2018 Food & Toiletry Spending.....February Report

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for FEBRUARY 2018.

I have posted February'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 February.  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 3-5(4 at home this month). No kids under 22.

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DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $5.00
Value  $9.57
Savings  47.75%

MAINE SOURCE
OOP  $36.33
Value  $58.95
Savings  38.37%

OLLIE'S
OOP  $33.48
Value  $76.89
Savings  56.46%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/PP/BC  $754.21
Value  $754.21
Savings  100%

SHURSAVE
OOP  $5.17
Qs/Ads  $10.55
Value  $15.72
Savings  67.11%

WALMART
OOP  $19.20
Value  $42.00
Savings  54.29%

WEIS MARKETS

OOP  $308.23

Qs/Ads  $335.25

Value  $643.48

Savings  52.10%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, the Shursave Market at 67.11% and Ollie's at 56.46%.  My WORST savings rate was Maine Source at 38.37%.

I shopped at 7 different stores this past month.  

TOTAL Out of Pocket..........$407.41

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales...$439.20

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased............$846.61

TOTAL Savings of ..................................51.88%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for Feb.....$407.41
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$1600.82
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales.....$1193.41
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items..........74.55%

This closes out the February food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....
I had wanted to stay at or under $200 food spending for February.  Then we all got sick so the wheels flew off that bus one week into the month.  Between unnecessary spending(popsicles, other comfort things and mega amounts of OJ bought)and sending Hubs to the store because I just couldn't, well we ended up at about double what I set out to spend. sigh.  I will say it's a good thing I had stockpiled facial tissues and cold meds as that kept our budget from topping $500 this month.  ;-)

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 5.02% in February 2018 to 74.55% compared to January's 79.57% savings average.

With 2 months accounted for, I have spent a Grand Total of $860.10 on food/toiletries in 2018 which is a 77.46% savings rate for the year so far and averages out to $430.05 spent per month in 2018.

LOOKING AHEAD To March.......
Not sure where the month will lead us right now.  I'll say $300 for groceries for now but who knows? lolz  I would like to empty out the chest freezer a bit more in March and I really haven't gotten any discounted meat in Feb.  So $300 it is but I'd like to keep it at $200 something.

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 January?
*  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

It's Always Something at Rite-Aid!

So it's Wellness Wednesday.....again!
And I had to go up to get an Rx refilled so I finished the second "Spend $10/Get $3 BC" Deal on my card......

2 x Nestle h2o case=$6.00
2 x Hershey Gold bars=$1.38
SubTotal....$7.38

Coupons used
1 x $1/2 Nestle h2o IPQ=$1.00
2 x $1.50/1 Hershey Gold IPQ=$3.00
Coupon Total.....$4.00

$7.38-$4.00=$3.38
Except.....
1-a .50¢/2 Hershey L2CQ came off.
2-Bonus Cash jumped onto the transaction and kicked off my water Q and 1 of my Hershey Qs!

So the transaction became.....$7.38-$2.00=$5.38 and $5 in BC came off, leaving me owing .38¢ OOP.

I paid with a Rite-Aid gift card and then got back $2.50($1.50 and $1)in a "post Q" situation.
I also earned a new $3 BC for buying the h2o and candy bars(Spend $10/Get $3 Deal).

Rite-Aid emailed me a 25% coupon this morning so I paired that with Wellness Wednesday Qs and reg. manuQs and I found some items to buy that were cheap.......

2 x Fiber One lemon bars($3.29 25% off)=$6.58
1 x Flonase 60ct.($12.74 25% off)=$12.74
1 x Rohto eye drops($6.36 25% off)=$6.36
4 x Werther's candy drops(on sale 2/$4)=$8.00
SubTotal...........$33.68

Coupons Used
2 x $2/1 WWQ Fiber One=$4.00
2 x .50¢/1 Fiber One Q on the boxes=$1.00
1 x $5/1 Flonase WWQ=$5.00
1 x $3/1 Flonase ManuQ=$3.00
1 x $5/1 Rohto WWQ=$5.00
1 x $2/1 Rohto IPQ=$2.00
4 x $1.50/1 Werther's candy WWQ=$6.00
Coupon Total.......$26.00

$33.68-$26.00=$7.68 and Bonus Cash should have covered all but .68¢ of this total(w/that .68¢ going on my R-A gift card).

But.........
In order to get my ManuQs(2 of them)to come off, after the cashier scanned my 25% paper he took it off and at the end of the transaction it wouldn't go back on again! lolz

So my total were thus instead.......

2 x Fiber One lemon bars($3.51 20% off)=$7.02
1 x Flonase 60ct.($12.74 20% off)=$13.59
1 x Rohto eye drops($6.79 20% off)=$6.79
4 x Werther's candy drops(on sale 2/$4)=$8.00
SubTotal...........$35.40

$35.40-$26 in Qs=$9.40
$9 in BC came off and I paid .40¢ on my R-A gift card.

