Thursday, October 22, 2009

Grocery Budget Challenge

     The gauntlet was thrown down at my church's "moms' group" yesterday, over the next month to stay within our grocery budget and spend a bit less.
     This should be an enlightening experience for me, as I don't really budget. I have a general idea of what things cost on an item-by-item basis, but that's the extent of it.
     So the challenge is to pick a dollar amount per week to stick to (I'm taking a stab at $75) and to record how much I spend, as well as noting down helpful hints, problems, etc. At our November 18th moms' group, we're going to report in and discuss how we made out. I will definately share comments, suggestions, ideas etc. from the group, in a post here.
     The timing of Grocery Budget Challenge couldn't be better. I am currently off work on maternity leave and while my husband, Cameron, is still bringing home a paycheque, we are having to watch our spending. And, considering we like to eat well, my challenge is going to have to be not only to stick within a budget, but also to satisfy the tastes of Cam, and my somewhat choosy-eater son Austin, plus myself. The baby, Lauren, hasn't developed a taste for fine dining, although breast milk might be considered fine dining by babies' standards, despite its low costs. (feed mama, baby eats!)
     My gameplan is to throw some low-cost meals into the mix, as well as to discover what goodies are hanging out in our pantry and freezers. The anchor for tonight's dinner is French Canadian Pea Soup made from dry mix from Bulk Barn, with some frozen chunks of ham thrown in to spruce it up. Hopefully it won't taste like an anchor! Salad and sweet potatoes will round out the meal.  Since everything was already in the freezer/fridge/pantry, I haven't spent anything on groceries during The Challenge, per se. Brilliant!

6 comments:

  1. Hi Elaine- Can't wait to follow your adventure :) i started blogging too. Check mine out - http://mylifeislemonade.blogspot.com/

    Karen

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  2. Very interesting. I am always looking for new ways to cook good on a budget. Soup seems to be a biggy at our house. Cabbage soup and squash soup are different but very good. I will follow with interest.
    Deborah

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  3. Hey Elaine, go girl! What fun, especially with all that free time while on mat leave (Ha! Not really!)...I will try to check it out when I can!
    Leanne

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  4. Elaine, all through our university days I relied on the cheapest meal I knew - spaghetti with a jar of spaghetti sauce - and throw in some frozen meatballs and there you have it - everyone's happy and it costs like next to nothing. There, that's my two-cents worth.

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  5. Elaine, all through our university days I relied on the cheapest meal I knew - spaghetti with a jar of spaghetti sauce - and throw in some frozen meatballs and there you have it - everyone's happy and it costs like next to nothing. There, that's my two-cents worth.

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  6. Elaine, try chicken quesadillas if you want cheap and good – two tortillas, shredded cheese in the middle and chunks of leftover chicken (or beef), put the tortillas together, stick them on a pan with a bit of butter to warm and melt the cheese – serve with sour cream and salsa – my kids looooove it, it’s like pizza a little, and it’s very cheap!

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