March Grocery Check-In

This is not the most riveting post you'll read all day, but I've decided to keep a clear log of my grocery shopping activities in hopes of improving that area of life this year. The last few months have been eye-opening and I hope by the end of the year I will see some progress.

3/4 - Costco - $94.30
5 lbs. organic frozen green beans
1 bucket animal crackers
75 ct. Good Earth tea
3 ct. English cucumbers
1 large can tomato sauce (gallon?)
3 lbs. bananas
4 pk. large jars organic applesauce
8 lbs. butter
1 package deli ham
2 large bags tortilla chips
1 lb. organic spring mix
3 bunches celery
1/2 gallon organic half & half
5 pk. avocados
33 oz. sulfate & paraben-free shampoo - This is the Kirkland brand and I think it has been good for my hair. **

3/5 - King Soopers - $7.74
2 - 24 oz. cartons cottage cheese
1/2 gal. organic whole milk
2 deodorant
1 bodywash
1 toothpaste
8 lbs. sugar

3/5 - Safeway - $30.77
12 boxes of non-sugary cereal
4 boxes Simply Fruit roll-ups
3 lbs. cheese sticks
3 packages breaded fish
2 cartons ice cream

3/5 - Whole Foods - $11.76
1 organic green leaf lettuce
1 carton organic chicken broth
9.5 lbs. organic apples

3/7 - Safeway - $13.27
8 boxes cereal
3 individual size frozen Asian entrees
1 bunch of bananas
32 oz. yogurt
4 100% juice cranberry concentrates
1 individual CPK pizza
1 family size bag chimichangas
2 rolls Mentos (free)
1 box flushable wipes (free)

3/10 - Costco - $15.45
2 gallons milk
18 ct. Yoplait
2 jars pumpkin maple butter

3/12 - Whole Foods - $9.10
organic apples & minneolas - $1/lb
1 bakery cookie - We were on a rare date.

3/15 - Costco - $22.53
4 gallons milk
9 lbs. bananas
18 ct. Yoplait
1 lb. organic spinach

3/17 - Safeway - $19.42
6 boxes cereal
8 boxes simply fruit roll-ups
6 baby food 2-pks.
15 jars baby food
1 canister DHA rice cereal

3/21 - King Soopers - $16.51
12 boxes pasta
1 cherry pie - marked down to $1.49
1 package bakery cookies - marked down to $1.49
4 - 16 oz. cottage cheese - marked down to $.59each
2 - 12 pks. soda - marked down to $1.19 each
3 - 32 oz. yogurt
3 - 4 pk. yogurt

3/21 - Costco - $116.92
all were items were on coupon except for the water bottles & sweet potatoes
96 oz. honey
72. oz. chocolate chips
400 ct. beverage napkin
32 - 14.5 oz. cans organic diced tomatoes - stocking up for the year
40 ct. Rice Krispie treats
212 ct. size 3 diapers
900 ct. baby wipes
3 stainless steel water bottles - $6.97 total
10 lb. sweet potatoes

3/22 - Costco - $16.75 - Having a sick baby necessitated going to the pharmacy for a prescription and finding a quick dinner.
1 rotisserie chicken
2 loaves sourdough bread
2 ct. infant pain reliever

3/26 - Safeway - $32.54
2 bags Doritos
1 hot sauce (free)
2 bags Wheat Thins
1 kleenex hand towel
4 lbs. frozen vegetables
4 Grands biscuits
3 Freschetta pizzas
3.75 lb. green grapes
1 4-pk. yogurt
8 oz. bag pistachios
1 lb. beef franks
3.7 lb. lean ground beef

3/26 - King Soopers - $28.04
5 lb. clementines
3 lb. Smart Balance sticks
39 ct. Band-Aid
3 lb. brown rice
18 boxes pasta - most whole grain, at 49 cents/box this is likely one of the lowest prices of the year so stocking up seemed prudent
1-2ct. Dole fruit crisps
3 - 4ct. yogurt
1 - 24 oz. yogurt
4 - 32 oz. yogurt
1 small pack Skittles

3/27 - FarmCrest -$12.00ish
4 gallons milk

3/30 - World Market - $25.96*
8 - 12 oz. bags whole bean coffee
*This was a one-day sale, otherwise I totally would have delayed this purchase. This amount of coffee will last us a good long while.

total for March = $473.06
$2.54/person/day

A few realizations in reviewing purchases for this month.
1. I'm still shopping too frequently.
2. I need to keep at least a couple easy dinners in the freezer for days when there are sick kids and other extenuating circumstances.
3. I am spending more than I think I really need to because we are budgeting more than the bare minimum. We do use a cash budget for groceries but whatever cash we get out of the bank does get spent. If I want to spend less, I need to have less cold hard cash in my hand when I am shopping, plain and simple.

I'll keep plugging along.
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**Very much off topic, but I just wanted to mention that as I post about grocery shopping here, that is only a sliver of what is happening frugality-wise in our home. Yes, I spent about $9 for a really big bottle of good shampoo. And yes, I likely could have picked up some acceptable shampoo for pennies if I still played the drugstore game. But I get about 3 haircuts per year at a place like Supercuts, with coupons whenever possible. So I'm spending at most $45/year on haircuts, not $45 for a haircut and style every 6 to 8 weeks. Every person and family needs to go with what works for them in that season and with the resources they have available. So all that said, I won't feel the least bit guilty for that $9 bottle of shampoo.