Onward to December's Food Spending report......
Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2021.
I have posted December'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 December. 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(2-3 eating at home this month). No "kids" under 25.
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CVS
OOP $2.41
Value $17.86
Savings 86.51%
FOOD LION
OOP $42.61
Value $52.71
Savings 19.16%
OCEAN STATE
OOP $6.84
Value $10.00
Savings 31.60%
RITE-AID
OOP $0.00
Qs/Ads/BC/Gift Cards $521.58
Value $521.58
Savings 100%
Savings 100%
SCHIFF'S
OOP $17.74
Value $25.68
Savings 30.92%
WALMART
OOP $77.80
Qs/free Gift Cards $306.10
Value $383.90
Savings 79.73%
Value $383.90
Savings 79.73%
WEIS
OOP $63.72
Qs/Sales $35.46
Value $99.18
Savings 35.75%
Value $99.18
Savings 35.75%
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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, CVS at 86.51% and Walmart at 79.73%.
The worst rate was at Food Lion at 19.16%. I just bought a salt-cured ham at FL and those never go on sale(got a bit off with my loyalty card tho). 8-)
I shopped at 7 different stores in December.
TOTAL Spent in December.................$211.12
I shopped at 7 different stores in December.
TOTAL Spent in December.................$211.12
TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards...$378.21
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased....$589.33TOTAL Savings of .............................64.18%
TOTAL Out of Pocket for December w/R-A..............$211.12
TOTAL Out of Pocket for December w/R-A..............$211.12
TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards w/................$899.79
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid...$1,110.91
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items....................81.00%
This closes out the December food/toiletries spending.
THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....It was a GREAT lower spending month! Spent almost half of what I usually shoot for and just a tad more than in November(which was also a very low spend month)so I am pleased.
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid...$1,110.91
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items....................81.00%
This closes out the December food/toiletries spending.
THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....It was a GREAT lower spending month! Spent almost half of what I usually shoot for and just a tad more than in November(which was also a very low spend month)so I am pleased.
The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 11.11% in December 2021 to 81.00% compared to the November's 92.11% savings average. Compared to November there was a lot less free stuff from Rite-Aid in December(no Black Friday Sales deals). ;-)
With 12 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $3,683.86 on food/toiletries in 2021.
2021 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$3,683..86
2021 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$21,866.88
The average per month amount spent is $306.99 in 2021.
2021 Grand Total Saved...............................$18,183.02
2021 Yearly Savings Total.............................83.15%
The average per month amount spent is $306.99 in 2021.
But wait! There's more.....
December is when I cash out/add in all my rebating monies for the year. Here are those amounts that posted to my bank account.......
* Ibotta....$2,823.29
* Post Coupon/Refunds...$341.17
* Coupons dotcom.....$134.16
* Checkout 51....$110.12
* Aisle.....$36.28
Total to add to December's Income to counteract the Food Spending....$3,445.02
$3,683.86-$3,445.02=$238.84 total spent on Food shopping in 2021! We ate well, donated boxes of foodstuffs/toiletries to our local food bank and shared with various relatives and it cost us a grand total of $238.84. I went after the rebating harder than ever this year! In 2020 I was able to cut our OOP on food/etc. in half. In 2021 I blew the doors off our food spending!!
I also have in the other apps, going forward into 2022, that I can only cash out for gift cards(which I used during the year at food stores to bring my OOP down)....
* Shop Kick....$33.64
* Swag Bucks...$79.51
* Fetch....$26.15
* Tada....$13.20
That's another $152.50 in potential food savings I have in reserve going into 2022!
LOOKING AHEAD To January 2022.......
With January comes the bad weather so most of my shopping will be done in town, if at all. We are packed to the gills with food/toiletries/HBA/paper products so I am going to try to stay out of the stores except for freebies after rebates, to roll/spend Bonus Cash at R-A and if we need perishables(which we will). I am not going to put a $ amount on what I may spend but I am hoping for a low number.
I have folks who tell me all the time that only spending a few hundred a year on food/etc. is preposterous and not do-able. I'm here to tell you it IS do-able! Yes, it takes work and effort but once you get into the right frame of mind and you "get" the knack of this process these kinds of savings are manageable. Even if you work....you may not get the same results, as I have more time to devout to this way of shopping but you can work miracles still with your food spending combining coupons and rebate offers and a little planning. Rebates are just not on processed foods anymore(though they still make up a large part of the offers most months).
Shoot for a modest goal of $20 in rebates the first month and see how you do, then increase your goal the next month. Even if you only do $20 in rebates each month for a year, that's $240 LESS you'll spend on food and $240 MORE you can put toward something else like an electric bill, a car note, your rent/mortgage or save toward retirement.
Plus you'll be able to bless others in so many ways.......if not to a food bank or less fortunate relative, selling your stockpile for cash(and at a reduced price to the buyer-saving them money too)or in my case, using my excess to hold Giveaways on the blog to bless my readers.
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 December?
* Do you track your yearly food spending? It's really not that hard or time consuming; just have your receipts and either track it in a notebook or on a spreadsheet.
* 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? It's really not that hard or time consuming; just have your receipts and either track it in a notebook or on a spreadsheet.
* 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
Fantastic savings Sluggy! We don't have coupons downunder but I shop the half price specials every week and then the other specials to get the best price. I keep a well stocked pantry and a bit more than usual since covid. I've noticed our grocery prices have gone up with covid, probably supply issues.
ReplyDeleteJan, this past year I used so few paper coupons. Our area gets so few coupon inserts now I've had to adjust with the times. It's mostly savings from free gift cards and rebates now.
DeleteSluggy, I am in awe of how much you have saved. Getting over $1K in groceries this month and only paying a little over $200 is amazing! Getting that check from Ibotta this year must have been fun!
ReplyDeleteI'm not aware if anywhere with double coupons anymore, but am going to work a bit harder to learn and do some of the tricks. I know Id like to keep donations more as life gets hard for folks and this is a good way to do so.
ReplyDeleteI find a do very little grocery shopping at the one store that doubles coupons. Donations are important so I am glad I can do that too. 8-)
DeleteAmazing work! I have a few picky folks on my side, and don't have as much time, but really admire that you invest the time & donate as much as you do. Awesome! We spent less in 2021 than we did in 2020, which was our goal. We still have some tweaking to do in 2022 to save more money.
ReplyDeleteYou did a fantastic job. I read to Tommy quite a bit of this post. He seemed impressed. I asked him if he wants to track our grocery spending. He said, "NO!" So, I will have to do it surreptitiously.
ReplyDeleteI am very impressed. I only do Fetch, but you are inspiring me to do more in order to bless others. Mary G
ReplyDeleteMeg, of all the rebate apps Fetch seems to be the least successful. I'd sign up for others too. I think at least for my purposes and where I shop Ibotta is the best at the moment. Email me if you want my referral code.
DeleteYou continue to amaze me. My average food spending is about $265. My goal this year is to optimize my food budget, and low spend on a lot of things.
ReplyDeleteSonya said I should include my stockpile sales from this past Summer too but I'd have to separate the stuff bought in 2021 from the stuff bought in 2020(and not include that)and I'm just too lazy. If I did I might be in the negative for spending on groceries. ;-)
DeleteI do not know what was spent on food.
ReplyDeleteI wish we would follow this sort of thing.