Thursday, February 28, 2008

Well.....I'm feeling better today, pals. Yesterday was payday for Zuddy, so I put my iPod on and walked to his workplace to pick up his paycheck (1.5 miles round-trip). It was a nice day...20 degrees and very bright and sunny so it felt good to be outside. (Edited to add....you know how I figured this out? Gmaps pedometer. If you haven't seen it yet, go and check it out. Where it says, 'jump to' just type in your zip code.)

Even though I almost bit it on the ice a couple of times.

But I got to give myself another red X on the calendar!

And thanks for the comments....every girl loves to hear from her pals! I know have no reason to be crabby - what with all of you nice internets and my cute little house, sweet little girl and my loving Zuddy.

But the hormones - oh - the hormones. Why? WHY do they make me so hateful??

I mean, I was irritated at everyone in my path yesterday! I kept my iPod on so no one would try and talk to me. Still....some lady at Target just had to keep yammering at me when I was trying to read magazines (at the store so I wouldn't have to buy them - tsk-tsk). I ended up buying a People Magazine and a diet Dr. Pepper for an "I'm crabby and I deserve it" treat. And I spent $100 on essentials. ESSENTIALS...nothing (except for the magazine and soda) went into my cart but food items (Hey! Target sells grass-fed beef now!) and kitty litter and laundry soap. Sheesh.

Then? I went to Hallmark to buy some cards and the woman working there (who looked very familiar) kept staring at me. And following me around. I tried to ignore her......I do look like I'm homeless on most days, so I was thinking she probably thought I was a hoodlum. When I went to purchase my cards and she asked me about my iPod. She was very sweet. She couldn't believe how small it was (which is why she kept following me around - I had it clipped to my sweater and she was trying to get a look at it.) and asked me how I got music in it. She doesn't have a computer, so she really didn't understand, but she was very nice. And here I am, all hateful and ugly inside.

So I went home and drank my soda while reading about Tori Spelling. Because I just had to know about her life. And how Jamie Lynn is doing (will she get married?) and all about Brad and Angelina's family vacation.

Because it's important to keep up with such world events. And to be informed. So I can sound intelligent when I'm deep in conversation with people.

And also so I can be part of the 'stalkerazzi' problem.

Anyway. I put off the rest of grocery shopping for little bit. Have you noticed how the price of groceries has gone up?

Tell me - how much do you end up spending on groceries every week? I used to spend $100. But now? I have a hard time keeping it at $150. And we don't usually buy things like juice or cereal. I know meal planning has been a big help - but I don't mind telling you how much I dislike the planning. I love it when my blogging pals post what they eat - like the way Lisa from Coastal Nest did a few days ago. And Cutzi did, too. Because I'm a copy-cat and I'm not afraid to steal from their lists.

I know Mrs. Jones sometimes uses the Grocery Game. Does anyone else out there use it? Penny used to - not sure if she still does.
If you do use it....do you end up buying things you normally wouldn't? Or do you really stick to your normal grocery items?

I'd love to hear about your money saving ways!

21 comments:

Patricia said...

I totally understand the PMS thing. My symptoms are so severe I've taken antidepressants for close to 10 years so I don't spend 2 weeks hating everyone and the next 2 weeks grovelling while asking for forgiveness.

Your grocery bill sounds great. I'd love to pay that little for groceries for a week; does that include essentials as well (by that I mean shampoo, laundry detergent, furniture polish, toilet paper, etc). I think the Canadian dollar is still at parity with your U.S. dollar and we spend closer to $200 PLUS on groceries per week. That's for 4 of us. A 4litre (big container) of milk is $7.38 right now. A big brick of Kraft cheese is almost $8, chicken comes in at a minimum of $8.50/kg (there are 2.2lbs in a kg). Ready to cry now? Oh and gas is $1.10/litre (don't know how that translates).

I am sick, SICK, SICK of winter! I shovelled yesterday and again today. Apparently I will do so again on Saturday. I hate all the ice and slush this year; and the water in my basement on top of that. Pictures of houses with tulips and daffodils in bloom make me cry!

I totally get where you are coming from! I'm waiting for the delivery truck to drop off our new elliptical machine because I'm a bonafide couch potato in the winter and now I look like one too!! :0)

Unknown said...

Groceries have went up! I usually make my "big" grocery trip every other week, where I spend around $225-$275 (this is food, cleaning supplies, paper products). Then, I will probably make a couple quick pick-ups in between, probably totalling $50. We are a family of six, and as my kids get older, I can definately tell that I'm having to buy larger portions of food. Hubby and I sat down a couple months ago and came up with a list of about 15 different dinner plans. We kind of just rotate through that list and do our shopping accordingly. Two of our kids are pretty picky, so it's easier to stick to things we know they like. I feel like I buy alot of junk snacks, though. That's something I'm really trying to work on.

Way to go with your walking! Now, if only I could get motivated to do the same. Hubby and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas in a few months and I REALLY need to lose some pounds before I go. It's just so hard for me to get started with exercising, I really hate it. I think I just have the winter blahs.

