Here is the last grocery haul of this month. You will see by my receipts that I bought dark chocolate and sparkling water both from France. I love that. Shopping at the .99 store has such a stigma attached to it and is looked down upon by a lot of people so when I see products that I know are sitting on the shelf of my fancy gourmet market with much much higher price tags, I get excited.
I also popped into Clarks which is my local health food store and bought my vegenaise and some soy cheese and Tofurky lunch slices. I want to experiment with a vegan Reuben sandwich for Superbowl Sunday. Is anyone else out there mourning the end of football season?
Anyway the total for the week is $23.18. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I've loved doing this little grocery series with you. It has kept my spending and eating on track. More on the eating part coming soon. And since I'm paying such close attention to what I'm spending at the market, it has really opened my eyes to what I spend elsewhere. I'm sosososo happy to report that my grand total for the month of January groceries is $84.33.
This month has just fueled my passion for paying down my mortgage even more. Thank you for bearing with me and reading about the small details of my life but this blog is keeping me accountable. How about you? Have you changed the way you shop this month? Did you see any improvement in the bottom line? I love hearing from you.
Hello Janet!
ReplyDeleteYou have become a rolemodel for many bloggers for various aspects of our lives.
It seems the 99cent-shopping might become a new trend, now that you promote it and surprise us with great deals.
I remember you mentioning the farmer's market in the past. The vegetables you get at the 99c-store are mostly wrapped in plastic.
I am aware that you have other problems than feeling guilty because of plastic waste, still ... I dare to ask: Would it be too complicate or expensive to buy the vegetables which are wrapped with little to no plastic in your living area, lets say at the farmer's market?
paula i am going to try this next month to do some more of my shopping at the farmers market just to see the difference in price. prices have really gone up at them b/c they have become so trendy to shop at. they used to have really great prices, not so these days. but i will give it a try for you. :)
DeleteThank you!! I forgot to answer you question: "Have you changed the way you shop this month? ". I quit shopping groceries and go out for dinner every other evening. :-/
DeleteGetting one's finances in order is so liberating; I wish we had one of those 99 cents stores nearby. The post-football lull always does set in after the Super Bowl and February is far and away the worst month of the year but perfect for reading the Russians (Tolstoy/Doestoevsky, etc.).
ReplyDeletewould you shop at the .99 store if you had one around? i find that inspiring. i hate to think of the long months ahead w/o football.
DeleteI would be in there every day for fresh blackberries at 99 cents per
Deleteoh then you may (or may not) like a recipe i'll be posting using the blackberries.
DeleteI think that works out at about £60, which is what we spend every month, ( local farm vegetables, et al) but I can promise you that our food is never as tasty as yours, if I come over I might need to have a few lessons.
ReplyDeletei would love nothing more than to have you in my kitchen.
Deleteps - bring the smeg. :)
That is amazing. Really. Like unbelievable. I think I spent that in wine this weekend (It was a snowstorm in my defense). You really are inspiring. I cleaned my pantry on Friday and sang your praises.
ReplyDeleteAs for football.
Ha! We disagree there.
Stephen Andrew you don't love football??? haha.
Deletei'm glad your pantry is now clean.
The featured story on yahoo is about shopping the dollar store. They must read your blog :)
DeleteHaha oh yes, I know my disdain for football is just the shock of a lifetime.
Okay, I'm commenting too much again but I think Stephen Andrew is one witty, funny guy...
DeleteI also caught a brief headline about some person - this is somehow related to Trader Joe's - who is going to be opening stores with only food nearing expiration, but also then deeply-discounted. I do know a little about how incredibly generous Trader Joe's is with a local foodbank; I know someone who is a volunteer driver/packer for the foodbank and her route includes pick-up at Trader Joe's. She says she drools with envy over what she packs for distribution at the foodbank for other families...stuff she herself cannot afford at Trader Joe's...and she said the items are totally fresh and not past-date. So, yeah, I need to go back and fully read that article, but if it's like a Trader Joe's outlet, I'm there. My husband buys discounted food at the big-box grocery store all the time, especially meat...which scares me, although he's never gotten sick...and there are some amazing savings. I've just always kind of been a snob about it; I like new and shiny, not dented and 'worn.' I'm paying for that attitude, because I definitely should have more money stashed away at this stage of my life.
vicki i'm still paying for past dumb money mistakes too. but it's never too late right?!
