happy at home

SOCIAL EXPERIMENT, WEEK TWO UPDATE

Today marks the end of the second week of my social experiment. Lots of good things happened this week. As you may notice in the column to the left, I spent just a little more than last week.

Here is what I got this week at the discount foods store.
-24-roll pack of our toilet-paper-of-choice, Angel Soft ($4!)
-1 bottle dish detergent
-2 boxes of cereal
-1 box of cupcake mix
-1 large bottle of all natural apple juice
-4 bars of Ghirardelli chocolate
-2 boxes of bouillon
-3 Steel Wool
-1 jar of spaghetti sauce
-3 bars of Fels Naptha Laundry Soap
-1 Scotch Tape
-1 box unsweetened Chocolate (for making brownies)
-1 bag of chocolate chips (I bought a lot of chocolate this week!)
-3 BOTTLES OF METHOD HANDSOAP!! (this was definitely my big find of the week!)
-1 bottle of pepper oil (I wanted to try out this interesting sounding recipe)

Of the $60, about $25 was spent on fruits and vegetables. The rest was spent at the discount food store and on the lavendar detergent I bought off etsy.

Several things worked this week to keep the food costs low.
1. I organized my freezer and pantry and found TONS of food that I was overlooking. For example, in the freezer were 6, eight pound pork loins. Yeaaaa....
So, I have it all organized, and made a master list of everything in the freezer and pantry, so I know at a glance what is there. I have been cooking out of the freezer a lot this week.

2. Matt brought home tons of samples from work. Things I don't ever buy, and they were some fun treats. Fruit snacks, fruit by the foot, chex mix snacks, mozarrella cheese sticks, chicken fingers, etc. We have been enjoying all that stuff!

In spite of spending nearly 50% less on our food, we are still eating very well. In fact, we had unexpected dinner company two times this week and it was great!
Another added benefit of not going into Wal.Mart (or other such retail establishments), is the exposure my boys are receiving. For example, the last time I went into Wal.Mart, we are standing in the checkout line...and right at C's eye level is a magazine with a topless Britney Spears, making out with another woman!! I REEEAAAALLLLYYY am not ready to have that conversation with my four year old. Guess what my son is looking at when we are checking out at the produce stand? A picture of Jesus!! No, I am not kidding. Hmmm, what would I rather talk to my son about? Hot lesbian love, or Jesus? That's enough incentive right there to quit shopping at those places!

So, this is the end of the second week and I have not yet darkened any "big box" company's doors. I have to say, it is a great feeling. I am spending tons less money, am more calm and relaxed, am losing weight from lack of junk food in the house (well, except for all those samples!), cooking better food, and saving my children from viewing lots of unneccessary raunchiness! It's a good thing, all around.