Food Spending....September 2024

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for September 2024.

I have posted September'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 September.  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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ALDI  

OOP  $6.46

Sales  $1.52

Value  $7.98

Savings  19.05%

KROGER

OOP  $351.35

Qs/Gift Cards  $282.94

Value $634.29

Savings  44.61%

WALMART

OOP  $176.17

Qs/Gift Cards $74.34

Value  $250.52

Savings  29.68%

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My best Store Savings Total was at Kroger with a savings of 44.61%.  My worse rate was at Aldi with 19.05%.  Not a bad savings rate average overall though.

I shopped at 3 different stores in SEPTEMBER.  Luckily I did most of my grocery shopping at Kroger in September. ;-)

TOTAL Spent in September......$533.98

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$358.81

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$892.79

TOTAL Savings of........40.19%

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

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....

On the surface our spending was a little high but that doesn't figure in all the rebating cash I got back.  Even so, we had a goodly savings percentage over regular retail anyway.

The Monthly food spending savings percentage went Down by 17.23% in September to 40.19% compared to August's 57.42% savings average.  A lot lower in September but still over 40%.  That's ok by me.

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 9 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $4,381.76 on groceries/HBA/paper goods/etc. in 2024.  Food prices have gotten to the ridiculous level, haven't they?

2024 Yearly Total Value of Items  $10,665.24

2024 Total Saved   $5,330.53

2024 Yearly Total Spent  $5,334.71

2024 Yearly Savings Total of  49.98%

The average per month amount spent is $592.75 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, Swag Bucks, My Points and other miscellaneous rebates-Aisle, Tremendous, etc. and have it 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 Cash Back), 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.

Because I don't like to let money sit in these rebate accounts and Paypal, I send $$ to my bank account throughout the year.  So far I have sent $2,182.71 from various rebating programs and through Paypal to my bank.  If you add in all that my food spending at the 9 month point in 2024 comes in at $3,152 or $350.22 per month.

Besides all I sent to my bank account I have more $ sitting in these various rebating programs as well as in Paypal.  This is not counting Alexa, ShopKick or Fetch, which all comes out in gift cards or Amazon credit.

LOOKING AHEAD TO OCTOBER 2024.....

I am trying to eat down freezer/pantry in October and it seems like most of my grocery spending has been for the Food Bank.  I hope to spend less in October than in September but time will tell.  Inflation is still crazy high so spending is more than I'd like it to be.

Gone are the days of a $350 grocery budget.

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 September?

*  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 September 2023 Report

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for September 2023.

I have posted September'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 September.  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).
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DOLLAR GENERAL

OOP  $1.75

VALUE  $2.99 

Savings  41.47%

KROGER

OOP  $248.50

Qs/Gift Cards $200.96

Value $449.46

Savings  44.71%

SUPER 1 FOODS

OOP  $67.42

Value  $104.03

Savings  35.20%

WALMART

OOP  $145.12

Qs/Gift Cards $29.85

Value  $174.97

Savings  17.06%

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My best Store Savings Total was at Kroger with a savings of 44.71%.  My worse rate was at Walmart with 17.06%.  

I shopped at 4 different stores in SEPTEMBER.

TOTAL Spent in September......$508.12

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$293.52

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$801.64

TOTAL Savings of........36.61%

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

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....Well I didn't keep spending at $350 or less as I had liked to.  Blame Ibotta, store deals(I'm looking at you Kroger!), inflation and being hungry when I shop(well, nowadays it doesn't matter when I shop, I am ALWAYS hungry!lol).  I can't believe what things cost so I tend to want to stockpile when I see something we use on special(because in this economy you know the price is only going to increase with time).  I also can't believe with how little I eat since June that it costs so much to buy food(see comment above about inflation).  Plus I think Hubs is taking up the slack in the eating department. ;-)  I am just glad I don't have three ravenous children at home to feed anymore!

The Monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 3.85% in September to 36.61% compared to August's 40.46% savings average.  Between all factors(and no Rite-Aid where I use to get "paid" to bring things home from there)it's nearly impossible to have a savings rate of more than 30%....and achieving that 30% is with trying very hard!  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)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 9 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $3,774.20 on groceries/HBA/paper goods/etc. in 2023.

