Fortnight One (Tuesday)...Shopping

We all went out to get the groceries, so I could buy bulk toilet paper and potatoes...I normally walk,and have the spuds on my back, so I can only get so many.

As it happened, I only got 5kg since 5kg twice was cheaper than 10kg bag, and I figure I get fresher stock that way. Plus, with buying once a week, I doubt we could get through a 10kg bag in a week (though we do like our chippies!).

I did very well, adding up- this is mainly because dh took Princess and Tombliboo to another shop to buy something with their pocket money, and came in to help for the last bit (so my attention wasn't so taken with a toddler0. J-Man stayed in the car playing on his Nintendo DS.

The shopping came to $200.40. I also got 2 $100 gift cards for next week. I have done this for years- buy the month or fortnight's vouchers/gift cards on payday, so we never run out of money for food. It's great really, and I don't think I would do it another way, but the sad fact is- we *always* run out of money for food! We are just about always left with $25 on Saturday to last until Tuesday...but this is in the old way of going to the shop nearly every day, and always coming home with (ever increasing) treats.

When I get to it, I will put up a photo of this week's groceries. I laid them all out on the table, and Princess thought it looked like a year's worth. It did look like a tonne of food, but we shall see. Mostly, I am worried about fresh food. I bought basically what I normally buy on payday (though twice as much lettuce and cucumber), but then I'm back at the shop in the next day or two.

This is what the money bought...

450g chicken, 500g mince, 2 small rumpsteaks (about 350g), a ham steak, a bag of grated parmesan (the only other option was a hunk for $8.50), 1L strawberry yoghurt (I probably wouldn't have bought it but that it was so cheap, and dh was there hoping for some yoghurt with sweetness), 2L organic milk (no cheese, since we have nearly a full block already), 2L ice cream, 12 free range eggs, 2x 500g butter (they were on sale for $3 each...butter her has not been under $4 even on sale for over a year), 500ml cream, 500g lentils, 500g macaroni, 500g pasta spirals, 500g dried noodles, 500g raw sugar, 1kg golden syrup (now $5.20 a pop! I remember when it was $2.99), 600ml tomato sauce, 300g tomato paste, turmeric, can of coconut cream, 500mL olive oil, 500g baking soda, 375ml Mayonnaise, 375g peanut butter, 5 cans of chopped tomatoes, 850g cans of plums and peaches, can of fruit salad, 2 can's of sweetcorn. 2 cans of spaghetti, can of chilli beans, can of hot kidney beans, can of 4 bean mix, can of beetroot, 1 jelly (I don't normally buy it, but it might make nice ice blocks for the kiddos) 500g cornflakes, 1kg frozen mixed vegetables, half bunch celery (J-Man loves to eat celery for snacks), 6 carrots (forgot them, had to have Princess run back to get some and I didn't specify how many), 2kg onions, broccoli, bag of mung beans, cabbage, 2 lettuces, 2 telegraph cucumbers, 6 tomatoes, 3 ears of corn, 8 small bananas, 2kg granny smith apples, watermelon, root ginger, 6 bread rolls (for J-Man to take to his friend's tomorrow- his favourite), 2 multi grain loaves of bread, 300g cashew nuts (to make pesto), 2 family bags of potato chips, 2 hair combs, 24 rolls of budget toilet paper, block of dark chocolate (for a treat, and for baking), tncc (natural)lollies and a packet of hubba bubba (which Tombliboo opened at the checkout...but instead of buying a packet each for the other children as well- they shared one).

That was the easy part...now for the hard part- making it last a week, still eating reasonably healthily, and not going back to the shop until next Tuesday.