2024 Buying and Eating: June 1-15

 Allocation   $390

Cushion   $766.85

YTD  148 days

Total   $909.15       $6.14/day      $3.07/person/day

Grocery  $617.26     $4.19/day    $2.10/person/day

Eating Out   $291.89     $1.96/day  $0.98/person/day

What We Ate:     Tilapia, creamed mushrooms, oven roasted potatoes, roasted broccoli with lemon and Parmesan ;       Eggplant parmigiana with artichoke pasta and salad;     Polish sausage, sauerkraut with apples and onions, dulled carrots, baked potato;     Taco soup, grilled cheese sandwiches;     Macaroni and cheese, pineapple and yogurt, veggie;     Lamb and Kidney bean curry, rice, pita, curried potatoes, salad (2);     Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin, edamame, salad, melting potatoes, mixed berry crisp;     pepperoni balls, potato skins ;     Baked rigatoni with homemade Italian sausage, salad and garlic cheese bread;     Homemade pad Thai and egg rolls with salad;   Pizza and pretzels;     Marinated chicken breast on the grill, scalloped potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts;     Garlic chicken salad, cheese toast, fresh fruit;     Au gratin potatoes and ham, pea salad, garlic cheese biscuits, Greek salad;        

What We Bought:

Walmart:  eggs (3), cream cheese.  $7.39

Sanders:   Marbled rye, ricotta, cheddar-mozzarella cheese, yogurt (4).  $8

Price Rite:  salad greens, green and red peppers,tomatoes (2), cucumber.  $8.88

Giant Eagle:    Bacon wrapped pork fillet.  (5), ice cream.    $8.94

Salvage:    Coffee  (19), almonds  4), pecans, chicken broth , black eyed peas, pinto beans, whole wheat flour (3), self rising flour  (4), cornmeal (2), beignet mix, rigatoni, spaghetti  (2), barley , tortillas  (2), toasted crackers  (2), dry whole milk (2), evaporated milk (3), mayo (2), green olives, black olives, two bean salad, better than bouillon (2), diced tomatoes (4), cream of chicken soup, tomato soup (4).  $91.73

Erie Co- Op:  vital wheat gluten. $9.49

Sanders:  bananas, polish sausage   $2:49

Aldi:   Grapes(2#), mozzarella (1#)    $5.34

Total Grocery    $142.35

Eating Out 

Lunch with Pat    $26.20     Ricardo’s 

Two Week Grand Total    $168.55    High because of the salvage shop.  Will even out over time.

YTD      163 days

Total     $1077.70         6.61/day         $3.31/ person/day

Grocery     $759.61       $4.66/day       $2.33/person/day

Eating Out       $318.09       $1.34/day     $0.67/person/day

2024 Household and Personal Care: May

 Household 

Fireplace screen   $30     Amazon

DVD  player.  $40     Amazon

Copy paper  $7.84     Amazon

Bakeware (2)   $7     Salvation Army 

Total:  $84.84

Personal Care 

Deodorant.     $1.25.         Dollar Tree 

Hair gel.    $1.25.     Dollar Tree 

Total:  $2.50

YTD 

Household.  $2.20 over budget

Personal Care.   $54.50  under budget

2024 Frugal Things in May

 1.  Coming home from our travels, we stayed in two hotels.  We paid for both with credit card points.  We also made sure to take advantage of the free breakfast.

2.  In 3.75 hours I baked a loaf of artisan bread, a loaf of rustic rye bread, 8 bagels and 11 English muffins.  Total cost was around $3.00.  And, it made good use of the oven heat.

3.  We purchased 10 pounds of pork at $1.20/ pound to make breakfast and Italian sausage.  Much less expensive.

4.  I made 26 biscotti at a cost of approximately $1.  A cost savings of at least $25.

5.  Stale homemade bread was cut up, seasoned and baked into homemade croutons for salad.  The cost to make was literally pennies.

2024 Buying and Eating: May 16-31

 Remaining Allocation:  $189.34

Cushion:  $769.50

YTD:   134 days 

Total:  $717.06

Grocery:   $581.17

Eating Out:  $135.89

What We Ate:  sesame chicken, acorn squash, salad;     Cheeseburger macaroni skillet, fried green beans, salad;     Homemade pepperoni balls and homemade French fries with salad;     Beef stroganoff, cottage cheese and tomato salad, vegetable;     Kielbasa, potato skins, salad;     Eggplant and potato casserole, beets, yogurt;     Pulled pork, cornbread  muffin , baked beans;     Hamburgers, corn on the cob, potato salad;     Pizza (2);     bean, beef and cheese nachos with pineapple and vanilla yogurt ;      Beef stroganoff, beets, cottage cheese and fruit;     Cheeseburger macaroni skillet, fried cabbage, fruit and yogurt , garlic bread;     Beef and bean burrito, fiesta corn, cottage cheese and mandarin oranges

What We Bought:

Ollie’s:  goldfish crackers, pineapple (3), bay leaves, raisins (2),pop tarts, onion soup mix (6)  $12.36

Salvage:   Coffee (6); linguini, self rising flour  (2) $15.30

Commissary:   Grape nuts, salt,hoisin sauce, sesame oil  $8.43

Eating Out:

Mike lunch in Cleveland. $6.63

Lunch with Joyce. $13.34

Lunch with ginger. $10

Lunch to dc.   $18

Dinner to dc.    $19.92

Thai dinner in dc.    $23.21

Lunch in Easton.    $13.40

Dinner in dc.   $24.00

Lunch dc.    $16.9

Lunch coming home. $10.605

Adjusted Cushion :  $766.85.     We were into the cushion by $2.75 this month due to the dc trip

YTD. 148days

Total.   $909.15.      $6.14/day.    $3.07/person/day

Grocery.    $617.26.     $4.19/day.    $2.10/person/ day

Eating Out.     $291.89.      $1.96/day.   $0.98/person/day.    Up due to dc trip