I’m currently in the red by $15.72 and that kinda stinks. Want to see how I spent the entire $300 (and then some) of my budget? Catch up with week one, week two and week three.
Well folks, since I started this week already over budget, I couldn’t exactly try to stay “in” budget, so my goal was just to stay away from the produce isles, lol.
Believe it or not, I only made one stop this week! It would have been no trips (would make for a pretty boring post, dontcha think?), but our family dinner on Sunday was cancelled and we needed a back-up plan.
Allow me to explain – there actually was a backup plan, but a woman in our church had her baby and I signed up to bring her a meal. It was easy to remember when I signed up… not so easy to remember when it’s not written in my planner, lol. It wasn’t until 1:30pm (30 minutes before nap time) the day-of when my brain kicked in and I freaked out, having nothing prepared for her at all. Since I wouldn’t be able to leave the house to deliver a meal later in the evening (I leave for class merely minutes after Mr. Crumbs gets home), panic nearly set in. Then it dawned on me that there was a batch of Sweet & Sour Pork in the freezer from a couple weeks ago. I intentionally made a double batch so that we’d have a freezer meal ready as a back-up in case something had gone awry (or burned, or forgetfulness, or plans were cancelled, etc.). It would be better for my own family to be left hanging without dinner because of my forgetfulness than the new mom at church, so I thawed the meal, made coconut rice and tossed some fresh berries in a bag for an easy meal and and light dessert.
With my back-up no longer an option, Mr. Crumbs had a free pass on dinner. He suggested southwestern salads and since they’re my favorite, I happily said yes!
Savemart – $4.92
Black beans – .88
half & half – 3.79
red bell pepper – .25
I know I can get the half and half at Costco for $1 less, but there was no other reason to go there until the grocery budget reset. I thought that it would be smart of me to go ahead and spend $1 at Savemart instead of risking spending way more at Costco.
July Total – $320.64
I’m over the budget goal by $20, but I’m going to honestly put this in the “not too shabby” category. I didn’t buy anything that wasn’t for a specific purpose and I have lots of food that will carry over into next month, including the frozen produce from the 50lbs last week. And I successfully stayed away from the produce!
In other news, I’ve been working on my monthly meal plan for August since my grocery budget resets today. Food glares are me, daring to be eaten every time the pantry is opened, so August is going to be my first attempt at a pantry challenge. Truth be told, I’m kinda nervous. One of the obvious purposes of a pantry challenge is to eat what’s in your pantry, but I really don’t have a lot of “food” in my pantry. Instead, I have many “ingredients.” This means I’ll have to come up with new ideas and recipes that hopefully will stretch my (small) culinary skills and give our taste buds new experiences.
An exciting perk of a pantry challenge is a lower grocery bill. Given this month’s tally, I’m all for that! It would be nice to put some extra cash into our savings account to off-set the overage this month, or even set it aside to help stock-pile chicken again (it’s on sale again for $1.99/lb!) or more than likely, more produce!
What about you? How did you do on your grocery budget this month?
I stayed within budget (last month I went over) this month. It is getting more difficult as prices are on the rise. I think you are doing a terrific job! Hang in there. The month is almost over.
Thank you for always being so upbeat and encouraging Thrifty Mom! Congrats on staying within budget!!
Inspired by your posts, on 7/16/12 I decided to use what I have as much as possible. I gave myself a budget of $50.00 a week and I’m currently sitting at $80.67. I have plenty of meat on hand and I’m trying to limit myself to dairy, veggies & fruits, and bread (bread machine died a few months back.) The freezers are organized now and I was planning on hitting my pantry this weekend. You always seem to post exactly what I need a nudge on.
Fantastic job Amy! I’m looking forward to organizing my freezer too, and I’m so happy that my “blabbing” is able to help! You know the saying that it takes a community to raise a child? Sometimes I think the same is true for keeping ourselves on track.
Amy
Head to the thrift stores if you are interested in replacing your bread machine. Most people donate theirs and have scarcely used it. You can find one almost new for $10.
Oh, I forgot to mention (thanks to thrify mom for the reminder) – I don’t have a bread machine either, so all of my bread recipes are written for the by-hand method. I understand if time is an issue, but just an option if you’re not able to replace your bread machine.
Thanks for the tip. I’m going to a neighboring town that has two big thrift stores tomorrow. I’ll let you know if I score a new bread machine.
was wondering if you had a recipe for the southwestern salads & would you be willing to share. thanks bunches. oh thought your overage wasn’t bad its been worse for me before:)
Hi Karen! Our typical southwestern salad has lettuce, corn, black beans, cheddar cheese and tomatoes. Optional (and seasonally) are avocados, tortilla chips and chicken. Top with salsa and ranch! And thanks for the encouragement on our budget!