The Last Two Weeks

• I did really well the last two weeks. I decided to get serious about staying under $100. I spent $61 and $80 respectively. I preplanned what we would be eating and I had no impulse buys. The average is now down to $120.88 per week for my family of five (three teens). I have no doubt that it continues to be possible (even with rising prices) to feed an average family nutritious meals for $100 a week. We need to continue to look to our ancestors and to the third world for guidance on how to do this. Meat should be viewed as an element of the meal and not the primary focus. I've been watching Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel and I'm amazed that people in many other parts of the world will eat virtually any living thing. They will also eat every part of the animal. Nothing goes to waste. This is the case in Europe and the United Kingdom as well. There are traditional dishes like haggis that mixes all the parts of the animal that we would throw away with oats and cooks it in the stomach of the animal for a delicious taste treat :) Insects seem to be quite popular too. I don't see Americans eating bugs anytime soon however.

I have been figuring out the price of everything per lb. I think potatoes are our most versatile vegetable. You can do so many great things with them and there is virtually no waste.

canned corn $1.28 lb (drained water and weighed)

fresh green beans $.99

pasta Sauce (jar) $.62 lb (on sale)

graham crackers $2.10 lb

whole wheat bread $1.08 lb

oranges $.63 lb

eggs $.14 each

potatoes $.31 lb

boxed cereal $1.66 lb (sale price)

romaine lettuce $1.12 lb

fresh strawberries $1.25 lb

tortillas $1.29 lb

bread flour $.40 lb (bulk)

Combo's Snacks $2.28 lb (sale price) $4.59 lb reg price