LWD Grocery Haul ~ 7/28/23

Welcome, friends, to my latest grocery haul. This haul is from Aldi and includes fresh produce, dairy, meat, some freezer stock, pantry essentials, and a treat or two. Grocery prices are insane but I’m trying to bring our grocery budget under control. 

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Grocery Haul
Aldi

I had not done a proper grocery shop since the beginning of the month. I’ve been purposely using up and making do with what we already had on hand, plus a couple of small trips to Braum’s for bread, dairy and fresh produce. 

My intention was to get exactly what we need for one week – no more – from Aldi and then next week do a grocery pickup from Pruett’s. But as I was filling my online carts for both stores I was reminded of how much less expensive Aldi is.

So I started adding some things I knew I’d need the following week to the Aldi order and before I knew it, I had a bigger order than I had intended. And way more than one week’s worth. 

I worked on the order off and on for several days, adding items and removing others. I have really come to appreciate the ability to place online orders as I can see the prices ahead of time and adjust much more easily than you can while pushing a cart around a store. 

I’ll have the total following the list of items I purchased. I have broken it down into the groceries themselves, tax, service fee and tip. 

First up, here is a video of the items I bought:

Click here to view on YouTube

Here is what I bought, divided up into categories to make it easier to get a sense of what I got. I’m trying to decrease the quantity of backup items in my pantry.

Early in the pandemic, so many things were hard to find so I got in the habit of stocking up when they were available. I do like to have at least one or two extras of things I use regularly but in most cases, I don’t need more than that. 

Breads:

Brioche Buns
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Deli Rolls

I already had about half a loaf of sandwich bread and another of sourdough in the bread box so I didn’t buy more. The brioche buns are for veggie burgers next week. The deli rolls will be for main meal sandwiches and I’ll probably put them in the freezer. 

Dairy:

Organic Greek Yogurt (32 ounce)
Cottage Cheese (24 ounce)
Sliced Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (16 ounce – shredded was cheaper than block)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (16 ounce – same as above)
Lactose Free Milk (1/2 gallon)

We had half & half and heavy cream on hand for our tea and coffee. These had been purchased at Braum’s. 

Fresh Produce:

Organic Strawberries
Organic Grapes
Cherries
Bananas
Limes (2)
Sweet Corn on the Cob (4 ears)
Asparagus
Iceberg Lettuce
Organic Spring Mix
Cabbage
Brussels Sprouts
Whole Carrots (2 pounds)
Russet Potatoes (10 pounds)

We were just about out of fresh produce. There were a couple of sad looking carrots, grapes past their prime and three potatoes. Oh, I also had a few onions and tomatoes from the farmers market. 

 

Canned Goods:

Dill Pickles (large jar – will be making bread and butter pickles soon!)
Organic Black Beans
Chopped Green Chilis (2 cans)
Refried Beans

This is one of the categories where I’m cutting back on quantities. I used the last cans of green chilis and refried beans this week and was down to one can of black beans.

We are out of bread and butter pickles but rather than buy a small jar of them, I bought a huge jar of dill pickles and will turn them into several jars of bread and butter pickles the way my grandmother used to make them. I’ll share the “recipe” soon!

 

Dry Goods and Pasta:

Stuffing Mix
Spaghetti (32 ounces)
Fettucine (32 ounces)
Pasta Salad Mix
Jiffy Cornbread Mix (3 boxes)
Organic Ketchup
Organic Honey
Organic Brown Sugar
Organic Marinara Sauce
Mild Salsa

I was either almost or entirely out of these items. One day this week I went to make some cornbread only to discover that the Jiffy mix I thought was cornbread was actually blueberry muffins. 

My son, Chris, loves Stove Top stuffing and pasta salad so these items were for him. The Aldi brands seem to be just fine and MUCH less expensive than Stove Top or Suddenly Salad brands. 

Frozen Vegetables:

Organic Corn
Organic Peas
Organic Broccoli
Organic Mixed Vegetables
California Medley
Seasoned French Fries
Potatoes and Green Beans with Rosemary 

While I generally prefer fresh vegetables, it’s very handy to have frozen on hand as well. Plus, they are often less expensive. I like to keep a good selection in the freezer. The potatoes and green beans with rosemary were a special item and I thought it sounded good. The others are varieties I buy often.

Meats:

Italian Meatballs (frozen – I use 1/4 of the bag in pasta sauce)
Jumbo Butterfly Shrimp
Veggie Burgers
Ham Steak
Pork Tenderloin
Chicken Breasts (family pack, I repackaged in meal-size portions and froze)
Never Any brand Hickory Bacon
Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef
Organic Uncured Beef Hot Dogs
Turkey Pepperoni

This is the category that can really take a big bite out of the grocery budget. We control costs with small portions and some meatless meals each week. 

 

Snacks/Treats:

Vanilla Wafers (I’m planning to make banana pudding soon.)
Dark Chocolate Butter Cookies (just because I like them – ha!)

We don’t really need snacks so this is where I cut costs the most. David and I like a handful of chips with our lunch sandwiches but I had bought some at Braum’s recently. We don’t have dessert on a regular basis but I’ve been craving banana pudding. And I love those imported dark chocolate butter cookies but haven’t bought any in months. 

 

Other:

Plastic Wrap 
Dryer Sheets 

I can’t remember the last time I bought plastic wrap. This isn’t something I use very much but it’s kind of hard to know when it’s almost gone. I figured I should have an extra on hand. 

I never buy dryer sheets but want to put them in our suitcases and a couple of things that are being stored to keep smelling fresh.

 

Subtotal: $183.76

Checkout bag fee: $1.20
Sales tax                  $17.23
Tip                            $36.75
Service Fee             $19.34

Total: $258.28

I’m including the cost of this haul because I know it’s interesting to see what people are paying for food in different parts of the country and around the world. I live in rural Oklahoma (United States), for reference.

Grocery Prices

Grocery prices have skyrocketed during the pandemic and I’ve only seen a few things come back down in price. I was pleased to see that the organic grass fed beef was only $3.99 for a pound. That’s a really good deal for organic beef. 

I didn’t need eggs but the prices are better than they had been (not great, but better). Organic cage free eggs at my Aldi are $3.95. Regular Grade A eggs are $1.19. If you are curious about any individual prices in this grocery haul or want me to check other prices at our Aldi, just let me know. 

How long will this last?

I easily have 16-18 dinners’ worth of meats in this grocery haul and since we also do some meatless meals, these groceries should last at least three or maybe four weeks. David will be out of town three days next week and we will both be driving to California mid-August for his brother’s memorial service. We plan to take a few days for a bit of a vacation since we’ll be on the road anyway.

All that to say, this grocery haul should last us through most of August. I’ll pick up bread (unless I get my act together and bake some!), fresh fruit, salad greens and some dairy at Braum’s as needed. I will try to hit the farmers market a time or two for fresh veggies. 

Would you be interested in seeing the meals I make from these groceries? If so, let me know and I’ll do a post the end of August with all of our dinners. 

 

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