A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

Last Week (Week of May 12 – 16)

The Plan vs. Reality

Monday

• The Plan – Some sort of big pork with Broccolini and a strawberry/mint/shallot/tomato salsa
• Reality – The pork happened (slow cooked with a simple spice blend and pulled). The broccolini was good; I forgot about the salsa.

Tuesday

• The Plan – Big pork leftovers with green beans
• Reality – Bumped. My DH’s cousin came into town and we played tour guides – and then ate out.

Wednesday

• The Plan – Vietnamese pork with pico de daikon and sriracha over broccoli slaw
• Reality – Yummy.

Thursday

• The Plan – Vietnamese fish tacos with napa cabbage wrappers & some sort of side
• Reality – Not tacos, but yummy. Served with green beans.

Friday

• The Plan – Butter chicken with paleo naan or cauli rice
• Reality – Despite not reading the recipe carefully enough to have all the needed ingredients, the dish turned out well. I opted for the cauli rice.

Lunches

• The Plan – I grabbed some Cruciferous Crunch from Trader Joe’s and I hope to have leftover pork
• Reality – I made the strawberry salsa I had intended for dinner during lunch and had that a couple days with pork & salad (magnificent). The other days were filled with more pork and fish leftovers.

Extras

• The Plan – None planned here
• Reality – And nothing extra accomplished. Canning season where for art thou?

 

This Week: May 19-23

We are leaving for vacation on Tuesday. The plan for Monday night is to scrounge leftovers before heading out. And I hope to stock up on road snacks sometime this weekend so I don’t end up eating utter garbage on the 9-hour drive ahead of us.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

• Monday: Leftovers that may or may not go together well
• Tuesday: Road junk
• Wednesday: Vacation Food – hopefully something not too unhealthy
• Thursday: Vacation Food – hopefully something not too unhealthy
• Friday: Vacation Food – hopefully something not too unhealthy
• Lunch: Vacation Food – hopefully something not too unhealthy
• Extras: None planned because I’m slacking – normally, I’d have a laundry list of travel snacks I need to make.

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Foods, O = Optional if budget allows

We’ll see this feature again next week. We will, however, be shopping for smoothie supplies while on vacation.

Shopping List – 1 week of smoothies

1 bag spinach – $2 est
2 bags kale – $5 est
Celery – $3 est
Cilantro – $2 est
5 apples – $4 est
5 Limes – $4 est
3 avocados – $4 est
Ginger – $2 est
Coconut water – $4 est
Orange juice – $4 est

It is estimated that we will spend $34 on smoothie supplies this next week (probably a little less, because we will only need to make 3 days of smoothies – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday).

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

Last Week (Week of May 5-9)

The Plan vs. Reality

Monday

• The Plan – Chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass and some sort of side
• Reality – Tasty. I made with carrots and bok choy and it was a light and satisfying meal.

Tuesday

• The Plan – “Rogan Josh” with cauliflower rice & paleo naan
• Reality – I ended up grabbing beef and being too lazy to either rice the cauliflower or make naan – dinner was great despite the laziness.

Wednesday

• The Plan – Leftover chicken in some sort of green curry sauce with broccoli and peppers
• Reality – This ended up being pretty good.

Thursday

• The Plan – Larb spiced ground pork with roasted carrot matchsticks
• Reality – Yum.

Friday

• The Plan – Sausages or burgers with sweet potato fries
• Reality – Had errands to run and ended up eating out.

Lunches

• The Plan – Grab something I can make while I wait for leftovers to make themselves available
• Reality – I impulse bought broccoli slaw, cherry tomatoes and pre-cooked chicken breast and had tasty salads 3 days this week. The other 2 days were luckily filled with leftovers.

Extras

• The Plan – Bacon Maple Sandwiches
• Reality – I finally made these this week – and they were magnificent.

