Project: Food Budget - Week Five

Actual: $19.86 (Giant)
Actual: $8.77 (Target)

Actual: $8.24 (Weis)

I've been more diligent on going through my coupons this week and trying to make sure I plan for foods that I can use the coupon for.  I still need work better on using items in my pantry.  I used a few things, but I really just don't have a lot in their to use to plan the majority of my meals from.  I was also thankful that my mom came into town and brought me all kinds of goodies (food + cloths).  I was still way under my budget, but was hoping to spend even less then I did since my mom having a ton of food that was already on my shopping list.

Meal Plan:  (will add later)
* Breakfast


* Post-Workout

* 10am Post-Workout Meal

* 1pm Snack
  
* 4pm Snack

* 7pm Dinner


Staples Purchased: (will add later)

Project: Food Budget
Read about Project: Food Budget challenge.

Please check out these wonderful blogs, and give them support as they take on this challenge.
Participating blogs:
    

Veggie Converter

Dairy-Free Cooking

Veggie Burgher

The Happy Cactus

Test Kitchen Tuesday

Newly Vegan

Veggie on the Cheap

MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day

The Veggie Life

Caroline Cain Holistic Health

Going Veggie

Under The Apple Tree

Be the Change

Project: Food Budget - Week Four

Goal: $50

Actual: $20.59 (Giant)
Actual: $37.13 (Weis)

Bonus Card Savings: $3.36

After taking some time to browse through the weekly flyers I saw significant savings just by buying some of my produce from Weis versus Giant.  Luckily, Weis isn’t too far out of my way, so after picking up a few things from Giant I made my way to Weis.  Though when it comes to other items Weis is not the place to go, but as I review the prices of the products I buy on a regular basis I will begin narrowing the stores I shop at and get to know more of the stores set up so I can be more efficient when I’m shopping.  Though I should have grabbed the blueberries from Giant.   The paper said Weis had them for 2.99 a pint, however, when I went to the resister I had to void 2 items.  1) Blueberries, which turned out to be 4.99 a pint and 2) My Naturally More Almond Butter.  I thought that both the Almond butter and Peanut butter were 2/$5, however it was just the pb.  I felt bad having to void it, but I wasn’t paying 5.99 for that.  By returning the pb and the 2 pints of blueberries I saved $15.97 from my grocery bill.

Produce Savings by buying at Weis verus Giant:
Eggs: $.99 vs. $1.49
Greep Peppers: $10/$10 vs $1.99/lb
4lb bag of Oranges: $3.99 vs. 4.99

I did spend more money on the Avocado at $1.89 each and the Large Seeded Grapes totally 6.25 for the bag.  They are so good though I couldn’t help but splurge on them.

(will add later)

Meal Plan:
* Breakfast

* Post-Workout

* 10am Post-Workout Meal

* 1pm Snack
 
* 4pm Snack

* 7pm Dinner

Staples Purchased:
#1 Naturally More PB $2.50 (saved $.49)
#1 Ziploc Round Storage  Containere $2.89
#1 Ziploc Take Along Rectangle Food Storage $3.39

I’m not sure if I saved anything by buying the storage continners at Weis, but they came in pretty handy this week.

Overall Week:
I did better with my budget, but clean eating I did stray a bit from my original meal plan due to being stressed out about a few things.   

Project: Food Budget
Read about Project: Food Budget challenge.

Please check out these wonderful blogs, and give them support as they take on this challenge.
Participating blogs:
    * Emily Levenson
    * Veggie Converter
    * Dairy-Free Cooking
    * Veggie Burgher
    * The Happy Cactus
    * Test Kitchen Tuesday
    * Newly Vegan
    * Veggie on the Cheap
    * MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
    * The Veggie Life
    * Caroline Cain Holistic Health
    * Going Veggie
    * Under The Apple Tree
    * Be the Change

Project: Food Budget - Week three

Goal: $50

Actual: $62.02 (Giant) 

Bonus Card Savings: $13.68

This was another challenging meal prep with trying to balance everything out (45P/45C/10HF).  I need to find an easier way to do this and save money so I can begin to buy supplements.  Then things escalated when I got to the grocer and realized I wasn't going to have enough time to cook any of my meals, so I had to think of some alternatives.  Luckily, I still have a ton of leftovers from last week that I was able to use.

Original Plan: * Breakfast:      Overnight Oat Berries+Cereal     * Post-Workout     Protein Cookie * 10am Post-Workout Meal     Black Bean Oat Burger * 1pm Snack     Yogurt Bowl * 4pm Snack     banana + pb * 7pm Dinner    Teriyaki Tempeh + Brown Rice

Adjusted Plan * Breakfast:      Overnight Oat Berries + Cereal * Post-Workout     Protein Shake * 10am Post-Workout Meal      Cottage Cheese      Cherry tomatoes (leftovers) * 1pm Snack     Yogurt Bowl * 4pm Snack     Power Toast (leftovers) * 7pm Dinner      Tuna + Cucumber + ww WASA      + Red Wine Vinegar + Carrots

Staples Purchased:

#1 Sugar in the Raw $2.89
#1 Giant Vinegar $0.85
#2 Strawberries (32oz for 3.89) Going to freeze one package
#1 Burt's Bees Lip Gloss $2.69
#1 Sports Creme $6.49
#1 Antibiotic Creme $3.66
#1 large Quaker Oats 1-min oats $3.69
#1 Bobs Red Mills Wheat Berries $2.99

Total Staples: $23.26 (not including the strawberries)

Project: Food Budget

Read about Project: Food Budget challenge.

Please check out these wonderful blogs, and give them support as they take on this challenge.

