Every January I do a no-buy month. It’s a good way to get back on track after the holidays. I’ll be sharing more about that in a separate post but here is my final grocery haul for 2018. I went to Aldi on Sunday evening and stocked up for the coming month. I’ll still purchase some fresh produce and dairy this month but otherwise I’ll be cooking from our pantry and freezers. So here’s my giant Aldi grocery haul:

Aldi:

Cokes – 12 pack
Raisin Bran
Honey Graham cereal
Shredded Wheat
fabric softener (like Downey)
organic frozen strawberries
frozen mixed fruits
frozen mango/tropical fruits
frozen mixed vegetables (2)
frozen peas (2)
frozen corn (2)
frozen Asian vegetables
frozen California style vegetables
frozen wild caught salmon
chicken thighs
chicken breasts
chicken tenderloins (2 pkgs)
Black Angus top round beef
grass-fed ground beef (2 pkgs)
tomato basil sausages
chicken apple sausages
pork tenderloin
thick-cut pork chops
organic milk
half & half
Kerry Gold butter
jumbo canned biscuits (2 cans)
organic plain yogurt (1 quart)
turkey bone broth (1 carton)
refried beans (1 can)
bread and butter pickles
jar of mild pepper rings
organic honey (2)
assorted fresh peppers (1 bag)
red grapes
lime
bag of lemons
cauliflower
bag of yellow onions
10 pound bag of russet potatoes
3 pk. bell peppers (red, yellow, orange)
3 pk. green bell peppers
3 pk. garlic
bag of Cara Cara oranges
bananas
zucchini (3)
yellow squash (3)
organic olive oil
organic quinoa
couscous
extra sharp cheddar (3 pkgs)
string cheese
deli sliced cheddar cheese
wide egg noodles (16 ounce pkg)
flour tortillas
bagels
flatbread (2 pkgs)
English muffins
organic spring salad mix (large carton)

Total: $185.53

Whew! That is the most I’ve ever spent in one trip to Aldi. But we are well-stocked for the month. I already had lots of other food in my pantry and freezer, as well. I keep a good stock of things like dried beans, rice and pasta which can form the base for many hearty winter meals.

My goals are to use up some of what I already had on hand, cook and bake more, and experiment with some new recipes. I’ll keep you posted on all this and share some recipes, too.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

Do you want to eat a healthy, organic, grass fed diet but don’t think you can afford it? My friend, Victoria of A Modern Homestead, explains how they do it on less than $200 a month. Click here to find out how:

Happy fall, y’all! It started raining here yesterday and hasn’t stopped so it truly feels like fall. However, when my daughter and I did our September grocery haul this past Tuesday, it still felt like summer. It was in the mid-90s! A lot can change in a few days.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

September Grocery Haul

I didn’t really need much food this time. We have eaten out much more than usual during the past couple of busy months. Plus, our local Aldi is now carrying much of what I use on a regular basis. However, I love going on monthly shopping trips with Lisa so I wouldn’t give them up even if I were able to get everything locally. We always have such a nice time together.

This time I decided to do a bit of shopping for fall items, as well as a few miscellaneous things at Target. If you are following me on Instagram you’ll see the one new fall decor item I bought – probably later this afternoon after I decorate one of the tables in our family room. I didn’t find as much as I had hoped to. There were, however, LOTS of Christmas items I liked. I refrained, however. One season at a time! It’s not like I really need more decorations. I have a large lidded container full of autumn decor but I’ve had most of these same items for about 20 years. They all look fine but sometimes you just want something a little different. I’ve heard Dollar Tree has great fall items this year so I may check out ours. They may well be picked over by now, though.

Lisa and I started our day with lunch, as usual. We ate at one of our favorite restaurants, Scratch Kitchen and Cocktails. I had the daily special: blackened chicken Caesar wrap with their delicious fries and spicy ketchup.

With full tummies it was time to shop!

Target

• nail polish
• nail polish remover
• coconut conditioner
• dry shampoo
• 2 new hand towels for the guest bathroom
• 2 coffee mugs (I’ve been getting rid of old, stained, chipped mugs)
• large dog bowl for Shiloh’s water
• 2 packages of baby wipes to keep in our vehicles (our hands get rather dirty rolling up all the cords when we set up sound equipment for local music)

Total: $66.38

At Home

• pink Eiffel Tower ornament (will keep up year round in my office)
• glittered chandelier ornament (also for my office)
• glass pumpkin (watch Instagram for a photo)
• large bag of natural dried decorative *stuff* (I don’t really know what to call it; watch Instagram)

Total: $46.61

And now for some groceries!

