Food Spending....the September Edition

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for September 2025.

I have posted September'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 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  $50.2

Value $74.76

Savings  24.74%

DOLLAR GENERAL

OOP  $38.80

Value  $69.25

Savings  43.97%

REDNER'S

OOP  $83.68

Value  $103.49

Savings  41.00%

SCHIFF'S

OOP $70.73

Value  $89.68

Savings  19.15%

SHOPRITE

OOP  $35.39

Value $48.50

Savings  27.04%

WALMART

OOP  $178.90

Value  $276.94

Savings  35.40%

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My best Store Savings Total was at Dollar General with a savings of 43.97% and at Redner's with a savings rate of 41.00%. Not a bad savings rate average overall though.

I shopped at 6 different stores in SEPTEMBER.

TOTAL Spent in September....$543.73

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$235.24

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased....$778.97

TOTAL Savings of........30.20%

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

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....

The Monthly food spending savings percentage was 30.20% . No where near my 40% average which I prefer but there were reasons(mostly specialty products to make Keto compliant items).

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 $3,765.69 on groceries/HBA/paper goods/etc. in 2025.

2025 Yearly Total Value of Items  $5,403.09

2025 Total Saved   $1,637.40

2025 Yearly Total Spent  $3,765.69

2025 Yearly Savings Total of  30.30%

The average per month amount spent is $418.41 in 2025 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, 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 bit.

Because I don't like to let money sit in these rebate accounts and Paypal, I send $$ to my bank account throughout the year.  So far I have sent $798.61 from various rebating programs and through Paypal to my bank(and used some of my Ibotta $$ to buy gift cards so $ is going back into the food purchases).  If you add in all that my food spending at the 9 month point in 2025 comes in at $2,967.08 or $329.68 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 ShopKick or Fetch, which all comes out in gift cards.

LOOKING AHEAD TO OCTOBER 2025....

It's difficult right now with my health issues to go to the store so I am having to rely on Hubs to do much of the shopping,  Plus we don't have room to stock up much.  Sigh  What's a frugalista to do?? ;-)

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

   

2019 Food & Toiletries Spending.....the May Report

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for MAY 2019.

I have posted May'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 May.  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(3-4 at home this month). No "kids" under 23.
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CVS
OOP  $.88
Ads/Qs  $16.68
Value  $17.56
Savings  94.99%

DOLLAR GENERAL
OOP  $32.18
Ads/Qs  $49.07
Value  $81.25
Savings  60.39%

GROCERY OUTLET
OOP  $47.27
Value  $103.29
Savings  54.24%

PRICE CHOPPER
OOP  $39.88
Ads/Qs  $14.85
Value  $54.73
Savings   27.13%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/BC/Visa Prepaid Rewards  $55.89
Value  $55.89
Savings  100%

WEGMAN'S

OOP  $43.39

Value  $44.89

Savings  3.34%

WEIS
OOP  $244.12
QsAds  $213.94
Value  $458.06
Savings  46.71%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the CVS at 94.99% and Dollar General at 60.39%.  My worst savings rate was at Wegman's with 3.34%.

I shopped at 7 different stores this past month.  

TOTAL Out of Pocket for May.........$407.72

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales.................$352.06

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.........$759.78

TOTAL Savings of ................................46.34%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for May w/R-A.............$407.72
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales w/R-A...................$407.95
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$815.67
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items.....................50.01%

This closes out the May food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
Well we went over the $400 budget by $7.72 so I am calling this a win. 
Even with feeding more folks with the Graduation and all I did well sticking to a budget.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 4.05% in May 2019 to 50.01% compared to the April 54.06% savings average.
The Rite-Aid haul in April was quite small so that kept my savings percentage down too.


With 5 months accounted for, I have spent a Year-To-Date Total of $1941.75 on food/toiletries in 2018.


2019 Yearly Total Spent To Date....................$1941.75

2019 Yearly Total Value of Items To Date....$8970.12

2019 Total Saved To Date...............................$7028.37

2019 Yearly Savings Total To Date of............78.35%

The average per month amount spent so far is $388.35 in 2019.

