Everything That I Buy, Broken Down Into List Form...Just For You!

Good morning!

Today I'm going to let you in on my grocery shopping practices...how I shop, where I shop, the brands I buy, and why.  

We're just an average family. There are 6 of us (2 adults, and 4 children, ages 13, 7, 6, & nearly 2), and we live on nearly one income.  I say nearly, because I work one day a week for 8 hours, making $10/hr, while my husband works a full time job for a good wage...good, not great.  We own 2 vehicles (one is nicer than the other, but both need repairs).  That was just to give you an idea that we are not wealthy, not by any means.  In fact, there are times where we are barely scraping by. 

That said, this is my shopping list, broken down into categories.  These are not the occasional items that I buy, but the items that I always keep in the house.  If I'm out, I buy more the next time I'm at the store.  I do light shopping on Wednesdays, with the bulk of my shopping being on Saturdays.  I shop around, mainly at Heinen's, the farmer's market, Trader Joe's, & Whole Foods.  I know where to find the best prices.  So, without further ado...

(I apologize for the formatting...it's driving me crazy!)

Buying in bulk allows me to purchase better quality items in only the quantity that I need.  It also allows me to eliminate waste from the packaging.  I save every glass jar that I get, & reuse small brown bags, plastic containers, & honey bears from previous bulk purchases.  Keeping my bulk items in glass jars keeps them fresher, longer.  I take the jars to the store with me and fill them there.  It allows me to put them right on the shelf when I get home.  Stop by customer service for the tare weight of your containers & jars.  They will mark the tare on top so that the cashier knows. :)  Easy peasy! 

I purchase these items at the farmer's market, because I know I can get the best deals on these items from the vendors there.  Selection varies, but these are the items that I can get nearly every week.  If there are other goodies at great prices, then I'll grab those, too!  (Examples...6 lbs organic apples $3, organic cucumbers 4/$2, 8 lbs organic strawberries $7, potatoes 10 lbs $2, organic lemons 3 (large)/$2, organic avocados 4/$1. organic pears $1.99/lb.)

These are the items that I usually buy at the store.  Perhaps the quality at the store is better, or sometimes it isn't available at the market.  Sometimes the price is the same, so I choose to buy them in the store.  

I've not found a local source for eggs that are cage free & fed an organic diet.  I buy cheese that is locally made (about 35 miles from my house).  The cheese is made by the Amish, from milk from a co-op of Amish dairy farmers.  The cows are grass-fed, & antibiotic and hormone free.  We use very little butter, so I've not made the switch to organic or Hartzler's brand butter, yet.  The milk I buy is also local, grass-fed, and antibiotic & hormone free, but produced a couple of hours away.  It is in glass bottles, which I return for a deposit.  

I purchase ground beef from a local winery, that also raises their own cattle.  It is also about 35 miles from home.

I realize now that I forgot to include organic/nonGMO tortilla chips on this list of items.  I buy them every week, without fail.  :) 

There are other items that I will purchase occasionally for treats.  Right now, for example, I have all natural Whole Foods brand marshmallows & Mi-Del Graham crackers to make s'mores with. I made these the other night for the kids, in the oven.  Each graham square had 1/2 a marshmallow and a small piece of organic dark chocolate, topped with another graham square.  They got 1 each, 2 days ago, and haven't asked for them since.  :)

You may be thinking that there are a lot of things missing...there aren't.  The items above allow me to make a variety of meals for my family, and the items that I choose to make, rather than buy.  I'm able to make whole wheat tortillas and corn tortillas.  I'm able to make flatbreads and falafel patties.  It's everything that I need to make berry sauce, hummus, and my homemade dressing.  And on and on...

What do we snack on?  Kale chips, organic popcorn, nonGMO tortilla chips, fresh fruits and veggies, dates, & yogurt.  I will occasionally buy veggie chips or organic corn chips from Trader Joe's.

What do we have for dessert, or that little something sweet?  Dates are great, and we make sorbet or ice cream out of our frozen fruit.  The frozen fruit on its own is also a sweet treat!  I will occasionally make a treat, like the Apple Tart that I posted just last week.  

What do we drink?  Filtered water, organic tea, and green drink (there's a whole post on this!).

Condiments?  Not really.  We sometimes have organic ketchup, but use my homemade dressing and homemade organic hummus on sandwiches.

    If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! 

:)

Have a great day!