We made it through another month! Seems like we stayed out of the grocery store a little more this month and stuck with eating from the freezer. We have a lot we are trying to eat up before spring comes! So most of what we bought this month was fresh produce to supplement the foods we had on hand. We currently budget $225 per month for food and that is for 3 of us. Here's what I bought.
Bountiful Baskets: $25
I ordered an organic basket from Bountiful Baskets and we weren't very impressed with it. The bag on the top looked like a lot but really was only some carrots and a bit of chard. We also had a few oranges, some tomatoes, 2 bell peppers, a few avocados, some garlic, 3lbs of apples, and some overly ripe mangoes that I ended up tossing. This was the first time I'd ordered a basket in a while and I won't be ordering again unless we are desperate, organic produce at Safeway is much cheaper.
Sam's Club: $41
5lb Sour Cream, Organic Milk (3 half gallons), bagels (I know I bought them instead of making them this time, so lazy!), half and half (for ice cream), and cheddar cheese.
Raw Goat's Milk: $6
1 gallon from the farm. Trying something new!
Azure Standard: $130
I had a somewhat smaller order than normal this month and the majority of the cost was the bulk rice pasta which we were almost out of. 12 packages Jovial Rice Pasta, 50lb organic potatoes, smoked salmon (treat for hubby 
), avocados, 6lb organic apples, 6 lb organic cream cheese, 5lb organic oranges, organic romaine lettuce, Vegenaise (x2, been using it for homemade dressing!), organic celery, 1lb goat's milk cheese, Applegate Hot Dogs, organic shelf stable milk (I like to have this one hand in my stockpile, just in case).
Total: $202
Below budget this month, yay! As you can see, we don't buy meat throughout the month, we purchase it once a year. Beef is purchased in 100lb or 150lb bulk buy and is grass fed, chicken is purchased through Zaycon (and some through local Hutterite Colonies). The money for those purchases comes from a different fund figured out by our Budgeting Chart.
We realize our eating and shopping habits are not typical so feel free to ask questions in the comments section! If you'd like to learn more about Buying in Bulk make sure to check out all the resources we have posted.
Disclaimer: This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m curious as to what you will do with 5 pounds of sourcream and how you will keep from spoiling before you use it all. I’m new at this and have been enjoying your site. Thanks for sharing with us.
We tend to go through a lot of sour cream! In between uses I take a spoon and make the top of the sour cream in the container smooth and try not to get any around the edges of the container. Making it smooth will keep the liquid from coming to the top and keeping the sides clean will discourage mold.
Where do you purchase your beef from?
My parents! We share in the cows that they raise:)
I was wondering about Azure Standard? Do you find their prices to be comparable on most items? What about the shipping? Do you like their produce or find better deals when buying locally?
I pay 8.5% shipping on my order total to get my Azure order here and I think it’s worth it, I know the amount goes directly to the truck driver and I SO appreciate him! Their prices are much lower than anything I can find locally for sure, and often lower than many online places as well. I love their produce! Sometimes its a bit more than I can get locally but it’s much better quality.
This is very encouraging, that you feed your family so well and spend so little. I was curious about how you use sour cream, too, because I always seem to have to throw some away (what didn’t get used up in time). But I will try and make it last using your tips.
I use the same tip for yogurt; keep it smooth and the sides clean. I want to find a source for beef but we really don’t eat a lot of red meat. I am a once a year shopper, unless I find a great sale!
For the most part, the only thing I purchase regularly is dairy and produce. Hope to cut out the majority of the produce with an enhanced garden this year. I am only feeding 2.
I had wondered about the organic Bountiful baskets, I will forgo it I think. I shop about 4 times a year through Azure as well, and have found many of their items very good. Thank you for sharing!
I know people have been happy with the regular Bountiful Baskets but like I said above…I find the organic baskets to be less than impressive. Maybe if BB carries more organic add-ons someday I would order again!
You can freeze sour cream. Just might need to whip it up a bit when it thaws out to bring back the same smooth texture.
Hi Merissa,
Thanks for sharing this useful information. The information is smart and interesting.