DeleteHaha thank you Vicki!
DeleteJanet you are inspiring - I am doing well, but I can't claim that!
ReplyDeletewendy you are still feeding a full house!
DeleteDon't have one of those in NC :-(
ReplyDeletei have heard that the .99 store plans on expanding so my fingers are crossed for you.
DeleteThanks so much for sharing this - these posts definetely made me take a good look at how I shop (and cook...). Though I wasn't really a big spender previously, I spend about half of what I would normally do.... the biggest thing for me was instead of buying for a specific recipe, I bought some things that were on special offer and then went looking for recipes around those - also using a lot more things I already have in my pantry anyway.
ReplyDeleteI hate the end of soccer season... espescially the end of the English Premierleague... luckily we still have another few months ahead of us
xo
Mireille
mireille what part of the world are you living in right now? i think you've told me before but i can't remember.
Deletei'm glad you've gotten something out of this series. :)
I am living in Amsterdam at the moment - but we used to live in Ireland for 6 years, so since then we are avid followers of the English Premier League Football - and Rugby.
DeleteI am disappointed that football season is coming to an end with the Superbowl on Sunday. On the bright side though my son's rugby season is just starting back up in NC. And in no time, August will be here with both college and the professional football. Kimberly
DeleteFor us it is hockey not football.
ReplyDeleteYour grocery series has really opened my eyes to what I spend on food. I wish we had a 99 cent store here. I must find some low cost market and try to reduce our food costs. For example I eat an apple almost everyday and they range in price from $1.49 to $2.99 a kg. a small bag can cost $4.99! I'm wondering if it is because we live on an island and everything has to come by boat.
i'm sure living on the island is why your prices are high. my friend M lives on kauai and the prices there are insane.
DeleteFirst time I went to a farmer's market on Maui thirty years ago cost us $100 for vegetables and fruit!
DeleteOMG Janet I just scrolled to the end to read all the comments and I cannot believe what I spied...kindness is never out of style! I say that too and now I wonder if I didn't hear it here first!
Deletewent to whole foods saturday to purchase silk peach mango yogurt (yummy!) $1.19 each & I thought about you wishing I had a .99 cent store because I noticed on your receipt you paid 2 for .99! I would definitely shop at a .99 cent store if I one nearby! because of your blog I went to traded joes to purchase the goddess dressing. LOVE IT! my non vegan husband also loved it! your blog always inspires me! ruby w
ReplyDeletei know it blows my mind as to how inexpensive things are there. really.
Deletegoddess mommy goddess.:) i still think about those kids everytime i use that dressing.
And I think about you and those kids every time I see the dressing :)
Delete~skye
I started watching my grocery spending because of your blog recently. While I wish I could say I made it by on less than $100, I cannot :-( I did however manage to reduce our bill by $200 even though I had to buy extra groceries for a dinner party last weekend. I tell myself baby steps. Next month I'm hoping to do better. I also went to the dollar for the first time in 15 years! I couldn't believe all the great stuff they had. No fresh foods in my area, but still some very useful Items.
ReplyDeleteAlso, for those of you without 99 cent stores, you may want to visit the dollar section at Target. They usually have a few good items for a buck.
ReplyDeleteGood tip! Thank you!
DeleteHi Janet,
ReplyDeleteI'm just catching up on this series of yours, and I love it! The timing couldn't be more perfect. My husband and I are slowly becoming empty nesters (our son is at College and moves into an apartment this spring). I've HATED grocery shopping and cooking for many years due to the varied food allergies and diets in our family. Now I'm ready to start shopping more efficiently, and you are inspiring me. Thank you so much don't stop! ;)
Hi Janet,
ReplyDeleteI've continued shopping at the .99cent store these past few weeks as well. My sister who has 3 teenagers, started shopping there recently and is amazed at how much she has saved! In regard to the fancier food items, I bought Lindt chocolate bars for ......99cents, yep a 75% savings!
Renee in Northern California
Which store is NC - dollar tree or dollar general?
DeleteWhat an inspiration these posts on groceries have been! It has been a real eye opener for me! I am buying too much and then having to throw out the spoiled food. Just another example of how to simplify my life.
