Food Spending.....the December 2024 Report

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for December 2024.

I have posted December's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located  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, Pet Food. We are a family of 2(and 2 dogs).
****************

ALDI

OOP  $65.18

Sales  $

Value  $98.97

Savings  44.14%

DOLLAR GENERAL

OOP  $18.75

Value  $38.55

Savings  51.36%

KROGER

OOP  $201.90

Qs/Gift Cards  $217.20

Value $419.10

Savings  51.83%

PUBLIX

OOP  $29.74

Value  $54.84

Savings  45.77%

WALMART

OOP  $189.02

Qs/Gift Cards $88.54

Value  $277.56

Savings  31.90%

********************
My best Store Savings Total was at Brookshire's with a savings of 57.88%.  My worse rate was at Super 1 Food with 16.53%.  Not a bad savings rate average overall though.

I shopped at 5 different stores in DECEMBER.  

TOTAL Spent in December......$432.66

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$424.52

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$856.88

TOTAL Savings of........50.49%

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

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....Nice job this month.  Spent a lot but got some good deals and lots of savings.

The Monthly food spending savings percentage went UP by 18.33% in December to 50.49% compared to November's 32.16% savings average.  

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 12 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $6,579.44 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  $13,390.33

2024 Total Saved   $6,571.30

2024 Yearly Total Spent  $6,579.44

2024 Yearly Savings Total of  50.86%

The average per month amount spent is $548.29 in 2024 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, Sampoll  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.  I don't add in all the cashed out savings until the end of the year,

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 gave 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 and it's defunct now so I won't worry about that one bit.

Because I don't like to let money sit in these rebate accounts and Paypal, I send $$ to my bank account throughout the year.  I have sent $4,232.20 from various rebating programs and through Paypal to my bank.  If you add in all that my food spending at the 12 month point in 2024 comes in at $2,347.24 or $195.60 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 JANUARY 2025....

After we went through and organized the freezer, I am trying to eat down freezer/pantry in 2025 in preparation for our move away from here.

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 December?

*  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

 

2018 Food & Toiletries Spending.....the December Edition & Yearly Totals

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2018.

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 4-5(4 at home this month). No "kids" under 22.

*****************

ALDI
OOP  $24.35
Value  $41.61
Savings  41.48%

BOYER'S
OOP  $4.39
Value  $9.29
Savings  52.74%

BREAD OUTLET
OOP  $10.16
Value  $53.78
Savings  81.10%

GROCERY OUTLET
OOP  $68.80
Value  $184.29
Savings  62.67%

OLLIE'S
OOP  $2.32
Value  $6.56
Savings  64.63%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/BC  $793.69
Value  $793.69
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP  $1.98
Value  $3.98
Savings  50.25 %

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $252.82

Qs/Ads  $1134.88

Value  $1387.70

Savings  81.78%

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, Weis at 81.78% and the Bread Outlet at 81.10%.  My worst savings rate was at Aldi at 41.48%.
Over 40% being the worst is a-ok with me! ;-)

I shopped at 8 different stores this past month.  

TOTAL Out of Pocket for December..........$364.82

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales............$528.70

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.........$893.52

TOTAL Savings of ................................59.17%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for December.....$364.82
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales....$1322.39
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid.....$1687.21
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items........78.38%

This closes out the December food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I wanted to stay as far under my $400 budget in December as possible.  Under $300 was what I shot for but it wasn't to be(not with the deals I saw and took advantage of). ;-)  But we were still $35+/- under $400 so I'm happy with that.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went up by 1.82% in December 2018 to 78.38% compared to November's 80.20% savings average.

With 12 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $5111.85 on food/toiletries in 2018.

Add in the Rebates/Refunds Kitty of $754.76 to offset my food budget and my Grand Total for the Year goes down to $4357.09 spent on all food and toiletries in 2018.

2018 Yearly Total Spent...................$4357.09

2018 Yearly Total Value of Items...$20339.95

2018 Total Saved.............................$15982.88

2018 Yearly Savings Total of.............78.58%

The average per month amount spent is $363.09 in 2018.  It's under an average of $400 per month which thrills me to no end.  8-)))

LOOKING AHEAD To 2019.......

We'll be taking advantage of all the shopping strategies we do every year.  Midway through 2019 my daughter will be moving out after finishing her college degree so the food bill should go down some.  We'll see at that point how low we can get our food spending with only 3 adults living in the house.
Stay tuned to this Bat Channel to see how 2019 unfolds.....

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?

