2017 Food & Toiletries Spending......August Update

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for AUGUST 2017.

I have posted August'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 August.  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 3-4(3-4 at home this month). No kids under 21.

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ALDI
OOP  $24.91
Value  $43.75
Savings  43.06%

BREAD OUTLET
OOP  $9.00
Value  $35.12
Savings  74.37%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $3.00
Value  $4.50
Savings  33.33%

MAINE SOURCE
OOP  $58.17
Value  $94.29
Savings  38.31%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/PPs  $74.93
Value  $74.93
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE MARKET
OOP  $64.57
Qs/Ads  $51.35
Value  $115.92
Savings  44.30%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $174.29

Qs/Ads  $204.03

Value  $378.32

Savings  53.93%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Bread Outlet at 74.37% and Weis Markets at 53.93%.  My WORST savings rate was at that Dollar Tree at 33.33%.

I shopped at 7 different stores this past month.  Or rather my Daughter and I shopped at 7 different stores this past month.

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$333.94

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$337.96

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$671.90

TOTAL Savings of ..................................50.30%
Total Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$746.83
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items..........55.29%

This closes out the August food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I wanted to stay under $420 spent in August and I ended up $86.06 under that mark.  I am pleased as punch I could meet that expectation.

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 9.79% in August to 55.29% compared to July's 65.08% savings average.  We still have over a 50% savings rate so it's all good.

With 8 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $2,760.34 on food/toiletries in 2017 which is a 69.37% savings rate for the year to-date and averages out to $345.04 per month spent in 2017. 8-)


LOOKING AHEAD To September........

With College Boy back at school we are down to 3 adults at home for meals.  With Hubs home full time now I am hoping any remaining food waste will go away.  Hubs doesn't want to eat sandwiches for lunches(as he did mostly when he was working)and he loves leftovers so he is more than happy to attack dinner leftovers.  8-)))
Setting a monthly budget for September.....Hmmm, let me think.  Not much will be available in the way of Holiday deals(mostly baking items/canned goods)this month but we'll need to get tomatoes to can at the farm.
I am thinking $350 budget for September will be sufficient.  Since we are still living on a reduced income this coming month if I can do it for less than that, more's the better. ;-)

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 August?
*  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.......January Totals

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for JANUARY 2014.

I have posted January's totals on the Total Grocery Savings for 2014 Page located HERE and have updated the Yearly Totals there.
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 Summary.

My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable. We are a family of 4(3 at home this month)& 1 dog. No kids under 17.
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RITE-AID
OOP  $1.71
Qs/Ads/+Ups  $75.37
Value  $77.08
Savings  97.78%
 

SHURSAVE STORES(small local independent affiliated stores)
OOP  $106.10

Qs/Ads  $68.24

Value  $174.34

Savings  39.14%

WALMART
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/Gift Card  $86.90
Value  $86.90
Savings  100%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $189.56

Qs/Ads  $147.66

Value  $337.22

Savings  43.78%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Walmart at 100%, Rite-Aid at 97.78%, and Weis at 43.78%.  My WORST savings rate was 39.14% so I think I did exceptionally well in January on the value of what I got!
I shopped at 4 different stores this past month.

TOTAL Out of Pocket........$297.37

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$298.17

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$595.54

TOTAL Savings of...................................50%

This closes out the January food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....

I went into January wanting to cut my food/toiletries budget by $100, to $300 budgeted for ALL purchases.  I accomplished that feat in December so I wanted to try again this month.
I met that challenge.
Go me! 8-))

That $100 on a long ago paid for gift card I spent at Walmart went a good ways toward achieving a 50% savings rate in January.  Don't be expecting me to have more months as good as this one! lol

(Of course I DID withdraw some Feb. food spending funds the last few days and used it to get some deals on the February tab that weren't going to be around to get in Feb.  But that spending will be accounted for in the February Spending post.)

LOOKING AHEAD TO FEBRUARY......

Of course, I doubt I can sustain a $300 monthly food budget long term. 
I am going to try to come in under $300 on food for February but if I go over into the $400 range I won't be too upset, since $400 is my normal spending set point.

I will say that I found eating relatively healthy AND still keeping your food spending under $300 is HARD WORK!
It takes more planning, comparing and getting to certain stores, it takes changing your eating habits at times(having the same thing over and over or something you didn't really want to eat).  If I had to keep on a strict regiment of $300 a month due to income restraints it would wear on me.
To have to do it in the short term is interesting and a challenge and something I can get "into".

I don't know......am I just plain crazy to want to try to reduce our food spending by 25% of our usual budgeted amount....and amount which seems fairly LOW to begin with?
I have always been up for a money challenge I guess.

I figured with spending under $300 on food/toiletries this month, my Entertainment/Eating out spending would have been proportionately higher, right?

I tallied up our Eating Out spending for January and it came in at $96.86.
We ate out 3 times this month and had take-out twice, plus there was $ I gave to #2 Son for a run to McDonalds accounted for in that total.

Much of our meals out was paid for with free birthday certificates and one whole meal for 2 was comped at Lone Star.  Even with me eating for free at 3 restaurants plus a free pizza at one of those 3 restaurants, we still spent $55.93 at those 3 places.  That amount was for tip & drinks at one, just the tip where the meals were comped, and tip, salads and drinks at the third location.  Then $7.93 for #2 Son at Mickey D's.
$96.86 is not a lot to spend for 11 individual adult sized meals out + tips, but if it hadn't been for birthday meals we probably wouldn't have gone out/ordered in 6 times.

We have substantially cut down on our eating out spending for January.  That is a good thing..... 8-)

Without the Rite-Aid totals added in, my January Savings Rate is 43%.  Achieving a savings rate in the 40's is what I shoot for, with or without shopping at Rite-Aid.
 

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share yours with us all.

 

The average monthly food/toiletries spending this year so far is $297.37.

 

How much did you spend on food/toiletries in January?
Do you track your yearly food spending?
 

Sluggy