Onward to January's Food Spending Report.....
Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for January 2024.
I have posted January's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located HERE and have updated the Totals there. I closed out the books on January a few days early so everything I bought after 1/25/24 will go on February's ledger.
I am listing subtotals for each store I purchased from in January. 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 $4.98
Sales $3.00
Value $7.98
Savings 37.60%
BREAD OUTLET
OOP $6.40
Saving $10.66
Value $17.06
Savings 62.49%
KROGER
OOP $258.31
Qs/Gift Cards $179.73
Value $438.04
Savings 41.03%
SHOPPER'S VALUE
OOP $26.82
Sales $13.64
Value $40.46
Savings 33.71%
WALMART
OOP $286.93
Qs/Gift Cards $170.61
Value $457.54
Savings 37.29%
WORLD MARKET
OOP $69.50
Sales $352.77
Value $422.27
Savings 83.54%
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My best Store Savings Total was at World Market with a savings of 83.54%. My worse rate was at Walmart with 37.29%.
I shopped at 6 different stores in JANUARY.
TOTAL Spent in January......$652.94
TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$730.41
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$1,383.35
TOTAL Savings of........52.80%
This closes out the JANUARY food/toiletries/etc. spending.
THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....
The Monthly food spending savings percentage went UP by 2.82% in January to 52.80% compared to December's 49.98% 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.
The Savings total was great mostly due to all that 90% clearance at World Market after Christmas which was mostly snacks and nibbles and not "real" food. 8-))
With 1 month accounted for, I have spent a Total of $652.94 on groceries/HBA/paper goods/etc. in 2024.
2024 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$652.94
2024 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$1,383.35
2024 Grand Total Saved...............................$730.41
2024 Yearly Savings Total..............................52.80%
The average per month amount spent is $652.94 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, 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.
LOOKING AHEAD TO FEBRUARY 2024.....There are a few deals I want to do this week(mostly frozen food clearance at my Walmart)and those will be accounted for in February's budget since I've closed the books on January as of 1/25/24.
I plan on avoiding Ibotta, etc. deals(unless they are items we really really need)in February....and now that I've written that there will be massive discounts this month. lolz).
I really need to seriously get back on track with meals and spending. With traveling, the Holidays and my Birthday, January has been kind of a wash so I'm kicking it into high gear for February and closing the purse strings this coming month. February I'll be concentrating on using up freezer and pantry goods that have lingered too long. I am also going on an Ibotta Fast for February, meaning unless we "need" it, even if it's free or a great deal, I am Not buying it.
I don't have a firm dollar amount budget but I'll shoot for good quality but at the lowest prices I can find. That's a challenge, given it's the dead of Winter and veggies, even here in the deep South, are pricey but I plan to hit up the Aldi that just opened in November in town. woot!
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 January?
* 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