*  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

Food & Toiletries Spending.....December and YEAR END Update

* I am done food shopping for December so am posting this a day early.*

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2017.

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 3-5(3-5 at home this month). No kids under 21.

*****************

BREAD OUTLET
OOP  $13.00
Value  $57.38
Savings  77.34%

DOLLAR GENERAL
OOP  $10.94
Value  $18.00
Savings  39.23%

MAINES
OOP  $85.93
Value  $153.13
Savings  43.89%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/PPs  $446.97
Value  $446.97
Savings  100%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $406.61

Qs/Ads  $551.51

Value  $958.12

Savings  57.56%

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Bread Outlet at 77.34% and Weis at 57.56%.  My WORST savings rate was at Dollar General at 39.23%.

I shopped at 4 different stores this past month.  

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$516.48
TOTAL Cash Rebates(applied in Dec)...$343.96
TOTAL Out of Pocket for Dec.....$172.52

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales/Rebate Savings...$942.36

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1186.63

TOTAL Savings of ..................................85.46%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for Dec.....$172.52
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$1633.60
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales/Rebate Savings....$1461.08
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items..........89.44%

This closes out the December food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into December wanting to spend $400 on food/toiletries but went over by $116.48.

But I also have the following rebates/post Qs(otherwise known as the "free money")to apply toward the food bill in December---
SavingStar.......$31.05
Checkout51.....$79.25
Ibotta...............$27.25
Other Rebates/Post Qs....$134.91
Rolled Coins....$71.50
Grand TOTAL...$343.96

So I have $343.96 in checks on their way/cash here to put into the checking account to offset that much of our income spending toward groceries, so I "spent" $172.52 of our regular income on food in December.
This brings my savings rate to 87.58% for the month.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went UP by 8.49% in December to 82.42% compared to November's 73.93% savings average.  Over a 82% savings rate is great no matter how you slice it. ;-)

With 12 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $4126.25 on food/toiletries in 2017 which is a 70.76% savings rate for the year and averages out to $343.85 spent per month in 2017.

Grand Total Grocery/Toiletries Savings 2107

2017 Yearly Total Value of Items  $14111.24

2017 Total Saved  $9984.99
2017 Yearly Total Spent  $4126.25

2017 Yearly Savings Total of   70.76%

Average Spending per Month-to-Date  $343.85

LOOKING AHEAD To 2018........
I need to sit down with Hubs and see what we want to set as a food budget for the year.  I'll do this in the next week or so.  Personally I'd love to keep the food spending at $4K for 2018.  But this means I have to be the primary food shopper for the year as no one else here wants to/or will try to get the best deal possible when food purchasing like I do.

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?
*  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

2016 Food & Toiletries Spending.....December Update & FINAL Tally

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2016.

I have posted December'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 November.  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 5(5 at home this month). No kids under 20.

* I actually bought a pie at Walmart but didn't want to do a whole category for 1 item so I tucked the cost of the pie under Weis spending.*

******************

BOYER'S
OOP  $35.62
Value  $70.07
Savings  49.00 %

BREAD OUTLET
OOP  $13.75
Value  $47.77
Savings  71.22%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $2.00
Value  $4.98
Savings  59.84%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/PPs  $433.33
Value  $433.33
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP  $33.88
Qs/Ads $35.59
Value  $69.47
Savings  51.23%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $324.99

Qs/Ads  $350.27

Value  $675.26

Savings  51.87%

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Bread Outlet at 71.22% and Dollar Tree at 59.84%.  My WORST savings rate was Boyer's Market at 49%.  If 49% savings is my worst rate then things went really well in December.  ;-)
I shopped at 6 different stores this past month. *And the pie at Walmart would make it 7 stores.*

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$410.24

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$890.64

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1300.88

TOTAL Savings of ..................................68.46%
TOTAL Savings w/o Rite-Aid of ..............52.71%

This closes out the December food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into December wanting to spend no income on the food budget.
Here is the break down of my food budget for December utilizing cash/rebates and gift cards I had--

Gift Cards.....$64.36
Cash Rebates--
 Savingstar...$148.03
 Checkout51..$42.75
 Ibotta..........$44.25
Rolled Coins...$103.00
Other Cash(post coupons)...$42.00

Total.....$444.39 for food in December.

I actually spent $410.24.
Here is what I have left of cash and chits....

A Giant market $25 gift card and $9.15 in cash from various rebates. With Hubs' accident I just didn't get a chance to get to a Giant store(it's half an hour away)in December.
I'm going to tuck that $9 into my wallet for emergency cash and throw the .15¢ into the change jar to start the ball rolling with rolled coins. 8-)

The monthly food spending savings percentage went UP by .44% in December to 68.46% compared to November's 68.02% savings average.

