Monthly Grocery Shopping With Cherrie

Sunday Funday, Good Friends & A Very Successful Grocery Run

Here it is already Sunday evening, and what a blessed day I had! ❤️

My BFF, Cherrie, and I left my house around 9:30 this morning and headed to Norman, Oklahoma, for a little Sunday Funday.

Our first stop was Ollie’s, because Cherrie had to get her usual, of course! 😂 I also knew I could find some of the groceries I needed there for a little less than I would pay at Crest. Their trash bags are also cheaper than what I normally pay, so I decided to pick up a few things for the house.

I ended up spending right at $50 from our grocery budget on things we needed. Then I spent another $50 on things that I wanted. And, of course, I managed to pick up a few Christmas gifts while I was there, too!

One of the things I bought was a cute autumn gnome for my friend Nancy. I thought it would be perfect for her because she has a whole collection of gnomes. A while back, when she went to a book fair, she picked up some things that she thought I would like, so I wanted to return the favor.

Not because I felt obligated to—but because I know how much she loves her gnomes. ❤️

One thing I absolutely love about Nancy is how whimsical she is. She reminds me of a modern-day witchy, hippie gal, and honestly, that has always been her vibe.

I’ve known Nancy my entire life. Our grandparents were friends, our moms were friends, and then we became friends. So we’ve basically been connected through generations.

And that got me thinking…

I love that Nancy has such a distinct personality and vibe. You know exactly who she is when you see the things she loves.

I sometimes wonder what my thing is.

I’m usually very caring and empathetic, and I care deeply about the people around me and what they think. But I don’t know that I necessarily have that one little niche where someone would say, “Oh yeah…that’s definitely Karen.”

Maybe that’s something I need to figure out. 🤷‍♀️

Anyway…that was my little side quest for the day! 😂

After Ollie’s, Cherrie and I headed over to Rosa Mexcal for lunch. I’ve been there several times, and I’ve always had a good experience. The food is good, the staff is friendly, the service is fast, and the prices are pretty reasonable.

I was really hungry, so I ordered the Chipotle Enchiladas for $13.99 and a glass of water with lemon.

The enchiladas were two corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken and topped with sour cream, pico de gallo, and chipotle sauce. They came with rice and beans.

And let me tell you…they were really good!

I had originally told Cherrie that I wanted street tacos, but we ended up with the brunch menu, and the street tacos weren’t on it. So I missed out on those this time.

But you know what?

Sometimes trying something new isn’t a bad thing.

I probably wouldn’t have ordered the enchiladas if I hadn’t been looking for something else, but I ended up really liking them and would definitely order them again.

Sometimes getting pushed just a little bit outside of our comfort zone is a good thing. You never know when you might discover a new favorite!

After lunch, we headed over to Michael’s.

I’ve decided that I want to make myself a little October journal this month. Not a journal for Swap-Bot. Not something I’m making for someone else. Just a little journal that’s completely for me.

I wanted to find some Halloween-themed die cuts and a fun scrapbook paper pack with fall and Halloween designs. I want this journal to be cute and festive, and I’m really excited about putting it together.

Now…whether I can actually stay focused long enough to finish it is another story! 😂

I have absolutely no problem staying intentional when I’m working on my Swap-Bot journal swaps. But when it comes to making a journal for myself, I tend to wander off somewhere along the way and never finish it.

I’m not sure why I do that!

So, I’m going to try really hard to stay intentional about this one. Maybe this will be the month I actually finish a journal just for myself.

After Michael’s, we headed over to Crest.

And this is where I have to give myself a little pat on the back.

I was in Crest for one hour and 35 minutes.

Now, that might not sound impressive to everyone, but trust me—it is for me! 😂

Usually, I’m in there for two to two and a half hours trying to get everything on my grocery list.

Our grocery budget for mine and Mr. C’s groceries was $350. Since I’d already spent $50 at Ollie’s on groceries, that left me with roughly $300 to spend at Crest.

And I stayed on task!

I was really proud of myself.

While I was shopping, Mr. C called and let me know that I needed to pick up a few groceries for Brody and Savannah, too. So I wrote everything down to make sure I didn’t forget anything they needed for their house.

List in hand, budget in mind, and I managed to get it all done.

I’d call that a successful grocery trip!

Once we checked out, we had to make our usual stop at OnCue for our Diet Cokes. I really like the OnCue we go to in Norman. There’s just something about grabbing that Diet Coke on the way home that makes the day feel complete. 😂

Then we headed toward home.

But we weren’t quite finished yet!

On our way back, we stopped in Chickasha at Aldi’s because I wanted to pick up a few fresh things—grapes, cantaloupe chunks, pineapple spears, and some potato salad.

And then, because Mr. C needed dinner, we swung through the Burger King drive-through and picked up his dinner.

We finally made it home before 4:00 p.m., which was actually a really good time.

That gave Cherrie plenty of time to get home, take care of her animals, and get everything she needed to do done before starting another work week.

And me?

I got to spend the day with my BFF, get some shopping done, find some Christmas gifts, stay within my grocery budget, eat a really good lunch, get supplies for my October journal, and come home at a decent time.

I’d say that’s a pretty darn good Sunday!

I would honestly rate this weekend a 10 out of 10. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I got to spend time with Brenda and Cherrie, do some shopping, find some bargains, pick up groceries, get a few Christmas gifts, and just enjoy being out and about.

Sometimes you don’t need some big elaborate adventure.

Sometimes a day spent with a good friend, a little shopping, good food, a Diet Coke, and getting everything accomplished on your list is exactly what you need.

Today was definitely one of those days.