Then we figured the 5% difference on all but the Werther's and I got another $1.72 back in cash(post coupon)for the % that didn't come off.

So for all the above(both transactions)I used $14 in BC, earned $3 in new BC, spent .78¢ on my gift card and got $4.22 back in cash so I am "down" $7.56 for 2 cases of water, 2 candy bars, 2 boxes of snack bars, 1 bottle of Flonase, 4 bags of caramels and eye drops.

The Fiber One bars were .79¢ after stacked Qs.
The Flonase was $4.74 after stacked Qs.
The eye drops were a .64¢ moneymaker after stacked Qs.
The Werther's candy were .50¢ a bag and there's an Ibotta .75¢ rebates for the sugar-free variety and I bought 1 bag of that kind so after rebate each bag averages out to .31¢.

College Boy has been asking for some eye drops so that's why the Rohto was bought.
Daughter loves hard caramel candies so those are going into the Xmas box for her. Ssshhh
The lemon bars are something Daughter and I will eat.
And the Flonase is for me(plus I got $13.59 credit toward an Allergy Rewards BC....still need $15.45 to reach that $20 BC Reward).

And another thing, the message you get when you scan your Wellness Card has changed.....it doesn't say how many Plenti points you have(your receipt still shows them but in tiny numbers now)though it still asks you if you'd like to use your PPs.
Weird.
I wonder how much longer the PPs will be accepted at Rite-Aid?

They had some free samples out on the WW table today(there were no samples last week).....Breathe Right strips and Crest gum detoxify toothpaste tubes.

Did you find anything worth buying?

Sluggy

More New Cashier Fun at Rite-Aid....Yay!

I had to go out for a Sunday newspaper so I went up to Rite-Aid so I could get the cheapies/freebies and a paper in the same trip.

And New Cashier was on duty....again!

I picked up some items that are part of the "Food/Drink Spend $10/Get $3 Bonus Cash Deal".

I bought 2 x bottled water(Nestle)2/$6 and 2 frozen pizzas(DiGiorno)2/$10.
Except I tried to use a rain check I had for the pizzas and that's when the wheels flew off my bus. 8-P

The rain check was from the Plenti giving days when they were on sale $3.99 each and gave back $1 PPs, so should have been $2.99 each now.
The NC rang one up correctly at $2.99 and the other one incorrectly at $3.99. ugh.

So my subtotal was $12.98 and then after a $1/2 Nestle water Q it was $11.98 but it should have been $11.98 and $10.98 after the Q.

I also bought this stuff which was free or a moneymaker after sale/Qs/BC given back......

4 x Yardley soap BOGOFree=$3.38
1 x GE LED light bulb=$7.99
(add in the $11.98 from above)
Subtotal for all.....$23.35

I had a Load2CardQ for $5/1 GE light bulb so $23.35-$5=$18.35
I slew of older BC came off, including an $8 BC I wanted to use up before it expired, leaving me with a grand total of .35¢ due OOP.

I earned back $10 in new Bonus Cash(2 x $2 Yardley, $3 GE, $3 wys $10 Deal).

And I now have $2.98 tracking toward a second $3 wys $10 Food/Drink Deal.  I'll most probably pick up 2 more cases of water(I have another $1/2 Q)and 2 .69¢ candy bars to get me over $10 again.
After tracking/sale/Q/BC earned those 2 cases and 2 bars will "cost" me $3.38 total in PPs.

I then had to get $1 back for the overcharge on the pizza so they just handed me back a buck.
I am "down" $7.35 in BC/PPs for 2 cases of water, 2 pizzas, 4 bars of soap and a light bulb.

I also bought the soap and light bulb on Daughter's card too.  Rinse and repeat.

4 x Yardley soap BOGOFree=$3.38
1 x GE LED light bulb=$7.99
SubTotal........$11.37

I used $5/1 GE light bulb L2CQ so $11.37-$5.00=$6.37.
$6 in Bonus Cash came off and I paid .37¢ left OOP on my R-A gift card.
I earned back $7 back in new Bonus Cash(2 x $2 Yardley, $3 GE)making this transaction a .63¢ moneymaker.

I used $35 in BC on my son's card when I bought 3 boxes of generic Mucinex for the household.  Didn't mean to use it but my brain isn't firing on all cylinders lately. ugh.
So no point in doing the Yardley soap freebie since I have no BC on that card to use/roll.  I could use some PPs though.....that may or may not tempt me to get 4 more bars of soap.

Tomorrow is another Wellness Wednesday at Rite-Aid.  I need to refill an Rx so I'll go take a look if there is anything free/moneymaker then with the one day Qs.

I'm off to go take another nap now.  Short bursts of activity and taking care of the dogs is about all I can muster right now.  This "ick" is a long slow slog back to health........