I think I did an ok job sticking to this grocery challenge, considering the events of December. ;-)

With 12 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $4,696.81 on food/toiletries in 2016 which averages out to $391.40 per month spent in 2016.

If you count the $410.21 I spent in gift cards and cash rebates/rolled coins/post coupon cash into my total for the year the actual spending comes to $5,107.05 for 2016, or $425.59 per month.
Still mighty good for a total feeding between 2-5 people(most of the year it was 4-5 people).
That's $425.59 per month for all food, toiletries, paper goods and HBA for the year for the entire household.  The only category not counted in this category is Eating out/Take-out.

LOOKING AHEAD To 2017........

I sat down and did a breakdown of food spending-before the kids moved in/after the kids moved in.
The 5 months of Jan-May vs. the 7 months of June-Dec.
The average per month food spending Jan-May was $298.91, feeding 2-3 adults.
The average per month food spending June-Dec was $516.07, feeding 4-5 adults.

While in my head, before figuring the math out on this issue, I thought the June-Dec spending was way out of control.  But looking at the actual numbers for it all, even with the higher spending June-Dec we were averaging around $100 per person per month, just like the numbers tell us we were doing Jan-May.

So things were not as dire the last half of 2016 as I had talked myself into believing they were.

So where do we go from here into the Great Unknown of 2017--
Nobody is moving out or taking on more of the food spending costs in 2017.  Hubs and I will still be feeding everyone under our roof(with a few exceptions that are already in place).  Therefore I don't foresee our food expenditures going down substantially and I certainly don't want them going up!
Our food spending will be higher in 2017 than in 2016 as we weren't feeding 4-5 adults for the whole year then.  I am not going to kid myself into thinking I'll be able to lower this spending category under $500 per month, which is $6,000 for the whole year.

I may be able to do a bit better on the spending by addressing the food waste area.  We had increased food waste once the kids moved in, as they don't eat many leftovers, leading to more food spending.  I will need to tighten up amounts that are cooked to reduce leftovers.  This is a double edged sword though because Hubs and I like having leftovers and a night off from cooking now and again lightens the workload on me.
What to do, what to do?
Having someone else cook 1 night a week hasn't worked out very satisfactorily for me in 2016.
And if everyone else here had their druthers we'd be ordering in and eating a heck of a lot more processed foods, which would blow our budget out of the water as well as our waistlines(for those of us who HAVE waistlines).
I am thinking of instituting a simpler meal plan for 2017.  Easier meals, basic meals with only involved dishes every now and again.  Part of that will be to rely on my crock pots a bit more than I do now.

All that being said, I am setting a $6K food budget for 2017.
I will continue to shop how I do now-buying loss leaders, at rock bottom price at whatever food purveyor I can scope out, utilizing coupons when applicable and perhaps growing a bit more of our own food this Summer.

GRAND TOTAL FOOD & TOILETRIES SPENDING 2016

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$5,107.05

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$8,937.28

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$13,634.09

TOTAL Savings of ..................................62.54%

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?
*  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

Food Spending December Week 4/Meal Planning January Week 1

And this is what happens to you if you fall asleep while the family is opening presents on Christmas morning.  You become the most festive beagle on the block! lol
We reuse the bows from one year to the next, so we need a place to put them aside so they don't end up in the trash bag........

As for meals?
Here is what actually got served last week....

Sunday--Chicken Enchiladas

Monday--Christmas Eve dinner at Chinese Restaurant

Tuesday--Ravioli w/Marinara Sauce, Standing Rib Roast, Roasted Vegetables, Green Beans, Rolls, Pies

Wednesday--Leftovers

Thursday--Pork Chops, homemade Mac and Cheese, Broccoli

Friday--Pizza, a green veggie from the freezer

Saturday--Leftovers

The food spending last week(the 24th to the 30th)came in at $110.70 for 7 days.  This includes the rib roast that cost, as one astute reader noted, "as much as a coat".

As I have finished food shopping for December(no food buying today, the 31st)I spent $439.11 in total for the month.  Pretty good considering the stocking up and the Holiday food excess.

Going into this week, I have these leftovers--ravioli, rolls(not to mention fudge and pie).

***********************

Here is what is getting served this week.....

