April Food Spending 2024

Onward to April's Food Spending Report.....

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for April 2024.

I have posted April'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 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, Pet Food. We are a family of 2(and 2 dogs).
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CVS

OOP  $.15

Sales  $13.03

Value  $13.18

Savings  98.84%

KROGER

OOP  $254.38

Qs/Gift Cards $271.51

Value $525.89

Savings  51.63%

SHOPPERS VALU

OOP $11.32

Sales  $10.24

Value $21.56

Savings  47.50%

WALMART

OOP  $272.70

Qs/Gift Cards $149.73

Value  $422.43

Savings  35.44%

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My best Store Savings Total was at CVS with a savings of 98.84%.  My worse rate was at Walmart with 35.44%.  Not a bad savings rate overall.

I shopped at 4 different stores in APRIL.

TOTAL Spent in April......$538.55

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$444.51

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$983.06

TOTAL Savings of........45.22%

This closes out the APRIL food/toiletries/etc. spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....

The Monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 3.85% in April to 45.22% compared to March's 49.07% savings average.  A substantial decrease in savings rate but still over 45%

Since we have an adequate income and food should be a pleasure in life(no way am I going to eat unseasoned rice and beans for my remaining days like some people-because I don't have to). I will buy quality food and pay the price at the register.  I may not like the price but I will deal with it.

With 4 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $2,227.39 on groceries/HBA/paper goods/etc. in 2024.

2024 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$2,765.94

2024 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$5,356.50

2024 Grand Total Saved...............................$2,590.56

2024 Yearly Savings Total..............................48.36%

The average per month amount spent is $691.85 in 2024 so far but that's before all the rebate monies are added in.

Remember that I withdraw all my cash rebate monies(Ibotta, Shopmium, TaDa, Checkout 51 and other miscellaneous rebates sent to my Paypal)at the end of the year and add it back into my food budget, so at the end of the year my food spending will go down.  The other savings apps like Fetch, Shop Kick, Kroger Cash Back that let us get free gift cards(or $ off your grocery total-Kroger), those are added back in when I cash those points in along the way.  Alexa app gives me Amazon credit onto my account but I don't buy food on Amazon(sometimes I buy dog food there)so I really don't know how to count that.

LOOKING AHEAD TO MAY 2024.....

.

I am going to attempt to not grocery shop in May*gasp*.  I know I won't spend anything.  I have an impossible Ibotta Big Bonus($35 for 95 items!!!)so I really have no motivation to rebate this month(unless there are things for the food bank and I don't count those items in my grocery budget any longer). I have a packed freezer(and thankfully it was packed when the power went out, which helped keep the temperature down, but we did lose some ice cream *RIP*)plus lot of canned/boxes goods so the only thing I'll try to spend on this month is fresh produce.

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

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

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?  It's really not that hard or time consuming; just keep 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 versus 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

Food Spending.....the April Report

Onward to April's Food Spending report......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for APRIL 2023.

I have posted April'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 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. We are a family of 2(and 2 dogs).
****************

CVS

OOP  $1.99

Value  $27.86

Savings  92.85%

DOLLAR GENERAL

OOP  $27.30

Value  $37.65

Savings  27.49%

KROGER

OOP  $314.76

Qs/Ads  $258.69

Value  $573.45

Savings  45.11%

SHOPPER VALUE

OOP  $62.16

Qs/Ads  $81.89

Value  $19.73

Savings  24.10%

WALMART

OOP  $146.32

Qs/free Gift Cards $38.21
Value  $184.53
Savings 20.71%

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My best 2 Store Savings Totals were at CVS at 92.85% and Kroger at 45.11% .  My worse rate was at Walmart at 20.71%.  Too bad that is the closest store to me.

I shopped at 5 different stores in April.   8-)

TOTAL Spent in April................$552.53

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$492.27

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$1,044.80

TOTAL Savings of ............................47.12%

This closes out the April food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....another less than stellar month for food spending.  We spent more in April than in March. Lots of cherry picking deals for the freezer but prices still on the rise so YIKES! it was a lot of money spent.  We won't have a garden this year(not enough time to get one prepped and planted with us starting here from scratch)so I'll have to find a/some farm stands around where the prices aren't "artisanal-ly" priced.  As our first year here somethings come with a steep learning curve. 

The monthly food spending savings percentage went UP by 12.22% in April 2023 to 47.12% compared to the March's 34.90% savings average.  Even still, spending was up but we got more bang for our buck in April.

With 4 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $1,882.46 on groceries/HBA /paper goods in 2023.

2023 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$1,882.46

2023 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$3,080.74

2023 Grand Total Saved...............................$1,198.28

2023 Yearly Savings Total..............................38.90%

The average per month amount spent is $470.62 in 2023 so far.

LOOKING AHEAD to May 2023....We are going on a cruise this month so we'll be eating down any refrigerated items like dairy(which can't go in the freezer)and fresh produce.  We won't be buying food unless a screaming deal or a necessity before the trip and nothing during the trip.  I am hoping this reigns in the food spending.  No clue how much will be spent but it sure as heck had better not be $470.62! lolz

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?  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