2024 Buying and Eating: March 1-15

 Monthly Allocation:  $403

Cushion:   $461.47

YTD:  Grocery    $227.43

            Eating Out     $79.11

            Total     $316.53

What We Ate:     Leftover smorgasbord;     Vegetarian egg rolls, beef lo mein, yogurt and fruit (2);     Ravioli lasagna, mozzarella with tomato and basil salad, garlic cheese bread;     Soup from the freezer and tuna and egg sandwich;     Grilled tuna and cheese;     Twice baked potatoes casserole, ham, mozzarella and tomato salad;     Scotch eggs, green beans, sweet potatoes, yogurt and pineapple;     Chicken risotto, peas and mushrooms, mixed berries and yogurt, bran muffins;     Copycat soupa toscana and homemade bread (2);     Steak and ale casserole with bleu cheese dumplings and fruity yogurt;     Sloppy Joe, fried potatoes, apple salad;     Ham steak, dauphinois potatoes and asparagus;     Taco salad with cornbread muffins;

Eating Out:

Hotdog combo a d pretzel for Mike     $2.38

Lunch with ladies    $13.83

Total:  $16.21

What We Bought:

Sam’s:  fruit blend (12 #)      $32.64

Aldi:   Sugar (16#), jello (2),  baking powder  $15.79

Price Rite:  ham (10#), corned beef  (5.25#), cabbage (2), mushroom (2), asparagus (2), cucumber, green pepper, plum tomatoes (3),  cottage cheese, half and half, horseradish, frozen pizza (2), shrimp (2#), tilapia (2#)     $58.45

Sam’s:  canola oil  (1.5 gal) ,  sugar (10#)    $19.26

Total:  $126.14

Two week subtotal:  $142.35

Remaining Allocation:  $260.65

2024. Frugal Things in February

1.  I went to Ollie’s to get bird and cat food and used a 15%off coupon.  I saved $4.95.

2.  A local thrift store was having a sale on clothing:  50% off.  I went and got 3 sweaters, 1 light weight top, 2 pairs of slacks and 1 pair of pantyhose.  All were good brands.  I spent and saved $32.  Not bad.

3.  I received a 2 pound bag of dried cranberries through my buy nothing group.  Nobody else wanted them because they were past the best by date.  They are dried!  I saved about $14.

4.  I had a baking day and made Italian bread, English muffins and bagels.  Even buying the cheap ones I saved about $15.  And homemade tastes better.

2024 Buying and Eating: February 16-29

 Remaining Allocation:   $261.99

Cushion:  $249.88

Grocery subtotal:  $88.01

Eating Out subtotal:  $14

2 Week Subtotal:  $102.01

What We Ate:   Bang, bang shrimp, potatoes Anna, butternut squash,yogurt ;     Leftover ravioli lasagna, garlic bread, cottage cheese, tomato and onion salad;     Bourbon chicken, mashed potato, Brussels sprout, apple slaw salad ;     Black bean tacos, potato skins, green beans and almonds;     Baked Asian wings, Asian pasta salad, fried apples     ; vegetable and bean curry with homemade flat bread and curry potatoes;         Asian marinated beef, vegetable fried rice, Asian pasta salad;     Hummus, pitas, falafel, quinoa and garbanzo salad, dilly carrots ;    Tomato basil soup and roast beef sandwiches;      tpork and cranberry orange glaze, broccoli with blue cheese sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, homemade apple sauce (2);     Bang bang chicken, spiced peaches, mixed vegetables, garlic bread;     Turkey divan, potato pancakes, cherry jello and cottage cheese;     Mexican casserole, Spanish rice, homemade tortilla chips;

What We Bought:

Sam’s:  Parmesan cheese $18.72

Aldi:  half and half, cream cheese  $4.30

Sanders:  yogurt, pork tenderloin, marble bread, bananas,mushrooms, sweet potatoes , broccoli , egg roll wrappers. $17.93

Subtotal   $40.95

Eating Out:

Lunch with the crafty ladies   $9.45

Two Week subtotal:  $50.40

To Cushion:   $211.59

New Cushion Amount :  $461.47

Monthly Totals

Grocery:   $128.96      $4.45/day        $2.23/person/day

Eating Out:  $ 23.45     $0.81/day      $0.40/person/day

Total   $152.41     $5.26/day      $2.63/person/ day

YTD     60 days

Grocery:  $227.42     $3.79/day      $1.90/person/day

Eating Out:   $79.11      $1.32/day      $0.66/person/day

Grand Total:  $316.53     $5.11/day.    $2.56/person/day 

2024 Household and Personal Care: January

 In 2024 the monthly budget for each category is $30.