ReplyDeleteI spend much too much money on food and your posts have inspired me to be more frugal. I have a ton of stuff in my pantry and I am making meals from it's contents until my supply is down to a more acceptable quantity. We have 99cent stores here but they do not sell fresh food, but I will be checking them out anyway to see what I can get for less. I am thrilled that you are posting more frequently, I look forward to reading about your latest "adventures" daily!
ReplyDeleteDo you worry about eating too many soy products? I do like soy yogurt, milk, etc. but I worry that too much soy is not good. I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
ReplyDeletehi lana. you know i'm now in menopause and i experience zero menopausal symptoms. i have no idea if it's bc of my diet, lifestyle or genetics. i eat some soy products but they do not make up the bulk of my diet. i bought 5 small containers of yogurt the first week of this month and we just finished the last one yesterday. i prefer almond milk over soymilk but i do use soymilk in some of my cooking. i eat *meatless* products a few times a month also. for me it's not a big deal but i do understand the concern. my doc tells me to keep doing whatever it is that i'm doing bc i'm healthy and have energy. hope this helps. :)
DeleteWow, zero menopause symptoms? Do you know how lucky you are? I'm on bio-identicals hormones to try to help me get through it. It helps but is expensive. Maybe I'll try to get off...:)
DeleteYes I do and I just read a blog today about reasons not to eat soy. Too many to list here but I will forward the blog to anyone who wants it. But the alarming thing I read was that a baby on soy formula has the equivalent of 5 birth control pills in one day from their formula. Yikes. I try to eat goat cheese which I get from T Joe in sliced packages. There are other concerns about soy such as they are often GMO products, etc. I am not being alarmist but just want to know for myself and family.
DeleteYeah, I just don't know what to do about soy. I used to drink a lot of soymilk and I developed an allergy to it. I have a friend who had breast cancer, oh I guess almost 25 years ago (she's fine) and she does modified soy...soymilk with breakfast cereal, for instance, but no edamame or tofu. And I've read that we should stay away from the fake meats; keep it in purer form. Janet, what say you?
Delete@Jennifer - how are you doing with the bio-identical hormones? Any luck? My ob-gyn wants to me try them for 6 months and I am supposed to get them on Thursday. He said that I would know in a few days after the in-office "implant" procedure if they will work or not. The only "menopause" symptoms I have is that I can't sleep but my estrogen levels are way low. Thanks! Kimberly
DeleteMy menopause was horrible I would get horrendous hot flashes at work and be dripping with sweat. Bioidentical hormones in a cream form got me by for two years but be sure they are not just giving you estrogen without balancing it with progesterone as well. I think my cream was mostly progesterone. They should be monitoring your bloodwork as well. I have heard that organic soy in it's natural form is ok in moderate amounts such as tofu, soybeans, etc. But fake meats are not so good. I use almond milk and really not much soy but want to start eating soy yogurt instead of dairy. I think Dr. Weil on Youtube explains it well.
DeleteHi! A lot of my symptoms went away after the bios. I'm on est and prog. My doc monitors by saliva and blood. Some people believe we should be on both especially if you have had a hysterectomy? I feel better because I was feeling awful before. It helps me sleep better too. My insurance covers most of the cost. Oprah. Dr Northup. Dr oz. dr mecola Suzanne somers all talk about them and believe in them. My doctor is through Body logic. It's an aging group who deals with all sorts of age related health issues. I really had to think long and hard about taking them because I don't want to take anything if I don't have too! My tests revealed my hormones completly in balanced . I also discovered I was pre diabetic based off screening from body logic. I'm not overweight but had gestational diabetics so that is a sign of pre diabetes. Anyway all in all i like the bios. It's helped sleep, mood, energy, vaginal dryness (sorry) concentration and less foggy thinking. You might check it out Kimberly ? There are Body Logic groups all over the US! Jennifer
DeleteDear Janet, I am totally enjoying this weekly grocery series. It is helping me pay closer attention to what I'm buying, and you are teaching me to cook vegan recipes. Btw, I made potato and spinach enchiladas last week and we all loved them, plus we had leftovers. I am also buying more produce and healthy grains, but I did buy one bag of chips for the kids ;) We don't have a .99 store but I can still look for sales and bargains. I've noticed that cutting the junk food out has helped the most on the bill! So, thank you and keep posting about groceries as long as you want!
