Costco - love it, hate it.. we all know what it means. Every couple weeks we make a mad run through it's aisles for our grocery staples. 

I originally thought I would try to take a picture of our actual cart-load.. but reality hit 3/4 of the way through last night's trip; there was not going to be a good time or location within Costco's walls to stop and take a picture of the cart's contents. Insert additional factors such as a hungry, impatient toddler in the front of the cart yelling for us to buckle and unbuckle the straps, and a husband who may lose it the next time he's bumped with a cart - Costco was not the place to take a picture, haha! 

Once home, it's divide & conquer. Dad takes on bathtime and the pajama wars and mom stocks the fridge, freezer & pantry with our loot. 

Many of you know we keep it pretty paleo - there are of course exceptions depending on how strict you want to be. Seth does not have to be gluten free, so things like Kodiak Protein Flour make it into our cart from time to time. Greek yogurt is Aria's new favorite thing.. depending on who you ask about dairy and paleo, it may not qualify, but if my toddler wants to eat it, and it won't make her sick, then she can have it. Calories. 

This is just a sample.. depending on when we are out of something, or if we are tired of eating one thing or another, we'll rotate the menu. I did hit Trader Joe's prior to Costco for a few items.. I'll post those later. 

With Costco, our grocery budget is super important. It's SO easy to get carried away. First, we always make a list, and stick to it most of the time. We have a monthly budget total of $650 for food. Once it's gone, it's gone. Some items, non perishables, protein, water bottles, emergen-c - things like that do last quite a long time, so there is a margin for carry over. 

The total for this trip was $245.70

We always prioritize our grocery budget and buy items in the following order: 

1. Protein

2. Veggies/Carbs

3. Fats

4. Miscellaneous 

We spend the most on protein, buying the highest quality we can afford - sometimes quantity trumps grassfed/organic, other times it's just the opposite. But I always make sure there are as few ingredients as possible.. only one or two. 

Veggies(Greens)/Carbs/Fruit, in that order are next. 

Fat is easy, and dollar for dollar the biggest bang for your buck. Avocados, Olive Oil, Olives.. cheapest per calorie by far. 

Misc is whatever else we like to have, may be out of.. or feel like treating ourselves to. Items like Vitamins, Protein powder, Kodiak Mix, Emergen-c, or even jerky & trail mix fall into this category. 

Hope that helps breakdown Costco, Paleo & even budgeting a little. I'll be sure to post a meal prep from this shopping trip here soon!