Project Food Budget (my week 5)

On August 4, 2015August 4, 2015 By EricaGIn Project Food Budget 3.01 Comment

First, an update for last week. I’m not quite sure how to count last week’s food money. We were visiting my sister’s family over the weekend, and we contributed to the buying and preparing of some of the meals (the least we could do to help after a new baby!). We also had pizza out, and there was a fun little ice cream trip. So…I’m going to say that we were at $135 for the week, and that only works out if I pull some funds from our “fun” budget. Since A LOT of good fun was had by all, I think this is a fair exchange.

Goal: $120 Actual: $52 at Aldi + $31 at Wal*Mart + $33 at Moe’s = $116

Yippee! I am really excited about being under budget. Moe’s was a splurge–a really fun splurge. On top of that, I have a complete menu this week with some really tasty things. As my hubby headed out the door with my list, I was nervous about the money he might spend. I fully expected to be over our budget since the only thing coming from the freezer is the steak, and the zucchini came from my in-laws’ garden. Cory hasn’t done the shopping much since I started this project (because I’m being a control freak about it), but generally, he does our grocery shopping after work. This was an important test, and it went SO well.

This week’s dinner menu looks like this:

Monday: Out at Moe’s (one of my favorites!)

Tuesday: Pork chops on the grill and zucchini bake

Wednesday: Brats on the grill and veggie pasta salad

Thursday: Veggie calzones

Friday: Steak on the grill and quinoa salad

Saturday: Chicken breasts and pickled beet salad

Sunday: Creamy chicken tacos in the crock pot with corn-on-the-cob

Please take a moment to visit my fellow food budgeters. I’ve really enjoyed exploring these blogs, and I definitely have some new favorites to visit even after this project has come to an end.

Project Food Budget: My Week 2 (Official Week Seven)

On July 14, 2015July 15, 2015 By EricaGIn Project Food Budget 3.02 Comments

{I wrote this post yesterday–Tuesday–as planned, but right before I hit “publish,” I lost my internet connection. Sorry this is late.}

It’s a good thing that I was under budget last week because this week was tough. We were out of basically everything. We had been traveling over the weekend, and the first shopping trip after a time away is always a doozy.

I had hoped to blog about my Aldi “techniques,” but with a very busy weekend followed by an equally full week, I’ll have to save that post for another time. Our groceries came from Aldi and from Wal*Mart this week. I did the bulk of the shopping this morning (Tuesday) at Aldi, but Cory planned and purchased the ingredients for Monday’s meal–a quick trip to Wal*Mart. Several of the things he bought will last more than this week alone. For example, he bought apples and rolls that we didn’t entirely consume on Monday. I’ll have to make another stop at Shop ‘n Save for peanut butter, but I’ve already factored in the cost.

Goal: $120 Actual: $114 (Aldi) + $36 (Wal*Mart) + $4 (Shop ‘n Save) = $154 (EEEK!!!)

And here’s my plan…

Monday: Roethlisburgers. Fruit salad.

Tuesday: Free meals at Chick-fil-A for Cow Appreciation Day {Yes, we all dressed up like cows in order to earn free meals for each of us. See extremely awkward photo at the end of the post.}

Wednesday: Lasagna. Tossed salad.

Thursday: Fish tacos. Parmesan cauliflower bites.

Friday: Pork chops. Roasted brussel sprouts. Rice.

Saturday: Chicken salads.

Sunday: Roasted chicken. Mixed Vegetables. Mashed potatoes.

Wondering about the Roethlisburgers? Well, we are Steelers fans. A few years ago, a Pittsburgh restaurant came up with a sandwich that they named The Roethlisburger after the quarterback, Ben Roethlisburger. It’s a blend of ground beef, ground Italian sausage, scrambled eggs, and American cheese on a sub roll. On Monday, exhausted from aforementioned traveling, I told Cory that I didn’t have any ideas for Monday’s dinner. After work, he stopped by the store. For some reason, The Roethlisburger popped into his head, so he decided to make them for us. He also bought some fresh fruit and chopped up a salad. The whole meal was delicious, and I didn’t have to do a thing. Even better!

Please stop by to visit the other bloggers who are working toward great food on a purposeful budget. Have fun!

It’s back!!! Project Food Budget

On July 7, 2015July 8, 2015 By EricaGIn Project Food Budget 3.04 Comments

Hey, readers! Some of you may recall my participation in Project Food Budget 2.0 a few years ago. (You can read those posts by clicking on the category with its name.) I committed to a full year of weekly blogging about my food budget. It was an eye-opening experience. It required discipline in shopping AND in blogging. I loved what it did for our bank account, but I didn’t always love how Warm as Pie became so focused on food and money.

Last week, I randomly ventured over to Emily Levenson’s blog–host of Project Food Budget–and I was surprised and quite pleased to see that she was doing the project again. In fact, it started on June 1st, so I was late but not too late. This time, Project Food Budget is running only 12 weeks. I think that is a good balance. I will have the experience of focusing on my budget and building a community with other bloggers, but my blog won’t get invaded by tons of money talk. (Any other fans of Little Women? I can just hear Meg March saying, “I despise all this money talk. It isn’t refined!”)

I will be posting each Tuesday to share the news on my weekly budgeting, meal planning, and shopping. This is my Week #1. Everyone else is on Week #6.

Goal: $120 Actual: $99

My true budget (set by my hubby) is $150 for food per week, but part of the reason I’m doing this project is to cut down on spending. Therefore, I’ve made my own budget $120. When we eat out, we mentally divide that expense and subtract it from the food category and the “fun” category. So my new budget also leaves a little wiggle room for eating out from time to time. I’m shopping for six eaters–one of whom is just a little guy who doesn’t make much of a dent in the budget, yet. I try to choose natural options–organic when I can swing it.

My shopping day is Monday, and I chose to go to Aldi. I have been an Aldi failure for years, but in the last few months, I’ve improved my Aldi-shopping skills. Some pep talks from friends, inspiration from my sister, and quite a few practice runs have brought me to the point where most of my shopping happens at Aldi. I only have to grab a few things from the grocery store later in the week. We also have the benefit of a Nickles Bakery outlet nearby, so we get our whole wheat bread at a very low cost. VERY! Our bread of choice is only $1, and it is over $3 at Wal*Mart or Shop ‘n Save.

Okay…blah, blah, blah…enough of the boring stuff. We have a busy weekend, so I’m only planning four dinners (hence the low budget). Here’s my menu:

Meatless Monday: quesadillas with cheese (of course), black beans, yellow bell peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes. Peach-Mango Salsa. Homemade guacamole. Tortilla chips. Applesauce.

Tuesday: meatball sandwiches. Mixed veggies.

Wednesday: quiche with ham, broccoli, and cheddar cheese. Watermelon.

Thursday: pecan crusted tilapia. Rice. A mix of green beans and yellow wax beans.

While you have food and budgets on your mind, I hope you’ll visit my fellow Project Food Budget bloggers:

Emily Levenson

McGinnis and Bean // Red Pen Mama // Seeking White Space // facepalmmama // Gardening in High Heels // Melissa Firman // Copy & Post // Rachel Olive Miller // Shea Lennon // Erra Creations// Two Eggs Over Easy//Rainaldi

Edited to add a new blog to the list. Edited again to add another blog that I somehow missed.