2023 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$3,774.20

2023 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$6,286.93

2023 Grand Total Saved...............................$2,512.73

2023 Yearly Savings Total..............................39.97%

The average per month amount spent is $419.36 in 2023 at this point.

LOOKING AHEAD TO OCTOBER......

Not predicting what I will spend but I'll be keeping tabs on the grocery bills in October. We'll be gone for a week this month and I won't be up to cooking much the week we get back(and maybe the following week).  Not sure if Hubs is up to filling in as cook or if we'll be getting takeout instead.  We'll see how much is spent on food this month.  I hope to have a low spending month, even with the crazy inflation these days.

Remember that I withdraw all my cash rebate monies(Ibotta, Coupons dotcom, Shopmium, 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.

At the end of the third quarter of the year, I've accumulated--$962.99 in Ibotta(most in my bank account as I don't like to leave Ibotta monies on the platform), $309.40 in Paypal from Shopmium ,Coupons dotcom as well as an odd rebate or two from another source, $43.35 in Kroger Cash Back I haven't spent, $36.78 in Shop Kick, $62.20 in Swag Bucks to redeem, $16.75 on Alexa for Amazon gift cards and some points on Fetch that aren't even worth considering at this point.  Without counting the Fetch that's $1,431.47 in cash or scrip total to put toward the grocery spending in 2023 which lowers my OOP on food spending to $2,342.73 give or take at this point in time.

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 September?

*  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 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 2020.....The September Report

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for SEPTEMBER 2020.

I have posted September'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 September.  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 at home this month). 
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CVS
OOP  $5.48

Qs/Ads/ECBucks $125.40
Value  $130.88
Savings 95.81 %

MALACARI'S

OOP  $18.55
Value  $28.87
Savings  35.75%

PandR OUTLET

OOP  $24.76

Value  $53.00

Savings  53.28%

PRICE CHOPPER

OOP  $42.06
Value  $60.39
Savings  30.35% 

RITE-AID *
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/BC/GCard  $355.53
Value  $355.53
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP   ($0.00) used free gift card
Value  $4.99
Savings  100%

WALMART
OOP  $95.95
Value  $203.78
Savings 52.92%

WEIS
OOP  $166.93
Qs/Ads  $169.91
Value  $336.84
Savings  50.44%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, Shursave at 100% and CVS at 95.81% .   My worst savings rate was at Price Chopper with 30.35%.  Lots of great savings rates this month!

I shopped at 8 different stores in September.

I also earned $227.30 in cash rebates in September(Ibotta/SavingStar/Checkout51)which helps offset the spending once I cash those in at the end of 2020.

TOTAL Spent(without R-A)...................$353.73

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales................$465.02
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased........$818.75

TOTAL Savings of ................................56.80%

Add in the Rite-Aid purchases and we get.........

TOTAL Spent........................................$353.73

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales................$820.55
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased........$1174.28

TOTAL Savings of ................................69.88%

This closes out the September food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....I wanted to do a 50% lower with the grocery spending but worries about Fall shut downs and shortages had me buying a lot of long term storage foods and refilling the freezer. So no way did I do a $200 spend in September.  Even so I still stayed under my budgeted $400 for the month so it's all good.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 2.01% in September 2020 to 69.88% compared to the tremendous August 2020 rate of 71.89% savings average.  

With 9 months accounted for, I have spent a Year-To-Date Total of $3505.76 on food/toiletries in 2020.

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.

Once I add in all my rebates/refunds/post coupon/found money pots into the grocery spending category I do still have a fighting change to stay under $4K spent.  The next 3 months will determine if this goal becomes a reality.


2020 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$3,505.76

2020 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$10,585.06

2020 Grand Total Saved...............................$7,079.30

2020 Yearly Savings Total............66.88%

The average per month amount spent is $389.53 at this point in 2020 which went down some from August's average.  As long as I'm around $400 per month with 3(now 2)people in the house, it's all good.  While it's just Hubs and I now I will also be supplementing Ex-College Boy's food needs for awhile.

LOOKING AHEAD To October 2020.............

Not sure what October will bring in terms of food spending.  We're going to have a visitor in October and we are going on a short trip so those are the variables.  At home, I want to start eating from our stockpiled meats/veg in the freezer and use a few "old dogs" up in the process.

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 September?  Are you happy with that amount and did you get good value for your money?

*  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