2026. Buying and Eating: September

 Allocation:  $390

Cushion:   $1030.12

Days:  250 as of the end of September 

What We Ate:          Scottish Eggs, roasted cauliflower.         Smoked sausage and sauerkraut, green beans and bacon with onions and peppers, Caesar salad (2).       Surf and turf with fresh Italian green beans for our anniversary dinner.         Steak salad with fried green tomatoes.       Pork elephant ear with sage brown butter, broccoli         Baked beans, hamburgers, potato salad with homemade mayo, corn on the cob (2)     Italian sausage w peppers and onions, corn on the cob        Pizza and cheesy potato rounds         Hummus , home made falafel, homemade flatbread , homemade tzatziki       BBQ ribs, dauphinois potatoes , corn on the cob        Buffalo style wings, corn on the cob, salad         Liver and onions with potatoes and applesauce          Salmon noodle casserole, Greek cauliflower cheese,  salad         Porcupines with pasta. Fried green tomatoes, tossed salad #3   (2)   Chicken and vegetables over biscuits, pears and bleu cheese, tomato salad        Chicken and baked vegetables, Waldorf salad, corn, bagel with garlic      Italian vegetable soup, cheese and crackers (2)      Reuben sandwich with homemade sauerkraut, popcorn, homemade pickles       Beef stew and homemade bread, pears with bleu  cheese        Bean curry, Indian potato and spinach, corn on the cob, rice       Avocado and crab pesto pasta , tomatoes and onion salad, garlic bread          Cabbage rolls soup, crackers and cheese     

What WeBought:

Walmart:  sliced almonds    $9.48

Aldi:  broccoli crowns (3)   $1.53     On sale

Tops:  cheese, pasta, bananas       $3.38  all on sale

Aldi:   Saltines, eggs (2), avocados (3)    $6.30   Avocados on sale 

Aldi:  cottage cheese, maple crème cookies   $6.34

Giant Eagle:  corned beef (6.5#)    $34.56       On sale

Country Fair:   Eggs    $0.99     On sale)7

Tops:  eggs (2) ,   Cream cheese, chicken breast (6.40 #)    $15.28    All on sale

Country Fair:  provolone (2#), swiss(2#), eggs   20.88   All on sale

Giant Eagle:  cheese (2.5#)  $5.82    On sale 

Aldi:  petite  sirloin (3)     Lamb loin chops (4)  $20.50  all on sale

Total  $125.06

Eating Out:

$3.00.  Mike lunch.  Costco

$22.50. Joyce birthday lunch

$11.99.    Lunch with Mike used a coupon

$5.30   Mike breakfast with the Gannon guys.

$20.   Lunch at Springhill 

$6.    Lunch in Mentor 

$8.26.   Lunch with Mike

$5.30.   Mike breakfast with the Gannon guys

TOTAL   $82.44

Grand Total  $207.50

New Cushion   $1212.62 

YTD grocery      $1141.94 + 125.06=1265.03    250 days =35.714 weeks $5.07/day   $2,53/person/day

YTD Eating Out $374.55+82.44=$457.08 250 days =  $1.84/day   $0.91/person/day

YTD TOTAL $1516.49+. 207.50= 1732.99.    250 days=35.714 weeks $6.90/day.    $3.45/person/day

2026. Frugal Things in September

 1.   We froze green beans, yellow squash, tomatoes, yellow beans, cauliflower, broccoli and I made pressure cooker sauerkraut with a head of cabbage showing its age.  All from the CSA.

2.  I made a fresh apple pie, old fashioned egg custard, Mediterranean flatbread, apple crisp.  The apples were from the CSA.

3.  I used twenty five cents worth of dried garbanzo beans and seasoning to make ten falafels, two meals and two lunches worth.  Delicious and inexpensive.

4.   My mixer is back from being repaired so I had fun making bread for the first time in awhile.  I made wheat and rye bread.

5,  I made a pot of Italian vegetable soup for approximately $2.  It made six good size servings.

2026 Buying and Eating: August

 Allocation     $403

 Cushion     $921.92

Days    220 as of the end of August (on vacation for 7 days)

What We Ate:    Bean curry over rice, yellow beans, peaches      Homemade Mac and cheese with corn on the cob and peaches       Grilled hotdogs with pasta salad and baked beans (2)        Jambalaya, butter beans, salad, Swiss cheese bread       Avocado pasta, garlic bread, salad          Crab cakes, carrot raisin salad, baked potato, corn on the cob      Grilled salmon, tempura cauliflower, carrot salad, garlic bread      Beef and bean burritos with corn on the cob.        Asian peanut and  Salmon pasta with roasted cauliflower        Welsh rarebit  on toast, carrot salad, Brussels sprouts , fruit and yogurt           Taco salad, corn on the cob, cheese bread        Beef and beans burrito , popcorn        Indian lentil curry and rice, curried potatoes       Ham salad sandwich with Brunswick stew           Crab cakes, California medley veggies.., pasta with pesto      Chicken, peas, carrots  and noodles with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese and fresh tomato ,  muffins     Curry wraps, leftover potatoes and onion rings, cottage cheese and mandarin oranges     Yorkshire pudding with Brunswick stew, yogurt and fruit, muffins       Beef and bean quesadillas, roasted carrots, Mexican sautéed potatoes     Italian tomato porcupines, spaghetti and sauce, fried green tomatoes        Tomato sandwiches and fried potatoes     

What We Bought:

Tops:     Sour cream, shredded cheddar (3).   $9.21

Aldi:     Smoked sausage (2.5#), Italian bread. Cinnamon bagels, everything bagels, English muffins  $18.01

Aldi      Fresh salmon (1#), sliced cheddar, frozen peas, cottage cheese, avocados(4)   $18.88

Aldi :potatoes (10#), Greek yogurt (qt)  parm cheese grated, Parmesan cheese, block, cream cheese (2), onions(3#), shredded cheese (1,5#), sliced cheese (2#), bagels (2), bananas(1.63#), avocados (2)   $41.00

Sanders:   Potatoes (5#), donuts (6), mushrooms (3), Italian bread    $10.20

Trader Joe (yearly shop):     Onion pancakes, orange chicken, paneer (2), edamame (2), gnocchi, plantains, naan, dumplings (2), dried cranberries, dried apricots, cheese (8 types) , spanakopita       $104.34

Aldi:  low carb bread, heavy cream, low carb tortillas   $12.07    Bought especially for the diet we are on.

Total:  $213.71

Eating Out 

Ice cream with Mike.  $4.50

Lunch with Mike     $20.17

Lunch with Mike.       $11.64

Lunch with Springhill residents.   $18.52

Springhill lunch.       $25.81

Total:  $80.54

Grand Total:  294.25

Remaining Allocation   $208.75

New Cushion     $1030.12

Days  250 as of the end of September 

YTD Grocery  $1141.94          $5.19/day        $2.60/person/day

YTD Eating Out   $374.55      $$170/day       $0.85/person/day

YTD Total       $$1516.49       $6.89/day        $3.45/person/day

2026. Frugal Things in August

 1.  I used a 50cent box of muesli to make homemade granola.

2.  We continue to eat out of our stockpile to help keep food costs down.

3.  We froze  corn, blackberries , zucchini, green pepper, avocados   for enjoying in the winter.

4.  I made two birthday gifts using yarn that I purchased at thrift stores.  

5.  We are enjoying homegrown tomatoes and (safe) lettuce.

6. I got three free clumps of ornamental grasses from my buy nothing group.  They look nice along the side of the house.

7.  I made muffins, croutons and breadcrumbs.

Frugal Fail:  My KitchenAide mixer went in for repair.  I use it to make my yeast breads.  Therefore, no homemade breads, etc.  I had to purchase bread, bagels and English muffins.   Ouch!

