YUM! Grocery day

Since Tuesday I've been on a bit of a smoothie kick, blending up all kinds of fruit and pretty much living on them, for at least the mornings. I make a lot and I have a glass for breakfast, then whatever is left accompanies me to work and I drink it over the course of the day until my break. Why since Tuesday? I'm not sure. I had a wonderful dinner with friends on Friday night (BBQ salmon, rosemary roast potatoes, potato salad, veggies & lemon lavender loaf for dessert) and one mentioned that she was having smoothies in the morning.

I have a blender. I have big glasses. I also had some fruit that needed eating, so Tuesday morning I decided to blend one up and take it with me to Day 2 of a course I was taking. I was surprised that it lasted me through the morning and filled me up quite as much as it did.

So today I went grocery shopping to replenish my fruit and I really stocked up! I took a $100 bill with me and here's what I got:

Shoppers Drug Mart (I love that Shoppers has such an awesome grocery section now)
Europe's Best: Frozen peaches 2 x $4.99 (sale): $9.98
Sugar (2kg): $2.69
Soy Milk x 4: $2.69 ea, $10.76 total

Total: $23.43

Extra Foods
Blackberries: $2.98
Raspberries x 2: $5.96
Cottage cheese (500ml): $3.79
Baking potatoes: $3.06 (1.560 kg @$1.96 kg)
Mango chunks (frozen, PC, 600ml) x 2: $10.96
Blueberries x 2: $5.96
Vanilla parfait (vanilla yogurt, berries) x 2: $6.58
Green grapes: $8.40 (1.125kg @ $7.47kg)
Ginger root: .23
Strawberries (2lb): $3.48
Yves veggie groundround (1 reg, 1 Italian, 1 Mexican): $11.97
Stevia: $5.69

Total: $69.78

Other
Dish soap (Eco-Max orange): $7.02

All total: $100.23

I'm very pleased with the total, as the fruit prices are actually reasonable, apart from the grapes, but grapes are always ridiculously expensive. I've paid over $5 for the same sized container of raspberries on most other occasions, so this is great. Here's hoping the prices will remain on the low side for a while yet! It's difficult to find produce throughout the summer when the RVers are here, though. They swoop in, scoop up most of the perishables and staples and disappear and leave us Whitehorsers cursing them as we stare at near empty dairy, bread and produce shelves.

Well, I guess they have to eat too, right? RV holidays are pretty tough...ahem...

The mail today didn't hold a cheque, but almost as good as one was the news from my old insurer that I'd be getting a refund of $97.38 and to expect a cheque shortly. Hurrah! That will go straight on the VISA card, as it's still hovering too high for my liking (albeit through no fault of its own).

Monday & Tuesday I spent at a course about pensions & retirement. Although I'm not close to either one yet (my retirement date, according to my paperwork, is "N/A" at this time), it was a very interesting and worthwhile course. It was offered through work. I was surprised, and pleased, to know that our pensions are phenomenal. Not one word of a lie, we have one of the best in the country; some aspects of it just don't exist in other places, so we are very, very lucky. The trainer, a CFP from Toronto, touched on taxes, financial planning and budgeting very briefly as well, which I was pleased about and I came away with some good notes in my book and some questions to discuss with my account manager at the bank.

Did you know that if you work you are entitled to claim $232 (2010 amount) to offset employment expenses? I had no idea. There's a line for it on the income tax forms - I don't know which one - so I will definitely be utilizing that next year!

When I got back to work on Wednesday I had a bunch of books waiting for me: 11 to be exact! How long it will take me to read them is anyone's guess, but I've managed to complete one already, so that's a good start. They're mostly "cosy" mysteries, which I find quite easy and quick to read.

Have a good weekend everyone!