$50 Weekly Grocery Challenge: Spent $45.52 so far...

It is important to find the right balance when you are deciding how much to spend on groceries. You may not have a choice, if finances are tight. If you do have a choice, remember that spending the least amount of money may not be the best in the long run. I know I could spend less than I do. But, I like to include some organics and lots of fresh produce. So, I am sticking to my $50 per week instead of spending $25-$30 now for the 3 of us. Food lasts much longer now that our teenage son is in college, but it is nice to have the extra cushion in the food budget to try new recipes and buy an occasional pineapple that we all love to eat. It is more important to eat real food than it is to spend less and eat processed food, even if you can get it dirt cheap. In the long run, you will be healthier.

This is what I got from my shopping trip today:



Orange Juice 1.99
Bag of spinach 1.99
White mushrooms 1.34
2 lbs. lemons 1.88
Organic Carrots 2 @ 1.19 each
Organic Feta cheese 3.69
Ricotta cheese 1.79
4 different kinds of Tilamook cheese in bags 2.39 each
2 heads of green leaf lettuce 99 cents each head
Omega Eggs, no hormones 2.49
2 cans of garbanzo beans 79 cents each can
Allspice 1.50
Gala apples about 5 lbs. 5.02
Red onion 40 cents
Baby bella mushrooms 1.69 (swiched because they are cheaper than portabella mushrooms)
Grape tomatoes 1.49
Orange pepper 99 cents
Organic bananas 1.10
Pineapple 1.80

Total: $44.66

Not pictured: Great northern beans 79 cents, celery stalk 7 cents for a total of 86 cents
that are not pictured.

I still have $4.48 left. I need to buy some milk tomorrow since the milk at the store today was too close to the expiration date. I will also look for Jamaican spices in bulk if I have extra money left after the milk.

How did you do this week? Did you stay in your budget or get some good deals? Link up and share!