Are you curious to see what food a single woman who’s watching her pennies is buying? If so – you’re in the right place today! It’s the Vegetarian Cowgirl’s June 2021 grocery bill!
Why am I a Vegetarian Cowgirl instead of a Pescatarian Cowgirl, which is more accurate? Not everyone is familiar with the term pescatarian. Basically, it’s a vegetarian who eats seafood, but no meat products. If it has claws or hooves and walks on the land, a pescatarian doesn’t eat it!
To break it down further, although I will eat seafood, I don’t eat it often. Too expensive is the main reason. Generally I follow a plant based diet, but it doesn’t bother me if foods contain eggs or dairy products.
I’m also an Urban Cowgirl. Kind of a play on words of an old John Travolta flick, Urban Cowboy. Generally these are people who like to dress up for the part, but not active participants.
Wannabe Cowgirl? Sometimes I think I’m a fake because I’m not a working cowgirl on a big cattle ranch somewhere.
When I track my spending on a spreadsheet, the grocery category includes all expenses I made at grocery stores and drug stores. That doesn’t mean everything is edible. I buy cleaning products, food wrap, dog treats and more that all get allotted to my “grocery” spending.
These tallies below only include the groceries I eat.
JUNE 4, 2021 GROCERY BILL
Today I made a quick stop at Fruiticana in Cloverdale to pick up the usual things I like to have in the house.
Baby Carrots | 1 bag | $1.59 |
Spinach | 1 bag | $2.99 |
Bananas | 2.38 lb @ .79¢/lb | $1.88 |
Total | $6.46 |
JUNE 5, 2021 GROCERY BILL
A quick stop at Save On Foods because I was out of yogurt and their online flyer said my favorite Olympic Krema Vanilla was on sale!
Krema Vanilla Greek Yogurt | 1 | $3.99 |
Total | $3.99 |
JUNE 7, 2021 GROCERY BILL
Today I had to stop at the Walmart in Grandview Corners to pick up some non-grocery items. Seeing as how I was there, I did pick up a couple of groceries.
Cashew Milk | 2 @ $3.50 | $7.00 |
Veggie Straws | 1 bag | $1.97 |
Tax | 5% GST on the veggie straws | .10¢ |
Total | $9.07 |
The veggie straws weren’t on my grocery list. I spotted them on sale when I walked around a corner and tossed a bag of the ranch flavor into my shopping cart. What can I say? At least it’s a healthier choice than a bag of potato chips!
JUNE 8, 2021 GROCERY BILL
My senior dog, Shadow, has been having digestive issues this week and not much of an appetite. She’s a picky eater and finding bland food that she’ll actually eat is a huge challenge.
Today I decided to stop at the Real Canadian Superstore in Langley to buy a dozen eggs. I figure I can eat them if the dog won’t!
Eggs | 1 dozen | $3.08 |
Total | $3.08 |
Yikes! That’s kind of a high price for grocery store eggs! I think Walmart’s eggs were $2.68 the last time I bought them. My landlords have just built a chicken coop and brought in some young chicks and layer hens that should start producing eggs in about another month. Yes, I’m looking forward to heading to the coop and grabbing an egg or two as needed! Maybe I should contribute a couple of hens to the flock.
My grandparents had a chicken farm – for egg production – and throughout the years I’ve kept a few layers when we lived on small properties.
GROCERY BILL, JUNE 11, 2021
I’m not a coffee drinker, but I keep instant coffee in the house for the occasional iced coffee. Actually make that iced mocha. I always add a couple of scoops of chocolate mix powder.
I read an article earlier in the morning about someone who saves a lot of money making iced coffee from a cold brew concentrate.
Hmmm… Got me thinking.
I checked a few websites to see what’s out there and noticed London Drugs website has Starbucks cold brew concentrate marked down from $10.99 to $7.99.
I figured that sounds reasonable to give something a first time try at a sale price. I’d also looked closer at the description on the Starbucks cold brew concentrate – hint of chocolate. Sounds good!
