Last shopping trip for February

Yesterday morning I got to take a nice, hot bath while David watched the kids. I was able to lay in the tub sipping coffee. I had time to shave my legs, use some shea body butter, and clip and paint my nails. It was really relaxing with the lights off and candles lit, too.

Yesterday was also my last money-spending shopping trip for February (still have a couple of WIC checks), and I am happy to say that there is $89 left in our grocery/household envelope!
Here's what we got yesterday:

Gleaner's
1 bag caesar salad
1 cheese pizza
1 jar beef baby food
2 lbs grape tomatoes
1/2 lb brussel sprouts
1 bag avocados
4 small summer squash
1 mango
lots of bananas!
1 pan freezer brownies
1 lg bag clam chowder
12 individual plain yogurts (I want to use some to make our own yogurt with WIC milk)
3 individual vanilla yogurts (going to the freezer for frozen yogurt)
2 6-packs unsweetened applesauce
1 box natural hummus mix
1 pkg sourdough english muffins
1 pkg whole wheat sandwich flatbread
16 oz organic cottage cheese
32 oz Tillamook sour cream
5 oz shaved asiago cheese
5 oz shredded romano cheese
1 container artichoke & jalepeno dip
16 oz dairy creamer
1 ziplock of cooked, shredded pork (going to the freezer for later use)
1 bag frozen cooked wheat berries
10 whole grain tortillas
1 can organic soy beans
4 oz contact solution
1 bag shredded coconut
1 box Triscuit thins
1 box chinese style noodles
1 jar Better Than Bouillon veg. base
5 cans soda
3 individual bags Pirate's Booty snack
1 bag all natural ginger snaps
reusable lunch bag for hubby
some clothes for William and Charlotte

WIC
3 gal. 1% milk
1 bag frozen cherries
1 bag frozen peaches
1 lb cheddar cheese

Safeway Purchase
cilantro $0.69
brown sugar $1.79
1 canister oats $3.32
1 bag yellow cornmeal $5.12
1 bag raisins $4.49
Total $15.41

I forgot to factor in David's store trip for Valentine's Day when I was adding up totals the other day. That trip was $21.74 in addition to the $121.55 total I originally posted. So, all things combined, we spent an out of pocket total of $158.70 on groceries and household items in February. I also cashed in $2 worth of soda cans to add to the piggy bank. I am planning on starting a separate money market account that I'll deposit the can money and change from cash purchases into. That will sure beat the piggy bank since it will accumulate interest :). Even though it's only a few dollars, it should add up to more that I'm expecting over time. Every bit counts!

When I was on my way to Gleaner's, I decided to stop by Target for some meduim sized glass jars. They were out of the large canisters (I'll be needing at least 5 of those), but I got 4 medium ones with my gift card $ and I still have just over $16 left in gift card $, with which I hope to get some larger containers for my grains and flours. It may not cover all of the cost, but my mom gave me $10 extra for the phone bill this month (she's on our plan) and I'm adding that to my misc. fund that I'll purchase some household items with. I also found another advantage to using cash envelopes... you can save on gas! Several gas stations have a lower price for gas when you purchase with cash. I got gas at the cheapest station I passed for $3.25/gal instead of $3.33. Even the Space Age station I passed before that (they're usually one of the lowest price-wise) was $3.35/gal. You can bet I was happy to be using cash when I bought that gas. I tend to buy in $20 increments and try to drive as little as possible. Any gas money that rolls over into the next month(s) will be used for vacation gas or as additional car maintenance $. So far, this has been working well. One thing we need to change is our electricity use. Our bill was $11 more than I budgeted for this time. I plan on trying to use more natural light during the day and line dry more clothing/diapers whenever possible.

Monday's Munchies
B: Leftover egg scramble and some cornmeal pancakes with molasses.

The girls ate them right down!

L: Shepherd's pie from the freezer.
D: Caesar salad and cheese pizza with the last of the BBQ chicken and some mushrooms, tomatoes, and english cheddar.

Tuesday's Tasties
B: Leftover cornmeal pancakes and bananas.
L: Caesar salad and cheese-toast.
D: Homemade salsa and guacamole to go with black bean and turkey (from freezer) soft tacos on whole grain tortillas. I'll be using grape tomatoes for everything :).