The May grocery challenge is going… not well. I have already spent $65/$145, when I’m  only allocated to spend $35/week. That looks bad! However, I have made two trips already, and I usually strive to make one each weekend. I’ve already used this weekends trip, and I should have plenty of food to last through next week.

Still, I was a little silly with my purchases. I usually don’t buy much meat, but I spent almost $7 on meat this week. Want to know how much I spent on cheese? $11.50! While I enjoy good cheese, that does seem a bit excessive. I bought two kinds of parmesan, grated and shredded. I’m not above shredding/grating block cheese myself, but it this case, it didn’t amount to a better deal. The shredded cheese was only $2.50! Also, is Trader Joe’s a good or bad place to buy decent priced cheese? Where else should I look? I also bought, on impulse (!), a box of Belgium butter waffle cookies. Delicious, but not necessary. I’m going to have to be much more careful next week!

Here is yesterday’s shopping trip. I forgot to buy arborio rice (I stink at making lists) which will be another few dollars.

Trader Joes $20.9
Milk $1.19
Butter Cookies $2.80
Edamame $1.50
Turkey Meatballs $2.60
Chicken Sausage $4.23
Gruyere Cheese $5.00
Organic Bananas (2) $.58
Frozen Gnochi dinner $3.00
Ralphs $15.04
Onion, red $.59
Onion, white $.65
Active Yeast $2.80
Cooking Spray $2
Chicken Broth $1
Can Chickpeas $1.5
Shredded Parmesan Cheese $2.5
Grated Parmesan Cheese $4

My previous trips included items like eggs, yogurt, granola (breakfast), frozen vegetables, more meatballs, bread, basil and who knows what else that added up to about $31.

What are some things I will be making with all my cheese (and other ingrediants)?

The menu is a little cheesier and “heavier” than my typical meals, but still may be delicious. I was thinking of trying to make a gazpacho (cold soup) this month, but I can’t find the recipe I used before. It was delicious and included an avocado, didn’t have cucumbers, and had a bit of spice to it. I can’t find it online, so maybe I stole it from a magazine. Let me know if you have a good gazpacho recipe!

Looking over my list and recipes, there really isn’t a huge focus on frugality here. I am certainly paying attention to what I buy, but the biggest reason I don’t spend a ton on groceries is that I don’t buy much meat, I don’t drink milk (purchased for recipes) or juice, and I don’t buy a lot of pre-prepared food.  I am trying to buy more fruit/veggies, but I have to be careful not to let them spoil.