Billy went to a car show this last weekend.

I asked him if he would trade me in for a Lamborgini

and he said, “only if they threw in a free Dr. Pepper.”

Minus 12 husband points.

He earned those point back plus 3 more by taking me to:

-Pick up my new running shoes (courtesy of Mom and Dad Jacobs…thanks!!) and Costco

IMG_3420.JPG

We took my new Brooks to a shoemaker to have them to take out most of the heel.  Now they are zero drop which means the heel and front of the shoe are even heights.  By doing this it forces me to run striking my mid-food and hopefully this will help me be speedier.

I am shooting for a 180 cadence (180 steps per minute). My inner thigh is a little tight and they are thinking it is because I am over striding.  Problem solved:)

The Costco goods:  Yes I am rolling around giggling and hugging my latest deliciousness goodness.

IMG_3423.JPG

We left Costco spending $37.

Not bad for coming home to an empty fridge and hopefully this will hold us over for a little longer than a week (thanks Mom in advance for inviting us to eat many delicious home cooked meals at your house this week…..Lasagna has been sounding mighty delicious lately. Oh, and don’t forget the garlic bread and Billy mentioned something about funfetti cake sounding good:)

IMG_3427.JPG

My din din doesn’t look crazy appetizing but it included some nutritional powerhouses… spinach, tuna, cheese, broccoli, potato skins.  The potato was literally 2 lbs.

Finished off from my secret stash.  I keep it in my underwear drawer because I like my underthings to smell like chocolate.

IMG_3433.JPG

Christmas present from a student.  Why do people find my candy obsession so funny?

HOW DO YOU SAVE MONEY ON GROCERIES?  Do you have a grocery budget?

-I need advice……we spend way too much mula!!!  I don’t want to buy less, share your ideas and strategies:)

Do you finish the night off with chocolate?

-Yes, it is good for my mental health and my marriage:)

Any special tricks to help with your speed?

-Besides really working on my foot strike I am also trying some exercises of holding my breath for a short amount of time as I run to help increase my oxygen usage efficiency (learned this from 50 50 by Dean Karnazes aka my idol).

You May Also Like

73 comments

Reply

Those are some good lookin' shoes!

I try to do my best to save on groceries. Lots of coupons, and I tend to switch between two stores depending on sales. Oh, and I plan our menu for the week before heading out.

Chocolate? Sometimes. Something sweet? Always.

Reply

I spend WAY too much on groceries! No tips there…

Reply

I send the Huz shopping. That saves a lot of money because he is sure we can live without veggies, conditioner and candy. WRONG-O mister! (which means I have to go back to the store and spend that $$ but he always feels proud of his "cheap" shopping… Doom!)

Reply

I get some of those online coupons from shortcuts.com and those help some.
I most definitely have a candy stash.

Reply

I use lots of coupons too! My chocolate stash doesn't just end the night, it gets me through the day!

Reply

Love getting new running shoes. I try to buy the 365 brand stuff at Whole Foods to save a little $$, but food is one place I usually don't skimp on when it come to budget!

P.S. I'm IN on any kind of party that involves watching Mary-Kate and Ashley movies…just sayin'…

Reply

Are you training with a coach?? I sure hope so because I have a good feeling about you… YOU'RE MEGA TALENTED, MISSY!!

And I ALWAYS end my night with chocolate. And I live right by a 7-11 which is crazy dangerous for a candy addict!!

Reply

Billy and I are on the same cake…funfetti is always good to me!

Reply

Ok, first of all…$37 at Costco?! You must have had some of that yummy goodness shoved in your sweatshirt!!

I bet we spend the equivalant of our mortgage on groceries. It stinks. I wish I could get into some sort of rythym for grocery buying but it is impossible. I hate buying groceries and I never leave the store spending less than $100 and multiply that by at least twice a week! I think Costco is the way to go though, buy in bulk the things you know you like.

And totally sweetness about those shoes!! Jsut curious, do you have a coach who is going to help you become a famous runner!? Ha! I just looked up and saw tht Briana asked the same question about a coach. Guess you need to fill us in on your How To plan to become a famous runner. don't forget the little peeps, ok?! =)

You'r awesome!!!