Sunday--Kielbasa on Rolls, Caramelized Onions,Potato Salad

Monday--Date Lunch Out w/Hubs, then leftovers and appetizers for New Years at home

Tuesday--Tacos, Corn

Wednesday--Baked Salmon, leftover P. Salad, Caesar Salad, leftover rolls

Thursday--Cheesesteaks, Green Beans

Friday--Fried Shrimp, French Fries, Beets, any leftover veggies

Saturday--Leftovers or Fend for Yourself or Breakfast for Dinner

I have everything here already to make these meals.....ground beef for tacos, salmon, roast beef for cheesesteaks, shrimp are all in the freezer.  I might treat Hubs to country ham rolls tomorrow morning since we still have a plethora of rolls.  I used that last $5 voucher to buy romaine lettuce and some ground beef on Sunday, so we have all foodstuffs to make this menu now.

There will only be 3 at home this coming week to cook for.


Sluggy

December Budget Results.......Food and Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2011.

I have posted December's totals on the right side bar under Total Grocery Savings for 2011 and updated the Yearly Totals.
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 Summary.

My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(3-5 at home this month)& 2 dogs. No kids under 15.
******************

BAKERY OUTLET
OOP  $22.45

Value  $106.19

Savings  78.86%

PRICE CHOPPER

OOP  $9.98

Qs/Ads  $

Value  $23.94

Savings  58.30%

RESTAURANT SUPPLY STORE
OOP  $78.03

Value  $119.77

Savings 34.85%

RITE-AID DRUG STORE
OOP  $27.35(with an additional $17.04 put on my free Rite-Aid gift card)
Qs/Ads/+Ups $341.26
Value  $368.61
Savings  92.59%

SHURSAVE STORES(small local independent affiliated stores)
OOP  $109.26

Qs/Ads  $93.10

Value  $202.36

Savings  46%

TURKEY HILL

OOP  $3.66

Value  $3.66

Savings  0%

WALMART 

OOP  $8.98

Qs/Ads  $0
Value  $10.99

Savings  18.30%

WEIS (local chain Grocery store in my town/doubles up to $1 total)
OOP  $50.56

Qs/Ads  $53.65

Value  $104.21

Savings  51.50% 

I don't track Rite-Aid's +Ups here, nor CVS's ECBs & Walgreen's RRs. They will be included when used on purchases under "Coupons".   I'll keep track of what rebates are received monthly.  Rebate money/gift cards will be considered 'income' & will go into the Food/Toiletries budget, offsetting the Out of Pocket. Cash will go immediately into the Budget kitty, while Gift Cards will be calculated in when spent.

REBATE CHECKS RECEIVED IN DECEMBER
Pinecone...$6.00

Toluna.....$20.00
Subtotal........$26.00

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES
Burger King(giveaway I won)......$25.00

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received...$26.00 cash/$25 food

COUPONS and FREEBIES

Zero  *pathetic*

*********************
My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 92.59%, the Bakery Outlet at 78.86% and Price Chopper at 58.30%.
I shopped at 9 different stores in December.


TOTAL Out of Pocket........$313.74

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$632.76

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$946.50
TOTAL Savings of...................................66.85%


TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$6.00 *I don't use my Toluna $ for food budget.
TOTAL Out of Pocket After Rebates........$307.74
TOTAL Savings including Rebates...........$638.76
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$946.50
TOTAL Savings After Rebates...................67.49%

This closes out the December spending AND the YEARLY Spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month & the Year.....
I went back into Rite-Aid in December and did some of the better deals there.  While I did spend cash there in December(as I had NO +Up Rewards to start with), I still had a 92% savings rate over regular retail!  And I still have +Up Rewards and FREE Gift Card money going into 2012.

I was able to stay close to my $300 food budget limit.  While I didn't really stock up at all in December on anything, we were able to eat well and do a good sized Christmas dinner.  I had to spend a bit more on the Hunk of Meat to barbecue but we are still eating on that a week later.  1 more meal with the Christmas ham tomorrow and then I'll divide up what is left and freeze it for later.

In Total, we have spent $3,080.59 Out of Pocket on food/HBA in 2011.
That comes out to $256.71 per month for our family of 5.
We brought home items with a reg. retail value of $14,234.09 for the year.
That's a savings of $11,153.50 or 78.36% for all of 2011.

Before you think I've done something remarkable, remember that my food budget does Not include eating out $.  And we do our fair share of eating out around here. ;-)

This closes the books on Food Spending for 2011.  I think we did pretty well sticking to a budget overall without having to live on ramen noodles. lol

How did you do in December with your Food Budget?  Did the Holidays drive you over the edge with food spending?  Or were you able to celebrate within your means?


Please leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear about your progress!  By sharing our struggles and efforts we can help each other stick to our budgets and learn to be better guardians of our resources.

