Grocery Shopping for No Spend Challenge - Pantry Challenge

Well, we picked up the basics from the store that included some fresh vegetables (carrots, lettuce, potatoes, bell peppers, garlic and cabbage, frozen berries and dairy (milk and sour cream). I didn't get everything on my list, but Number One Husband picked out a few things that weren't on the list. We broke the first rule of shopping, DO NOT GO HUNGRY!

This is one of Number One Husband's picks that helped jack up our bill. 
At least it was a healthy choice. Dave's Killer Bread is a real treat for us.

We ended up spending a whopping $80 bucks, but for the most part it will see us through the first month of the challenge and part of the second month. We could have spent a little less if we had stuck to our list. In all fairness, we should have shopped over two weeks ago. This also impacted what we had to spend. Dave's Killer Bread was over $6 for 8 buns. Ouch!

The vegetables available were not great quality vegetables. In fact, I spent a lot of time picking through the offerings. Some were in such poor shape that I didn't purchase any of them. I just decided to do without. 

I have started hearing about shortages and higher prices popping up here and there, so I decided to check on a few things to see if it was true or not. I must say that there were higher prices especially in the meat department. Canned fruits and vegetables also had sizable increases. 

As far as shortages, there were limited supplies on the shelves in many areas and there were items missing altogether. We will all have to learn to make do again until the situations causing these issues are resolved. If we refuse to buy low quality produce maybe there will be a change in the greedy corporations' policies. 

The store that we went to has a small long term food storage section on the end of and isle. The shelves were pretty bare. I buy tomato powder from this section, and they only had two bags left. I use the tomato powder in addition to chicken bouillon. I like the combo, but what is available at stores has MSG included in the ingredients and that does not work for us, so I found a solution with better ingredients.

Pantry Meals - Baked Oatmeal

We will need to pick up milk in a couple of weeks for yogurt and kefir and maybe some fresh produce if they have anything decent available. Other than that, hopefully nothing else will come up. One of our old hens laid an egg this morning. I hope the others follow suit. 

I'm in the process of using up what is in the pantry, however since we just completed this challenge about 6 months ago there are not a lot of lost items that have been shoved behind newer purchases. This fact will impact our grocery bill unless I missed somethings the first time around. I enjoy a good challenge! Happy hunting to everyone in the midst of a pantry challenge...

Mrs. Smith

Super Inflation - Grocery Haul

We have been picking up fresh produce and dairy products about every two weeks lately. With the constant price increases this has been working best for us lately. This time the prices increases were very noticeable even though we were able to get a few things on sale. I know that most people shop weekly or even daily, but for us the price increases are always a big shock.

As you can see from the picture above, we did not purchase very many items. We picked up a bottle of cleaner that was on sale and it was the only non-food item that we purchased. The rolls were marked down to half price and the only other non-ingredient food was a small bag of potato wedges. We try to avoid processed foods. On occasion we throw caution to the wind and buy something pre-made. 

I deducted the cleaner and its tax from the total. The total for the groceries alone came to $41.78 for:

2 Gallons of milk

2 Heads iceberg lettuce

5 Roma tomatoes

2 Bags of onions (6 lbs.) 

1 Head of cabbage

2 Bell peppers

1 Bag of russet potatoes (10 lbs.) 

1 Bag of potato wedges (2 lbs.)

1 Bag of rolls (6 count)

3 Bags of turkey pepperoni (5 ounces each) 

We went to two stores. I can usually find sales and better produce at Safeway. We also like their store brand turkey pepperoni. Onions and potatoes were outrageous at Safeway, but their cabbage and iceberg lettuce were a lot cheaper compared to Walmart. 

It looks like even with the sale prices, most of the produce increased in price at both stores compared to two weeks ago. Gas also increased in price by .20 cents a gallon. This haul was the bare minimum that we needed to round out what we already have on hand. 

