Friday, November 12, 2010

BIG Grocery Lists

My Grocery purchases for this week were as follows: (these are the highlights, not a complete list)
100# ground beef
12# sausage
15# bacon
24# strawberries
6# chicken tenders
5 loaves bread
2 dzn rolls
7 frozen bread dough loaves
3 cases individual juice cartons (approx 65 each case)
1 case individual milk cartons
1 case individual honey buns (80)
1 case saltines (500, 2pk)
1 case pancake syrup, individuals (500)
25# pancake mix
1 case +4 small flour tortillas, dzn (28packs  total)
1 case individual cheese sauces (approx 100?)
5 cartons ice cream
3# tater tots
3# hash browns
4# bratwurst
6# apples
1 case toilet paper (24 dbl rolls)
4 cases frozen pizzas (Totinos, and what a great deal on them! 48 total)
Fresh vegies
More, more, blah, blah

Okay, you get the picture. For most this is just not normal, however, for those of us with large families, you may recognize the list.

My sister, who has three grown children, was with me shopping yesterday. When the groceries were totaled (mind you, this was just one store), she's gasping and pointing to the amount on the register, $255. I'm smiling and saying "Great deals, huh!" I'm a good shopper (thank you Mom).

For most average families, it's a shocker the quantity of food it takes to feed a household of eleven (or thirteen, depending on who's there, or which college kids I'm buying food for!) Unless, of course, someone has the occupation of ordering for a restaurant or the cafeteria. Hmm. I'm sure I could do that job. I was purchasing from my grocers for months before one of the managers asked me about my restaurant.
"Uh, I just buy food for my family. We have a LOT of kids."

Our lists are just not normal - like our laundry! Ouch!

9 comments:

  1. Peni, I am so glad to have found your blog. It looks like your life is very full! I think it sound wonderful! I will check back....Thanks for sharing;)
    Shelley Skinner Jones

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  2. AMEN! I think it's fun to see what other large families buy in bulk. In our family of 13, we go through 1 1/2 to 2 loaves of bread a day. I really ought to start making it! :-p Thanks for sharing your list! So fun! :-)

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  3. Hey Shelley! Where are you now, and what are you up to?

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  4. Rachel, My kids are weird, they don't have the same passion for homemade bread as I do. I buy bread instead. Thank goodness it's cheap. I do miss my discount bread store where I could get it 2/$1.

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  5. I had to laugh. Yes, I recognize a list like that. It can get really crazy when you purchase for two weeks at a time. Good thing there are lots of hands to help carry the sacks in from the van!

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  6. Hi PJ. $255 for all that food? Where?? How?? I am in disbelief as I read all the idividual serving sizes you buy. Please share where you buy your food.

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  7. So nice to see another large family's groceries! When I kept track last year and we spent $505 on food. That was the occasional pizza, farmers market and everything. I was happy. I record groceries every March.

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  8. my aunt shares the same experience. she has 12 kids and the weekly groceries is the most fun time of all. enjoy the wonderful life of a large happy family : )

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  9. Thanks for stopping by my blog! You shop even bigger than me...
    Sandy

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