Sluggy

December Food Spending Week 3, Meal Plan Week 4

Last week's meal plan is in the books.  Here is what actually happened....

SUNDAY--Roasted Chicken, Carrots, Onions, Red Potatoes

MONDAY--Kielbasa on rolls, Grilled Onions

TUESDAY--Hamburgers on rolls,Mixed Veggies

WEDNESDAY--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad
THURSDAY--Leftovers

FRIDAY--Chinese Take-out
SATURDAY--Squash Casserole, Barbecued Chicken Legs

The eBay thing cranked down a notch last week(meaning a bit fewer sales & I started slacking off on listing new items), so I was able to do a little more actual cooking.

We didn't do the Birthday meal for daughter last week, doing this week....other than that we pretty much had things as planned.

The roasted chicken made a dinner and 3 lunches for me(chicken salad sammies).  There were leftovers of the Spaghetti/Meatballs and Kielbasa.  We still have leftover barbecue chicken legs for this week.

Then I made 2 trips to the grocery store and Hubs stopped by Price Chopper for me.  In all, we spent $44.48 last year at the store.

I bought a chicken, ground beef, milk, pizza dough, crab rangoons, salad, a bunch of Pepperidge Farm cakes for the Holidays(on sale for $2 ea.) and beyond that I just don't remember without going through the receipts and nobody cares anyway so bleh. ;-)

Reg. retail of $83.11 so I saved 46.49% last week.

My Dec. food spending total so far through 12/17 is $101.57.  That leaves $198.43 for the month.

This week's menu.....

SUNDAY--Lone Star for steaks(holiday treat out)

MONDAY--Daughter's Bday Meal out

TUESDAY--Beef Stroganoff, Rice, Veggies

WEDNESDAY--Leftovers
THURSDAY--BBQ pulled Pork Sammies, Coleslaw, Corn

FRIDAY--Eggplant Parmesan
SATURDAY--Chinese food out(Xmas even tradition)

Not sure if the Eggplant will happen.  If the leftovers are still plentiful by Friday, it won't happen this week.  #1 son is home for 1 week and leaves the day after Christmas so he is pretty much dictating what I am cooking this week.  What can I say?....he loves my cooking and I don't mind making him some favorite meals a couple of times a year on the rare occasion he is home. 8-)

Items needed for this menu.....Mushrooms, Eggplant, Cabbage and a big hunk of Pork butt for the Cue.

I'll also pick up stuff(like pecans for pie and bourbon balls)for the Christmas Day dinner too this week.

 

Not sure what the shopping list for Christmas dinner is because I'm still trying to figure out what to serve.  I want something nice and substantial but nothing I have to slave over half the day in the kitchen.  Daughter is suppose to 'help' me but I'm not counting on it.

What is everyone else serving for Christmas?

 

I can't decide between a ham or a rib roast, hmmmm..... 

 

At any rate, the food spending will be high this week. ;-)

 

Sluggy

December Food Spending Week 2, Meal Plan Week 3

I liked this graphic so much I'm using it again.  We never had a wall oven growing up but my Mother-in-Law had one in her 1970's kitchen up until she moved in 2003.  Unfortunately it wasn't turquoise, just boring old brown...but she actually had 2 ovens in the wall.

Last week's meal plan is in the books.  Here is what actually happened....

SUNDAY--Subway
MONDAY--Chili, Biscuits

TUESDAY--Leftovers (I had a big salad.)

WEDNESDAY--Ham Steak, Sweet Potato Fries, Brussel Sprouts

THURSDAY--I have no clue, but it wasn't what I planned!

FRIDAY--Leftovers or Burritos
SATURDAY--BOGO Whoppers 

 

Yah, I'm a sucker for a BOGO Whopper.....no cheese.lol

Still knee deep in eBay and being a bad bad mother/wife by not feeding my peoples well....shame on me!  But #1 son wasn't home for dinner most nights(band/play rehearsals) and Hubs is just as happy with Leftovers or "pasta and sauce from a jar" he 'cooks' himself.  Yes, he considers that cooking....

I used up some beef and ham as well as some frozen sweet pot. fries and veg. in the freezer with last week's menu.  

Then I made 1 trip to the grocery store, to the tune of $33.87.

I bought 3 bags of salad(most was used last week), milk, OJ and a pack of hot dog rolls to use(but these weren't used).  I also bought a roasting chicken(cooking it tonight), 5 bags of frozen veg($1 each), 2 packs of margarine(on sale), a big container of ricotta(on sale for lasagna next week) and 2 tubs of ice cream(just because and it was on sale).  Not a coupon in sight!  Reg. retail of $58.92 so I saved 42.50% last week.

