Growing (in the dirt) by Katie m. Berggren ~ snag a print here
Recently, as I packed my filled Trader Joes reusable bags into my trunk, I was thinking ~ “$190? What on earth did I just get for $190? I spent One Hundred and Ninety Dollars and I don’t even know what I am making for dinner a single night this week!”
As I put my groceries away in the kitchen, I looked at each item: salad, carrots, broccoli, dried pasta, lots of nuts, avocados, peanut butter, several boxes of organic cheese sandwich crackers, 4 boxes of bars…. Hmmm ~ those blasted bars and crackers really do add up, and what do we get for that money?
Sure, they are TJs brand so I trust them to be non GMO, and they do not have hydrogenated junk in them, and I like supporting Trader Joes. But really, do I need to spend $30 on snackies alone? And have you looked inside those boxes? There is 2-3 handfuls of goodness in there ~ and the rest is air. And packaging.
I am 100% all-in on spending a large percentage of my earnings on whole fresh food for my family. I know that organic produce costs more (but really not all that much more, and it is worth it) and I’m aware that choosing brands that do not use GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) in their recipes is a better choice for our bodies. I despise GMOs. I despise cheap food that fills our bodies up but (I believe) affects them negatively cell by cell.
I despise supporting companies that use “floor sweepings” to create their products (as my dad used to say) and care more about the all-mighty buck than the health of our nation’s people. We need to be and feel more than “full”.
Phew, that was part of my rant. You may (meaning: you will probably, most definitely) hear more at another time 
So, I began to think about the wisdom of my friend Jaynee, who as long as I’ve known her (3 years) has been preaching (kindly) the value of planning your menu. The value of sitting down one night per week and letting the family help you choose the next 7-10 menus.
In the past, as my boys were very young, I had ALWAYS strived for this, and I’ve tried a variety of methods to make this happen. I’ve invented a lovely Meal Wheel that helped me determine how each night’s leftovers would work into a new menu for another night ~ and allowed me to set up about 18 meals in advance on paper.
But, I rebelled after only 2 weeks… It was too structured and I seem to rebel against structure. I don’t like being told that I have to make or eat a certain thing on a certain night. I rebel!
At the end of May, I sat down and calculated how much I spent on groceries the whole month and the number surprised me! I feel like mostly all I eat is salad and fruit, and dark chocolate, (although I know that is not entirely true!) and for the boys in my family: salad, fruit and a small variety of other healthy things and some not-so-healthy (although I know that is not entirely true, either!) but I just didn’t see where that low four digit number came from!
Coming next week: My Steps to a Healthier Grocery Budget ~ surely different and most likely inadequate in another’s eyes. But my steps nonetheless…
I would LOVE to hear your thoughts for how you tame the grocery budget ~ do you have any secrets for efficiency or feeding your family without spending in the four digits each month? But the trick here, is the standard for food. I’ve looked at the coupon systems, and the coupons they offer and promote frequently feature items I would not put in my cart.
I greatly value your input and feedback
Love & Sincerely, Katie
With three boys, our grocery bill seems insane, but after some research I found we’re actually on the low side of average, which eases my conscience a little.
We buy grass fed beef, but conventional chicken and pork (can’t afford the good stuff all the time – but I do get some locally raised pastured pork products sometimes – but $20/chicken I can’t do). We do grass fed butter and milk (though we rarely buy milk at all), and sometimes cheese. Some organic veggies and fruits, some not – depends on price and what type of produce. Two dozen local farm/pasture raised eggs every week. And lots of nuts. The boys snack on fruit mostly, but I sometimes make granola and other grain-free treats, too.
We go to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Aldi’s, local farmer’s market, and the global market where each aisle is devoted to some other kind of international cuisine. I find things like herbs, coconut milk, “exotic” produce and lots of other things are a lot cheaper at the global market – and they have quail eggs which are ridiculously cute, pork bellies so you can make your own bacon, and every kind of organ meat you could want. I always spend three times as much time there as I should. It’s a lot of places to drag a husband and three kids to – but we make it a family day.
I do meal plan, but I don’t really assign meals to days. If we buy a steak, I know we’re going to eat that first, and I try to make meals that use up all the fresh ingredients first. We shop every two weeks – so I buy fresh produce for the first week, then we do frozen and canned (no sugar) the second week. I do have to plan out what we’re eating for the next couple days so I can thaw the meat, but that’s about it – the rest is negotiable. I find this gives me the flexibility I need. I wouldn’t be able to assign meals to each day.
thank you Brooke, I’ve been thinking about that too. Tried a CSA for a season and it was pretty good, but I had to go pick up which didn’t work for me
Thanks for the reminder! Great idea Ev, I like that, and I would definitely like being flexible.
Thank you Jaynee, you’ve inspired me, and I am happy with how my new thinking has been. It does take the stress of not knowing what to cook away, as long as I look at my meal list early in the day and do a bit of thinking. Thank you mamas! I appreciate you so much! Love, Katie
oh and the painting is amazing, byt the way! I have not seen it before is it new? It’s so….GREEN!
We tried several times to implement menu planning…We would plan weekly dinners…But we failed
I think because it was a bit too structured and we couldn’t keep up. However, we heard from a friend about a modified version of weekly meal plan – MONTHLY meal plan. You decide what you’re having for each day oft he week and stick to it for a month. That way you only plan once a month. I found it less stressful as i took a lot of thinking out of “what’s for dinner????”. But you can be flexible too…Sometimes I made a dinner too large and we had it 2 nights in a row. No harm done..or brought it to work as lunch 
Wonderful article Katie! I try and plan my menu around what is on sale that week, or meals using the leftovers I have in my fridge from the previous week. And if you plan for one night a week to be a “leftovers” dinner it’ll save one night of menu planning and cleans out the fridge. And one meal that my family loves and tends to be quite inexpensive is “dinner for breakfast”–pancakes, french toast, waffles, then add eggs and some fresh fruit.
I’m thinking of using one of those organic fruit and vegetable services. I find that I’m going to the grocery store for fresh fruit and veggies multiple times a week and it’s adding up! The services will deliver a small, medium, or large box of organic veggies from local farms once a week. That way I’m saving myself some trips, and I’m getting lots of fruits and veggies fresh all the time! Some of the services will even deliver locally grown meats, milk products, and bread with the veggies. I plan on growing vegetables in my garden to help supplement some of this, but until then, I’m thinking of making healthy meals based off of what ever the contents of the baskets include! That way there isn’t that much planning and you’re still eating really healthy!