week 1 recap

So, for Week one of the All you Grocery Challenge, Here is a recap of our menus:

MOnday:
Breakfast- Oatmeal and coffee with Creamer (all out of stockpile)
Lunch- Husband had lunch event for work- big mtg(his lunch was free), My lunch was soup, crackers, fruit and iced tea (all from stockpile)
Dinner: Defrosted leftover chili (from a few month ago), cooked Elbow Macaroni (.99/bag from Albertsons), mixed together for Chili Mac (added cheese from fridge)

Monday shopping: $14 and change trip to Albertsons for some lunchy type food (eggs to hardboil, frozen entrees, brick cheese, etc.)

Tuesday:
Breakfast- Oatmeal and coffee with Creamer (all out of stockpile)
Lunch- Husband had seminar for work- free lunch for him! My lunch was lean cuisine pizza, 2 pieces of fruit, celery and carrots, iced tea (all from cupboard/fridge at home)
Dinner- Chicken and roasted tomato soup (from freezer stockpile)

Weds:
Breakfast- Oatmeal and coffee with Creamer (all out of stockpile)
Lunch- Husband- Salad with salmon, fruit, roll (All from stockpile), My office bought us lunch as part of a going away party
Dinner: Dinner out with parents (their treat- they are very excited about us entering this contest!)

Thursday:
Breakfast- Oatmeal and coffee with Creamer (all out of stockpile)
Lunch: Husband had seminar for work- free lunch for him! My lunch was lean cuisine pizza, 2 pieces of fruit, celery and carrots, iced tea (all from cupboard/fridge at home)
Dinner: Taco Salad (all out of stockpile/fridge/freezer)

Friday:
Breakfast- Oatmeal and coffee with Creamer (all out of stockpile)
Lunch: Husband forgot to eat his lunch! but he had salad with tuna, fruit, tortilla chips and iced tea (all from stockpile)
Dinner: I came home and just ate some leftovers, DH had rehearsal until late, he stopped at Jack in the box (only spent$5.42)
Movies- we splurged and got popcorn and drinks at the theater $12.44- I smuggled in the candy.

Saturday:
Breakfast- Cereal and milk
Late lunch/early dinner: Mexican food- We went to Roberto's and spent $13.27 on 5 rolled tacos, a quesadilla and a fish burrito.  Later in the evening we just snacked out of the stockpile.

Sunday:
Breakfast- cereal and apple sauce bread (I made the bread last night)
Lunch-leftovers and salad
Dinner: eggs and bacon and pancakes

I tend to buy meat in bulk and separate it into meal sized servings and  freeze it.  I do that about 2-3 months when the sales are great.  We shop once a week for fruit and veg and what we are eating this week are just leftovers.  Next week about 1/3-1/2 of our $50/week budget will go into fruit and veg.

I've been stocking up on cupboard food when it's free or pretty close- I mostly buy ingredients, not convienance foods.

So far it hasn't been too hard. I'm pretty excited about this- it gives us a chance to eat the food we already have and be creative with our food choices.

We don't drink a lot of soda- I broke out the iced tea maker and I've been making iced tea each night after work for the next days lunches. So that's been saving some money that way.  Also I've been drinking coffee at work with creamer I got for free at Walmart last week (it was marked down and I had a coupon).  I've  been taking ice with me in a glass to work to have iced coffee too.


Our big expense for the whole challenge is going to be milk.  We drink a lot of fat free milk, and I use it for cooking and cereal too.