For the first time in who knows how long, I actually went inside a grocery store for this shopping trip!
I haven’t been to my grocery outlet, Mr. Mac’s, in a few weeks. But just this week, they’ve closed the store down to do online ordering/curbside pickup. They opened up on Thursday only to help make room in their freezers, and everything was 10% off. So I donned a mask and was able to get some good stuff for the week!
I really miss being able to go to different stores and get the best prices. Part of that is why we raised our grocery budget to $100 a week. Wal Mart is great, but their produce prices just aren’t as good as Aldi; I can get so much more at Aldi with my money.
But I may start actually going to Aldi starting next week, depending on John’s work schedule. Rules are lightening up slightly here in Ohio, but I still don’t want to take Allison to the store. We’ll have to see!
By the way, in case you missed it: I’m doing a FREE 5-day challenge starting May 11th in my Facebook group, Meal Planning and Easy Freezer Meals! Each day I’m giving out a healthy Summer recipe as well as tips to keep yourself healthy in the warmer months. Make sure you join the group so you don’t miss it!
Mr. Mac’s Grocery Outlet
We were out of snacks for Allison so we were both happy that I got two boxes! $1.75 each for Annie’s bars is super good.
Two impulse buys: The Skippy PB&J minis and the Organic Valley protein drink. I thought Allison would enjoy those little sandwiches as a treat for lunch!
And- Allison’s requested to try fish this week! I went the cheap route and bought some simple salmon burgers here that I’ll cut in half and use in fish tacos. And that frozen sausage will be used as meatballs for spaghetti- can’t wait to try it!
Total: $17.41
Kroger
My Kroger trip was basically “Get whatever Wal Mart was out of”. The Mountain Dew was actually free with a digital coupon!
Funny story about the milk: A gallon costs $2.99 while the half gallon was on sale for $.99. So I ordered four half gallons, which should have been $4.00.
When I picked up my order, the guy told me they were out of half gallons so they gave me two 1-gallons, but kept the original price of each half gallon. So I only paid $.99 per gallon of milk. Crazy!
Total: $9.85
Wal Mart
I had zero substitutions but two items that were out of stock: a 12-pack of soda and fresh broccoli. John went back out later and bought those.
I really wanted a bigger can of oats- they used to have the 42-ounce can but I could only buy an 18-ounce can. Hopefully that, plus what I already have, will last us the week because I have lots of oat recipes planned for breakfast/snacks!
Also, Great Value K-Cups are pretty much the best ever. They’re cheap and the flavors are AMAZING. I’m a big fan of the Caramel Creme, but this Toasted Coconut is now second place! What are your favorite flavors?
Total: $59.56
Weekly Total: $92.85. I have about $6.00 left over that I’ll put into our Sam’s Club fund.
Want to try Wal Mart Grocery Pickup? Click here to use my link and we’ll both get $10.00 off a $50.00 order!
Menu
Lunch is always leftovers. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were purchased in previous weeks.
Dinner
- Dinner out- John’s birthday dinner
- Cobb salads- Hard boiled eggs, turkey bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, carrots
- Pineapple BBQ Chicken Bowls- One of the recipes that will be in my free challenge! Chicken*, BBQ sauce, pineapple, tomato, cilantro, rice, lettuce, roasted broccoli
- Fish tacos- Salmon burgers, tortillas, coleslaw, Pepperjack cheese. Serving with rice*.
- Chicken Sausage Pasta- Sliced chicken sausages cooked with onion*, added to penne* with Parmesan cheese. Serving with frozen broccoli.
- Spaghetti and Meatballs with frozen broccoli- Accidentally making two pasta dishes this week but it’s cheap!
- Pancakes
Breakfast
- Peanut Butter Pancakes– for Allison
- Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal with cottage cheese/sausage patties
Miscellaneous
- Breakfast Brownies for evening snacks
What’s on your menu this week? Share below in the comments!
Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.
Michelle
Wednesday 6th of May 2020
Sams club sells a 10 pound box of oats for about $9. Also Cheesecake Factory was supposed to be my birthday lunch too. Everything was closed here in California the second week of March so that was a no go. ? Really hoping we can go back to some kind of normal soon.
Jaime
Wednesday 6th of May 2020
Same here!! And thanks for the tip about Sam's Club. I'll have to go check it out. =)
Rebecca
Monday 4th of May 2020
I haven't ventured back to the grocery store. I have been twice since this all began and it was really the weekend it all began. I haven't done pick up either because our stores are so limited on products and availability for pick up. My daughter has been doing the shopping for me. I am ready to go back to the store though just not sure when I will do that.
Have you ever thought about buying your oats in bulk? Sprouts sells them for less than $1 a pound. Walmart charges close to $4 for a 32 oz (which is two pounds) the same thing at Sprouts is less that $2. We started buying ours there since we use them for so many things. It is so much cheaper. If you don't have a Sprouts there are other stores similar to Sprouts that sell them in bulk.
Our menu for the week is almost a repeat of last week.... Chicken Ground Beef Chicken Ground Beef Salmon Mexican
I have a very limited diet right now, it is mostly fresh fruit and vegetable. No pork of any kind (it has been 131 days since I ate bacon. I really miss bacon). The meat will be paired as an accompaniment with broccoli, green beans, fresh spinach and pasta. I miss the variety of our old diet but I feel better this way so that wins out all the time. Breakfast for us is usually eggs, oats and raisin bread/english muffins paired with a Cara Cara orange and carrot sticks. Plus I have a smoothie every morning on my drive to work. Lunch is always left overs from dinner the night before paired with fresh fruit (this week is strawberries, pineapples, grapes). It is basically very boring! But it is what it is. Also it is what we have since I don't want to shop right now.
Jaime
Monday 4th of May 2020
Hey, we tend to be a little boring as well; it just means we know what we like!
I've never actually bought oats in bulk before, but I know a place that does. I'll have to check it out next time I'm there; thanks for the tip!