Monday 25 February 2013

That Grocery Challenge

Last week I decided to try to limit our grocery bill to $150 per fortnight, this sounds quite a lot but it doesn't go very far in the regular supermarkets so I went out to the Baldivis Spud Shed and spent less than $25 on this lot...


It really is a big shed, just the bare necessities inside but the prices are so good. 4 kgs of potatoes for $2, they cost $3 per kilo in the supermarkets, the bacon ends and pork mince cost around half of the $25 so that shows just how cheap all the vegetables were...
carrots 49c per kilo
red cabbage 99c
spring onions 99c
eggplant 79c
brown onions 99c 2kgs
apples $2.49 per kilo and so on.
tinned tomatoes 59c
passata(tomato puree) 99c


However...if you go on Saturday morning you are greeted with gorgeous BBQ smells, this group are volunteer emergency service cadets and were fund raising, close to lunchtime and the temptation was just too much lol


yummy!


So all my budget is now spent, we don't need to buy anything at all before next Monday(payday). Mum gave me 18 eggs, a huge bunch of organic grapes and a take-away carton of fried noodles yesterday. Today I'm using the pork mince and some of the chopped bacon and one of the eggs to make a tasty meatloaf that will make 4 meals. One chicken breast was sliced thinly yesterday to make all this...I just covered the pieces in seasoned flour and shallow fried them, 3-4 meals there too. I made potato salad, putanesca sauce, gently fried kidneys and cottage cheese over the weekend and proved it is possible to live rather cheaply when you cook from scratch.


Angela awarded me a Liebster Award for friendly bloggers...bah humbug, I won't join in but you can see her blog here It never fails to amaze me when I read about the lives of others so far away, all so different and yet all so similar.

Cousin Sheila is still in hospital and may be allowed home tomorrow, she had developed a chest infection to add to her misery and is wearing a neck and back brace to support her spine. Cousin Janet suffered a brain aneurysm last week and is slowly inproving in a Liverpool hospital so please keep these gallant ladies in your thoughts. It's hard to be so far away when things like this happen to our family.

Priscilla is now 14 weeks pregnant and her specialists are searching for a surgeon willing to remove as much of her tumour as possible while her baby is kept safe. They are speaking to specialists in New York and Europe so hopefully they will find some-one.

So that's where we are right now, taking one day at a time and trying to relax a little.
Hope all is well at your place,
Love from Sue
xx

6 comments:

  1. Way to go Sue! Well done on all those bargains!

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  2. By grocery, I guess you mean just meat, fruit & veg and canned/frozen food. It is the cleaning products and bathroom aisle that does my budget in!

    I do hope Priscilla has luck finding that special surgeon, it must be such a worry for everyone. Sending my prayers and best wishes,

    Joolz

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    1. I just mean our food and toilet paper, Joolz. I make all our soap, laundry and household cleaners for very little, a bottle of MooGoo shampoo has lasted well over a year.
      Thanks for your kind words about Priscilla
      xx

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  3. Amazing what one can do when real thinking before mindlessly purchasing at the grocer. Good job with your efforts there. I have issues remembering Im shopping for only two after years of big cooking for kiddos and working man. Two old retirees dont require near as much, yet I usually over shop and over cook. Praying a gifted doctor is found for Priscilla and her baby. Time for some blessings there. Hedy

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  4. That's about our grocery spend too, a challenge but doable. I'm not sure you'll be keen, but it's well worth looking at some Turkish recipes to make use of seasonal veg and cheaper meat (filled pide, gozleme etc).

    I'm sorry to hear about your Cousins and wish them recovery. As always Priscilla is in my thoughts and has my admiration.

    xx

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  5. You have done really well with your grocery budget! These prices are wonderful. As always keeping Priscilla in my thoughts :)

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