Cost of Food eating at home What Plan Are You On?

I am for ever complaining about the cost of food... how can it cost $60.00 to feed to adults for a week. Problem is the cost food keeps creeping up on me. I remember back to buying Campbells Tomato soup in 1966 10 for $1.00 and now I see it many times at $1.00 for one can and when I can find it on sale for 50cents I am thrilled.

Last night as I was doing my usual grumbling I wondered " How much does the normal family spend for food in a week or a month?

Does not take long to do some searching at www.swagbucks.com to find a lotof nothing posts and then this\
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/USDAFoodCost-Home.htm.

Here we can see what the normal family sends on the cost of Food at four levels.. and it can vary from family size and child's age.
Thrifty plan
Low Cost plan
Moderate Cost plan
Liberal plan

This can give us an idea but more than any thing is what can your family's budget allow you to spend on food. Our budget is $60.00 a week for the two of us in our senior years.

By looking across I can see that the average family of (2) 51 to 70 years old spends on the thrifty plan $331.10 a month.
We are at $258.00 a month we are below thrifty or maybe that is all there is in the budget.

How does your family compare to the US adverage? I have used the June 2010 as an comparison.

Well as the year draws away from us, I want to wish you all a happy New Year and wish that next year is better for all of us in finances, health and peace through out the world.
See you next year...

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 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

Extreme Couponing What's On TV Last Night

Hubby and I watched this last night.
A couple of these people can give couponer's a bad name. Total hoarding greed is what I saw. When couponing comes before family happenings that is to much in my opinion.

I enjoyed the woman from Philadephia who bought what she needed with her coupons and no more. She also shared with others in the store. She was an inspiration.

The gentleman who shared the cereal with his church was great but I bet the rest went into the house to pile up.

Interesting show... did you watch it and what did you think about the show?

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

20 Frugal Tips from Someone Who Lived Through the Great Depression

I found this great posting this morning and wanted to share with you..
20 Frugal Tips from Someone Who Lived Through the Great Depression.
This was written by a 75 year old grandmother but full of wisdom that we should all take to heart.

Thanks for stopping by... lets keep saving together.. grace

Goal : I Want To Read More Books in 2011

One of my goals is to read more books in 2011. I hardly read last year which is sad for a ex bookstore owner and some one who sells books on the Internet.

Excuses are ....

working to much,

moved from Texas to Minnesota

and mostly WATCHING TO MUCH TV

New goal is to take at least 1 hour and read every day. Turn off TV and read.

Yesterday I actually turned off the TV and read for an hour. Reading Vince Flynn " Protect and Defend " enjoyable thriller. 9th book and the 8th in his Mitch Rapp series.

If you are looking to read more pop over to Life at Mom's she has put together a reading club.

She has put together two options

1. structured list

2. make your own list of books

Every one will check in on the 10th of January and share what they plan to read and then the due date book should of been read is the next month on the 10th

My plan is to read at least one book a month and more if possible. With one hour a day I should be able to do that. I will have a combination of non fiction and fiction ( mystery/thrillers)

I have started my pile of book will decide the rest over the next days.

My plan is to read books I already have bought and not read rather than look for more.

Except for a couple of selections. I am still looking for a used copy of Mary Higgins Clark's newest title.

Another goal I have is to read through the bible in one year. Every year I plan to do this but have never accomplished it.

I found an old book mark from 1992 that had a list of what to read every day.

I will be using this list starting the first of January.

If you are a fan of Dave Ramsey here is his suggestion of reading. I have a couple of these titles that I have not read and may add to my pile.

Hope that you will join in with reading more. I would love to hear what you are planning to read this next year.

Wallet Friendly Wednesday .... Do You Save All Your Christmas Cards?

Do you save all your Christmas cards? I love receiving Christmas cards ... pretty Christmas cards.

What should we do after the holidays have past.

I just hate throwing them away that is for sure, but there comes a time when the piles of paper gets over whelming.

So what can I do with them.

1. How about cutting off the front and using all or part of for Christmas tags next year. So much nicer than those hundreds of cheap looking ones I have in my drawer.

2. How about cutting off the front again and using in scrap books I plan / want to make this year. Sounds pretty good to me. For the mean time I will just stick with the pile of photos waiting to be put in an album. ( Reminder to me .... make it a goal to sort those photos and do some albums)

Just what I need as another goal for 2011.

1. stay on budget save $1,000 emergency fund pay off debt

2 work harder selling on eBay so I can leave cold Minnesota next winter part of above goal really

3 . making scrapbooks with all my photos

4. Gotta lose 35 pounds so I can get into those clothes I bagged for

5. minimalist clothing and other belongings

6. Read at least 1 book a month

Lots of goals set for this year .. but if you don't aim you will never hit a target..

okay back to Christmas cards

3. If you do not decide to make scrapbooks and use cards, they could be donated to a senior center for their craft projects.

4. Could always recycle them if nothing else

Do you have any ideas for your cards .. Christmas or any others. I have saved my cards from parents and grandparents and have put in a three ring family binder. That way they will be saved hopefully for generations.

Would love to hear any of your ideas for used Christmas cards ...

I am sharing this with Bargain shopping Wallet Friendly Wednesday

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

Extreme Couponing What's On TV Tonight

I have seen on a couple sites that Good Morning America had done a segment on Extreme Couponers.

Over at Kingdom First Mom she shares the clip in case you want to see it.

It will be on TV tonight channel 280 7pm central in my area.
This will either encourage couponing or have a back lash on the hobby.
I do not consider myself as an extreme couponer.
I do use coupons and have at times have gone over board with buying but have then shared with others my excess.
I do know that having extra products in my home bought at a good price has saved us money, and does give me some comfort and security.

Do you plan on watching this TV show tonight?

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