January's' Grocery Total

Now that January is over and the grocery numbers have been tallied, it seems that my once-a-month grocery shopping was a fail. Not an epic fail, just a fail. Instead of spending just $600, I went over by a few dollars...or $268.92 to be exact.

Really, what's a few bucks?

While I was busy feeling sorry for myself, my Mister was busy averaging our last 3 months of 2011's food bill. Here's the thing about my beloved. He protects me. He shields me from the realities of my frivolous spending. He keeps me from freaking out.

That's what 25 years of marriage gets you.

Really, it's about his self-preservation. Me freaking out is not pretty.

For the first 9 months of last year, our monthly grocery average was right around $1200. And that was for a family of 7. After our eldest daughter and her family moved in and we became a family of 11 again, it rose. And by rose, I really mean soared. And by soared, I really mean skyrocketed. And by skyrocketed, I really mean it hit the Milky Way.

It's a good thing my Mister is a nurse. I'm fairly certain he had to resuscitate me.

What I'm wondering is, who had to resuscitate him?

So, to put my extra $268.92 in perspective, I went from spending an average (for Oct., Nov., and Dec. only~whew!) of...wait for it...$2,000/month down to $868.92. January's spending included a trip to Costco, $132 in raw milk, and an extra shopping trip to buy some fun foods for the kids while we were on our trip. There were also 4 other stores that made up the remainder of our budget, which included restocking some gluten-free items.

What I've learned (so far) is that once-a-month shopping almost works for us. At about 3 weeks is when we started to notice that we were running out of much-used items. It's also about the time that I had to start getting creative.

1. Instead of buying both sour cream and yogurt, I buy plain whole fat yogurt and use it in place of sour cream when needed. Our favorite is at Trader Joe's, but we also like the Greek Gods yogurt in the green tub. (We make yogurt too, but so far haven't had good results with it as a sour cream substitute.)

2. I've been gluten-free for 2 months and let me tell you, it ain't cheap. Instead of buying all the speciality flours, I'm buying the whole grains and grinding them myself. I currently have 20# each of white and brown rice, 5#'s each of millet, buckwheat, and quinoa, and extra packages of xanthan gum and tapioca flour that I bought on sale. I also purchased raw almonds to grind which are a less expensive alternative to almond meal. I'm sure there are more that I will need at some point, but for now this is working. Finding a place to store them all is another story...

3. We use a lot of peanut butter. In January, I grossly misjudged how much we would need and we ended up running out. (Almost need the SWAT team in full riot gear for that mistake.) We don't eat a lot of sandwiches, but we do use it for apples and toast. Those raw almonds that I purchased for almond meal? They also worked great for making our own nut butter. Add a little sea salt and the kids thought they were getting something special.

4. Toilet paper is non-negotiable. There are going to be times when an unplanned trip to town will be inevitable. Things happen. Toilet paper disappears without a trace (although I thought I saw a mummy running down the hallway), and before the family can go into survivalist mode and start hauling rhododendron leaves into the house, someone needs to make an quick, unplanned trip to town! Thankfully, it's that fear of losing my rhodies that keeps me focused on those unplanned trips. In and out. Toilet paper only. Make no eye contact.

Shopping's not for the weak.

There will be a couple of changes to our monthly grocery plan. First, we're raising our spending amount from $600 to $800/month. This is a more realistic goal for us. Buying in bulk costs a little more up front, but in the long run keeps us out of the stores a bit longer. Speaking of bulk...our Costco trip will be limited to every other month. This will allow us wiggle room in replacing mail order items such as, coconut oil and maple syrup, and allow us trips to Bob's Redmill when needed. And finally, we are going to twice-a-month shopping with the bulk of it at the beginning of the month. A second trip is needed for some fresh produce. Side salads are a big deal for the adults in the house, but bananas...those are the deal breakers.

The kids can survive without toilet paper, but no bananas? Oh...I shudder to think of the paybacks...

All in all, I'm pleased with our spending for January. There was no waste of unused produce (except for a single lemon I found rolling around in the veggie bin), no moldy breads or cheeses, and we were able to use a little creativity toward the end of the month. We're still aiming for $600, but until the garden is planted and producing, that goal just may be a little harder to reach.

Of course, we could always rethink the toilet paper issue...☺

8 more day until the giveaway winner is announced~have you entered yet?

5 Little Saving Nuggets in the Grocery Cart

I though I'd share a few little tips I've learned to help keep the grocery bill down. No, I didn't learn them all this week, but because it's Friday and Friday begins with the letter F, I figured I'd share something frugal-licious. Because frugal-icious starts with the letter F too.

And that my friends is how I roll.

Scary, huh?

I'm currently waiting for Sesame Street to call with a job offer. Skills like this shouldn't be ignored.

