poached eggs, red peppers and peanut butter toast
Dinner – Smashed potatoes and green beans
Beverages – 2 Cups of tea with milk and sugar, water
Day 11
Breakfast – 2 Donuts
Snack – Banana, cold ham
Linner – Split pea soup, toast
Evening Snack – 2 Donuts {OMG!}
Beverages – 3 Cups of tea with milk and sugar, water
Day 12
Breakfast – Avocado toast, applesauce cup
Linner – Split pea soup
Dinner – Smashed potato, ham, green beans
Beverages – 2 Cups of tea with milk and sugar, water
Day 13
*Part of me was getting tired of eating donuts and the other part thought I was a freakin’ genius because 12 donuts for $2 seems like a heck of a smart spend for this sugar loving girl.
Breakfast – Peanut butter banana toast
Snack – 1 Donut, banana
Dinner – 2 Eggs {fried in lard!} ham, black beans and peppers
Beverages – 2 Cups of tea with milk and sugar, water
Day 14
* The last donuts were a wee bit firm. 🙂 But ahhh sugar!
Breakfast – 2 Donuts
Snack – 2 Slices peanut butter toast
Dinner – Ham and eggs {fried in lard!}
Beverages – 2 Cups of tea with milk and sugar, water
This is what the cupboard looked like at the end of the second week.
This is what the fridge looked like at the end of the second week. {Not too shabby if you ask me!}
Tidbits
I got some serious mileage out of that $2 box of donuts. And seeing the box everyday made me smile.
And the $0.50 loaf of bread!? That was another winner. Yes, I would have loved to have had the money in my budget to spend on a loaf of Dave’s Killer Bread {$5 on sale last week} but the $0.50 loaf worked just fine.
The ham though, that was the BEST deal of the week.
Penny Pinching Tip
Re-use your tea bags. Be mindful of how long you let your tea {bags} steep in your cup. If you’re strategic about it you can get several cups of tea from just one tea bag.
The 1st cup is really good. The second cup is pretty good. The third cup is just sad. But if you save two tea bags and use both together for a third cup the tea is still good.
Here are another 10 ways to re-use your tea bags.
Think Outside of the Box
Trim the fat. Literally. From your next ham. Put that fat in a Crockpot and turn it on low and wait for the magic to happen.
How does that saying go? Waste not want not?
I think there are a lot of basic things in our everyday lives that we think we NEED. When really, there is so much we ALREADY HAVE… We’ve just forgotten how to use the stuff.
I feel like week 2 was a big success. The variety was good and I definitely ended week 2 with more left in the cupboard and refrigerator than the previous week.
And with only $22.53 left in my one hundred dollars a month grocery budget, I’m going to need it. 😉
~Mavis
Nancy Settel says
And now I want to go and buy a ham…..
Sue says
…and cook the fat trimmings in a crock pot and then fish out those crispy, salty, meaty bits and have them with some fried eggs and fried potatoes!
Lana says
Yay you! Cheering you on!
Wendy C says
Could you tell us more about the lard in the crockpot? Times, etc… How to store it? Can you freeze lard?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. I took a bunch of photos and will share soon.
Andrea says
Loving this challenge! Your creativity makes it seem like no challenge at all! I would have maybe bought a second dozen eggs since they were on sale and eggs last a while, but again, loving your weekly updates regarding this.
suzanne says
I find this so entertaining. I thought you’d be eating very stale donuts the next week but you finished those puppies. You seem to be eating just like you normally do minus a few convenience items and brand/bread swaps. Glad to see you opted for the full gallon of milk this time.
Lesley says
I keep thinking what it must feel like to go back home to your “real” house next door … it must feel like you moved into the studio since you’re eating all your meals there! Does DH ever come over for a bite to eat from your stash or would that throw off the data? 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
No dinner guests. That would throw off the data. 🙂
Jill says
A pound of butter for 2.99!!!! We pay 3.99 for the cheap store brand. Land o Lakes which I prefer is 5.99. I am so moving to Maine, lol. California sucks except for the weather which is why we stay. By the way, our gas prices have gone down to 3.39 for the cheap stuff.
sandy says
‘California sucks’?
Oh that hurts my heart-I am California born and raised and love it. Born in Pasadena, lived at the beach, now Orange County.
I am grateful everyday for the beauty of California, the mountains, the ocean, the dessert, the culture, the food, the jobs, the homes, the amazingly creative and smart people, even the negative stuff- fires, ( our family lost a house to the wildfires) freeways, high cost of living, it still is the greatest place to live, and I have been lucky enough to have traveled to every state with my job. Love California!!
