November Budget Results....Food & Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for NOVEMBER 2010.

I have posted November'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 November.  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 at home this month)& 2 dogs. No kids under 14.

BAKERY OUTLET
OOP $8.56
Value $32.61
Savings  73.75%

CARONE'S(small local independent store)
OOP  $59.32

Qs/Ads  $28.32
Value  $87.64
Savings  32.31%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $10.06
Value  $24.30
Savings  58.60%

OLLIE'S(regional discount chain-takes no coupons)
OOP  $8.71
Value   $17.98
Savings  51.64%

PRICE CHOPPER(Northeast)
OOP  $30.99
Qs/Ads  $20.60
Value    $51.59
Savings  40.0%

REDNER'S(does not double coupons)
OOP  $70.90
Qs/Ads  $71.62
Value  $142.52
Savings  50.25%

RITE AID
OOP $21.61 (whole amount put on free Rite-Aid Gift Cards)=$.00 actual OOP
Qs/Ads  $1,405.67
Value  $1,427.28
Savings  98.49% before gift cards/ 100% savings after free gift cards

WEIS (local chain Grocery store that doesn't take IP Qs in my town/doubles up to $1 total)
OOP  $63.78
Qs/Ads  $78.70
Value  $142.48
Savings   55.24%

I don't track Rite-Aid's +Ups here, nore 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 NOVEMBER
Pinecone Research....$3.00
Subtotal........$3.00

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES

VISA Preloaded (Giveaway win)...$10.00
Dunkin Donuts(Giveaway win)....$5.00
Staples Ink Recycling Reward....$12.00

Subtotal....$27.00

TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received...$30.00

COUPONS and FREEBIES

DOVE....free Deodorant Sample
HEALTHY CHOICE...BOGO Free Coupon
MEGA RED....free 2 month supply
VOCALPOINT...Barilla Pasta Coupons(1 was for a free box)


My best 3 Store Savings Totals were from Rite-Aid at 100%, The Bakery Outlet at 73.75% and Weis Markets at 55.24%.

TOTAL Out of Pocket...............................$252.32
TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$1,674.08
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.............$1,926.40
TOTAL Savings of..........86.90%

TOTAL of CASH Rebates........................$3.00

TOTAL OOP After  Rebates....................$249.32
TOTAL Savings of..................................87.06%

This closes out the November spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month-

I went over my budget for November by $2+, but with my WHOOPING HUGE Cash rebates this month(LOLOL)offsetting the spending, I kept the food/toiletries expenditures just under my $250 limit.  I was able to pick up some extra baking supplies for the stockpile and discounted meats in November and still stay close to my budget.

What's ahead for December 2010.....

I'm keeping the food budget set at $250.  #1 son will be home for a couple of weeks this month, plus there is the added costs for providing a Holiday meal(Christmas).  My blogging buddy Annie Jones is doing a Pantry Challenge for December HERE.  I might try to join in on this one.  If I do, I hope to spend alot less than what I've budgeted.  We shall see how this goes....

As always, any rebates received in December will be added to the food budget to offset what we spend.

With eleven months of the year behind us, we have averaged $199.28 per MONTH after rebates on food/toiletries spending for 2010 for a family of 4-5 adults/teens + 2-3 pets.
That's approx. $46.64 a week.  I'd call that pretty darn good for a family our size! ;-)
How did you do in November 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

Technology Shmechnology!

Well it's confirmed by an independent source.
My computer is gone.

Gosh I hate when that happens.

Even worse is the fact that I hadn't backed up a few things before it rolled over and died.
Like some emails with CSN gift codes I had won in giveaways & hadn't used yet!
Ugh!!!

I am using Hubs machine which is a dinosaur and it is throwing me so far off my game it isn't funny.
I feel like Alice swirling around down a rabbit hole....up is down and down is up.
I feel all off-kilter and topsy-turvy.

And I can't access my email program either.

