Menu Plan Monday: The Ultimate Grocery Shopping List

I'm late getting this up today.  I normally write out Monday's post on Sunday.  But, we were busy finishing the kids' Halloween costumes and also went to my in-laws' for my father-in-law's birthday dinner.  No time for writing a blog post!

Today, I wanted to share a look at my "Ultimate Grocery Shopping List."

My shopping list has gone through a lot of changes over the years.  Everything from a simple scribble on scrap paper to the picture you see above.  It looks complicated, but after getting it set up, it make things so simple!

Monday Plan Monday: Eating from the Pantry

With all the shopping I have been doing lately in trying to set up a price book, my pantry is full!  (Special thanks to Kate Megill from Teaching What is Good and her new e-book, Cut it Out!  How I Feed my Family of 10 for $500 a Month Without Coupons.   I'm so excited you are being featured on Menu Plan Monday!)

So, I'm going to try and create at least a week's worth of meals from my panty.  I'm hoping to actually end up with enough for two weeks, though.  I do know that avoiding the grocery store completely won't be possible, though.  I need a few staples, like eggs and milk, and I also need some toiletries.  But, by eating things that we already have, I'm hoping to save some money.

I Love Aldi!

In my quest to lower my grocery bills, I visited Aldi today.  Aldi is a discount grocery chain.  If you don't have an Aldi near you, I would like to express my deepest sympathy.  If you do and you've never been, I highly recommend you schedule an afternoon to go visit!  No, I'm not getting paid to say any of this (who would pay a blogger that hardly anyone reads?).  I just really love Aldi!

I try to make a trip to our nearest Aldi every couple of months at least.  I stock up on canned goods and boxed items.  I also get some snacks and cereal.  I save a ton of money when I do that.  But, today I actually bought some produce and some bread.  Everything I bought was cheaper than at Kroger's.  I know this thanks to my handy price book that I've been working on.  As a part of my effort to save money, I'm going to start going to Aldi more often.  At least every month.  Hopefully every two weeks.  It is a longer drive and time isn't always available.

If you do decide to visit your Aldi, there are a few things you will need to know.

1) Take a quarter.  Yep, a quarter.  One of the ways Aldi keeps their prices so low is they are a bit protective of their carts.  You will need a quarter to get one.  Unless a very nice person who just finished shopping offers you theirs for free.  This happens to me pretty often.  I believe it has something to do with feeling so great about all the money you've saved causing you to want to give to others.  Of course, I always pass along my free cart when I am done.  If you aren't a link in the "pay-it-forward" cart blessing, don't worry.  You'll get your quarter back when you return your cart.  This saves them from having to pay someone to gather up all the carts from the lot. 

A really bad pic of sis helping bag groceries

2) Speaking of carts, the people who generally wrangle the carts at your average grocery store are the baggers.  Aldi doesn't have baggers.  Once again this saves them money and they pass the savings along to you.  After the cashier rings your items up, they get put straight into another cart.  Then, after you pay, you take your cart over to the long counter they have available and bag your own groceries.  I actually like this because things never get bagged the way I want at Kroger.  Some bags will be practically empty while others are almost impossible for me to lift and I always end up with cleaning supplies in with my raw meat if I'm not careful to watch the bagger.

3) Along with bagging your own groceries, you will also need to bring your own bags.  Once again, this is a money saver for you.  All those bags cost a pretty penny!  They do have bags you can buy if you need to, though.   They have paper bags and canvas ones.  I have a slew of canvas bags that I use when I go to Kroger, too.  They are easier for me to carry since I can sling them on my shoulder, and they don't tear from box corners.  They cost me about $1 each, but they have lasted me several years.

4)  They don't accept credit cards.  I know this is a hard one for some people.  But, every time a store accepts a credit card, they are charged a fee.  That fee is then passed on to the customers through higher prices.  Aldi's goal is to keep things as affordable as possible while still offering quality.  So, you can use a debit card, EBT card, or cash.

5) Aldi's isn't very pretty.  No, it isn't dirty.  I'd never send you to a dirty grocery store!  But, the one by me is pretty outdated, the shelves are piled high with groceries and there aren't any flashy displays.  This saves money on floor space and costly store makeovers.

6) You won't find many name-brands.  Other than a handful of weekly specials, Aldi only carries their brand.  So, you will be buying generics.  But, I promise, I have never been unhappy with anything I bought at Aldi!  In fact, many of the things we buy there we prefer over Kroger's brand or even the name-brand.  Plus, Aldi has a double satisfaction guarantee.  If you aren't happy with an item, they will replace the item and refund your money.  Seems to me it is worth a try!