So, here's a few "nuggets" of wisdom that I've learned. You may already know some of these, but since I focus my energy on matching my letters to the days of the week, I'm a little behind.☺

1. Bulk spices~I've said it before, and I'll say it again (yes Mom), bulk spices are big money savers. However, I didn't realize just how big until this week. My bay leaf jar was suspiciously low on leaves (I think they are currently hanging on the fridge on a piece of art work.), so it was time to buy some more. Now, I don't know if the origin of the bay leaves has anything to do with the price, but a jar of Turkish bay leaves was going to cost $10.19. Ahem. (For that price, I was tempted to rip down the artwork, glue and all, and just call it a "broth binder"!) If you know me at all, you'll know that I don't pay $10 for anything other than coffee, so my mission was to find it cheaper. Enter the bulk spice bins. For $0.50, I was able to completely refill my jar, and buy organic coffee beans, while leaving the artwork intact.

Speaking of coffee beans...

2. I love coffee. There. I've said it. But I'm kind of a coffee snob. I refuse to drink sludge from a can or anything that wasn't ground just before percolating. I also like to know when the beans have been roasted. I've been buying my beans at a local coffee shop for a couple of years now. I love the blend that the owner put together of dark and regular Sumatra beans. I love how perfectly roasted those beans are, and I love that this coffee shop was started by her dad many moons ago. That said, having 5 adult coffee drinkers in our house makes this little habit a very expensive one to have. At $10.85/lb. per week, this adds up quickly. Imagine my joy when I discovered that some of the Costco's now have coffee roasters in them! Better yet? The beans are organic!! Buying 5 lbs. of beans at once might seem excessive if there is only 1 coffee drinker in the house, but at a savings of $4.55/lb., buying this way saved us $22.75 for the entire month's worth of coffee. (Contrary to popular belief, extra beans should NOT be stored in the freezer. Store them in the fridge to prolong their freshness.)

3. Fabric softeners~First, let me tell you that I don't always use traditional fabric softeners. Quite often I use white vinegar, and sometimes I even steep dried lavender in it first. But sometimes, I fall victim to the enticing scents from the softener bottle, especially the lavender/vanilla scent. When I do get weak, I make sure that I have a manufacturer's coupon in hand and shop at a store who is advertising a sale price. But, here's a little tip to help stretch out that big bottle of deliciousness...Pour half of the bottle into an empty bottle, then fill both bottles up with water. Give it a little shake, and you've now stretched your purchase of 1 into 2. It's not only easier on your wallet, but also on your clothing and your washing machine.

4. Dryer sheets~A lot of people use dryer sheets. I know this because every time I have a coupon for some, I end up having to ask for a rain check. Cut the cost and the chemicals by cutting your dryer sheets in half. Does the same job for half the price.

5. Paper towels~This has been a super-saver for us. We didn't realize the amount of paper towels that were being used until we stopped buying them. Of course, that didn't last long, and paper towels have their place in the kitchen. But by using select-a-size towels to clean up greasy messes, wash rags for cleaning regular spills, and cloth napkins for mealtimes, we were able to cut our usage by 90%. The last time I bought paper towels was in August. I bought a large package of 12. Today as I sit here, we still have 8 of those rolls. Another tip? Buy cloth napkins in the clearance section of the linen department. For $0.99, I got a package of 6 with a big initial on the top. Of course, it's not a J, but who really cares when you're children are wiping spaghetti sauce all over it! Better yet, if you're handy with a sewing machine, whip up your own using fabric scraps you probably already have.

Personally, I like to keep people guessing with the big "I" and "S" initials on mine. Keeps it "f"resh.

And yes, that was another "f" word brought to you by the people of Sesame Street...I mean, me.☺

Planning for a Month of Meals

Happy New Year!!

As we begin a new year, my Mister and I have resolved to spend less, consume less, and play more. There is always something that needs to be done here on the farm, so playing more might be a little more difficult to achieve than spending and consuming less.

Course, we could just be broken. Nah, that's not it...☺

While tallying up our monthly expenses for 2011, we noticed a trend that I'm not proud of. Our grocery bill seemed to grow by the month. Maybe that's because we didn't budget. With 3 freezers full of meats, poultry, fish, fruit, veggies, and ice cream (Don't judge.), there is no excuse for the $1200 average we've been spending. With that number, we also noticed a lot of waste in fresh fruits & vegetables that weren't being eaten before they spoiled. We lost a lot of bread. (R.I.P sourdough starter.) We tossed a lot of leftovers to the chickens to make room for the new groceries. It was disgusting the amount of food that was being fed to our animals. Shameful.

After sitting down and taking a good hard look at how things were being run in the kitchen, I realized that it came down to a couple of things.

#1. Poor planning. Even though I made a weekly meal plan, I wasn't using the pantry/freezer items as the base for our meals. I was using them as accompaniments to the store-bought foods. During the growing season, I was still not using all that I could have from the garden. It would be easy to blame it on my thyroid issues (tiredness), but in reality, it was just easier to write down a grocery list and pick up lettuce while I was buying cheese.

