Week 2 and 3 - Great Grocery Challenge

The Poor Husband.

He wants Pop Tarts. 

I had to tell him that I could not accomodate that request unless:

1. We ate the 20-25 peanut butter cereal bars that are still in the pantry.
2. They were on sale with a coupon for $1 or less per box.
3. Someone left some on our doorstep (brown sugar cinnamon, please).

I did, however, make chocolate chip banana bread with the overly ripe bananas I sometimes throw away because I have no time to do anything with them.  A sure sign of our Great Grocery Challenge...within 24 hours the banana bread is gone!  It usually stays on the counter 4-5 days until I throw away the last few stale pieces because other, more interesting and new snack/breakfast food has entered the house.

I would call that progress, wouldn't you?

I did break down and buy 2 whole chickens for $0.89 a pound so I could make chicken stock (rather than buy cans of it).  Plus, that's a lot of chicken to last us for awhile (one went to live happily in the freezer where there is now actually some room to put things in).

I had a very crazy busy week last week and broke down to purchase the following items that were unauthorized:

• $8.99 Chinese Kitchen triple entree with lo mien from Giant (but, all five of us ate it for dinner on trick-or-treat night and I made our own rice to go with it!).
• 1 box of South Beach cereal bars (for #1 and #3 because it is an easy breakfast and I had a weak moment).
• 1 box each week of cheese crackers (because they can't eat chips/pretzels with their lunches everyday, right?!).
• 2 gallons of my favorite Turkey Hill Diet Green Tea because it was on sale for $2 a gallon (that only happens a few times each season and I usually buy 6 when they are on sale like that).
• 4 packages of Christmas dessert plates and 2 packages of birthday dessert plates because I thought they were cute and were only $1. I was immediately convicted so they are in my car with the receipt ready to be returned.  I need more "special occasion" paper products like I need another bag of microwave popcorn.  Again, it is a sickness and I must ask for strength one day at a time to resist the temptation of those adorable gingerbread plates with snowmen on them that would be perfect for our annual cookie decorating party....and they were only $1!!!  Helpppp.  meeeeee.........

Well, as a result, my grocery bill was only slightly over half of what it usually is (remember I am still buying dairy, eggs, and produce on a weekly basis).  I am going through my coupons every week and trying to plan better instead of just running out for one thing and coming home with four bags. 

There is still a good bit of chicken breast and some miscellaneous meat items left, though I am starting to miss the ground turkey.  Maybe someone will leave that on our doorstep with the Pop Tarts.....