Yargh! I keep forgetting to post my grocery store results. Ah well, better late than never, as the saying goes.

Before I discuss the latest, let's take a moment to recap where I've been. This last weekend marked my eighth non-plastic-sack shopping trip; so only for the last eight weeks have I kept track of my totals. I never paid that much attention to grocery bills when I didn't limit myself to five cloth bags. There must be something inherent in plastic bags - they make you want to spend money. At any rate...

Week 1 - $88
Week 2 - $70
Week 3 - $143.12
Week 4 - $124.10
Week 5 - $181.64
Week 6 - $100.26
Week 7 - $203.00

This week, after SOB mentioned it awhile back, I decided to venture to Fareway, which is the locals' local grocery store. Usually, things here tend to run cheaper, the meat department dudes wear those old-fashioned paper hats, and the selection is fairly run-of-the-mill (natural when the clientele is mostly conservative older folks). However, I will just say that Fareway is indeed making strides in the healthy, organic arena. And, it's known for its quality. I wonder know why I waited so long to go here. Hmmm...

Again, I went five for five in shopping bags. I haven't needed any more than that yet, although I will admit that I do carry items like milk, laundry detergent, etc. outside of the cloth sacks. Maybe a little cheating. So sue me.

Anyway, my total this week: $113.00. Yeah! This was for a full week's of meals! The big-ticket item winner was five tortilla-crusted tilapia fillets...$14.95 altogether. But, you know, they're really good, and worth the money. Fourteen ninety-five couldn't get me a single tortilla-crusted tilapia fillet at Red Lobster. Other than that, I also had a $10 package of chicken breasts. You know what, though? I don't mind spending the money on meat.

On the flip side, a one pound chub of ground turkey only cost me $1.39. I wish I'd loaded up, filled my deep freeze. You know how versatile turkey is? It's like the khaki pants of my current wardrobe...except way tastier. I did not purchase any HoneyCrisp apples, tho' my fingers itched. Instead, I went for the bag of red apples from Pella ($3.00), a town about twenty minutes from here...so yay local produce!

Head-scratching items include: bag of shredded cheddar cheese - $3.19. Why am I paying so much for a processed milk product? Probably because I'm buying Kraft's fat-free version. Ahhhh yes... Chicken broth: a 32 oz container cost $3.89. Note to self - make and freeze own chicken stock. Obviously. Then, $2.50 for a small jar of dried cilantro leaves...duh. Grow it in the garden next year.

Non-negotiable items include: Cookie Crisp cereal - $3.69. Really, though, Fastco should think about making a generic brand of this stuff. All parties involved would appreciate it. Pretzel rings - $2.50 a bag. Sweet potatoes: 1.78 pounds at fifty-nine cents a pound. See, we've chipped around with SPs for years, but some friends of ours actually grow their own and have made them a mainstay in their diets. And us...well, we're just trying to keep up with the Joneses (not their real names). Of course, the Diet Pepsi is still with us. We can't go totally primal yet.

All in all, a very satisfying shopping trip. Will have to do Fareway again soon. Like next weekend.