Food Spending August Week 4+ & Meal Planning September Week 1

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And here is the "meal plan" that actually happened last week.....

Sunday--Barbecue Pork Sandwiches, Coleslaw

Monday--Taco Bell-after music lesson

Tuesday--Dinner Out-30th Anniversary Date night

Wednesday--Pork Chops, Saffron Rice, Broccoli

Thursday--Pizza

Friday--Subway

Saturday--Leftovers 

 

 

The weekly food spending was $87.96. $31.50 of that was Farm Stand produce(part of which was for canning purposes).  The other part was 1 trip to the local market for canned tomatoes stock-up, snacks and convenience foods for the kids, milk, OJ, ranch dressing and spices for the canning.  The store was clearancing out some Hot Pocket type snack thing for 50% off so I picked up all 4 boxes left for the kids for "emergency rations"....aka "when they have to make something themselves to eat".lol

I went over my August food budget by $85+.  A little too much snack foods, red peppers to stock the freezer for winter and for making relish, and a large meat stock-up are mostly to blame.

Going into the new week I have the following leftovers to use up.......2 portions of the lime citrus chicken which are being used tonight.

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This week's menu.....

Sunday--Burgers, Dogs, Potato Salad, COC

Monday--Lime Chicken Fajitas

Tuesday--Alfredo Primavera, Caesar Salad

Wednesday--Roast Chicken, Stuffing, Cranberry Glop, Green Beans

Thursday--Stuffed Shells or Ravioli, Salad

Friday--Leftovers

Saturday--Chinese take-out

 

 

What I need to buy this week to serve this menu?.....tortillas, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, a chicken.  We also need milk, eggs, deli meat this week.  Using the 1 leftover item in tonight's dinner....I'll stretch it to feed 3 people by making Fajitas.  I will also be hitting up the bread outlet this week.  I'm figuring on spending about $50 this coming week.

So what are you cooking at your house this week?

Sluggy

AUGUST 2012 Budget Results.......Food and Toiletries Spending

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for AUGUST 2012.

I have posted August's totals on the right side bar under Total Grocery Savings for 2012 and updated the Yearly Totals.
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 Summary.

My spending includes Food, Toiletries/HBA, Pet Supplies, Cleaning Products, Paper Goods & tax where applicable.We are a family of 5(3-5 at home this month)& 2 dogs. No kids under 16.
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FARM STAND
OOP   $31.50

Value   $80.48

Savings  60.86%

RITE-AID

OOP  $.70

Qs/Ads/+Ups/Gift Card  $613.06

Value  $613.76

Savings   99.88%

SHURSAVE STORES(small local independent affiliated stores)
OOP  $346.94

Qs/Ads  $269.18

Value  $616.12

Savings  43.69%

WALMART

OOP  $17.88

Value  $31.14

Savings  42.58%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $88.92

Qs/Ads  $73.01

Value  $161.93

Savings  45.09%

I don't track Rite-Aid's +Ups here, nor 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 RECEIVED IN August

Total...$0.00

GIFT CARDS and CERTIFICATES
TOTAL Value of Cash/Store Checks/Gift Card Rebates Received...$0.00

COUPONS and FREEBIES

Nothing.

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were the Rite-Aid at 99.88%,  the Farm Stand at 60.86%, and Weis at 45.09%.  l shopped at 5 different stores this past month.

TOTAL Out of Pocket........$485.94

TOTAL Coupons & Store Sales Savings...$1,017.49

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$1,503.43

TOTAL Savings of...................................67.67%

This closes out the August spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....

I went into August with $400 budgeted for food/toiletries for the month.  I obviously blew through that mark plus another $85.94.  Having all 5 of us home for almost a week and having #2 Son(aka the Eating Machine)home full time helped push me over but I gave myself an extra $100 last month so I'll have to see where we went off course.  I suspect it's a little more junk food and extra spending on fresh veggies/fruits AND the almost $100 I spent on meats at the Meat Sale at the local market.  Also, the bulk of the farm stand purchases were either for canning pepper relish or for veggies to freeze for this winter's consumption.

So yes, now I see where that $185.94 went. ;-)

Again, I didn't use many coupons in August, not counting Rite-Aid, where I use many MANY coupons!lol 

At strictly grocery outlets, I used 2 coupons and 2 catalinas I earned to be exact.

 

LOOKING AHEAD TO SEPTEMBER......

I will be keeping my food budget at $400 for September.  #2 Son is home again.  I might be going back to the farm stand for Fall veggies and I want to leave myself some budget room for stocking up opportunities this month if they come along.

How did you do in August with your Food Budget?
Did you stick to it?
Did you find any good rock bottom prices to stock up on groceries?

Please leave a comment or link to your post and let us hear about your progress!  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

Rite-Aid August Last Trip & Wrap Up of Totals

I broke down Friday and went back to Rite-Aid to pick-up Daughter some supplies.  Yes, I sacrificed a wad of +Ups for her.......I must love her......

4 x Tampax tampons on sale $6.99=$27.96
1 x Oral-B Toothbrush on sale=$2.99
3 x Bic Markers on sale .99¢ea.=$2.97
SubTotal....$33.92

Coupons Used
4 x $2/1 Tampax ManuQ(July P&G insert)=$8.00
1 x $1/1 Toothbrush In-Ad Q=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Oral-B toothbrush ManuQ=$1.00
1 x $1/1 Oral-B Oral Care booklet Q=$1.00
Coupon Total.....$11.00

$33.92-$11.00=$22.92 + .04tax=$22.96

I used $22 in +Up Rewards and put the .96¢ on my Gift Card.
And I received 2 x $5 +Ups back(Spend $15 in Pantene/Oral-B/Tampax/something else, Get $5...I did it twice, so 2 +Ups back).
I've submitted the 3 Bic packs for the $3 Bic SCRebate as well.
In the end I spent down $9 of my +Up Rewards(spent $22 +Ups, got back $10 +Ups and $3 cash rebate)on this stuff so each of the 8 items ultimately cost me $1.13.

Here are the August Grand Totals.....

Out Of Pocket....$.70  cash
Value of items bought....$554.18
Savings Rate of  99.87%
Single Check Rebate due....$8.00
After SCR applied, Out of Pocket.... -$7.30
Savings Rate  100%

+Ups at beginning of month...$14+
+Ups used....$184+
+Ups received...$188+
+Ups currently...$18+ 

I paid OOP .70¢ in August for $554.18 worth of goods.
In addition I'll get back $8 in cash rebates and I grew the +Up Rewards I started the month with by $4 at the end of the month.

How could someone NOT like Rite-Aid? ;-)

Sluggy

Don't Make Me Stop This Car!

Thankfully I am no longer "in the weeds" like these parents are.
But I know I've used every single one of the mommyisms in this!lol

I thought this was a fun way to get your weekend started though.





Sluggy

It's a Southern Thang.....

Sluggy