December CHALLENGE

 A few days ago I talked about the big topics of conversation in my home lately - eating healthy but also staying within our budget.  Although I am just cooking for two, the rising cost of groceries is definitely noticable and has required both of us to be flexible (and creative!) 

I was reflecting back on a series of conversations I had 2 years ago with several friends and family members. I was taking an informal poll on the weekly grocery bill. Some ate organically, some had 4 mouths to feed, and some lived in remote areas with few grocery stores to choose from. Overall, I was feeling good about my spending - because I was consistently spending at least $20-$50 less than what i had deemed to be an average weekly grocery bill.  Fast forward to 2011 - I am now spending at least $20 more per week on food than I was two years ago - and that is even with the occasional coupon and shopping at more than one store.

I have been mulling over an idea for the past few weeks and have done quite a bit of research online - and I have decided to pose an experiment.  In an effort to reduce my grocery bill, I will evaulate my grocery list and not purchase processed/premade foods that I can make for myself at a cheaper price. This includes items such as pasta, bread, hummus, sauces, granola and munchies (like trail mix, crackers, cookies, etc.)  I have set a few ground rules for myself:

1) If, after research and consideration, a particular item is cheaper to be purchased and a healthy version is available, it is allowed. For example, with the high price for nuts lately - it may be cheaper to purchase natural peanut butter in lieu of making my own. Another thing is cereal. Randy eats this for breakfast and I don't plan on making home made Cheerios.

2) I don't typically use a lot of canned fruits/vegetables, but I do use canned tomatoes, tomato paste all the time. It is considerably cheaper to continue doing so - purchasing tomatoes out of season is not particularly budge-friendly. Frozen vegetables are also OK.

3) Frozen fruits and veggies are allowed. So are staples - such as butter (although I could tecnically try to churn some!)

4) If I have a premade version of something already in use (I'm thinking salad dressing or a condiment) we can finish using the processed version, as opposed to making a homemade version.  No use in wasting perfectly good food for this experiment!

5) I am allowed to add additional rules as I go along if needed!

I will be sharing recipes, lessons learned along the way. Wish me luck as I try to mix good eats with being cheap!

*NOTE: I actually wrote this post last week but forgot to save it!  I started this yesterday and my first grocery trip is planned for Saturday!