Here’s our Big Family Grocery Spending for May 2024 post!
Big Family Grocery Spending for May 2024
Curious about where we shopped, what we bought, and how much we spent during the month of May? Here’s the breakdown!
1. Sam’s
On May 3 we ran to Sam’s to pick up this wagon/stroller that we’ve been researching. While there, I grabbed milk, butter, grapes, spring mix, spinach, watermelon, apples, pears, strawberries, and bananas. Elias ran in with Brayden a few days later during their Bro Time and picked up a few snack items also (not pictured).
Total at Sam’s: $99.74
2. Costco
We needed diapers so while picking them up at Costco one day, I got some odds and ends that we needed. I also picked up a Rotisserie Chicken for our dinner that night. Best $4.99 a person can spend for a meal!
Total for food at Costco: $150.33
3. Walmart
I needed some items at Walmart early in the month and while I was there, I checked to see if I could score any mark down items. YES! There were four packages of Free Range Chicken Thighs for just $1.98/pound! I grabbed all four. :) Plus I picked up a few other grocery items before heading out.
Total for food at Walmart: $35.18
4. Walmart
On Mother’s Day I ran into Walmart on our way home from church/Keith’s soccer game because I wanted Caesar salad to go with our dinner and berries for our dessert. I used the girls’ WIC card for the produce we got so didn’t have to pay much out of pocket this time.
Total at Walmart: $21.49
5. Sam’s
While I was in Walmart, Matt ran next door into Sam’s to get a box of bacon. (Not to worry – Elias was in the van with the kids.) I thought I had told him that we only needed one box of bacon. Alas, Matt didn’t remember what I’d said and didn’t know how far one box would actually go. So just in case, he picked up THREE. Hahahaha.
I mean, we do go through a lot of bacon at our house, but 30 pounds is a lot even for our family!! We all got a pretty big laugh out of it and well? Challenge accepted. If we have to eat 30 pounds of bacon before it expires, so be it. :) :) :)
And yes, we could freeze it but I’ve found that it then turns into one great big rectangle of bacon that is more difficult to work with in the long run. I shared one box with a friend, we’ve already eaten through another box, so as of the end of May, we only have ten pounds left. I’m quite confident we’ll finish it off before it expires in July. :)
Total for bacon: $107.94 (hahahaha. so.much.bacon.)
6. Walmart and Sam’s May 16
Another day, we needed just a few items at Walmart so we grabbed milk and WIC produce while we were there. Sam’s is right next door and I wanted to take advantage of a couple of items that were on sale. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a low overall receipt for a Sam’s run. But only five items this time meant only $35.94!
Keith enjoyed a free sample of a bite of pizza!
Total at Sam’s and Walmart: $54.20
7. McDonald’s
Wait. McDonald’s? Yep, Matt was working in York and met up with Malachi to switch vehicles. Malachi grabbed a bunch of nuggets for their lunch. We didn’t tell the littles because they would have felt very left out, ha.
I don’t have a photo of this. :)
Total at McDonald’s $7.00
8. Fresh Eggs
One day when Matt went to work on our property in York, he was able to get some fresh eggs from our former neighbor. We were so excited to get these!
Total for 6-Dozen Eggs: $15
9. Aldi
On our kids’ last day of school, Matt and I took our littlest five grocery shopping so we could get stocked up on what we needed for the fun outings we had planned as we launched summer break! First, at Aldi I got milk, coffee creamers, strawberries, pineapple, salad kits, fruit/veggie pouches for BabyBoy#11, pear cups, cheese slices, cheese cubes, brown sugar, chips, and a pork loin priced at only $1.89/pound! I splurged on sugar cones to make ice cream cones sometime when friends come to visit. :)
Total at Aldi: $105.41
10. Costco
After Aldi, we ran to Costco where we got lots of fresh produce: spring mix, apples, oranges, pears, watermelon, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, grapes, and sweet peppers. We got shredded cheese, cheese sticks, laughing cow cheese, and cottage cheese, ha – lots of cheese! 100% juice popsicles were on sale so we got three packages for our summer fun. Plus lunch meat, meatballs, chicken sausage, guacamole, peach cups, chicken nuggets, veggie straws, sweet potato fries, frozen pizza, Italian dressing, peanuts, yogurt, and frozen orange chicken that was on sale for a night off from cooking.
Spindrift and applesauce pouches were also on sale so we grabbed those too!
Total for groceries at Costco: $494.49
Total Grocery Spending for May:
$1091
Early this year, I bumped our budget up to $1,400/month to give myself enough wiggle room to feed 13 of us every day plus frequent guests. I’m thankful that so far I’ve been able to stay under budget every month with plenty to spare if I every need to carry that over for needs during upcoming months!
Running totals for 2024:
January: $1,178
February: $849
March: $1,356
April: $1148
May: 1091
Do you know what would be fun to know: A monthly tally of how much food you go through: how many gallons of milk, how many cartons of creamers, how many pieces of chicken, how many eggs, how many pounds of bacon haha etc. How many bananas, bags of shredded cheese, slices of cheese, little cups of fruit , jars of peanut butter.
You mention the huge amount of food you go through and this would give crazy new dimension. The money amounts are skewed because of WIC
I loved the fun of the boys getting McDonalds nuggets. Old Laura would have collapsed in a heap of dismay.
Keep hanging in there Laura and Matt
I often precook bacon for freezing! I bake tray after tray in the oven, then roll out a longgggg piece of parchment paper. I lay the slightly cooled bacon on it and roll it up. The rolls fit nicely in a gallon sized Ziploc freezer bag, and I can get 2 big rolls in one bag. Then I can quickly reheat however many slices we need in the microwave, toaster oven, or my egg pan. It’s much cheaper than the precooked bacon at the store, and easier than cooking fresh each time. ??