2024. Buying and Eating: December 1-15

 Allocation   $403

Cushion   $1060.96

What We Ate:     Thanksgiving casserole, stewed tomatoes ;     Taco pizza;      Beef barley soup, grilled cheese toast;     Stromboli, peas, baked potato ;     Stuffed pepper soup, pepperoni, cheese and crackers;     Italian meatloaf, pasta with sauce, orange and onion salad, Lima beans;     Bean soup, ham salad sandwich;     Potato pancakes, applesauce.    Creamy noodles and kielbasa and garlic bread with Waldorf salad;     Thanksgiving casserolebaked sweet potato, grandma Christmaus bread ;      Taco soup, tortilla chips with queso;            chicken paprikash soup, crescent rolls     Southwestern bean and rice burritos     Vegetable tiki masala, curried potatoes, applesauce 

What We Bought:

Amazon:  wheat gluten (4#). $22. (For 2 years worth of bread baking)

Giant Eagle:  romaine (3),  London broil (1.5#, on sale), boneless pork (2.6#, on sale), eckrich franks (on sale), lump crabmeat (6 oz), lemons (5, on sale), fresh rosemary. $5.53. The rest was covered by store credit.

Total   $27.53

Eating Out:

$2.52  Lunch o way to DC.     Sam’s 

Two  Week Total    $30.05

Remaining Allocation     $372.95

YTD     338 days

Total    $2980.09         $8.82/day     $4.41/ person/day

Grocery     $2157.02        $6.38/day      $3.19/person/day

Eating Out     $823.07      $2.43/day     $1.22/person/day

         

2024. Frugal Things in November

 1.  My husband and I got our needed vaccinations and earned $30 in free groceries.  I will spend it on potatoes, onions, carrots and cabbage.

2.  On Veterans Day, my husband and I ate for free all day because of the much appreciated thank you giveaways.  Mike also got a free haircut and a car wash.  

3.  There are a lot of seasonal sales in November to take advantage of and save money:  flour, sugar, butter, and the holiday turkey to name a few.  You will likely not see lower prices on these items during the year.  I stocked up.

4.  Thanksgiving was cooked from the stockpile.  The turkey breast was purchased in the summer and was a manager’s special at 42 cents per pound, sausage stuffing, butternut squash, green beans, cranberries and pumpkin pie were all made from sale ingredients in the stockpile .   No special purchases at regular prices were required.

2024. Buying and Eating: November 16-30

 Remaining Allocation.    $305.14

Cushion.    $898.80

What We Ate:     Beefy French onion pasta casserole, yogurt;     Vegetable curry, yogurt;     Creamy Tuscan shrimp and scallops Florentine with pasta, creamy yogurt and fruit jello, garlic bread  (2);    Chicken paprikash soup, homemade bread;     Cheesy rice and ham, creamed corn, yogurt jello, blueberry bagel;     Creamy Italian beans and greens, quinoa with rosemary, orange salad with feta and honey, bread with cheese;     Pork fried rice, roasted carrots, apple and orange salad;     Vegetable tiki masala over quinoa, onion bhajis, mixed fruit and vanilla yogurt, homemade flatbread;     Ham, turkey and cheese Stromboli, snack items;     French onion beefy noodles, butter beans, cottage cheese and fruit, scones;     Jambalaya, flat bread, peas;     Thanksgiving:  turkey breast, butternut squash, green beans, stuffing, cranberries , pumpkin pie;   Thanksgiving leftovers;  vegetarian Mexican pizza;   

What We Bought:

Giant Eagle:  onions  (10#), yams (1.72#)    $5.56   Sale items

Aldi:  chicken stock  (5), butter(6)    $25.89     Sale items

Sanders:  croissants (8), donuts (12)     $6.99     Manager specials

Bellas:  oranges, bleu cheese, ricotta cheese, t bone steak (#)     $10.63    Manager specials 

Country Fair:  eggs (4doz)  $10  sale item

Happs Grocery:    Apple sauce(6), peanut butter (2), olive oil (2); rye flour, wine vinegar (2), frosted bran, brownie mix, baby bundts, cranberry mango juice (2), jalfreizi sauce, Louisiana pepper sauce, Thai garlic and chili sauce, yellow corn meal, snacks items (36 items).    $36.60salvage items 

Ollie’s:  tomato purée (2), Pam,  Beets    $4.21 15% off sale items

Total.    $99.88

Eating Out

$20.56.   Lunch with Mike 

$22.64     Lunch with Mike 

Total:  $43.10

YTD   323 days

Total     $2951.04     $9.14/day     $4.57/ person/day

Grocery     $2129.49        $6.58/day        $3.29/parson/day

Eating Out      $820.55        $2.54/day      $1.27/person/day

New Cushion     $1060.96