ReplyDeleteJanet these posts on your shopping are really useful. I am trying to become more careful in what I purchase and what I cook and eat. I know I spend more than is necessary. yesterday I made a quick trip to my local supermarket for a few things and was shocked that my bill came to over $50. this did include my special toothpaste and treats for the dogs at the shelter where I volunteer ( string cheese), but still! I have been wondering something for a while. maybe you did talk about this in earlier posts but were you always so mindful about what you purchase, so well organized? what inspired you? I realize this is not a simple question but would appreciate any insights.
ReplyDeleteDarby
Okay I am heading to my 99 cent store right now.
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed your grocery bill posts this month. My own challenge to spend less on food is getting under control and I hope to cut back even more for February. I'd love to see your comparison between the farmers markets and the .99 store.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to start the year frugally - great job!
Janet, I have loved this series. I wish we had .99 cent stores in Australia. The closest we have is Aldi, which has made a huge difference to my grocery bill since I started shopping there.
ReplyDeleteyou have inspired me to prepare more meals by using items from my pantry.
ReplyDeleteI only wish we had a 99 cent store nearby but then again, maybe I would abuse that....ha ha.
now show us your sock drawer....
pve
Hi Janet - It's Jennifer again.. :) About how many meals do you think this makes for you? What I'm getting is this.. do you eat out much? If you don't this is incredible! Would love your philosophy on eating out. Do you really try to stay away from doing that? Do you take your lunches to work with you? (I know Larry works at home so that is a huge benefit!)
ReplyDeleteThanks!!!
good question jennifer. we don't eat out much. i have a standing 1x a week dinner out with girlfriends. i rarely spend over $5 on that night. we usually go to happy hour and share appetizers and drink whatever they are offering on special. larry will grab a burger on those nights. so the rest of our meals come from what you see that i have purchased combined with what i have on hand.
DeleteAmazing ...... we are getting ready to have a few snow days here in Raleigh NC and I just spent $150.00 on snow day munchies!!! But it did include some essentials such as toilet paper and paper towels and beer. Can't have a couple of snow days at home with the kids with the beer!!! Kimberly
DeleteHi~
ReplyDeleteYou are certainly not the only one sad that football season is at an end. My husband, my boys and myself are all mourning . . . ;)
I thought I was a frugal grocery shopper buying sale items, shopping on Wednesday to get the senior discount and my store gives $ .05 discount on gas for every $50.00 spent, prescriptions included. But you!! Wow! Your food is so simple and healthy.
ReplyDeleteI have much improving to do!
You are remarkable! I have enjoyed seeing you spend so little on your month's groceries! Our $1 store here doesn't have food and it's important to me to support the Star Grocery across the street from where I have lived all my life. It has been a father & son store since it opened 91 years ago and is the hang-out of the neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI love supporting small local Mom and Pop stores (or Father and Son). So glad you do, too.
DeleteThese posts are wonderful Janet, but they make me so angry at myself! I am sick about how much money I spend at the grocery store. I know I could do better, plan more, etc. but my downfall is cravings. I have to learn that they will pass and not to run to the store every time I want chips and salsa or a glazed donut! I'm just not disciplined....can you do a post on that? :)
ReplyDeleteSarah, You just described my feelings exactly. And the trip I make to satisfy a craving always seems to include several other items. It really adds up. I'm thinking that maybe if I decided on a budget and stuck to it I might eliminate some of the shopping for the craving of the day.
DeleteJanet, you are inspiring me to do better. It looks like you eat good and healthy food that satisfies. The details that you've shown have been very helpful. I have started making the no-knead bread, and my husband loves it. He is also on board for moving much closer to a vegan diet. Thanks for all your inspiration!
I've really enjoyed these posts... I am trying so hard to get our food bill down but it's like a nightmare financially for me, everything is so expensive. I buy organic milk, eggs, butter and about 3 days worth of fruit and veg every week... that's $90 right there. If we go to the butcher (organic) it's minimum $150. Then my baking supplies, another $60, then the market around the corner, anywhere from $40 to $150 a week, for picking up veg, fruit, bread for the rascals. It's sickening, we spend so much money on food, and we don't waste either. Meat and dairy: very expensive, and we have nothing like the 99cent store here, I also try to buy goods without packaging. Vegan products are very expensive here as well...I'm going to try for a very lean February and we'll see how it goes... I can change my habits but the rascals and MrBP are another story! And they are always "starving"!