2026 Household and Personal Care: June and July

 Household. For June.      0         $40/month allocated            YTD $146.16 under

   Personal Care for June.     0.       $20/month.   Allocated      YTD $54.  Over

Personal care   

    Haircuts for both of us for $23.99  YTD $70.01 over

Household for July

Refurbished oreck vacuum.      $95.35

Kleenex.     $14.98.    Sam’s 

New toaster.  $30

Dishwasher detergent. $9.00.  

Total.   159.33.     YTD       13.03 over

2026. Frugal things in July

 1.  I continued to bake rather than buy.  It is much cheaper.  This month I made cinnamon raisin bread, no yeast flatbread, Artisan bread(2),  prune breakfast bread, rustic rye bread, croutons from homemade Bread,  Ghirardelli’s brownies made from a 90 cent mix, rye croutons from homemade bread, olive, bacon and cheese loaf.

2.  I used a Chewy coupon I received in the mail and saved $20 on things I needed that were comparable to local prices.  And, they were delivered to the door.  I saved another $25 by doing auto ship and I can cancel at any time.

3.    I made sure to take advantage of my free birthday drink at Starbucks.  The iced latte was delicious on a hot day.

4.  We froze cauliflower, beets, & strawberries, beets, onion and made sweet pickles with some cucumbers.   All produce was From the CSA to enjoy this winter.

5.  I used the cauliflower stocks to make cauliflower soup to go with tomato and cheese sandwiches.

6.  We used a $15 birthday coupon at the yacht club to enjoy a lunch out.

7.  I had a coupon for my haircut that saved me $7.

2026. Buying and Eating: July

 Allocation   $403

Cushion   $651.37

Days     196

What We Ate:  cabbage, cashew and chicken salad with beans, corn on the cob; (2)       Taco salad and cowboy caviar;      Grilled ribs, baked beans, potato skins, pea salad.         Chicken divan, mashed potatoes, 🥔 yogurt and grapefruit, cowboy caviar      Falafels, homemade flatbread, tzatziki, red pepper hummus, dilled carrotsn, tossed Salas #3.        Blt salad with beans, fresh corn and cheese toast.    Cheeseburger salad with beans       Italian strata with sausage, basil, rosemary,mozzarella and spinach, leftover salad(2)    Bean curry with paneer and potatoes over rice, fried cauliflower , homemade flatbread   , salad.        Crab Louis with white beans, cheese grits, bread.    Lentil and ground beef sloppy Joe, salad, cauliflower cheese;     Taco salad and corn on the cob.          .cauliflower Soup with  white beans, with cheese and tomato sandwiches.       Chef salad with peas, corn on the cob, rye and Swiss bread.              Schnitzel, pierogie, corn on the cob, salad.            Stroganoff with wild rice, sautéed beet greens, tzatziki salad, bread         Tzatziki salad with chicken, olive, bacon and cheese bread, corn on the cob       Chicken divan, cheesy potatoes, corn on the cob         Pizza and popcorn 

What We Bought:  

Tops:  cheese, peanut butter, raw shrimp   11.37      All on sale

Aldi:   Olives (4), Greek yogurt     $15.45  

Sam’s Club:  olives (2)   Pam (2)   $25.44

Aldi:  avocados(4)    $2.76 on sale     On sale

Tops:  sour cream, shredded cheese (3)  $6.26  sale items

Giant Eagle:   Eggs(3)    $0.95     Anniversary special

TOTAL    $52.23           

Eating Out:

Lunch with the ladies:   $10.37

Lunch with Mike.      $11.85

Sandy birthday dinner.    $39.74 

Lunch at yacht club.    $18,21

TOTAL.   $80.22       

  

GRAND TOTAL.  $132.45        

Remaining Allocation:  $270.55

New Cushion:  $ 921.92

YTD grocery      $928.23   $4.74/day            $2.37/person/day

YTD eating out   $294.01       $1.41/day        $0.71/person/day

YTD total     $1222.24           $6.33/ day.         $3.12/person/day