 

This Week: May 12-16

This is the last full week before we leave for vacation and we have a bunch of things we need to take care of. We shall see if the plan gets made.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

• Monday: Big pork with some sort of side and a strawberry/mint/shallot/tomato salsa
• Tuesday: Butter chicken with naan or cauli rice
• Wednesday: Leftover pork with somehting
• Thursday: Vietnamese Cha Ca Fish Tacos with napa cabbage wrappers and some sort of side
• Friday: Thit Nuong Tacos with pico de diakon and sriracha over broccoli slaw
• Lunch: Nothing planned – hoping for leftovers
• Extras: None planned

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Foods, O = Optional if budget allows

This week, I have an extra $10 in rollover money from last week, whoo hoo!

Shopping List

1 bag spinach – $2 est ($1.99 @ TJs)
2 bags kale – $5 est ($2.29 x 2 @ TJs)

Side for pork – $3 est  (broccolini – $2.79 @ TJs)
Side for fish tacos – $3 est  (haricots verts – $2.69 @ TJs)
Napa cabbage – $2 est ($2.95 @ WF)
Broccoli slaw – $2 est  ($1.99 @ TJs)
Cauliflower – $3 est  ($2.49 @ TJs)
Daikon – $3 est  (regular radishes – $1.49 @ WF)
Celery – $3 est  ($1.79 @ TJs)

Cilantro – $2 est  ($1.79 @ TJs)
Mint – $2 est  ($1.69 @ TJs)
Dill – $2 est  ($1.69 @ TJs)

Fruit for me – $3 est  (1 lb. strawberries – $2.49 @ TJs)
6 apples – $4 est  ($4.14 @ TJs)
Lemons – $2 est – Did not get
6+ Limes – $4 est  (1 lb. – $2.79 @ TJs)
Orange – $1 est  ($0.89 @ TJs)

Onion – $1 est  ($1.09 @ TJs)
Jalapeño – $1 est  (8 ounces – $1.69 @ TJs)
Chiles – $2 est – Did not get
3 avocados – $4 est  ($4.47 @ TJs)
Ginger – $2 est ($1.39 @ TJs)
Tomatoes – $3 est  ($3.49 @ TJs)
Shallot – $1 est ($0.99 x 2 @ TJs)

Pork – $30 est ($20.88 @ WF)
Chicken – $7 est ($5.84 @ WF)

Coconut water – $4 est  ($3.69 @ TJs)
Butter – $4 est  ($3.19 @ TJs)
Coffee milk – $3 est – Did not get
(2) Coconut milk – $2 est  ($0.99 x 2 @ TJs)
Hoisin – $4 est – O – Did not get
Msg – $2 est – O – Did not get
Fenugreek – $2 est – O – Did not get
Tomato paste – $1 est  ($0.89 @ TJs)
Snacks for the DH – $7 est  ($7.49 @ TJs)
Coffee – $13 est – ($10.99 @ WF)

$119 estimated without the coffee and snacks, $111 without the Optional items

Extras: Cruciferous Crunch salad mix for my lunches – $2.29 @ TJs.

Total TJ: $67.44
Total WF: $31.16

Total For The Week: $98.60; $1.40 under budget. Yes! And with the extra cash, I grabbed my Gorilla coffee for $10.99. *insert happy dance here*

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, fish a friend brought us.

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

Last Week (Week of April 28-May 2)

The Plan vs. Reality

Monday

• The Plan – A burger or sausages with some sort of side sweet potato fries
• Reality – Bacon burgers with sweet potato fries

Tuesday

• The Plan – Spinach, parmesan & prosciutto stuffed pork loin with some sort of side roasted parsnips
• Reality – Yum.

Wednesday

• The Plan – Leftover pork repurposed into a stir-fry with peppers, celery and broccoli
• Reality – I wasn’t feeling the saltiness required for a stir-fry, so I went with plain boiled and buttered broccoli. Yum.

Thursday

• The Plan – Marinated London broil with some sort of side broccolini
• Reality – Another win – and a super easy no cleanup 1 cookie sheet under the broil type of meal.

