Grocery Haul: What I Spent & What I Made

Welcome back to my weekly grocery list and recipe series!

I used to create a weekly grocery list and four corresponding recipes as part of a monthly membership on the old Tastemade platform (RIP). But when Tastemade shut the platform down in 2023 (and Substack hadn’t quite taken off yet), I took a step back and decided not to continue finding a way to publish weekly grocery lists and recipes.

But now I’m bringing back this series in a new format.

I’m sharing where I shopped, what I spent, and every single item on my receipt. You’ll see everything I made, the cost-per-serving, any pivots I made mid-week, what I bought too much of, and what I had in my pantry. You’ll also get an easy-to-read PDF that includes a grocery list and written recipes so you can save and print it, take it to the grocery store, and use it as a checklist to make any of these recipes this week!

And each week’s recipes include plenty of substitution ideas, so you can use what you already have instead of buying something new.

Safeway in Bend, OR. When we arrived in Bend, OR, I didn’t know all of the grocery store options in the area, so I went with Safeway because it was the most familiar to me. The prices here aren’t Whole Foods-level high, but they’re not Walmart- or WinCo-level cheap.

I break this down by category—meat and produce are always where I spend the most. Dairy and bread sometimes last just a week, and sometimes I’m picking at the same packet of cheese for nearly a month. Pantry items and restocks are any canned or boxed goods that can last from weeks to months (tomatoes are used for a sauce this week, but a jar of peanut butter might last me months). I try to keep our snack budget low, and I often get my household or personal items like cleaning supplies and body wash during my grocery runs.

• THIS WEEK’S TOTAL: $190.51

  • Meat & Poultry: $53.01 (28%)

  • Produce: $41.49 (22%)

  • Pantry Items and Restocks: $29.98 (16%)

  • Dairy and Bread: $29.25 (15%)

  • Household items: $25.26 (13%)

  • Snacks: $11.32 (6%)

• TOTAL FOR FOOD WITHOUT SNACKS & HOUSEHOLD ITEMS: $153.73

Dairy, Bread, and Other Food

• Flour tortillas ($4.99)

• Sourdough loaf ($6.99)

• 18ct eggs ($4.29)

• 1/2 Gallon Whole Lactose-Free Milk ($4.49)

• Fage 0% Greek Yogurt 32oz tub ($8.49)

• Screamin’ Sicilian Frozen Pizza ($0 - I had a coupon)

Meat & Poultry

• Pork Shoulder ($20.59)

• Chicken Breast ($15.94)

• 1lb Ground Turkey ($5.99)

• 1lb Ground Beef ($10.49)

Produce

• Sweet peppers ($3.99)

• Broccoli crown ($1.32)

• Sweet Potato ($3.32)

• Jalapeños ($0.75)

• Cilantro ($0.99)

• Navel oranges ($4.24)

• 2x haas avocados ($3.87)

• Bananas ($0.93)

• 2lbs strawberries ($6.99)

• 3x limes ($2.37)

• 2x white onions ($2.09)

• Honeycrisp apples ($2.56)

• 2 green bell peppers ($2.58)

• Freshly made medium salsa ($5.49)

Pantry Items & Restocks

• Chipotle Tabasco ($4.79)

• Roasted Red Peppers ($3.79)

• Pasta Shells ($1.25)

• 2x Diced Tomatoes ($3.58)

• Chicken Broth ($2.49)

• Chocolate chips ($5.29)

• JIF natural Peanut Butter ($5.79)

• Cento Tomato Paste ($3)

Snacks

• Kraft mac and cheese ($1.99)

• Crunchy Cheetos ($5.99)

• 2x Nissin Cup Noodles ($3.34)

Household Items

• Gain liquid detergent ($7.99)

• Viva Paper Towels ($7.49)

• Puffs Tissue ($2.79)

• Toilet Paper ($6.99)

When I lived in an apartment, I had a HUGE pantry, with food perfectly organized into labeled clear containers. It was a home cook’s dream, but I won’t lie… I barely used many of my pantry items. I probably had half a dozen different varieties of rice, another half-dozen noodles, four different kinds of bread crumbs, and don’t get me started on all of my different types of flour…

Now that I live in a truck camper, I had to pare down my pantry by a lot. I only have about one and a half tiny cabinets where I can store food. I kept a handful of my clear labeled containers and only a few of my most-used bottles of vinegars and oils. Despite lacking access to a well-stocked pantry, living more minimally has made me a more resourceful cook and pushed me to simplify my recipes.

So, this week, these are the pantry items that I already had in stock that I used in this week’s recipes:

• Honey

• Granola

• Rice

• White cheddar

• Old fashioned oats

• Red onion

• Black beans

• Cookies & cream protein

• Spices & seasonings