February BUDGET RESULTS-Food & Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for FEBRUARY 2010.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in February.
These Totals include Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(4 at home-all 5 home for 2/3 of this month & 3 dogs. No kids under 14.

BIG LOTS
OOP $41.02
Qs/Ads $34.42
Value $75.44
Savings 45.60%

BOYER'S(small local chain in next town)
OOP $11.38
Qs/Ads $6.43
Value $17.81
Savings 36.10%

CARONE'S(local Independent Grocery that doesn't take IP Qs)
OOP $11.13
Qs/Ads $7.82
Value $18.95
Savings   41.30%

CVS
OOP $0 ($1.57 put on Gift Card)
Qs/Ads $27.76
Value $29.33
Savings 100%

ENTENMANN'S OUTLET
OOP $6.00
Ads/Sales $11.64
Value $17.64
Savings  66%

GERRITY'S(local chain that takes IPQs)
OOP $11.78
Qs/Ads $11.76
Value $23.54
Savings 50%

PRICE CHOPPER Northeast
OOP $127.48
Qs/Ads $599.59
Value $727.07
Savings 82.46%

RITE AID
OOP $24.96 ($41.94 put on Gift Card/Prepaid Visa Card)
Qs/Ads $732.17
Value $799.07
Savings 96.88%

WALGREENS
OOP $30.93
Qs/Ads $155.74
Value $186.67
Savings  83.43%

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town)
OOP $111.55
Qs/Ads $497.58
Value $609.13
Savings  81.70%

I've don't track CVS's ECBs & Walgreen's RRs. They will be included when used on purchases under "Coupons".   I'll keep track of what rebates are received monthly.  Rebate money/gift cards will be considered 'income' & will go into the Food/Toiletries budget, offsetting the Out of Pocket. Cash will go immediately into the Budget kitty, while Gift Cards will be calculated in when spent.

REBATE CHECKS RECV'D. IN FEBRUARY

Caregiver's Marketplace(for 2009)....$14.50
Ducolax.....$5.00
Kraft Jingle in Your Holidays x 2....$20.00
Naked Juice.......$10.00

Nature Valley Granola Bars....$2.50
NeilMed Sinus....$9.00
Olay Quench Rebate...$12.48
Olay $20 Rebate.....$20.00
Pinecone Research....$3.00
Rite-Aid SCR....$57.52

Subtotal........$154.00

FREE ITEMS

Free Oreos x 5!lol

Stacy's Chips

Pillsbury Orange Rolls Q

Barilla Pasta Q

Kraft Crackers

Kraft Pizza

Kraft Cookies

COUPONS

Jollytime Popcorn
PC Catalinas  $18
Weis Catalinas  $20

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES

CVS/Biologie 'Poo  $9.99  Prepaid Visa

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received..$163.99


My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from CVS at 100%, Rite-Aid at 96.88%, and WAGS at 83.43%.
The best Grocery Savings Total was Price Chopper at 83.43% saved.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$376.23
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$2128.42
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$2504.65
TOTAL Savings of..........85%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$154.00
TOTAL OOP After  Rebates....................$222.23
TOTAL Savings of..................................91.12%

This closes out the February spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-
I think I did quite well this month, especially considering all the Catalina Deals I did!  The spending before rebates was $376.23 but with rebates added to the budget of $250, we had $404 to use, so we have $27.77 left to carry over into March's food/toiletries budget.
Leftover food budget money....wow!....what a concept!lol

What's ahead for March 2010.....

The February 2010 Food/Toiletries Budget is set at $277.77($250+$27.77 carryover from Feb.) cash out of pocket.  Any rebates received this month will offset this OOP spending.  I have $129.85 in Rebates outstanding, so anything that comes in this month gets thrown into the food budget kitty.
I have finally put away all the food I bought in Feb. at Price Chopper and Weis procured during their Catalina Deals and my stockpile does indeed runneth over now!
What I am hoping for March is this....that a good chunk of the Cash Rebates I am waiting on arrive this month.  Then by combining that rebate money and not food shopping much this month and eating what is here, I can keep the food spending to an amount equal to the rebates received and the leftover budget money from Feb.($27.77)and NOT touch the proper Food/Toiletries Budget amount of $250.

Wouldn't that just be awesome if I can pull it off?
I am going to try!  This week has been good so far as I've stayed out of the stores mostly....does Rite-Aid count?lolol
As long as some "stock-upportunity" doesn't present itself, I should be fine. ;-)

At any rate, whatever is leftover (if anything is leftover!)in the food budget for March, I'm going to throw it into the Savings Challenge money pot instead of carrying it over into April's food budget.
The Savings Challenge kitty needs anything I can throw at it!

How did you do in February with your Food Budget?  Leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear!  By sharing our struggles and efforts we can help each other stick to our budgets and learn to be better guardians of our resources.

Sluggy