$75 Grocery Challenge: we’re done!
MEALS TODAY
Breakfast: Eggs, toast (with this bread-yum!), bacon, juice, pears
Lunch: Pasta Carbonera (Family Feasts p. 164 ), watermelon
Snack: Leftover pancakes (we froze some extras from a different day)
Dinner: Lasagna, cucumbers, tomatoes, ice cream
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I am quite glad to be done with the spending challenge. This evening during the older kids’ soccer game, John and I and the littlest girls hit Costco and WinCo, replenished our cupboards, and spent $172. We got dairy products, cleaning supplies, potatoes, bacon, carrots, cereal, granola fixings, bread, paper products… Nothing terribly frivolous, but after watching the money soooo very carefully in September, our $600 October goal for 10 people feels nice and generous. We’ll see how it goes!
The spending challenge is always fun, but I am looking forward to blogging about a few other things. Not tonight though– I’m going to bed early for a change!
I really enjoyed hearing how you got on, I didn’t join in but I am looking more closely at what we spend. I have to admit I am looking forward to normal posting resuming. Well Done and Welcome back!
xCarolyn
You did an awesome job! I ended up scrapping it by Sunday. But, it really forced me to pay attention to spending! I only have 4 children, but live in a high cost of living area, and entertain a lot.
I found your blog a couple of months ago, and I have enjoyed following your grocery challenge. You never have said where you live, for privacy purposes I’m sure, but I have noticed the excellent prices you find on fruit. Apples at .33 per lb? I cannot find them for less than .99 per lb. I live in north Florida. Other items you mention sound about the same.
HI Rachel,
I live in Idaho, and 10 months out of the year, the lowest price I can find on apples is 89 cents/lb –if I’m lucky. During apple harvest, I can pretty often find some apples for 69 cents or so. But 33 cents is low even for my area during apples season. I am pretty sure it was a ‘loss leader’. Maybe I’ll write more about loss leaders today….
I have to agree on how a larger budget, even though it is less than the regular budget, feels so generous after going a month with no spending. Way to go on completing the challenge.
Congrats! My hubby and I eat for $150/month in Indiana, but I’ve been going overboard lately and spending a little extra for too many months because of stocking up on good sales. I’m cutting back and will try to spend just $100 this month. We’ll see!
I am curious – do you find you spend more money the month after you have a “no spend” month? I think I would have to replenish my stockpile so it would seem to be undoing everything we just worked on for the month. What is your take on this?