Well....maybe about electrical outlets and things like septic systems and cleanng up water in the basement after the window wells fill up during one of the ridiculous storms we've had this summer. Not a drop of rain the entire month of June, then a downpour which floods everything and sends the storm sewers overflowing the streets. Thank God we have a dry-vac. But anyway.
I am apparently spending too much on groceries.
This was the allegation I was charged with early last week. Regardless of how you feel about corporations, I shop at Walmart. Ok, hate me now. Tell me about workers who don't get overtime and are not privy to health care benefits. I'm sorry that I am not big hearted. I am unemployed. I care about the price of eggs and the fact that I can get cat food, paint and a good corn beef roast under one roof. Not to mention it is next door to Sam's, where I can save 6 cents a gallon on gas. I drive a suburban. I'd house known terrorists if it meant saving a quarter on gas.
"You don't use coupons. You don't comparison shop."
So, on a beautiful Saturday, I found myself asking my husband if he wanted to join me grocery shopping. Mind you, we have a two week meal cycle, with input from the children, so we know what we will be purchasing. Everyone eats home lunch, and I cook breakfast every morning. So our meals are all made with that special ingredient, love. He looks over the list of what we need, and then begins to plan our route.
"We'll get meat at Fareway, they have the best prices". I glance at the advertisement.....and see that their 85/15 ground beef if 50 cents more than the HyVee, which has it on special for $1.99/pound. But, there is a limit of 6. He can buy 6, I'll buy 6. We scratch Fareway from the list. He used to work there in high school, so he thinks it is the end all and be all of grocery stores. What he doesn't realize is that they have a very limited range of items.
So we start at the classic generic store, Aldi. As we approach, I pull out a quarter. For the cart. That's right; you have to pay for the cart. Don't worry, you get it back when you return the cart. As we roam through the store, he realizes that the size of the store and variety of the products does not allow for one-stop shopping. We cross out 18 of our items. $35.
Now we head to his next "cheapie" store, Sav-A-Lot. This is a little more brand conscious, but again, their product line is limited. They had great deals on some things- like A1 steak sauce- and soon I had a purse full of the coupons they were giving away for A1. I am not certain a family could eat as much A1 steak sauce as he purchased. Another $25 down and 16 items off the list.
Finally we went to Walmart, where, in 40 minutes, I whipped through the store and got everything else on my list in record time and the exact brands I wanted. I also brought along the HyVee flyer so that I could get the 99 cent per pound grapes as opposed to the $1.99 they were charging. After going through the line and ringing up an additional $180 in groceries, I handed the clerk the advertisement- and she matched all the prices in the circular.
"What's that?" he asked.
"That's what I do", I stated, "I bring all the ads and I have them match the prices so that I get the lowest prices." THAT WAY I DONT HAVE TO DRIVE FROM STORE TO STORE. After spending nearly three hours driving around to get the best prices, my husband finally realized that I was not overspending on groceries, but instead, was pretty darn frugal with the food budget. Again, no hating here about Walmart. Im sorry. We're on a budget. I'd like to say I am more politically saavy and shop locally at the farmer's market, but I am here to save a few bucks.
$250 for two weeks of groceries for six people. That comes down to $17.85 a day. $3 a person per day! ONE DOLLAR A MEAL! Ok, ok. So breakfast is significantly less than the other two, but I think I am doing a pretty decent job keeping the budget low. No, we are not eating cereal every meal, but I make enough for dinner so there are leftovers for lunch. My kids' friends are a little jealous of the tacos and meatball sandwiches they get in their lunchboxes...especially on the homemade frenchbread.
My daughter came home from high school today for lunch. I asked what she was doing home and she said "tonight it spaghetti night. So I knew you'd have bread made by noon. Why would I stay at school and eat there when I can come home to a sandwich on fresh bread, green peppers from the garden, and brownies you made last night?"
Healthier food. Less money. Happier kids.
This is a win-win situation.
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