Frugal "Almost" Primal Cooking Budget and Shopping Trip

**Note: One Red Daisy wrote a post with her 5 grocery budget goals. If you want to write a post, let me know the link and I'll add it into my post so we can all help each other out! Thanks One Red Daisy - great idea!

I'm not done writing my plan B yet. However, as I was looking through old notes and my blog trying to figure out what works and what doesn't I found this:

October 2010 Update:

If you have read my blog for any length of time you'll know that I don't spend $260 a month any longer. My budget is now $400 per month. We are choosing to support local businesses by buying our beef, pork and chicken locally. I've also found locally raised eggs and honey. Not only are we supporting local businesses, the products are better for us!

Here are my current goals:

1. Stay within $400 monthly budget (Prior to May 2010 it was $260)
2. Buy Meat/Protein Locally
3. Buy a LOT of veggies (if budget allows, Locally)
4. Fats - buy good fats that will help with hypoglycemic issues
5. Read Labels - buy items without a bunch of junk (sour cream, whipping cream, etc.)

I usually freak out a bit when I read various issues about our health. My latest research involved canned tomatoes. They contain BPA which causes problems (google for more info. Better yet, swagbuck it and earn money!) According to msn:

"That’s because small amounts of BPA from plastics and linings can leach into our food and drinks. The problem: BPA isn’t just a building block of plastic—it’s also a weak estrogen that acts as an endocrine disruptor in the body."

They go on to say:

We’re at the beginning of a product packaging revolution. Since it’s already happening in other countries, it’s bound to happen here,” says vom Saal. “As a result of public pressure, Japan got rid of BPA in can liners 10 years ago. Now BPA levels in the blood of college students are roughly half of what they were a decade ago.”


Here's what I've decided to focus on for my family.

In order to complete goal #1 - stay within $400 monthly budget, I need to focus on steps 2-5 and forget about everything else. For now. Just to review, here are steps 2-5:

2. Buy Meat/Protein Locally

3. Buy a LOT of veggies (if budget allows, Locally)
4. Fats - buy good fats that will help with hypoglycemic issues
5. Read Labels - buy items without a bunch of junk (sour cream, whipping cream, bread etc.)

When I have those mastered, I can move onto other things. One more thing - remember when eggs were absolutely the worst thing you could eat and you are going to die if you eat them? Well, that's not what experts are saying now. If I continue to spend my time researching every thing that could be hazardous to my health, I get stressed.

I wonder how good it is to have a lot of stress in your life?

So anyway, all that to say, I'm still working on plan B. I stopped by the dented canned goods store and  picked up the following for $25.00:

• some organic and some regular tomatoes (this should last us a long while!)
• walnut oil for salads - not sure if this is any better than canola, but at least it's a real nut??? Anyone know?
• coconut milk $.70 (normally $1.44) I go through about 1 every other week.
•  raw honey from Colorado. Not as good as local raw honey, but half the price. Boy is it SWWWEEEEET! Not sure that I like it, but I like the price!
• Corn meal or "whatever" to attempt homemade corn tortillas. Homemade is better than storebought, but we'll see how it goes!

FRUGAL TIP:
List out 5 goals for your grocery budget. Focus on those items and those items only. Once you've mastered them, feel free to move on. Thanks for letting me talk to myself!

This post has been linked to:
Grocery Cart Challenge
Money Saving Mom