Trader Joe’s

• mixed berry granola
• seasonal bouquet
• seasonal filler
• Earl Grey tea bags
• frozen organic chicken breasts
• Thai red curry sauce
• 3 pack of tri color bell peppers
• French brioche, sliced (I plan to use it for French toast)
• corn tortillas
• organic eggs
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 2 mini pumpkins
• 1 mini gourd
• small pumpkin
• large decorative pumpkin

(I just noticed the checker didn’t charge me enough for the larger pumpkins. I may give them a call, although I doubt there is anything to do about it now. Still, I always try to be honest.)

Total: $58.76

Whole Foods

• goats milk patchouli soap (2 bars)
• strawberries
• sliced deli turkey breast
• chicken maple link sausage
• San Marzano tomatoes
• quinoa (bulk)
• white jasmine rice (bulk)
• oregano (bulk)
• Fleur de Sel salt (bulk)
• ground cloves (bulk)
• split loaf Tuscan bread
• large croissant
• maple extract
• French pear
• corn on the cob (2 ears)
• leek
• dark brown organic sugar
• potato chips
• Double Bergamot Earl Grey tea bags
• enchilada sauce
• grated ginger
• bag of ice

Total: $81.69

Total: $253.44

Now that we are moving into fall weather I’ll be cooking more from our pantry. I keep a good stock of various dried beans, lentils, split peas, rice, quinoa, pasta, etc. on hand. In the summer we tend to eat less of these items as we focus on seasonal produce. But as it gets cooler I’ll be making more soups, casseroles and such from our pantry stock. If you follow my Menu Monday posts you’ll notice the shift.

So that wraps up my September grocery haul. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram so you can see how I decorate for fall, as well as what I cook from the ingredients I buy during these grocery hauls. I hope you are having a great weekend. Happy Autumn!

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How to Create a Weekly Menu Plan

My daughter and I did one of our big grocery shopping trips last Friday. I had an event to attend that evening so we got an earlier start and tried to stay focused. We completed our lists, had a nice lunch and even worked in an ice cream stop before heading home. Here’s what my June grocery haul looked like.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

JUNE GROCERY HAUL 

I actually did a better job prepping for this trip than I have in recent months. I thoroughly cleaned out the refrigerator and took notes on what I did (and did not!) need. I cleared out a whole bunch from the refrigerator freezer section. It’s not done but it’s better. And I still need to do the deep freeze! I straightened the top section of the pantry and completely cleaned and organized the big pull out drawers in the bottom section.

I noted that I have LOTS of dried beans of various types, several kinds of pasta, a few types of rice, black eyed peas, split green peas, lentils, etc. I’m going to make an effort to utilize these items in the coming months.

Our Day

We left town a little before 10 a.m. and went to Sprouts first.

Sprouts

We started at Sprouts because they were having a 72 hour sale. There were some great bargains, especially on organic strawberries (2 for $5), cereal (2 for $3), grass fed beef ($3.59 a pound) and nitrate-free bacon for $2.99. I stocked up on cereal for David and bought enough strawberries to make strawberry freezer jam.

• apricot (1)
• asparagus (1 bunch)
• blackberries (2 cartons)
• fresh pineapple
• green onions (2 pkgs)
• Vidalia onions (2 pounds, organic)
• strawberries (6 cartons, organic)
• lemons (8, organic)
• cherries (1.85 pounds, organic)
• nectarine (1, organic)
• cereal (4 boxes)
• Dijon mustard
• marinated artichokes
• minced garlic
• white wine vinegar (organic)
• sun dried tomatoes
• yogurt (3)
• sliced deli roast beef
• milk chocolate covered almonds
• all natural taffy
• grass fed ground beef (about 5 pounds)
• no nitrate bacon (2 pounds)
• loaf of bread
• raspberry cheesecake gelato
• frozen sweet potato fries
• frozen waffle fries
• frozen sweet potato waffle fries
• Farmhouse Movement magazine
• Forks Over Knives magazine

What I did with all that grass fed ground beef:

I made 10 hamburger patties from half of the ground beef, put layers of waxed paper between each patty, put them in a freezer bag and froze them. We will be able to pull out a couple of frozen patties and throw them on the grill for quick dinners this summer. I cooked the rest for some recipes. Watch for a blog post with more information about how I cooked it and several recipes that can be made from it.