I had the dickens of the time finding the Starbucks cold brew concentrate at the London Drugs in Cloverdale. It wasn’t where the coffee and tea products are. I checked the cooler, thinking it might be a refrigerated product. Then I walked around the end caps. Elusive! One more shot down the center of the store where sometimes featured products are on the shelves. Nope.
One more cruise down the aisle with the coffee and tea, and this time I spotted the Starbucks cold brew concentrate on the top shelf. The place where the staff put the overstock items that are on lower shelves. There was no price tag or label. I found an employee with a step ladder who brought it down for me and also was puzzled why it wasn’t set up on a lower shelf with similar products.
Starbucks Cold Brew Concentrate | 1 | $7.99 |
Coconut Peanuts | 1 jar | $4.49 |
Tax | 5% GST on the nuts | .22¢ |
Total | $12.70 |
The peanuts were kind of a last minute decision. I was looking at the toffee coated peanuts that were on sale when I noticed the coconut cream coated peanuts on sale, so I bought them.
The peanuts are OK. I probably wouldn’t buy them again.
JUNE 13, 2021 GROCERY BILL
Today I stopped by Dollarama, Cloverdale’s only dollar store, to pick up a few non-grocery items.
For example, those birds are still eating me out of house and home when it comes to suet cakes!
I picked up more pretzels because I need to make more of my chocolate chip, peanut butter, and pretzel granola bars, and I’m getting low on pretzels at home. What can I say? Sometimes I like to snack on them as well as bake with them!
I also spotted fried onion toppers for a buck and decided to try them. In my April grocery bill, I bought fried onion toppers at the Real Canadian Superstore on April 4 for $4.48. This is the popular French’s brand and the package size is 170 grams. Dollarama’s brand is Top Taste is 100 gram size.
Mints | 2 bags @ $1 | $2.00 |
Fried Onions | 1 | $1.00 |
Ramen Noodles | 2 @ 25¢ | .50¢ |
Pretzels | 1 bag | $1.50 |
Tax | 5% GST on mints & pretzels | .17¢ |
Total | $5.17 |
Now this part is weird.
I could have sworn I put two cans of tuna into my shopping basket, but they are neither in my bag or on my receipt!
Cue the theme music from the Twilight Zone!
GROCERY BILL JUNE 14, 2021
Wow! It was a busy day today running all kinds of errands.
First stop the feed store to get grain for my horse and canned dog food.
After the farm, I got my hair cut.
Then I drove into Cloverdale, bought gas, took the dog for a walk, and stopped at Fruiticana for a few things.
Bananas | 2.73 lb @ .79¢/lb | $2.16 |
Baby Carrots | 1 bag | $1.59 |
Spinach | 1 bag | $2.99 |
Total | $6.74 |
My day didn’t end there! After lunch I headed to Costco to buy dog food and was planning to buy frozen salmon and maybe a bag of apples.
I’ll leave the dog food off the table because I’m not the one eating it!
Frozen Mahi Mahi | 1 bag | $23.99 |
Frozen Tuna | 1 bag | $16.49 |
Total | $40.48 |
OK I wasn’t too impressed with the frozen salmon selection, so I substituted other frozen fish.
But, jeez, cowgirl, did you have to buy the most expensive seafood in the freezer?
Actually, there was more expensive seafood, like – hello – salmon. There were quite a few fillets of both, and that’ll last me awhile, so impulse purchase.
But everyone knows what it’s like going into Costco. You go in for a couple of things, end up buying five or six things, and you walk out of the store over $100 later.
Even with the dog food at $40 plus tax, I still walked out of Costco below that amount!
That’s because I wasn’t happy with the one type of bagged apples available.
If anyone is wondering why I spend good money on a Costco membership, I do not. I’m the secondary on my landlord’s membership.