My Dec. food spending total so far through 12/10 is $57.09.  That leaves $242.91 for the month.

As for keeping it under $3K for the year....I'm just going to let what happens happen.  If I keep it under, great!  But I am not really trying to.

We'll see what happens. ;-)

This week's menu.....

SUNDAY--Kielbasa on rolls, Grilled Onions

MONDAY--Roasted Chicken, Carrots, Onions, Red Potatoes

TUESDAY--Hamburgers on rolls,Mixed Veggies

WEDNESDAY--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad
THURSDAY--Leftovers

FRIDAY--Squash Casserole, Baked Potatoes w/toppings
SATURDAY--Daughter's Birthday Meal Out

Items needed for this menu.....Squash, Ground Beef.

I'm running out tonight for these things to the store, where they are on sale.  A gallon of milk is in my future too. ;-)

 

Both of my older 2 kids are coming home this week so I expect the food spending will be EXPLODING later this week.

Stay tuned for a sonic boom emanating from my wallet.....

Sluggy

December Food Spending Week 1, Meal Plan Week 2

Last week's meal plan is in the books.  Here is what actually happened....

SUNDAY--Leftovers(Pot Roast)
MONDAY--Taco Bell
TUESDAY--Chicken Parmesan, Spaghetti, Salad
WEDNESDAY--Chicken Casserole, Sugar Snap Peas
THURSDAY-- Leftover Tacos or Taco Salad, Mandarin Oranges
FRIDAY--Chinese Take-Out

SATURDAY--Leftovers or Fend for Yourself

As I was knee deep in eBay last week, we had take-out food twice and leftovers thrice.  

We had chicken two days in a row.  My chicken breasts didn't thaw in time so I ran up to the ShurSave market to use my last $10 Reward and bought some breaded cutlets for the Parmesan.  

The following night I used up the leftover Thanksgiving stuffing by pan sauteing the now thawed chicken and concocting a Chicken and Stuffing Casserole.  I use to make this a lot when Hubs and I were newly married....come to think of it, I don't think I've made this since the kids were born.  To make it properly you start with dry stuffing mix, fresh onions/celery/etc.  I just deleted the large amount of chicken stock it calls for(to rehydrate the dry stuffing mix/bread)and heated it up until it was nice and bubbly.

Anyway, I think the only Turkey day leftover we still have are a few rolls and I will polish those off the next few mornings for breakfast unless some one else here gets to them first. ;-)

Total for all the food shopping last week came to $23.22.  Hubs picked up a gallon of milk.  I went to Weis and used a $2 Catalina Q that was expiring and bought burritos, ice cream and corn chips.....just a bunch of garbage I know!  

I had to use the last of my ShurSave Reward money by 11/30 so I spent $1.56 OOP on $14.52 worth of food using that. I'm counting this 11/30 receipt in Dec. bills since I forgot to add it into November's total.

My savings percentage was 54.12% last week, as the reg. retail was $50.61 on the groceries I brought home. 

My running total spent for the month is now at $23.22.

This week's menu.....

SUNDAY--Subway
MONDAY--Chili, Cornbread or Biscuits

TUESDAY--Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad

WEDNESDAY--BBQ Chicken Legs, Sweet Potato Fries, Broccoli
THURSDAY--Seafood en Croute, Veggie Melangé

FRIDAY--Kielbasa on rolls, Boston Baked Beans
SATURDAY--Leftovers

Items needed for this menu.....Salad Greens, Puff Pastry Shells and Rolls.

I haven't even looked at the grocery ads for this week yet.  And I have everything I need to make these meals until I get to Thursday's so I have time to get to the store to shop.  I need easy to reheat type stuff the next 3 days as #2 son has pit orchestra rehearsals until 9pm until Wed. (The play is Friday/Saturday so those nights I need quick meals as well.)

The following week is Christmas Band Concert rehearsals and the show so next week we'll be living large on fast food and quick slop too. lol

 I was toying with an idea in regard to my food spending for the year.  I am $227.15 from hitting the $3K mark spent for the year.  That's pretty close to my usual $250 monthly food budget.  Maybe I'll tighten up December's food budget and try to go for staying at or under $3K for the year?

I've already spent $23.22 this month, so that would put me at $203.93 left for December.  With the kids coming home and Christmas?.....I don't know.  I don't want to make Christmas a chore by not fixing some favorite foods for the crew but staying under $3K for the year is sweet, right?