While we were in town the temperature dropped 30 degrees. A storm is moving in, and all of the sudden we are under a Winter Weather Advisory. The stores were very busy and now I know why. The weather changed in an instant. We had no warning at all. 

We are all topped off with groceries for now and fuel. I took care of the chickens before we left the house, so I won't have to venture out until the storm passes. We are hunkering down and look forward to the moisture. I have a feeling fire season is going to be a rough one this year unless things change.

I hope that everyone is safe and warm in this crazy weather that the whole world is experiencing...

Mrs. Smith

Grocery Haul - It's Been a Hot Minute

It has been at least six months since I have done any major shopping at Sam's Club or Azure Standard or anywhere for that matter. It was definitely time to place an order at both places. We picked up our order from Sam's Club after my appointment on Friday in the city. 

There were a few things that we could only get if we had them shipped, so I have placed an order to be delivered along with a modest Azure Standard order that I will pick up. I had to go inside the store to pick up a few things that I wanted to hand pick myself. The store was packed. I think that some people we panic buying. It sure looked like it anyway. The line to get to the eggs was deep. I was in and out in short order because I knew what I wanted and where it was. I maneuvered through the store and around shoppers with ease. 

I did notice that there are less options available, again. Mayonnaise was one of those items that I had to order. What store doesn't carry Kraft Real Mayo? They only had brown beans in 12-pound package, and I wanted black beans. They are carrying smaller packages with less options these days. This seems to be the new trend. If stores like Sam's are not going to carry large bulk items, what is the point? 

I also noticed that they were low on most meats, eggs and milk. Milk was definitely not bargain at all. I didn't peruse the whole store because I just wanted to get out of there asap! Bread flour was another item that I had to have shipped along with the black beans and mayo. I haven't been able to buy bread flour at Sam's for several years now. At least I can have it shipped.  

When I tried to put peanut butter in my cart, the only option I had was to have it shipped. I was certain that that couldn't be, and I was right. I was certainly wrong about the mayo. The store had plenty of peanut butter and it was on sale for $2.00 off. I bought two. I think all in all that I went over my budget by $10 and this was one of the reasons why. Dang sales!

It was also time to buy meat. Ugh! Beef has really shot up in price, so Number One Husband decided that we would purchase a whole beef chuck roll and hand trim it into the cuts we need. This made the price $5.98 a pound for premium cuts of chuck. I also purchased a 10-pound roll of ground chuck at $4.38 a pound and a boneless leg of lamb for $4.98 a pound.  

Hand trimming a chuck beef roll coming soon.

I ran into the Walmart that was next door, also packed, to pick up cabbage, bell peppers, Romas, and celery. I was only able to find four Roma tomatoes that were decent enough out of the miniscule amount that they had to offer. They only had three heads of cabbage that were well formed out of the seven heads available. I really needed four, one for soups and stews and three for preserving. The bell peppers were okay, and the celery was good at a great price of .96 cents. 

Fermenting whole cabbage heads coming soon!

We topped off the tank and headed back into the mountains. It was good to get home, but then I needed to get everything put away before the Sabbath started. Getting an almost 23-pound chuck roll and a 10-pound roll of ground chuck to fit in the refrigerator along with everything else was no easy task. 

Until we process the meat, the fridge is just going to be bursting at the seams. I cooked up the rest of our old eggs from the refrigerator and fed them to the chickens. They were getting dried out, so I made the hens and the raven very happy this morning. 

I started the process of organizing the freezers this morning. This time of the year I am able to use our antique propane and kerosene refrigerators that we have in the shop as freezers. They give us additional freezer space in the winter months without using any fuel. I carried out extra items from the inside freezer to our makeshift winter freezers this morning to make room for 38 pounds of meat. This should give us enough freezer space inside the house for the chuck roll and the ground chuck. 

Once the meat is processed, I will finish up re-organizing the fridge and the freezers. It's a good thing that we are not picking up our Azure Standard order for a week or so. I should have plenty of time to process our first haul. 

