This past week had an unexpected complication, so I did not take the time to better plan my shopping trips.
Friday, my in-laws came to our house so I could get out for a little while. My shopping plans did not have me very close to an Aldi's, so I decided to pick up some of the items I thought we needed at Dillon's and Target.
Well, I spent $21.36 at Dillon's and $19.27 at Target. In addition, my mom and I stopped at Sam's on Saturday to pick up a case of beef. While we were there, I did not want to waste the trip, so I picked up a few more items that cost a total of $37.02. Finally, we were out of milk, so I stopped by Dillon's again on Sunday and spent $8.53. With all of this shopping, I went over our budget total for the month by $13.36.
Dillon's sucked me in with their latest sales promotion. I had some good coupons for Town House crackers (so I could get them for 50 cents), but to get the better deal, I had to buy 6 items. I was also able to get some granola bars for 50 cents a box. I bought 14 items at Dillon's, but most of the items we did not necessarily need right away. I could have waited until after the first of the month. The same was true at Target.
I do not feel as guilty about my Sam's purchases because it saved me having to make a special trip later. (I am planning to pay my mom for the meat from the July budget).
So, I have learned that I need to make more of an effort to stop at Aldi's in addition to being more committed to only buying what we need for the week.
Fortunately, we have enough items to make it through this next week, so I should not need to spend much at the store this first week of July.
Now my goal will be to stay under budget for July to cover the extra for June.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
Let's Eat!
What We Plan to Eat This Week
June 22 to June 28
Breakfast
- Muffin/quick bread, yogurt
- Toast w/peanut butter, banana
- Bagel, scrambled eggs, fruit
- Smoothie, cinnamon toast
- Oatmeal, fruit
- Muffin/quick bread, yogurt
- Pancakes, fruit
Lunch
- Pizza
- Corn dogs, grapes, pretzels
- Quesadilla, salsa
- Chicken nuggets, fruit
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pretzels, fruit
- Cheese and crackers
- Mini calzones, fruit
Supper
- Eat out
- Cheesy chicken casserole, peas, bread sticks
- King's chicken, chips, salsa
- Italian crescent bake, green beans
- BBQ chicken, corn
- Pizza bake, vegetable, bread sticks
- Grilled chicken, vegetable, bread
Still on Track
Sunday I was without kids again, so I made a couple of grocery stops after church. I went to Target, Aldi's, and Dillon's, and once again, I made it a point to buy the majority of my groceries at Aldi's.
We really like the Honey Oat Bagels at Target, so I went ahead and picked some more up since Aldi's does not sell this flavor of bagel. I also picked up some Smucker's Natural peanut butter, since the natural peanut butter at Aldi's still contains sugar. All together, I spent a little over $9 at Target.
At Dillon's, I just bought milk. Thankfully, it was on sale for $2.99 per gallon, so I just spent over $6 on milk that should last us through the week.
Finally, at Aldi's, I purchased many of my typical items. My total was only $34.91 for 15 items, and that was with buying a bag of chicken at $5.99.
With only 7 days left in the month, I have spent $322.88 on groceries. I don't see any problem with staying with the $400 budget this month.
Next month will require some planning because I am nearly out of beef. My mom and I usually split a case from Sam's, so the meat will last me for quite a few months, but the initial outlay is a little painful. I guess that means I should really limit my spending for the rest of this week so I can use that extra money for meat next month.
We really like the Honey Oat Bagels at Target, so I went ahead and picked some more up since Aldi's does not sell this flavor of bagel. I also picked up some Smucker's Natural peanut butter, since the natural peanut butter at Aldi's still contains sugar. All together, I spent a little over $9 at Target.
At Dillon's, I just bought milk. Thankfully, it was on sale for $2.99 per gallon, so I just spent over $6 on milk that should last us through the week.
Finally, at Aldi's, I purchased many of my typical items. My total was only $34.91 for 15 items, and that was with buying a bag of chicken at $5.99.
With only 7 days left in the month, I have spent $322.88 on groceries. I don't see any problem with staying with the $400 budget this month.
Next month will require some planning because I am nearly out of beef. My mom and I usually split a case from Sam's, so the meat will last me for quite a few months, but the initial outlay is a little painful. I guess that means I should really limit my spending for the rest of this week so I can use that extra money for meat next month.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Hits and Misses
I have to say that Aldi's animal crackers are delicious. They taste good, and they do not contain artificial flavors (someone needs to explain to me why a vanilla cookie would have artificial flavor to begin with). I also like the cheese.
Today, we tried some of the honey graham crackers. Unfortunately, they do not taste as good as the animal crackers. My kids don't mind, so we will finish the box, but I don't think I will buy them again.
Today, we tried some of the honey graham crackers. Unfortunately, they do not taste as good as the animal crackers. My kids don't mind, so we will finish the box, but I don't think I will buy them again.
