Grocery Shock

Okay, what's with the price of groceries these days? How is it possible that I am always surprised by how much I spend on Monday evenings?

Now I'm not a bargain hunter. I go to the Independent because it's on my way home from work. Neither do I stint - Andrew and the kids (not to mention myself) all have healthy appetites. But I do meal plan two weeks ahead, and I make a grocery list so I always know what I need to buy. I might stray from it - if, for example, coffee is on sale, but I'm pretty good at sticking to it for the most part.

I don't buy beef or lamb because we grow our own. I don't buy sausages, bacon, pork or chicken because I get them fresh from a local farmer. Sometimes I buy chicken if it's on sale. To the kids' regret I don't buy pop or chips or junk food either. And hardly anything pre-packaged.

So it's veggies, dairy, staples. Mostly dairy - we do go through 16 litres of milk a week, and more cheese and yogurt than I care to admit. But lots of fairly inexpensive fruit and vegetables too - whatever is in season.

I'm aware that when it comes to food, Canadians are fortunate. I realise that groceries take a lot less of our disposable income here than in many places around the globe. So I'm not really complaining. We eat well., and I'm thankful for that.
I know the price of groceries has increased in the past few years. I factor that it. And yet, when I get to the cash, it's still more than I expect.

I spend (on average) $150 a week for two adults, 3 children aged 7- 10. This doesn't count the freezer full of meat we have at home, or the roughly $30 a week I spend at the local butcher. Is this normal, or do I need to completely rethink my grocery habits..

I'm starting to think I'm just a bad shopper, so I'm interested in your thoughts.

Little Chef

Anna likes to cook. She calls herself Little Chef and is a whiz at whipping up spaghetti (as in the picture), other kinds of pasta, cupcakes, and gravy. She even invented her own drink - a warm sugar infused strawberry confection that she makes for special occasions.

Of course, I encourage all of this. With all the kids, not just Anna - although she has the most interest right now.

Shouldn't we be starting dinner, she'll ask. I'll get my cook book.

That was how I discovered where my Joy of Cooking had gone - Anna had put it in on her reading shelf.

She'll sit at the kitchen table, leafing through recipes.

She convinces her brother and sister to try things I'd never expect them to agree to.

She makes recommendations to her siblings based on a secret ratio of randomness, uniqueness, and how cool the name sounds, and then they write down the key ingredients on my grocery list.

We had roast duck one weekend.

Lamb curry another.

But much as I admire her willingness to try new things, the line must be drawn somewhere.

Let's have Osso Bucca, she called out yesterday, her finger resting on the appropriate page of the Joy.

Um, sorry honey, we don't have any marrow bones.

She looks pensive. Okay then, let's have...

There is a pause. I imagine her filing through a list of incredible recipe ideas in her head.

Hot dogs! she proclaims with joy.

Hot dogs we can do.

Piling Up The Grocery Cart

I was reading this blogpost about the rising cost of food. ET says she spends $700-$800 monthly on food for her family of 7, and wonders what she’s doing wrong, because so many people seem to spend less than that.

Just so you know, ET, I’m not one of them.

We easily fall into that category. For our family of five, I shop weekly and spend on average $150-$180 per week. Which may not seem too bad until you consider two things:

1. We raise our own beef and lamb, and buy our chicken and pork from local farmers, so I don’t buy much meat; and
2. In the summer we grow most of our own produce too.

So what am I buying?

It’s a good question. We certainly don’t skimp on food, and Andrew has a good appetite after looking after a dairy herd all day (he borrowed my pedometer once and clocked something ridiculous like 28 km in one day). But I am not an impulse buyer, and always go to the store armed with a grocery list created from my weekly menu plan. Nor do we buy much processed or prepackaged food.

Still, I manage to load up a cart without any trouble, and have even considered the implications of having to push two carts around now that my active 8 year old son is starting to appreciate food more.

We do eat lots of dairy. And bread. I ran into a single friend at the store one day this past summer who saw me coming out of the bread aisle and remarked, “Oh, you’re having a party?”

No. Actually, this is just the amount of bread/buns we go through in a week.

For fun, I am reviewing yesterday’s grocery bill. Because like everyone else, I have noticed the cost increasing over the last year quite dramatically. And here’s some prices for comparison (Canadian dollars)

Coffee $8.99 (large can – lasts 1 week)
Milk 4L 2% $3.97 (I buy 4/week = about $16.00)
Old Cheddar $5.99 (large block – barely lasts a week)
Bread $2.22 (I buy 6/week = $14.00
Eggs medium $2.39 (2 carton/week = $5)
Cereal Weetabix $4.49 (I usually buy two boxes of various cereal per week)
Apples 4lb $3.99
Box KD $1.29
Butter 1 lb $5.39

It all adds up. Don't even get me started on the cost of gas. When you live in the country, there aren't many options!