JUNE 23, 2021 GROCERY BILL
Tonight I went over to the Real Canadian Superstore in Pitt Meadows, which is my favorite location in this chain.
Heat wave in the weekend weather forecast for the Greater Vancouver Area, so I wanted to pick up a few supplies. Knowing that everything I need I can’t get at the Superstore, so I have to stop by Walmart sometime soon.
Instant Coffee | 2 @ $3.77 | $7.54 |
Nesquik Chocolate Powder | 1 | $3.77 |
Quaker Instant Oats | 1 box (2 x bags) | $7.99 |
Old Fashioned Oats | 1 | $5.48 |
Dill Pickles | 1 jar | $2 |
Chili Lime Peanuts | 1 bag | $3.28 |
Tuna | 2 x $1.17 | $2.34 |
Hellman’s Mayonaise | 1 | $2.97 |
Coffee Creamer | 1 | $3.46 |
Sweet Potato Fries | 2 @ $2.46 | $4.92 |
Frozen Pineapple | 1 | $3.77 |
Frozen Mango | 1 | $3.77 |
Dark Chocolate Almond Milk | 1 | $3.98 |
Cashew Milk | 1 | $3.98 |
Krema Vanilla Greek Yogurt | 1 | $4.98 |
Coleslaw | 2 bags @ $2 | $4 |
Gala Apples | 1 bag | $5.98 |
Bananas | 1.435 kg @ $1.46/kg | $2.10 |
Tax | 5% GST on the nuts | .16¢ |
Total | $76.47 |
So how bad was I?
Did I need peanuts? Nope. Strike one!
Did I need to buy that dairy product International Delights coffee creamer? Well, I needed something to add to that Starbucks Cold Brew Concentrate because I’m not loving it. The coffee creamers were on sale. Did I need to buy the Oreo flavor? Probably not. I’m not loving it.
Everything else was on my shopping list because I knew in advance that a lot of the items were on sale like the Nescafe instant coffee and Nesquick chocolate powder mix. Which I was not loving in the Starbucks cold brew.
I needed to buy the old fashioned oats for my chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal bake, cause I used up the last a week ago. And yikes! The price has gone up a buck since I last bought them last year. The quick oats were a last minute decision when I spotted them marked down from $10.49 to $7.99. I still have a bag in the freezer, and these two will join them.
It’s always OK to add something to your grocery cart when you see it on sale and know you’ll use it up.
The bags of coleslaw were on sale marked down from $3.48 to $2. One is a bag of broccoli slaw and the other is a bag of cauliflower slaw. My plan was to buy one larger bag of broccoli slaw, but when I saw the smaller bags on sale, it was a better deal to buy $2 of them. With the hot weather on the way, I know I’ll use them up before they expire in a week.
JUNE 26, 2021 GROCERY BILL
Today I went to Walmart in Grandview Corners because I needed to buy other things plus I always have a grocery list on my phone.
I was happy to spot veggie burgers on sale so I bought a few to stock up the freezer.
We’ve been having a heatwave! It’s too hot to turn on the oven, but I wanted muffins. For the first time in many years, I bought grocery store muffins. Hmmm… I went for the lemon poppy seed muffins, because it’s not likely I’d make this flavor at home. They’re pretty good. I ate one when I got home and put the rest in the freezer, and I’ve eaten a couple more. But pricey. This is how we save money by baking our own muffins. But when the temperature is over 100 F – I ain’t turning on the oven! My house is already hot enough!
Boca Burgers | 2 @ $3.50 | $7 |
Yves Veggie Burgers | 1 pack | $4.97 |
Frozen Whipped Topping | 1 | $2.67 |
Lipton Green Tea | 1 box | $5.98 |
Bananas | 1.440 kg @ $1.46/kg | $2.10 |
Tuna | 4 cans @ $1.25 | $5 |
Sardines | 2 cans @ $1.17 | $2.34 |
Lime Powder Drink Mix | 1 | $2.57 |
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins | 6 pack | $4.47 |
Chia seeds | 1 bag | $6 |
Plantain Chips | 2 bags @ $1.27 | $2.54 |
Cookies | 1 | .97¢ |
Peanut Butter | 1 | $3.47 |
Tax | 5% GST on snacks includes drink mix | .30 |
Total | $50.38 |
Complaints about today’s shopping experience? Oh, just a few!