#2. Coupon shopping & impulse buying. Yes, I saved money on certain items. But it is only saving money if the food that was bought was actually used. I firmly believe that coupon shopping does NOT save a person the money they think it does. Coupons are used as tools to get the consumer into the stores. It takes great discipline to only purchase those items for which you have coupons for. And here's a little secret....the stores know this. And deep down, we know this too. When I enter a store, coupons in hand, there are ALWAYS in-store "deals" to be had. What started out as a $50 shopping trip, quickly turns into a $100 trip. Which of course, always leads to the justification stage of impulse buying. "But I shaved $60 off my bill!" No I didn't. I spent $50 more than I had planned, thus repelling my grocery budget into the stratosphere. Who makes money on my impulse buying? Not me.

Which leads me to another beef I have with couponing. Coupons come out every week, sometimes twice, which means that I need to visit the grocery store multiple times to use my coupons before they expire. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.

So how do I shave money off my grocery budget? Lean in a little closer and I'll tell you.

Closer.

Closer.

Are you ready?

Spend less time in the grocery stores.

I know, I was shocked too. This doesn't mean that I'm going to start harvesting bark and digging up grubs for my family. This just means that instead of a 3-times-a-week habit, I'll be down to once a month. (The only thing this doesn't include is our weekly 3 gallons of raw milk, but once Tilly "freshens", this trip will be eliminated too.) In order to do this, a plan of action is needed.

#1. Make a master list of pantry staples. Mine looks like this...

*Spices, Oils, Sweeteners, Sauces (such as fish/oyster sauce, maple syrup, coconut oil, etc...)
*Baking (includes chocolate chips, baking powder, yeast, etc...)
*Fresh Produce/Herbs
*Frozen Foods
*Dairy
*Canned Foods
*Condiments
*Bulk Grains, Beans, Flours
*Gluten-Free Supplies
*Cleaners (laundry, and homemade cleaner ingredients)
*Paper/Storage Items (includes sandwich/freezer bags, aluminum foil, toilet paper, kleenex)
*Personals (feminine products, deodorant, etc..)
*Miscellaneous (organic coffee)

This list is on-going. There is no way to write down every single item that is used in the kitchen. Just keep it handy and add as you go.

(We do not include our pet supplies in the master grocery list. All of our animal feed comes from the feed store and is part of our farm budget.)

#2. Make a list of family favorites. For us this would be breakfast and dinner meals. (Lunch is usually left-overs or in an emergency, a sandwich using one of the loaves we always have in the freezer.) Have the family help with the list, you might be surprised at the simpleness of their meals! Make sure to include all elements of the meal; main dish and any side dishes. The ingredients for those side dishes do not magically appear...☺

#3. Plan a month's worth of meals. For week 1, include any fresh produce. Week 2, include produce that has a longer shelf life (i.e. carrots, celery, potatoes). Weeks 3 & 4, plan on using frozen/canned/dried produce for meals. Since we have a lot of different meats in the freezers, I plan around those. In the winter, we have a lot of meals using beans and rice as these have a very long shelf life. They can also be cooked in large quantities and used in a later-in-the-week meal without the cooking time. Which leads to....

#4. Plan meals using some of the same ingredients in the same week. Example: Cook a pot of pinto beans and plan on chili for Monday and burritos for Thursday. Or, freeze the extras to cut cooking time later. If ham is on the menu, plan on using some of the ham in scrambled eggs, and the ham bone later in the week to season a pot of split peas or navy beans. Extra rice? How about a dessert of rice pudding, or use it for breakfast with a handful of raisins, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzling of honey or maple syrup, and a splash of milk.

#5. Make a grocery list. This is not limited to only 1 grocery store. Look at the ads, clip coupons if needed, and search for the best deals. Include (in the spring for me) farmer's markets and your own garden produce. This is where eating in season comes into play. Unless you live in the tropics, watermelon in January shouldn't be on the list. If you live near a Costco, plan to stop there...just stick to your list and only purchase what you need. (This is especially good if you have children at home.)

#6. Prepare for the grocery trip. For me, this means doing it on a day that my Mister can be with me. It is much easier to stick to a budget if you have someone to be accountable with. And because a large grocery trip can be stressful, having someone to take a lunch break with can add a little fun to the trip. Before leaving, make sure you have your coupons (yes, I still use them), reusable grocery/produce bags, a cooler (especially good in the summer or if you shop out of your local area), a water bottle or travel mug of your favorite hot beverage, and comfy shoes.

#7. And finally, use cash. Determine what your monthly food budget will be and pay with paper money. This is a foreign concept to many (including me!), but if you only have cash with you, it is much easier to stick to a plan. For us, it will be $600/month. If I were shopping for 2 weeks at a time, I would only carry half of that with me. Keep it in an envelope, and make sure to save your receipts. Last week I bought a little over a pound of fresh broccoli florets. At $0.99/lb., the total should've been $1.23. As I looked over my receipt, I noticed that I was charged $9.90! It makes me wonder how many times I missed a whopper mistake like that!

Maybe all of this just boils down to self-discipline. Maybe I have too many things on my metaphoric plate and need to make more lists to keep track of everything. Or maybe, the time I waste in the grocery store every week would be better spent enjoying this blessed life I have been given. Whatever your reason may be, having a plan leaves you with more money in your pocket...

And more time to play.

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.