ReplyDeletedani it sounds like your prices are like my friend M who lives on kauai. that's crazy.
DeleteHello Janet,
ReplyDeleteYour posts are always inspiring, particularly your food shopping.
Not all dollar stores carry quality foods but I'll keep looking until I
find one that carries similar goodies. In the February 2014 issue of
Reader's Digest you'll find 50 Secrets at our Grocer Won't Tell You...I thought it may be of interest to your readers.
Keep up your stylish work,
BarbaraG
Janet, I use to grocery shop every Friday night for my daughter and I and now I have stopped. I make a list and buy at my dollar store what's available and fill in other places. It's sad that food prices have gone up so much. I bought a small bunch of green grapes at WalMart for Christmas and they cost over $7.00. My grandmother told me once "Good food is 29 cents a pound" and she was right at the time. She told me if I was spending more than 29 cents a pound, I was buying unhealthy processed food. She wouldn't believe the prices today. Like you, I fight back with the dollar store, I NEVER buy lunch at the work caf, always bring my own. I bring my own tea to work too. These are tough times but it can be done. Thank you so very much for the inspiration. Going to try to make extra mortgage payments this year too. Donna from alovelyinconsequence.blog.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I can't leave comments on your blog because of a mess-up on my google account (c'est une long histoire) but I just HAVE to tell you how much I loved the post on your grandfather. I'm of your generation and I can relate to so much of what you write about...of course it's easy, because you're such a beautiful writer.
DeleteOh thank you so much Vicki! Keep trying because I love comments and get soooo few! Sometimes I feel as though I'm writing to the great white void! Vicki my grandfather was a wonderful gentle man and I just had to put something in writing about him. It was so authentic it flowed from my keyboard! Thank you!
Deleteoh i'm glad you came back and read this donna. i'm having great difficulty commenting here and on other blogs. not all of them but a few. it's driving me mad. blogger isn't helping at all.
DeleteWe obviously need a .99 store here in upstate NY. What great deals you got on the French sparkling water and dark chocolate! Do you ever use organic vegetables? When I decided to do more vegetarian and vegan cooking, we started buying organic vegetables and our grocery bills ended up being quite high. I guess I'm still trying to figure out the best way to shop.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for leaving your encouraging comments on my blog. The word verification is now removed, as you suggested :)
yuko lots of the veggies at the .99 store are organic!
DeleteThat's fantastic!! Now we REALLY need .99 store in upstate NY! I'm way overpaying at our local Wegmans (although, I love wegmans).
DeleteIsn't it a shame that shopping at 99 cent stores can be looked down upon? Like you have written before, it's smart! : ) What's wrong with being smart?
ReplyDeleteMy last big trip at the 99 cent store I heard a couple conversing behind me in a foreign language as I loaded my groceries...I noticed the lady gingerly smelling the fresh potted flowers, the husband and her were conversing in what sounded like...French. I spied their basket and they too had their fresh produce and many of the same things I buy there. I ask the pretty lady where they are from originally...She responds France! They live in a very nice suburb in the area and travel a little ways to get to the 99 cent store. I thought it was so great meeting this precious couple!
I too get excited about finding the high dollar items at the 99 cent store. It's a bit like an Easter egg hunt isn't it? It cracks me up - makes me smile.
Love your series here...We have six in our family and I spent 68 dollars last trip and bought enough to last for a while, the trip included extras too such as the doggy sweater (onesie) and Valentines cards etc.
What a great series..thoroughly enjoying it! Blessings!
i love the story about the couple from france. i've met very nice people there too.
DeleteI'm having problems leaving comments today. On two different comment boxes here, I'm done, selected my profile and just want to hit preview to see if my comment makes sense before publishing, and 'preview' completely wipes out my comment. I feel like somebody/something's trying tell me something??!!
ReplyDeletei'm having problems commenting here too vicki. maybe someone's trying to tell us both something!
