Shopping trip, May 19

Menu plan for the week of May 19-26. Ingredients to buy highlighted, rest from pantry, freezer, or last week

Bibimbap, Cantaloupe
Leftover rice, 1/2 chicken breast, 3 eggs, stirfried zucchini, mushroom, carrot, onion, garlic, ginger, spinach

Beans (white beans with a tangy sauce: tomato, onion, bell pepper, seasonings), cornbread (cornmeal), collard greens

Curry (tilapia fillets, coconut milk, curry paste and seasonings, onions, mushrooms, bell pepper), seasonal vegetable, rice


Stew with eggplant, bell pepper, tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, spinach, seasonings; rice or bread; green salad

Pasta primavera (whole-wheat pasta, tofu, broccoli, peppers, carrots, green peas, mushrooms), green salad

Leftover soup, cornbread or Focaccia bread

BF, LUNCH, SNACKS:
Granola (oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, honey)
Waffles
Fruit
Snack Mix (nuts, seeds, dried fruit, chocolate chips)
Sandwiches (cheese, ham)
Smoothies (bananas, juice, almond milk, spinach or kale, cucumbers, other fruit and veg)
Eggs, coffee, avocados (2), ice cream

The shopping trip
TOTAL (ish) with tax: $125

Meat and Dairy -- $16.58
1 qt ice cream $2.59
1 gallon whole milk $3.69
1/2 gallon almond milk $3.25
9 oz sliced cheese $1.99
2.5 doz large eggs $4.79

Produce -- $33.40
Celery $0.99
3 ears corn $1.00
16 oz white mushrooms $1.98
1 head red leaf lettuce $1.00
5 oz baby spinach $1.50
1 large eggplant $1.49
2.4 lb zucchini $2.39
Cantaloup $2.50
Live parsley (can plant) $1.00
2 avocados $2.19
1 bag (12 oz) frozen green peas (-$0.75 coupon) = $0.25
Discount tomatoes $1.65 (overripe, can salvage most)
1 lb carrots $0.78
1 stalk broccoli $2.29
2 cucumbers $1.72
Watermelon $2.99
1 onion $0.45
Bananas $0.64
2 Gala apples $1.47
4 pears $2.70
4 lemons $1.42

Pantry/canned/staples -- $40.46
Canned tomatoes and sauce $2.76
2L diet ginger ale $1.45
Local honey $8.00
Canned beets $0.70
Sunflower seeds $1.43
Turmeric $0.82
Almonds $2.01
11 oz raisins $1.55
Raw peanuts 0.7lb $1.80
Chocolate chips $1.72
2 lb Popcorn $1.79  
Yeast 3strip $1.39
Simply Heinz ketchup $2.50
(BOGO) 2 (32oz) cranberry juice $4.29
1 can reduced corn $0.50
(BOGO) 2x11 oz 8o'Clock Coffee $6.99
(BOGO) 2x16 oz whole-wheat rotini $1.67
Yellow cornmeal $1.59

Non-Food -- $22.54
Package instant grits (for ants) $0.76
(BOGO) freezer bags - qt and gallon, 4 pkgs for 80 bags total $5.58
Outdoor trash bags $7.29
Diapers (Luvs 82ct) $15.71
Travel pack wipes (-$1.00 coupon) =  $0.49

Analysis: Would consider this "not bad" EXCEPT i spent way too much money last week. We have plenty of meat + a bottle of wine leftover from last week.
I spent $7.50 (before tax) on items primarily for ME -- watermelon (OK, i do share this one, but i eat about 2/3 of what i buy), diet soda, and almond milk. If i count the portions of fruit/veg that go into my smoothies, the total is more...

Action plan for this week/next week:
Bite the bullet and go back to cloth diapering, since potty training before 18months wouldn't be good for me OR Geneva
Invest in seeds or seedlings (up to $20 seems reasonable) in garden. Hopefully saving on produce later.
Try to get creative and stretch the meat i have until the end of the month. Research grilling options (kebabs to space out chicken, grilled pizza) that don't involve buying more meat.
Tried a bean and rice salad that was awesome last week. Incorporate at least one cold pasta or rice/bean salad per week during the summer!
I spend a lot of money on smoothies. Fruit and almond milk are kind of luxury items. Next week i am going to go on a "fast" from smoothies and see how that goes. Game plan: eat EGGS WITH VEGETABLES instead. My only nutrient concern in cutting out the smoothies is calcium. If i can make my own whole-milk yoghurt i will eat that happily for much cheaper.