Food Spending Report.....the May Edition

* Doing this Monthly Report a couple of days early since I'm finished food shopping for May. *

Onward to May's food spending report.......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for MAY 2020.

I have posted May's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located HERE and have updated the Totals there.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in May.  If you aren't interested in that much detail, just skip to the bottom for the Totals Sum.  My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable. We are a family of 4(3 at home this month). No "kids" under 24.
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CARONE'S/SHURSAVE
OOP  $9.98
Value  $15.46
Savings   35.45%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $4.00
Value  $6.98
Savings   42.69%

MAINES

OOP  $32.82

Value  $50.67

Savings  33.23%

MALACARI'S

OOP  $25.65

Value  $43.89

Savings  41.56%

PRICE CHOPPER
OOP  $31.87
Value  $44.20
Savings  27.90%

PandR DISCOUNTS
OOP  $80.01
Value  $171.17
Savings  53.26% 

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/BC/GCard  $188.34
Value  $188.34
Savings  100%

SURPLUS OUTLET
OOP   $77.41
Value  $146.08
Savings  47.01%

WALMART(+ online one)
OOP  $91.42
Value  $157.11
Savings  41.81%

WEIS
OOP  $207.74
Qs/Ads  $87.28
Value  $295.02
Savings  29.58%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, P and R Discounts at 53.26% and Surplus Outlet at 47.01%.   My worst savings rate was at Price Chopper with 27.90%.  Except for the "discount/surplus" stores and R-A of course my rates other places were a lot lower than usual.  I suspect it's because of the pandemic(both higher food rates at "regular" grocery stores and me not bothering to wait for a better price and grabbing some things when not a great deal for fear of not being able to find it later on?).  Who knows?

I shopped at 10 different stores in May.

I also earned $40.99 in cash rebates in May which helps offset the spending once I cash those in at the end of 2020.

I also took out any spending on food for the Memorial Day cook-out as that goes in the Entertaining Category(what little we do).  That was an additional $74.56 you don't see reflected in the numbers below.

TOTAL Spent........................................$560.90

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales................$369.68
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased........$930.58

TOTAL Savings of ................................39.72%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for May w/R-A........$560.90
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales w/R-A....................$188.34
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$188.34
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items.....................49.87%

This closes out the May food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....

I went into May having no clue where we'd land on the spending since we didn't really alter our way of eating/what we ate last month.  Said spending was high, there's no debating that.  But given the circumstances lately I'll embrace still being under $600 for May. ;-)

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by .42% in May 2020 to 49.87% compared to the April 2019 rate of 50.29% savings average.  A very insignificant jump down in savings rate.  I'm all good with that!

With 5 months accounted for, I have spent a Year-To-Date Total of $1770.52 on food/toiletries in 2019.

Going into 2020 before the pandemic blew the wind out of my sails I wanted to stay at or under $4K for the yearly food spending.  At this point I don't think that will happen but we'll keep plugging along anyway.


2020 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$1770.52

2020 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$4875.66

2020 Grand Total Saved...............................$3105.14

2020 Yearly Savings Total............63.69%

The average per month amount spent is $354.10 at this point in 2020 which went up some from April's average.  As long as I'm around $400 per month it's all good.

LOOKING AHEAD To June 2020.............

Except for fresh produce(we do have some)we have good stores of food right now heading into June.

June is when I try to do less cooking(oven type)and more stove top, crock pot or grilling.  I also don't like to eat as much cooked foods preferring cold foods(salad season!).  If I can stay away from buying crappy snack foods the grocery budget should be a-ok.  Can I stay under $400 in food spending?  Maybe, maybe not.  Can I shoot for under $500 in the current conditions?  I hope so!


If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in May?

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?

*  What was your savings percentage buying on sale and/or with coupons vs. buying at regular retail price last month, if you track that sort of thing?

*  What are your methods for keeping your food spending in check?

Is anyone out there up for tracking expenditures and trying to spend less but still eat well?


Sluggy