The Food Spending Report......February Edition

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for FEBRUARY 2020..

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 4(3 at home this month). No "kids" under 24.
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ALDI'S
OOP  $24.94
Value  $45.44
Savings  45.11%

BREAD OUTLET
OOP  $4.00
Value  $12.47
Savings  67.92%

DOLLAR GENERAL
OOP  $25.08
Value  $49.58
Savings  49.42%

MALACARI'S

OOP  $25.18

Value  $39.57

Savings 36.37%

OLLIE'S

OOP  $16.18

Value  $32.42

Savings 50.09%

PRICE CHOPPER

OOP  $24.15

Value  $51.12

Savings 52.76%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.25
Qs/Ads/BC/GCard  $477.11
Value  $477.36
Savings  99.95%

WALMART
OOP  $48.92
Value  $77.99
Savings  37.27%

WEIS
OOP  $237.94
Qs/Ads  $257.10
Value  $495.04
Savings  51.94%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 99.95%, the Bread Outlet at 67.92% and Price Chopper at 52.76%.   My worst savings rate was at Malacari's with 36.37%.
I shopped at 9 different stores in February.  About half of my food spending in February was done at Weis(PMITA)Markets.

TOTAL Spent........................................$406.39

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales................$397.24

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased........$803.63

TOTAL Savings of ................................49.43%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for February w/R-A........$406.64
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales w/R-A....................$874.35
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$1280.99
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items.....................68.26%

This closes out the February food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went over my usual $400 monthly food budget in February by $6.64.  Not too bad considering I also earned $96.35 in cash rebates for February.
I wanted to spend in the $200 range but lots of Ibotta rebates and good deals were found in February.  No worries however as the total was still near my usual $400 budgeted for food.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went down by 10.72% in February 2020 to 68.26% compared to the January 2019 rate of 78.98% savings average.  I'm not worried though as a 78.98% rate is WAY high!  Anything above 40% is great in my book. ;-)

With 2 months accounted for, I have spent a Year-To-Date Total of $556.12 on food/toiletries in 2019.


2019 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$556.12

2019 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items....$1280.99

2019 Grand Total Saved...............................$874.35

2019 Yearly Savings Total............68.26%

The average per month amount spent is $278.18 in 2020.

LOOKING AHEAD To March 2020.............
Will try to keep food spending under $400, hoping to do a lot better than that though(depends on deals that happen or not in March).  No special things going on in March involving food-special meals to cook/holidays.  I am feeling up to eating things again other than soup and Jello so back to regular cooking/eating.

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 February?

*  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.........February Update

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for FEBRUARY 2016.

I have posted February'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 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(2 at home this month). No kids under 19.

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BAKERY OUTLET
OOP  $5.00
Value  $20.95
Savings  76.13%

CVS
OOP  $4.55
Sales/Qs  $28.69
Value  $33.24
Savings 86.31%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/gift card  $521.87
Value  $521.87
Savings 100%

SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP  $54.57
Qs/Ads $41.78
Value  $96.35
Savings  43.36%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $294.97

Qs/Ads  $379.86

Value  $674.83

Savings  55.74%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, CVS at 86.31% and the Bakery Outlet at 76.13%.  My WORST savings rate was The local Shursave grocery at 43.36%.

I shopped at 5 different stores this past month.

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$359.09

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$988.15

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1347.24

TOTAL Savings of...................................73.35%
TOTAL Savings without Rite-Aid...........56.49%

Value of items excluding Rite-Aid bought ones was $825.37.
Rite-Aid goods brought home totaled $521.87

This closes out the February food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I went into February wanting to do a $250 to $300 food budget for the month($250 for family spending and $50 for deals).  I also separated out monies spent on food bank donations from my food budget for Feb.
I didn't meet that $250-$300 goal this month, going over by $59.09.

The monthly savings percentage went down by 2.17% in February to 73.35% compared to January's 75.52% savings average.
So we are still well above a 40% savings rate on groceries for 2016.
While saving 3/4 on food every month is unsustainable I'll take it while it lasts. lolz

With 2 months accounted for, I have spent a total of $709.06 on food/toiletries so far in 2016 which averages out to $354.53

LOOKING AHEAD To March 2016.........
Ok, since College Boy will be home for a week this month, I can't do a super tight budget for March.
I'll shoot for a $250-$300 month in March.  I won't be buying much extra this month for CB as I already did some stocking up for his needs in February(compleats and coffee).
I will continue to anticipate our needs and buy them while on sale instead of paying full regular retail for these items(except for milk as that doesn't do on sale here in PA).

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.
Here's hoping y'all had a great year for spending less on food in 2016.

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

Meal Planning March Week 1 & Food Spending Feb. Week 4

And here is what actually got served last week......

Sunday-Chicken Parmesan al fresco, Spinach Salad, Lemon Cake

Monday--Pizza, Clementines

Tuesday--Pulled Pork on rolls, Coleslaw

Wednesday--Leftovers

Thursday--Kielbasa, Beans, Coleslaw

Friday--Clam Chowder, Fish fillets, Coleslaw

Saturday--Leftovers

I served everything planned,except the Stuffed Shells, which move to this week.

The food spending last week?

I spent $58.85 in 2 trips to the local Shursave affiliated grocer.

Of that amount, $25.84 was spent on food consumed last week and the other $33.01 was spent on stocking up on deals like butter, local honey, microwaveable lunches and pre-made meatballs for the freezer as I may be laid up a couple days after my dentist appt. on Wednesday.   The meatballs give Hubs another option if I am not cooking.

