Grocery Haul: What I Spent & What I Made

Hello! Ohhhh what a week it’s been. I am currently just over a week away from landing back in Rhode Island, but we’ve still got a ways to go (currently writing this from northwest Arkansas, though everything below is from a grocery trip back in June when we were still in Washington).

I’m feeling a lot of mixed feelings as we finish out this journey of living in a truck camper. I’m tired, and I am desperate for some routine and stability, but at the same time, I’ll dearly miss living out west in proximity to massive mountains and alpine lakes and having the freedom and flexibility to experience so many cool places in a short amount of time. While I have loved many aspects of this nomadic, mobile life, I am craving a sense of normalcy. I wrote about this feeling a couple months ago in my post It’s okay to want an ordinary life. Give it a read if you find yourself comparing your life to others.

Keep reading for this week’s grocery list, and subscribe to my paid tier to get this week’s recipes!

SAFEWAY in Leavenworth, WA. Ope, switching it up from Walmart! We went to Safeway in the adorable Bavarian mountain town of Leavenworth! If you’ve never been but love a kitschy little town that looks like a theme park, Leavenworth is your girl. Located just a couple of hours from Seattle, WA, it’s an adorable escape from city life (though you definitely can’t escape the tourists and crowds), and there are some great hikes in the area, including Colchuck Lake and the iconic Enchantments thru-hike.

Safeway is certainly a bit more expensive than my previous Walmart trips (for example, I got two rotisserie chickens last week for just over $11, and I bought ONE rotisserie chicken this week for $10… woof!). This week I also spent a decent chunk of my grocery bill on household items and snacks (about 1/3 of my total bill). We were staying at a campground about 30 minutes away from the center of town, and an hour away from big hikes, and we stayed in this one spot for 8 days. So we had a lot more opportunities to cook and meal prep rather than going out to eat since it took so much effort to get out and explore!

• THIS WEEK’S TOTAL: $219.34

  • Pantry Items and Restocks: $41.29 (18%)

  • Household: 35.73 (16%)

  • Snacks: $33.93 (15%)

  • Meat & Poultry: $32.97 (15%)

  • Produce: $29.09 (13%)

  • Dairy: $20.74 (9%)

  • Frozen: $15.78 (7%)

  • Bread: $5.49 (3%)

• TOTAL FOR FOOD WITHOUT HOUSEHOLD ITEMS & SNACKS: $149.68

Bread

• Sourdough loaf ($5.49)

Dairy

• 18ct eggs ($2.49)

• 1/2 Gallon Whole Lactose-Free Milk ($3.99)

• Havarti slices ($2.49)

• Shredded cheddar jack ($2.49)

• Butter ($3.79)

• Cotija cheese ($5.49)

Meat & Poultry

• Rotisserie chicken ($9.99)

• Jalapeño cheddar sausage links ($4.99)

• 3lbs ground turkey ($17.99)

Produce

• Broccoli florets ($4.49)

• Green onion ($1.49)

• Jalapeño (0.69)

• Yellow onion ($4.14)

• 2x XL Avocados ($4.98)

• 1lb strawberries ($4.49)

• 2 limes ($1.38)

• Rainier cherries ($7.43)

Pantry Items & Restocks

• 1 jar roasted red peppers ($3.49)

• Soy sauce ($1.99)

• 1 can of corn ($1.25)

• 2x cans diced tomatoes ($2.98)

• 1x can kidney beans ($1.29)

• 1x can black beans ($1.29)

• 32oz chicken broth ($2.49)

• 1lb Rotini pasta ($1.25)

• Olive oil ($8.99)

• 28oz San Marzano tomatoes ($3.79)

• JIF natural peanut butter ($3.49)

• Kodiak Cakes Blueberry Pancake Mix ($8.99)

Snacks

• Cheez-It ($5.49)

• Fritos scoops ($5.99)

• Crunchy Cheetos ($5.49)

• Peanut M&Ms ($6.49)

• Lunchables x3 ($10.47)

Frozen

• Red Baron French Bread Pizza ($5.79)

• Frozen turkey sausage patties ($9.99)

Household

• Parchment paper ($3.49)

• Paper towels ($10.99)

• Freezer storage bags ($3.79)

• Dawn dish soap ($4.49)

• Puffs plus lotion ($2.49)

• Toilet paper ($5.99)

• Scrub Mommy ($4.49)

I had a number of items already in my pantry and leftover in my refrigerator that I used for the recipes I cooked this week:

• Pesto

• Mayonnaise

• Greek yogurt

• Salt, pepper, and other spices

• Hot sauce

• Tomato paste

• Red bell peppers