The Budget Challenge

The Budget Challenge Week 1 (August 10-August 24)

$125 for 2 wks, feeding 2 adults, 2 children

$31.25, per person ($15.63 per person per week)

Went shopping yesterday, and went over budget, however I purchased things that will last more than two weeks, so it'll even out in the month.

What I got and where I shopped:

Big Lots

5- ½ gal Almond milk, Blue Diamond, original, $10

2- Quaker Oats, instant, $2.50

1- Juicy Juice, $2.00

2- Del Monte Fruit Puree squeezers, $3.00

Total: $17.50

WalMart

Polanders Cherry Jam, $2.12

ACV, Braggs, $5.98

Ranch Dressing, Kraft, $1,98

3- Dried red kidney beans, $4.74

3- Dried black beans, $5,16

3- Dried lentils, $4.38

Great Value Raisins, $2.98

Applesauce, $1.75

Total: $29.09

Frys (Kroger)

Chocolate Chips, $1.69

Popcorn, $3.39

3- Hot dog packages, $6.50

Fosters Split Chicken breasts, $7.10 (8lbs)

Dried pinto beans, $.99

Sharp cheese, $7.99

Colby cheese, $7.99

Peaches, $5.95 (6.01lbs)

Frozen green peas, $3.00 (2 large packages)

Yellow Corn, 5 ears, $2.00 (treat for chickens!)

2- Canned black beans, $.1.38

Coconut oil, $4.99

Cauliflower, 1 head, 4.40 (2.33lbs/1.89 per lb)

8- Blueberries cartons, $10.00

Quinoa, $6.49

Baby spinach, $3.99

4- Lemons, $2.76

Yams, $6.73 (1.99 per lb, 3.38lbs)

Total: $87.79 (saved $51.39, 36%!)

Grand Total: $134.38 (over by $9.38)

Thoughts:

• I still have chicken breasts, ground beef, cod, and some leftover meat dishes in the freezer. So that was a purchase that I didn’t have to do. I couldn’t pass up the chicken deal, at $.97 a pound!
• Big Lots prices are already marked down, from regular grocery stores, so I go there first, to see if anything on my list is priced right.
• I also just started an official price book, as I’d been keeping the prices in my head...which is not always the best idea!
• I don’t like Walmarts recipes! They describe nothing very well. I’m still not convinced that I saved there, but we needed to also get non-food items.
• Random, our sales tax is 8.350%
• We have a lot of frozen veggies, leftover, I'll be using those up, we eat more produce than it appears. lol