The Groceries We Buy Week 3

I’m continuing my “The Groceries We Buy” series and this is Week 3.  You can read Week 1 HERE and Week 2 HERE.  I also have more grocery posts…just look under the Finance tab.

I went grocery shopping last night WITHOUT the kids.  Let me just say I most definitely spend more money when they are not there.  I can take my time and I have the entire cart for my groceries vs. a square foot of space. I went to Walmart and I also had to get a ton of other things while I was there so it worked out nice.

I also have a few Grocery Tips for you as well at the end of this post.

MENU PLAN

Breakfasts – Oatmeal, Biscuit Sandwiches, Homemade Donuts, Toast

Lunch – Turkey sandwiches, Smoothies, Chicken Salad, PBJ, Grilled Cheese, Soup, Leftovers

Dinner:
Monday – Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa, Baked Potato, Brussels Sprouts (I also made pinto beans to have for the week)
*I season tilapia with salt/pepper and paprika.  Then grill it in skillet with a little oil until it’s cooked (white inside and flaky with a fork).  For brussels sprouts, I cut in half, mix with olive oil, salt/pepper, a little garlic and then bake on 350 for 20 minutes or so, flipping once).  Picture below.
Tuesday – Leftovers (Fish Tacos, Bean Burritos…I ended up eating 1/2 cup of chocolate ice cream, eggs, and bacon because I had to cook it before it went bad…true story, that was my dinner, in that order…and a Snickers bar at the store) #keepinitreal  It was a LONG afternoon and it warranted ice cream.
Wednesday – Cheesy Enchilada Rice Skillet (I add shredded chicken to mine…I cook 1 breast in the crockpot with salsa and taco seasoning, shred the chicken when it’s done and add some to the enchilada mix)
Thursday – Leftovers or White Chicken Pasta (we will most likely have leftovers)
Friday – Dinner Out
Saturday – White Chicken Pasta or Out (I think I’ve had this pasta on my plan for 3 weeks now…it’s kind of my back up dish.  I have a homemade one, but this one is a jar of white sauce, shredded chicken, pasta, and any veggies like green pepper, onions, and tomatoes).
Sunday – Home Team (our church group) or dinner afterwards out (I’m not sure yet if we’re eating together or meeting beforehand)
*I like to eat out on the weekends as I like to relax on the weekends instead of cook and clean at night, but it just depends on our budget.

Check out the Tilapia and homemade Mango Salsa I made on Monday (I didn’t use the Fresno chilis and used a red pepper instead of orange)…

Like I said, I only went to Walmart this week (so far…hope it stays that way).  From last week’s post, we had spent $212.06 on groceries. 

This week, I spent $104.00 (I love an even total)!  Below is what I bought.  I’m not going to lie, I bought a lot of items that were not on the list.  I normally don’t buy as many convenience foods either (baby food, boxed snacks, frozen veggies), but y’all, I just can’t swing it yet with multiple kids.  Beckham wants to snack a lot.  And he eats his meals well, so I think he’s just a growing boy.  He’s not big at all, so I don’t mind if he has a lot of snacks in addition to his meals.  Therefore, I tried to find snacks that are a little more nutritious and not a ton of sugar, but that he can grab from his snack bucket in the pantry (he also loves apple/peanut butter and those Cuties oranges, which he can now peel thank you Jesus, and he will never turn down a smoothie).

Our total for March so far is $316.06!  That means we have roughly $84 left for the the rest of the month.  That will be tight, but we will see if I can stick to our $400 budget.

Grocery Tip #1: If you shop at a warehouse store like Walmart and are getting more than just groceries, separate your items according to your budget.  For example, last night I had THREE transactions – Baby items, House items (like copy paper and kitchen tools), and Groceries (any baby food is included in our groceries).  This will make writing down your expenses in your budget SO much easier!

Grocery Tip #2: If you use the SAVINGS CATCHER from Walmart, scan the receipt AS SOON AS YOU GET IN YOUR CAR!  That way you won’t forget.  I think they have a set up where you can enter your phone # at the register, but I haven’t tried yet.  If you’re unfamiliar with Savings Catcher, it basically price matches all your items for you so you don’t have to do it.  Double check the stores they compare to, so you can make sure you’re getting deals from all the stores in your area.

Grocery Tip #3: When I come home and start putting away the food, I like to store Beckham’s snacks in his bucket by taking off the tops to some of the boxed items so they store easier.  They even have perforated sides to make this easier.  I also take out the food from the packages (apple sauce, raisins, yogurt – in fridge).  Just makes it quicker to grab throughout the week.

I JUST now moved his snacks down to his reach.  It’s much easier to tell him to grab something than to stop what I’m doing (usually pumping or with baby) than to get it myself.  Yes, sometimes I have to battle him when he’s not supposed to have a snack, but most of the time he asks before.

Do you have any other tips for groceries?  Or any good kid snacks for a 3 year old?  I’d love to know if you spend more/less than $400.  Hope this helps!

Come visit me on Facebook, Instagram (@snyderstellall) and Pinterest.