Household: 

White kitchen plates  (4). $1.57.    Salvation Army 

Kitchen sink strainer.         $0.97.       Walmart

Spent :  $2.54

Under:$27.46

Personal Care:  

Mike haircut.    $14.   Great Clips

Under:  $16.00

2024. Buying and Eating: February 1-15

 Allocation for Month:   $364

Cushion:   $249.88

What We Ate:     French onion soup and salad;     Chili burritos, Chex mix, salad;      Pressure cooker chicken, rice and asparagus risotto with Waldorf salad and garlic bread;      Garlic seared scallops, twice baked potato casserole, salad;     Homemade Italian bread supreme pizza and popcorn;     Shrimp scampi over pasta with peas, mandarins;     Smoked sausage, fried cabbage, twice baked potato casserole;     Hot chicken salad, green bean casserole, pickled beets (2);     Minestrone soup and grilled cheese sandwiches;     Indian veg and bean curry over rice with salad and homemade flatbread (2);     Bean nachos, corn with salsa, salad;     Ravioli lasagna, salad, bread;     Chicken and vegetables over potato gnocchi ,spinach and citrus salad;     

What We Bought:

Aldi:  cheese (2 #), carrots (2#), apples (3#), mandarins (3#),  half and half   $14.99

Walmart:  eggs (4)  $7.88

Sam’s:  onions (10#), garlic cloves (3#)  $17.52

Sanders:  kimmelweck rolls, grapefruit, beef tip roast (2#)    $11.12

Aldi:  cheese (4#), Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, hamburger (5#), coleslaw mix, spring mix, fresh spinach, Brie, cucumber, tomatoes   $35.90

Grocery 2 week subtotal:  $88.01

Eating Out:

Lunch with crafty ladies.   $14

Eating out 2 week subtotal:$14

Two Week Total:  $102.01

Remaining Allocation:  $261.99

2024 Frugal Things in January

 1.  I purchased boneless, skinless chicken breast to grind.  I will make sausage with some and use the rest instead of ground beef.  At $1.77/ pound the chicken is less expensive than what it is replacing.  Significantly.

2.  I have been using dry textured soy protein to stretch my ground meat.  When I make chili I usually use it exclusively.  Inexpensive protein.

3.  I used up some stale rolls by making a bread pudding dessert.  Yummy and frugal.

4.  I made homemade tortilla chips using some of my salvage purchased corn tortillas, 30 tortillas for 50 cents.  Each tortilla made six chips.

5.  I had enough Starbucks points for a specialty coffee.  About six dollars saved.

6.  Mike used his birthday certificate to almost completely cover the cost of our lunch.  $15 saved.

Frugal Fail:   I lost track of how old a loaf of homemade bread was.  It developed green spots and had to be thrown.  Food is only frugal when you actually eat it.

These are tiny frugal things, but over time they do add up.  They are like tax free extra income.

2024 Buying and Eating: January 16-31

 Remaining Allocation:  $352.08

Two week grocery subtotal:  $50.92

What We Ate:   Asian peanut noodles, pot stickers, fresh fruit and yogurt;     Scalloped potatoes and ham, dilly carrots, fruit salad, homemade rolls;    Pasta with clam sauce, garlic bread, apple and feta salad;     Supreme calzone, cheesy potato rounds;     Pot roast pot pie, homemade applesauce, tomato pie;     Taco pizza, homemade tortilla chips and salsa;     Meatloaf. Baked potatoes, baked beans;     Creamy Chicken and veggies over mashed potatoes with cottage cheese and clementine salad;     Southwest black bean burgers, potato skins, jello with cottage cheese and fruit;     Welsh rarebit over rye, butter beans, chopped tomatoes and feta salad;     Beef on a weck, potato skins, salad;     Beef and noodles, Lima beans, salad;  black bean sandwich spread on rolls, salads;       Turkey divan with rice, fruit salad with banana dressing;     Rarebit on homemade sourdough bread, peas, salad;     Pepper steak, egg rolls, fruit salad;

What We Bought:

Sanders:  chicken livers (2#), bananas (5#), grapefruit (2), rye bread, hard rolls    $9.43

Giant Eagle:  polish sausage (2), fresh mozzarella (5), cherries (1#)    $13.77

Sam’s:  black peppercorns, Pam, blue cheese     24.34

Two Week total groceries :   $47.54

Eating Out:

Mike breakfast with the guys.     $2.84

Breakfast with Mike.    $23.32

Breakfast with Mike.   $13.37

Lunch with Ginger:     $14. 16

Lunch Mike:   $1.97

Two Week total eating out:  $55.66

Two Weeks grand total:  $154.12

Monthly Total Groceries:  $98.46     $3.18/day       $1.54/person/day

Monthly Total Eating Out:  $55.66       $1.80/day      $0.90/person/day

Monthly Total:  $ 154.12       $5.00/day          $2.59/person/day

To Cushion:  $249.88