LOOKING AHEAD To June 2019.......

Let's see....we have a trip mid-month so no food shopping for a couple of weeks perhaps?  We are still figuring out how meal planning is going to go around here with Ex-College Boy's new work schedule plus what I want to/need to do for meals.
I think June will see us eating down some pantry and freezer items.  Between that and the trip it should be a lower grocery spending month.
Fingers crossed!!

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 May?

*  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

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Why is This Here?" Edition....

I've been sorting through photos on my computer and found this random one of booze on a store's shelves.  I can't recall where I took it but it's quite the selection of Boone's Farm flavors and I thought at least Sonya Ann would enjoy seeing it. lolz

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday---Meatloaf, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

2. Monday-Chicken Queso skillet Casserole, Corn

3. Tuesday--Chicken Sausages, Harvard Beets, Pierogi

4. Wednesday--Birthday Meal Out

5. Thursday--Ravioli, Chicken Parm

6. Friday--Leftovers
7. Saturday--Leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday---Meatloaf, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

2. Monday--Tuna Noodle Casserole

3. Tuesday--Leftovers

4. Wednesday--Birthday Meal Out

5. Thursday--Ravioli, Chicken Parm, Sugar Snap Peas

6. Friday--Chicken Sausages, Harvard Beets, Pierogi
7. Saturday--Leftovers

Last week saw 4 nights of home cooked dinners, 2 nights of leftovers/fend for yourself, 1 night of Eating Out/Take-Out.
That Chicken Queso Casserole thing....I just can't seem to pull the trigger on it, can I? lolz  

Everyone seemed to enjoy those chicken sausages so if they go on sale again and I have coupons that will happen again as it's an easy meal that Hubs could do besides boiling pasta in water and opening a jar of sauce. hehehe

What got put into the freezer last week.....
* Pizza Bagels
* Chicken Sausages
* 2 bags of chicken cutlets
* 3 pork loins
* 3 lb. pack of hot dogs

What got taken out of the freezer and used last week.....
* Pierogi
* Chicken Sausages
* a bag of chicken cutlets
* a bag of ravioli
* a pack of ground pork
* a pack of ground beef


Two trips to Weis(1 was technically March but am counting it in April)and the food spending last week came to $110.56 and my April total so far to $110.56.
A week in and we are above $100 spending.  This doesn't bode well for a low spend month but we aren't outrageously over target either. 
We aren't going to eldest son's GF family for Easter and I'm not inviting Hubs family over either so we are on our own.  I've got a ham in the freezer we'll do some sort of green veg(which needs buying), deviled eggs(as eggs will be going on sale soon), homemade rolls and the fams favorite mac and cheese.  Easter should be an inexpensive affair this year.

My savings percentage last week was 58%(without Rite-Aid trips)and April's monthly savings total came to 58%(w/out R-A). 

I have 23 more food shopping/spending days in April.

Leftovers going into this week....3 chicken sausages, some sugar snap peas, some cheese ravioli, some Harvard beets.  Not a lot of leftovers so there will be much cooking. 8-)

Here is this week's "food plan".....

1. Sunday---Pork Chops w/Apricot Glaze, Rice w/Broccoli, Broccoli

2. Monday-Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread

3. Tuesday--French Onion Soup

4. Wednesday--Barbecue Sandwiches, Cole Slaw

5. Thursday--Steak, Baked Potatoes, Veg TBD

6. Friday--Hot Dogs, Potato Salad, Baked Beans
7. Saturday--Leftovers

This week will see 6 new meals cooked, 1 night of leftovers/FFY, and 0 nights of Take-Out/Eating Out.

What needs buying for this menu?  I got hot dog/burger rolls, pork chops, Cole slaw mix, salad greens and hot dogs, plus I loaded up on cottage cheese(Qs were expiring and it was on sale as well)last week. We are out of cream cheese plus  Ex-College boy has hit the hot dog/burger rolls hard the last few days so I may need to pick up more of those and as always, the ubiquitous milk. ;-)

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten last week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy