Extreme Budget Grocery Spending 2024 – January

 

This month I began my extreme budget grocery shopping at Fred Meyer where I was able to pick up two packages (just over 5 pounds each) of bone in chicken breasts on sale for 99¢ a pound as well as a big head of cabbage on sale for 49¢ a pound which I paired with a 40¢ OFF digital coupon.  I also had a digital coupon for a FREE bottle of Kraft salad dressing which I will most likely donate to the high school food pantry.  Along with my little shopping haul at Fred Meyer I picked up a dozen eggs and a bag of carrots at Wal-Mart as they had the best price that week and I needed to go there anyway.

 

First haul of 2024!

Full disclosure, in addition to my well stocked deep freezer and pantry I also had a drawer full of fresh produce, a few bread products, quite a bit of dairy, loads of condiments, half a pound of butter and a variety of beverages in my refrigerator.  In the freezer portion of my refrigerator I had a lot of partial bags of frozen fruits and vegetables, some leftovers, some ground beef patties, two containers of frozen whole milk, quite a bit of cheese and a pound of butter.  Needless to say I had a good starting point for the new year and my new grocery budget challenge.

 

I wrapped each on of these individually and placed them
in my upright deep freezer to use in future meals

My goal this year is to save money, use up some items that I no longer wish to stock in my home (I don’t want to waste anything) as well as maintain a good food supply in my deep freezer and pantry as well as my long term food storage.

 

I picked up the eggs & carrots at Wal-Mart
The chicken, cabbage & FREE salad dressing came from Fred Meyer

I was given these at work one day

Later in the month I stopped in at Winco for another dozen eggs and some cream for my coffee.  Much to my surprise their cream was on sale for $2.98 a quart so at that price I decided to pick up two of them.

 

My 2nd & final trip to the grocery store this month

My total spent on nonfood items came in at $0 so my total budget of $50 for the entire year remains intact.  I currently have plenty of toothpaste & toothbrushes, razors, shampoo & conditioner, laundry detergent, dish soap, shower gel, bar soap, lotions & body creams, as well as cleaning supplies, tissues and toilet paper.  After last year’s decluttering projects and my year long pantry challenge I’ve amassed a nice little stack of Ziploc bags that I’ve washed out and can now reuse for future food storage.

 

I definitely did not go hungry this month!

This month my total food bill came to $20.54 (66¢ per day - 31 days) leaving me with $29.46 left to rollover and add to February’s $50.00 budget.  I will be starting with a total of $79.46 to use for food purchases and stocking up next month.  Not too shabby, I’d say!

 

How are you doing with your food bills this month?  Did you do a pantry challenge or low spend January?

 

My Tireless Retirement - Week 95

 

What a difference a week makes!  We went from single digits and loads of snow back up to low 40s and rain.  All of that snow I had to shovel is pretty much gone now and we’ve had some lovely foggy mornings to start off our days.  I just love a good fog.

 

My week was busy!  And it went by super fast.  I ended up working every day last week and enjoyed it tremendously.  I’m helping out on a big project at the senior center as well as my regular duties.  I love to be busy, especially this time of year.

 

I rode the bus to work every day but Monday because it was raining and I was grateful to have that option and ability to choose, but I missed it and my opportunity to walk downtown.  I am finding I prefer the bus and my walks to and from the downtown bus station.  I had forgotten how much I enjoyed walking downtown.  I used to work downtown for several years when I was at the accounting firm and I’d walk all over the place on my breaks and during my lunch hours.  Couldn’t get enough of it!  I love the architecture down there and the old Victorian buildings and houses just fascinate me.  They are so pretty with their colorful paint schemes and gorgeous trims.

 

Things I Used Up: 

When I retired nearly two years ago I discovered I had four open containers of Comet cleanser in my house.  Why?  Who knows, but somehow that had happened.  They were the large ones and were nearly full too.  I was determined to make sure they all got used up before another one was opened and I accomplished just that last week after cleaning my upstairs bathroom.  I was also able to use up a can of Barkeeper’s Friend that had been hanging out underneath my kitchen sink for quite awhile.  I actually had two open cans of that stuff and both are now gone.

 

I used up the tail end of two tubes of chapstick by digging out the remnants at the bottom of the tube with a toothpick which gave me an extra month of use.  Similarly I squeezed out every last bit of toothpaste from the tube before I tossed it giving me about a week of use.  I’m always amazed at how much product there is that is sometimes a little more difficult to get out of the container but would otherwise get tossed out if I didn’t try.

 

I used up some pancake mix and a partial bag of frozen blueberries that had been hanging around for a while by making up a big batch of waffles and putting them into the freezer to enjoy as homemade toaster waffles.  I also chopped up a head of cabbage and used the majority of it to make an eggroll in a bowl freezer meal kit.  I was able to pretty much clear out my crisper drawer in the fridge before anything had a chance to go bad.

 

Eggroll In A Bowl meal kit for the freezer

Ways I Saved $$: 

I rode the bus four of the five days I worked.  As I mentioned before it doesn’t cost me anything to ride the bus because I am a city employee and it saves me a lot of money on fuel, not to mention wear and tear on my vehicle.  I’ve actually been kicking myself for not doing this sooner.  I do like to drive my truck at least once a week so she knows I still love her.

 

Good as new!

I mended my favorite pair of winter gloves.  They had a worn spot on the right thumb and palm so I darned both of those spots.  I should be able to make it through the remainder of the winter while I seek out my next pair of favorite gloves.

 

Meals I Prepared: 

I had a super easy week as far as meals went.  I pulled out loads of leftovers I had squirreled away in the freezer earlier in the month to reheat and eat.  I had two servings of Korean Beef as well as stir fried vegetables to go with, two servings of cream of broccoli soup with two cornbread muffins, a serving of Italian sausage in tomatoes with a bit of penne pasta on the side and half of a sausage and vegetable quiche.  Needless to say, I didn’t do any cooking, but I did do a lot of microwaving and because none of these items had been in the freezer more than a couple of weeks they were all delicious and fresh tasting.

 

The last of the grocery store free offer freezer waffles were eaten up too as part of a weekend brunch and served with a fried egg on the side.  The convenience of those waffles had me thinking I should make up a large batch of homemade waffles to keep in the freezer as part of my regular meal plan.  So I did!

 

I do so hope you were able to have an enjoyable week.  Let me know what you’ve been up to.  In the meantime take care. 

 

FYI - My retirement week runs from Friday through Thursday.

 

Being Present

 

One of the things I really worked on last year was to be present in the moment.  Taking each day as it comes rather than consuming myself with “what about tomorrow and the day after that?”  Instead I focus my energy on today with merely a glance at the next day.  My long term plans only extend into next week, maybe next month, but not much farther than that.  And the plans I do make are rather loosely made, no longer a must.

 

I’ve long viewed life as a pie and we are each given a slice of it.  It is our job to mind our piece of pie and take care of it to the very best of our ability.  Then once we have our slice secure and well preserved we can venture out and assist others in minding their own slice, but we should never take it over.  Eventually, some can no longer mind their slice of pie (such as an elderly parent) so we simply bring them in and incorporate them into our slice and theirs is no longer required.  Sometimes we get too busy looking at how others manage their slice that we forget about our own and it begins to deteriorate, however if we each mind our slice and take really good care of it then the whole pie is secure.  By beginning our work at home we have the ability to make our world better.

 

My slice of pie includes me being the best me I can be.  I need to be kind, thoughtful, productive, happy and content.  I need to be healthy in mind, body and spirit.  I need to be safe and secure.  I need to be loved, fulfilled and supported.  I focus on these needs each and every day.  With my slice of pie well cared for I am able to reach out and assist others adding a greater dimension to my life.

 

I cannot tell you how much this has helped me and contributed to my overall happiness and wellbeing.  I no longer feel the weight of the world on my shoulders or the anxiety of what goes on outside so much.  I’m aware of it, but I don’t allow it to impact me like I used to.  My focus is on right now, what is in front of me.  Minute by minute, hour by hour, one day at a time.  Being present.

 

Do I Really Use My Mini Appliances?

 

Soooo, do I really use my mini appliances?  Yes!  I really, really do and I love them.  Over the years I’ve scaled back and given away my larger appliances replacing some of them with miniature versions.  So far I have a smaller waffle maker (I could go smaller if I got a Dash), a mini slow cooker, a mini electric skillet, an egg cooker, a mini food processer and a small toaster oven.  I use most of these appliances every week and at least once a month.  My most often used appliances are definitely the slow cooker and the electric skillet.

 

The mini slow cooker is perfect for making or reheating soups and stews and cooking smaller half recipes of my favorite meals.  I can make a meat loaf in it or even bake a few potatoes too.

 

My toaster oven is perfect for baking or roasting smaller meals for up to two people.  I can bake a pie or quiche in my small 8” pie pan, roast vegetables, potatoes, meat or fish on my mini sheet pan.  I love to do sheet pan meals.  I can also bake up to six muffins, cookies or biscuits.  There are so many meals I can prepare in that cute little oven.

 

My favorite appliance at this time is hands down the mini electric skillet which I use two or three times a week.  I often make eggs, fry a single beef patty or a small steak, reheat leftovers and make small batch meals.  Whatever fits in the pan I’ll cook it!

 

I find these smaller appliances are nicer to use because they save on my electricity use and I find I have far less mess to clean up when I’m done cooking.  I seem to be less messy.  These appliances are also very easy to wash and keep clean and they don’t take up a lot of space in my cabinets.  I also have the peace of mind that if my big stove conks out on me that I’m still very well equipped to cook my meals.  Plus!  They are very portable so I can take them with me whenever I travel.

 

So yes indeed, I do use my mini appliances and if you are cooking for one or two people I heartily recommend them.  If nothing else, they’re a lot of fun!

 

 

My Tireless Retirement - Week 94

 

I know I am not alone in saying this but, Boy!  What a week it was!  Mainly because of the weather we had.  Winter showed up and we got it all at once this year.  It snowed and snowed and snowed and it was so pretty.  At one point we had snowflakes falling that were about two inches in diameter and I’m not even exaggerating.  I don’t recall ever seeing snowflakes that big before.  I just stood outside and marveled at it.  And then I realized that all of my shoveling I had been doing now needed to be redone.  That’s okay though, it was worth it.  It was just gorgeous!

 

Sometimes shoveling the snow is about
 the same as raking leaves in a windstorm 😄

One of my goals this year is to start using public transportation more this year meaning I would take the bus places instead of driving.  With the snowy weather and horrible road conditions I made the decision to go ahead and start using the city bus system and let someone else do the driving.  The first day I caught the bus, which was Tuesday, was to go to work and it was only 1° outside.  That ended up being the perfect test for my winter gear and I am so happy to report it kept me dry, warm and toasty.  I’m only a quarter mile from the bus stop that takes my right downtown and then I can either change buses or just walk the slightly over half a mile to work.  I chose to walk and it was great.

 

I was relieved the eggs made it home safe & sound

I love walking and I enjoy it even more when I have a purpose to it.  After I got off work on Tuesday I bundled myself back up and walked over to Winco to pick up a quart of cream and a dozen eggs as I was low on both of those items and I’d brought my backpack with me.  The cream was on sale for $2.98 a quart (haven’t seen that price in a good long while) so I decided to get two of them and the eggs.  Then I walked to the bus station and caught a ride home.  It was a really good day!

 

Well worn items I said good bye to

In the spirit of continued decluttering I had printed off my 30 day decluttering list at the beginning of this month and have been working on it bit by bit.  Last week I went through all of the drawers and cabinets in my kitchen and both bathrooms as well as my bedroom closet.  I found quite a few worn out items that needed to be tossed and one item, a Scentsy pot, to donate.  I haven’t used it in ages so I’m passing it along with the rest of the scented wax I had onto someone else.

 

Care to have a seat? 😁

On Thursday I made it out to the garage to do a general tidy up, top off all of the feed bins for the chickens, kitties and the bunny, emptied the recycling into my big blue wheelie bin, put away the remaining empty storage containers I had gotten out to do some re-organizing in the house and took an inventory of the pet food and supplies.  I do have enough to make it through the next month or so before I need to think about making a trip to the feed store.  Yay!

 

Ways I Saved $$: 

I used my city employee ID badge to ride the bus to work and back for FREE.  My little pickup truck enjoyed a week off and I saved on fuel.  More importantly I feel like I protected my truck from being in an accident due to the slippery roads. 

I kept my shopping to a minimum only spending around $8 at the grocery store.  I didn’t do any online or in person shopping other than the cream and eggs I bought at Winco.  I ate all of my meals at home using up items I already had on hand.

 

Meals I Prepared: 

It was a use it up kind of a week for me.  I began by eating up any leftovers I had in the refrigerator as well as enjoying some good hot soup after I had been outside for a while.  I opened two pint jars of taco soup that I had canned last year as well as a can of Progresso soup from my LTFS.  I do not plan to replace any of the store bought canned soups so I want to get the rest of what I have used up as soon as possible. 

I found a box of frozen waffles in the freezer that I had picked up from an Albertson’s FREE item offer.  I originally thought my daughter would use them, but she didn’t so I went ahead and prepared a couple along with a fried egg for a few brunches last week. 

About the only meal I truly cooked last week was to make up a package of Italian sausages with diced tomatoes, minced garlic and some basil along with a cup of penne pasta I boiled up to go with it.  There are five sausages in a package so took two of them and put them into the freezer to eat later and the other three were meals I had for supper.  I divided that one cup of pasta once it was cooked into three portions and that was more than enough for me as I’m not a huge pasta eater.  I also had some grated parmesan in the fridge to sprinkle on top of each meal.

 

After letting go of my old worn out pair of slippers I
got out the new slippers I'd purchased well over a year ago

I hope everyone is doing okay and if you were hit with any stormy weather or super frigid temperatures that all is well with you and yours.  Do stay safe and warm.  Take really good care of yourselves and let me know in the comments how your week went.

 

FYI - My retirement week runs from Friday through Thursday.

Stretching My Food $$ - Soups, Stews & Broth

One of the ways I’m stretching my food dollars this year is to prepare and eat more soups and stews as well as make all of my own broths rather than purchase them.  Soups and broths are really good for us.  Filled with loads of good nutrients they are very nourishing but also a great way to hydrate our bodies.

 

Broth is extremely easy to make.  I will save vegetable scraps such as the ends of carrots and celery stalks, onion peels, cabbage cores and such in a gallon size Ziploc bag in my freezer.  I also save meat bones.  As soon as the bag in the freezer is full I make broth.

 

Beef bones & veggie scraps ready to make broth

I simply add the veggie scraps and any meat bones I’ve saved to my slow cooker and fill it with water.  Sometimes I’ll also add in some dried herbs, such as rosemary if I’m making chicken broth for soup.  I allow the slow cooker to cook on high for up to twenty for hours, then unplug it and allow it all to cool.  I pour the cooled contents of the slow cooker through a sieve into a large mixing bowl to capture the solids.

 

You can use the broth as is or chill in the refrigerator to form a solid layer of fat on top that can be easily removed if you wish.  Depending on the broth I usually leave the fat in it unless I use a ham bone and then I’ll skim off most of the fat so it isn’t too greasy.  At this point it is then ready to use, freeze or even can.

 

The best part of making your own soups, stews and broths it that it allows you to use up food that otherwise may have been destined for the trash.  I really do not like food waste so if I can put something to good use and make a delicious meal for myself then that just thrills me to no end.  It is also a great budget stretcher.

 

My Home Canning Wishlist For 2024

 

As you can see my canning list isn’t overly lengthy, but I do think I’ve got some good items on it for this year.  I really do enjoy the process of canning my own food and knowing exactly what is in each jar.  I find it is extremely convenient to have meats, beans (legumes) and soups on the shelf ready to go as it makes for really quick and easy meal preparation.  My own readymade meals or components for meals are really helpful as well.  That will be the main focus of my canning endeavors this year.

 

Hopefully I will be successful in the garden this summer so I can add some more tomato sauce and I’d love to do up some pickles.  Perhaps the squirrels will be kind enough to leave me some pears on my tree this year as well.  A late frost last year meant there was only one apple on my tree and amazingly they left that alone.  It was a good one too.

 

This year I may venture out to some farmers markets or an orchard to acquire some produce to can, but I haven’t decided yet.  If nothing else it would make for a fun adventure so I just might do that.  I’m trying to do more for myself this year and buy fewer canned goods at the stores.  I think it costs less, is better quality and as I said, I know what is in the jar.  What is on your list this year?

 

Getting My Poop In A Group

 

Last year I spent a significant amount of time going through every space inside and outside of my home doing a major purge of the items I’d been hanging onto for several years.  My house and the property it sits on looks so much nicer, but more importantly it feels so much better.  My goal as I work my way through 2024 is to maintain my home so that it doesn’t fill back up with a bunch of useless stuff again.  I decided to go ahead and begin with a 30 day declutter challenge and work my way through the list this month.  I think that will be a great way to ensure that I’m starting off on the right foot.

 

In the spirit of Swedish Death Cleaning I had made it through my sentimental items last year, actually I went through it all three times, each time finding something to declutter.  This year I wanted to continue with my photo album project and continue to archive photos into albums and annotate them as I go.  Amazingly, I got on a roll over the Christmas and New Year holidays and on New Year’s Eve I was able to complete this project entirely.  In the process these albums have become my version of journaling my autobiography that will hopefully benefit my family long after I am gone and can no longer tell them the things that were important to me.  It is also allowing me to jot down the things I was told by my family members that are no longer with us.  I feel our family history is important and needs to be preserved.

 

The album on the left is all about our ancestors 
plus my own childhood
The rest are of my children plus my high school yearbooks

On New Year’s Day I went through my important papers binder as well as the tax returns and supporting documentation.  In the process I pulled out what was no longer relevant and did not need to be saved and filed away what did.  Then I shredded anything with personal information on it and recycled the rest.  The next day I went through my laptop and deleted anything I did not need and then got all of my important computer files backed up onto a thumb drive.

 

Although our government has stated that inflation is lower I personally have yet to see that.  Prices are still higher in the stores, especially with groceries, as are my utilities.  Fortunately, I am getting a break on my property taxes this year.  I’m still working on using up what I already have on hand before I buy anything new.  With some of the budget challenges I’ve set for myself this year it will be even more important for me to do this.

 

One thing I’ve tried to do for several years now is to complete some unfinished projects that I have tucked away in the upstairs guest room closet.  While I’ve managed to work my way through many of them I’d like to prioritize that goal this year and get them all finally completed so I can totally remove that box from the closet.  In fact, I pulled that box out of the closet and set it in the room as a constant reminder to work on this stuff.

 

Most importantly (and better late than never) I am focusing a lot more attention on taking better care of myself, both physically and emotionally.  I think we all need to be kinder to ourselves and to treat ourselves in the same way we treat those we love.  Often our needs and desires are shelved or put on the back burner as we take care of others, but we are just as important as anyone else and our needs matter.  Like a lot of you I’ve always been hyper critical and really hard on myself, but that isn’t helpful at all.  Last year I worked hard to stop that practice and this year I vow to continue – no negative self talk, criticism or shame.  And I won’t accept it from anyone else either.  No matter what, I’m good enough.  So there!

 

Every day I strive to be kind, patient, loving and to be the best version of myself I possibly can.  I’m also learning to accept what I am powerless to change.  I don’t have to tolerate other people’s bad behavior and I refuse to take blame for other people’s actions or decisions.  At the end of the day my actions and my decisions are mine and yours are yours.  I think as mom’s, and as women, we tend to take on a lot of responsibility for others that isn’t our burden to carry.  I don’t do that anymore.

 

We often think that getting our $h!t together is all about taking care of the physical aspects of our lives such as paperwork, our homes, paying bills, making repairs, that sort of thing, but the truth is it also means our emotional selves as well.  We need to have healthy relationships with others, but we also need to have them with ourselves.