Return of the $25 Grocery Challenge!

A few months ago I quit posting the $25 Grocery Challenge…but color me surprised when friends said they missed it. Who knew the contents of our pantry was so interesting? I also found that posting about it on the blog kept me accountable and made it easier to plan our weekly meals. So for those two reasons…it's BaaAAAck!

Here's the deal: Each week I'll spend a mere $25 (before tax) on groceries for our family of 3 + dog, posting the details of my shopping trip(s) on Wednesdays and including our meal plan for the week…to prove we eat like normal human beings :-)

A few things you should know:

Meat – once in a while I'll spend the majority of my $25 a week on a great meat sale (like last week Kroger had their Tyson boneless/skinless chicken breasts on sale for $1.99 a lb…I bought 10 lbs…then divided the meat into 1/2lb portions and put them in the deep freezer.) And I'll do the same thing when beef or pork goes on sale.

Frozen Veggies – Once every few months Publix puts the Green Giant frozen veggies on sale, add a coupon and they are very cheap or even free, so buy a LOT…like A LOT A LOT. It's an easy way to make sure we're not eating a bunch of pre packaged crap for every meal.

Fresh Veggies – Buy the fruits and veggies that are in season. And when green bell peppers and onions go on sale buy a LOT, cut them up and freeze in a giant Ziploc bag.

Stockpiling non perishables - We have a separate pantry where all of the stockpiled items live (you name it, it's there: mustard, mayo, ketchup, soy sauce, pasta, boxed mashed potatoes, Mexican dinner kits, peanut butter, canned goods, snacks, juice, etc.) Stockpiling items allows me to buy frequently used items when they are super cheap/free so that when we run out I don't have to pay full price…we just grab one from our private "grocery store". The same goes for toiletries, there is a section in our bathroom closet devoted to stockpiled TP, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, contact solutions, makeup, etc.

Any questions?