Sluggy

This Week on the Dining Table

The "Still Sick-ish" Edition--

Here's another gratuitous dog photo as I am not up to doing much of anything still.  Three of us are now in various stages of this illness stuff and it's been hard just taking care of ourselves and the doggies.  I'd love to just stay in bed all day at this point but these two won't let me do that. sigh.

I'm hoping I feel more human sometime this week.

Moving On....

Onward to the meal planning!

1. Sunday--Chinese take-out(again!)

2. Monday--Italian pork roast, potatoes, onions and carrots

3. Tuesday--fish, sugar snap peas, boxed mac and cheese

4. Wednesday--spaghetti and meatballs, salad

5. Thursday--chicken fajitas

6. Friday--pork tenderloin sandwiches, sweet potato fries

7. Saturday--leftovers

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Chinese take-out(again!)

2. Monday--Italian pork roast, potatoes, onions and carrots

3. Tuesday--Sub sandwiches

4. Wednesday--spaghetti and meatballs

5. Thursday--Fend for Yourself

6. Friday--Fend for Yourself

7. Saturday--Fend for Yourself

Last week saw 2 nights of home cooked dinners, 3 nights of leftovers/fend for yourself, 2 night of take-out and 0 nights of Eating out.  I used a Primo hoagies voucher and stretched that sub out for 3 dinners for me..... lolz
Nobody much but Hubs was eating most meals last week as the rest of us where in various stages of recuperating from flu, sinus gunk, etc. so the meal plan sort of imploded upon itself.  

2 trips to Weis and a small trip by Hubs to the Shursave Market, brought the shopping last week to $66.92 for all.  That brings February's food spending total to $309.51.  There are 2 days left in my shopping month.  Hubs went to the store for me late last week but I can't find the receipt right now.  I'll try to dig through the crap on my desk later and get it added to my grocery total before March hits.

My savings percentages last week was 47.36% and the monthly savings so far ends up at 53.29%(without Rite-Aid trips added in).

Leftovers going into this week.......quiche, bean/ham soup, spaghetti and meatballs.

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

1. Sunday--Chicken and Dumplings

2. Monday--Fish, Taters of some sort, Broccoli

3. Tuesday--Chicken Fajitas

4. Wednesday--Leftovers or Soup

5. Thursday--Leftovers or Soup

6. Friday--maybe Pizza and Salad if everyone is better

7. Saturday--?

This week will see 4 new meals cooked, 2-3 night of leftovers, 0 nights of Take-out/Eat-Out and 1 night of ?  ;-)

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

More Screw Ups at Rite-Aid

So I hate getting a new cashier.....and sometimes I love it!

I needed to buy 4 x $1.99 sized Hershey Gold bars to finish off my Spend $50/Get $20 in BC Deal for this week.--Buy 3 on the Buy2/Get1Free sale(transaction #1), then buy 1 more bar at 20% Wellness discount(transaction #2)=Subtotal of $5.57.  Use 3 x $1.50/1 Hershey's Gold Qs and stack a .50¢/2 Hershey's assorted R-A Q they snail mailed me with one of the IP/ManQs.  So $5.57-$5.00=.57¢ OOP
Simple enough, right?
No.

I went in on Friday and started transaction #1.
The cashier rang up 2 Hershey Gold's and 1 Butterfinger(the free one didn't use a Q so I wasn't limited to a Hershey Gold).
She scanned my Wellness card(no fear of any BC coming off I didn't want to this time).  I hit "use points" and handed her my 3 Qs(2 manu/1 stackable R-AQ)and she totaled out the transaction and never put the Qs through.
Ugh.
So now my account showed $49.96 worth of purchases toward the $50 I need to get the $20 BC.

Then she returned those 3 candy bars and we re-rang them up.  Of course, when she returned the candy bars I didn't lose my $3.98 in credit toward the $50 spent.  So "rebuying" these 3 candy bars gave me $3.98 more in credit, meaning I now didn't have to also buy a single bar in a second transaction.
Got  that?

So 3 bars=$3.98-$3.50 in Qs=.48¢ OOP.

But now the register wouldn't take 2 of the 3 Qs I tried to use.
So she put the 1 x $1.50/1 Q through....$3.98-$1.50=$2.48 OOP using my R-A gift card.

Then she did a "post coupon" for $2.00 for the other 2 Qs and I got $2 cash back.

In the end it actually "cost" me $15.46(used $5 BC too so $10.46 in PPs and/or gift card)to reach the $50 threshold and get the $20 BC.

Now this card/account has a $15 BC and a $20 BC and $79.85 worth of PPs on it.

Next week, if I do any BC Deals I'll use a different card/account and work on converting/rolling that card's PPs.....or even better I'll hope I get this cashier who can't figure out how to put a coupon through and I'll convert PPs to cash back when she has to do a "post coupon".  ;-)

Sluggy