Friday

• The Plan – Carrot Ginger Lime Pasta with Crispy Ground Poultry (from last week)
• Reality – This didn’t happen again this week and I think I’m giving up for now. Went grocery shopping again this Friday.

Lunches

• The Plan – I gave up on the egg foo youngs ever happening
• Reality – I had the last of the leftover ham from Easter + whatever else I could cobble together for my lunches

Extras

• The Plan – Bacon Maple Sandwiches
• Reality – I forgot that Mudderella isn’t for another week – luckily, I bought really green bananas and they are still acceptably ripe going into this week. I need to make the pancake portion of the recipe soon, though, or they won’t be.

This Week: May 5-9 

I had every intention of visiting my favorite butcher again this week, but they happened to not be open yet when we walked past, and we needed to go to Whole Foods anyways. Luckily Whole Foods had what we needed and we were doing well enough on budget to be able to get what we wanted to get.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

• Monday: Something Rogan Josh with cauliflower rice and paleo naan
• Tuesday: Chicken in coconut milk with lemongrass and some sort of side
• Wednesday: Leftovers from the chicken in green curry with broccoli and peppers
• Thursday: Larb spiced ground poultry with some sort of carroty something
• Friday: Sausages or burgers with sweet potato fries
• Lunch: Nothing planned – hoping for leftovers, though I really need to find some wiggle in the budget to grab some protein
• Extras: Bacon maple sandwiches for Saturday’s breakfast

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Foods, O = Optional if budget allows

This week, I have $100 to spend for my weekly groceries, and I hope to stick to it.

Shopping List

Ghee – $5 est – ($3.29 @ TJs)
Eggs – $3 est – ($2.99 @ TJs)
4 cans coconut milk – $4 est – ($0.99 x 3 @ TJs)
Lemon – $3 est – (3 – $1.47 @ TJs)
Lemongrass – $2 est  – ($2.80 @ WF)
Greens (2 c) – $2.50 est – did not get – using frozen spinach instead
Cauliflower – $3 est – ($2.49 @ TJs)
Parsnips or something else to serve with chicken – $3 set – (bok choy – $2.29 @ TJs)
Sweet potatoes – $2 est – ($0.98 @ TJs)
Green curry – $4 set – ($3.79 @ WF)
Broccoli – $3 est – ($1.99 @ TJs)
Pepper – $1 est – ($0.99 @ TJs)
Sriracha – $3 est – ($2.99 @ TJs)
Limes – $3 est – bought a few extra with the smoothies bunch

2 bags kale – $5 est – ($2.29 x 2 @ TJs)
1 bag spinach – $2 est – ($1.99 @ TJs)
3 avocados – $4 est – ($4.47 @ TJs)
5 apples – $5 est – ($3.45 @ TJs)
5 limes – $4 est – (1 lb bag – $2.79 @ TJs)
Cilantro – $2 est – ($1.79 @ TJs)
Ginger – $2 est – ($1.39 @ TJs)
Orange juice – $4 est – ($2.99 @ TJs)
Celery – $3 est – I thought we bought this, but it didn’t show up on the receipts…

Extras: roast chicken for my lunches  – ($6.99 @ TJs), broccoli slaw for my lunches  – ($1.99 @ TJs), scallions  – ($1.29 @ TJs), impulse buy of a pint of cherry tomatoes because they were grown on the roof of the building and that is just freaking awesome – ($5.49 @ WF)

Butcher’s List

1 chicken (2 meals) – $15 est – ($7.27 @ WF)
1 lb. stew beef – $9 set – ($8.95 @ WF)
Ground pork – $6.50 — Use leftover poultry instead
Meat – $9.50 or less – beef & bacon burgers, or sausages – (Bacon cheddar burgers – $4.17 @ WF)

Total TJ: $56.17
Total WF: $34.48

Total For The Week: $90.65; $9.35 under budget. I thought for sure I’d be over this week, with all the little extras I bought.

