February is two days shorter than January but will be a blow out month for expenses. We have a wedding plus I'm hosting a wedding shower. We paid all the insurances last month via VISA so they will need to be paid this month. I want to start this first full week of February with a really low cost food shop and basically, cook down the stores as much as possible. Everything needs a good cleaning anyway, and so much easier to do if near empty. Of course I'll need fresh fruit, DH's chicken for lunches, and the flat bread wraps he likes. The milk, bread, juice and eggs are nearly gone as well. When DH has his next check-up for blood pressure, he needs to have his sugars tested as well. He is drinking way more juice and eating more fruit than ever and I know for some people, and he was said to have pre-diabetes, the sugars in fruits and carbs in excess is just as unhealthy as a box of Reese's Pieces. He drinks a full on glassful-not a 6 ounce juice glass, so the sugars really may be adding up.
Lingering in the freezer
that last piece of fish
four hamburgers
a meals worth of meatballs
the last container of Sloppy Joe's
a couple veggie burgers
bean and ham soup
pound of hamburger
Lingering in the fridge/veggie bin
a pound-2 of potatoes
two large sweet potatoes
two onions
1/2 bag baby carrots
2/3 celery
odds and ends of cheese
1/2 can of olives
opened salsa
wilting head of broccoli
Pantry
spaghetti
pasta sauce
1 boxed mac and cheese
three chicken rice sides
1 red beans and rice
1 tuna
corn and green beans
canned tomatoes
canned mushrooms
a few cans of soup
cheddar broccoli soup mix
lots of baking supplies
salsa
Rice
Options-not a true menu:
Hamburgers and sweet potato fries
Spaghetti and meatballs
Flat bread pizza with onions, olives, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese
Potato broccoli cheddar soup with homemade biscuits
Bean and ham soup with tuna sandwich
Hamburger stew with vegetables, topped with drop biscuits
Fried rice with scrambled eggs
Fish or veggie burger, homemade fries
These are just options. We'll have a leftover night, or I take leftover for my lunches. With odds and ends DH bought and then my stop on Friday, which we are just starting as February. We're at $29 for the month. I'd like to try and hit a $300 month, so this gives us an average now of $67.50 a week. This includes health, beauty, and cleaning as well as food. It won't include the money I spend on wedding shower food and decorations as that is entertainment and or gifts. I'll aim for half that this week, and carry over a good $33 to supplement where needed. Let the challenge begin.
Sunday, February 2, 2020
18 comments:
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It's always so much easier to stick with the plan when you know what you have on hand, so good work putting your list together!
ReplyDeleteSince we are getting low, it was also easier. I think this is a good week for basics and comfort food and odd menus. I'm a bit under the weather again with a stomach bug, so won't be prepping food today.
DeleteYou might consider watering down his juice, that might help. And making sure there is no sugar added (I'm positive you do this already but so many have them). We've taken to having half a glass of water and half a glass of pop or juice lately to lower our intake, way more exciting than plain juice. I've also been stocking up on those low salt hams whenever they go on sale, still super tasty.
ReplyDeleteHe most likely wouldn't like it watered down.a low salt ham would be a nice change.
DeleteOh lordy I have to empty my freezers too. I have 2 in the basement and I just never seem to get them emptied enough to clean them!
ReplyDeleteIt is a chore. It's a least favorite task, but I love the result.
DeleteHaving an inventory helps so much. I have a lot of pasta on hand, but not a lot of sauce to go with it, so if I see a sale on it this month I will stock up.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying different ways to "sauce" pasta instead of jar sauce. I love just using tomatoes and steam vegetables.
DeleteI signed up for a weekly farm produce delivery on Thursdays- not too expensive and I can make 3 substitutions a delivery and cancel/postpone as long as it's by Sunday night. I tracked everything I ate in January and there was definitely not enough produce and too much candy! Right now I'm cooking chicken, peppers and onions for fajitas. My problem is I get lazy and don't feel like prepping- I love to bake but chopping not so much! After your husband's bloodwork is evaluated, maybe make an appointment with a nutritionist if there are issues. I bet he'd listen to someone else! Fortunately in my family we don't have much type 2 diabetes even though almost all of us are overweight- 4 living siblings. I bet you have a stellar month!
ReplyDeleteHis dad had it and was a bit on the heavy side, but my husband is quite lean. My dad as well-and also very lean. I like the idea of him seeing a nutritionist.
DeleteI've got a lot of food in store at the moment, so I'm planning a use it up month. My daughter loves to cook and bake, and it's one of the things that has helped with her recovery, so I've bought more than I normally would recently.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your daughter has an activity she enjoys and does well. Sometimes frugality has to step aside. I bet she gets quite creative-my daughter let's that part of her brain be free with cooking, photography and filming, and writing.
DeleteI eat fruit and Cokes with sugar, caffeine free, and my A1C was 5.9. He should cut back on the fruit juice. Can he cut the fruit juice with water?
ReplyDeleteThe hospitals here have free meetings for people with diabetes. And, the doctor will have a nutritionist to help or at least one of whom he approves. Don't put any kind of potatoes in the refrigerator.
Tommy's freezer in the refrigerator is almost empty! We will eat on the ham for only three days, so we have to eat it three times a day...lol. The capon will last two weeks for meals, maybe more. Then, we only have four packages of ground meat, pork and beef.
I put a Coke in the freezer and it exploded...my favorite trick, obviously. So, getting that slush out will be helpful.
He;d reduce before diluting with water. I like Nan's idea of him talking with a nutritionist.
DeleteI definitely need to cook from the freezer. I have so much in there that I need to have about 100 surprise dinner guests to empty it.
ReplyDeleteBecause I no longer use the garage freezer and fridge, I try to to overstock. Still, just in the house it feels like too much for two people.
DeleteMay I suggest using the wilted broccoli in a casserole with the leftover cheese and rice. Or what about a broccoli soup?
ReplyDeleteYes! That is the plan, soup, and I think it will be really tasty. I bought it for a craisin, bacon, sunflower salad and forgot I bought it.
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