Tracking household grocery expenses - what do you spend?

:eyes:

Dang. That’s real money going up in smoke!

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And smoking was allowed in classrooms. There were old tuna and cat food cans on some of the desks for ashtrays.

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Yep. When I was in law school, they had tiered riser rows of desks and chairs in many of the classrooms. And ashtrays. Somebody had a pack of Sher Bidis (which for the uninitiated are small, wrapped in leaves instead of paper, and from a distance look like joints). He lit one up, and passed it down the row. Everyone took a drag (understand this was 50 years ago) and waited to see if the (young) professor noticed. Nah
 he was a chain smoker and was too enveloped in his own personal cloud. He pace and puff, pace and puff .

OK I’ll get back on the grocery track. I have no idea how much the bidis cost, but I’m sure they weren’t from the local Safeway.

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Spending 3 bucks or so for a pack of rainbow & gold Sherman’s was a big deal 50 years ago. They made great presents for friends that smoked tobacco.

Wow. I remember them. Disclosure: there was a Tobacconist shop near my apartment building. Also Balkan Sobranies sold in a tin. I didn’t indulge, but the packaging was beautiful.

The only thing on sale this week is potatoes, again.

I may try to make a potato soup, add some vegetables and this hot dog/sausage meat (chop it up). I still have a few of these left in the freezer.

I’ll also need to bake some bread, but I have plenty of flour and yeast.

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That, together with the potatoes, would work very well in Caldo Verde.

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Also, Zuppa Toscana:heart:

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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OK
 I need some help. Found these at the grocery store for 32 cents, I had to buy them for that price. I’m thinking I could drain and rinse them, then fry until golden brown for a pork & vegetable fried rice??

Any ideas??

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I saw that they are a Latinx ingredient and googled. Evidently they are eaten on tostadas!

Might also give you some ideas: https://cookpad.com/eeuu/buscar/cueritos%20en%20vinagre

https://cookpad.com/eeuu/recetas/771278-tostilocos?ref=search&search_term=cueritos+en+vinagre. As a crazy chip topping

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You don’t cook them. They’re used more like a pickle 
 use them to top something crunchy.

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Cueritos are often used as part of sandwiches, best known might be cemita

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So far in 2025, I’ve spent $300 CAD /$210 USD each week at the grocery store, for 3 people. $40 CAD/ $28 USD a week at the green grocer, ~$40 CAD ~ $28 USD a week at local coffee shops, $20 CAD/ $ 14 USD a week at local bakeries.

Produce prices are going up quickly here in London, Ontario.

Today. 3 leeks for $6.99 CAD.

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I was a little peeved that the brew pub I go to for lunch with friends infrequently upped their prices, again. The last increase was right before Christmas. My favorite salad has gone from $14, to $16 to $19 in just 2 few months. What got us all peeved was that our ‘Birthday Lunches’ where the group picks up the tab for the birthday person now is getting a bit crazy. Instead of paying, say $15 for our own meal and dividing another $15 meal by 4 or 5 and adding beverages and tips
well it creeps up there. So we all decided, we’ll pay for our own meals and have great conversations! We all tip 20%, regardless of the service. It is a tough world out there and everybody has ‘off’ days.

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I keep track of pub prices through one local midrange pub in Toronto. Many mains were under $15 in 2015. They were $17ish by 2020. Most over $20 by 2023. My last meal was in Sept, and most mains were $22-$25.

The menu has one third of the selections it had in 2019. We have had a labour shortage, and most restaurant hours have stayed short since 2020. Tougher and tougher business.

I will have to check their January 2025 prices. $24.99 CAD for their Cobb.

Not much of anything on sale this week
 Has anyone else noticed the sale flyers have less and less selection?? And the items that are on sale are NOT that great a savings.

Maybe I’ll find something on clearance that I can do something with?? We do have lentils, beans and rice in stock, so I may have to get creative with those.

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make mujadarra! (i’m projecting, because i wish I would make mujadarra.)

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I just looked up a recipe for that, looks good!

Thanks!!

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don’t skip the onions, they are the best part.

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