Reply

I try to make a good grocery list before I go shopping to save a bit on money. I will buy the cheapest apples for instance because I don't really care what kind I get, but with other things I HAVE to buy a specific kind so it all works out.

I'm actually not a huge chocolate fan. I prefer sugary candy!!

Tricks for speed… hmm, I'd love to have more speed. Lol. I guess I just try to do a speed workout at least once per week and I end every run with .10 miles at a super fast pace for me. That's about it. I'm not very fast!

Reply

Smart girl!!! Taking those shoes to get dropped I'm impressed!!! We shop at Costco too, I can get organic stuff their pretty reasonable. Tricks for speed? Somehow I doubt you need any tricks :)

Reply

Buy off-brand whenever you can, always look at the sale ads for multiple stores and plan your menus according to what's on sale (don't forget to compare the ads to each other for various stores and go where the deals are…Even if that means going to multiple stores). Also…Don't underestimate stores like Aldi and Save A Lot. Yes, they're cheap, but that doesn't have to mean lower quality, and normally I end up maily getting all the canned goods and frozen veggies there. Coupons are great…If you buy the brand items on the coupons normally. I don't. I ALWAYS buy off-brand. Example: Triscuits are nearly $4, but the off-brand at Save A Lot was $1.50!!! Hello savings!

Reply

Um, also…I don't know what "maily" means….And I'm pretty sure I didn't type that. I would also like to point out that I just hit the grocery store yesterday and ended up only spending $83 to feed a family of 4 for the week. The menu was:
Monday – Fish tacos with brown rice and steamed broccoli
Tuesday – braised chicken thighs in red wine, tomatoes and chicken brothe, roasted potatoes and corn on the cob
Wednesday – turkey and black bean chili
Thursday – pulled chicken sandwiches with sweet potato fries and red cabbage
Friday – I'M TOTALLY MAKING PIZZA (per the dough recipe you posted)! Whoot!

Reply

Wow, only $37 at Costco? I think I spend that much on just kitty litter, egg beaters, and multi-colored peppers!

Coupons are good if you actually use things that have coupons. I buy mostly storebrand packaged things and everything else is meat or produce or grains. I try to buy my grains in bulk. I shop produce sales at Sprouts market, because it tastes better and it's way cheap. I buy meat only when it's on sale and freeze it in 1 lb servings.

Reply

I was just looking at grocery bills the other day and trying to figure out how to make them smaller. We don't buy much meat, which helps, but I'm looking for some tips, too – feel free to share if you come up with any!

Reply

It's so bad but I don't really keep track of my grocery bill. During the week I tend to swing by the grocery store pick up an item here and there, bad, bad, bad habit! 2011 I need to stick to a budget!
I've tried to clip coupons but 2 things happen: 1. I buy things I don't need 2. I forget I have the coupon and then get home and am mad at myself!

Reply

Umm-tricks to help with your speed..can't help you there-but the oxygen deprivation thing-very interesting! Are those just regular Brooks Launch with the heel out? That is so interesting to me. I have a friend (ran Boston in 3:02) and she just took her shoes to a shoemaker to have something done to them but I don't remember what. Now, I need to ask her about it again. I've gone through about 8 pairs of those shoes. Love them.

My grocery bill is atrocious. I have 3 hockey playing kids who eat like horses. Fruits and vegetables really kill you especially out of season. Pass on any good tips you get!!!

Reply

Use coupons, make a list first and NEVER go shopping hungry. then everything looks good and ends up in my cart. I also find that when i leave Justin at home I spend less. (He is like a four year old and slips PB oreos into the cart when I am not looking.)

Reply

Getting out of Costco for only $37 is might impressive! And tell me about having the heel taken out–how do they do that?

Reply

I love the giant bags of veggies you can buy at Costco for cheap. When my mom visits me at school, she's always so nice to take a Costco trip to buy me delicious eats.
Speaking of running shoes, could you do a post about choosing the right shoe for your feet/running style? I've always been confused about what type of shoe I need (stability, etc.).

