Running Food
Tally: Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd
September 2012
Weetbix (14 bics) 1 pk = 72 bics
for approx. $4.00 Cost
$0.78
Rice Cakes (8) 1pk = 5
serves for approx. $1.50 Cost $0.60
Tea Bags (12) 1pk = 250
bags for approx. $5.00 Cost
$0.24
Apple (4) each apple approx. 200g
@$3/kg Cost $2.40
Milk (7L) $1 per litre Cost
$7.00
Grain Waves chips one pack @ $2.50 Cost
$2.50
Instant Coffee 200g=$13;
50g used Cost
$3.25
Strawbs (2 pt) 2 punnets
@ $1.69 per punnet Cost
$3.38
Cream (280ml) 600ml = $2.25
(round up to 300ml) Cost
$1.12
Crispbreads (9) 1 pk = 36
biscuits @ $1.80 Cost
$0.45
Milo 1kg = $8; approx.
100g used Cost $0.80
Lettuce (1/2) Lettuce
head was purchased for $1 Cost
$0.50
Butter (500g) 250g Butter
= $1.50 Cost
$3.00
Lindt Choc (140g) Purchased @
$1.80/100g Cost
$2.52
Mayonnaise estimated cost Cost
$0.20
Tomato (1) purchased @ $8/kg; 150g Cost
$1.20
Ham (300g) purchased @ $16/kg Cost
$4.80
Tortillas (12) purchased
@ $3 for 12 pk Cost
$3.00
White Sugar estimated cost Cost
$0.70
Avocado (1) purchased @ $2 Cost
$2.00
Cheese slices (11) purchased 12pk @
$0.99 Cost
$0.99
Arborio Rice 1kg pk @ $4; 250g used Cost $1.00
Vanilla essence estimated
cost Cost
$0.50
Onion (4) purchased @ $1/kg; 6 to
a kg Cost $0.67
Cheese block(1kg) purchased @ $8/kg Cost
$8.00
Corn kernels 400g can cost $1 Cost
$1.00
Cordial estimated cost Cost
$0.50
Carrot (4) 1kg @ $1; 8 to a kg Cost
$0.50
Ice cream (2L) purchased @
$2.49/2L Cost
$2.49
Cannalini beans 400g can cost
$1.45 Cost
$1.45
Mineral Water 1.5L bottle
@ $0.88 Cost
$0.88
Zucchini (1) 3pk purchased @ $3 Cost
$1.00
Yoghurt (500ml) 1kg yoghurt @
$4.50 Cost
$2.25
Taco seasoning 30g spice mix
@ $2 Cost
$2.00
Ginger powder estimated
cost Cost
$0.20
Mushrooms (700g) purchased @ $8/kg Cost
$5.60
Mince beef (300g) purchased @ $4/kg Cost
$1.20
Tomato Passata purchased @ $0.99/jar Cost $0.99
Chilli powder estimated
cost Cost
$0.20
Garlic (3 cloves) bulb cost $0.80;
10 cloves/bulb Cost
$0.24
Chicken (150g) purchased @
$7/kg Cost
$1.05
Soy Sauce estimated cost Cost
$0.20
Chicken stock 125g @
$2.20; approx. 40g used Cost
$0.70
Celery (1/4 bunch) half bunch
purchased @ $1.40 Cost
$0.70
Rump Steak (200g) purchased @ $10/kg Cost
$2.00
Rice vermicelli pk = $1.20; ½
pk used Cost
$0.60
Nutella spread estimated
cost Cost
$0.60
Pineapple (can) 400g @ $2 Cost
$2.00
Egg (4) dozen purchased @
$2.00 Cost
$0.67
Sliced bread 2 loaves @ $1/loaf Cost
$2.00
Cheese & Bacon Balls purchased @ $1/bag Cost
$1.00
Capsicum (1) purchased @ $4/kg; approx. 300g Cost $1.20
Deli Turkey (100g) purchased @ $14/kg Cost
$1.40
Noodles (2 pkts) 10pks @ $5.00 Cost
$1.00
Raspberry Jam estimated
cost Cost
$0.50
Olives (1/2 jar) jar @ $3.50 Cost $1.75
Mozzarella (600g) purchased @ $5.50 Cost
$5.50
Mushroom soup can purchased
@ $2.00 Cost
$2.00
Tomato Paste jar purchased @ $1.20 Cost $1.20
Bananas (3) retail price $2/kg; approx.
400g Cost $0.80
Shredded Ham (1kg) purchased @ $7/kg Cost
$7.00
Spiral pasta 1pk @ $1.50; ½ pk used Cost $0.75
Paprika estimated cost Cost
$0.10
Sopressa (150g) purchased @
$17/kg Cost
$2.55
Cream Cheese(250g) purchased @ $2 Cost
$2.00
Flour (SR & Plain) estimated cost Cost
$3.00
Italian Herbs estimated
cost Cost
$0.40
Sunflower oil estimated
cost Cost
$0.50
Maple syrup estimated cost Cost
$1.20
Vegemite estimated cost Cost
$0.20
Dried Yeast 280g @ $4.50; approx. 30g
used Cost $0.48
Icing Sugar 500g @ $1.90; approx. 200g
used Cost $0.76
TOTAL
COST FOR GROCERIES: Cost $117.91
Other: Lunch order for Emily - $4.30; Lunch
order for Emily - $3.30;
Takeaway fish and chips - $20; Takeaway
Indian - $50
TOTAL
COST FOR EXTRA ITEMS Cost
$77.60
TOTAL
COST OF FOOD EXPENSES Cost $195.51
FAIL
My total grocery cost is not far off my target of $100, but the extras threw me right out to almost double my target. Had we needed to, we could have made the $100 work. In my calculations I included all food used, not what was purchased. I think I ended up spending about $54 at the grocery stores during this week because I try to go to the shops as least as possible (thereby avoiding the impulse buys). I estimate I will need to grocery shop by about Wednesday this week with a major shop, and I had bought most of my supplies the Wednesday before the challenge (spending about $130).
There were items in my total that were given to us (i.e. the bananas) or that I would not have bought if I were planning on a budgeting challenge (i.e. the avocado or the ice cream) but some items in these categories needed to be used, so it was better to eat and include the items than waste and exclude them for the sake of this challenge. As a household we have very little food wastage (normally only if the leftovers get forgotten).
Also a lot of the items are part of a larger quantity - spices, flours, oil, spreads, etc so these do not get purchased regularly and the full expense of the item is very infrequent, so $3 here or $2 there is less noticeable - and most of these expenses were estimates based on the cost and how often I buy them. For most spices the ones I have are up to 3 years old (and probably less pungent) so I would not normally factor the cost of these into a dish.
The 8 pizzas we made on Sunday night would normally feed the 4 of us for 4 meals, so if you count that instead of the takeaway Thursday and Saturday and still a leftover for Monday (which we have) the actual grocery cost could be accurate for us as a family.
I have learned a lot from this little experiment. How about you?
