'going organic' update

It's been quite a while since I just... wrote. 
Here are some random ramblings as to where I am with the whole 'going organic thing'.

• I've never been a super cook, so I feel so out of my element sometimes.  I sometimes feel like all the other shoppers at the grocery store are chefs and I am the bumbling idiot talking to myself in the store trying to figure out what to buy and what to do with it.
• It costs less to make more items from scratch and to spread ingredients out over a few meals for maximum 'buck bang-age'. I NEED to learn to plan menus.  We've had a lot of 'breakfast for dinner' nights and that means I planned poorly.
  
• I clean with vinegar, but still use other multi-surface cleaners for the bathrooms and floors.  I feel guilty for that and I think that is dumb.
  
• Organic spreadable butter doesn't spread very well.
• Organic chicken is hard to find and expensive.  My family actually misses eating chicken 4 nights a week!  I do miss the 1.69 a pound chicken days!
  
• Kids are not given enough credit.  They like more healthy foods than you think.  On the flipside, Grandma pulls out the junk and they go nuts over it...
  
• Kid menu's at restaurants are pretty awful.  We are learning to order from the adult menu and split the food between the two kids (thanks michelle for opening my eyes to that one).
• Just because I eat mostly organic doesn't mean I don't shower and like to frolic barefoot through the tulips.  I am still the same person.  There is enough yuppie in there to balance out the hippie side.
  
• My budget works for my family.  It allows me to create new, fun, healthy dishes and try foods that are a little more pricey.  The days of $150 a month for tons of groceries/household items just ain't gonna happen anymore.  I can't feel like I am competing with my former self.  
• There needs to be more organic coupons out there.
  
• Some days you make a cute lunch... some days you don't!
• Some days your kids want the cute lunch... some days they don't!
  

shopping trip this week

After going way over budget last week, I mentioned that I was confident we could get by on $20 this week in order to even out the budget to an even $100 between the two weeks.
Um, yeah...
Then I actually took inventory of items I was low on.
What was I thinking?!
I put this crazy, unnecessary pressure on myself to buy mostly all organic on $100 a week. 

WHY?!    Yes, sticking to a budget is important, but $100 a week was an arbitrary nuber to start with.  And besides, what happened to the girl who said, flat out, that there would be weeks that were more and less.

I do find it challenging and frustrating at times to find the balance between my 'old' ways (the mega couponing days of 10 grocery bags for $30) and the new ways of finding only a few sales and coupons, but buying what I believe is healthier food.


so, with all that said - I went over the random number I pulled from my a...  budget. 

I went to 2 stores this week - Sprouts and Kroger.

Grand total for the week - $47.38

At sprouts, I saved $18.02 in coupons,  and spent $27.98 so that was awesome.  It was really nice having a touch of the old days in there.

 At Kroger I saved $8.71 in store deals and coupons and spent $19.40.

Sooooo... with last week and this week combined, the two weeks average out to be roughly $115 a week.  I am A-ok with that!

• The soap dispensers I need in my classroom and the hallway bathroom at my school - they were free after coupons.
• The big bag in the middle are sunflower seeds for my husband to take to work.  Apparently they are his latest addiction?!  At $5 a bag that was one of the more expensive items.
• The milk was marked down to $2.99 each.
• I had coupons for all 7 cereal boxes, and free coupons for the helens meals.
• I've been buying a lot of brown sugar for baking - I have got to find this in bulk!
  

looking for organic coupons?  Susan at organic deals and coupons is a great resource!

the three c's - coffee, cheese and chicken

We did the organic switch fairly abruptly in the sense that we cleared out the 'junk' (I know a few college students who scored big time) and replenished most of our basics right away.
I think we are roughly 80-90% organic or all natural.

Here is a quick run down of where we seem to be...

Our baking items - organic
kid snacks (applesauce, chips, fruit strips, other snacks)- organic
rices, couscous - organic
store bought bread - all natural
soft fruits and veggies - organic
bananas and avacados - organic sometimes but mostly conventional
milk - organic
pastas - organic
beef- (still waiting on the cow!) organic or grass fed/hormone free
eggs - organic when possible, or cage free if not

we cut sodas but when we do buy, we go for the natural sugar products.

now for the kickers...

Coffee - currently non organic.  I can only seem to find whole bean organic and cheapo here doesn't want to buy a grinder.  The ground organic I have seen is $$$$$$$.  **UPDATE - bought a grinder! found some deals on organic! We've been enjoying our organic coffee!

Cheese - The only organic shreds and slices I have seen are horizon brand.  Former coupon queen, whom always had her 5" binder in the car, can't seem to keep the dinky 1-incher handy.  Without coupons, I just can't seem to buy organic cheese.  The packages are much smaller and cost a few dollars more.  The cheapness takes over and I just can't do it!  The last purchase was a higher end (primotaglio) all natural cheese and it was quite a bit cheaper than the organic version. I did buy organic cheese sticks for the kids once - they were half price and STILL were more expensive than the store brand. **UPDATE - pretty much the same.

Chicken - 4 chicken breasts for $9.99.  I just can't do it.  The internal struggle in the store is obvious.  I am 'that' lady.  The lady who is still there in the meat department 20 minutes after you have left.  There I am, staring at the same packages over and over...  **UPDATE - I've done it!  I've switched!  I do however still stand in the meat dept. for about 20 minutes and I cringe as they ring up the chicken.  BUT I have hit a few half price deals.


I'd like to change those three items to organic, I really do.
So there you go.  There are my/our current struggles on our organic journey.