WWS & WWA | June 27th - July 3rd

-
What We Spend (WWS) and What We Ate (WWA) is a recap of our weekly grocery spending and meals. 

You will noticed that WWS does not always align with WWA. That's because we buy primarily what's on sale, along with some fresh items, and pull the rest from our pantry or freezer stock. These sale items go into the stock rotation. 

Be sure to check out my first Budget Grocery Shopping Fundamentals post to learn more about my approach to meal planning and grocery budgeting!


First Pesto of the Year! Made with Spinach and Basil from our Garden!




Prep & Plan Recap



I am still working out the best format for accurately reflecting our prep and plan vs. what we spend and what we eat in a week, since it is not a direct correlation, so please bear with me!
Rhubarb Sauce from 400 grams of Rhubarb


What We Spent | June 27th - July 3rd, 2020

This week was like the rest of June, a little higher than average.We stocked up on steak tips, and also grabbed some food to share over the 4th (steak, watermelon, lemonade), plus I needed a few items to make a lasagna for my Dad.

This week I also preserved 6 pints rhubarb sauce, 16 pints of strawberry jam, 6 half pints of cherry jam - hence the sugar and strawberries - and froze about 12 cups of pesto (basil & spinach from the garden).


Shaw's
  • Whole Seedless Watermelon - $3.67
  • Jello Pudding Mix - $1.79
  • 8 Boxes Honey Nut Cheerios - $7.04 ($0.88/ea after  8 $1 off printed coupons)
  • 2 28oz. can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce $2.98 (reduced section)
  • 2 15oz. can Small White Beans - $1 (reduced section)
  • 6.72 lbs. Sirloin Steak Tips - $31.98 ($4.76/lb. store sale)
  • Lay's Chips - $1.88
  • 2 Newman's Own Lemonades - $1.98 ($0.99/ea store sale)
  • 1/2 gallon 1% Milk - $2.19
Total: $54.51

Week Total: $54.51*

*Please note I updated this on 7/7 after realizing some of the spending was in July, not June.

Our grocery budget goal* is $50/week. This week we managed to squeeze in just over that goal.

That puts us at $378.47 for the month of June.While we well overshot out $200 per month average, our freezers are full, so I expect only limited spending for fresh items during July.

 *This is why our budget is flexible, to take advantage of sales as they come up, and why we aim for an average.

This month we have stocked up heavily on chicken, blueberries, seltzer, cheeses, strawberries, and steak. We took advantage of great sales, fed many extra mouths on the weekend, and supported local farmers. We also took advantage of our Sam's membership before it expired.

For eating out we have a separate budget. During the COVID-19 pandemic we have tried to support open restaurants by getting takeout a few times per month.

What We Ate | June 27th - July 3rd, 2020

This week was was a short one since July 4th was on a Saturday this year, meaning that both Ben and I had Friday off. I also took a day off work to attend a family member's celebration of life.

Most bloggers choose to focus on only dinners, but I think showing all three meals helps to better show where your WWS goes.

Breakfasts:
  • Granola Bars
  • Freezer Breakfast Burritos
  • Breakfast Biscuits w/ Peanut Butter
  • Breakfast Bowls (leftover from burrito making)
  • Strawberry Banana Smoothies
Lunches:
  • Tuna Hummus Wraps
  • Last of the stuffed pepper filling
  • Steak tips, rice, green beans
  • Shepard's Pie Leftovers
  • American Chop Suey Leftovers
  • Lunch at Warrens in Kittery, ME (Mallory)
Lunch Snacks:
  • Grapes
  • Watermelon
  • Celery
  • Baby Carrots
  • Yogurt
Chicken Milanese with Fresh Herb Pasta

Dinners:
  • Tacos & Watermelon
  • Steak tips, snow peas (garden), freezer biscuits, rice
  • Chicken Milanese, Fresh Herb Pasta, & Green Beans
  • Shepard's Pie & Chop Suey Leftovers
Snacks: crackers, cheese, popcorn, carrots, cucumber, various sweets

Food for Sharing - since I mention often that we make food for family gatherings on the weekend, I thought I'd put it here as well:
  • Chocolate Cake Trifle
  • Shepard's Pie (plus one for my dad)
  • Lemonade

Note, Ben and I often eat different lunches. My "likes" are more limited, so I get to have fun cooking and give Ben a larger variety that I typically wouldn't eat. I am also not much of a breakfast person, so I typically just have a snack and eat lunch a bit earlier.