Sister Honey Bunch/Judi maloney said...

Good for you taking that walk.

Tori Spelling...Did she really think we'd feel sorry for her when she had dinner with her dad ONLY to ask about the inheritance. And then she was so heartbroken that she got LESS than a million dollars. LESS than she spent on her first wedding before she cheated on that poor sap with a married man. Freaks.

Anyway...money saving. We are cash only. We don't use our credit cards. We plan our menu a week ahead of time and then only buy grocery items for those meals and for lunches.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe how much my teenage son spends on school lunches! I just put money in his account and checked up on what he's buying online. He's spending $6 to $9 a day! His sister at the same school spends no more than $3 (usually pizza and fresh fruit or the salad and sandwich bar). He starts with a hot lunch, then adds pizza, a sandwich and a bottled beverage. He's growing like crazy and always starving, but come on! Brown bag lunches are kind of a hassle for everyone, but I'm going to put my foot down. He's going to brown bag it at least twice a week from this day forward. Amen.

Bristol said...

You have inspired me I think I may go walk. Its sunny out, cold but nice. I am so tired of winter I think it has made me ina bad mood, or maybe pms. Have a great day.
Bristol

jillskict said...

I need to start walking but it is SO flippin' cold out!

I am lovin' the meal plan Monday's. Thanks for turning me onto that. I usually would plan things out in my head anyway, but this seems to help so much. I don't want to even tell you though what I pay for groceries for just two of us. I am terrible. I try to justify it in the sense that if we went out to eat even fast food it would cost us so much more, and we do eat out a lot. Maybe I should put us on more of a budget. I keep a list of things that I need when I run out of them kind of a list and try to pick them up on the weekend. But like this past weekend we didn't shop because there was just too much going on, so I ran to that one grocery store, you know the one, and I think it is virtually impossible to walk out of there, even if you are just picking up three things, for under $30. Did you know that they now carry Sweet Martha's cookies, frozen, ready to bake. . .

I also seem to think that my cupboards and pantry also double as a bomb shelter and I always have to have things on hand, you know staples, but my staple list is HUGE. In my defense, I do a lot of impromptu entertaining. . .see how I keep justifying this????

Cutzi said...

Oh Martha... all I can say is - I love ya. Bad PMS? Amen sister. And if it was me I would have gotten the $1 pop and popcorn deal at Target just so I could wake up the next morning feeling even more puffy faced and bloaty feeling. You know, 'cause I like to look that way.

I'm also liking this red 'X' thing - gives one a sense of accomplishment.

I think what you need is a nice little vacation to Washington. We can drink coffee, maybe eat some crab, laugh...I might even treat you to $1 pop and popcorn.

SeaWorthy said...

Well, My friend.. I am glad your feeling on the sunny side today.

This "grocery game" Mrs J has so nicely hooked me up with looks great. I have not been or will ever be "good with money" This is one of those things that shb was talking about on her blog this morning. I am itching to give it a try, but it seems so funny to stock up on things I dont need. I definately have to make the jump and just go for it. Really seems like it could save alot of $$.

As you can see, Id rather spend all the family grocery money on making my house look good. (kids seen here.. gnawing on new table for some fiber)

Oh my, much too long of a post. I wish we could all get together and drink some coffee (booze)
Love to all!!!
lisa
coastalnest

Gordostyle said...

I have been thinking that groceries are more expensive lately too. I used to be an avid Wal-Mart shopper (only for cheapness) but then when we moved, it became way more out of the way for me. I started shopping at Safeway (and LOVED it) but kept noticing how high the prices have been. SO, the other day, I decided I better start going back to Wal-Mart to save money. AND they were high too. I don't think it was even worth my trip over there!

I have the same size family you do and we spend an average of $100 per week...which is more than we used to!

I wish I could be a coupon user but I'm not. I definitely tend to buy things I don't need with coupons. I also don't want to stock up on stuff when I don't need it - our house is too small for that!

Hope the PMS thing goes away...here's to happier days ahead!

Smiles,
Jennifer

Lisa said...

I am with you this week on the hormonal problems. I have been awful to everyone and have been absolutley useless around the house. I haven't even been commenting because I've so crabby!
Poor me, right?

I hate when I act this way, but there is honestly nothing I can do to stop it. And for some reason, it is always worse in the winter...when I am so sick of the weather!

Glad you got your red X for yesterday...I think that is awesome!

I agree, groceries are soooo expensive. I spend about $180-220/week on groceries. I do menu plan about 5 dinners a week and we usually eat out 2, sometimes 3 nights a week. Sometimes we go out, sometimes it's a quick night at McDonalds, just depends on what is going on. I also shop at Sam's or Costco once a month and buy things in bulk like shampoo, paper goods, bottled water, Gatorade, snacks, etc.

I should do a lot better in the grocery spending department. I don't pay attention to sales and I am sure I could save a great deal but I am guilty of just throwing in whatever I think we need.

