That title makes this sound like the sequel to a bad action movie. And maybe it is. The first installment being the act of spending way too damn much, consistently on groceries. (Reference $750.) After some time away, we return to our storyline only to find our heroine (that’s me) singing a new, improved, slightly different tune. One that sounds a lot more like $500 a month.

That’s right. Grocery spending is down $250/month for the 3rd month running. That’s a big frickin’ deal, folks. Huge! $750 reprioritized dollars, SO FAR. Yet, I have not become an extreme coupon-er. I am not shopping at Safeway. Our changes have actually been quite small, cumulative in nature, and went surprisingly according to plan. Slow, time consuming, and somewhat bumpy plan, but one that’s coming together nonetheless. Read more

On my one year blog-o-versary, I asked you, my peoples, for some input. Input which you so kindly provided. You’re an obliging bunch, you are. (Thank you. And I’m going to ask for a little more.) My Sunday Spending posts came up the most, as a “What do you wish I’d drop already?” response. The grocery posts are hard for me. Hard Sunday night timing wise. Hard putting it all out to the world wise. Hard continually making progress and having something to show you wise. So, I was a little tickled at the prospect of dropping them, and you’all being tickety boo with that.

Yet, here I am. On a Sunday. With a picture of my groceries. Again. Because, I am incapable of going quietly into that good night. Everyone needs a little closure. Even groceries. Read more

But just barely.

The little pile on my counter ebbs and flows. The Ladies got started, then slacked off in the hot weather. Can’t say as I blame them. We are closing in on a 3 a day average. I bought one dozen eggs last week. One dozen this week. We usually buy at least two. They’ll get going just in time to slow down for the fall.

Oh, right the groceries. We did better this week than in weeks prior. Due to extenuating circumstances. I’ll go into that tomorrow. The eggs helped. Read more

I’m sitting here in grocery bliss. Farmer’s Markets are in full swing. With all of my favorite things.

Some of those (ok, one) are even from my garden.

We conquered ours (crowded though it was) in record time, with money left over. Before swinging by the Local Market for a few remaining items and stocking up super sale local sausages. I’m happy with my totals. I’ve got a meal plan in effect. I sit here and I think “Today, we rocked it!”

Then I remember the 25lbs of cucumbers I bought for Pickling: Round Two. And beer I sent The Husband to get because it was entirely too nice yesterday NOT to have a beer in my backyard. And the trip on Friday for last minute pickling supplies. Then my thinking changes. To something along the lines of “Well… Read more

The only month of summer in Seattle. It seems to be crunch time in every sense of the word around here; in Ugly Garden between eating and anticipating fall, recreationally trying to get in just one more trip, and very unfortunately at work. Related, yet different, it’s also time to make pickles.

Which I hope come out with a crunch, but are guarenteed to crunch my grocery budget.

That was terrible. Forgive me. Read more

Friday found us in an abysmal state. Refrigerator-wise. Pantry-wise. Maybe ‘wise’ isn’t the right choice of words. Poor is more accurate.

No eggs. No peanut butter. No Milk. No fruit. Sustenance boiled down to yogurt, granola, cheese, a loaf of sour dough bread, an assortment of veggies and a single can of tuna. Hardly hardship. Just key staples, missing in action. Making this a week of bare cupboards and a weekend of multiple shopping trips.

Not glamour shots of groceries. Read more

It’s been a while. A week’s vacation, one birthday party, and half way into a new month later, when last week spoke I was doubting the usefulness of these posts. To others. Not to me. Because without them, even for the last couple weeks, I’ve been off the reservation.

How do we begin to get caught up?

It all begins with eggs. At least around here. Unless, of course, you’re a chicken. Then the point could be argued.
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This weekend I…

Bathed a bunch of dogs,
Then vacuumed, pretty much required at that point,
Celebrated a friend’s birthday,
Worked on blog excitement for tomorrow,
canned twenty or so jars of strawberry jam,

Oh yeah, and ran 13.1 miles … Read more

All that stuff we didn’t accomplish last weekend? It’s happening Right. Now. Leaving me with a rather ludicrous to-do list this weekend. A to-do list that always and forever includes meal planning and grocery shopping, sometimes with just a little less emphasis.

As in, we don’t bother to pull the groceries out the bags for photography purposes. Read more