Grocery Transparency

I’ve decided to do a very transparent share into our groceries, what we’re buying, how much we are spending, and what we are using them for.  It’s no secret that groceries are expensive and many are battling how to have a manageable grocery budget while also creating balanced meals. When you are trying to change the way you eat and fuel your body it can all be overwhelming.

Some things to keep in mind as I go through these different posts and share… What works for me and my family might not perfectly fit yours. This is just for you to gain some ideas off of and have an example to follow or to take note of. We are a family of four: two adults, one toddler, and a 3 month old. Currently we live in Southern California.

I think this is going to be a fun thing to do and I am excited to share!

The first thing we did as we prepared for this weeks groceries was to pick out meals to make based off the meat we already had in our freezer. We decided to prepare lunches ahead of time for the week which consisted of veggies, grilled chicken, and rice. All of which we had on hand so that was easy.

*When we took inventory we didn’t need to buy any meat or cheese products or any one our toddler’s favorite snacks. We have plenty to work off of for this first week and probably the first half of the month! When it comes to meat we often buy our meat in bulk or have what my husband has hunted over the course of the year and different hunting seasons. So at this time (for this week) we didn’t have to stock up on any major meat products. If we are buying in bulk we have purchased 1/4 of cow before or often get our items from costco or when the grocery store has sales on certain items,

* Our CSA box is costing $41.00 for a box or veggies and fruit (plus a berry pack add on) for local produce that will be delivered to us. If you have this as an option or something you aren’t sure– this can be both a really healthy choice and cost effective one. You just need to make sure you USE what is in your box in order for it to be worth it. 

* We then went to Trader Joes where I was able to get most of the things on our list (minus a few specific ingredients for recipes that we got the next day). I also stocked up on a few of my favorites to have on hand (like tea, fried rice, bagels ect). This Grocery Haul was about 79.00

* I bake bread each week— so we don’t usually purchase it at the store.

* Those few other items we needed at another store cost about 20.00 

* Total for groceries spent so far is about 140.00 

Let me break down what is planned for meals for the week.

Breakfast:

Eggs- & Bacon & Fruit — some sort of combination of this.

(We had to buy eggs, bacon, milk, half and half, and will receive fruit in our CSA Box)

Dinners:

Spicy Fish Cakes (had to purchase panko, peppers, and oil — we had left over herbs, spices, mayo and lemons)

7 Bone Roast— We had a 7 bone roast already cooked that we plan to thaw out in the crock pot. We will serve with rice and some veggies.

Tray Bake with Chicken Apple Sausages and Veggies (from the CSA Box )

Pork Chop with a side of veggies (from the CSA Box)

Venison Shank — This recipe is one my husband cooks and I honestly don’t know what all goes into it but all I had to buy for it was parmesan cheese and celery The we had the rest on hand ( like herbs, broth, and tomato paste). It is delicious.

As you can see the meals we are planning for the week are both specific but have some flexibility to them as well! I feel like that is key because you never know what might get thrown your way— both in a CSA box and just with life happening around us! Take control where you can but be okay with having to pivot!

So as I mentioned above going into this first week of the month we have spent $140 on our groceries so far.

The key takeaways I have for you this week are this:

Take inventory of what you already have that you can use, take inventory of what your week might look like and what is feasible for you to make each day or to prep during the week, and be intentional. Pick your meals, your recipes and make your lists.

Not only when preparing but be intentional when you are at the store as well.

I hope to share more soon as the month goes and to give you that final tally of groceries before we hit July.

If this has been helpful, encouraging, enlightening, or intriguing please share it with others and be on the look out for me!

<3 RK