* I've closed out the April books a couple of days early as I am done shopping. Anything bought in the next 3 days will come out of May's funds. *
Onward to April's food spending report.......
Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for APRIL 2016.
I have posted April's totals on the Total Grocery Savings for 2016 Page located HERE and have updated the Yearly Totals there. I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in April. 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 3(2 at home this month). No kids under 20.
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BAKERY OUTLET
OOP $4.75
Value $20.45
Savings 76.77%
DOLLAR TREE
OOP $20.00
Value $54.64
Savings 63.40%
MAINE SOURCE
OOP $62.56
Value $84.00
Savings 25.52%
RITE-AID
OOP $0.00
Qs/Ads/gift card $144.98
Value $144.98
Savings 100%
*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Bakery Outlet at 76.77% and Target at 75.78%. My WORST savings rate was Maine Source at 25.52%. Other than Maine Source, all other stores were at least 44.65% savings.
I'll take it. ;-)
I shopped at 7 different stores this past month.
TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$249.02
Onward to April's food spending report.......
Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for APRIL 2016.
I have posted April's totals on the Total Grocery Savings for 2016 Page located HERE and have updated the Yearly Totals there. I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in April. 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 3(2 at home this month). No kids under 20.
******************
BAKERY OUTLET
OOP $4.75
Value $20.45
Savings 76.77%
DOLLAR TREE
OOP $20.00
Value $54.64
Savings 63.40%
MAINE SOURCE
OOP $62.56
Value $84.00
Savings 25.52%
RITE-AID
OOP $0.00
Qs/Ads/gift card $144.98
Value $144.98
Savings 100%
SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP $29.66
Qs/Ads $53.59
Value $23.93
Savings 44.65%
TARGET
OOP $.98
Qs/Ads $3.00
Value $3.98
Savings 75.38%
OOP $29.66
Qs/Ads $53.59
Value $23.93
Savings 44.65%
TARGET
OOP $.98
Qs/Ads $3.00
Value $3.98
Savings 75.38%
WEIS MARKETS
OOP $131.07
Qs/Ads $137.64
Value $268.71
Savings 51.22%
*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Bakery Outlet at 76.77% and Target at 75.78%. My WORST savings rate was Maine Source at 25.52%. Other than Maine Source, all other stores were at least 44.65% savings.
I'll take it. ;-)
I shopped at 7 different stores this past month.
TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$249.02
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$381.33
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$630.35
TOTAL Savings of...................................60.50%
TOTAL Savings without Rite-Aid...........48.70%
Value of items excluding Rite-Aid bought ones was $485.37
Rite-Aid goods brought home totaled $144.98.
This closes out the April food/toiletries spending.
THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into April wanting to do a $250 food budget for the month. I ended up staying under my goal just barely.
Yay me! ;-)
If you look at our Eating-Out Totals for April they are down from March's so we weren't buying food less and eating out more this month, which means we really were paying less to eat.
The monthly food spending savings percentage went down by 15.98% in April to 60.50% compared to March's 76.48% savings average. Yes, this level of savings, though down from March's savings level is still a good problem to have! lolz
If you delete the items bought at Rite-Aid in April our savings percentage goes down to 48.70% which is still well above the 40% savings rate threshold I like to stay over. We "brought home" less things from Rite-Aid this month so the difference between all savings % for April and not including Rite-Aid savings % in the April total is less of a range than in March when we "brought home" a lot more from Rite-Aid.
We did empty some freezer space even though the salmon and chicken sausage deals meant adding a bit more to the freezer, more food got used up than got added. Some pantry goods also got used up and not replaced and the only new pantry goods that were added were items we had used up.
With 4 months accounted for, I have spent a total of $1190.22 on food/toiletries so far in 2016 which averages out to $297.56 per month spent. The average in March stood at $313.73 per month spent to that point in 2016 so we are down $16.17 spent per month from last month's year-to-date tally. Compared to this point in the year to 2015's totals we have spent $43.64 less on food and toiletries in 2016.
It would be so nice to continue this less spending trend back down below $4K for the year. Now that my daughter is moving back home for a couple of years I know this low amount of spending on food will not continue and we most probably won't get under $4K spent on it all for 2016.
And I am ok with that.
LOOKING AHEAD To May 2016.........
College Boy returns home from college on Summer break 1 week into the month. This means our food spending will increase in May. But some of us will be out of town this month and not be eating at home, so that might counterbalance somewhat the increase in food spending that CB being home will require.
I will continue with my usual shopping ways in May....buy loss leaders or great deals which we can use. I will try to empty some more freezer space and eat down from the pantry as well this month.
I am going to try for a $300 food/toiletries spending month in May. A slight $50 increase hopefully will be enough to cover 1 more mouth to feed and still be able to stay under budget.
TOTAL Savings without Rite-Aid...........48.70%
Value of items excluding Rite-Aid bought ones was $485.37
Rite-Aid goods brought home totaled $144.98.
This closes out the April food/toiletries spending.
THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into April wanting to do a $250 food budget for the month. I ended up staying under my goal just barely.
Yay me! ;-)
If you look at our Eating-Out Totals for April they are down from March's so we weren't buying food less and eating out more this month, which means we really were paying less to eat.
The monthly food spending savings percentage went down by 15.98% in April to 60.50% compared to March's 76.48% savings average. Yes, this level of savings, though down from March's savings level is still a good problem to have! lolz
If you delete the items bought at Rite-Aid in April our savings percentage goes down to 48.70% which is still well above the 40% savings rate threshold I like to stay over. We "brought home" less things from Rite-Aid this month so the difference between all savings % for April and not including Rite-Aid savings % in the April total is less of a range than in March when we "brought home" a lot more from Rite-Aid.
We did empty some freezer space even though the salmon and chicken sausage deals meant adding a bit more to the freezer, more food got used up than got added. Some pantry goods also got used up and not replaced and the only new pantry goods that were added were items we had used up.
With 4 months accounted for, I have spent a total of $1190.22 on food/toiletries so far in 2016 which averages out to $297.56 per month spent. The average in March stood at $313.73 per month spent to that point in 2016 so we are down $16.17 spent per month from last month's year-to-date tally. Compared to this point in the year to 2015's totals we have spent $43.64 less on food and toiletries in 2016.
It would be so nice to continue this less spending trend back down below $4K for the year. Now that my daughter is moving back home for a couple of years I know this low amount of spending on food will not continue and we most probably won't get under $4K spent on it all for 2016.
And I am ok with that.
LOOKING AHEAD To May 2016.........
College Boy returns home from college on Summer break 1 week into the month. This means our food spending will increase in May. But some of us will be out of town this month and not be eating at home, so that might counterbalance somewhat the increase in food spending that CB being home will require.
I will continue with my usual shopping ways in May....buy loss leaders or great deals which we can use. I will try to empty some more freezer space and eat down from the pantry as well this month.
I am going to try for a $300 food/toiletries spending month in May. A slight $50 increase hopefully will be enough to cover 1 more mouth to feed and still be able to stay under budget.
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 April?
* 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
* 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
I'm going to make a better attempt in May to track, while bringing the spending down. I'll have an extra mouth in MAy with my daughters friend staying with us temporarily until her family can get back into their house, so maybe not bring it down, but keep it steady and drop the cost per person.
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