Michelle says
Native Californian , moved to South Carolina, hate it and can’t wait to move back even with all the negatives !! Still the best state !!
Mary Ann says
Also a native Californian. Born in Gardena, have lived in Westminster since age 2 (64 now) with one deviation to Massachusetts for 3 years (beautiful, but not for me). It hurts my heart, too, when people diss California! We have everything here. High prices, yes, but worth every penny to live here.
Julia Park Tracey says
Your prices are like half of what ours are in the mid-California Sierras (near Tahoe).
Marcia says
I’m in Santa Barbara, and even our avocados are more expensive.
Marcia says
And just like that, I’m at $117.
Mavis Butterfield says
It happens quick!!
Pamela Sheppard says
I happily bought 2 hams over the Christmas period. I found some for 79 cents per pound. I think it was the best deal I’ve found on any type of meat in a long time. We got 9 dinners out of the first one (3 days 3 people) a few sandwiches and I made a batch of pea soup with the bone that had 5 nice size portions. I’m not sure if I’m going to make the other one this winter or save it for Easter.
Cheryl says
Prices are so different everywhere. I couldn’t buy a ham for less than $2.29 a lb the two weeks leading up to Christmas and certainly not now either.
Jennifer says
Ok – 2 questions – how much milk are you putting in your tea? I was surprised when you went through 1/2 gallon in a week but now you went through the whole gallon in a week. I would have never thought to put milk in tea until reading your blog. 2nd question – what is on top of your potatoes? Eggs? Lard? Yogurt? I’m just curious. You are doing great!!!
Mavis Butterfield says
2-3 ounces of milk. I also use milk in my oats. Fridge phot was taken after breakfast on day 15 {I also use milk in my oats} and had a little once or twice with my donuts.
Sherry says
Very inspiring! Curious, as to how long you leave your tea bag in before taking it out? Do you use only 8 oz. of water? All the meals you make look so good. Thanks for sharing.
Mavis Butterfield says
I measured the liquid in my mug for you. 14 ounces boiling water 2-3 ounces milk. 🙂 I dunk and swirl the tea bag {10 seconds} and then press it to the side of my mug with a spoon.
Christa H. says
Well your posts made me go look in my pantry yesterday and I ended up cooking some older dried beans I had for emergency food. Then I started thinking about stuff to make with your leftovers.
Cooked oatmeal or cooked rice, peanut butter, sugar mixed to make snack balls
Cook oats then toast in frying pan until dry and add sugar then put crunchies on yogurt w/ fruit
Cooked oats and little yogurt into a dough, make patties and fry/brown in skillet
Mashed cooked rice/egg made into pancakes, top with yogurt or hummus
Boil skinned potatoes, mash with cooked oats and egg, patty and brown in skillet then take the skins and fry in lard for crisps
Anyway- that was fun. This series has been very interesting and creative and is making me think out of the box.
Alli Aplet says
Wow Christa, you are really creative and clever with all the ways to add variety with simple ingredients and I’ll bet you could come up with so many more!
What a interesting and fun challenge to watch Mavis, I’m really enjoying it and thankful you are sharing it. We are trying to work through some of the food we have gathered now as well.
Christa H. says
Thank you Alli!
Bonnie in GA says
This is so interesting! Your practicality has also been giving me inspiration for using what I already have before going to the store. Thank you!
Cecile Hoare says
A small bag of flour with your $22 and you can make your own bread, english muffins AND donuts! Donut dough fried in lard… oh ya baby!! Brings me back to my uncles visiting from Quebec as a kid making cinnamon sugar donuts for us!
tia in boise says
I’m wondering what the HH is eating and how much it’s different from what he typically eats due to your not being there to help plan meals…
Cindy Brick says
I feel like an idiot — never thought about the liquid fat from ham in the crockpot is lard…and I could use it. (sigh)
But I will keep it in mind now…
Why not add more beans? Those are certainly cheap. Cans of tomatoes aren’t too bad, pricewise. Cheese? (A little goes a long way.) And eggs are way more expensive here; I’m not a huge fan of them, anyways.
Olga Merela says
Thanks for taking us along on this adventure Mavis! It has made me start going through my cupboards and the pantry with the idea of make what you have first and only buy what I need to fill in. It hurt to see how many things had expired and I had to toss. New year-new resolve to save more and not be so wasteful!
Mavis Butterfield says
It so hard sometimes to know what’s in the pantry! Luckily we have a small one so I don’t have to worry about that so much.
Jessica says
I love how the icky ingredients in the jam didn’t qualify as a need but the donuts passed the test!!! hahahahaa 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
I have standards. 😉