What does it say about me that I was really excited to try out Dollar General for my grocery shopping this week (I had a coupon for $5 off if I spent $25). Perfect! I want to spend $20, and that's like getting $5 free.

I knew their stock was limited, but I found it surprisingly difficult to select $25 worth of food that would not be foolish or wasteful. (And I admit, $3 went to dishwasher gel, which was kind of a cheat).

Here is what I got, food-wise, for a total cost of $18.94:

Bag of seasoned croutons
8 hamburger buns
Bag of ginger snaps
Can of diced tomatoes
Can of beef ravioli
Box of instant pudding
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
Can of mandarin oranges
Can of tomato sauce
Box of mashed potato flakes
Box of raisins
Package of oatmeal cookies
Box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Jar of sliced peaches
Jar of sliced pears
Bottle of Ranch dressing
Small bottle of olive oil
Can of kidney beans

Okay, that is a more than I usually get, but certainly a different kind of food than I usually get!

With the ground beef I have in the freezer, I have the ingredients for chili. And I can use a lot of these items for lunches.

When I checked out, I got another $5 off coupon for next Saturday. At first I thought, no way, but then I decided that this time I would use it for non-food items.

It was an interesting experiment.

I do believe that yesterday I did not spend anything.

Yesterday's meals:

Breakfast: Apple pancakes, milk
Lunch: Chicken medallions in teriaki sauce, green beans
Dinner: Homemade chicken noodle soup, English muffin, wine