When I placed the grocery order online from Albertsons in Henderson, I tried to keep the total around $200, knowing we’d be dining out tonight, tomorrow night, and Sunday at Richard’s. We had plenty of protein sources in the freezer to get us through the remaining four dinners until we shop again for next Friday’s grocery delivery.

Two packages of Italian sausage were the only meat in this order. I’ll use them to make a giant egg, mushroom, and sausage casserole, divided into individual portions that we’ll freeze and enjoy for breakfast over the next few weeks. Placing two servings in zip-lock bags will make it easy to defrost them in the refrigerator overnight as needed.

As a result, I ordered six dozen eggs, three of which I’ll use to make the big pan of this delicious breakfast dish. However, I was shocked by the price of the eggs: over $60 out of the $192 total. Due to egg shortages, Alberson’s only allows customers to purchase two dozen of each type/brand of eggs.

Subsequently, I purchased some more exprensive eggs to ensure I had enough. I prefer pasture-raised eggs over “free range” since many free-range eggs are raised as follows:

“The main difference between pasture-raised and free-range eggs is the minimum outdoor space provided to the hens. For pasture-raised eggs, each hen gets a minimum of 108 square feet of pasture for themselves.”

As a result, pasture-raised eggs are healthier. For us, that’s a good reason to pay a little more. But, I must say I was shocked when I totaled the cost of the six dozen eggs. Sure, we won’t have to buy eggs for a few weeks since we will have enough left for various other dishes.

I am always shocked by the price of Fage Greek Yogurt. Two 32-oz containers were $16.42 after a $.56 discount. Eight rolls of toilet paper were $7.69, when only a few years ago, we got 12 rolls for that price. Prices were reasonable for a few items, such as a package of Wholly Guacamole singles for $3.87 and a 24-oz bag of broccoli florets for $5.80.

Our grocery bill included a $2.23 sales tax and a $12 delivery tip. However, we purchased a month-by-month delivery program for $12.95 to avoid individual delivery fees each week, which was worth the cost. Thus, we’re not paying $60 daily for a rental car or incurring fees for Uber to take us shopping.

Plus, it’s much easier to have groceries delivered to our door than spending time in the market, bagging our groceries, hauling them out to the car, bringing them indoors, and then putting them away. All we have to do now is put them away. The prices are the same as those in the market, and with most grocery apps, we get points and discounts that we wouldn’t get shopping in the store.

A huge benefit is the lack of impulse buying, which can increase one’s shopping by 25% or more. This is especially important for us so we don’t have to deal with unused impulse purchases.

It will be interesting to see the menu prices when we head out for dinner the next two nights here in the Village. Tonight, we’ll go to Sonrisa Mexican Grill, and tomorrow night, we’ll visit The Speakeasy for the first time.

We’ll return with food photos and our experience dining out in the Village tomorrow.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 3, 2015: