grocery haul!

I grocery shop every two weeks so this is the first of two shopping trips for January. I came in just under $200.00, so that leaves me $200.00 for my next trip. I think my husband was a little impressed.

I found some really awesome deals, including ten loaves of french bread that we got at walmart on clearance for .60 a loaf. I found the almond milk at sharp shopper for 1.49 each, I got 5 of them. I plan on freezing one to see if it freezes well so the next time I find it that cheap, I can stock up. I also found nitrate and msg free chicken breast sandwich meat, $2.38 a lb. I got 2 lbs., 24 pack of string cheese for $3.99 and a 2 lb brick of colby cheese for $4.49.

I will post my menu soon!

grocery challenge tip

Your freezer is your friend. Not only will your freezer save you money but, it will also save you time and keep you from the unhealthy food at the  drive thru.

Are you cooking beans for chili or chicken for fajitas? Make a double or triple batch and freeze the extra. This has saved me so much money on busy nights. Instead of getting take out, I grab my frozen beans, defrost them in my microwave and make bean and cheese burritos. The kids pile them with salsa and sour cream and we're good to go.

Find a great sale on butter or milk? Buy extra and freeze it. One of the best times to stock up on butter is during the holidays when the prices drop. 

if you have space In your freezer,  grab some extra  gallons of milk. It will save you from making milk runs.

If you aren't sure if you can freeze it, test it. So far, I have had no problems freezing things.

Some more things you may or may not have known you can freeze:

Avocados

spinach

kale

apples

Cheese

eggs

whole tomatoes

homemade cookie dough

cookies

chocolate

This is just a short list, just so you get an idea.

GROCERY BUDGET CUT CHALLENGE

Six months ago, Our grocery budget was $800 a month for 9 people. This was the biggest budget I have ever had! It was great but, yep, there is a but! It was too much. With so much wiggle room, I was buying things we didn't need. Sure, we could always use/eat these extras, but that's what they were, extras. So, I cut the budget to $600.  

Now that I have gotten into a routine with my monthly $600 grocery budget, I think it's time for a little challenge for me and my family and of course anyone else who thinks they need a change.

I am cutting my budget from $600 to $400. It is still for a family of 9. my 9 includes 4 adults, 2 teenage boys and 3 teenage daughters. This will also include dog food for 5 dogs and chicken & duck feed for the 8 chickens and 4 ducks.

My rules are pretty simple:

1. I can use things that are already in my pantry and freezer

2. I can accept anything given to me 

3: bartering/trading is allowed (I have duck eggs and chicken eggs...)

4. I cannot add money to my $400 no matter where it comes from

My kids have mixed feelings about this challenge. Some of them want to help and some think we will be eating nothing but beans and rice. My husband is all for anything that saves money. I think we can do this and eat well. So now it's time to find out!