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So I went 21 days without grocery shopping

October 18th, 2007 at 02:13 am

Yippeee! Not bad at all!

My mother and I went grocery shopping today and I made up for it. I spent about $130 on groceries today but I'm okay with that and here's why.

I bought a lot of meat on sale, enough to last at least a month, two if I'm very careful. Almost every item I bought was on sale for a very good price and none of it was unhealthy or something I won't use.

Tomorrow I'll repackage the meat in servings for one or two, label the packets, and pop them in the freezer. Over the next two to four weeks I'll need to buy milk, bread and fresh produce but that should be it.

Since I shouldn't have to spend much more on groceries for the next six weeks or so, all in all I think I did well. Now I just have to come up with menus for the next couple of weeks to make the most of the food I have.

Posted in Grocery Spending, Daily Spending | 10 Comments »

10 Responses to “So I went 21 days without grocery shopping”

  1. boomeyers Says:
    October 18th, 2007 at 02:27 am 1192674469
    1192674469

    Great job! I love stocking up when our local store has its meat sale. I try to stretch it for months!

  2. moi aussi Says:
    October 18th, 2007 at 02:29 am 1192674584
    1192674584

    Hmm I don't know if I can do the freezing thing. Do you guys use the regular fridge or a special freezer?

  3. denisentexas Says:
    October 18th, 2007 at 02:35 am 1192674946
    1192674946

    Thanks, Boo! I used to stock up a lot before but this is my first stock up since I've been separated and it really feels good. I just haven't had the desire to do a lot of shopping or cooking and now it's returning. Smile

    Moi aussi, I use the freezer over my fridge. It's really a matter of knowing how to package and stack things to make the most of the small amount of space.

    I bought quite a lot of chuck steak and will cut it into pieces for one or two servings, wrap it in foil and place one foil packet in a small freezer bag. They stack very nicely in the freezer. I'll do something similar with the beef roasts. I bought 6 of them and each one will provide me with at least 6 meals. I also bought a good amount of very lean ground beef and will do the same with it. I bought three whole chickens and just put them in the freezer as they are. I'll make sticky chicken with one, blasted chicken with another and will more than likely use the third one for another sticky chicken. Each of those chickens will be de-boned and then the cooked meat will be frozen as the beef. It really doesn't take up a lot of space and it sure beats buying small amounts at regular prices!

  4. baselle Says:
    October 18th, 2007 at 05:47 am 1192686446
    1192686446

    I love the meat sale, and now we as we're rounding the corner into November comes the food staples - chicken stock, flour, sugar, baking items, butter.

    I have the same freezer case - the one on top - and mine's always a mess. How do stack things in it efficiently?

  5. denisentexas Says:
    October 18th, 2007 at 06:25 am 1192688717
    1192688717

    Baselle, I use a combination of containers and foil packets put into freezer bags. I wrap meat in foil then put it in a freezer bag and soups, chili, and other less solid foods get put into containers which stack. I try to keep like items together so all the containers are stacked and the bagged foil packets are stacked next to them. I'll see if I can get my mother's digital camera and get a picture of my freezer space for you. That might help it make more sense to you.

  6. boomeyers Says:
    October 19th, 2007 at 05:11 am 1192770712
    1192770712

    I'm spoiled, I have a large stand up freezer in the garage. I looooovee it! Bought it with our tax return check about 9 years ago!

  7. denisentexas Says:
    October 19th, 2007 at 12:45 pm 1192797912
    1192797912

    Boo, I had a very large chest freezer at the old place and it was so nice to have. I wouldn't mind getting a small freezer but honestly, I have nowhere to put it! Maybe someday I will have more space and if I do, oh yeah, stand up freezer here I come!

  8. carol hardie Says:
    November 16th, 2007 at 06:22 am 1195194125
    1195194125

    hi denise love reading about you i am also living alone and living off small budget i have just bought a new small freezer 85 ltr i freeze everything today i made a fritata out of the weeks leftovers which i will slice up and freeze each slice indavidually great for lunches next week its 37 degrees here in adelaide australia today very hot so i will have a slice of frittata for dinner tonite with salad keep up the great articles and keep budgeting its fun and challenging regards carol hardie from a very hot adelaide

  9. carol hardie Says:
    November 23rd, 2007 at 11:45 pm 1195861500
    1195861500

    hi denise just thought i would tell u how you have inspired me to stop running to the supermarket after reading that you went 21 days not going to do the grocery shopping that is fantastic im now going once a week im doing my main shop for me once a fortnite and trying to buy very little and the next visit is to buy cat food for my abby she only eats fresh mince kangaroo meat which is a pain and if i freeze it she wont touch it i think i spend more on her for meat than me but i love her regards carol

  10. DeniseNTexas Says:
    November 24th, 2007 at 04:28 pm 1195921718
    1195921718

    Carol, how wonderful of you to post that! Once a week shopping is great, too.
    Now I'm working on going once every three to four weeks and doing
    fairly well at it. And your cat eats kangaroo?????? Oh my!

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