Weekly Menu
Weekly Menu
June 15 - June 21
Breakfast
- Muffin
- Yogurt
- Bagel
- Scrambled eggs
- Peanut Butter toast
- Smoothie
- Oatmeal
- Pancakes
- Fruit
Lunch
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- Corn dogs
- Chicken nuggets
- Macaroni and cheese
- Quesadilla
- Cheese and Crackers
- Hot dogs
Supper
- Pizza
- Sloppy Joes
- Chicken Tacos
- Chicken pockets
- Lasagna shells
- Chicken and Rice
- Grilled Chicken
Most Recent Trip
My in-laws had my kids for the day last Thursday, so I used that day as an opportunity to do some shopping on my own.
I made a brief stop at Wal-Mart where I picked up some Clif Bars for my husband. Since they do not sell these at Aldi's, I needed to pick them up somewhere else. I paid $6.19 for the bars (including tax).
I also stopped at Aldi's and Dillon's that day. Aldi's had strawberries for 99 cents again, so I took advantage of that price as well as a pineapple for $1.29. I needed to pick up some flour as well; much to my delight, the price was only $1.28 for 5lbs. I will definitely buy my flour from Aldi's in the future. The total for Aldi's came to $22.45.
I picked up milk, yogurt, raspberries, and bananas at Dillon's (along with some Chinese food for lunch). The total came to $16.84 for that stop.
Finally, on Saturday, I needed to stop at Target to pick up a few non-grocery items. While I was there, I went ahead and picked up some food items I needed for the weekend. My total at Target was $20.05.
So far in this journey, I have enjoyed not having $100 grocery bills. To this date, I have spent a little over $204 in groceries, which is just over half our regular budget.
Now I just need to remain focused on my plan and not be tempted to buy unnecessary items at any store.
I made a brief stop at Wal-Mart where I picked up some Clif Bars for my husband. Since they do not sell these at Aldi's, I needed to pick them up somewhere else. I paid $6.19 for the bars (including tax).
I also stopped at Aldi's and Dillon's that day. Aldi's had strawberries for 99 cents again, so I took advantage of that price as well as a pineapple for $1.29. I needed to pick up some flour as well; much to my delight, the price was only $1.28 for 5lbs. I will definitely buy my flour from Aldi's in the future. The total for Aldi's came to $22.45.
I picked up milk, yogurt, raspberries, and bananas at Dillon's (along with some Chinese food for lunch). The total came to $16.84 for that stop.
Finally, on Saturday, I needed to stop at Target to pick up a few non-grocery items. While I was there, I went ahead and picked up some food items I needed for the weekend. My total at Target was $20.05.
So far in this journey, I have enjoyed not having $100 grocery bills. To this date, I have spent a little over $204 in groceries, which is just over half our regular budget.
Now I just need to remain focused on my plan and not be tempted to buy unnecessary items at any store.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Weekly Menu
Weekly Menu
June 8 - June 14
Breakfast
- Toast w/peanut butter
- Smoothie x 2
- Muffin x 2
- Scrambled Eggs
- Pancakes
Lunch
- Corn dogs
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- Chicken nuggets
- Macaroni and cheese
- Grilled cheese
- Mini calzones
- Left overs
Dinner
- Leftovers
- Spaghetti
- King's chicken
- Pizza
- Chicken Parmesan
- Taco Bread
- Grilled Chicken
Last Weekend
I made a couple of trips to Aldi's this last weekend, as well as one brief trip to Dillon's.
We made plans to eat dinner at a friend's house on Friday, so I needed to go and pick up a few items for the side dish I planned to bring. While I was there, I went ahead and picked up a few items I knew that we would soon need. The most expensive item was a 3lb bag of frozen chicken breasts. The price on the frozen breasts is certainly reasonable, but I prefer the 10lb bag I can buy at Sam's because the breasts are a little smaller and more consistently sized. The price at Sam's is not that much more than Aldi's, so I will probably go back to buying the Sam's chicken after this month.
I was excited to find pork chops for $2.49/lb. I had looked at Dillon's recently and they were over $4/lb; a package with just three pork chops cost over $7. For just about the same unit price, I was able to buy 5 pork chops at Aldi's (and one of those chops was big enough to actually make the total 6).
I spent $36.95 on this first trip.
The second trip came on Sunday after I had made our weekly menu plan. There were just a few items that I needed, so the trip only cost $16.82.
Since I also wanted to buy some yogurt, I went over to Dillon's. They had a mariachi band playing for their Mexican celebration, so I enjoyed the added pleasure of live music to my shopping experience. While at Dillon's, I just stuck to my goal of only buying certain produce and other items that I am not able to buy at Aldi's. Red leaf lettuce, bananas, and yogurt were the only items I placed in my cart to purchase for a total of $5.25.
