Maddie here! Like Emily, we have been trying to be more conscious of grocery store spending. We tried several strategies after Wiggler was born (going BACK to Butcher Box, only shopping every 10 days, trying out Imperfect Foods, trying to shop at a different grocery store) and we have landed back on good ole Lidl. Here is what two weeks of spending looked like for us and what we made with it. I get lunches at my work, the hubz eats pretty minimally during the day, and we have only just started purees with Wiggler.
We were underbudget both weeks (budget per week is $125) which allowed us extra room for our Thanksgiving grocery haul which was done in between these two.
Week 1: $91.24 Breakfast: Eggs and Toast Dinners: Ground Turkey Sheet Pan Tostadas (recipe inspo), Tofu and Broccoli Pepper Stir Fry, Salmon and Green Beans (from frozen stock), Spaghetti Squash and Beef Marinara, Chicken Sandwiches and Tots (from frozen stock), Homemade Pepperoni Pizza (used pantry items/leftover cheese) Snacks: Coconut key lime pudding puree for Wiggler, protein powder , PB, and greek yogurt for protein shakes, dark chocolate
Week 2: $109.01 Breakfasts: Overnight Oats, Avocado Toast Dinners: Shepherd’s Pie using mashed potato leftovers, Split Pea Soup using split peas from my pantry, Chicken Sausage Veggie Pasta, Enchilada Casserole (using frozen pork and pantry stock), Chicken Sandwiches and Tots (from frozen stock), Homemade Pepperoni Pizza (used pantry items/leftover cheese) Snacks: Rice Krispies for Wiggler, dark chocolate, apples, cheddar cheese, crackers, veggies and hummus
Emily here! I’ve been in a mood with sewing and knitting lately. Today I was inspired to make my cat, Nacho, a new bed. I currently have a pillow and blanket under our dining table bench for him. He enjoys it as it has a small look out window for him and he is semi hidden from the rowdy boys but he deserves something a bit nicer.
Nacho testing it out before I start sewing.
I had some leftover mattress from and some old fabric for the project. I started by cutting out 2 pieces of fabric the size of my foam and added about 1/4in to all sides. I then cut a strip of fabric that was 2.5 inches. This piece will wrap around the edge of the foam so that was the length I made it (I did a rough guess).
I attached the strip of fabric to one of the large pieces using a 1/4 seam allowance.
I then attached the other large piece to the other side of the strip leaving one of the smaller sides open.
I turned the fabric and stuffed the foam in. Then I pinned my opening and hand sewed the side closed.
All done! Start to finish it took me about an hour and a half! I think it looks so much nice than the other “bed” and Nacho is very pleased. It was also a great project and I felt a great sense of accomplishment with it.
Emily here! With the price of groceries the way they are I’ve been trying to cut back on our spending. Here is what my family’s weekly grocery haul and menu looks. We have 2 adults and 2 toddlers and 1 baby to feed!
Grocery Haul – Shopped at Wal-Mart 1 Potato….$0.64 1 Bell Pepper…$0.86 1 Broccoli Crown…$0.86 2 English Cucumbers…$1.96 4 Honeycrisp Apples $4.48 1lb Strawberries…$2.72 14 Bananas…$3.19 2 Avocado…$1.48 Fruit and Veggie Pouches…$5.68 Organic Coconut Flakes…$2.64 Pub Beer 18 Pack…$15.48 String Cheese 12 Count…$4.33 Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Block 8oz…$3.98 Goat Cheese…$2.76 Tamed Jalapeno Peppers…$2.72 Dijon Mustard…$1.34 Raspberry Preserves…$3.98 Garlic Powder…$1.12 Apple Sauce 6 Cups…$2.24 Frozen Lasagna$9.84 Burrito Tortillas…$1.98 Ground Chicken…$4.82 Sourdough Bread…$3.98 Whole Wheat Bread…$2.48 Honey Ham Lunchmeat…$3.47 Honey…$3.94 Men’s Deodorant 2 Pack…$10.97 Formula 30.8oz…$35.98 Formula 12.4oz…$17.94 Pampers Pullups 25 Count…$9.94 Pampers Diapers 92 Count…$28.22 Tampons…$10.47 TOTAL: $209.2
Things To Note: We have a back stock of a few items (cheese in our freezer bought in bulk and random pantry items). We also get our dairy separate and it is not included in our weekly grocery haul. I include all “consumables” (diapers, wipes, haircare etc.) in our grocery budget. I also don’t have the time to meal prep all in one day so I spend it out through the week. My husband eats the same thing for lunch everyday. A PB&J on whole wheat bread and a chicken burrito.
Sunday. Picked up groceries after breakfast. Lunch: Grilled ham and cheese with tomato soup. Used the Ham and sourdough bread. Had cheese and soup in back stock. Dinner: Chicken Stromboli and Ham Pizza. Used chicken, red sauce, cheese, flour, and yeast that was in our back stock. Also I hadn’t planned to make a pizza but I ended up not having enough of the stuffing for the Stromboli to make 2. Stay flexible!
Monday. Prepped chewy granola bars from The Toddler Healthnut Cookbook and made a double batch. Prepped quiche. I had a premade pie crust from a few weeks ago. Added Ham, leftover broccoli, and half the potato I bought. Breakfast: Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich and cereal for boys. Both items we already had in our back stock. Lunch: Grilled ham and cheese with tomato soup. Scrambled eggs and chewy bar for boys. Husband had his usual. Dinner: Leftover Stromboli and ham pizza.
Tuesday. Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and chewy bar. Lunch: Grilled ham and cheese and tomato soup. Dinner: Protein smoothie and cheesy toast for boys. Pho for dinner for me (Takeout). Tacos for husband (Takeout). I had dental work done and my mouth hurt real bad and I wasn’t feeling well.
Wednesday. Prepped homemade bagels. Breakfast: Quiche and avocado cottage cheese toast. Eggs and strawberry for boys. Lunch: Egg and bagel for me banana and yogurt for boys. Dinner: Frozen lasagnas and broccoli.
Thursday. Prepped rice cooker apple oatmeal and hard boiled eggs. Breakfast: Bagels and bananas for boys. Leftover quiche for me and husband. Lunch: I can’t remember. It was some assortment of leftovers. Dinner: Chicken tacos. I used foster farms frozen chicken breast strips that I had in back stock and added an onion and bell pepper. Chicken nuggets for the boys that were in back stock.
Friday. Breakfast: Apple oatmeal. Lunch: Egg salad for me. Bento cheese and cracker picnic for boys. Dinner: Enchilada casserole at my moms house and boys had Mac and Cheese.
Saturday. Breakfast: Waffles (Better Homes and Garden Cookbook recipe). Egg, potato, and spinach scramble. Lunch: Enchiladas casserole in taco shells and egg scramble in taco shells for me and husband. Cheese, apples, and crackers for boys. Dinner: Corndogs, cucumbers and cheese for dinner for boys. Sushi out for me and husband.
Sunday. Breakfast: Leftover Waffles.
We do eat snacks but I forgot/didn’t want to write them down. Our snacks are usually fruit, cheese, pouches, veggie and hummus or whatever baked good I made that week.
It was also very hard to take pictures of what we ate because by the time I remembered to take one I had already eaten. You gotta eat fast when you have 3 young children!
Sister Hack 