NOT SURE WHY THE NUMBERS PUBLISHED ALL CROOKED.....GO HOME NUMBERS YOU'RE DRUNK
TRADER JOES
*Half gallon of unsweetened Almond Milk 2.99
*Medium Roast Trader Joe's Coffee 4.99
Pint of light Sour Cream 1.79
*Cold Pressed Watermelon Juice 3.69
Meatless Meatballs 3.99
*Dark Chocolate covered Honey Grahams w Sea Salt 3.99
19oz TJ Organic Tofu 1.69
Red Sprouted Rice 3.49
Sweet Chili Sauce 1.49
TJ Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce 1.79
21 Seasonings Spice Mix 1.99
Romano/Parmesan/Asiago Cheese Shavings 2.99
Meatless Italian Sausage 3.49
Soy Chorizo 1.99
*TJ's Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing 1.99
Fire Roasted Red Peppers 1.99
Jar of grated Parmesan 2.69
TJ's Toasted Sesame Oil 2.69
Frozen Fruit Mango Chunks 2.99
Bag Vegetable Gyoza 3.79
Supersweet organic roasted corn 1.79
Vegetable Bird's Nest 3.29
*Coconut milk yogurt 1.49
Curry Powder 1.99
Frozen Asian Stir Fry Veggies 2.69
*Flax and Chia Seed Peanut Butter 2.99
Masala Simmer Sauce 2.49
*Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate 7.99
TOTAL: $81.82
As you can see, I got two different coffees-my roommate drinks regular hot coffee, and I wanted to try the cold brew. Also I ran out of some condiments like sesame oil and curry. So without things like that, this would've been even less. Now onto getting produce.
GARDEN FRESH MARKET
Sargento Shredded Cheddar 2.50
Sargento Shredded Monterey Jack 2.50
*Kraft brown sugar BBQ sauce 1.69
*Better than Boullion Veggie Base 6.69
*Better than Boullion Vegetarian Chicken Base 6.69
Sura Seasoned Seaweed 2.99
White miso mix 1.49
Heinz Chili Sauce 2.69
Swad Coconut Oil 3.99
2 Coconut milk (can) 2.00
Hunt's Fire Roasted Tomatoes 1.79
Romaine Lettuce 1.29
Scallions .50
Zucchini 1.61
Bag of Avocados 4.99
Kale .99
Spinach bag 1.99
Carrots .69
Celery .50
3lb bag onions 1.99
Red pepper .50
Shallot .12
Jalapeno .11
Ginger .16
Baking Potatoes .69
Curly parsley .69
Bunch tomatoes 1.50
Red onion .52
Cilantro 1.49
Organic Mint 1.99
TOTAL $63.49
ALDI'S
Bag of Limes .99
Basmanti Rice 2.99
Garlic .99
*can kidney beans .79
Heavy whipping cream 1.69
Vanilla Caramel Creamer 2.79
Fettuccine Noodle 1.89
TOTAL: $ 12.13
GRAND TOTAL: $156.84
HEY!!! :) I thought it was 158! So even less than I thought. Only 6.84 over my 'budget.'
The most costly thing was the bouillon jars at 6+ each. That's about 13.00 in bouillon, which would not be a normal weekly thing, either. I get them despite the cost, because they are concentrate and they are delicious and they do last a long time. I keep them around for the times that I don't make veggie broth, and the rare times I may use chicken broth in a dish. (I feel that's not exactly eating meat-it's flavoring.)
And..........the Potsticker (Gyoza) Soup was amazing!
I garnished with Gyoza sauce, but Sriracha would be great also, I'm sure.
So there you have it. This is more than a week's worth of food for me. Here it is Thursday night and I've only made 4 meals from my 27, and I have 3 of them in the freezer. So roughly 150 bucks for 2 weeks of eats-75.00 a week for food. I'd say that's a pretty good deal. The more stocked your pantry is, the less it becomes. It may take $$$ as an initial investment to get all your staples, spices and condiments, but also if you have the space -warehouse stores are great places to stock up on canned goods, beans, rice, etc-saving you even more money in the long run.
Keep in mind, this also included things such as coffee and creamer and cookies and butter. Many people spend 4 bucks on a cup of coffee in the morning, then 5-7 bucks on lunch. So not only am I making meals from this but also my morning coffee and some 'sweets'-the grahams and the chocolate 'milk'.
I have frozen strawberries, blueberries, and some pineapple and mangos for other 'sweet' tooth stuff. I have Acai and veggie/fruit bars, I have oatmeals and cream of wheats, etc. So I have a freezer full and a cabinet full of pantry items and such. Over a 4 month period since I've started to truly eat from home and cook all my own stuff, I have a ton of food to thaw, in the cabinet and I simply replace as I use up. I eat more than one meal a day, that's for sure!
Also if you are near a farmer's market or outdoor city vendor, your produce can be even less. Some stores also honor coupons so all told, if you read the weekly flyers for food stores around you (even the high end ones)-and the flyers can also be found online if they don't come in your mail box-and look for coupon deals and plan your meals around similar ingredients, you can make a big dent in your food budget. I will also be posting more on other money saving ways, and will link you to "SNAP Challenges" where people other than Gwyneth Paltrow attempt to eat healthy with food stamps.
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