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, Monday’s dinner.

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

Last Week (Week of April 21-25)

The Plan vs. Reality

Sunday

• The Plan – Easter Dinner – Ham, peas and lemony thyme smashed fingerlings
• Reality – A holiday meal that was economical, quick to prepare, and filled with good taste.

Monday

• The Plan – Vaguely Mexican chuck roast over broccoli – a sort of Mexi-bowl affair
• Reality – Delicious. The meat turned out really well, and the dinner was quick to throw together.

Tuesday

• The Plan – Leftover chuck with sweet potato/onion/green pepper hash and fried eggs
• Reality – Hash is one of my favorite foods – this one was no exception.

Wednesday

• The Plan – Banh Mi pork with brussels
• Reality – Really, really tasty dinner – recipe coming soon!

Thursday

• The Plan – Leftover chuck in a Shepherd’s pie
• Reality – Another win, though my mashed cauliflower topper sank

Friday

• The Plan – Carrot ginger lime pasta with crispy ground poultry
• Reality – We walked to the butcher and grabbed dinner while out instead

Lunches

• The Plan – Nom Nom Paleo’s Egg Foo Young (2-3 lunches)
• Reality – Still didn’t happen for me. Leftovers. I think I’m giving up.
• The Plan – Leftovers
• Reality – I had enough left over to scrape together lunch every day.

Extras

• The Plan – Nothing planned here.
• Reality – And nothing accomplished.

This Week: April 28-May 2 

It’s another ‘source what you can as best you can’ week – and I don’t have any freezer meat to fall back on. While on my favorite butcher’s website trying to scope the price of their fantastic sausages, I stumbled upon a great ‘how to plan budget meals using our meat’ feature – it gave me tons of ideas on how to shop there for $50 or under a week (something I thought was impossible), and I’m happy to be giving it a go with this week’s budget.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

• Monday: Carrot ginger lime pasta with crispy ground poultry – carried over from last week
• Tuesday: Spinach, parmesan & prosciutto stuffed pork loin with ???
• Wednesday: Leftover pork loin stir fry with celery & broccoli
• Thursday: London broil with ???
• Friday: Sausages or burgers with sweet potato fries
• Lunch: Nothing planned – hoping for leftovers
• Extras: Bacon maple sandwiches for Saturday’s breakfast

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, F= Butcher, KF = Key Food, O = Optional if budget allows

This week, I have $100 to spend for my weekly groceries, and I hope to stick to it.

Shopping List

TJs
Coconut milk (2) – $2 est ($0.99 x 2 @ TJs)
Snacks – $15 est – O – (Almonds – $5.99 @ TJs)
Garlic – $1 est – ($1.24 @ KF)
SIDE – $3 est – (Broccolini – $2.99 @ KF)
SIDE – $3 est – (Parsnips – $2.31 @ KF)
SIDE – $3 est – (Sweet potatoes $2.00 @ KF)
SIDE – $3 est – (Broccoli slaw – $2.99 @ KF)
Broccoli – $3 est – ($3.16 @ KF)
Pepper – $1 est – ($1.21 @ KF)
Onion – $1 est – Don’t need afterall
Frozen spinach – $1 est – ($1.00 @ KF)
Parmesan – $6 est – O – ($3.50 @ KF)
Prosciutto – $4 est – ($3.99 @ KF)
bacon – $4 est – O – ($4.99 @ TJs)
banana – $1 est – ($0.82 @ KF)
eggs – $3 est – Decided not to get

Grocery estimate TJs: $60

2 bags kale – $5 est – ($2.29 x 2 @ TJs)
1 bag spinach – $2 est – ($1.99 @ TJs)
1 coconut water – $4 est – ($3.69 @ TJs)
Celery – $2 est – ($2.99 @ KF)
5 apples – $4 est – ($3.45 @ TJs)
Ginger – $2 est – ($1.40 @ KF)
Cilantro – $2 est – ($0.79 @ KF)
2 avocados – $3 est – ($2.98 @ TJs)

