I’m a 62-Year-Old Teacher Living in Alaska — I Spent $81 on a Weekly Grocery Haul and Came in $9 Under Budget

Name: Linda
Location: Homer, AK
Number of people in household: 3; we each buy our own groceries
Age: 62
Occupation: Teacher; in the summer I work retail for two family businesses on the Homer Spit
Salary: $74,000
Where you shopped: Homer Farmers Market, Wild Honey Bakery, Safeway, Save-U-More, and Salmon Sisters 
Weekly food budget: $140; $90 on groceries, with some wiggle room for a few minor splurges at the local food spots
Amount spent: $125.35 ($81.35 for groceries, $44 at local restaurants)

I shopped at the farmers market, Wild Honey Bakery for the “best in town” sourdough loaf, Safeway, and Sav-U-More (a local supermarket with an eclectic mix of goods from Costco and Trader Joe’s, plus local produce, standard basics, and an extensive selection of Eastern European goods popular with the local Russian community). I picked up a few canned goods and staple items. 

I also visited Salmon Sisters’ fish shop for tins and spices. I supplemented my purchases with eggs from my family’s hens, and arugula and garlic chives from my mother’s garden.

I expect to spend more in Alaska in the summer, so my strategy is to eat balanced meals and not break the bank. In Homer, milk is $7 a gallon and produce is flown in from the lower 48 states. That’s why I try to prioritize local sources and rely on grocery stores only when necessary for basic ingredients. 

During the summer I also need food that doesn’t require reheating because I usually eat lunch outside on a boardwalk near my workplace — weather permitting.

I usually start by seeing what’s in season at the farmers market, then pick up a nice loaf of sourdough bread at the bakery and build my meals from there. Plus, I order Rancho Gordo beans in bulk, so I plan my meals around a variety of hot and cold dishes sourced from one pot of beans. 

Once I’ve decided on my meals, I make a shopping plan based on which grocery store carries the items I need. There are many local places to eat that I enjoy during my six weeks in Homer, which also helps me get a variety of nutritious meals each day.

• Artisan sourdough bread, $9
• Sorrel, $3
• Carrots, $5
• Chives, $3
• Oregano, $3
• Salsa, $5

Total: $28

• Smoked salmon, $10
• Pacific cod peperonata, $10
• Hot sauce, $7
• Everything kelp seasoning, $8

Total: $35

• Shaved Parmesan, $3.49
• Crushed tomato sauce, $3.69
• Capers, $2.79

Total: 9.97

• Dried white beans, $2.49
• Seafood mix, $5.89

Total: $8.38

For breakfast I have my first slice of fresh sourdough bread topped with a smoked salmon schmear my sister made using salmon our family caught and smoked. I add arugula from my mother’s garden, a perfectly ripe avocado from the prior week, and a drizzle of Barnacle Foods Bullwhip Kelp Hot Sauce (which is made in Alaska!). 

For lunch I have a bowl of white beans in broth with pesto made from carrot tops, shaved Parmesan, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, and homegrown basil. 

Dinner is a repeat of the beans in broth with more pesto. So simple and tasty!

I start my day with more toast, schmear, and avocado. 

For lunch I make a chilled bean salad with white beans, oregano, canned smoked salmon, lemon juice, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. I also mix in some of my pesto and pack it up with tiny carrots from the market. I take it with me to eat on the boardwalk, and have an iced coffee from the espresso spot nearby. 

For dinner I have a slice of my favorite Margherita pizza from Finn’s Pizza for $7. A friend joins me and orders the house polenta, which also looks amazing.

For breakfast I use eggs from my family’s hens to make an omelet with sorrel, oregano, chives, and shaved Parmesan, served with toasted sourdough. I top it with the rest of my avocado and a splash of serrano sauce for a little kick. 

For lunch I pack some more of the bean salad, as the flavors had really started to pop. I eat the salad with a fun new kombucha I picked up on the boardwalk. 

For dinner I use the first batch of reserved white beans to make a seafood stew with fresh herbs and fire-roasted tomatoes from the family pantry. I top it with my homemade pesto, which might be the best I’ve ever made — must be the fresh carrot tops! The recipe yields a generous amount, so I freeze three individual portions to eat later.

This was a light day of cooking, to say the least. Homer has an amazing bagel shop, The Bagel Shoppe, and we have family in town for a big wedding, so my niece picks me up a delicious lox bagel with wasabi cream cheese ($17). I am in charge of hanging with her son during the wedding events, so the bagel sandwich works perfectly for on-the-go eating while I try to keep up with a 4-year-old. 

For dinner we have locally made gelato, and the 4-year-old goes for a traditional slice of cheese pizza from Finn’s.

It was another light day of cooking for me on Father’s Day, with lots of comings and goings among family. I have my sourdough toast with schmear in the morning before heading to work. 

For lunch I pick up a fresh, crispy tofu bowl from Johnny’s Corner, located right in front of the Salmon Sisters’ fish shop (I pay $20). While waiting for Johnny — a local hero and exactly the kind of guy you want making your lunch — I grab my second tin of fish for an upcoming black lentil salad. I eat lunch on the boardwalk and work until 7 p.m.

For dinner, the family prepares an interesting Scandinavian buffet called tunnbrödsrulle, made with a variety of hot dogs sourced from their caribou and moose hunting adventures. It’s essentially a roll-up with a hot dog and mashed potatoes inside, plus a spread of self-selected toppings to create your own version. I add leftover Broccolini from my tofu bowl to bring a little greenery to this meat-and-potatoes meal.

Still really enjoying my loaf of sourdough bread and perusing the fridge for leftovers from the family smorgasbord, I make a tasty toast with spicy hummus, Swedish farmer cheese, sorrel, and a dollop of my pesto. 

At night I use the black lentils as a side dish with a halibut filet my mother gifts me from her fishing adventures on Kachemak Bay. I season the halibut with blackening spices from the pantry and sear it in less than 10 minutes. For the puttanesca sauce, I use a can of crushed tomatoes I bought at Save-U-More along with half a shallot, garlic chives from my mom’s garden, capers, crushed red peppers, and a few fancy anchovies that I find in the fridge. The sauce is easy to make on the fly and adds so much flavor to the meal. I still have a little sorrel left from the market, so I top the dish with Parmesan, balsamic vinegar, and extra-virgin olive oil for a quick dinner.

Another day, another way to enjoy my sourdough bread — this time with cream cheese and spicy red pepper jelly. 

Before heading to work, I use Rancho Gordo’s Masoor Dal, fresh ginger root, and curry powder and coconut milk from the pantry to make a curried dal (from a recipe that I get from the brand’s website). I top it with toasted dried coconut I brought from home to snack on the plane, sprinkling it with sea salt before adding it as a garnish. The soup is warm and comforting and fits the rainy day perfectly.

I come home and have more because it’s so delicious. There are still several portions left, which is what I love about cooking a pot of beans as the anchor for meals.

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