Sick days......and grocery shopping

Kate and Ty were feeling pretty puny today so cuddle time on the couch was in order.

Motrin kicked in.....peek.

Cold sore number 9 in 10 months arrived this evening and it is going to be a nasty one. I've debated the maintenance meds because it isn't life threatening but I am really tired of seeing these ugly things on his sweet face.

Ty started with a fever last Wednesday after his 18 month checkup. He's still feverish and very congested. He still finds the energy to play some throughout the day even though he isn't eating well or drinking much. All indicators are that he also has a sore throat. Poor thing has been miserable again. Kate started with the sore throat on Saturday after church and the fever kicked in on Sunday. She's sleeping more than he is.

On a completely different note, I did my monthly grocery shopping today after dropping Erin off at work. Or at least, I did the Meijer portion of my shopping. I spent the earlier part of the day creating a monthly meal plan which simply means that I made a list of all the meals we would eat in the next 30 days (I ask my family for suggestions so we have everyone's favorites throughout the month) and then made a corresponding grocery list. I have pre-made lists for Sam's Club and Meijer according to store layout and the items I generally purchase.  I also keep a magnetic shopping list on my fridge to note staples as we run out of them. Once I have my competed shopping lists, I typically hit Sam's Club first because I can shop Meijer's sale ad online before heading out to compare meat prices and such. But, given the sad state my family was in without me today, I only made it to Meijer. I had to go alone which was tough on my tired body (have I mentioned my 24 lb son only wants to be held when he doesn't feel well?) but I managed to pull two overflowing grocery carts through the store. Teenagers are wonderful helpers in the grocery store and I missed mine today. I spent $326, but took advantage of a lot of personal item sales and needed meds for the kids. Meijer brand lotions, body wash, deodorant, feminine products (we should be buying stock in that stuff and toilet paper here) were all buy one get one free or 50% off. It was worth stocking up now. I had a few coupons but I find that store brands are cheaper overall and the hassle of finding and clipping coupons has not been worthwhile for me. Meijer brand is all natural without the preservatives found in most name brand products. I am well stocked in meat, beans, fruit, veggies, milk, yogurt, butter, cereal, snacks, canned goods, pasta, bread products, salad dressings, baked goods and soy milk.
Later in the week I will hit Sam's for diapers, all paper products, seasonings, coffee, tea, frozen veggies, flour, sugar, peanut butter, fish, bacon, salsa, dog food, water softener salt and cheese. I will likely spend another $200 there. We will be set for the month with the exception of fresh produce, milk and eggs which I pick up weekly after church or dropping Erin off at work because Meijer is so close to both of those locations. The weekly stops are quick and run me around $40 each. I have tweaked my system several times but for now, it works for us. I would like to find additional ways to cut costs, but feeding a family of seven fresh, whole foods is expensive. My kids clean out a ridiculous amount of fruit each week.....literally in four days, we go through a bag of apples, 3-4 pears, a package of strawberries, a bag of cherries, a bunch of bananas, 3 cucumbers and two tomatoes.
I do my shopping around Greg's monthly paycheck because it helps me stay on budget. I don't pick up things not on my list because I am already buying so much! I would like to eliminate paper products because of their cost, but I happen to live in one of the most expensive areas for water. My monthly water, sewage and trash is $200. Assuming, I'd be doing more laundry as a result of doing away with paper products, means the water bill will increase and frankly, I do enough laundry! If you happen to have any savings tips you don't mind passing along, I'd love to hear them.