Third Quarter Pennies Review

Three weeks into October, I am finally tallying up the food and household expenses for the third quarter of 2022. When I posted our expenses for the second quarter back in July, I noted that I was caught off guard with how much food prices had been rising. Third quarter was less of a shock for two reasons. First, I was now acutely aware of how much food prices had been rising. Second, because of that awareness, I tried to be more deliberate in our purchases.

So how did we do?

Our grocery (food) expenditures in the third quarter came to $709.36. Household expenditures, such as tissues, detergent, and toilet paper, were another $22.40, for a total of $731.76. Year to date, we are averaging $242.57 a month. Looking back at where we were after two quarters, that is only 68¢ more than where we were halfway through the year. That is a minuscule increase.

As before, I have been keeping an eye on price increases. The one that caught my attention the most was that a 42 ounce container of old fashioned oats jumped from $2.49 to $3.49 at Aldi, which has the lowest price on oatmeal of our local stores. It has not increased since then. Eggs have gone up quite a bit in the stores; fortunately, I get great coupons from Kroger and Meijer for eggs, so I have not winced too much. Milk, after hovering near $3.50/gallon for much of the summer, is starting to drop. 

Three weeks into the final quarter of 2023, I am strategizing on how to keep our food purchases flat line or, I hope, lower for the rest of the year. Both Warren and I try (and often succeed) at keeping food waste to a minimum, and frequently have none whatsoever in any given week. Whenever I have an opportunity to buy butter for $2.50 or less a pound, I buy what I can (often the stores limit you to five pounds) and freeze it, looking ahead to winter baking. With the onset of fall, bringing with it the change in sunlight and the cooler temperatures, the remaining tomatoes and peppers in the garden were not maturing, so last Sunday I picked them all and am seeing how many I can ripen indoors to cutting/freezing stage (the peppers) or to eating stage (the tomatoes). I am hopeful that this will give me a few more weeks of garden tomatoes as those will be the last tomatoes I will eat at home until next summer. (I refuse to buy tomatoes at the store.) 

A few days ago, I shared some thoughts on money and rising costs with my close friend Cindy. I said I was watching the food dollars and the heating costs (we turned our furnace on for the winter on October 4, which is earlier than usual, because of the temperatures) and that I was okay financially, but very penny conscious. (I say "I" and not "we" because while Warren is equally frugal, he and I have always had separate accounts, including for groceries. The figures above are our dollars, not "his" or "my" dollars, but I am reflecting on how the dollars impact my bank account.) Perhaps I feel that more so than usual, in part, because I am no longer employed and right now drawing only a small public employees pension (I am deferring drawing social security for several reasons, at least for now). But I am also feeling that way, and think I would even if I were still working for pay, because of what I see in the stores, at the gas pump, and in the utility bills. I am not panicking, mind you, but I am wary.

Food insecurity is on the rise in our community, as it is everywhere else in this country. The lone remaining ham I noted last time? I ended up taking it to someone whose family was in deep need because of a temporary crisis; they needed it more than we did. When hunger is that close and personal, the reality of food costs and too few pennies hits hard. 

I remain grateful that our table continues to feed this household well.