I have to admit I struggled a little bit while at Dillon's with the temptation to look for food bargains.
A third of the way through the month, my grocery total sits at $135 and change. This would keep me at the $400 mark for the month if I stay at this pace.
We made plans to eat dinner at a friend's house on Friday, so I needed to go and pick up a few items for the side dish I planned to bring. While I was there, I went ahead and picked up a few items I knew that we would soon need. The most expensive item was a 3lb bag of frozen chicken breasts. The price on the frozen breasts is certainly reasonable, but I prefer the 10lb bag I can buy at Sam's because the breasts are a little smaller and more consistently sized. The price at Sam's is not that much more than Aldi's, so I will probably go back to buying the Sam's chicken after this month.
I was excited to find pork chops for $2.49/lb. I had looked at Dillon's recently and they were over $4/lb; a package with just three pork chops cost over $7. For just about the same unit price, I was able to buy 5 pork chops at Aldi's (and one of those chops was big enough to actually make the total 6).
I spent $36.95 on this first trip.
The second trip came on Sunday after I had made our weekly menu plan. There were just a few items that I needed, so the trip only cost $16.82.
Since I also wanted to buy some yogurt, I went over to Dillon's. They had a mariachi band playing for their Mexican celebration, so I enjoyed the added pleasure of live music to my shopping experience. While at Dillon's, I just stuck to my goal of only buying certain produce and other items that I am not able to buy at Aldi's. Red leaf lettuce, bananas, and yogurt were the only items I placed in my cart to purchase for a total of $5.25.
I have to admit I struggled a little bit while at Dillon's with the temptation to look for food bargains.
A third of the way through the month, my grocery total sits at $135 and change. This would keep me at the $400 mark for the month if I stay at this pace.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Weekly Menu
Weekly Menu
June 1- June 7
Breakfast
- Smoothie
- Cinnamon Toast
- Peanut butter Toast
- Oatmeal
- Muffins
- Pancakes
- Scrambled Eggs
Lunch
- Macaroni and cheese
- Quesadilla
- Corn Dogs
- Eat out
- Cheese and Crakcers
- Mini Calzones
- Hamburgers
Dinner
- Sandwich
- Italian Crescent Bake
- Chicken and Rice
- Sloppy Joes
- Chicken Tacos
- Taco Bread
- Pizza
A Quick Stop at Dillon's
We were completely out of milk, so I made a quick stop at Dillon's today to buy some. I prefer to buy my milk at Dillon's (or Braum's), so that is one item I am not going to buy from Aldi's.
While I was there, I went ahead and picked up some bananas (I have never had good luck with Aldi's bananas) and a bag of store brand tortilla chips. The chips are only $1, which is a hard price to beat anywhere.
My total cost for this trip was $9.16.
My resolve to primarily shop at Aldi's did have a positive impact on this trip. I stuck to my list and did not even stop to consider picking up any other items (even though they do have Townhouse crackers on sale).
While I was there, I went ahead and picked up some bananas (I have never had good luck with Aldi's bananas) and a bag of store brand tortilla chips. The chips are only $1, which is a hard price to beat anywhere.
My total cost for this trip was $9.16.
My resolve to primarily shop at Aldi's did have a positive impact on this trip. I stuck to my list and did not even stop to consider picking up any other items (even though they do have Townhouse crackers on sale).
First Trip
I completed my first official trip for the month of June on Monday. My list was not very long since I am also trying to use up the items I already have in my pantry. We were running low on some snacky-food items like granola bars and crackers.
As I looked at the different prices, I could see that Aldi's regular price for items is often lower than the other grocery stores, but that many of these items often go on sale for less. Of course, one reason I think Aldi's will help me spend less is that I will not be distracted by as extra items on sale that I do not need.
I spent $54.99 for 30 items on this trip, which is a pretty good price-per-item breakdown for my usual shopping trips. The most expensive item I purchased was a box of 32 fruit snacks for $3.99. The least expensive items was a can of cream of chicken soup for $.79.
I went ahead and picked up some fruit while I was there because it all looked fresh. Plus, it is hard to pass up $.99 for strawberries (and they were delicious!).
As I looked at the different prices, I could see that Aldi's regular price for items is often lower than the other grocery stores, but that many of these items often go on sale for less. Of course, one reason I think Aldi's will help me spend less is that I will not be distracted by as extra items on sale that I do not need.
I spent $54.99 for 30 items on this trip, which is a pretty good price-per-item breakdown for my usual shopping trips. The most expensive item I purchased was a box of 32 fruit snacks for $3.99. The least expensive items was a can of cream of chicken soup for $.79.
I went ahead and picked up some fruit while I was there because it all looked fresh. Plus, it is hard to pass up $.99 for strawberries (and they were delicious!).
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