Happy Day!

Mrs. Smith 

Azure Standard - March Grocery Haul

We picked up a small grocery haul from Azure Standard for March. We purchased a larger amount in January during their sale, so we didn't need to purchase anything in February. I probably won't place an order in April. The trips, yes, I said trips, went well, only one close call, one wreck and we only witnessed one road rage incident. 

I ordered a 5 LB bag of organic kelp powder. It is an easy and inexpensive way to get the minerals we need from a natural source. This will last a very long time, since we will only use 1/4 teaspoon a day for both of us. The rest of the order is self-explanatory.  

We also received our Azure Cash from the last order we placed. It covered most of the shipping fee. We will probably only order every other month or quarterly from here on out to save on the cost of driving to our pick-up spot. It is well over a hundred miles round trip. I will also try to schedule grocery shopping and appointments around the pick-up times. This is easier said than done. We ended up having a six-hour layover in between my appointment with the oral surgeon and our pick-up time. We did our regular shopping, had our tires rotated and came back home. This cost us over $30 in extra fuel. UGH!!!

It was late when we got back home, so I didn't take pictures. I was tired, the new stitches in my mouth were hurting and I needed to get the frozen food put into the freezer. I made space when we got back home after the first trip, so it went smoothly. I also put up and packaged up our other groceries that we purchased. We don't have a large freezer, so our freezer space is limited. It all fit perfectly without any room to spare. We didn't buy a lot of groceries, but it was sure expensive. Every time we shop, we get less and less, and it costs more and more. We will still need to pick up fresh produce, milk and fuel about every other week or so. 

I don't care for shopping days although I am grateful to be able to buy groceries. Shopping days are usually long days. It's really tough when I can't find what's on the list. I then have to make on the spot substitutions or abandon my meal plans completely. This can blow up a budget fast. I was able to find everything this time even though I had to take a chance and drive across the city for one item that I couldn't do without nor substitute. It was a must have medical product. 

Traffic is always heavy, especially in the summer months. I despise the actions of tailgaters and driving bullies. Like tailgating is going to make someone go faster. These people are dangerous and only care about themselves. There were lots of patrol cars out on our route this time. This is unusual for this remote part of the county. All the highway and freeway signs warned of the impending snowstorm that was heading our way. So far, it has been a bust here at the ranch. 

It was worth the effort and overall, a nice uneventful trip for which I am grateful for. I am glad that I don't have to do it every week!

Blessings,

Mrs. Smith

---

HS614 - Azure Market Organics Kelp Powder, Organic
1 of 1 shipped @$35.01 each / 5 lb

$35.01

---

FG1111 - Azure Market Organics Sweet Potato, Diced, Frozen, Organic
1 of 1 shipped @$12.53 each / 5 lb

$12.53

---

FG749 - Azure Husbandry Cherries, Bing, Pitted, Frozen, Transitional
1 of 1 shipped @$21.75 each / 5 lb

$21.75

---

FG1117 - Azure Market Organics Red Beets, Diced, Frozen, Organic
1 of 1 shipped @$14.40 each / 5 lb

$14.40

---

CO730 - Wildbrine Kimchi, Raw, Fermented, Korean Style
1 of 1 shipped @$22.40 each / 4 lb

$22.40

---

Product Subtotal: $106.09

Shipping: $9.02

Outstanding Credits and Balances

Azure Cash: $-6.26

Total to Charge: $108.85

Inflation - Grocery Haul - Buying Groceries Online - Delivery Days - Misfits Market

We purchase grocery staples and other supplies online. We have the orders delivered to our home. We also place pick-up orders for perishables that can't be shipped. We use this service to fill in the gaps during the in between times if we have a need. I decided to skip the pick-up orders this time and use Misfits Market for all our perishable goods. If you want to try this service, here is a code that gives  you a nice discount. COOKWME-PK2OOTIXJJM

My first two box Misfits order. 

