Grocery Shopping Challenge Roundup 3/3

Time to total up what we spent on groceries this last week. Our week runs Friday to Thursday.

I started out at Walgreens. This week deals are slim for me. Nothing I really want and I had Walgreen rewards expiring within a couple of days. Hubby and stopped to see what I wanted to buy so I would not lose the $2.00 in register rewards.
Bought 1 bottle of Dawn dish soap and 2 cans of bumble bee tuna.
After flyer coupons and my $2.00 register rewards
cost me 25 cents out of pocket.
Retail value $5.25
cash out of pocket 25 cents

Then to Target
I went to Target to buy the Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Cereal at $2.99 a box. I used $1.00 Target coupon and $1.00 Kellogg's manufacture coupon bringing the cost down to 99 cents.
Bonus is that on the box is the Try me FREE rebate offer.
We will send in for the rebate as soon as possible. I bought one box for me and then in a separate transaction bought a box for my son to send in.

Besides the 2 boxes of cereal that cost me 99 cents each we also bought
7 frozen items to get the $5.00 gift card. They had 5 banquet pot pies at 64 cents each and 2 small turkey dinners at 84 cents each. I do not normally buy these but with getting the gift card I will put in freezer for a quick easy lunch in the future.
2 Kraft miracle whip on sale at $2.50 before 2 $0. 75 cent manufacture coupon and $1.00 Target coupon. This brought the cost down to $1.25 each.
Total spent $8.37 on food and I received a $5.00 gift card to use in the future plus I have the cereal to send in for rebate for myself and will give my son the other box to send in.

Then off to Cub Foods
Stopped at Cub foods to take advantage of a couple of deals plus we need bread. We picked up
1 loaf of bread $1.49
6 packages of Idaho potato envelopes $1.00 each using (2) $1.00 coupon off 3 packages
4 cans of vegetables 79 cents each using coupon 50 cent off coupon ( this was an expired coupon but my store takes them up to 3 months old)
3 packages of ground beef at $2.99 each using (3) $1.00 off 1 pound that was in a cub booklet making each pound $1.99
1 package of Velveeta $4.99 using $1.00 off coupon print here
2 Philly cooking Cream cheese $2.00 each using (2) coupons for a $1.50 off 1 making each 50 cents print here if still available. I had blogged on this a few days ago.
Total spent $21.14 with savings of $7.50 or 26 percent

1 quick stop at Walgreens for milk at $2.79 cheapest in the area and as we passed a gas station saw Sara Lee bread offered at $1.99.

Total spent for the week was 34.54

I will be sharing this

GGC Challenge roundup

Homemaking Mom

Frugal Follies

Southern Savers

Thanks so much for stopping by.. lets keep saving together .. Grace

Grocery Shopping Round Up 12/30/11

Last round up for 2010. I plan to attempt to keep a better running total of how much I spent and saved on grocery/personal items next year.

This week was done in three shopping trips
Cub Foods

Delmont vegtables 79 cents each

Lays Chips $1.99

Reese peanut butter ( treat for me) 78 cents each

4 Diet cokes $1.25 each

Campbells soup 59 cents each

Swanson chicken broth 59 cents each

milk $3.19

sour cream $2.99

coffee mate creamer 2/ $5.00

$29.76 no coupons used sadly

Super 1

off brand diced tomatoes 44 cents ( delmonte and hunts wanted $1.00 for same size can)

orange juice for hubby ( sick) $2.29

total spent $3.61 no coupons cash register slip has a savings of 32 percent

Super 1

had some great 11 cent coupons and I wanted to take advantage so since we were passing by anyway made another trip. They had limits of course and I bought what I could except for soda they had no more diet left.

Hungry Jack potatoes $1.00

4 cans of soda 11 cents each

3 taco seasonings 11 cents each

1 tuna 11 cents

1hunts tomato sauce 11 cents

bread 11 cents

2 bags malt o meal cereal one bag at 11 cents and the other 88 cents

Total spent $3.12 no coupons sales slip says savings of 73 percent

Total spent for the week $36.49

Total for the month $183.82

Balance remaining $16.18 ( this was spent on Christmas gift)

I will be sharing this at

Grocery Cart Challenge

Frugal Follies

Homemaking Mom

Thanks for stopping by...Lets keep saving together... and please remember Never Under Estimate The Value Of A Small Amount Of Money... Grace