Smoothie estimate TJs: $18

Fleisher’s
Pork sirloin roast 2 lb. (18) – 2 nights 
London broil 1 lb. (10) – 1 night
Sausages 1 lb. (11) – switch to ground beef if needed & buy from TJs (7)

Total Fleisher’s: $40 est

After Friday’s Shopping
Spent $44.38 at Fleisher’s; $9.89 of that should be taken out of the entertainment budget
Spent $45.53 at Key Foods; $11.99 of that should be taken out of the entertainment budget
$68.03 spent out of the grocery budget in total, leaving $31.07 left to shop @TJs.

$25 estimated cost for groceries (this total doesn’t take snacks into consideration)

I also want coffee – $15 est – Not enough in budget for coffee this week

Estimated total: $118 before coffee — $89 if I cut the optionals and switch to TJs ground beef for burgers 

I also bought some strawberries at Key Food for $2 on impulse.

Total TJ: $29.65
Total KF: $33.54
Total F: $34.49

Total For The Week: $97.68; $2.32 under budget. This was another week I thought managing to get everything I needed was going to be impossible. But, with proper planning, it wasn’t. I bought my coffee out of another budget, picked up everything I needed for dinners this week, and even gave in to my fruit craving and bought some strawberries. I *did* forget to pick up limes – I forgot to even add them to the list this week – and our smoothies will suffer for it.

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, Monday’s dinner.

A number of people I know are completely flabbergasted when contemplating sticking to a budget while eating a primarily “paleo” diet. I’m hoping to shed a little light on that issue for those of you on the fence about eating healthfully in this manner – it *can* be done – and done well – without spending all the money. All it takes is a little planning. 

A little background: I live in Brooklyn, NY, and the grocery prices here are definitely not the same as what you will find in other areas of the country. If you live in say, Raleigh NC for example – you may very well be able to cut this grocery bill by a third, depending upon where you shop. For where I live, where I shop and what I buy, $100 a week is a doable budget without having to sacrifice the quality I want too much. My DH thinks $130 is probably more realistic with our morning smoothie supplies, but I want to shoot for $100. I aim to make 4-5 dinners for two and 5 lunches per week, plus two smoothies per day six days of the week with my budgetary allowance and update you all weekly on what’s going on. Let’s see if I can make it. 

Last Week (Week of April 14-18)

The Plan vs. Reality

Monday

• The Plan – Lemon thyme chicken thighs with Spanish asparagus
• Reality – Boneless, skinless breasts were what was available – so those got the lemon thyme treatment; and capers were out of the budget, so I broiled the asparagus with some lemon and shallot and served a fresh tomato salad

Tuesday

• The Plan – Carolina rub pulled pork with Korean bbq sauced broiled green beans and onions
• Reality – The pork was fantastic, as were the green beans – I forgot the onions

Wednesday

• The Plan – Indian spiced meatballs with smashed sweet potatoes
• Reality – Really successful. You’ll see the recipe for the balls here soon.

Thursday

• The Plan – Carolina rub pulled pork tacos with spice-crusted carrots & harissa crema
• Reality – Pretty successful. I made my favorite taco wrappers with the Paleo Magic Wonder Dough and the carrots were tasty. The crema wasn’t really a crema – more like a thin sauce – but it was good.

Friday

• The Plan – The last of the Carolina rub pulled pork with spicy broccoli slaw and vinegar sauce
• Reality – Broccoli was not to be had this week, so I picked up shredded brussels sprouts. None of that ended up mattering, since we decided to go grocery shopping early and ate while we were out.

Lunches

• The Plan – Nom Nom Paleo’s Egg Foo Young (2-3 lunches)
• Reality – Still didn’t happen for me. Leftovers.
• The Plan – Leftovers
• Reality – The balance of this week’s lunches incorporated a hodge-podge of leftovers combined in .. interesting ways. I planned poorly again this week on the protein front, and ended up scrounging lots of hard boiled eggs.

Extras

• The Plan – Nothing planned here.
• Reality – And nothing accomplished.

This Week: April 21-25 

It’s another ‘source what you can as best you can’ week – and I don’t have any freezer meat to fall back on. I bought most of Easter dinner last week, and I’ll be buying the meat for it with this week’s budget. Hopefully.

This Week’s Proposed Menu

• Holiday Dinner: A small amount of lamb with an herbed crust, lemony thymey smashed fingerling potatoes, peas, some version of a wine sauce, maybe rolls for the hubbs
• Monday: Shredded chuck tacos with roasted broccoli
• Tuesday: Leftover beef hash with eggs
• Wednesday: Leftover beef “shepherd’s pie”
• Thursday: Carrot ginger lime pasta with crispy ground poultry nuggets
• Friday: Banh mi pork with some sort of side
• Lunch: Nom Nom Paleo’s Egg Foo Young (2-3 lunches) – hey, maybe it will happen this week
• Lunch: Ham and cabbage steaks

Shopping List & Cost Breakout

Grocery Store Key: TJ = Trader Joe’s, WF = Whole Food, O = Optional if budget allows

This week, I have $100 to spend for my weekly groceries, and dammit, I’m sticking to it.

Shopping List

Rolls – $2 est – ($1.69 @ TJ)

Lamb for Easter – $16 est – (ended up with ham instead – $14.14 @ WF)
Chuck roast – $30 est – ($21.25 @ WF)
ground poultry – $7 est – ($3.99 @ TJ)
ground pork – $7 est – ($6.85 @ WF)
Ham – $5 est – will use some from Easter dinner
Eggs – $3 est – ($2.99 @ TJ)

Onion (3) – $3 est – ($2.37 @ TJ)
Sweet potato – $1 est – ($0.98 @ TJ)
Pepper – $1 est – didn’t end up needing
Guacamole or avocado – $2 est – did not get
Ginger – $1.50 est – ($1.39 @ TJ)
Limes – $3 est – ($2.79 @ TJ)
3 avocados – $4 est – ($4.17 @ TJ)

Root veg or cauliflower – $3 est – ($2.49 @ TJ)
3 bags carrots – $3 est – ($2.67 @ TJ)
Peas – $3.50 est – didn’t end up needing
Cabbage – $3 est – ($1.69 @ TJ)
Radish – $2 est – ($1.49 @ WF)
Cucumber – $1 est – ($0.69 @ TJ)
Lettuce or other wrap – $1.50 set – O – did not get
Side dish for banh mi – $3 est – didn’t end up needing
1 bag kale – $2.50 est – ($2.29 @ TJ)
1 bag spinach – $2 est – ($1.99 @ TJ)
Cilantro – $2 est – ($1.99 @ WF)

1 coconut water – $4 est – ($3.69 @ TJ)
Olive oil – $5 est – O – ($6.99 @ TJ)

Estimated expenditure: $120 – cut olive oil ($5), cabbage ($3), and see what I can do about the rest — this week’s grocery shopping looks like it’s going to be challenging.  

Last-minute extras: Dark chocolate peanut butter cups ($0.99) and 1 apple ($0.69) at Trader Joe’s + gouda for the hubbs to snack on ($4.32) and dinner for the evening ($13.33) at Whole Foods.

Total TJ: $44.64
Total WF: $64.10

Total For The Week: $100; dead on budget. On paper, this week looked impossible. I had $120 in estimated cost, and not a lot of wiggle room for making things less expensive. But, I switched some things around, ran up on a little luck, and managed to fit everything I needed – plus a few extras. And I even ended up having enough left over to cover most of dinner for Saturday night. The balance was rolled into our weekly entertainment budget.

Pantry/items repurposed from last week: fats, spices, broccoli, brussels sprouts, pepper, peas.