Week One

So I find myself to have been successful in my first shopping trip.
Top Foods
2 loaves of bread-store brand
1 pack napkins-store brand
2 packs shredded-Kraft
1 pack sliced cheese-Kraft
5 lb. bag of potatoes
total--$12.11

Safeway
4 64 oz. bottles of apple juice-Motts
4 packs Macaroni and Cheese-Kraft
2 packs lima beans-store brand
2 boxes crackers-Ritz
4 packs of rolos
2 6 packs of diet coke-bottles
2 packs of tortillas
1 18 count large eggs
1 tub sour cream
5 yogurts-lucerne
10 packs Budding lunch meat (2 oz each)
6 lbs of bananas
3.5 lbs pears
5 lbs apples
Total-$35.11

Franz Bread Store
1 pack hot dog buns
1 pack cinnamon and raisin english muffins
Total-$2.68

GRAND TOTAL: $49.90

So I must say that it did take me a little bit of reorganizing to stick to my $50. The biggest was my diet coke (which I didn't lots of), Tops Foods had it buy 2 get 2 free and the cost 13.98. I realized that in trying to spend less, that spending about 1/3 of the budget on diet coke was just not too smart, so thinking I will be cutting back alot (might be having a few headaches this week with the lack of diet coke). Also this weekend I will be deydrating the fruit, making homemade muffins, waffles, and chili. Preparing things ahead will help me in saving money on not needing to run to the store and it is for sure cheaper to make things yourself as much as possible.

This weeks meals are:
Breakfast
Sun.-Cereal and yogurt
Mon.-Oatmeal and toast
Tues.-Zucchini muffins and yogurt
Wed.-Cereal and fruit
Thurs.-Waffles
Fri.-Oatmeal and toast
Sat.-Zucchini muffins and fruit
Lunch
Sun.-Grill cheese and tomato soup
Mon.-Chicken noodle soup and PB & J sandwiches
Tues.-Hot dogs and mac & cheese
Wed.-Meat sandwiches and fruit
Thurs.-Spaghetti O's and bread & butter
Fri.-Top ramen and tuna sandwiches
Sat.-Chili
Dinner
Sun.-Halibut cheeks, salad, and rice
Mon.-Hamburger gravy over pasta and peas
Tues.-Sloppy joes and potatoe wedges
Wed.-Salmon, rice, and steamed veggies
Thurs.-Broccoli soup and biscuits
Fri.-Hamburger helper, bread & butter, and green beans
Sat.-Teriyaki Chicken, rice, and steamed veggies
Snack
Sun.-Granola bars
Mon.-dried fruit
Tues.-popcorn
Wed.-granola bars
Thurs.-fruit leather
Fri.-popcorn
Sat.-dried fruit

my $50 a week grocery budget challenge

So many times I try to budget only to go OVER budget, well not this time. As of  October 1,  2011, I will be giving myself a $50 week budget for groceries and toiletries.  I have read many books, watched shows, and read websites many with things I can uses others that were just plain way to out there for me.  For several months I have been practicing the world of couponing and I have a nice little stock pile, we also have plenty of meat and fish in our freezer, so this is why know I feel that $50 a week will hopefully not be to hard.  One of my new found joys is in a dehydrator that my daughter's friends mom gave me FREE and FREE apples from my parents tree, this equals FREE yummy and healthy snacks.  I am also trying to make more things from scratch,  muffins with the FREE zucchini from my husbands grandpa, homemade waffles, stew, chili, and some soups.  I am not someone who likes to cook, actually I would rather clean toilets, but in my quest to live more frugal I am trying. I would have said to live more simple, but the cooking isn't so simple to me. Anyhow, this weekend I will make my first $50 shopping trip and will post what I get and what I will be feeding the family for the next week. Hope to see you back here to see how I do!! :)