Chandeleah

I’ll admit that I have been putting off this Project: Food Budget post because it means I have to get out a calculator. I’m not so good on the old math…I prefer the writing bizzo.

Anyway, this afternoon, I knuckled down. Calculator, spreadsheet and bank accounts at the ready, I tackled the sums – here is our update.

Week 3 – shamozzle. We have barely any food in the fridge, freezer or panty – yet I still managed to cobble together some meals. Both of us were working flat tack so I had no time to cook and freeze, let alone food plan or shop – so we winged it. Two of the days I was down in Vancouver, so I have left the cost of the meals I bought down there out.

Total Spent: $62.96 (random groceries picked up + lunches bought on the fly from coffee shops add up!)
Under budget by: $37.04

Week 4 – Last Monday (a week ago today) we headed down to Squamish to do our fortnightly shop. I think the shop we ended up doing will be almost us for a whole MONTH! According to the cost too…it better be!

Total Spent: $381.84 YOWCH. (So if this lasts 4 weeks it will work out to be $95.46 per week. Bang on budget, without any top-ups which I know are going to be needed unfortunately.

A few disclaimers: Included in that cost was a $20 slow cooker from Walmart. I made my first slow cooked meal (Taco Chilli Chicken) on Tuesday, and it gave me 12 portions! We bought A LOT of meat ($22.20 spent on 8 chicken breasts; $16.76 spent on blade roast for slow cooker; $9.00 spent on 1kg of mince; $10 spent on marinated pork roast; $10.50 spent on another pork loin roast) most of it to use in the slow cooker and get multiple serves from. We also had quite a few staple items that had run out to replace which I always finds bumps up the shop – jam, peanut butter, margarine, wax paper, dishbrush/dishwash liquid, tissues, hand towels, body wash etc.

Other items bought were: 8 x cans of fruit, 2 huge boxes of cereal, 4 loaves of bread, a packet of tortillas, burger buns and 2 packets of pita bread, 3 cartons of rice milk, sauces and spices for the slow cooker, rice cakes, eggs, cans of beans, tomatoes and lentils to bulk out meals (12 cans all up!) and plenty of fruit & veg!

It’s been a week and we have barely made a dent in the food we bought so I am really happy. This week I cooked some little egg muffins (I got 18 out of this recipe) for morning/afternoon tea snacks (I have been having one for lunch with salad), Taco Chilli Chicken in the slow cooker (which was AMAZING – so tasty, and it made SO much!), and last night I cooked a pork roast with best broccoli and finished it off with a basic fruit crumble (using a can of pears, some frozen peach slices which I got on special, some oats and brown sugar as a topping). YUM! Jason is LOVING having decent meals again – this food planning really is the business!

Taco Chilli Chicken

Still on the menu for the next few weeks:

- Tortellini ricotta bake
- Beef stew in the slow cooker
- Pulled pork in the slow cooker
- Satay mince balls in pita pockets with tzatziki
- Burgers
- Pita Pizzas

We will have to pick up a few things (like more spinach, fruit and yoghurt probably) but ultimately I hope this shop will last us right up until close to Christmas.

Check out how the other Project: Food Budgeters are getting on!

Participating blogs:

• Project Food Budget 2.0
• Ignition Nutrition
• A Nice Heart and a White Suit
• Because Hobbies Happen
• Primary Focus Health Coaching
• Chicken Tender
• Fresh…A New Chapter
• Whole Living Gal
• Two Eggs Over Easy