I've spent $338.46 and I am left at this point with $61.54 in my food budget for 3 more days.

As for leftovers rolling into this week--Pulled Pork sammies, Coleslaw and Clam Chowder.

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

Sunday-Subway Sammies

Monday--Hamburgers, Clementines, Fries

Tuesday--Stuffed Shells, Roasted Cauliflower, Garlic Bread

Wednesday--Leftover Pulled Pork sammies, Coleslaw

Thursday--Tuna Noodle Casserole, Asparagus

Friday--Beef Pie w/Cornbread Topping

Saturday--Sweet Potatoes and Leftovers

Wednesday I am serving leftovers and Thursday I have a prepped casserole on deck.  I won't feel like cooking and these are things Hubs can "cook".  If I am still not up to snuff on Friday Hubs can choose to make the Beef Pie or just go get some take-out or have leftovers, as I might still be eating just soup.

Needed at the store to serve the meals I am making this week?  

Asparagus, Sweet Potatoes and Cauliflower.  We also need eggs, milk, fresh fruit and OJ. 

Other than that I don't know what I'll be buying yet.  With $60+ left for 3 days I'll be staying under budget going into March 1st and a new $400 for groceries.

A few words about where my Menu is headed......

I am trying to change up my menus and what we eat in general here.  With the kids' schedules I never know how many are going to be eating dinner at home each night.  This makes it near impossible to get my meal sizes right and we either end up with not enough on the table or having way too many leftovers.

I have also cut way back on the dishes I serve that call for cheese, rice and noodles.  Believe me, if I could, I'd cut out pasta totally!  But having a Hubs who was raised in an ethnic Italian household, he would divorce me if I tried. lol

I've also been trying to find better ways to prepare foods we like by changing or taking out simple carb components. We are "de-whiting" our diet, meaning changing or eliminating the white carbohydrate foods like refined sugar, white rice, white flour, white noodles, white breads.There is nothing scientific to the way we are proceeding, it's more of a learn as we go process.

In order to get more veggies into our meal times I have begun changing how/what I serve.  I am moving away from the traditional 1 meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable dinner plate scenario toward a 1 meat, 1 vegetable plate, with other vegetable based side dishes also served.  And sometimes the meat is also missing from the dinner plate.

We are working on finding more exciting ways to prepare veggies too, that don't include frying, battering, breading, or covering with cheese.

It isn't easy doing this, since all 4 of us at home enjoy/thrive on different foods and different percentages of each type of food.  I am not a pasta lover but Hubs is.  Hubs is not a raw food or salad eater and I could eat this way every day.   Hubs insists on meat...not protein, MEAT, so we are working on better ways to prepare it.  If you feel the need to share your Tofu recipes, just keep moving.  Tofu and being Vegan isn't happening here. ;-)

#2 Son eats veggies but his repertoire is limited and most veggies he wants cooked in meat products, plus he likes all that processed stuff.  Daughter eats everything but she loves comfort foods which include all those white foods I am trying to limit.

We are making baby steps toward a new way of eating for us.  Some weeks we do better than others but overall we are making progress.  This week won't see any progress due to my tooth emergency. 

What's on your menu for the week?  

Any good deals at the grocers this week?
Did you have any food waste this week?

Sluggy

Meal Planning Feb. Week 2 & Food Spending Week 1

What do the White Rabbit and Sluggy have in common?
It's dinnertime here already and I am just now getting around to my weekly meal planning.

                                                                      

And here is what actually got served last week......

Sunday--KFC chicken, sides, biscuits

Monday--Pizza or Leftover KFC or Beef Tips

Tuesday--Steak dinner out(birthday meal)

Wednesday--Italian dinner out(birthday freebie)

Thursday--Sloppy Joes, corn

Friday--Fend for Yourself

Saturday--Chinese take-out(I had Eggplant in Garlic Sauce) 

I actually "cooked" but once last week.....IF you can call Sloppy Joes cooking. lol

The food spending last week?

Well it's only a couple of days since most of last week was still January(so that spending went onto my Jan. spending totals), but I was able to spend a whopping $72.18 on Saturday.  Granted $2.12 of that was tax, I stocked up on Mexican items(tortillas, salsa $8.75)and $33.75 of the spending was on dog foods.  The rest, $27.56, was spent on milk, fruit, veggies, bread and chicken.  I also received $11 in Catalinas for buying the pet food so I have future savings.

I am left at this point with $327.82 in my food budget for February.

As for leftovers rolling into this week--not much beyond a helping of Sloppy Joes is left and some rolls.  Hard to have leftovers if you don't actually cook or eat at home much in a week. lol

I didn't serve 2 of the meals last week so they roll over into this week.

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

Sunday--Chicken Fajitas

Monday--Taco Bell or Fend for Yourself

Tuesday--Salmon, Green Bean Casserole

Wednesday--Ham and Bean Soup, homemade Bread

Thursday--Hot Dogs, Beans, Corn

Friday--Ravioli, Sausage Sauce, Caesar Salad

Saturday--Leftovers

Taco Bell for #2 Son this week but the rest of us are staying away from the fast food.

Needed at the store to serve the meals I am making this week?

Salad Greens and celery are needed.  I also need fruit and a few other things.   I haven't looked at the ads yet to see if there are any deals.  I'm looking to stay out of the stores so I'll try to keep the spending at $35 this week.

I'll be going to my 2 grocery stores this week to note prices for the new Price Book. 

What's on your menu for the week?  Any good deals at the grocers this week?
Did you have any food waste this week?

Sluggy