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For about a month now my family has been making some different choices at the grocery store. We’ve been buying SOME of our usual items organically and (here’s the kicker) we are staying in our $65 a week budget.

Now, if you’ve checked the prices on organic products lately you know that choosing organic usually means paying MORE. That’s why we’ve had to make some other tough decisions. In order to come in on budget we’ve had to decide what purchases were our highest priority. It turns out that these choices are actually better for us too! For instance, we’ve decided to buy as little prepackaged foods as possible and try to purchase more “ingredients.” That means fewer boxed meals, boxed macaroni and cheese, muffin mixes, cake mixes, etc. Instead I am learning to make homemade and to have home-made things pre-made to have on hand for quick meals. Another thing we’ve cut back on is snack food. We’ve also been trying to lose a little weight so less snack food is a no-brainer any way. We haven’t cut it out totally, but we’re being more deliberate in the things we do purchase.

Now its confession time. Have I stuck with my cash budget of $65 a week? Well, I have to be totally honest and tell you that this week I spent this week’s budget and next week’s budget. At first I was totally bummed and thought I fell off the wagon. Then, I thought a little more about it and this is what I’ve determined: The reason I spent so much is this week was my bi-monthly trip to Earth Fare. I bought a lot of groceries that should last more than a few weeks. Since Earth Fare is a little over an hour from home I can only go every other week after work when I am already 40 minutes closer. Now, since I am pretty stocked up, if I stay out of the store this week I’ll still be on budget. I just can’t spend anything this week. And really, that is totally possible thanks to the huge pile of groceries I was able to bring home. Now that I know what my trips to Earth Fare will look like, I can budget them in. I’ll plan to save some of the prior week’s grocery budget so that I will have more to spend at Earth Fare where I tend to do more of my stockpiling and stocking up.

So, what did I score with my two week’s grocery budget?

Organic Oat & Nut loaf Bread (I’m planning to start experimenting making my own soon).
Bagels
Organic Sharp Cheddar
Organic Cream Cheese
Gallon of 2% Organic Milk
Half Gallon of Whole Organic Milk (for Judah)
Organic Sour Cream
Organic Apple Sauce
2 gallons of Organic Apple Juice (it was at rock bottom price so I bought 2)
Organic Cheddar Bunnies
Natural Cheese Puffs
2 Jars of Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce (I got ‘em for $1 a jar with coupons!)
4 bags of Whole Wheat Pasta
Organic Peanut Butter
Natural Potato Chips
Tahini
2 Organic Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (Daddy & Judah can’t give up their cookies just yet)
Natural (no nitrate) Smoked Turkey lunch meat
3 lbs of Pink Lady Apples
3 Organic Avocados
Bananas
Fresh Brussell Sprouts
1/2 pt of Organic Blueberries
4 Kiwi
5 lb. bag of Organic Russet Potatoes
3 lbs of Grass Fed Ground Chuck
1 Whole All Natural Chicken
Natural Tomato Sauce
4 Organic Canned Green Beans
2 Beef Broth
Organic Eggs
2 Pepperidge Farm Apple Turnovers
2 Jars of Organic Salsa
6 cans Organic Muir Glen Soup
2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
Honey Nut Cheerio
Kix
Vanilla Extract
Navel Oranges
3 boxes frozen sugar snaps
2 boxes frozen spinach
Grass fed Organic Chuck Roast (on sale at rock bottom price)
Total: $127.06
Saved: $29.87 in coupons!

So, you can STILL coupon when you buy organic! =)

To read past “My Whole Food Journey” posts go HERE.