Total: $151.92

Next up: lunch! 

We went to Tucker’s for yummy onion burgers.

After filling our tummies we were ready to finish our shopping. Trader Joe’s was next on our list.

Trader Joe’s

• frozen peaches and cream tarte
• red bell pepper
• green bell pepper
• limes (1 pound)
• Greek Kalamata Olive Oil
• sweet pickle relish (organic)
• asparagus (1 bunch – large for grilling)
• milk chocolate bar
• shallots
• fresh flowers

Total: $33.62

We always save Whole Foods for last because it tends to be the most expensive option. However, they have some items we can’t get elsewhere and the quality of their meats is excellent. And I nearly always indulge in a fancy cheese or two.

Whole Foods

Did you know that if you have an Amazon Prime membership you get an additional 10% off Whole Foods sale prices? AND there are exclusive sales just for Prime members. For instance, I got organic air-chilled chicken for $1.99 a pound! I wish I had had more space in my freezer so I could have stocked up. On this one small selection of items I saved almost $10. All you have to do is sign up for Amazon Prime (if you don’t already have it), download the Whole Foods app on your phone, and scan the app when checking out.

• goats milk bar soap
• artichokes (2)
• boneless butterfly pork chop
• organic chicken breasts
• organic whole chicken
• plain Greek yogurt (1 quart)
• rice noodles
• specialty cheddar cheese (1/4 pound)
• enchilada sauce
• Pad Thai simmer sauce
• organic celery
• fresh corn (2 ears)
• bag of ice

Total: $65.61

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Grand Total: $251.15

It was only about 3 p.m. when we finished loading up the car with our groceries so we decided we had time for a treat. A new ice cream store called Roxy’s is right near Whole Foods so of course we had to give it a try. We both opted for a scoop of caramel with crushed pretzels, one of their seasonal selections. So good! If you were following my Instagram stories Friday you probably saw this little cup of awesome.

And we were done. We headed home, I dropped off Lisa at her house and then on to my house. David helped me quickly put everything away so we could get ready for “Cruisin’ Main”, an annual event in our town. It was fun to see all the beautiful old cars. Here is what we drove:

This is David’s 1966 Mustang which he’s had since he was 15 years old. This is the car we dated in so it holds so many memories for us. We cruised up and down Main Street, parked occasionally to have dinner at one of the food trucks and to watch the other cars, and then visited with friends at a new local music venue before heading home.

The weather was unseasonably cool so I finished the day with about an hour of stargazing in our backyard. It was a nice day and I’m well-stocked for the next few weeks.

Meal Ideas for the Coming Month

• French roasted whole chicken
• chicken and dumplings (from leftover whole chicken)
• Pork Chops in Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce
• Pad Thai
• Easy Cheesy Black Bean Enchiladas
• Creamy Artichoke Pasta
• Spinach Lasagna Rolls
• spaghetti and meat sauce
• chili
• Lentil Tacos
• a new recipe I’m working on for chicken breasts
• Brazilian Black Beans
• BLT sandwiches
• red beans and rice
• Butternut Squash Risotto

30 Ways to Save Money on Groceries

How about another grocery haul? Lisa and I went shopping this past Friday. As always, it was nice to spend the day together and it’s good to have our kitchens well-stocked.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

March Grocery Haul 

We started off with lunch which is part of the reason we love to grocery shop out of town – different restaurants! This time we tried something new-to-us. A few days before our shopping trip, Chris, my son, took me up to Norman for sushi. As we got out of the car I could smell Mexican food from the restaurant across the street. So Lisa and I decided to give it a try. The restaurant is called Puebla and we will definitely be going there again!

We both opted for quesadillas with smoked chicken. They smoke their own meats there and I must say it was the best quesadilla I’ve ever had.

After we had filled our tummies with delicious food and too many chips and salsa, we headed for Target. As we were loading our purchases in the car, Lisa and I joked about the Target meme:

With impulse purchases safely behind us, we went to Sprouts which was having a 20% off sale on all frozen foods. That was great timing for me as I needed to stock up on frozen fruits for smoothies. And french fries. Okay, maybe I didn’t really need french fries.

