$pent Millennial

Do you feel $pent on Groceries?

Grocery shopping seems to get more and more expen$ive each time I go! Even as inflation has been reported to be coming to an end, I am still feeling the pinch at the grocery store as I look at prices. This post shares a behind-the-curtain look at the not-so-glamorous beginning-of-the-month grocery haul I did to stock our apartment for September. 

As promised, much of this blog is about sharing the boring and unglamorous details of a $pent Millennial. Hope this makes you feel seen, less alone and possibly even better about your own grocery shopping as you take in all the processed foods, cheese and pasta I stock up on to keep Jesse and myself fed. 

A little about our grocery $pending: 

My partner, Jesse, and I budget about $400 dollars total for groceries each month. This includes about $370 on shared ingredients with $20-$30 on protein meal replacement shakes and cereal I have for breakfast and lunch. 

This number seems outlandish some days! 

We eat most meals at home and do not eat out much. We typically treat ourselves to 1 meal out a month. It usually ends up being Little Caesars Pizza pick-up on whatever day of the month making dinner seems extra undoable. 

Our grocery $hopping:

Typically we do one big haul at the beginning of the month with a mid-month refill and sporadic shopping throughout the month for things like milk, eggs and espresso – you know, the important things. We track the grocery spending throughout the month and gamify keeping to the budget. By the end of the month, we usually are getting creative with ingredients and are very excited for when the next 1st of the month hits and we get to do a haul. 

On this month’s initial fill-up, I spent a total of $195 dollars across 4 stores (Walmart, Dollar Tree, Pick n Save and Target). Walmart and Dollar Tree are only about a 2-minute drive from each other and Pick n Save and Target share a parking lot, so not too much running around to get the different selections at preferred prices since I have the privilege of a personal vehicle. 

Most of the pantry and freezer items will likely last us for at least the month, if not longer and will likely roll over into October. The fridge ingredients  and fresh produce will go faster and be replenished throughout the month as the budget allows. With just over half of the budget left and a fully-stocked pantry, fridge and freezer, it feels like a pretty good place to be in as the month sets out. We feel immense gratitude for this as we understand it is getting increasingly hard for people to keep their kitchens stocked. 

Get Help, Give Help: 

If you are experiencing hunger or having a hard time feeding your family, find help here. 

If you, like me, are feeling fortunate about your ability to feed yourself and your family, consider helping others. Reach out to your local food bank or food pantry to see how you can donate time, money or resources to your community food network. 

So… What did I buy? 

Below I have listed what I bought for $195 across the 4 stores. Throughout the month, I will share recipes and stories of meals created and shared with these ingredients. You can subscribe to the blog or follow me at @spentmillennial on Instagram for notifications when I post a new Food at Home post to see what I do with what I got. 

Freezer Foods: 

• 2 4lb Bags of Seasoned Fries (Great Value GV) (Walmart)
• 3 bags of Gardein Mandarin Chkn Meatless (Walmart)
• 2 16oz bags of MorningStar Meatless Crumbles (Meatless Ground Beef) (Walmart)
• 2 13.5oz bags of MorningStar Chkn Strips Meatless (Walmart)
• 3 seasoning blend packs (Dollar Tree) 
• 3 pepper stir fry mix packs (Dollar Tree) 

Fridge: 

Cheese

• 16oz Fiesta Blend Shredded (GV) (Walmart)
• 16oz Colby Jack Shredded  (GV) (Walmart)
• 16oz Italian Blend Shredded  (GV) (Walmart)
• 8oz Cheddar Shredded  (GV) (Walmart)
• 12 Slices Baby Swiss (GV) (Walmart)
• 12 Slices Provolone  (GV) (Walmart)

Milk

• ½ Gallon Whole  (GV) (Walmart)
• 2 ½ Gallon Soy (Unsweetened)  (GV) (Walmart)

• 3 8-Packs of Large Burrito Flour Tortillas (GV) (Walmart) 
• 1 1lb 9oz Soft Corn Taco Shell Tortillas (Walmart)
• 2 18-Pack Large Eggs (Walmart)
• 4 Packs of 4 Links Meatless Chorizo (Pick n Save) 
• 2 packs meatless hot dogs (8 links each) (Target)
• 1 10oz Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (Good & Gather GG) (Target)
• 1 5oz Power Greens (Target)

Pantry/ Cabinet

• 1 Loaf of Whole Wheat Bread (GV) (Walmart) 
• 3 1lb Boxes of Penne Noodles (GV) (Walmart) 
• 1 3lb box of Elbow Noodles (GV) (Walmart) 

• 2 Boxes of Four Cheese Lasagna GV brand Hamburger Helper (GV) (Walmart) 
• 4 Boxes of Three Cheese with Shells Mac and Cheese (GV) (Walmart) 
• 5 Zatarain’s Boxes 8oz (Walmart)
  • 2 Jambalaya
  • 2 Red Beans & Rice 
• 3 Cans of Black Beans 15.25oz (GV) (Walmart) 
• 2 Cans of Red Beans 15.25oz (GV) (Walmart) 
• 4 Cans of Cream of Mushroom Condensed Soup (10.5 oz) (GV) (Walmart) 
• 10 Cans of Green Chiles (4oz) (Walmart)
• 4 Cans of Pasta Sauce (Garlic & Herb) (24oz) (Dollar Tree) 
• 2 Cans of White Queso Cheese Sauce (10oz) (Dollar Tree) 
• 2 Cans of Enchilada Sauce (10oz) (Dollar Tree) 
• 2 Packs of Spanish Rice (90 second Microwave) (Dollar Tree) 
• 2 Boxes of Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper (Dollar Tree) 
• 1 Bag of Corn Chips BBQ (Dollar Tree) 
• 1 Bag of Tortilla Chips (Dollar Tree) 
• 1 32floz Carton of Whole Milk (Pantry? ) (Dollar Tree) 
• 1 Bag of White Onions (4 bag) (Pick n Save) 
• 3 Green Peppers (Pick n Save) 
• 3 Red Peppers (Pick n Save)

Share how your grocery budget gets $pent! 

What does your monthly grocery shopping look like? What’s your budget? Where do you shop? Go-to ingredients? How often do you restock? Share in the comments or send an email!