What say you dear readers?

Should I torture my family and only spend $203.93 more this year.....or just spend whatever I want?

Sluggy

December Budget Results.....Food and Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2010.

I have posted December's totals on the right side bar under Total Grocery Savings for 2010 and updated the Yearly Totals.
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 Summary.

My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(4-5 at home this month)& 2 dogs. No kids under 14.

BAKERY OUTLET
OOP $19.45
Value $68.63
Savings  71.66%

BIG LOTS
OOP $5.70
Value $11.90
Savings  52.11%

CARONE'S(small local independent store)
OOP  $80.26

Qs/Ads  $73.88
Value  $154.14
Savings  48%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $5.00
Value  $15.45
Savings  67.64%

GERRITY'S
OOP  $47.85
Qs/Ads  $51.36
Value  $99.21
Savings  51.77%

REDNER'S(does not double coupons)
OOP  $70.38
Qs/Ads  $33.34
Value  $103.72
Savings  32.15%

RITE AID
OOP  $23.03 (whole amount put on free Rite-Aid Gift Cards)=$.00 actual OOP
Qs/Ads  $2.044.01
Value  $2,067.04
Savings  96.19% before gift cards/ 100% savings after free gift cards

UNI-MART(local minimart/gas station)
OOP  $3.50
Value  $3.50
Savings  0%

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town/doubles up to $1 total)
OOP  $35.64
Qs/Ads  $52.18
Value  $87.82
Savings   59.42%

I don't track Rite-Aid's +Ups here, nor CVS's ECBs & Walgreen's RRs. They will be included when used on purchases under "Coupons".   I'll keep track of what rebates are received monthly.  Rebate money/gift cards will be considered 'income' & will go into the Food/Toiletries budget, offsetting the Out of Pocket. Cash will go immediately into the Budget kitty, while Gift Cards will be calculated in when spent.

REBATE CHECKS RECV'D. IN DECEMBER
Google Ad Revenue....$102.35
Pinecone Research....$6.00
Rite-Aid SCR(various months)...$66.90

Subtotal........$175.25

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES
MyBlogSpark Safeway Gift Card...$25.00

VISA Preloaded (Giveaway win)...$10.00
Rite-Aid Oral Care....$5.00

Rite-Aid GOS Certificates....$40.00

Subtotal....$80.00

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received...$255.25

COUPONS and FREEBIES

Tim McGraw CD.....Giveaway win

Hamburger Helper....Giveaway win
Fun Serving Dishes....Giveaway win
Pyrex Dish & Marinade....Giveaway win
Fiber One...Free Box Coupon
Rachel Ray....Free Dog Food Coupon
Food Should Taste Good Chips....Free Coupon
Rite-Aid Glam Bag Offer....Free Bag and Samples

My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from Rite-Aid at 100%, The Bakery Outlet at 71.66% and The Dollar Store at 67.64%.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$274.82
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$2,335.59
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$2,610.41
TOTAL Savings of...................................89.47%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$175.25

TOTAL Out of Pocket After  Rebates.........$99.57
TOTAL Savings of....................................96.19%

This closes out the December spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-

I went over my budget for December by $25.  With all the extras bought for the Holidays(soda, baked goods, appetizer type foods, etc.), it's no surprise I went over a little.  When you add the rebates received in December toward the food spending my out of pocket goes down to under $100 which is awesome!

What's ahead for 2011.....
I need to sit down with Hubs and analyze what went well and not-so-well in 2010.  Then I can decide if I want to publicly track our Food/HBA spending on the blog in 2011.
If you want any input on this, please leave a comment.
And stay tuned for further developments.....

With all 12 months of 2010 accounted for, we spent a total of $2,291.67 on food and toiletries in 2010.  That's an average of $190.97 per MONTH or $44.07 per WEEK after rebates for a family of 4-5 adults/teens + 2-3 pets.

Not only did $2,291.67 allow our family to eat well for an entire year, it also supplied our local food bank with 4 large food/hba donations during 2010, supplied a relative with approx. $500 in regular retail value of food during the year and we sold some excess items at a local flea market and banked $700!
So really, after putting $700 cash back into our pockets, we 'spent' about $1,600.00 Total for the year!

How did you do in December with your Food Budget?
Will you be tracking your food spending in 2011?  If so, what is the method you will use?
Please leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear about your progress in 2010!  By sharing our struggles and efforts we can help each other stick to our budgets and learn to be better guardians of our resources.