Add in that I can't upload photos to my blog or to my eBay listings, which I really need to be writing and uploading.
Since I can't tend to eBay properly until I get a new machine, I have to shut down my store there....right in the middle of the high selling season!
Double Ugh!!!!!

And I just feel miserable.
It's so bad.......I don't even want to go to Rite-Aid!
Yep....that's bad.....

So somebody leave me some happy comments please?
I can use some uplifting words...like now! ;-)

Sluggy

Technical Difficulties....Please Stand By!

Just a quick update to let everyone know my computer is dead in the water at the moment.
Figures this would happen right when I get my eBay store opened for the Holidays, right?lol

So until I can get back online I won't be blogging.
Hopefully it's something we can fix soon.

Take care everyone and pray that my machine gets revived.... 8-(

Sluggy

Oh Virginia, there is no Santa Claus at RITE-AID!

Well as reported on many Rite-Aid reporting deal blogs now, the sad news is that EVERY FORM of PAYMENT on your purchase at Rite-Aid except for CASH, GIFT CARDS or CREDIT/DEBIT CARDS is disallowed toward your total to qualify for the GIFT OF SAVINGS Promotion.

I submitted 1 of my receipts on the Rite-Aid Website and here is my GOS total.....try not to laugh too hard!lol

Purchased	Store	Reg	Trans	Product Name	Qty	Amount
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	Gil Sensor 3 Sns Skn 4Ct	1	$5.49
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	Vas Men Xstrngth Ltn 10Z	1	$2.99
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	Ckp Duracell Aa 4Pk	6	$15.00
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	Colg 360 Actflx Man Fhm Tb	1	$1.77
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	$1 OFF COLGATE TOOTHBRSH360	1	($1.00)
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	WELLNESS PLUS COUPON $1.00	1	($1.00)
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	MERCHANDISE TAXABL	9	($11.75)
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	WELLNESS PLUS COUPON $2.00	3	($6.00)
11/26/10 00:00 AM	4990	2	904039	$5 OFF $25 NONPERSCRIPTION	1	($5.00)
Total					24	$0.50

*Sigh*

Oh Rite-Aid......how un-Holiday Spirit of you......
Ok, I won't whine much longer, seeing as I get tons of good deals besides this one case, and I heart the employees at my Rite-Aids around here.

Sluggy

Rite-Aid & the Gift of Savings SUCKS!...NOVEMBER SCR Period TOTALS *Update*

So I didn't stand in any lines at the mall or the BBS(aka Big Box Stores) scooping up Christmas Deals this Weekend.
I did go to Rite-Aid.
Over.
And Over.
And Over Again.

Friday was the beginning of the qualifying period for the GIFT OF SAVINGS Promotion at Rite-Aid.
Like in years past, the GOS is when your purchases qualify you for a $5, $10 or $20 Gift Certificate, depending on your level of spending.  Just submit your receipts on the Rite-Aid website anytime you make a purchase between November 26th and December 24th.   This year the Certificates will be mailed electronically, not snail mailed as in years past, so you'll get it super quick!

If you spend between $25 and $50, you get a $5 Certificate.
If you spend between $50.01 and $100, you get a $10 Certificate.
If you spend over $100, you get a $20 Certificate.

As an added bonus this year, if at least $25 of your purchases during this time are spent on qualifying Photo Center items, you'll receive a Bonus $5 added to your Certificate, for a possible total of $25 when you buy over $100 in items.

This year though, you MUST use your WELLNESS CARD when you shop to qualify your purchases for the GOS program, so get a card if you don't have one and Happy Saving!