My new Buck knife. It's a great size that fits perfectly in my pocket.

Unfortunately, the ice pack ended up on top of my Romaine. I only lost a couple of leaves.

I am not disappointed. They have beautiful produce and they have a good selection of pantry items. They also ship high quality proteins like beef, poultry and fish 

If you have been following my blog for very long, then you know that we live in a remote place and that the closest grocery store is about 40 miles away. So a round trip would take about two hours of driving, plus the time spent shopping and running other errands. The Largest town is two hours away where they have larger stores like Sam's. So, that's a four hour round trip if you don't get stuck in a traffic snarl not counting the time it takes to shop. My best time is about six hours. So you can see why we run all of our errands at one time. 

This takes planning and the use of lists. I start by keeping track of what we use and what we are running low on. Since the dawn of shortages, I have had to get real creative. We all have, haven't we? I keep an active list. The list changes and evolves as I try to figure out what will be available and what's on sale. It changes until I push the "place order" button and even then I could get the dreaded "out of stock notice". This time I only got the notice on one product. I immediately placed another order separately for the item and I got my order to go through. Pretty strange. I have never tried this technique before.

Did I tell you that I also have a budget that has not increased with the inflation we are experiencing? That's right, I am also trying to maneuver though this increasingly volatile inflation situation without spending more money. What the government reports about inflation does not reflect what we are seeing on the ground. Don't get me started on the price of gasoline in our area. It is about 30 cents higher or more in our area per gallon than what I am seeing in other states. California is the exception to this statement. It always seems to be the exception. Poor Californians...

Here are some ways to save money:

1. Bigger doesn't mean less expensive. Compare prices.

2. Stock up on sale items. Certain items go on sale once a year. Do a search online to see what month staple items like peanut butter or sausage go on sale. It usually coincides with a holiday or a harvest.

4. Don't buy sale items if you don't use them. It is a complete waste of money unless you are buying them to donate.

5. Don't buy an item just because you have a coupon. You can usually find an alternative brand for less money.

I have noticed that items are shipping from other areas now instead of just from the area my store is located. This has helped with the availability of some products. Shipping seems to have improved also as far as how long it takes to arrive at my home. It is still slower than BP (Before Pandemic). We haven't arrived at AP (After Pandemic) yet. I'm not sure if we will ever be normal again. I think bad times are still ahead of us. This is uncharted territory for all of us. 

Share the ways you save money in the comments below. Help others who are on this inflation roller coaster and are stuck in this this era of shortages. 

One pound of organic lentils for a penny. That's right. One penny.

Medjool dates 

Honey Crisp apples are an expensive treat in normal times. What is normal?

Same price at the grocery store only this is organic.

Organic and less expensive.

Organic and the same price as regular.

Future Kimchi...

Future pickled beets... 

Organic mayo was $1.99 for two jars. 

Stay tuned for future posts on homemade pickled beets and kimchi.

Delivery boxes. You can tell packaging is in short supply when they have to use a giant box for one small item. 

My budget did not go as far as it use to. Money does not have the purchasing power it use to have.  

Time to prepare a meal. I bought a whole chicken on sale a while back, cut out the back, cut it in half and froze it. I will use the chicken back for soup at a later date. I would normally use the Sun Oven, but the wind has been blowing wickedly for days and days.

I bought the squash about five months ago from Misfits Market. It's still just as fresh as the day I bought it. I plan on using the leftover chicken for egg rolls. 

Roasted chicken, and squash with salad. I used kimchi and pickled veggies on my salad. I'm not a fan of salad dressing. Bon Appetit...

Mrs. Smith

What Did I Get For $41.83 - Small Grocery Haul - Inflation

Sorry for the blog silence lately, we have been nursing some physical ailments that started with Number One. I am sitting here as I type with my trusty water bottle. It's tough when one of us can't, but when two of us can't...