Not anything I’m going to eat, but I bought a box of dog biscuits on sale @ $8.98, but Walmart ripped me off and charged me the regular price $9.98. It’s Three Dog Bakery and Walmart seems to be removing this brand from their shelves by offering clear out sales that they don’t honor.
I’d planned to buy two cartons of cashew milk because I’m making lots of smoothies these days. And you guessed it – out of stock. Walmart sucks in keeping their shelves properly stocked – for years before the pandemic.
I usually go through the self check out. Up until they were eliminated about three years ago, I used to go through the 20 items or less cashiers. I hated going through there because the cashiers would always try to sell me on their damned Walmart card. “Not interested,” should be sufficient, but they don’t quit. They put on a hard sales pitch like their boss is holding a gun to their heads!
If nothing else, the self check out is a huge relief because I don’t have to put up with the begging and pleading to get one of their damned Walmart credit cards. Like Walmart is going to go broke or something drastic is going to happen if I don’t sign up for one.
Ladies – let’s be smart with our money and not take on any useless big box store/department store credit cards. Read what happened when I was dumb enough to take a Home Depot card.
There’s a couple of Walmart staff who work the self check out area to assist customers. I don’t usually need assistance, but one of the buggers showed up as I’m ready to pay and starts in on at me about the damned Walmart credit card.
NO!
Apparently that wasn’t a big enough clue that I didn’t want to get a Walmart credit card because the intimidation wouldn’t stop.
He wouldn’t get off my case about it, going on about how I can save $40 right now. Sure, but what happens when there’s a problem down the road and you tried to get the village idiots in Walmart’s “here to help” LOL department.
TALLY IT UP!
And the final amount for my groceries in June, 2021 is … ta da!
$214.54
And ten times I went inside stores to do grocery shopping.
Yikes! This is my highest month of the year in dollars spent. So far the number of grocery trips winner is May.
Maybe I’m getting more comfortable since getting my Covid-19 vaccine. I’ve had both doses now.
Ten shopping trips! And yet, it seems like I hardly have anything to show for it. Well other than a good amount of frozen tuna and mahi mahi. I tell you, the power better not go out around here!
I feel like I’m staying safe. It’s hard to justify paying extra money to have someone else do the shopping and either deliver to my house or for me to pick up at the grocery store. It’s kind of inconvenient. It also prevents me from noticing a special on at the store that I might want to stock up on.
As of July 1, British Columbia no longer has a mandatory mask order for indoor places that are open to the public. It remains to be seen how many retailers will go along or still require masks on their premises.
LAST MONTH’S VEGETARIAN COWGIRL’S GROCERY BILL
OLDER GROCERY BILLS
To check out previous monthly grocery bills, click on the links below. This is a new feature on The Lifestyle Digs starting in 2021, so not too many to click yet!
The Vegetarian Cowgirl’s April 2021 Grocery Bill
The Vegetarian Cowgirl’s March 2021 Grocery Bill
The Vegetarian Cowgirl’s February 2021 Grocery Bill
The Vegetarian Cowgirl’s January 2021 Grocery Bill
2021 MONTHLY TOTALS
Here’s how much I’ve been spending on groceries in 2021.
January | $173.86 |
February | $122.38 |
March | $196.85 |
April | $156.79 |
May | $207.52 |
June | $214.54 |
2021 Total | $1,071.94 |
How are you doing with your grocery shopping? Do you still shop or have you switched to deliver or pick up service? Do you find you’re spending more money or less money on groceries?
Published by Cheryl @ The Lifestyle Digs on July 1, 2021.