Sluggy

December BUDGET RESULTS-Food & Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for DECEMBER 2009.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in December.
These Totals include Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(4 at home-all 5 home for 2/3 of this month)& 3 dogs. No kids under 13.

BIG LOTS
OOP $18.08
Qs/Ads $19.94
Value $38.02
Savings 52.45%

BOYER'S(local Independent Grocery)
OOP $13.76
Qs/Ads $15.25
Value $29.01
Savings  53%

CARONE'S(local Independent Grocery that doesn't take IP Qs)
OOP $28.06
Qs/Ads $43.34
Value $71.40
Savings   60.70%

ENTENMANN'S OUTLET
OOP $43.78
Ads/Sales $89.28
Value $133.06
Savings  67.10%

FIVE MOUNTAIN MARKET(local Independent Grocer)
OOP $6.05($26.05 spent, $20 on Gift Certificate)
Ads/Sales $14.00
Value $40.05
Savings  84.90%

PRICE CHOPPER
OOP $30.32
Qs/Ads $59.91
Value $90.23
Savings  66.40%

RITE AID
OOP $48.00 before rebates/$12.06 Moneymaker  after rebates qualified for
Qs/Ads $456.58
Value $504.58
Savings 90.50%(100%+ after rebates of $60.06 due)

TARGET
OOP $12.70
Qs/Ads $51.52
Value $64.22
Savings  80.22%

WALMART
OOP $17.97
Qs/Ads $9.79
Value $27.76
Savings  35.27%

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town)
OOP $111.59
Qs/Ads $173.62
Value $285.21
Savings  60.87%

I've decided NOT to track CVS's ECBs & Walgreen's RRs. They will be included when used on purchases under "Coupons".   I'll keep track of what rebates are received monthly.  Rebate money/gift cards will be considered 'income' & go toward Food/Toiletries budget purchases, offsetting the Out of Pocket. Cash will go immediately into the Budget kitty, while Gift Cards will be calculated in when spent.

REBATE CHECKS RECV'D. IN DECEMBER

Kraft Back2School.....$20.00

Kraft Jingle in Your Holiday...$10.00
Olay/Pantene......$20.00
Palmolive Dish Liquid....$1.49
Perdue Chicken...$5.98
Pinecone Research....$9.00
Real Simple....$10.00
Rite-Aid SCR........$132.30
Suave Lotion/Body Wash...$4.98
Venus Razor....$7.99
Zyrtec....$7.02
Subtotal........$228.76

FREE ITEMS

Chik FilA Sandwich
Little Debbie Cupcakes (a box)
Avery/Dennison Prize Pack I won

COUPONS

None Received 8-(

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES

KMart Cereal Offer $5.00
Office Depot $25(part of the prize pack I won)
Rite Aid  $10.00
Rite Aid GOS Certificate  $40.00

SubTotal...$80.00

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received..$308.76

My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from Rite-Aid at 90.50%,  5 Mtn. Market at 84.90% and Target at 80.22%.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$330.31
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$953.23
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$1283.54
TOTAL Savings of..........74.26%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$228.76
TOTAL OOP After  Rebates....................$101.55
TOTAL Savings of..................................92.08%

This closes out the December spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-
With the high amount of income from Rebates received I was able to have a low out of pocket for this month.  While an OOP of $330.31 for food spending for a month is good, just over $100 after the rebates are applied is GREAT! 
I was able to stay our of the grocery store for almost 2 weeks total this month and we ate through quite a bit of food in the freezer...food in the stockpile?....not so much.   I made headway in my USE IT UP CHALLENGE but we have more to use up.

What's ahead for January 2010.....
Since I have #1 son home for most of this month and my Sis-In Law is coming to stay for a week mid month, I should be able to continue to eat down in the Freezer and Stockpile.  The SIL though will prove to be problematic for my food budget as she eats from a very narrow selection of foods so the challenge for that week is to come up with meals that include these few foods but are acceptable to my family's palette as well.  I am trying very hard to avoid having to cook TWO meals each night!  Two meals will mean more waste and more cost.

The January 2010 Food/Toiletries Budget is set at $200 cash out of pocket.  Any rebates received this month will offset this OOP spending.  This means that I have UP TO $200 of regular income to spend on the food budget and any rebates that are received are added to that budget.  (IE; If $150 in rebates are received in Jan. so I'll have $350 to spend on food shopping this month.)If I don't spend all the money in the budget in January, I'll carry over whatever is leftover into February's food budget.

How did you do in December with your Food Budget?  Leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear!  By sharing our struggles and efforts we can help each other stick to our budgets and learn to be better guardians of our resources.

Sluggy