Now that you know what to expect, let me show you why I love Aldi so much:

Cart full of groceries at Aldi

Bub (who refused to be in the picture) holding up our Aldi receipt

See that cart filled to overflowing with groceries?  That whole cart cost me $150. Here is what I got for my money:

• 2 boxes of ice cream treats
• 3 loaves of white bread
• 5 boxes of Jambalaya mix (we love Jambalaya, but I just don't have time to make it from scratch!)
• 1 bag of jumbo marshmallows
• 1 bag of baby carrots (the kids eat these like candy!)
• 3 tubes of Crest toothpaste
• 3 cans of tuna
• 1 pack of American cheese slices (we aren't picky about our cheese on grilled cheese)
• 2 boxes of stuffing mix
• 2 lbs of bacon
• 1 pack of English muffins
• 2 packs of hot dog buns
• 24 cans of green beans
• 12 cans of peas
• 12 cans of mixed veggies
• 12 boxes of shells & cheese
• 1 multi-pack of Ramen noodles
• 2 packs of fruit cups
• 4 boxes of hamburger skillet meals (aka. generic Hamburger Helper)
• 3 jars of spaghetti sauce
• 2 jars of alfredo sauce
• 2 rolls of paper towels
• 1 jar of garlic powder
• 1 bottle of olive oil
• 12 boxes of breakfast fiber bars
• 1 box of brownie mix
• 2 boxes of cereal
• 1 jar of cinnamon
• 1 head of lettuce
• 1 bag of dishwashing tablets
• 3 bunches of broccoli
• 4 cans of pasta (ravioli and spaghetti o's)
• 1 tub of cat litter
• 6 cans of cream of chicken

You can see from my list that a lot of these things are convenience foods.  I mentioned that I am slowly trying to cut these out and make more from scratch.  Convenience foods are generally more expensive.   But, their staples, produce, dairy, and meat prices are also really great!  A cart full of groceries at Kroger generally costs me about $250.

Now, I know that someone out there must be wondering why I would buy 24 cans of green beans.  Well, like I said, I'm used to only going every couple of months.  I would go and stock up on non-perishables like canned and boxed goods.  They would last a long time and I wouldn't have to risk buying them at a higher price when I couldn't make it to Aldi for a while.  I keep it on shelves in my garage and won't have to buy more for a few months at least. 

I wanted to go ahead and stock up now while I am still working on my price book and menu plans.  Sort of a back up just in case.  But, I definitely plan to visit Aldi more often so I can also buy perishable items there.

If you visit your local Aldi, I'd love to hear about it!

Menu Plan Monday: Rotating Plans and a Price Book

I'm so thankful for everyone who stopped by last week for my first Menu Plan Monday!  It was so much fun!  I'm linking up again over at I'm an Organizing Junkie for this week's Menu Plan Monday.

Last week, I mentioned Kate Megill from Teaching What is Good and her new e-book, Cut it Out!  How I Feed my Family of 10 for $500 a Month Without Coupons. To get started with her suggestions, I made up the first of my rotating menus.  Before reading this book, I always just made a new dinner menu from scratch every couple of weeks.  But, with Kate's advice, I'm switching to a rotation of menus that include all our meals.  For us, this means breakfast, lunch, DH's lunch (he packs for work), and dinner.  I'm also including some desserts.  It is a little more prep time up front.  But, it is going to save me tons of time in the long run.  Instead of thinking up a new menu every couple of weeks, I will just have to pull up the next menu in the rotation!

Kate also recommends having a set shopping list with each menu so that you don't have to figure out everything you will need each time.  Instead, it will be right there waiting.  If you already having something in your pantry (or in my case, a shelf in my garage), you just cross it off the list.  Another thing that takes a little more time in the beginning, but will save tons of time in the long run!  Kate even has some downloadable spreadsheets (have I mentioned I LOVE spreadsheets) that come with the purchase of her e-book to help you get started.  No doubt, I will eventually manage to make them more complicated, but they really are a great tool!

Kate also teaches how to set up a price-book.  I had heard the concept before and had started one a month or so back.  But, with her help, I was able to really get it up and going this week.  A price-book is a list of items you regularly buy (I can just use my shopping list from my menus), and how much they cost at the stores you generally shop at.  This way, you can find the best price and really learn to recognize a good sale.  This is another downloadable spreadsheet she offers when you buy the e-book!

On my first grocery shopping trip I didn't really spend a whole lot less than I would a normal grocery trip.  But, I was also completely out of a lot of staples, not to mention other foods.  So, I pretty much had to buy every single ingredient on my list!  Yikes!  This does leave me with plenty of food, though.  I know for certain that I have enough food for every single meal for two weeks (with plenty left over!).  Before, I would often run out of things and have to make quick trips (where I inevitable end up buying stuff we don't need) throughout the week.  Not this time!  So, even though I didn't spend less on my actual grocery trip (This time.  I'm pretty certain there is going to be a significant difference next time just by looking at my full fridge and shelves), I think I probably saved over $100 just avoiding those "quick trips."

Kate warns that this isn't a miracle, over-night solution.  It is a process that is going to take time to implement.  Just setting up the price-book alone can't be done in a day (at least you'd have to have a LOT more energy than me to get that done!).  So, I'm being patient and working toward progress.

