Sunday, December 11, 2011

Our Budget

Our grocery budget has been astronomical the past few weeks.  I would tell you the amount; however, I am a bit embarrassed.  I felt convicted that I needed to cut back SIGNIFICANTLY.  I asked some other women what their weekly budget was and made my decision from there.  I decided to set our budget at $120/week.

For those of you that think this is a bit high, please remember we do not eat processed foods and we are gluten free (which ups the budget by quite a bit, I think!) 

This week, I'm going to give you the opportunity to see my grocery bill along with my weekly menu.  I have to admit, I am a bit nervous about staying on budget this week.  We were out of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Organic Vanilla (two items I will not compromise on). 

Other items I will not compromise on are: organic strawberries, organic celery, organic carrots, organic lettuce, organic apples - these specific products have a very high pesticide rate if not certified organic.

Okay!  So, here was my grocery list (thus far) along with the total spent:
  • Orange Juice
  • 2 Jars of Salsa
  • Clementines
  • Green Beans
  • Organic Strawberries
  • 4 cartons of Blackberries
  • Organic EVOO
  • Organic Vanilla Extract
  • Bananas
  • Organic Apples
  • Gluten Free Spaghetti
  • Blue Corn Chips
  • Toothbrushes
Total = $68.67

I also stopped by Heyely's to purchase some (not all) of our meat for the week. 
  • Whole Chicken
  • Pound of Ground Round
Total  = $10

This is only a partial grocery list, but from this list, this is what I plan on making:
  • Crock pot Chicken (chicken, beer), Green Beans, Applesauce (frozen)
  • Chicken Veggies Soup - this will be made with the left over chicken and I have carrots and celery left over from last week
  • Gluten Free Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Green Beans, and Peaches (frozen)
I currently have Hamburger Soup left over for Monday's lunch and we'll have left overs for lunch the remainder of the week. 

I also have enough fruits and veggies to make green smoothies a couple times a day.  Kale and Collard Greens last for quite awhile AND are very cheap!

That's it for now!  I'll probably be going to the store around Wed or Thursday and will post an update!

Lastly, I will speaking at Bear Family Chiropractic on Tuesday @ 6:30pm.  For those that are looking to make a lifestyle change, that's what I'll be talking about!  I'll be giving you steps to implement and take back to your family.

Wishing you a week full of whole foods and health!!