So, I totally failed on one of my goals for the use of this blog! We had tacos for dinner tonight (quick, easy, needed while we regroup from vacation) and it's only the second time we've had them since I started this blog. The first time was Day 39. When I posted the link to facebook, I asked people to post tips they have for taco night, or different things they like to try. I think one of the ideas was to use ground turkey instead of beef. Well, I should've gone to look for that post and used some people's ideas. That was one of the points for starting this blog! (Of course, it would've been a little easier if the comments were on the blog itself, but that's okay.) Anyway, I forgot to do that and just made tacos the way I always do, as you can see if you follow the link to Day 39. Oh well, next time! And if you have any of your own tips for taco night and want to share them on my blog, please do so!!! So tomorrow is the 100th day and we've only had tacos twice! That's pretty good, I'd say! :)
Update on Grocery Shopping
On Day 75 I announced a new experiment I would be conducting in the realm of grocery shopping. I usually do my shopping at Hannaford, but I had been wondering if by shopping at Market Basket, I could actually reduce my grocery bill. Percentage-wise, I believe we have about the right amount of money budgeted for groceries (maybe a little under), but we are always going over budget. So many people are always talking about how cheap Market Basket it, I couldn't help but wonder...
But what I don't like about the Market Basket near me is that it's always crowded. Very crowded. Parking is bad, it's hard to navigate through the store, etc. I've even arrived there 20 minutes after opening, and it's still bad! You might say, "Hey, that tells you something! It MUST be cheaper if everyone is always there!" I've thought that, I really have. Thus, this experiment. I calculated how much money I spent at the grocery store (only) for 2 months. In March I did my usual shopping at Hannaford, but in April, I shopped only at Market Basket for groceries. (Except when I couldn't find the pita pockets or sandwich wraps ANYWHERE--deli department, bread department, organic, etc. Fail.) It was frustrating. Grocery shopping always took longer because 1) it was crowded and 2) I didn't know where anything was! If time is money, I definitely lost some here! And time is pretty precious to me right now!
There were other things I had to consider, also. We went on vacation in April, so normally our grocery bill would be lower since we wouldn't need to buy for the time we were away. However, Easter was right before our vacation and I spent a lot on Easter ingredients. So I figured that kind of balanced out. The result? Do you want to know if I saved money? (Market Basket is also running a 4% off all groceries all year, so you would kind of expect to save money, right?) Okay. Did I save money? Yep. A whopping $11. Actually, I came in $10.80 lower than I did last month on groceries. That is roughly a 2% savings. You could take this to mean that if Market Basket was not running it's 4% special all year, I would actually save 2% by shopping at Hannaford. Interesting, isn't it?
Now, my official experiment might be over, but my investigation isn't. You see, I've also just started changing some of my buying habits. For one thing, I'm buying more Greek yogurt and almond milk for protein shakes. This started just in the last week or two. These things could be cheaper at Market Basket, meaning, I could have saved a few more bucks if I didn't start buying those products recently. I'm not sure. But both stores are so close to me that it won't be hard to do some specific comparing. I'm not one to sit in front of the computer for hours searching for coupons. I don't have time for that. But I am a good multi-tasker and make quick trips to the store(s) often. I can easily make a mental note of specific prices and mark them down somewhere. For instance, I have already noticed that milk and eggs are pretty much exact in their pricing between stores. (Sure, sometimes Hannaford has a sale.) Most produce is the same, too. But mozzarella cheese comes in bigger packages at Market Basket and I THINK it's cheaper. I haven't compared exactly, yet, but Hannaford doesn't have a store brand mozzarella and MB does, so it would stand to reason. I thought blueberries were expensive this week at MB, so when I ran quick to Hannaford after school for some raspberries (Hannaford is closer to my house, easier for me to navigate, so much better for a quick run), I noticed that blueberries were actually $1 more at Hannaford. They're just not in season yet, so I guess they'll be expensive everywhere. I've also noticed that meat is far less expensive at Hannaford. So anyway, I plan to keep making a mental note of these things and if I can stand to shop at 2 places on occasion, if it's worth it, I'll do it. I'm honestly not sure where I'm going this Saturday when I shop, it will probably depend on my menu and my hunches for pricing. As far as keeping us on budget, I have some other ideas for that, and am working on it. It's not a dire situation, mind you, just something I'm keeping my eye on. ;)
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