I feel like God has been challenging me to start doing some things, number one being to manage my finances more wisely. The Bible has 250 verses about money. I truly believe that I am a steward of my finances. God blesses me with the amount He sees as fit, then watches how I manage what He has given to me. And beyond just budgeting, I want to give back to the kingdom financially whenever He asks me to.
For that reason, I did some research today before I went grocery shopping tonight. I looked at several websites that post how to grocery shop on a budget. Some focused on just spending the least. Others wanted to still eat healthy. Some were catered towards college students. The one I chose to stick with this week really caught my attention. Here post was titled "The $25 Shoppping Cart, Version 1.0" and you can read it here.
Kimberly Morales (the author) raved and raved about Trader Joe's in her article, so I found one close by and decided to shop there tonight. My review.....I LOVE IT!!! It's small enough to feel like a local grocery store, the food it carries is mostly organic, I didn't see a single name brand product, and the prices are perfect! I asked a friend about it before I went, and her review left me a little skeptical. But when I entered the store and saw their cheese selection...I was sold already! I followed Kimberly's shopping list pretty closely, but did grab some extra things, so mine was a $35 shopping cart. Still, I can't wait to go back!
Sweet Italian Pork Sausage....................................$3.49
Dried Cranberries..................................................$1.99
Traditional Marinara Sauce.....................................$1.29
Pomegranate Green Tea........................................$2.99
Half Gallon 1% Milk...............................................$1.99
12 Grain Mini Crackers...........................................$1.99
6 oz Baby Spinach...............................................$1.00
3 Kiwis...............................................................$1.17
Pasta Gnocchi Whole Wheat..................................$1.99
Artisan Ciabatta Loaf...........................................$1.99
Bag Red Potatoes................................................$1.00
Montery Jack Cheese...........................................$2.23
3 cloves Organic Garlic.........................................$1.49
Sliced Oven Roasted Turkey..................................$2.99
6.7 oz Genovese Pesto.........................................$2.49
Low Sodium Chicken Broth....................................$1.99
Spicy Brown Deli Mustard......................................$0.99
I know these groceries won't last me a long time, but I'm trying to be more health conscience and eat fresh food more often. So my goal is to try and stick to the $25 shopping cart for each week. Now I need to remember to post some pics of the meals I make over the next few days!