** I wrote this post 2 weeks ago :) **
Since we moved out of state, I couldn't bring anything that was in my fridge or freezer. Thankfully we did a good job of cleaning stuff out before hand. On moving day I only had one freezer meal left (which I gave to my parents to enjoy) and some frozen fruit and waffles. There were also some odds and ends in the fridge. Since my sisinlaw was taking our fridge, she took all the goodies that were left.
Anything left in the pantry was packed up and moved to Arizona. Because I was able to bring a lot of our pantry staples, canned goods, and 5 gallon food grade buckets (filled with flours, beans, and rice), we had a good start when we got here. I slowly unpacked our pantry items. Unpacking with a newborn is no joke. Slow and steady is my motto. I might not get things done crazy fast right now, but those newborn snuggles are so worth it.
The day after we got here, I planned a trip to Fry's, a local grocery store. It's like Smith's, which we had in Nevada. I believe they're the same company. They're Kroger stores. I made a list on my phone, with a meal plan. I tried to base my meal plan on a lot of the pantry items I already had. This helped keep costs down. I'm still getting use to shopping in a new city, with sometimes very different prices. Some things were similar, but some were very different....like $8 for 5 dozen eggs. I've been paying $3 at Winco. I'm eager to check out Costco in September and compare costs.
I stuck to simple items and meals to get us started, which helped. I also resisted the urge to replace all our "fridge staples" in one fell swoop. I'll be replacing condiments as needed in the meal plans. I shopped for about two weeks. I'm hoping to get us into September, when I can plan a big trip to Costco.
I definitely have a learning curve going on. I need to get adjusted to shopping in a new place and I need to try out different stores to see where my family can save the most.
I'll keep y'all posted, but for now I'm giving myself a little mama grace.
I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Thank-you for all your encouraging comments and messages over the past few weeks. I read every single one. You guys are the best!!
XO Danielle
If you had moved to Florida, that would of scared you to death. Milk at $6 (I went without until we had moved out). I can't wait until your costco post...
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! Yes it would! Haha! That is super expensive!
DeleteI love your grocery shopping posts. It always reminds me to meal plan and go shopping less, thus saving money. We moved out of state this summer and left all our frozen & refrigerated food. It was really hard to meal plan the first month because I kept forgetting that food was gone. Lol
ReplyDeleteAhh thank you. I really love sharing them. I find it keeps me accountable more :)
DeleteI'm not sure where you are located in Tucson but there's a store called City Wide Produce. It's ridiculously cheap for fruits, veggies and sometimes eggs. I only go if I'm going to can/ preserve and buy in large amounts, because it's 45 minutes away for me. There's also a group called Produce on Wheels that distributes up to 50 pounds of produce for $10. The only catch is sometimes the produce is very close to being overripe if not already overripe. They are closed down for Summer right now, I think they start again in late September. Sprouts is a good small grocery store for lower prices on fruits and veggies as well. Hope that helps :). Welcome to Tucson!
ReplyDeleteGood blogger, but I see too many high fat/sodium products. I'd trade the unhealthy sodas, pop tarts and spend more on some quality proteins, meats. Healthy is better than saving a few $. Cold cuts, cookies, ice cream, sugary drinks. Just because it's cheap doesn't mean you should buy it. You try hard w/ the fresh fruits/veggies but derail your meals with the junky stuff. Your kids are old enough to help chop some veggies as part of their home schooling and cook a healthier stir fry. Crock pot and cheese is lazy. Crock pots are great for healthier pot roasts, stews. Do you grow a garden? No pantry NEEDS pasta and white rice. Too many carbs. Setting your kids up for unhealthy lifestyle. I think you can even save money going to healthier options.
ReplyDelete