And now I’m home, the groceries are put away, and I’m ready to settle in and enjoy the rest of my Sunday evening.

Here’s to good friends, little adventures, staying on budget, trying new things, and finding a little joy in the ordinary. ❤️

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope that you have a wonderful day.

Cheers,
Karen 🥂

Grocery shopping with shopping 🛍️

 

Sunday Fun Day: Coffee, Shopping, Laughter & a 95!

There are just some Sundays that seem to hit a little differently, and my Sunday Fun Days with my best friend Cherrie are definitely some of those days! ❤️

 This morning Cherrie pulled up to my house around 9:30,  and we were ready to get our day started. Our first stop? Scooter’s in Chickasha, Oklahoma, of course! Because really, can two best friends start a Sunday Fun Day without coffee? I think not. 😂

I ordered the Maple Delicious, and Cherrie got the Caramelicious. Coffee in hand, we were ready to hit the road and head toward Norman.

A Surprisingly Successful Shopping Day

One of the nice things about this particular grocery-shopping day was that my list wasn’t nearly as long as it normally is.

Mr. C has been using Walmart delivery lately, and let me tell you—it really does make a difference! He had already had several cases of water delivered, along with some bulk items and about four 12-packs of drinks. He also ordered some of our household necessities, including toilet paper, paper towels, bathroom cleaner, bleach, and laundry soap.

That took quite a few things off my grocery list, which meant I could concentrate on what we actually needed.

And let me just say…I stayed on budget!

My grocery budget this month was $375, which is actually less than what I normally have to work with. I usually find a way to go over by $50 or even $100. If we need something, we need it, and I’ll make it work.

But this time?

I came in at approximately $351!

I was pretty proud of myself. That’s a grocery-shopping victory in my book! 🛒🎉

And Then We Did Something Unheard Of…

We went to Norman, and for perhaps the first time in forever, neither one of us needed anything from Ollie’s!

If you know Cherrie, you know that Ollie’s is basically her go-to destination for coffee pods and laundry detergent. But she was good this time. I didn’t need anything either.

So we actually passed right by Ollie’s.

I know.

Who ARE we? 😂

Instead, we headed over to TJ Maxx.

I found a basket that I’m planning to use for a Christmas drink-and-treat package for our Dirty Santa gift. Luther wanted to take that route, so I’ll probably start gathering what I need sometime in November. I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself because, well…we all know how that goes!

Then we went into Burlington, where I picked up two new towels for the bathroom and some house spray because I love having the house smell good.

Ross was next, but honestly, I didn’t really find anything I needed there.

And that’s okay!

Sometimes you can walk into a store, look around, and walk right back out without spending money. That’s actually a skill I’m learning. 😂

Let’s Talk Dirty Santa

While we’re on the subject of gifts, I’ve also been thinking about what I want to do for Dirty Santa.

Brody and Savannah, along with Charles and Elizabeth, are all going on a cruise in May. I’m debating between putting together a fun little cruise-themed gift basket or getting an inexpensive piece of luggage.

I’m leaning toward the luggage because I think Brody and Savannah could probably use some.

If I do go that route, I’ll definitely look for something in a neutral color so it’s useful for just about anybody. I’m actually thinking about ordering it this week, getting it wrapped, and putting it away until we need it.

Yes, I’m planning ahead.

Who am I? 😂

Mexican Food & Queso…Because Obviously

After all that shopping, we worked up an appetite.

We stopped at Ted’s Mexican Restaurant, which is always a good idea. I had the pork street tacos, and they were delicious!

But let’s be honest.

The real star of the show for me was the queso and chips.

I LOVE their queso. ❤️

There is just something about sitting down with your best friend, eating good food, drinking something yummy, and talking about everything and absolutely nothing at the same time.

That’s the good stuff.

Then Came the Grocery Store Challenge

After lunch, we headed over to Crest, and I have to say, I was impressed with myself.

I was probably in there for an hour and a half, maybe even less, and I whipped through that grocery list!

I found everything I needed, picked up a few things that weren’t technically on the list—which is basically a requirement of grocery shopping—and still managed to stay under my $375 budget.

$351.

I’ll take it!

But the Best Part Wasn’t the Shopping

Honestly, the shopping wasn’t even the best part of the day.

The best part was simply spending the day with Cherrie.

There was laughter.

There were complaints.

There was coffee.

There was shopping.

There was Mexican food.

There was probably a little bit of “Do we really need that?” followed by “Well…maybe.” 😂

And there was just that comfortable kind of friendship where you can spend an entire day together, laugh until your stomach hurts, complain about whatever is bothering you, wander through stores, eat good food, and just enjoy being together.

Those are the days I treasure.

Before we headed home, I made one more stop at Burger King to pick up Luther his dinner.

Because after a full Sunday Fun Day, the man deserved some dinner too!

And One More Little Victory…

I can’t finish this post without mentioning something else I’m pretty excited about.

I FINISHED MY CREDIT COUNSELING! 🎉🎉🎉

And remember how I told you I had to make at least a 70 on the test?

Well…

I MADE A 95!

NINETY-FIVE!

I was so stinkin’ excited when I saw that score. I knew I could pass it, but getting a 95 felt like a little extra pat on the back.

With everything I’m working through financially right now, finishing the credit counseling and doing well on that test felt like another step forward.

One more thing checked off the list.

One more little victory.

And maybe that’s what this Sunday Fun Day was really about.

It wasn’t just about groceries or shopping or coffee.

It was about small victories, good friends, laughter, and making progress—even when life feels a little complicated.

I’ll take a Sunday like that any day of the week.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day, and I’ll see you next time! ❤️

Karen