Grocery Shopping Wrap Up

I have headed to the grocery stores a couple of times this month as we needed items. I think it went fairly well. Most of the items I bought I did not have coupons for but with buying on sale or priced best we had a good week

Cub Foods trip 1 for needed paper products ( toilet paper and paper towels plus my need coffee cream plus a treat of a magazine total cost was $22.35 ( toilet paper not in pictures I had put away already)

Cub Foods trip 2 for the majority of groceries final cost of $26.58 with a savings of 20 percent by buying sale and reduced price items

Super One trip 3 needed to buy items to make Water Gate Salad for Christmas Eve. We bought off brands or items on sale costing us a total of $3.58

Total for the week $52.51

Total for the month $147.33

Balance remaining of monthly budget $52.67

I am linking this at

Frugal Follies

Frugality Is Free

Grocery Challange Round Up

Thanks for stopping by... lets keep saving together and please remember Never Under Estimate The Value Of A Small Amount Of Money.. Grace

Grocery Shopping For Freezer Cooking

Went shopping today for this weeks groceries plus extra to do some freezer cooking at Cub Foods today. Boy was it ever chilly out.

They had 85 percent hamburger for $2.49 a pound ( not as good as last freezer cooking at $1.99 a pound but better than some weeks). I picked up 2 / 3 pound packages. This will give us 8 meals.

Cub had Chicken Breasts skinless at buy 1 get 1 FREE. I got two packages for 8.07. This should give us a few meals.

2 packages of Land O Frost lunch meats using a coupon for buy 1 get 1 FREE so 2 packages at $4.99

Chi Chi Salsa $1.79 used 50 cent coupon off

1 Enchilada sauce $1.89

Green Chili diced 75 cents

2 cans of peas 59 cents each

1 cub cereal $2.39

2 cub chili beans 79 cents each

1 package of Spaghetti noodles 99 cents

2 Cub Tomato crushed $1.19 each

2 Cub Tomato Sauce $1.19 each

1 Yolk less noodles $1.29

1 re fried beans $1.29

1 Mission Shells $1.99

Tortilla Chips $1.99

Potato chips $2.79

1 onion 68 cents

2 loafs of bread $1.49 each

1 shredded Parmesan cheese $4.13 ( thought it was $2.00 and did not notice till home)

1 shredded cheese $2.00

1 milk $3.19

2 sour creams $3.00 on sale

Total spent $67.66 this week

Total for the month $94.82

Remaining of monthly budget $105.18

I am sharing this at

Grocery Cart Challenge

Wednesday Shopping at Frugal Follies

thanks for stopping by.. lets keep saving together.. Grace

Making A Price Book For Grocery Shopping

I have thought about starting a price book for the grocery stores to help us save money on groceries and home supplies. Most of the time I know what is a good buying price on some items but not on everything we may use on a regular basis.

Earlier this week I found a wonderful site on having an Organized Home. There is so much there to help us become organized in our home life.

Well back to the price book, tonight I went searching the site and she talks about the price book. It has everything we know about it, but still interesting read and maybe a kick in the back end to get me to start this price book. You can read about it at
http://organizedhome.com/kitchen-tips/make-price-book-save-money . This idea for the price book was first publicized by Amy Dacyczyn, author of Complete Tightwad Gazette.

There are many different methods for a price book. The most important thing is to find a method that will be used and convenient to use. Methods could be a large or small ring binder, a spiral notebook or a spread sheet. I feel it should be a method that is easy to take to the grocery store.

Here is an example from the Organized home site.

Next is to grab some of those last grocery receipts. There is all the information needed right there.

I plan to put this to work and look forward to knowing a good price when I see it.

Plan of action . 1. go to store and buy a small spiral notebook to carry in my purse. 2. Find my recent grocery receipts, record and get started.

How about you? Do you keep a price guide book? Would love to hear your ideas and answer.

Thanks for stopping by.. Lets keep saving together... Grace

Thifty Cheapskate Grocery Shopping Roundup

Our cupboards are almost bare with our big move to Minnesota. I did not have room to bring my stock of food we had not eaten. My sister bought most of it and the rest was donated to our neighbor.

Today we went grocery shopping for the week and having no stock pile it was pretty tough. I had managed to bring my spices so that helped.

Our budget for now is $50.00 a week for the two of us. That is a lot compared to one of my favorite bloggers . She feeds her family of 6 for $60.00. Plan is to try to cut that back some with better planning.

