Posted in Let's look

Let’s Look

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello!

Today, I’m linking up with Shay and Erika for this month’s Let’s Look.

So far this year, we’ve looked at:

  • How we clean our closets in January
  • Little things we do every single day in February

This month’s topic is let’s look…what’s in our grocery cart.

Well, it’s pretty rare for me to do major grocery shopping in the store, so my “cart” is typically online via the Kroger app.

Before making my grocery list, I meal plan and write down any ingredients we need for dinners for the week. Then, I check out our pantry/cabinets and fridge to see what staples we need. Then, I head to our basement fridge to see what drinks and frozen items might need replenished. While in the basement, I also check on laundry detergent and paper supplies like paper towels and toilet paper.

Then, I place our weekly grocery pick up using the Kroger app.

Our list of regular items is pretty long but a few are:

  • Milk
  • Salad, green beans
  • Cottage cheese
  • Coffee or K-cups
  • Bread
  • Ground beef
  • Chicken
  • Eggs
  • Ice cream
  • Peanut butter and / or Nutella
  • Lunchmeat / cheese
  • Cheezits, Goldfish, chips

I also do a small round up at Trader Joe’s most weeks to pick up produce and a few things.

This was my cart on Monday after school:

Examples of things I buy weekly:

  • Fruit – always strawberries and apples…and then either grapes or cantaloupe
  • Egg bites for my lunches on Mondays and Tuesdays
  • Cheddar chicken sausage for lunch too
  • (There are usually a few other things I pick up too if needed, including fresh flowers in the spring and summer months)

Then, probably once or twice a month I have a bigger haul, and I get other odds and ends like frozen Jasmine rice, chips the kids want, mac and cheese, etc.

I’ve been frequenting Aldi somewhat regularly over the past few months. When I go to Aldi, the three things I’m looking for are:

  • Sweet Snack Select
  • Chicken Patties
  • Caramel Rice cakes

I only go to Aldi once a month or so, and just pick up these “staples” and other odds and ends I might want to try.

The price of groceries always blows my mind. I know I’m feeding two teens, and they are always hungry, but it sure adds up. When my dad visits, he opens the cabinets and says, “Is there a chip you DON’T buy?” haha

Again, teens.

I truly don’t know how large families…or moms of all boys do it!

I try to be conscious of price, and plan our meals, but we still end up throwing food away every week which is never my intention when buying groceries.

We probably spend $150/week at Kroger and then $25-$50 more at Trader Joe’s every week. We don’t shop at Sam’s or Costco…It’s just not convenient for us.

So, that’s a look at what’s in my grocery cart(s)!

Happy shopping,

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17 thoughts on “Let’s Look”

  1. I actually think with prices what they are now that $150 is pretty good. Trader Joe’s makes me blow my budget! My sister spends $400 a week with a family of 6 and her husband and her sons are huge eaters but super slim! I know I’m always coming up with new plans, but with my new fridge being smaller than my old fridge I feel like it fills up quickly and things get “lost” – I hate it and want my old one back. I have been doing two smaller pickups a week or one pick up and one “go in trip” because I think when I try to do a whole week that is where my food waste comes in. I don’t know – I will never be perfect at this! I really need a break from the weekly grocery grind, too.

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    1. $400 wow! The past few Fridays, I’ve tried to have leftovers for dinner rather than eat out…makes me feel better about my choices haha
      Two smaller pickups would definitely help with food waste. Trader Joe’s has definitely gotten more expensive. When I go in just for fruit, egg bites, etc, I don’t feel too bad but when we shop around more, I’m like “we don’t need to also spend $75 at TJ!”

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      1. I have also realized we don’t all need to eat the same thing – we can eat the different leftovers! Ha! Yes, I can hardly get out of TJ’s for less than that and I’m not counting my stop in the other storefront of TJ’s – the wine store!

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      2. Yes I have to remind my family that not every meal has to be “gourmet.” I’ve spoiled them with my meals. It’s ok to have breakfast for dinner haha

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  3. I thought my “cart” post would be boring, so I didn’t participate in this today, but yours was fun to read! I also spend around $150 a week on groceries at Kroger, and that’s the only place I shop. I have a TJ’s, but it’s not convenient to where I live at all and is a 25 minute drive from my house. I’m glad, because I’d blow it there! We lived the days of having four grown teenage boys (and friends) eating here for all their meals, and I’m shocked we survived them. They were all always hungry!

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  5. I am jealous of your Kroger bill! 3 teen boys in my house- lucky to get away with $450/week. I don’t mind being the house the friends show up at, but man can those boys eat!

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  6. I’d say we’re close to spending $400 a week too and I hardly ever buy milk, meat, or even ice cream/ chips. But I do start my grocery list the same way; first looking at our dinners and making sure I have all the ingredients (though lately it seems like I am always 1 ingredient short for 1 of the meals I have planned!) and then I ask all the boys what they are out/need for the week. I used to be the one scrouging through the cabinet and freezers to see what we need but I figure at 16, 18, & 20 if they can’t remember to put it on the list they can go without or pick it up themselves. So I mostly just stick to dinner needs and my wants. 🙂 It’s made grocery shopping a lot easier on me and it’s teaching them some responsibility too.

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  7. I agree with Amy that $150 / week for a family sounds pretty good! We are just buying groceries for the two of us now, and it is still so expensive. I’m working on using up some of our freezer/pantry things now instead of buying new things every week. I have also been trying Aldi every few weeks. Great post!

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