Now May here is what I’m talking about! What a difference from the last few months. Too bad in this unscientific research I can’t quite pinpoint the most contributing factor as to why are grocery total for the month was so much lower, but there are a few very clear contributors.
But first, let’s take a look at the numbers and distribution for the month. As a reminder from the January post, this counts for food and drinks only (no household needs), does not factor in eating out though we typically only do so about once a week, and we don’t subscribe to any particular diet though I do typically focus on whole foods and choose organic when available.
- Costco: $475.20
- Publix: $227.67
- Food Lion: $143.18
- Lowe’s Foods: $49.22
- Sprouts: $46.26
- GRAND TOTAL: $941.53
It’s the first month of the year I kept our total under $1000. There were several things I noticed through the month that were contributing factors.
We bought a half cow in April so our deep freezer is stocked with hundred of pounds of meat. While I try not to have us eat red meat everyday of the week, I can’t deny the convenience of having quality animal protein ready to go and already paid for. When we had friends over, we already had pre-formed burgers ready to grab and grill- no store trip needed.
I visited the grocery store more often, making the traditionally more price savvy stores that are closer to where I live easiest to access, and therefore I shopped more often at those. That’s why there is no Whole Foods on this list, because it is furthest from me. While I know I can shop Whole Foods in a budget-friendly way and I do appreciate their quality, I can’t deny that I spend a little more when I visit because I get starry eyed at all the fun extra options if I’m not really careful.
The biggest thing I did in May that felt like it made a sincere difference is that I didn’t meal plan. At least not in the way I usually do, planning out a week’s worth of dinner recipes at a time. I knew our schedule was a bit insane so I decided to wing it- take note of what I had, grab some produce, and figure out how to use it all up before heading back to the store.
While traditionally I would tell you this would lead to more spending without a plan, it actually led to less money spent on groceries. However, as a caveat, it also led to more simple and quick meals. For example we had tortilla wraps several nights where I just pulled out everything from the fridge and you could choose what to wrap up. We had several spaghetti and meatball nights. We had broccoli multiple times in a week instead of switching up the dinner veggie because I bought the Costco-sized bag. We had some nights where I made popcorn and we snacked on whatever was around (mostly when David was out of town because he does better with a heartier meal).
This worked really well for May when we were wrapping up some activities, trying out for others, and just out of the house more than usual. However, I missed having more varied meals, as it’s something I enjoy making (usually) for my family. Still, there are some undeniable tips I can continue to follow moving forward:
- Check the sales flyer at local stores- I still only buy things I usually would; I don’t buy stuff just because it’s on sale but it’s nice to be notified on good deals for pantry staples or favorite produce).
- Get Costco produce- we eat so much of it and it’s the best bang for my buck at the moment.
- Balance out my meal plans between meals that are fun and different to cook, with quick and easy meals that use fridge and pantry items. We usually do an “eat the fridge” night each week anyway, so maybe adding in another night or two of more simple meals. Maybe BLTs with summer tomatoes?!
- Relax a little bit on my high health standards. This one is really hard for me. I feel like when I know what is the better choice for health, I can’t not do it. However, in my current stage of life right now I’m feeding four mouths, including two very hungry kids (swim team is kicking their hunger up to a new level), that are busy and on the go and I need to cut myself some slack that I’m doing the best I can and that adding a bag of Chex Mix to our boat snack spread won’t kill them.
Ok, that wraps up May! Onto June, which will be interesting as well since we’ll be traveling a lot of it but otherwise will be less busy activity-wise. Plus I want the girls to have some fun in the kitchen so I’ll be buying items to let them cook things they’re interested in. I look forward to totaling our 6 months and averaging them at the end of the month to get a more clear picture of our monthly average. I’m still enjoying this challenge so much!
Joanna says
I agree with you on buying produce at Costco. We go through so much fruit, my husband can eat the box of grapes in a day or two. 🤦🏼♀️ Yesterday I bought some fruit at Publix, four nectarines (I usually buy more but they didn’t look like I wanted them to lol) and they were $6! I kept thinking if only I had time to run to Costco! Thanks for all these tips, good to know I’m not alone in spending in the $400s at Costco!
Kelli says
So interesting about the meal planning.
I added up our grocery bills for the last two months though I didn’t take out items like cards or Kleenex/house hold items and we were right at 1,200 month
I’m putting a hold on Costco because I spend wayyyy too much money there. I’m a sucker for their mixed nuts and can’t seem to not spend between $400-$600/month when I go.
I think I am spending less money though because David and I stopped eating breakfast though we might be making up the costs in eating more nuts later in the day so not sure!
Im going to keep tracking especially since farmers are saying by the end of the year is when we will see the big increase of food prices due to diesel prices being so high this summer.
Brittany Dixon says
Keep me in the loop with any good tips you discover! I keep hearing we aren’t at the peak of food inflation either. Blows my mind when I’ve seen items I buy truly have already doubled in price (Costco avocados).