Friday, July 20, 2012

The Feeding Four on $50 Challenge

I've decided to challenge myself to shop for our family of four on no more than $50/week.

The $50 will include food, toiletries, paper products, air fresheners, pharmacy, cat and dog food and liquor. (It won't include dishes, utensils or batteries.)
We also plan to eat healthy and continue using only Fair Trade coffee, sugar and chocolate.
This could be interesting...

Some Reasons Why I Want to Take the Challenge: 

I believe it's possible, and it's one way I can contribute financially.
- I really enjoy the challenge, and I'm up for it! 
- It's often said that it's expensive to eat healthy, and I'd love to prove that theory wrong.

How I Plan to Pull It Off:

- Couponing / Deal Hunting
        
Highlights on this round: (though not especially healthy this time)
Resolve Laundry Stain Remover $0.25 ea (just taxes)
Edge Shave Gel = Free
Glade Air Freshener Spray = Free
Chapman's Icecream Free
Source Yogurt = $1.00
Cans Beans = $0.44ea
Country Naturals = Free
Johnsonville Spicy Sausages = $2.49
Catelli Whole Grain Pasta = $1 ea
4 Pk peppers $2
Couponing has brought home some pretty sweet deals. 
Free items include: Yogurt, icecream, spot cleaner, bathroom cleaner, sausage meat, hotdogs, body wash, soap and air fresheners. 
Deep discount deals include Hair products, deodorants, feminine hygeine products and more for $0.99... pasta, frozen juice concentrate and other items for $0.40 and less... 

- Menu Planning 
         
By planning meals around what we have (or what I can get for close to free), impulse and unnecessary purchases will be reduced to nearly nil.

- Saying No, and other minor tweaks
        
- If we're out of something, we'll think before racing off to the store. Even if it's milk or eggs
- Make due. If we don't have eggs, we're not having omelettes for breakfast until next week. Oatmeal, toast, cereal, muffins... there are options.


Maybe it'll all explode in my face, but I'm interested to see if we can pull it off...
I'll keep you updated with meal plans and shopping trips and we'll find out together! 

Here we go... You're welcome to join me of course! 


Week 1 :  Groceries and Meal Plan
Week 2:   The Shopping Trip
Week 3:   The Meal Plan and the Unexpected
Week 4:   Meal Plan and Shopping List
Week 5:   Running Out of Stuff, the Meal Plan and Shopping List
Week 5:   There's the Plan, and Then There's Reality...
Week 6:   Pressing the Reset Button
Week 7:   How It's Awesome, and Tweaking the Rules
Week 8:   Losing Coupons and the Meal Plan






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