I had a feeling that Rite-Aid would bring back to GOS for the Holidays, so I have been saving up some FREE ITEM Coupons to use once the qualifying purchase period got here.  This is always a good thing to do if a store is holding special promotion where you qualify for rebates/discounts/etc. and the larger your purchase is the more you get.  I've held onto free item coupons to use during "Spend $X, get a Free Turkey" deals.  Buy the items that you have free item coupons for to get to $X and you will actually be out of pocket nothing(or alot less)that way and get your free turkey.  Some of the cereal, the Pringles, the Cottonelle wipes(even tho they weren't the ones on sale that gave the +Up Reward, they were still free with the free item Q)were all free.  The LSS Deodorant, the Tugaboos, the Vaseline, the Earbuds, the Got2B, the Hand Soap, the Cold Pack, the Toothpaste, the Toothbrushes, the Candy Bars and the M&Ms were all free or better than free after coupons and/or +Up Rewards.

*****UPDATE*****
Well I am so disappointed in the Gift of Savings Promotion this year!
Why you ask?
Because as I saw it reported on "For The Mommas" blog, that only what you actually "spend" counts toward your qualifying purchases.
I just submitted a receipt from Friday onto the Rite-Aid website and THEY TOOK OFF EVERY DISCOUNT/COUPON/WELLNESS CERTIFICATE I USED ON THE TRANSACTION!

I now have a whole .50¢ that I put on my gift card for that transaction toward a GOS certificate.
GOSH!....what a whole lot of nothing!lol

Since they seem to be disallowing all forms of payment toward this premium except for gift cards/cash/credit cards, I guess I won't be qualifying for a GOS this year.
Sigh............
******************* 


The sales flyer at Rite-Aid this week was very good.
Add in that the 3 Day Thanksgiving Weekend special Sale was even better!
I did 7 (yes, Seven!)transactions in the last 2 days.
Here is the evidence.....one big group photo....

8 Planters Nuts(BIL card)
1 pack Cottonelle TP(It was all gone on Thurs. except this one!)
1 Cottonelle Wipes(not the one on sale, they were also gone)
10 Tugaboo Diaper Packs
2 M&Ms
6 Duracell Battery Packs
2 Colgate Toothpaste
2 Colgate Toothbrushes(BIL card)
1 Earbuds
2 Vaseline(also hard to find by Friday)
2 Dial Hand Soap
2 Gilette Razors
1 Noxema Razors
20 Candy Bars(10 me/10 BIL card...Who wouldn't take free chocolate?lol)
3 Cereal
1 Got2Be hair stuff
1 pack Reading Glasses(Only pack in store)
2 Lady Speed Stick Deo
2 Pringles
1 Ace Cold Pack
1 Olay Body Wash
1 Secret travel size Deo
2 Oreo Cookies
8 Ramen Noodles
*Not included in this photo are 7 12-packs of soda.*

I have qualified for the $20 GOS already and BIL card has qualified for the $10.
$21.81 more and he'll reach $100 and qualify for the $20 GOS as well. 

THESE TRIPS
Total Spent....$7.75 (put on free Rite-Aid gift card)
Value of Items....$316.80
SCR qualified for...$17.98
Other Rebates earned...$0.00
Gift Cards earned....$00.00
+Up Rewards earned...$45.00
+Up Rewards spent...$53.00
+Up Rewards left to spend....$25.99


GRAND TOTALS--November Rebate Period

Number of Transactions......39
Total Spent....$26.30  put on free Gift Cards/Certificates so ZERO OOP
Value of Items purchased....$1,843.52
SCR qualified for....$59.98
Other Cash....$14.99
Gift of Savings Reward...$0.00
Additional Rebates....$31.99
Additional Non-Cash Rewards....$0.00

+UPS Totals for Nov. SCR period
+Up Rewards carryover from 11/23.....$33.99
+Up Rewards spent....$231.50
+Up Rewards earned....$237.49
+Up Rewards left....$25.99

I spent $26.30 Out of Pocket this SCR period at Rite-Aid.
I put that amount on a free-to-me Rite-Aid gift card so ZERO cash was spent.
I will receive $106.96 in cash from SCRebates or other Manufacturer's Rebates.
I have $25.99 in +Up Rewards(good as cash at Rite-Aid)to use to buy more.
I have over $1800 worth of merchandise.

I'd call November a very Very Good month for me. 8-))


Sluggy