January Food List

Store	Amount	Item	Cost	Approx. Used
GO	5lbs	Flour	$1.99	$0.90
	4lbs	Sugar	$1.49	$0.60
	4cans	Corn-Peppers	$2.00	$1.00
	2cans	Baked Beans	$0.89	$0.89
	1can	Vanilla Creamer	$0.79	$0.79
	1lg box	Salt	$0.23	$0.02
	8packs	Pepperjack Cheese	$1.00	$0.12
	1pack (8)	Chicken Bouillon	$0.69	$0.09
	3packs (24)	Tomato Bouillon	$0.99	$0.04
	3packs	Chicken Maggi	$0.99	$0.66
	1jar	Beef Bouillon	$0.69	$0.05
	1pack	Spaghetti Noodles	$0.79	$0.40
	1lg can	Tomato Sauce	$1.00	$0.80
	1box	Rice-a-roni	$1.00	$1.00
	1pack	Cookie Mix	$1.00	0
	2boxes (12)	Popsicles	$1.00	$0.75
	1can	Frosting	$1.00	0
	1box	Swiss Rolls	$1.50	$1.38
	1box	Nutty Bars	$1.50	$1.50
	1box	Ice Cream	$1.99	$1.99
	1cookie	Star Crunch	$0.45	$0.45
Dollar General	1box	Pizza Pockets	$3.00	$3.00
	1box	Gelatin Candies	$1.00	$1.00
Walmart	1jar	Tang	$2.50	$1.75
	2boxes	Pie Crust	$4.00	$2.00
	1box (12)	Doughnuts	$3.54	$0.89
Sam’s	1lg can	Coffee	$9.88	$1.00
	1lg pack (8)	Mac&Cheese	$5.65	$2.19

DuVall’s	eggs, hashbrowns, coffee, cake	$9.20
Fat Buddies	beef sandwich, fries	$6.35
Burger King	Shake, chicken tenders	$3.18
Panacea	Coffee	$1.45

From 2013: $16.14

Grocery Stores: $25.26

Restaurants: $20.18

Miscellaneous: $1.50

Year Total: $63.08

Total Left for Year: $301.92

These are most of the items I bought in the month of January. I only totaled the approximate amounts of food I ate. There were several days of snow this year which made leaving the house difficult so homemade cookies were made for my coworkers. The additional ingredients for the baking soda, baking powder, chocolate chips, peanut butter and oatmeal used to make the cookies probably cost around $4.00. I didn’t eat all of the cookies myself so the total I will count as $1.50. I purchased butter from a local produce stand and my neighbor gave me raw peanuts and collard greens from the eastern NC. I chose to eat at Nico’s Café this month for my local restaurant and I ate at Maggie’s Galley with my family.  

Much of what I eat is given to me. I received a Starbuck’s gift pack from my brother for Christmas. My friend, Arnold, takes me out for breakfast most Saturdays and he always pays. I also have three jobs which all provide food. My main job is at a restaurant where I’m given food every day that I work. I house sit for a couple who travel often, so I stay at their house to watch their dogs and cat. My third job is working for a mail-order nutritional supplement direct marketing company and I attended several business/dinner meetings this month.

As you can see from the totals, my biggest mistake is eating out at restaurants. I think most people have the same problem. Eating at restaurants is more of an experience than for the actual food and I don’t usually eat alone.

Here are my ten tips for saving money on food based on January:

1.       Buy all food at a discount grocery store.

2.       Find a friend who refuses to let you pay for breakfast.

3.       Work at a restaurant.

4.       House sit for a couple who allows you to eat their food.

5.       Join a company that has several meetings a month.

6.       Use your Christmas gifts.

7.       Junk food is expensive.

8.       Meals made with rice are inexpensive.

9.       Potatoes can be dug up in January.

10.   Coffee is expensive so drink it at work as much as possible.   

Grown by me
Grown locally or from produce stand
Bought for me
Work

1st - 1c applesauce --- work: bread, grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, balsamic, oil, sprite, banana bread
2nd - 1c applesauce, 1c potatoes, 1/4c carrots, 1/2c bush beans, 1/2soup pack --- work: penne, marinara, chicken parmesan, bread, sprite, coffee, 1tsp honey
3rd - 1c applesauce, 1/4 apple pie, 1c potatoes, 1/4c carrots, 1/2c bush beans, 1/2 soup pack ---Starbucks Christmas gift: raspberry cookie,  hot chocolate --- work: baked penne, mini-meatballs, tomato sauce, bread, oil, sprite, coffee, 1tsp honey
4th -  Joey's with Arnold: coffee, sugar, French toast, syrup, orange slice --- work: chicken cutlet, arugula, gorgonzola, oil, balsamic vinegar, sprite
5th - 1c blueberries, 1-1/2c raspberries, 1/4 apple pie, 1/4c carrots, 1c bush beans, 1 box rice-a-roni, butter, coffee, 1tbs honey --- Christmas gift: popcorn mix
6th - 1c potatoes, butter, tang --- Christmas gifts: popcorn , mocha --- work: 1/2 chicken parmesan, spaghetti, tomato sauce, meatball, bread, oil, coffee, sugar
7th - 1-1/2c potatoes, 1c bush beans, butter, tang, 1tsp honey --- Christmas gift: mocha --- work: coffee --- JP Meeting: carrot, cucumber, humus, chips
8th - 1 scallion, 1-1/2c potatoes, 1c bush beans, butter, coffee, tang, chocolate ice cream, 1tsp honey --- Local Nico's Cafe: roast beef wrap, chips, gatorade --- work: pizza, sprite, m&m's
9th - 1/2can corn-peppers, 1/2pack tomato-chicken soup bouillon, 1/8c rice, tang, chocolate ice cream, coffee, 1tsp honey --- Christmas gift: mocha --- work: bread, oil, penne, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, sprite
10th -  1/2can corn-peppers, 1/2pack tomato-chicken soup bouillon, 1/8c rice, tang, chocolate ice cream --- work: chicken parmesan, ciccio bread, pizza, root beer
11th - 1c applesauce, 1c potatoes, 1/2c bush beans, 1/8c carrots, 1/2 maggi soup, 1/2can baked beans, tang, coffee, vanilla creamer, 1tsp honey
12th - 1/2c potatoes, 1/4c bush beans, 1tbs carrots, 1/2can baked beans, 1/4 maggi soup, tang, coffee, vanilla creamer --- Maggie's galley with family: fried fish, salad, baked potato, key lime pie
13th - tang, mac&cheese, popsicle, butter, coffee, vanilla creamer --- work: pizza, chicken cacciatore, coffee, sugar
14th - coffee, vanilla creamer --- work: baked penne, coffee, sugar
15th - 1c applesauce, apple, tang --- work: pizza, coffee, sugar
16th - apple, almond bar, tang, popsicle, coffee, vanilla creamer --- Duvall's: 2 fried eggs, hashbrowns, biscuit, gravy, cheese cake, coffee $9.20 --- JP business meeting: wine, grilled chicken, vegan soup (okra, tomatoes, kale), lettuce, cannoli
17th - 1/4box mint cookies, box mac&cheese, butter --- work: spaghetti, meatball, coffee, sugar, caramel, root beer
18th - 1-1/2c potatoes, butter, tang, coffee --- Joey’s with Arnold: French toast, syrup, fried egg, orange slice, coffee, sugar --- work: chicken scaloppini, mushrooms, bell pepper, spaghetti, root beer
19th - 1-1/2c potatoes, garlic, 1/8c collards, 2 eggs, butter, peanuts, 2 nutty bars, coffee, vanilla creamer, pizza pockets, gelatin fruit snacks --- Christmas gift: mocha
20th - nutty bar, mac&cheese, butter --- work: chicken, zucchini, bread, oil, root beer
21st - garlic, 1-1/2c potatoes, 2 eggs, butter, peanuts, nutty bar, popsicle, coffee, tang --- Christmas gift: mocha --- work: chicken, pork, penne, mushrooms, bread, oil, root beer
22nd - peanuts, 1/4 blueberry pie, chocolate chip cookies, tang, coffee, 1tsp honey, popsicle, 1/4c rice, sweet&sour (leftover from nephew)

23rd - 1/4 blueberry pie --- work: baked spaghetti, meatballs, bread, coffee, sugar, root beer
24th - 1c bush beans, 1c applesauce, mac&cheese, 1/4c rice, beef bouillon, coffee, butter --- Christmas gift: mocha --- work: cheeseburger, lettuce, tomato, tiramisu, sprite
25th - 1c bush beans, 1can corn-peppers, peanut butter cookies, coffee, 1tsp honey --- Joey's with Arnold: 3 pancakes, strawberry jam, coffee, sugar --- Christmas gift: mocha --- work: pizza, ciccio bread, penne, fried mozzarella, sprite
26th - 2 eggomlt, pepperjack cheese, 1/2can baked beans, 1/3pack spaghetti noodles, 1/2can tomato sauce, butter, coffee, 1tsp honey --- Justin's: coffee, 2 mini-lemon cupcakes --- House sitting: Gatorade
27th - 1c bush beans, 3 eggomlt, pepperjack cheese, 1tbs tomato sauce, tang, butter --- House sitting: honey roasted peanuts, cheese puffs, chocolate --- work: chicken toscana, tomato, cheese, spaghetti, sweet tea
28th - 1c bush beans, 1/3c rice, chicken bouillon, 1/3can tomato sauce, 1/3 box spaghetti noodles, 1/2can baked beans, oatmeal cookies, coffee, honey --- House sitting: 2 boiled eggs, grapes, honey roasted peanuts, cheese puffs, vanilla coffee
29th - 1/2c blueberries, 1/2c raspberries, coffee, honey --- House sitting: pistachio, honey roasted peanuts, cheese puffs, apple, 2 boiled eggs, coffee, creamer --- work: pizza, sweet tea
30th - doughnut --- House sitting: pistachio, honey roasted peanuts, gatorade, coffee, creamer --- work: chicken, peppers, onions, tomato sauce, cannoli, sweet tea
31st - 1/2c blueberries, 1/2c raspberries, 2 doughnuts, honey --- House sitting: 3 boiled eggs, honey roasted peanuts --- BK: small shake, 4 chicken tenders --- Family at Fat's BBQ: $6.35 beef sandwich, fries, fried green beans