By the time we finished shopping and loading the car we were hot! My cardigan may have been cute but off it came. The temperature registered 86 degrees in the car! We usually get some coffee or hot tea after shopping but decided something cold was called for. We stopped at Starbucks for a Frappuccino (Lisa) and sweet cream cold brew coffee (me).

We had just one more stop – Panera Bread. My mom loves their chicken salad sandwiches. She has shingles and hasn’t been feeling well so I thought she would enjoy one. I also got broccoli cheese soup for David and myself for our dinner.

After I dropped Lisa at her house I delivered the sandwich to my mom, plus some yogurts I bought for my dad. I was still home before dark as you can see in my grocery haul photo:

Target:

• Ghirardelli Bourbon Caramel Dark Chocolates (Yes, they are amazing!)
• Lindor dark chocolate truffle balls
• LaCroix key lime flavored water (3 boxes – two of which were for my son)
• blue cheese dressing
• organic chicken broth (2 quarts)
• organic diced tomatoes (2 cans)
• organic cereal (2 boxes)
• decaffeinated Earl Grey tea
• lemons (1 bag)
• limes (1 bag)
• organic chicken breasts (individually wrapped which are really handy to have in the freezer)
• bread and butter pickles
• Pacifica French lilac hand cream (smells wonderful!)
• tooth whitening strips
• glass jars (2 – I’m in the process of putting all bulk items in glass jars in the pantry)
• aqua placemat (I’d been looking for something to use under my computer keyboard)
• black cherry sparkling water

Total: $127.50

Sprouts:

• organic baby spinach (large container)
• organic red bell peppers (2)
• organic roma tomato
• organic russet potatoes (5 lb. bag)
• organic strawberries
• organic yellow onions (3 lb. bag)
• organic bananas
• honey (local)
• organic tomato paste
• white cheddar popcorn
• yogurt (4)
• organic milk
• grated parmesan cheese
• Manchego cheese
• monterey jack cheese
• mozzarella cheese ball
• smoked gouda
• natural taffy (for David)
• chicken andouille sausage
• baguette
• corn tortillas
• bag of ice
• bouquet of flowers
• chocolate caramel gelato
• frozen organic crinkle fries
• frozen organic sweet potato fries
• frozen organic Yukon Gold garlic fries
• frozen organic broccoli
• frozen organic cherries (3)
• frozen organic raspberries
• frozen organic peaches
• frozen organic mixed fruits with kale
• bar of bath soap

Total: $146.81

Grand Total: $274.31

Do you think these grocery haul posts are a bit silly or are you one of my nosy/curious followers? Either way is fine. 🙂 If you like them, here are a couple of folks I follow on YouTube who also do grocery hauls:

Time for another monthly grocery haul! The last one my daughter and I did was the end of August so we were a bit overdue. This time we just went to Norman rather than all the way to Oklahoma City. I’ve been buying a fair amount at Aldi so I honestly didn’t need all that much. Still I was able to take advantage of some good sales and yes, I indulged a bit.

October Grocery Haul

Target

• Dove chocolate covered cherries
• Skinny Pop popcorn (2 bags)
• organic ketchup
• mayonnaise
• natural jello
• strawberries
• six-pack of those little cans of Coke
• red pepper jelly
• glass beverage bottles (3 – on sale for $4.48 each)
• Hostess cinnamon cakes
• shelf stable milk
• chicken stock
• 2 packages of chicken breasts

Total: $76.03

Natural Grocers

• chocolate coconut milk (2)
• refrigerated coconut milk
• half and half
• frozen french fries (2 bags)
• white chocolate/peppermint popcorn
• natural orange soda (4 pack)
• orange juice
• organic Greek yogurt (32 ounce carton)
• frozen cherries ( 2 packages)
• bacon (2 packages)
• butter
• lavender hand sanitizer
• organic parmesan cheese
• cheese (4 packages)
• protein powder (single serve packet)
• organic eggs
• bag of ice

Total: $95.16

Sprouts

• blackberries (3)
• garlic
• mandarin oranges
• organic grapes
• sweet potatoes
• yellow onion
• tuna (2 cans)
• Dijon mustard
• English Breakfast tea
• cereal
• olive oil
• can of biscuits
• deli roast beef
• deli pepper jack cheese
• smoked gouda
• lemon drops candy
• potato bread
• fresh flowers
• sweet potato fries
• bag of ice
• soap

Total: $101.33

Braum’s

• 1/2 gallon milk

Total: $1.56

Grand Total: $274.08

~~~~~

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