Participating blogs:

• Emily Levenson
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• Veggie Burgher
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie
• Be the Change

Project: Food Budget - Week three

Goal: $50

Actual: $62.02 (Giant) 
Bonus Card Savings: $13.68
           

This was another challenging meal prep with trying to balance everything out (45P/45C/10HF).  I need to find an easier way to do this and save money so I can begin to buy supplements.  Then things escalated when I got to the grocer and realized I wasn't going to have enough time to cook any of my meals, so I had to think of some alternatives.  Luckily, I still have a ton of leftovers from last week that I was able to use.

Original Plan: * Breakfast:      Overnight Oat Berries+Cereal     * Post-Workout     Protein Cookie * 10am Post-Workout Meal     Black Bean Oat Burger * 1pm Snack     Yogurt Bowl * 4pm Snack     banana + pb * 7pm Dinner    Teriyaki Tempeh + Brown Rice

Adjusted Plan * Breakfast:      Overnight Oat Berries + Cereal * Post-Workout     Protein Shake * 10am Post-Workout Meal      Cottage Cheese      Cherry tomatoes (leftovers) * 1pm Snack     Yogurt Bowl * 4pm Snack     Power Toast (leftovers) * 7pm Dinner      Tuna + Cucumber + ww WASA      + Red Wine Vinegar + Carrots

Staples Purchased:
#1 Sugar in the Raw $2.89
#1 Giant Vinegar $0.85
#2 Strawberries (32oz for 3.89) Going to freeze one package
#1 Burt's Bees Lip Gloss $2.69
#1 Sports Creme $6.49
#1 Antibiotic Creme $3.66
#1 large Quaker Oats 1-min oats $3.69
#1 Bobs Red Mills Wheat Berries $2.99

Total Staples: $23.26 (not including the strawberries)

Project: Food Budget

Read about Project: Food Budget challenge.
Please check out these wonderful blogs, and give them support as they take on this challenge.

Participating blogs:

• Emily Levenson
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• Veggie Burgher
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie
• Be the Change

Project: Food Budget - Week two

Goal: $50

Actual: $74.49 
            $48.33 (wegmans)
            $26.16 (weis)

I spent several hours last Sunday planning my meals using the Sunday Circulars for this week and finally made it to the grocer Monday night after 9pm.  I found everything I needed between Weis and Wegmans, but remembered while shopping at Wegmans that I needed protein powder and ???, which caused me to go over budget.   I was hoping to spend a little less since I used a good amount of ingredients from my pantry, but I guess I can be thankful that I didn't spend any more.  I still didn't get to making any no-knead whole wheat bread this week, but hopefully I will get a chance to attempt that on Saturday while taking care of my laundry.

Mango is typically 2 for $5 so when I saw Weis had them 10 for $10 I grabbed 5 in hopes of freezing 3 of them for later.  I'm not sure how well they freeze, but for $1 each I'm going to find out.

I needed mayo for my Cesar Dressing, but I didn't want to use my Safflower mayo at a whopping 100 calories per tablespoon so I picked up Hellmans Light Mayo, which had only 35 calories per tablespoon and ingredients I understood.  Kiwi was also 2 packs of 6 for $5 so I picked up a pack. 

While at Wegmans I ended up helping a young engaged couple who were looking for hosin sauce.  It turned out to be in the organic isle and when I brought it over to them we ended up talking for over an hour.  They are very sweet and good talkers.  We went jumped from several topics, even politics and religion and if it wasn't so late I probably would have stayed and talked to them longer.  It always nice to be able to make new friends when out and about

Key code:
(*)  from my pantry
(B)  bought
(**) sale items

Menu:

PRE-WORKOUT BREAKFAST

- Eggs and Oats Pancake
     * eggs + all white's egg whites
     * cinnamon
     * chia seeds
     * oats
     * soy milk
     B strawberries **
     B greek plain yogurt **

POST WORKOUT

- Vanilla Protein Shake (scoop powder + 12 oz water)
     * vanilla protein powder

SNACK

- Quinoa and Mango
     * quinoa
     * coconut flakes
     * cashews
     * agave nectar
     B mango **
- Sweet Potato, half
     * sweet potatoes

LUNCH

- Power toast topped with Chic Energy Bites - cheerful cheery
     * 15.gran bread
     * weis pb
     * sunflower seeds
     * chia seeds
     * dried cherries/craisins
     * cashews
     * almonds
     B medjool dates
- Carrots
     B carrots
 SNACK
- Cottage Cheese
     B cottage cheese
- Cherry Tomatoes
     B cherry tomatoes **

DINNER

- Strawberry Romaine Salad topped with Asian Sesame Crusted Chicken Nuggets
     * sugar in the raw
     * vinegar
     * red onion
     * poppy seeds
     B light mayo
     B romaine lettuce
     B strawberries **
     B plain greek yogurt **

     * soy sauce
     * garlic
     * ginger
     * sesame seeds
     B Chicken Breast **

Staples Purchased:
#1 Vanilla Protein Powder
#1 10lb pack of Wegmans Boneless Skin Less Chicken Breast ($1.99 per lb)
#5 Mango (10 or $10) Going to free 3 of them.
#3 Chobani Greek Plain Yogurt (4 for $5)
#3 Yoglait Greek Plain Yogurt

Project: Food Budget

Read about Project: Food Budget challenge.
Please check out these wonderful blogs, and give them support as they take on this challenge.

Participating blogs:

• Emily Levenson
• Veggie Converter
• Dairy-Free Cooking
• Motor City Girl In the Steel City
• Veggie Burgher
• The Happy Cactus
• Test Kitchen Tuesday
• Newly Vegan
• Veggie on the Cheap
• MeloMeals: Vegan For $3.33 A Day
• A Guy, A Girl, And a Dinner Plate
• The Veggie Life
• Caroline Cain Holistic Health
• Going Veggie