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

We had to go to town yesterday to run some errands. We hadn't been for over six weeks, so to our surprise many things had changed. 

The first thing was the high cost of gas. We have a low grade 85 octane, but it was still $3.59 a gallon. The really bad part was it had gone up to $3.69 at other stations, so as soon as this station gets a new shipment it will be the same or more per gallon. We got a total of 25.115 gallons for $90.39. We had just under a half a tank in the car and three gas cans to fill up. 

The second thing was that Walgreens had closed it's drive-thru and there were a total of three workers inside. Normally, I am a drive-thru and pick up only kind of gal, but we had already driven the 40 miles one way to pick up the things we needed. They had also reduced their store hours. Their signs stated something to the fact that it was unforeseen circumstances and it would continue through the 22nd or 27th. I didn't have my phone to take pictures. Sorry, that thing is not an extension of my hand. They did have cashew halves and pieces for $1.99 for 8 ounces regularly $5.69. That is $12.38 a pound for cashew halves and pieces. Ouch! I bought two pounds for $7.96. Cashews are Number One's favorite. These are not included in my grocery haul.

Third, was a trip to Safeway to get our favorite bagels. I figured why not? I had already broken my I don't go inside rule. Plus, we hadn't had them in over two years. They do not have a pick up service. I could not believe how different it was inside. The outrageous prices hit me as soon as I walked in the door. Safeway is a high end store in our area. I should have just picked up the bagels and ran straight to my computer and ordered from Misfits Market. The beautifully arranged fresh fruit and vegetables did not hide the fact that there was a very small amount available and that there was a very limited selection. 

The shelf space has also shrunk. The store looked full, but it was an illusion. The items were one or two deep with only one or two varieties spread out. There are no size selections either. The best varieties were in the Asian and Hispanic areas. The prices were much better in those categories too. I encourage you to look for spices in those areas. 

There were a total of six organic sweet potatoes, no regular available, three pineapples, three watermelons, five types of apples on pyramid shelves, but the cheapest was $1.99 a pound. Winter squash was only $.99 a pound which is a pretty good price for our area. Selections of green vegetables were available, but also expensive. Mushrooms were $5 for 1.5 pounds. There were a small number of bagged potatoes available.

The frozen fruits and vegetables selections were also very limited. We avoid the junk food areas, so I don't have anything to say about that other than the chip area was limited and was pretty empty. Humus was $6 for the small container. I make my own, but I wanted to see how much I was saving by doing so. I save about $4.50. 

Packages were smaller and more expensive in some cases. I can do much better shopping online. Plus, I do not have the expense of traveling. I also save by buying in bulk from big box stores. I will do my regular shopping in a couple of weeks and will be able to see what's what. I'm sure that I will be getting a lot less for more money. I'm not going to increase my budget until I absolutely have too. I will be doing a blog post about about shopping less and getting more on my next grocery haul. I am a little concerned that I will not be able to get what we use due to shortages. Stay tuned...

10 oz Kale $2.99

2  1 lb Boxes Small Shells $2.00

Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels 6 Count $3.49

2 lbs Frozen Peas and Carrots $2.99

1 lb Frozen Baby Lima Beans $1.69 

Organic Blue Corn and Sesame Chips 10 oz  $3.00

1.5 Lbs. Mushrooms $5.00 

Apple Cider $5.99

2 Green Onion Bunches $1.58

1 Green Cabbage $2.81

Anaheim Peppers  @ $1.99 lb $1.17

1 Bunch Cilantro .50

Sweetie Apples @ $1.99 lb $6.81

Tax $1.81

If I had to shop at this store all the time we would have to double or triple our budget and I would really have to shop the sales. Imagine what the price tag would have been if I purchased meat. What do your local stores look like? Comment below and share the ways you save on your groceries. Your input could really help others with the rising costs of groceries.

Mrs. Smith