I wanted to share with you guys how my monthly grocery bill stays under $120 each month.
1. I am blessed to have a farmer's market located directly across the street from my apartment complex. I purchase all my veggies, fruits, and meats from there. You would think that I would be paying an arm and a leg for organic food but that is not the case. My typical shop there averages around $35 bucks. And I am set for 2-3 weeks. I went there today and spent a total of $29.76. I buy my water, soy milk, tofu, eggs, orange juice, condiments and little snacks for my daughter from Walmart. A bill there averages about $26 bucks.
2. I cut up, package, and freeze majority of my food. I used to have a problem with spoiled veggies and fruits. I either never got to them fast enough or I totally forgot I had them and they would go bad. Freezing my food has helped me in that area. I just wish my freezer was larger. I would freeze everything. Here is some of the veggies I bought today; cut up and packaged.
Lot of food aint it? Those a gallon size bags, about one or two are quart size. I bought carrots, butternut squash, cucumbers, red bliss potatoes, yellow squash, celery, eggplant, spinach (3 bags in the back...88 cents a piece!), green peppers, zucchini, and asparagus. And here is the rest. I am going to juice these. The cucumber packages were 59 cents (4 in a package). Carrots were $1.34. Organic carrots for $1.34!!
All the veggies are organic. The carrots will make about 1.5 quarts. Cucumbers should make about half a quart.
I do about the same thing with my meats. I clean them, marinate them, separate them into serving sizes in ziplock bags, and then freeze them.
4. I plan my meals a week ahead. I just started doing this about 2 months ago. Every Saturday I plan my meals for the upcoming week. And and each morning I take all the ingredients that I need and put them in the fridge. This has helped me steer away from eating out a lot. If I have had a rough day I am more inclined to swing by one of our fav take-out places and grab dinner. But now I just head home because I know all I have to do is take my food and use my foil method and I will have a piping hot homemade meal in 30 minutes and not have to spend a dime. :-D (I should so do commercials)
I try and do this all in one day. I usually grocery shop on Fridays or Saturdays and it takes me about 1.5 hours tops to get everything cleaned, cut up/marinated, and packaged. Not bad compared to the 30 minutes plus a day it would take me otherwise.
I do my major shopping in the beginning of the month. After that I only go to the store to restock on things I ran out of and need.
So that is how I do it. Hey, does this make me frugal? Semi-frugal? You would think with all this healthy eating a sistah wouldn't have to be on a diet right?! I guess exercise is important.
LMAO.
It was so easy back in high school. I ran 2 miles everyday between basketball and track.
Edited:
Did I mention that above is food for 2??
1. I am blessed to have a farmer's market located directly across the street from my apartment complex. I purchase all my veggies, fruits, and meats from there. You would think that I would be paying an arm and a leg for organic food but that is not the case. My typical shop there averages around $35 bucks. And I am set for 2-3 weeks. I went there today and spent a total of $29.76. I buy my water, soy milk, tofu, eggs, orange juice, condiments and little snacks for my daughter from Walmart. A bill there averages about $26 bucks.
2. I cut up, package, and freeze majority of my food. I used to have a problem with spoiled veggies and fruits. I either never got to them fast enough or I totally forgot I had them and they would go bad. Freezing my food has helped me in that area. I just wish my freezer was larger. I would freeze everything. Here is some of the veggies I bought today; cut up and packaged.
Lot of food aint it? Those a gallon size bags, about one or two are quart size. I bought carrots, butternut squash, cucumbers, red bliss potatoes, yellow squash, celery, eggplant, spinach (3 bags in the back...88 cents a piece!), green peppers, zucchini, and asparagus. And here is the rest. I am going to juice these. The cucumber packages were 59 cents (4 in a package). Carrots were $1.34. Organic carrots for $1.34!!
All the veggies are organic. The carrots will make about 1.5 quarts. Cucumbers should make about half a quart. I do about the same thing with my meats. I clean them, marinate them, separate them into serving sizes in ziplock bags, and then freeze them.
4. I plan my meals a week ahead. I just started doing this about 2 months ago. Every Saturday I plan my meals for the upcoming week. And and each morning I take all the ingredients that I need and put them in the fridge. This has helped me steer away from eating out a lot. If I have had a rough day I am more inclined to swing by one of our fav take-out places and grab dinner. But now I just head home because I know all I have to do is take my food and use my foil method and I will have a piping hot homemade meal in 30 minutes and not have to spend a dime. :-D (I should so do commercials)
I try and do this all in one day. I usually grocery shop on Fridays or Saturdays and it takes me about 1.5 hours tops to get everything cleaned, cut up/marinated, and packaged. Not bad compared to the 30 minutes plus a day it would take me otherwise.
I do my major shopping in the beginning of the month. After that I only go to the store to restock on things I ran out of and need.
So that is how I do it. Hey, does this make me frugal? Semi-frugal? You would think with all this healthy eating a sistah wouldn't have to be on a diet right?! I guess exercise is important.
LMAO.
It was so easy back in high school. I ran 2 miles everyday between basketball and track.
Edited:
Did I mention that above is food for 2??
Comments
An-t-wayz, thanks for the informative post. I'm definitely gonna keep this in mind.
Girl it tastes fantastic. I love my farmer's market. When I say it is a blessing to have moved where I live now, I really mean it.
@ Sistah Ant
All you need is about 2 hours top. Get everything cleaned, cut up, separated, and packaged and that is it. You can also package the food by serving size. That way all you will need to do is pull out what you need from the freezer, through it in a pot or use my foil method, and you got a real good meal.
@ Dream
Thanks girl. Let me know how the prices compare when you find you market. I can't seem to find my receipt but when I do I will post it so that you can see how much I paid for each food.
@ I am Fab
Girl you can freeze about everything. And the veggies are made up of a lot of water so when they defrost they aren't soggy or anything. I am going to invest in a deep freezer when I buy my house. Right now I have no where to put one. But definitely try this out and let me know how it works for you.
You would think I would be a stick figure right? Nope. I need to exercise. Just eating healthy ain't cutting it for me. *sigh* I wish it were easier.