It's been one snowy mess here today! I was going to go into work like normal today, but since Ryan is home and interstate travel is not advised, I decided to stay put!
As planned I will post our weekly meals on Mondays, but I also thought it would be fun to chat today about one of my most dreaded tasks as a mom...grocery shopping.
Grocery shopping is one of those tasks that you either love or hate, and I personally sort of hate it. I don't know why I hate it, I guess because I look at it as a chore, but eating is not really an option so unfortunately it's unavoidable.
Here are a few grocery shopping facts from our household:
1. We are budgeters {perhaps a post on that later}, so we stick to a pretty strict budget of $100-$125 a week for groceries. This typically covers five weeknight meals and non-food items like toilet paper, paper towels, etc {diapers/wipes are a separate budget item}.
2. I refuse to go to the grocery store more than once a week so we go every weekend, usually in the morning on either Saturday or Sunday.
3. I do most of my shopping at our local big chain grocery store, however when buying toiletries I usually venture to someplace like Target or Walmart, where these items are a bit cheaper.
4. I don't usually do coupons. For some reason I can't get into it. I've tried, but I feel like when I start using coupons I end up buying crap I don't really need just because I have a coupon. I am however a big fan of the Target Cartwheel app. If there is something on that app that I need I definitely use it.
6. Lately, we've been trying to stay away from all of the packaged processed meals. Reason being they are expensive and unhealthy. Sure, we will sometimes cheat for an occasional frozen lasagna or pizza, but for the most part we buy the ingredients we need to cook at home. It definitely helps us stay on budget!
5. I don't dare go grocery shopping without a list. I usually spend Saturday morning writing out a list. If I didn't have a list I know I would spend a lot more money than necessary. Side note: I'm a nerd and try to organize my list by grocery departments...you know, freezer section, refridgerated, canned goods, meat, produce, etc. It's a huge time saver!
6. We always make enough to feed our family of three + leftovers. Ryan and I pack our lunches for work so having extra for the next day helps save time and money!
7. We prep all of our meals ahead of time, usually on Sundays. I have a toddler whose bewitching hour is between 4-5pm so having dinner prepped and ready to go means all I have to do is turn on the oven and pop it in. So much easier than trying to cook with a toddler clinging to my leg!
With that being said, here is what we've prepped and have ready for this week:
Monday:: One Pot Spaghetti
Tuesday:: Stuffed Bell Peppers
Wednesday:: One-Pan Enchilada Pasta
Thursday:: Vegetable Chow Mein
Friday:: Cheeseburger Quesadillas
Off to watch some Olympics! Be back later in the week with Rowen's 18/19 month update!
I really need to take a look at the Cartwheel app, because i've heard so much about it. We grocery shop every Friday when we get paid, and we spend about $300 for our family of four. I am kinda of a flip-flopper with coupons.. i use them for and then I get behind and they all expire. Sometimes I think they aren't worth the time. :-)
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