Reply

Don't even worry about the Lamborgini, I think I have you beat. Jordan has this idea that NCSU should have live wolves on campus, and if you aren't careful, they will eat you. I asked him if he would still think it was a good idea if I got eaten, and he said yes. First of all, who am I dating and who comes up with this stuff???

I am so NOT the person to ask about saving $ at the grocery store. I'd say at least 70% of my money goes towards food.

Aannnnd also, high five for Brooks! They are the best!

Reply

I have never come out of costco without spending 150.00 – at least! 37? wow!

ok the shoes? you can buy racing flats. is it cheaper to buy the brooks than have a cobbler (shoe repair) remove part of the heel? just curious. :)

Reply

I save money on groceries by buying in bulk (thanks costco, I LOVE buying produce at costco) and not buying processed food.

I can't help you with speed because I am super slow =(

Reply

We try to spend less than $60/week on groceries. It was hard at first, but if I planned ahead on meals and bought according to that, but not according to whatever sounded good, it worked better. If you look at the "grocery" tag on my blog, I have some posts on it. It's been HUGE in remaking our budget!

Reply

I'm terrible at saving money at the grocery store. I have to feed five of us which can get reeeeediculous.

Sweet shoes!

Reply

To save money I actually signed up for a CSA of sorts to make me use different foods and not let things go to waste (since they're local and organic) but I also try to plan a menu for the week; sets me up for no failure on wasteful food! and you can freeze the leftovers!

chocolate is a must at the end of a day. no other way.

to help with speed I actually try to run more on my toes and lean a bit more forward to propel me and my legs have to move faster to keep me from falling on my face! haha!

Reply

Your new shoes are really cute. interested to hear how the no-heel thing works out for you. I'm not speedy, but I leave my heels in and still try to strike with the mid-foot to be more efficient.

We probably spend $100 on groceries each week (whether it's over one trip or two smaller trips). I don't think it's that bad though for 2 people – I rarely buy lunch out at work, and we rarely go out to dinner. So that's all of our food, and it's 90% produce/healthy stuff. 10% tortilla chips or kettle chips and peanut butter filled pretzels and the occasional half moon cookies or ice cream pint. We buy store brand for a lot of things (milk, cereal, bread, prepackaged veggies like spinach) and I'm sure we could cut back a lot. Even though Greek yogurt is expensive, I like it a lot and will buy it over the .50/cup regular yogurt. We do waste more food than I'd like…i.e. I feel bad when a $2 avocado gets overripe and has to be thrown away because I didn't use it in time.

Reply

Holy crap, if I tried to hold my breath while running, someone would find me passed out in a ditch somewhere.

That sounds like an awesome little trick though. I may have to chance it.

Reply

i just finished off all my xmas candy… bye bye sugar highs & extra weight!

Reply

I love a little bit of chocolate in the evening- something to look forward to :)
I order groceries online and then it is easier to stick to the list and also delete things if I have spent too much :)
Cool personalised shoes- what a good idea!

Reply

I've never been able to leave costco without spending less than at least $100+. Good job!!

Reply

To save money on groceries, we shop at Publix when things are buy 1 get 1 free. Otherwise, we make the trip to Walmart — it's a lot cheaper there.
We also meal plan so we aren't just blindly picking stuff up off the shelves =)

Reply

Oh man! I watched this show on TLC the other day about extreme couponers! It made me want to pay a little more attention to coupons when I grocery shop. The people were nuts. They would buy like $600 in groceries and only spend $2.50 (that's not even an exaggeration!)!!!

I always finish of the day with some kind of dessert. I just don't feel like the day is over without it.

Reply

What's so funny about being a candy-o-holic? I don't get it either.

Reply

We spend a lot of money on groceries too. We try to live off of $250 a month (for TWO people – yikes!). The Husband gives me the money in the beginning of the month and I spend it as needed. Most months we spend too much and we eat cereal for last week or so. :)

Reply

Exciting about the new shoes! We are getting better about our grocery shopping but we still go to the store way too often. We were actually just talking about this yesterday and plan to start meal-planning next week. We'll see how that goes…

Many of my nights end with chocolate in some form. Sometimes just frozen chocolate chips, sometimes a chocolate chip cookie, etc, etc. It's good for my marriage, too!