Here is what I bought this week

Cub

1 Heinz Ketshup $2.49

1 French's Mustard $1.49 ( used coupon)

3 boxes of Hamburger Helper 75 cents each ( part of buy 10 deal) ( used coupon)

1 box Betty Crocker Mash Potatoes 2 pouch pack .50 ( part of buy 10 deal)

6 Green Giant can Vegetables 39 cents each ( part of buy 10 deal)

1 cub brand brown sugar $1.49

1 cub brand Spagetti Noodles 99 cents

2 cans of cub brand diced tomatoes 69 cents each

2 packages of Malt O Meal shredded wheat 69 cents each

1 Maxwell Coffee $3.59 ( used a coupon $1.00 off from tear pad )

2 cans of Campbell's Tomato soup 79 cents each ( used 50 cent off 2 coupon printed)

2 cans of Campbell's Mushroom soup $1.09 each ( used 50 cent off coupon printed)

1 can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup $1.09

2 Jars of Rinaldi Pasta Sauce 99 cents each with store coupon limit 2

3 pounds of ground beef $5.64

2 packages of Land of Frost Lunch meat $4.99 each b1 g1 Free( used coupon from today's paper)

1 onion $1.07

1 loaf of bread 99 cents

1 package of hamburger buns $2.00

2 DiGornio deep dish personal size pizzas $2.99 each ( used 2 coupons for $2.00 off each printed from internet)

Velvetta Cheese $4.99

Blue Bonnet margarine $2.99

1 gallon of milk $3.09

1 dozen eggs $1.07

1 coffeemate $1.09

6 Yoplait yogurts 69 cents each ( used coupon)

1 package of coffee filters $1.89

Kmart ( they have double your coupons up to $1.00 but food was much higher there so bought only a few items on sale

/a

4 bottles of Diet Coke $4.00

4 cans of Bumble Bee Tuna $2.76

2 Jars of Kraft Miracle Whip $6.00 ( used $1.50 coupon )

1 bottle of water ( hubby can refill with Lake Superior water and have cold water anytime)

Cost was $68.84 with savings of $29.28

Over budget but should be able to spend less next week I hope. Now need to make my menu plan for the week.

Thanks for stopping by.. and remember.. Never under estimate the value of a small amount of money. Grace

18 Money Saving Grocery Shopping Tips

These are some great tips on saving at the grocery store. Follow this link to read. While there you can search many other money saving ideas.


http://www.tiphero.com/tips_441_18-money-saving-grocery-shopping-tips.html

Never to late to start

I believe it is never to late to start over. I am the mother of 2 sons, the step mother of 2 stepsons and 1 step daughter and to overwhelming pride the grandmother of 13 fantastic grandchildren. I have been married to a great guy for almost 20 years. We have had many wonderful adventures during those 20 years. We have had our good times and our hard times.

We are now going thru another difficult time. This year has been really tough for us. My internet business is down so income is down. Then to make matters even worse our landlords raised our rent an extra $110.00 a month.

Off and on I have kept a record of grocery spending and coupon use. No sooner will I start ,then I will quit doing it on a regular basis. I find myself doing the CVS game but not following thru. I will go to grocery store and use coupons, buy store brands and sale items. But I never seen to walk out spending very little money like I hear others doing. Lately I have been surfing the web and looking at different blogs where they are sharing how they save. They have a goal to spend only $25.00 to $35.00 a week. Then to top it off they are a family of 3 or 4. How do they do it? Here it is only myself, my DH and Spooky our cat. I wonder how can they do it. In February we spent almost $250.00 on groceries and that does not include the cats' special diet food. I don't even want to get into what we spent going out to eat in February, but it more than what we spent at grocery store.

Here we are in the first week of March and my goal is to be smarter with our food money and to eat out less often.

At the end of April we will be moving to Texas from California to be nearer family. We need to start spending less now since that will be costly move.
I would love to put money in a savings account. The experts say that we should have 6 months living expense in the bank. We do not even have a savings account let alone any money in it.

Every year we try to give some of our income to a church and to a shelter to help feed the hungry. This year we gave very little, not only were times tough but we spent foolishly.

Now is the time to start over. We are moving to Texas where I will help my nephew in his business. Not only will this bring in some income to us, I hope to be an asset in growing his business on the internet. I pray our own internet business will improve.

We will be closer to Minnesota and our children and grandchildren
My goals are to spend less money every month.
Start sharing what we have with the needy.
And start a savings account.

As I start on my journey, I hope that you will join me with your prayers, your ideas and maybe even some of your goals and desires for this year