Feel better!

Michelle said...

Lady P, gas at $1.10/liter is the equivalent of $4.95/gallon! That's steep! In Seattle, we're around $3.30/gallon.

Groceries seem to be about 25% more expensive in Seattle compared with St. Paul. Kris and I have a hard time keeping the bill under $125/week. (Although, that's shopping at the nearby, more expensive stores, rather than going 7 miles to the cheaper store.) We've found that if we can get everything at Trader Joe's, then it's more like $70/week. I looked into the grocery game, but I realized I rarely see coupons for the products we buy. We have very specific brands that we like, and we're willing to pay a little extra for higher quality, organic, no bad fats, no high fructose corn syrup, etc.

I used to lose two weeks a month to PMS and cramps. Now I take Seasonale oral contraceptive and skip the placebo week indefinitely. Medical literature says it's safe, and I get half my life back!

Janelle said...

Sorry you're having a crabby week. Those hormones are ugly little suckers.

I did the Grocery Game for three or four months last year. I did find I was tempted to buy stuff I wouldn't normally buy, simply because I had a coupon and it was a good price. Since most coupons are for processed, junkier foods, this wasn't so good for me!

Also, if you're at all brand-loyal, the Game can be frustrating. I know some people swear by it, but it wasn't a good fit for me.

Michelle said...

Martha, thank you for the link to Gmaps pedometer! It's such a great tool! I definitely recommend newbies read the "usage instructions" because the starting page isn't very user-friendly without it. It's bookmarked, and I know I'll use this all the time!

Anonymous said...

Our budget is pretty easy to do. I get $200/week (I have 3 kids and one's still in diapers just to let you know our family size) and that has to go towards our groceries, gas and any eating out (we usually grab McDonalds after church on Sundays). I put $200 at the top of a dry erase board every Friday and just keep subtracting through the week. I normally run out around Tuesday, but I usually have everything I need for the rest of the week.
This system works really well for us because it's pretty cut and dry.
I can totally relate to the PMS thing. My gyno put me on low does prozac to take the 2 weeks before my period to help with my irritablity. It has helped so much!

Anonymous said...

Oh PMS. Lovely gal ain't she. I am RIGHT there with you.

Groceries are INSANE. My three little people dont eat all that much yet, and we are at 100- 150 a week now. Imagine when they are teenagers! GAAH!

Oh and have you looked out the window, The evil white spawn is falling again. Let's go to Washington and eat crab.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you wrote about the price of food today. I was just at the grocery store on Tuesday and was noticing how much dairy products have gone up and thought this would be a good blog fodder! Martha, you mind reader you!

Hmmm...I would guess we spend about $150 a week to feed the family. That's for 6 of us. I really don't clip coupons but I do buy what is on sale. This is what I TRY to do...doesn't always work though...I look at the Sunday ads and make a my meal plan for the week based on what is on sale. We really stick to what is on the list. We also RARELY eat out. Seriously, my kids are too little to have an enjoyable dinner at a restaurant, I would much rather throw a frozen pizza in the oven than get everyone all bundled up and in the car.

Kellie said...

It's so funny that you wrote about the cost of food today because I did too. It's like the bane of my existence, this grocery thing, because I'm trying to be more frugal and I feel like this is a way I can definitely cut back yet I keep spending stupid money on groceries. I was at Target today too, and I went there to buy milk and coffee creamer and ended up spending $60 on miscellaneous essentials (and 1 magazine, I confess...)
Good luck in your financial exploits. I'll be reading!

the tattered nest said...

wow. you are just a walking machine! you go girl! my husband has taken over the cooking in our house, which consists of meat, potatoes and a veggie. I don't always like to eat that heavy so it is Honey nut Cheerios for me! Groceries aren't to bad, since it is the two of us. It is usually 150.00 every two weeks. That's alot of Honey nut cheerios!

forcryeye said...

One thing that seems to help me is a shot or two of rum, which would have been great in your dr. Pepper. Yesterday, I was so down, and I bit off Mr. Forcryeye's head, then chewed it and spit it out. Not that he didn't deserve a little of it....oh well...good for you for getting a walk in. I have been spending $100 a week, it used to be more...but then the hubby and I started planning our meals. the only problem is, he is so worried about staying around $100, that we end up out of food by Friday. There is no hope.

Ashlee said...

I'd love to take the iPod to stores with me. I might scare people with my singing, but it would be a much more enjoyable trip. :0) But alas..the toddler would take adavantage of my wandering mind and take off.
I spend about $400-$450 a month on groceries. Gasp! I've really been trying to cut out the excess junk things I used to buy. After I planned March's menu I went to the store and only spent $100! For the whole month! That doesn't include the couple of trips to go buy more milk and bread though. But I was pleased! My cupboard will be really bare, but my stuff will get used up!

Michelle said...

I completely understand where you're coming from. There are days when everyone in path gets the full brunt of my hormonal evilness.