2025 Buying and Eating : March 1-13

 We are traveling from March 13-April 1.  Food is included.

Allocation    $169.00

Cushion       $285.09

YTD      69 days

Total    $314.08     $4.59/ day    $2.29/person/day

Grocery    $150.34      $2.18/day      $1.09/person/day

Eating Out    $174.74      $2.21/day     $1.11/person/day

What We Ate:     Ham loaf, stuffing, fresh fruit salad, California medley;     Early St. Pat’s Day:  Reubens, snack items;         Corned beef and Swiss casserole, mixed vegetables, fruit and yogurt;     Chicken tetrazzini, butter beans, peas;     Spinach pasta, three bean salad, garlic bread;     Grilled salmon, pasta with garlic and cheese, French chickpea salad, carrots;     Potato pancakes, apple sauce, corn, kielbasa;     Southern bbq,  cheesy potato rounds, winter squash;     British fish pie, baked sweet potato, California mixed vegetables, fruit;     Pepperoni pizza and snacks;   Assorted appetizers 

What We Bought:

Giant Eagle:   Claw crab meat (4#).     $27.96.     Sale priced treat

Aldi:   Jalapeño and garlic olives (4). $11.16

Aldi:  edamame (3).   $7.47  sale item

Aldi:  salmon, shrimp.    $12.06.    Sale items 

Save a Lot:   Bananas.  $0.36.      Sale items

Giant Eagle:     Lemons (4)     $0.99    Sale Items 

Eating Out:

Avantis.      $20.14.    Breakfast with Mike 

McDonald’s.  $3.69.    Breakfast with retirees 

Remaining Allocation  $86.17

New Cushion    $371.17

YTD.   82 days

Total.   $397.91.       $4.85/day.        $2.43/person/day

Grocery.    $210.34.      $2.44/day.    $1.22/person/day 

Eating Out.    $197.97.     $2.12/day.    $1.06/person/day

2025. Frugal Things In February

 1.  A box of crackers were a little stale after sitting on the shelf.  So, I recrisped them in the oven.  Much better.

2.  I cooked a ham I got on sale and froze awhile back.  I now have lots of meat for sandwiches, casseroles, soups and salads.  I estimate that each serving will cost around twenty five cents for the meat.  I also have broth and enough meat from the bone for two batches of soup from something most people throw away.

3.  I bought one pound of flax meal to use as egg replacer in baked goods.  It comes out to an equivalent cost of ten cents/ egg.  I will save at least $60 over the cost of eggs.

4.   I purchased a gift card using Discover Card points and saved 10% off the face value.

5.   We paid our rv insurance in full and saved over $100.

6.  Found the ambition to make some homemade bagels.  They are multi step so they take extra time.

2025. Household and Personal Care: February

 Personal Care 

Body powder (3).    $3.75.    Dollar Tree 

Pedicures (2).   $60

Total:  $63.75

Household 

-0-

YTD 

Personal Care.   $99.21 over  budget 

Household.     $26.62 under budget 

2025. Buying and Eating: February 16-28

 Remaining Allocation:  $260.85

Cushion:     $186.09

YTD. 46 days

Total:  $252.23

Grocery:  $117.02

Eating Out:  $145.21

What We Ate:  chicken with cashews over soba noodles, green beans, yogurt and fruit;     British fish pie and vegetable pancakes with homemade scones;     Italian bean and sausage soup, pepperoni bread;     Korean beef with rice and cabbage, yogurt and fruit, scone;     Scalloped potatoes and ham, corn, fresh fruit and yogurt;     Chicken, pasta with garlic and cheese, peas;     Sauerkraut and smoked sausage soup, chicken sandwich ;         Chicken tetrazzini, black eyed pea salad, garlic bread;     Vegetarian haggis, cauliflower and cheese, orange and apple salad;     Spanish bean soup, fried bologna on kimilwick roll, fresh fruit;     Savory cheesecake, slow cooker onion potatoes, cauliflower cheese, salad;     Cauliflower and cheese soup, egg salad on toast;     Assorted cheeses and crackers after concert 

What We Bought: 

Sam’s:  chicken. $4.98

Tops:  broth, alouette garlic and herbs, Brie,Muenster, bananas    $12.14    All sale items

Erie Food Cooperative:  cinnamon, Italian seasoning, cilantro, chili flakes, catnip,  Himalayan  salt   $15.18    All sale but salt

Country Fair:  egg(2)      $6     Sale

Eating Out:

Mike lunch Cleveland.   $2.58.   Sam’s 

Breakfast with Mike.    $25.95.  Avantis

Remaining Allocation:  $199.00

New Cushion:  $285.09

YTD. 69 days

Total. $314.08.       $4.59/day.    $2.29/ person/day

Grocery.  $150.34.         $2.18/day.        $1.09/person/day

Eating Out.   $174.74.       $2.21/day.     $1.11/person/day