The concept of WWS & WWA comes from blogger Kristen at The Frugal Girl, and other bloggers who do similar recaps, but I liked Kristen's version the best.

Feel free to share your WWS/ WWA!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WEEK 2 Pantry Challenge Update

-
Image
Week two came and went in a flash it seems. This week we leaned heavily on planned leftovers for lunches, and quick, partially prepped dinners to accommodate a busy schedule. I did a poor job of remembering to grab photos this week, so I have inserted some from past meals. What We Ate Breakfasts Baked Oatmeal with Apples, Walnuts, and Dried Cranberries w/ Yogurt Protein Granola Bars Coffee Cake Muffin from Dunkin' Lunches Pulled Pork Sandwich BBQ Pulled Pork w/ Mac & Cheese & Green Beans Steak, Mac & Cheese, & Green Beans Steak, Potato, Salad Misc Leftovers from a Volunteer Gig of Pasta, Chicken, and Broccoli Sides: Grapes & Blackberries Sheet Pan Mac & Cheese! Dinners Dinner Out: Texas Roadhouse (lunch leftovers!) Steak & Shrimp w/ Mac & Cheese and Green Beans Lemon Chicken Cutlets w/ Rice & Green Beans  Lemon Chicken Cutlets w/ Pasta & Broccoli Shrimp & Steak Leftovers with Rice and Salad Grayson waiting to see the vet for his ann...
Read more

Meal Plan & Prep for 10/22-10/28

-
Image
  What's on the Menu? This week I am back to my stand-by method of prepping off of Sunday's dinner since we were home for a "big dinner" this week. This made for easy lunches based around leftovers throughout the week. During the week I chose quick-cooking recipes to have dinner on the table within twenty minutes most nights. Breakfast For Breakfast this week made a fall inspired baked oatmeal using this recipe as a base. To it I added two sliced apples, nutmeg, cloves, walnuts, and a sprinkle of maple sugar over the top. I halved this recipe to make four portions. We also have protein granola bars and cereal available. Lunches Lunches are typically either dinner leftovers or a meal specifically prepped for lunches.  This week I am using the leftovers from Sunday's "big" dinner of Mac & Cheese to prep four lunches: two Mac & Cheese with pulled pork, and two with steak. Additionally I put together one meal of pulled pork sandwiches using buns in ...
Read more

WEEK 1 Pantry Challenge Update

-
Image
This week we did a great job of tackling some odds and ends in the freezer that needed using. I did not have a formal meal plan at the start of the week, but we did well throughout the week making sure we were making dinners that would result in lunch leftovers, or pulling from some pre-made meals. This was a nice ease back into the meal prepping mind-set, and I hope we can keep it up in the weeks to come! On Thursday, I plan to share a meal plan and prep post for the current week. What We Ate Breakfasts Bagels with Cream Cheese or Sausage and Cheese Protein Granola Bars Bagel Breakfast Sandwich Lunches Leftover Pizza & Salad Chicken Rice Soup Salad with  Buffalo Chicken  Creamy Beef & Shells, Broccoli Steak, Rice, & Spinach Manwich Sandwiches Sides of Homemade Apple Sauce & Grapes Dinners Steak, Fish, Rice, Salad, Rolls Maple Mustard Chicken , Roasted Potatoes, Spinach Creamy Beef & Shells , Steamed Broccoli, Rolls Pesto Chicken, Steamed Car...
Read more