Budget update

Between the budget software I purchased (YNAB), the coupons and specials I've been utilizing, our new budget goals are coming together. I set a grocery budget of $125 a week (based on what I've seen others budget) and we came in at $130-ish for week one and are on track to spend about the same this week (week two). Not too bad. And it wasn't until I came back from the store that I realized we already had a pound of 100% grass-fed ground beef in the freezer. I told myself to take inventory before heading out but, like most mornings, I got frazzled and sidetracked on our way out the door. I would have saved nine bucks had I been more focused. In theory, we should see the savings next week by not buying more beef.

As I was reviewing the receipt, I noticed where I may be able to save more next time around. For instance, Kashi cereal. I had a coupon for $1 off of two. The retail price was $3.99 per box at Whole Foods (WF) so I paid $6.98 for two after coupon. But I believe Kashi cereal is cheaper at Target or even Trader Joe's (TJ's) although the selection may be smaller. I will confirm this the next time I'm at the other stores. The other item that would have saved me at least a buck if I had waited to buy it at TJ's is the box of Annie's Shells and Cheese. It costs $2.19 at WF and only .99¢ for TJ's brand of regular mac and cheese. TJ's Organic Shells and Cheese is only $1.29, which would still be a savings of almost a buck. My oldest son insisted on getting the box ("for his lunch today") and to be honest, I wasn't up for the battle he was ready to wage over it if I had said no.

The item we saved big on this week was chicken. WF has an early bird special on Saturday mornings. It can be just about anything and this week it was chicken breasts. Not organic but local, pasture raised chicken for $2.99 a pound. We got six split breasts for $14. We can pay $12 to $14 for just two so this was definitely a great deal. I won't have to buy chicken for two weeks, maybe three, yay! WF also has Friday only specials. Last Friday was organic cherries for $2.99 a pound. I saw them in the store today and they were $5.99 a pound so that was definitely another great deal. The only bummer is our normal shopping day is Sunday (this week it was today, Monday) and the above mentioned specials are on Friday and Saturday. If I wasn't close to the store on those days, it may be a wash but since I am, making three separate trips isn't so bad I guess. Maybe I'll talk to the hubby about moving our big shopping to Saturday mornings? Here's our list from this week's shopping:

Whole Foods:
Clover 2% milk, 2 gallons
Clover 2% milk, half gallon
Clover 1% milk, half gallon
Clover organic yogurt, 4
Fage 0% plain yogurt, 17.6 oz.
Clover Eggs, 1 dozen
100% grass-fed grounf beef, 1.25 pounds
Diestel ground turkey breast, 1 pound
Chicken breast halves, 6 (Saturday early bird special)
Diestel deli turkey, 1/2 pound
Wellshire deli ham, 1/2 pound
Raw almonds, 16 oz.
Roasted unsalted sunflower seeds, 16 oz.
Bananas, 5
Organic cherries, 1 pound (Friday special)
Organic blueberries, 1/2 pint
Organic strawberries, 1 pint
Organic Gala apples, 4
Organic Granny Smith apples, 2
Organic celery, 2 pack
Organic Russet potatoes, 2
Kahsi 7 Whole Grain Flakes
Kashi Indigo Morning
Organic flax fig waffles
Organic flax berry waffles
Annie's Shells and Cheddar
Annie's Cheddar Bunnie

Total: 100.71

I have a little less than $25 to get:
Bread
Cheese
Canned tomatoes
Organic strawberry jam
Natural peanut butter
Organic spinach
Organic spring mix

I'll report back. We also didn't make it to the Farmers' Market this week, boo! I'll also write more on the YNAB software. So far it has helped us avoid a negative balance in our checking, keeps me aware of what we have left in each budget category and where we've overspent. Looking forward to digging deeper into the program and sharing my experience. And just in case anyone is wondering, I have no association with YNAB.  I stumbled upon a post about the software here and purchased it with my own, almost maxed out credit card. :)

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Why I buy grass-fed beef

I know a lot of people think meat is just meat and that regardless of an animal's diet, the nutritional value is the same. I happen not to be one of them. I believe it not only matters what the animal was fed but also where it was raised and how it was treated. In my opinion, our society is far too comfortable with feedlots and factory meat.

Regarding beef specifically, we don't eat it often but when we do, it's always grass-fed. Grass-fed beef/products provide real health benefits over grain-fed. Grass-fed products are:

- Lower in fat and calories
- Higher in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Richest known source of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

In addition to having a better nutritional profile, grass-fed cows are healthier. Click here and here for the source of this info and to read more.

Of course grass-fed beef and other grass-fed products cost more. Sigh. In my area, ground beef is typically $2-$3 more a pound unless it's on sale. As I was in line at Whole Foods last week they announced a special on grass-fed beef - $4.99 a pound. If my cart wasn't already half unloaded, I would have picked up my son, ran back to the meat department and grabbed a pound or two. Now that I'm writing this, I probably could have asked the cashier to have someone get it for me. Oh well.

If you haven't tried grass-fed beef, I suggest you give it a shot. You'll taste the difference and benefit from its higher nutritional value. And if you eat beef more frequently, you should definitely make the switch.