Deletemy problem has been ongoing since last week and it's driving me crazy.
Well, maybe I'll try again and just not hit 'preview' and pray I don't have lots of typos.
DeleteThe thing I was thinking, about this post, is how we have to do what all the budget pros SAY to do and that's to log/track every expense...and I never quite get how to do that (duh, brainless/in denial/something). So, next best thing to doing the 'exercise' on the blog...how 'bout a 3-ring binder, tape or staple the grocery receipt, analyze and track. Thinking out loud here because your posts HAVE been really, really insightful. And my grocery bill is ridiculous. It's a good exercise to arrange the food, match your receipt to it, how you're going to cook it; deal with what's right there in front of you; can't explain what I'm trying to say, but this is a compact/clean/neat way to fully tackle the expense of eating.
The other thing on my mind was about the reader who mentioned how lucky you are that you (Janet) don't have menopausal-related problems. My mother was lucky in that way, too. She said it was always because she was too busy working at her job and raising kids (noticed it less; deemphasized it because she just didn't have time to dwell); of course, til she was stricken with auto-immune disease in her 60s, she'd also never been sick a day in her adult life. I'm finding I'm the opposite, so it doesn't seem to be genetics. I went into instant menopause with hysterectomy/cancer, can't take hormone replacements...and I'm in a whole lot of misery with exhaustion/crushing fatigue, joint problems, sleep issues, etc. I simply can't seem to control my body temp...either blazing hot or frozen cold. (Cancer's gone; it's the instant loss of estrogen, apparently.) A really horror-thing for me is that my hair is thinning, and right where it shows. I didn't have any problems like this before my surgery; just a few hot flashes/flushing. My male doctors...love 'em, but...are no help on the nutrition/supplements front, and the gyno absolutely shoots down vitamins. Lucky for me, though, there was a sub-doctor one day for my primary care guy and it was a WOMAN...a take-charge gal...and she's put me especially on B-12 supplement, extra D & Calcium plus magnesium, so we'll see how that goes. She didn't even hesitate. I thought I was getting enough vitamins/minerals from my diet; she said, nope. Especially if leaning toward vegan, the B-12 is apparently essential because of the lack of meat in the diet and, don't quote me on this because I'm still learning, you can't replace it with plants. They're going to check thyroid on me for the umpteenth time but, wow, the last few months have been brutal. I'm exploring a lot of eating plans/diets including vegan, keto, vegetarian, paleo...although I largely lean already to vegetarian and want to be vegan...but what keeps popping up as a real red flag is gluten and how the blood tests don't always reveal it; and if you're even slightly intolerant, what it can do to you (and your brain/brain-fog) so I'm trying to become more educated on gluten. Fortunately, there's A LOT out there about gluten's pros/cons. I think it just goes to show that diet is possibly a very big part of getting thru menopause/aging in a better way (as Janet has observed with her own health...I'm sticking with you, Janet; you've got it DOWN!)..
Vicki,
DeleteLook into Dr. Christiane Northrup's books and blog. I've found her books very informative especially on menopausal issues, such as you've described.
oh vicki i wish i had it down half as much as you think i do. :)
DeleteThanks to Anon for the good tip; I have seen her speak on TV, too.
DeleteVicki - if you need more health information regarding vegan diets/health/supplements, there are 2 dietitians that I follow that are extremely helpful.
Deletehttp://www.veganhealth.org/ That one has great information about dosage and any other things you might be curious about. I also noticed comments above talking about the safety of Soy, and there is a couple articles you can read on there if you are interested. I've read them. Not worried about soy at all.
http://www.theveganrd.com/ This is the other dietitian (they work on a lot of stuff together. I have their book Vegan For Life). She recently wrote a book Vegan for Her, which is obviously just for women. I think it also addresses menopause etc... (not sure though, haven't read it). She also has lots of great articles. (also ones on soy. not sure if you are concerned about that). Maybe you will find these helpful too. :)
Oh, wow, thank you so much for this information which I'm sure is not just helpful to me but also the other readers. I really appreciate it!
Deletethank you ashley for those links. i added the vegan health link (so good) to my resource list. thanks again!
