$65 A Week Grocery Challenge

The price of food seems to be getting higher and higher and I've found myself spending an easy $150+ a week on groceries for my family of 5.  Most months we're in over $600 just for food.  So, I've decided to take action and put my family on a strict $65 a week grocery budget.  This budget will be for only food items.  No household products, although I do plan on being very thrifty in that department also.  

February 2015 is my first month doing this.  And here is the picture of my first week's shopping.   Here's a breakdown of what I got: 5 dozen eggs, 3 gallons of milk, mayonnaise,  a large container of yogurt, a large container or sour cream, 8 oz mushrooms, 1.4 lbs broccoli, 3 jalapeno peppers, 4 (8 oz) packages of shredded cheese, 1.5 lbs zucchini, 1 head lettuce, 1 package hot dogs, 6 heart lollipops, 2 lbs real butter, 1.71 lbs roma tomatoes, 1 lb bulk raisins, 2.24 lbs pears, 2 lbs carrots, 2.35 lbs bananas, 1 bunch cilantro, 1 head cabbage, 2 lbs oranges, 2.5 lbs apples, 5 avocados, 2 green bell peppers, 12 pack diet mt. dew and 1 box conversation hearts

My grand total for all that was $62.66, so I have $2.34 left for this week.  If I choose not to use that $2.34 this week, I'll roll it over into the next week.  My goal is to keep my monthly food budget under $275 a month.  

Now, to make things clear, I have a very well stocked freezer, full of meat that my husband hunted for.  I've got elk and venison hamburger, steaks, stew meat, sausage... Pretty much if you can think of it, we've got it.  This is a huge blessing to us and helps immensely with our food budget.  Yet, I'd still find myself spending $150+ a week at the grocery store.  

I also have about 1 1/2 pigs worth of pork in my freezer.  This last Spring, my family raised two pigs for meat and we are greatly benefiting from that now!  We plan on doing the same this coming Spring, so that we always have a steady flow of pork in the freezer.  I also occasionally will order a 40 lb. box of boneless skinless chicken breasts from Zaycon Foods at only $1.99 or less a pound.  

So, as you can see, I will not be purchasing meat very often.  I simply just don't need to!  

I also keep a fairly well stocked pantry.  I have lots of beans, grains, flours and sugars.  I will occasionally need to re-stock these items, but not very often.  And I will usually do that when our local stores have Case Lot sales.  

I will not be purchasing many pre-made items.  Pretty much no frozen pizzas or dinners.  Not many snack type items or breads.  Cookies from a box...What are those?  About once a week I'll have a baking day, where I bake all of the bread and treats that my family will eat for the week.  

Join me on this new money saving adventure!