This Month's Grocery Spending 2023 – April

 

Believe it or not, I’m still working on my pantry and freezer challenge pretty much filling in with only fresh produce and dairy with the occasional fill in pantry item.  I began this challenge back in November, making it official as of the first of this year.  I’ve been doing really well, using up items that otherwise might have gone bad with freezer burn had I not done this challenge.  Additionally, I’m using up all kinds of condiments, marinades, and loads of odds and ends that resided in my refrigerator and pantry.  My Fred Meyer offers me a FREE bottle of salad dressing each month and I do go ahead and pick that up.

 

I utilized a lot of items from my freezer and already in my fridge to do some meal prepping

I’m saving money on the groceries I do purchase by paying close attention to the ads and buying what is on sale and in season.  I also check out the digital coupons and other offers available to me on my grocery store’s website.  This month I went to Winco and picked up a few items plus a gallon of milk and was able to stock up on breakfast cereal while I was there since they had the best price at the time.

 

Just a few items I picked up at Winco

My Easter dinner was made using a very large sirloin steak I had in the freezer, a potato I already had and baked in the microwave topping it with sour cream I had in the refrigerator and asparagus I purchased on sale for 98¢ a pound.  It was easy, delicious and I had enough leftovers for another complete meal.

 

A delicious Easter dinner

I haven’t purchased meat in a very, very long time.  This month I cooked up an entire package of bacon to make sandwiches and to crumble and add to other meals like Cobb salad and eggs.  The rendered bacon fat was saved in a Mason jar in the refrigerator to use as cooking oil whenever I needed some.  I always save my bacon fat.  It is delicious to use in refried beans as well as stir fried or roasted vegetables.  Speaking of refried beans I made some to use in burritos and also eat plain topped with a little bit of grated cheese I had in the freezer.  I haven’t needed to buy any cheese for quite a while either.

 

I'm making wise use of everything in my fridge & pantry

I’ve been baking my own bread instead of buying the more expensive low carb breads I was purchasing last year.  I do feel my homemade bread is tastier and because I know what is in it probably better for me even if the carb count is higher.  I make smaller loaves and slice it thin when I use it, mainly for toast and BLT or egg sandwiches.  Because my chickens are laying again, thankfully I haven’t needed to buy eggs either.

 

I picked up some great buys at Albertson's

First meat purchase of 2023 which was all on markdown

At the end of the month I lucked upon some really good deals and store offers at Albertson’s.  I was able to get an quart of cream for my coffee for only 8¢ after using a digital coupon and stock up a little bit on beef (first meat purchase I’ve made for 2023) which was on markdown for 50% OFF.  Because I happen to have a gift card for this particular store all of my purchases made this month were for no cost out of my pocket.

 

Not at all unhappy with this total! 😍

My total cost for groceries this month came in at just $22.33!  I did not purchase any nonfood items for myself or the house as I have plenty of toiletries, laundry supplies and cleaning products.  How did you manage your grocery budget this month?  What great deals did you come across?  Were you able to stock up on anything?