August 29, 2012

Save Big Bucks on Groceries



So I participate in a blogging project called project:FoodBudget.  Every week I am supposed to keep track of my spending on food.  Then every Thursday I post my results.  Well, this week I am very proud.  Last week we went shopping at one of our local bargain stores.  I am not too proud of this but, for the time being it works.  This store softens the blow a little because they have gluten-free pasta that actually is not to bad.  So last week I spent $137 on food and food alone.  I expected this to last one mere week.  But to my surprise it lasted through the week and there is more than enough for this week.  

How could this happen?  Well, I have a couple of reasons.  One, I started a cleanse.  An easy one, Mark Hyman’s Ultra Simple Diet is a breeze as far as food goes. All you need to buy are ingredients for smoothies, fish and chicken, brown rice, and veggies.  Two, over the weekend we had company come and they treated the whole weekend.  Thanks, Grandpa!  Third, I listened to my family, whew.  I have somehow instilled good eating habits in my children, and when given the chance they will eat simple healthy meals.  For example a popular dinner request is chicken nuggets, brown rice, broccoli and grapes. We do not stock our house with juice so the beverage of choice is water or almond milk.  

I often get caught up with the latest craze, I love new recipes and reading cookbooks.  I love trying new dishes and the only thing I cook over and over again is spaghetti with meat sauce.  But guess what!  Kids like repetition they thrive on it.  They like to know whats happening and have what little bit of control they can eek out of a situation.  So when I cook stuff they know and like they are very happy.  If I cook the things they request they are even happier, and when they are happy they eat all their food, they fill their bellies and they don’t go pillaging through the pantry 30 minutes later looking for another meal or snack.  I have also learned to use fruit as their go to snack. If I give them some prepackaged individual junk food crap, they often finish and still have a hungry belly and want more of this overpriced, too salty, crunchy, too sweet snack.  Fruit for holds them over.  If I know a meal is further away, peanut butter and almond butter have been proven saviors.  

How did I come to all these conclusions in two weeks?  Were you not paying attention...I said I went on a cleanse!!!  My brain is clear I am focused and I am getting a lot more done in my day, even with the thirty minute nap I have been having to take because of the toxins releasing into my blood stream.  

So maybe my saving didn’t come from my perfect planning.  And, yes I have had to go and get a few things here and there, but overall I am happy this week.  To bad school starting is around the corner and I will have to figure out a whole other plan. Oh, well.  

Please visit my fellow project bloggers and see how they did this week.

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