For the first time in months, our weekly grocery shopping came in under budget! Woohoo!
Coupons and in-store sales helped, but the main reason for coming in under budget was because we didn’t need to buy as much meat— thanks to the 25-pounds of grass-fed beef in our freezer!
Right after I published my Grocery Q & A post, a local reader contacted me about purchasing grass-fed beef from a family farm in Ohio, which he would then deliver right to our front door. The cost worked out to be only $6.85/pound (a lot less than Whole Foods) and we’d get a variety of cuts (thick steaks, ground beef, roasts and/or stew meat), so it sounded like a great deal and now we’re set with grass-fed beef for at least a couple of months. Sweet!
Here’s this week’s meal plan and shopping list:
- Sunday: Gingery Beef and Broccoli
- Monday: Chicken & Rice Salad with Peanut Sauce
- Tuesday: Steak with Pesto Potatoes and asparagus
- Wednesday: Out to dinner or Shrimp Stir Fry
- Thursday: Make-Your-Own-Tacos
- Friday: Wing it (visiting Dave & Marie!!!)
- Saturday: Wing it
Grocery shopping list*:
- Bananas
- Almond milk
- Romaine lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Bacon
- Baby carrots
- Deli turkey
- Deli cheese
- Chicken thighs
- Green bell pepper
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Eggs
- Tortillas
- Eggnog
- Cream cheese
- Rotel
- Shredded cheese
- Pesto
- Spinach
- Onion
- Coleslaw mix
- Tomato sauce
- Pistachios
- Tortilla chips
- Pepperoni
*My shopping list doesn’t include all of the ingredients necessary to make the above meals. For a complete list, please see the individual recipes linked above.
P.S. You still have time to enter my giveaway to win $100 cash! I will pick a winner tomorrow morning!
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m so impressed that you have already made it to the store. I was just going to start discussing with my BF what we want to eat for the week. I home I end up under budget but considering how empty our fridge is, I”m not too hopeful : )
Great deal on the beef. I’d love to purchase a quarter cow but I don’t have the freezer space. I love beef and broccoli! Sounds yum!
Food prep is on my agenda for today! I went grocery shopping last night and spent way too much and bought barely any meat. :/
Awww I miss ‘make your own’ taco nights! As a single gal every time I make taco’s it’s ‘make your own’ lol.
Like you I generally go over budget, so it’s definitely a reason to celebrate when I don’t! Lately I’ve been buying more frozen fish rather than fresh which has helped me save a bit, but it’s frustrating that you seem to get penalised for eating healthy, unprocessed foods as they cost so much more. Got to try that Gingery Beef!
I wish we had somewhere to buy cheaper grass fed beef. I stocked up when Whole Foods had their sale for 4.99/lb. $6.85 is a steal!
Hi Tina, can anyone order grass fed beef from the same farm as you did? Let us know, I’m interested.
Where do you live?
@Tina: I have the same question. I’m in Hingham.
@laine: @laine: E-mail GrassFedNE@gmail.com for details.
THANK YOU!
Wing it two nights in a row? I love it!!!! Sounds like a great week and the pesto potatoes sound delish!!
It is so hard to stick to a grocery budget. I have been managing it better the last few week, but deffinitely difficult!
Hey Tina, I just had to comment that you mentioned that your grocery bill came in under budget because you didn’t have to buy as much meat and that’s so true. I gave up all meat over a year ago and I am loving the effect it has had on my grocery bills, and more importantly, how I feel. I still eat fish and dairy so my diet can remain very varied, but vegetarian staples such as beans, tofu, eggs, quinoa, etc., with a ton of veggies added to them, make great meal substitutes for meat, and delicious dinners. I am always making a massive amount of healthy vegetarian soups and veggie dishes each week and find that my grocery bill really stays low. Your meal plan for the week is very meat-heavy (I consider chicken a meat); maybe you should consider going vegetarian a few days a week.
Your list is very similar to my shopping list!
Awesome! I love when the reality is under budget. As a Clevelander, what farm is it? I wonder if they are closeby to me
@Julie: The farm is located in Columbiana, OH, just over an hour from Cleveland, OH.
I just finished watching Food, Inc., so this post is great timing. We live in MA and I was wondering where to buy grass-fed beef.
@Jackie White: E-mail GrassFedNE@gmail.com for details. Food, Inc… That movie will scare anybody into eating clean!
Can you share the name of the farm? I live in Ohio and would love to support one of our farmers. Thanks!
It’s the Harman Family Farm.
@Becki: The farm is located in Columbiana, OH. Not sure where you are located but E-mail GrassFedNE@gmail.com and I can see about connecting you with the farmer, Chris Harman.
What a great find on the beef! I love it when I grocery shop and come in under budget. That didn’t happen this week though, I was waaaaaay over.
Very nice. Grocery shopping is on my list as well. Need to be focused about it though.
The Kidless Kronicles
I was slightly over last week, but on track for the month in total. However this week I think I’ll be under
Mainly because I planned ALL our meals for the first time in WEEKS, mostly because we are going away soon on vacation and I want to use the items in the fridge etc.