2018 Food & Toiletry Spending.....February Report

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for FEBRUARY 2018.

I have posted February'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 February.  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 3-5(4 at home this month). No kids under 22.

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DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $5.00
Value  $9.57
Savings  47.75%

MAINE SOURCE
OOP  $36.33
Value  $58.95
Savings  38.37%

OLLIE'S
OOP  $33.48
Value  $76.89
Savings  56.46%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/PP/BC  $754.21
Value  $754.21
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE
OOP  $5.17
Qs/Ads  $10.55
Value  $15.72
Savings  67.11%

WALMART
OOP  $19.20
Value  $42.00
Savings  54.29%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $308.23

Qs/Ads  $335.25

Value  $643.48

Savings  52.10%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Shursave Market at 67.11% and Ollie's at 56.46%.  My WORST savings rate was Maine Source at 38.37%.

I shopped at 7 different stores this past month.  

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$407.41

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales...$439.20

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$846.61

TOTAL Savings of ..................................51.88%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for Feb.....$407.41
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$1600.82
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales.....$1193.41
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items..........74.55%

This closes out the February food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I had wanted to stay at or under $200 food spending for February.  Then we all got sick so the wheels flew off that bus one week into the month.  Between unnecessary spending(popsicles, other comfort things and mega amounts of OJ bought)and sending Hubs to the store because I just couldn't, well we ended up at about double what I set out to spend. sigh.  I will say it's a good thing I had stockpiled facial tissues and cold meds as that kept our budget from topping $500 this month.  ;-)

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 5.02% in February 2018 to 74.55% compared to January's 79.57% savings average.

With 2 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $860.10 on food/toiletries in 2018 which is a 77.46% savings rate for the year so far and averages out to $430.05 spent per month in 2018.

LOOKING AHEAD To March.......
Not sure where the month will lead us right now.  I'll say $300 for groceries for now but who knows? lolz  I would like to empty out the chest freezer a bit more in March and I really haven't gotten any discounted meat in Feb.  So $300 it is but I'd like to keep it at $200 something.

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 January?
*  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

Well I Blew It! Oh Well......HoHoHo

Right after I published the post earlier this week about how I am such a careful shopper and spend so little on our food budget, wouldn't you know....I went out and let the Siren Song of Christmas lead me into temptation and overspending.
8-)))

Yes, bought a few things and then a few more........

It started with this---

a Standing Rib Roast at $6.99 lb.
$59.90.
Then a Cheesecake.
At least that was 50% off-$7.49.

Then while I was at it, I bought a port wine cheese ball for Xmas appetizers to go with the crackers I already have.

And while in the store they announced that all Christmas candy/confections were 50% off.
Some York Peppermint Patties, miniature Reese's cups and dark chocolate covered cherries jumped into my shopping cart.

And then marked down to .99¢ lb.spiral hams, even though I don't really eat ham anymore, well one of those landed in my cart too, to shove into the freezer for Easter dinner in 2016.

I have just finished doing the numbers and I am now at $403.67 spent for December foodstuffs.
Over for December by $53.67.
meh.

Not too bad really but I had so wanted to stay on budget at $350 this month.....sigh.
Oh well.
Life happens and none of us is perfect.
But I'd much rather grab a deal(like that ham)now to avoid paying full price in March.

I am still at less food spending in 2015 than in the last two years since I've kept track of this sort of thing so no worries.
And that Christmas prime rib dinner tasted oh so good! 8-)

Sluggy