In the home stretch!

WHEW!  It has been a month!  I have three weeks under my belt and one week more until I get my official grocery money.  However, I was blessed enough in selling some things on my Etsy shop, and so I get to pick up a few items this week.  These are items which are on my ever growing grocery list for next week.  To be able to get these items at these prices is awesome!

Boneless pork loin-  $1.48 lb at a local store.  This store, since it is an independent store, will grind as well as slice meat.  For that reason I watch for pork loin to go on sale here first.  Plus when it does go on sale here; it's usually cheaper.  I get the center third sliced into chops about 3/4 inch thick and then the two end thirds ground.  I use the ground pork loin to make our breakfast sausage .  Plus, we have discovered that hamburgers made with ground pork are pretty awesome.  Way better than turkey and very low in fat and calories, yet high in protein.  In fact, the cheapest turkey I can buy here is $1.89 lb and it's only 85% lean.  This is way leaner and I can get it on sale for anywhere from $1.48- $1.69 lb.  I have used it in all sorts of recipes where ground beef is called for and have been extremely pleased with the results.  Hamburgers were my last experiment and the ground pork came thru with flying colors.  My freezer is getting bare, so I'm refilling it ahead of time because the sale will be gone after Tuesday.  I'm purchasing about 21 lbs.

Folgers coffee-  I try to keep 6 large containers of coffee on hand at all times.  When I open the 6th one, I add a coffee to my grocery list.  I haven't been able to do that for a couple of months.  I'm down to three.  The same local independent store has the 31 oz can of Folgers for $4.97.  Awesome price.  I'll get three and have that back to comfort level.

Cheese!-  Kroger has the 2 lb packages of their brand of cheese on sale for $4.99.  Plus I have a Kroger coupon for $1.50 off a $7 or more dairy purchase.  This will make the cheese around $2.35 lb, which is cheaper than Costco.  The sale will end on Tuesday.  So I will get 5 packages of different varieties now.

Strawberries-  It's strawberry season!  Woohoo!  While I grow strawberries, we didn't get many last year.  I'm hoping for a better outcome this year, but until then, Aldi has Strawberries for .99 lb!  I had them on my list to buy frozen at Costco, but this price is way cheaper and it gives us a few fresh ones to eat as well.  I'll buy 10 lbs.  I'll freeze 7 or 8 lbs, and keep 2 or 3 lbs in the fridge for fresh eating.

Fresh Spinach-  Will pick up at Aldi along with a few Bananas because we're out and need it to finish out the week.

So everything above was budgeted to fit the $82 I got from sales on Etsy (thank you Lord!).  I do have one thing I'm getting that isn't budgeted.  A local Amish store in my area has boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.29 lb for a 40 lb box.  That is a crazy good price.  Chicken breast is on my list for next week.  I made an executive decision to take money out of savings long enough to purchase a box on Monday.  This will be deducted from my grocery money allotment next week, and the money put back into savings.  I need chicken breast and, at that price, It was worth the call.

So there you have it.  I still have another week before official groceries, but things will be easing up this week.  Still have baking to do and things to figure out, but it should be all good.

  I'll be glad.  I have not eaten as well as I should.  I was very limited in what I had to choose from.  One thing I noticed is I ended up eating more carbs than normal.  That made me more likely to munch during the day.  I miss my lean meat and roasted veggies for lunch.  Ready to get back to it.