$40 Grocery Haul for 3 Adults • Realistic Budget Cooking • Dinner Ideas

Hey y'all! Join me as I take you along to see what groceries we got during a week in April 2024, how much those groceries cost, and what I ended up cooking for my household's dinners for a full week. I purchased my groceries from Food Lion and Harris Teeter, and prices are for Raleigh, NC. Hope you enjoy my little budget friendly grocery haul and that it gives you some meal ideas!

As always, I appreciate you all so so much!

You can find me online at:

Or for the pen and paper type:
That Lisa Dawn
PO BOX 99383
Raleigh, NC
27624

Some of my favorite things that you see in my kitchen.

Instant Pot Duo Plus 6qt

Aroma Rice Cooker

KitchenAid Stainless Steel Wire Masher

Rainbow Regular Mouth Mason Jar Lids

Rainbow Wide Mouth Mason Jar Lids

Heavy Duty Egg Slicer

Lodge 12" Cast Iron Skillet

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This helps support my channel but does not increase the cost to you =)

[ThatLisaDawn]

Hey y'all! Sorry it's been such a long break between videos. I've had some personal stuff going on and just haven't felt up to getting content out. I'm going on a short trip with friends this week and am EXCITED to get back to getting videos out as soon as I get back! I missed y'all! 💙💙💙

[BCGirl]

Hey Lisa! We missed you! I’m fascinated by your ability to eat such wonderful meals so frugally. I’d love to hear more about how you shop frugally, specifically household items like TP, paper towels, laundry detergent, etc and also, do you 3 eat snacks during the day? I feel like I spend a fortune on household items and snacks alone 🤦🏻‍♀️

[monicapixley]

I’ll teach you a trick my sis in law taught me and it’s so yummy and easy..Pork Carnitas
With your pork roast.. brown on all sides, then place in crock pot ( slow cooker)..
Then LIGHTLY season on both sides with black pepper, and maybe some garlic and onion powder..
Now pour a jar of green salsa over the pork…
SEASONING DEPENDS ON YOUR SALSA..cook on low for 7-8 hours..
When done shred with fork.. serve on warm tortillas and cheese..
Yummy..
Also good over rice..

[lelephillip]

I love the fact that you are not afraid of seasonings and trying new flavors. I was born in Trinidad (tiny islands off the coast of Venezuela) and when I say I perk up every time I see the spices you use, making sure to season each thing you are making down to your rice, which I even started doing from time to time because my daughter hates plain rice. I love your style of cooking because it is very similar to the way I already cook and it’s simple yet comforting and always budget friendly. Hope you keep this channel going but a long time😊

[darcyjane]

i very much admire your creativity. Coaxing all those delicious looking meals out of humble ingredients IS an ART that you excel in.

[joleenshepherd]

Jeez that is one big kitty I first thought you was holding a dog until he turned his head 😂

[bthalsey]

If you cook them in muffin tins, (the meatloaf) it’s much quicker and you can store them individually too!! 😉😉

[alishaparsons]

Kitties always make the videos better!!! 😻🐾

[laurawilson]

Glad to see you again Lisa Dawn.Everyone is going thru something, don't worry we're here.

[audreyrobles]

Dang! I wish we had more options for shopping. It seems like you're able to find such good deals. I LOVE your videos. Thank you for making them. Your friend from Georgia. ❤

[tynaedwards]

I love your down to earth cooking videos. So glad you're back.

[jannifercopley]

I use my meat masher, for mashing hard boiled eggs for egg salad, for mashing potatoes, and for mashing up fruits when i am canning jam and fruit syrups.

I felt the same way about this tool at first, it was just another tool that would take up space in my drawers. Now i regret not having one sooner. Im so glad i spent a 1.25 on my first one. Its a handy tool in my household and i can't imagine not having one in the future! 😊
Thanks for the content. I look forward to your videos more than any other channels i follow!

You are absolutely darling! ❤

[anniechapman]

hey Lisa - would you ever do a Q&A? I think you're the coolest and I would love to know more about you!

[nephilimslayer]

Gidday Lisa.
I have cooked pork shoulder in the past, not so much now because I live alone.
My favourite way is bone out the pork shoulder (you can save the bones for stock; or ask your butcher to bone it out for you).
Make a homemade stuffing (not packet mix).
Stuff the meat, roll it up and bind it with kitchen string.
Cook as a normal roast with baked veggies, green veggies and pan gravy.
A tip for homemade stuffing: save the end crusts (heels) of your bread loaves and freeze them.
When you have enough, put them in a small blender to make into fresh breadcrumbs.
Mix with finely diced onion, garlic, butter, eggs and a dash of milk if required. Season with salt and pepper.
Add any favourite herbs you like, such as mixed herbs, Italian herbs, Tuscan herbs, Herbs de Florence, or sage.

To make pan gravy: take your roast meat out of the pan and put it on the stovetop. Using the juices, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour. Mix until you get a roux. Then slowly add water while stirring consistently until you get the required consistency. Ad salt and pepper to taste. You can serve as is, or put it through a sieve for a smoother consistency.

[kkandjfischer]

I'm with you on that potato math! I always cut way more than needed. Great video Lisa 👍😉

[lisahubbard]

Quick tip- if you place bread under the meat loaf while baking, it will absorb all grease. You'll be amazed !!

[bekahhhboooo]

I love adding lentils to ground meat to help stretch it! You don't need to soak lentils but it does help with digestion you soak them for a few hours and rinse them before cooking. Helps get rid of some of the tougher carbohydrates that aren't easy of our tummies and cause gas and bloating. 😊

[jillgott]

You do an awesome job I have weeks I eat say Rice alot during a week or steak 3 times, Spaghetti several meals. It's okay. Saves money. I purchased half a baked Chicken Breast and put together 3 meals that do not need to be cooked, 1 to reheat, and Chicken Salad.
I do not skip on my protein portions but added veggies, rice, fruit to the meals so I do not need alot more, yet the meals will be quite filling.

[coffeebeforemascara]

How in the world did I not know that you lived in Raleigh? All these years! Who knew?. Love your work and especially your creative cooking ideas for super tight budgets. Anyhow, you are way way way way way way way better than me when it comes to yeast or anything past the expiration for that matter, 3 years past expiration? OMG you crack me up. But boy it still was great wasn't it? I should have you lived in North Carolina from seeing that bone sucking sauce on your counter lol.

[laurabattise]

Great idea to use lentils to extend the meat. I like the stuffing idea too.