In the meantime, here is this week's menu:

Monday - Stir-fry chicken, veggies
Tuesday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread
Wednesday - Veggie soup, bread
Thursday - Parsley Parmesan Chicken, potato wedges, green beans, bread
Friday - Homemade 3-Ways (Just in case you don't know what this is, it is a Cincinnati favorite.  Spaghetti, with Cincinnati chili, and cheese.  Yum!  If you are ever in Cincinnati, be sure to try some!), crackers
Saturday - Hamburger Macaroni bake, salad, bread
Sunday - Fish sticks, Shells & Cheese, tater tots

Homemade Laundry Detergent - The FAST way!

When I went to start my first load of laundry on Monday (my new laundry day) this is what I found:

Oops!

I had used up the last of my laundry soap last week and had "forgotten" to make more.  Why didn't I just do it last Monday?  Well, if I knew the answer to that I might actually have a clean house!

Thankfully I had all the supplies on hand to make another batch.  Now, I just need to remember to pick up more the next time I'm at the grocery store or that won't be true next time!

I have been making my own laundry soap for several years now.  It is a frugal girl's perfect project.  Our clothes are clean and we save a ton of money!  When I first started making it, I made liquid soap.  My only reason for doing this is that, when I bought the commercial stuff, I bought liquid.  It was what I was used to.  But, it only took a few batches before I realized that I could make powdered soap in 1/4 the time.  Less time spent making it made it more likely I'd actually keep with it and not just go back to the commercial detergent.  

I love saving money, but I also love saving time!


I was a little worried about using powder at first.  But, even when I use cold water (almost every load) it dissolves just fine and does just as good a job as the liquid.  So, I've stuck with powder ever since.

The recipe I use needs three ingredients:

Borax, Fels Naptha, Super Washing Soda

• Fels Naptha
• Borax
• Super Washing Soda (this is not baking soda, but it is made by Arm & Hammer and looks very similar)

You can find all three in the Laundry aisle of most grocery stores.  If you don't find it right away, you may need to check another store.  I also have all three available on my Amazon store if you are unable to find them at your grocery store.

I use equal parts of all three ingredients.  I've read several recipes that call for different amounts of each.  Because, there are so many different ratios being suggested, I realized that the exact ratio isn't a huge deal.  So, I made it easy on myself and use roughly equal parts.  I don't actually measure, but instead, just do it by eye.

How to Make Powdered Laundry Soap

First, find a container.  If you are like me, you might get frozen right here while you try to decided the perfect container.  It would have to be pretty, functional, and creative.  It would require a special shopping trip to Hobby Lobby or Michael's.  You would need to find some time to do a little crafting.   STOP!!!!  Any old container will do!  If, in the future you happen to find one that fits all those criteria, great!  Until then, grab an empty butter tub, one of those disposable "Glad" containers (or "Kroger" if you are like me), or even an old powdered laundry soap container.  Like this:

The "perfect" container is the one that is free and you already have laying around!

Next, grab your ingredients.  We'll start with the Fels Naptha.  You will need to grate it.  There are several different ways to do this.  The most basic being to grab a cheese grater and get to work.  But, I like to take the faster, less work intense route.  Remember, we're going for FAST here!  So, I use my food processor!

Since all the ingredients are the same ones you can use to make homemade dishwasher soap, I know it is safe.  I just make sure to clean it out really well when I'm done.

To get the Fels Naptha really fine, I use two different blades at the same time.  I use the chopping blade inside:

And the grating plate on the top.  If your food processor is like mine, make sure the plate is turned so that it will grate and not slice.  I've learned to double check this the hard way!

The grating plate will grate the soap and the chopping blade will make it into a fine powder.  While that isn't necessary (I've made it with just the soap grated before) it does help.  If you have an attachment that will stop up the opening, use it.  You want all the soap to stay inside the processor.

Put the lid on and go ahead and grate your Fels Naptha.  Notice, I have my container sitting under the opening.  Even though I have the attachment in there to close it, a little soap still escapes and I want to catch it all!  After you are finished grating, you might notice you have some large chucks of soap that didn't grate.

You can save this to make some spot treatment, (just dissolve in water and put in a spray bottle or just wet the bar and rub it on a spot) or you can throw it in the bottom of the processor, put the lid back on, and turn the food processor back on.  It will get chopped up and you won't even know it was there.  Since I have plenty of spot treatment, I went ahead and chopped it up.

When you are finished, you will have a fine powder.  I used two bars, so if you use just one, you might not have as much as is pictured.

Next, add an equal amount of Borax or Washing Soda:

Then, add an equal amount of whichever ingredient you didn't add before (aren't I so precise?):

Yes, my food processor is REALLY full at this point.  But, it can still do the job!  Put the lid on and give it a whirl!  You will be able to see it mixing together and will know when it is done.  It should look something like this:

Pour it in your container and you are ready to go! 

The whole process probably takes about 10 minutes at the most (remember, I have trouble with my internal chore-clock and I couldn't time myself because I kept stopping to take pictures).  And I've made enough to last several months!

I use one tablespoon of soap in each load.  I had an old Oxy Clean (or Kroger's version) scoop left over that works perfectly.  If I have a really dirty load, I might add another scoop.

That's it!  It is really simple and so inexpensive!  So, if you thought making your own laundry soap was too much work or took too much time, think again!