How I feed My Family of 5 with Less than $100 a Week: Grocery Sale September Week 3

Food: $20.62 with a discount of $11.18

Cereal (Walmart) was $2.87: $1.72, discount of $1.52

10 Lbs. Sugar (Walmart): $3.76

Jalapeno (Walmart) $1.38/lb.: $2.95

Cereal (Aldi): $2.45

Pretzel (Aldi): $3.99

Broccoli (Fresh Thyme) was $0.69/lb.: $0.96, discount of $1.11

Cauliflower (Fresh Thyme) was $0.69/lb.: $2.52, discount of$2.92

4 – 2% Milk ½ gal (Hy-Vee @ $0.77 ea.) was $2.27: $3.08, discount of $6

Fruit: $18.12 with a discount of $19.05

52.92 lbs. Bananas (Hy-Vee) $0.13/lb.:$6.88, discount $19.05

12.72 lbs. Red grape (Hy-Vee) $0.88/lb.: $11.24

Meat: $139.65 with a discount of $182.21

12 Dozens Eggs (Aldi) $0.48/dozen: $5.76

3 lbs. Wieners (Aldi): $2.99

66.65 lbs. Pork Chops (Fare way) originally $3.99/lb. on sale for $0.99/lb.:$65.99, discount of $133.28

32.62 lbs. Brat (Fare Way) originally for $3.49/lb. on sale for $1.99/lb.: $64.91, discount of $48.93

Pork chop was on sale and I purchased as many as I could afford within my budget and the store would allow us. We used cash, made multiple transactions and went to 3 stores. My husband purchased and I purchased as well. In some cases they allowed my daughters to purchase as well.

The brat didn’t go on sale as low as the pork chop but cost less than Aldi. Therefore, it was a good decision purchasing the brat. I decided since it was expensive I could serve during holidays or special occasions. However, I made sandwich the same day when we got home as a quick dinner and remarked that I didn’t have to use a lot of the brats. I cut one in half and again in half lengthwise. It was the length of a French Steak roll. If one person ate 4 sandwiches that would be 1 brat per person. I served with spicy tomato sauce I made. We barely ate 3 brats. Cutting a brat in 4 made it easy for the kids to eat it. It was not big for them. I cook 6 brats and used the leftover in two different recipes later. I spent more than $95 meat budget. This was possible because of the meat budget that I saved from prior months. When meat is not on sale, I just keep the meat money in an envelope and put on the side. I cook using meat that I have in the freezer. In summer, egg is on sale. Therefore, I purchase eggs almost weekly now and make egg dishes more often that I make in winter.

I kept the bananas in the basement to allow them to ripe slowly. After a week, they were over ripe. I froze a lot. We ate about half a well. To freeze, I remove the skin and put them in a Ziploc bags flat.