Delete$84.33 for January! That's astounding.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this topic has been covered but do you take herbs, vitamins, supplements?
i take a vitamin b12 supplement. :)
DeleteI need a B12 supplement but they all have super high percentages of B12...some 5000% and up over MDR. Do you take something like that or have you found a more reasonable dosage? If so, what brand
Deleteis it?
Thank you for all your wonderful information, Kathleen
the brand is liquid health. they are drops that i put under my tongue.
Deleteit's 2500 mcg's.
1 x a day.
Oh, wow, this is interesting. Mine is a 'Nature Made' B-12 (1000 mcg) timed-release tablet. I didn't know what to get, so just picked it up at the chain drugstore. I'm going to ask the doctor about the liquid. Maybe if I was a total vegan, the doctor would have amped up the dosage. Janet, how did you know to take that dosage...just from your research for the total switch to full-vegan, or did the doctor recommend it; how did it happen in the process? Thanks for any info you feel comfortable to share. I fully realize you're not a doctor! You don't have to do a disclosure!
Deletevicki we used to have a reader here named shell, she was super informed about vegan diets and she told me about the liquid version. i went to my health food store and they hooked me up.
DeleteShell! Come back!!!
DeleteJanet, thanx for answering my questions; you and your readers help me a lot.
Vicki-have you had your Vitamin D level checked? Do some quick internet research if you havent, getting your level up to an optimal 70 could help a lot of your symptoms. Blessings.
DeleteThank you. Yes, they've done two D-tests (blood) on me and I'm getting the results tomorrow.
DeleteHave you considered just taking Vitamin B complex which would cover all the B vitamins one might not get from a Vegan diet?
Deleteanon i've read and was told that the liquid b12 is the most effective way for your body to absorb it.
DeleteThanks again for all this info; YES, my blood tests came back and I am 'way too low on Vitamin D!
DeleteI take B12 drops too. Even though I eat fish, my levels of B12 are low like some vegans. I'm simply amazed at what your spending in food. Or rather not spending. I need a serious overhaul here.
ReplyDeleteLove these posts. I like seeing how the "other half" lives. Im a picky eater, so....but I LOVE seeing the haul with the prices b/c Im frugal about ALL things. I do love the "finds" at Aldi; plus, the food is delish! Its -47 this am, so all I want is some potato/cauliflower soup with a side of warm corn bread with butter. Grrrr....
ReplyDeleteFootball is ending? What?!!! Refusing to believe this!!! ;) Im enjoying that Im not invested in either team and can totally enjoy the game Sunday - love them both! We plan our time around football and hockey, so thx goodness my Hawks are only midway through the season!
i know...i'm in denial too.
DeleteYour grand total is very impressive, and inspiring! I was looking at a government site about the cost of food at home at 4 levels, and I was feeling pleased that to feed myself, the hubs, and an adult child living with us at the moment, my expenditures were coming in at $90 a week, rather than the $112.00 this site described as the thrifty plan.
ReplyDeleteBut I'd much rather spend that $90 for a month! This kind of intentional spending will surely allow you to make progress on that mortgage...keep us posted, this is motivating!
You and I have such totally different approaches to life, and yet I feel your appeal is universal. I'm cutting back on spending too, but the actual numbers are completely different:).
ReplyDeleteLove reading all of your grocery tips. I love a good discount store but haven't been in years they are usually so fun to look through, I'm going to search one out. What I've done has been to really look at my fridge and try to make all my veggies easy to use and see. I moved condiments to the drawers and all the food to shelves I also bought some big clear food containers to hold all the cleaned and chopped goodies. It really helps on not being wasteful. Also I'm trying to be conscious of the quantities of things I buy. If I really only need one potato then that's all I'm buying!
ReplyDeleteJanet -
ReplyDeleteI love these posts. This is real life. How we all should be living. People go to financial advisors to figure things out when it is really pretty easy...don't spend more than you have, save and have a goal. It is great to have someone show how they are realistically able to achieve something.
Ann
I love the tips and suggestions; my weekly grocery bill is about $90 for my husband, Violet (my senior dog whose food I make - she has issues!), and me. Trying to do more menu planning and use what I've accumulated in the cupboards. Beans are a staple and we enjoy a different variety each week - soak the beans on Saturday night and my husband cooks them in a pressure cooker on Sunday; so good!
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