Reply

Question – if you take out the insoles on your shoes, why not just buy cheaper, flatter shoes?

I have no idea how to be cheap with food. I spent about 100 dollars a month on one person – and that was no cuts of meat, besides deli turkey. I say buy mostly fresh, not packaged stuff, but I think you do that anyway.

Reply

i love reading about your running tips and tricks. i cannot WAIT to read how you are training for boston. are you going to give us all your bib # so we can follow you that day? :) PLEASE PLEASE? :)

i think when you buy unprocessed foods it costs more. the only way to lessen your grocer bill is to start eating lots of boxed foods. like cereal and macaroni and cheese, you know, the kraft kind. ha!

Reply

I spend a ton on groceries, too. 4 kids + eating at home always = tons on groceries. I also buy organic mostly and we do gluten-free… this of course adds to the expenditure. The only way I can ever make it any better is to only shop once a week and always make a list and STICK TO THE LIST. And I endeavor to use EVERYTHING I buy every week. But we still spend a lot.

I agree with previous commenter… you might want to consider enlisting the assistance of a coach. I would imagine some good people would be very interested in taking on such a talented and motivated and hard-working athlete.

Reply

I've been known to revel in my grocery purchases too :)

Reply

I always have a couple dark chocolate covered almonds, whole foods sells them in bulk and they are the perfect chocolate fix!

Reply

Since when dos Costco have awesome looking (and oh lovely bright colors!) running sneakers? I HEART them! Ugh. I want a pair.

Every single post you make me laugh. I love that about you – hahaha you're laying on the floor giggling at the produce! ROFL.

Reply

I try to plan meals around a few key ingredients — limits the number of different things you have to buy (and helps you keep food from going to waste). Not always the most exciting menu, but it works.

Reply

Very interesting about the Brooks! I wonder if a racing flat would do the same thing for you- but maybe what you are doing will get you more miles per shoe. (?)

The way I save money is by planning a meal menu (for dinner) and shopping from it. I posted a copy in my blog today… But i hadn't even read your post yet! ha!
http://www.elktonrunner.blogspot.com

I could use some more ideas though and some new meals!!

Reply

I suck at grocery budgeting, but the cheapest and most filling thing I make is soup. I can make a $10 pot of soup from scratch that will have 10 meals in it. 10 delicious warm healthy meals.

1 chicken (on sale, or whatever chicken parts are cheapest)
carrots
celery
head of green cabbage

the rest of the seasonings and stuff are things most people have at home. Boom, soup.

Reply

I think you need a post on your shoes: brooks that are altered, vibrams, barefoot, etc. Why lower the heel vs buying a different model/brand? I'm very interested to learn more, as I'm slowly working my way down in shoes to less drop and more connection with the ground.

Money savings: As a family on a teacher's salary + a 12 hrs/week mommy "salary", we get all our produce from a co-op. Benefits: fixed price, bulk, organic produce. Cons: you get what you get, which sometimes means beets, radishes, or other things that might be off your radar.

Also, I check the dollar store fairly often. Not for produce, but grocery items, like crackers and mustard (always checking expiration date), or drugstore items, like soap/shampoo/bandaids/ibuprofen. The money I save by buying those necessities at the dollar store I then apply to our food budget.

Reply

Seriously lol-ing with your chocolate undie comment!!
How do you ONLY spend $37 at Costco? You exercised some serious self control.

Winco is an expensive grocery store 8 miles away in Idaho. I use the bins and fill up on oats, cereal, dried fruit, nut, beans, paaaaasta, rice etc. Pretty good savings.

Reply

I'd rather go without TV, Sewer, or Running water than to lower my food budget. So NOPE, you're not getting any tips from me on that one!

LOVE how you got a cobbler to make you some awesome running shoe mods! Did you happen to see any elves hiding in the store?

Nellie
http://midlifecruiser.blogspot.com

Reply

I look forward to making you a "perfect" pb&j when I take my kids on our insane road trip this coming summer! I'll be sure to pass thru your neck of the woods ;-)

Reply

Nice job on 37 bucks at costco!! got to be a record! I'm curious what others spend per month on groceries. We spend way to much and trying to set a budget in that area…just don't know what is realistic.

