Today I went grocery shopping with a challenging $12 limit. I spent $11.47 and got a gallon of milk, a package of bagels, a dozen eggs, a can of cat food, a bottle of shampoo, a pound of ground beef, a pound of butter and a package of 40 fabric softener sheets.
Observation: I could have waited on the fabric softener sheets. I thought I was going to run out of my liquid softener, so I put it on my list as a top priority. Turns out I had just enough already to do my laundry. That kind of bums me out, because I paid $1.00 for the softener sheets, and I would rather have bought the liquid refill, which would have gone much farther -- but it was more expensive, and I was trying to stay within my limit. That is how the poor stay poor!
I made some spaghetti sauce with the ground beef, and I baked brownies to freeze as snacks. I'll use the bagels for breakfast with cream cheese, and for lunch or dinner with turkey lunchmeat and cheese. I'll have eggs for lunch/dinner also. I'm also planning on making broccoli cheese soup with ingredients I already have, and I have some French onion soup in the freezer, so I think I'll be OK for a week.
Next week I'll have a similar limit. Interesting times.
Grocery shopping challenge
June 10th, 2006 at 05:22 pm
June 10th, 2006 at 05:54 pm 1149958474
June 10th, 2006 at 06:59 pm 1149962371
BTW, I looked back through your whole blog because I couldn't remember if things were really tight for you right now, or if you were doing some kind of challenge. I noticed you were planning a trip to the doctor because your prescription was running out, although the appt. would be hard to afford right now. Just a tip--maybe your doctor would ok one extra renewal if the pharmacy called in the request? My dr. did this for me, when I explained I had to wait to come in until our insurance was straightened out.
June 11th, 2006 at 12:39 pm 1150025990
I do thirds on the dryer sheets, drying full capacity loads.
Looking forward to reading on how you're doing with this challenge. Best wishes!
June 12th, 2006 at 01:15 am 1150071312
I already got my extra refill, so I really do have to go to the doctor. But he will probably bill me after filing with my insurance, so it's not something I have to pay right away.
Just so you don't worry, I do have more than $500 in my home improvement/emergency fund. I just don't want to tap into it.
This makes me very mindful, however, that there are people who have to live like this, and they must be so frightened and desperate.
And thanks for the reminder on the dryer sheets! I had forgotten you could do that!