See How a Family of 3 Spends $125 Weekly on Groceries at Trader Joe's

Weekly Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning for a Growing Family

Alison, a 35-year-old in higher-education administration, lives in Boston with her husband, M, and their toddler, V. Soon, the family will expand to four members. With a weekly food budget of $100, they often find themselves needing to stretch their dollars further, especially as V’s appetite grows. Their shopping strategy revolves around convenience, sales, and planning ahead.

Where They Shop and How Often

Most of their weekly grocery shopping takes place at Price Chopper, which is the most convenient option for them. However, they occasionally visit Trader Joe's once a month to stock up on items like freezer and pantry staples. Every six to eight weeks, they head to BJ's Wholesale Club for bulk purchases of proteins, paper goods, and diapers.

They don’t usually shop at two different stores in one week unless it makes sense. This week, they made a stop at Trader Joe's during an errand run, picking up a few items they particularly enjoy.

Grocery Strategy: Sales, Flexibility, and Preparation

Alison and M base most of their shopping around the weekly ads, especially for staples. They also try to plan meals around what’s on sale. This week, they were drawn to the deals on pork shoulder and Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

They prefer to have ingredients on hand to allow for flexibility when planning meals. This helps them avoid starting from scratch every week, making it easier to focus on sales and work with what they already have.

As Alison is eight months pregnant and dealing with a hungry toddler, she tends to buy more fruits and vegetables to ensure there are always options available. She also keeps the freezer and pantry well-stocked to make balanced meals rather than relying on snacks or cravings.

Meal Planning and Cooking Responsibilities

Meal planning is often based on what’s on sale, and they alternate cooking responsibilities depending on their schedules. This week, M had after-work plans on Tuesday, so Alison took over more of the cooking duties.

Despite the unpredictability, they manage to share the workload, and both enjoy cooking.

What They Bought This Week

Trader Joe's

• 4 avocados – $4.99
• 3 limes – $1.47
• Salmon fillet – $9.89
• Half gallon of 2% milk – $3.99
• Quart of half-and-half – $3.49
• Whole milk mozzarella – $5.49
• Cage-free eggs – $3.99
• Whole wheat bread – $2.49
• Hot dog buns – $2.49
• Baking powder – $1.99
• Organic coconut milk – $1.69
• Black olives – $2.29
• Garbanzo beans – $0.99
• Lemon pesto – $3.49
• Pizza sauce – $1.99
  Total: $50.24

Price Chopper

• Romaine lettuce head – $3.99
• Organic carrots – $2.50
• Pint of blueberries – $3.33
• Asparagus – $3.41
• Yellow onions – $2.79
• Mango – $1.50
• 2 pears – $2.50
• Raspberries – $3.33
• Seedless cucumber – $1.50
• Pork shoulder – $15.78
• Plain Greek yogurt – $4.99
• 2 pints of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia Ice Cream – $11.96
• Canned salmon – $1.99
• Dried New Mexico peppers – $3.99
• Organic basmati rice – $5.79
  Total: $74.35

Grand Total: $124.59

Weekend Meals: A Mix of Spontaneity and Routine

Weekend meals can be hit or miss, especially with a toddler and busy schedules. On Sunday, they enjoyed frozen banana pancakes, peanut butter toast, scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos, homemade pizzas, and ice cream.

The Ooni pizza oven has become a staple in their kitchen, and they use it frequently. This week, they made cheese pizzas and one with pepperoni and olives. After dinner, they enjoyed ice cream and relaxed together.

Monday: Light Meals and Leftovers

On Monday, Alison wasn’t very hungry due to her pregnancy. She started the day with an iced chocolate milk decaf latte, avocado toast, and blueberries. For lunch, they had leftover pizza, and dinner featured salmon with roasted asparagus.

V’s meals were prepared at daycare, which has been a blessing for the family.

Tuesday: Creative Meal Prep

Tuesday was filled with peanut butter-Nutella sandwiches, raspberries, and a lentil stew with rice. Alison used a recipe from Perfectly Good Food to make the stew, incorporating ingredients she already had on hand.

M was out at a Red Sox game, so he didn’t join them for dinner.

Wednesday: Variety and Adjustments

Wednesday included a salmon bowl, spaghetti with lemon pesto, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. V was picky about the meal, but eventually settled for some mango and noodles.

Thursday: A Hearty Dinner

Thursday centered around a pork shoulder that M planned to cook. The meal included guacamole, corn, and carnitas. The pork was rich and tender, and V loved the guac and corn.

Friday: Smoothies, Muffins, and Burritos

Friday mornings began with smoothies and pistachio muffins. Alison had a salad and some frozen chicken tenders for lunch. For dinner, they used the leftover carnitas to make breakfast burritos.

Saturday: A Fun Day with Takeout

Saturday involved pancakes with berries, currywurst, bratwurst, and a large pepperoni pizza. Despite the fun day, they ended up with takeout for dinner.

Final Thoughts

Balancing a growing family, a pregnancy, and a busy schedule requires flexibility, creativity, and a bit of patience. Alison and M have found a way to make it work, using sales, meal prep, and smart shopping to keep things manageable.