Reply

Haha funny husband! :D And such a cute picture of you with your goodies!!

A candy obssession isn't funny at all! It's perfectly normal, and in fact, sensible IMHO!

Only $37?! That's CHEAP! I will read all these comments now to see if other people have any mula-saving advice for me, cos I spend WAY too much on food!

I don't just finish off the NIGHT with chocolate, I finish off every HOUR with chocolate. If you haven't tried it yet, do. Your mental health and marriage'll thank me for it! :P

I'm trying to increase my speed at the mo too, but am just doing all the usual things (fartlek, intervals, etc.), so I'll gladly take your shoe tips and any others you have! :D

Reply

Speed?! me?! ha ha… I"ll leave that for the real runners out there!

Groceries are probably my biggest expense (over shoes AND my coach.. that's bad)… I found a huge difference when I started shopping at costco though, and while it's a pain in the butt sometimes, I DO read all the flyers that come out and try and shop different stores, or at least pick the one with the best sales that week.

Oh… and farmers markets! a bust this time of year but in the summer I save a FORTUNE on produce.

Reply

To save money on food… buy in bulk and make things in bulk. I make a huge pot of veggie chili or stew or soup on Sundays to eat throughout the week. I also will make a big casserole (or stuffed bell peppers, etc) and can freeze half for later and eat the rest for a couple days out of the week. It's nice to have some frozen pre-made stuff too, when you don't have enough time to make something that night. Always homemade, which is cheaper!

Reply

I love the shoes. I hope they help you get speedier.

Yes, I have a love affair with chocolate. Not always a night time thing.

I use a lot of coupons and always look for great deals.

I'm also loving your green jacket. I have a fascination with green. It is my favorite. Where did you get it?

Reply

i'm going to have to read through all of the comments above. i need money saving tips too. feeding a family of five on a budget is tough-o .. add to the mix the fact that i'm convinced one can coupon shop and still eat nutritious, whole foods. (imo). p.s. thanks for stopping by MY blog. you've found my food blog. sometimes i take a minute to post there but mostly, (in case you run out of reading material), you can find me on my mooretolove(at)blogspot(dot)com blog. (p.p.s did you buy your running shoes at costco? i got confused).

Reply

meant to say "one canNOT coupon shop and still eat nutritious, whole foods" … m'kay?

Reply

That is my ongoing question also!! HOW CAN I SAVE MONEY?!?!?!???! Let me know if you find a solution…hahaha :)
I love your blog! And actually–that dinn sounds VERY delish…sounds like JUST what I'm craving!!
Also–Thank you THANK YOU for stopping by my blog! I appreciate your comment!
Follow me if you'd like!
http://greensk8r-fireandice.blogspot.com
:D

Reply

I have so much to comment on this post! First of all, I feel your pain. I spend WAY too much on food! It is kind of ridiculous but I swear when I walk out of the store with four bags of produce I spend about $70.00. ???

2nd – I run on my forefoot naturally and always try to find a shoe that has little to no drop as well. (I love Brooks!) But I had NO idea you could actually get the heel taken out!? Genius!

3rd – Um, Yes! Blogger date for sure when you come back to southern CA. yay. :)

Reply

So cool about modifying your shoes. Have you ever tried Newton's. They remind me of what a shoe would be like if the heel were taken out. I try for the 180 thing too. Spinning has really helped me with that. It's gotten me so that I just think about increasing my cadence only it's my turnover when running and not having to go to the beat of the music.
I'm not sure what to tell you about food cost, other than I shop the sales, grow as much as we can at home, and plan as much as I can. I try to use leftovers as well to stretch out the budget. Like using Pork Roast one day and then pork leftover burritos the next.
Blogger day for sure! I'm in!

Reply

I do this…
http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/

I think you would love it. It is a produce co-op. You buy your food online on Monday, then Saturday morning you go and pick up a basket full of fruits and veggies. It is great! They also have add-ons (bread, granola, etc that you can add on for more $). You can choose conventional ($15) or organic ($25).

Reply

Tonight there is a show on called Extreme Couponing, it's a must watch. I have applied several of the techniques they talked about on the show. I'm not getting all my groceries for free but I did save 57% yesterday at Safeway. Also use your freezer more. I used to make up a batch of food and put the left overs in the fridge and forget about them. Now I portion everything out and freeze it. When I'm in the mood for the leftovers I defrost the day off. This has really reduced our waste.

Reply

I do the shopping, well I will when we get married because Brian spends WAY too much money. I always look for the best deals and have coupons, he does not.

For speed I just try to be efficient with my form since I tend to swing my arms across my body when I get tired and I also just try to do interval workouts. I love 400m repeats!

Reply

I spend a lot on groceries too but that's what happens when you buy fresh fruits and veggies over packaged processed food. I try to plan menus for the week and see what's on sale and use coupons when possible.

Reply

did i tell you that i've been making wraps and taking them to school for my lunches this week? my new year's resolution is to make my own lunches (to eat healthy and make sure i get in all my veggies).

win!!

love those shoes, and you are so speedy i don't think i could give you any tips…

Reply

Can't wait to hear how the new shoes work for you. Interesting idea, I am very curious.

I always have Dove Dark Chocolate after lunch and dinner and sometimes after my morning snack :) I love the stuff!

Reply

First off, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Janae!

I save money on groceries because 15 months ago, two of my closest triathlete friends and I started a "Dinna Club." Whereas: each week, each of us three women make a delicious, healthy, hearty, homemade meal for all three families and deliver the dinners hot and ready to the other two families. We make enough for at least one day of leftovers. IT IS AWESOME!!! I shop only once a week now and I save at least $50/week by only having to cook dinner 3 times, because the other two lovelies cook enough for four nights :). We have a blog featuring this concept and our recipes as we make them and take pictures.

I also wear Brooks' Launch as on one of my training shoes and I love them! I hope your renovations to them help ease the inner thigh pain for you. Have you ever tried the Glycerin, same category as Launch? It is an amazing training shoe for long distances beyond the half marathon.

I just started the 'build' portion of my triathlon season, so I have restricted my sweets (aka chocolate) intake to Sundays only :(. So now I don't eat after dinner anymore. Maybe I should eat chocolate FOR dinner? I miss it and I think my chocolate misses me.

I too keep my running cadence at 180, which seems to help with speediness, especially when running intervals. Most of the time I don't purposely watch my speed though, but monitor my HR zones and time. Your darn fast already and very fit, so you probably don't need advice from me :).

Reply

oh gosh Janae, you've done it again…written another blog that I devour and Love every minute of. You inspire me! We spend a fortune on food and I'm horrible at trying to save money…I just go to they store and stock up on organic stuff and chalk it up to the fact that I'd rather spend more money on what I fuel my body with than anything else. I'm thankful to be able to do this. I do eat my fair share of crap though. Um, yes, you will need to post a blog about shoes and speed…please tell more about this holding your breath thing. AFter reading this post I feel like I have soooo much to learn. I know my form is horrible. :( And cadence…how do you measure this? I know I'm asking a ton of questions but just hoping you might cover some of this stuff in your next couple posts…I have so much I can learn from you! Oh, and Ha, having you come watch me race at newport would make me so nervous :) I might revert back to college days where I'd puke before every race and run like poo! :)

Reply

wow i def cant help you with speed work :S… but i can say i do love me some choco at night ;)

Reply

My fiance and I have been shopping at drugstores for basically free, thanks to a bit of (his) savvy, and coupons!! He actually just started his own website, with tips on how to find and combine coupons with sales to get necessities for FREE! :)

His website is: http://lookbeforespending.com/

Reply

whenever we leave costco it always ends up being a bill of $70 or more! I'm surprised you got out of there only shelling out $37! at least the stuff we get lasts a long time

Reply

Unbelievable! I just came across your blog googling "chocolate," and you mentioned you had the heel dug out of your Brooks!

That was my next google after chocolate! Too funny. I have never had that down, and need to. Do you go to a special shoe repair store? I have no idea what to ask for.

Thank you kindly, and love the shoes!

Reply

feel free to edit the typos. sorry…

Reply

I just bought my first pair of Brooks today! I'm so excited…Also, your blog make me really hungry! haha

http://myeverydayloves.blogspot.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *