Food Spending Report.....the May Edition

* Doing this Monthly Report a couple of days early since I'm finished food shopping for May. *

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

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for MAY 2020.

I have posted May'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 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(3 at home this month). No "kids" under 24.
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CARONE'S/SHURSAVE
OOP  $9.98
Value  $15.46
Savings   35.45%

DOLLAR TREE
OOP  $4.00
Value  $6.98
Savings   42.69%

MAINES

OOP  $32.82

Value  $50.67

Savings  33.23%

MALACARI'S

OOP  $25.65

Value  $43.89

Savings  41.56%

PRICE CHOPPER
OOP  $31.87
Value  $44.20
Savings  27.90%

PandR DISCOUNTS
OOP  $80.01
Value  $171.17
Savings  53.26% 

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/BC/GCard  $188.34
Value  $188.34
Savings  100%

SURPLUS OUTLET
OOP   $77.41
Value  $146.08
Savings  47.01%

WALMART(+ online one)
OOP  $91.42
Value  $157.11
Savings  41.81%

WEIS
OOP  $207.74
Qs/Ads  $87.28
Value  $295.02
Savings  29.58%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, P and R Discounts at 53.26% and Surplus Outlet at 47.01%.   My worst savings rate was at Price Chopper with 27.90%.  Except for the "discount/surplus" stores and R-A of course my rates other places were a lot lower than usual.  I suspect it's because of the pandemic(both higher food rates at "regular" grocery stores and me not bothering to wait for a better price and grabbing some things when not a great deal for fear of not being able to find it later on?).  Who knows?

I shopped at 10 different stores in May.

I also earned $40.99 in cash rebates in May which helps offset the spending once I cash those in at the end of 2020.

I also took out any spending on food for the Memorial Day cook-out as that goes in the Entertaining Category(what little we do).  That was an additional $74.56 you don't see reflected in the numbers below.

TOTAL Spent........................................$560.90

TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales................$369.68
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased........$930.58

TOTAL Savings of ................................39.72%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for May w/R-A........$560.90
TOTAL Coupons/Store Sales w/R-A....................$188.34
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid....$188.34
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items.....................49.87%

This closes out the May food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....

I went into May having no clue where we'd land on the spending since we didn't really alter our way of eating/what we ate last month.  Said spending was high, there's no debating that.  But given the circumstances lately I'll embrace still being under $600 for May. ;-)

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by .42% in May 2020 to 49.87% compared to the April 2019 rate of 50.29% savings average.  A very insignificant jump down in savings rate.  I'm all good with that!

With 5 months accounted for, I have spent a Year-To-Date Total of $1770.52 on food/toiletries in 2019.

Going into 2020 before the pandemic blew the wind out of my sails I wanted to stay at or under $4K for the yearly food spending.  At this point I don't think that will happen but we'll keep plugging along anyway.


2020 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$1770.52

2020 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$4875.66

2020 Grand Total Saved...............................$3105.14

2020 Yearly Savings Total............63.69%

The average per month amount spent is $354.10 at this point in 2020 which went up some from April's average.  As long as I'm around $400 per month it's all good.

LOOKING AHEAD To June 2020.............

Except for fresh produce(we do have some)we have good stores of food right now heading into June.

June is when I try to do less cooking(oven type)and more stove top, crock pot or grilling.  I also don't like to eat as much cooked foods preferring cold foods(salad season!).  If I can stay away from buying crappy snack foods the grocery budget should be a-ok.  Can I stay under $400 in food spending?  Maybe, maybe not.  Can I shoot for under $500 in the current conditions?  I hope so!


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

Frugal Friday.......the May 29th Edition

Let's look at what passed for frugal this past week around Sluggy's World...............

* I broke down after 8 weeks of finding no yeast locally and ordered some(Thanks to Gerlyn for the link!).....

This the same brand I usually get at the Restaurant Supply Store here and I got it from Walmart dotcom.  Of course I paid a little more than usual but nowadays cost be damned! lol

I added sensitive band-aids for my HS flares for sensitive areas and this too to my order to get the free shipping........

8 cans of Hormel chili((Hubs and Ex-CB's favorite brand).  The chili was cheaper thaan buying it not on sale at Weis(PMITA)Markets.

* I found money!

A penny on the floor over in the pharmacy area..............

And then another penny in front of the register counter half tucked under the floor matt under the candy racks.

Total Found Money this Week.... .02¢

Total Found Money this Year........$45.20

*  I did some Rite-Aid shopping this week..............

Between two cards/accounts I spent down $4.17 in Bonus Cash.  See those Rite-Aid posts for the details.

*  I did some more grocery shopping to finish off the $10 Bloomin' Bonus Rebate on Ibotta.  I already had 1 item that qualified for both the $5 Essentials Bonus and this $10 Bonus so I needed 14 more items to hit that mark.

I was in Dollar Tree and was able to pick up 2 candy items for $2 total(for Ex-CB) and got back $1 in rebates total for those gave me 3 items toward the 15 needed.

I headed out to Walmart Thursday early when they weren't crowded yet and got all this to finish that deal.........

1 x Silk half & half $4.18(for Hubs)

1 x Capri Sun $2.22 (for Ex-CB)

1 x Lean Cuisine Bowl $2.47

1 x Pringles $1.44(for Ex-CB)

2 x FR sauce $2.48 total

1 x Challenge Butter $3.47

1 x Yogurt $1.24(for Hubs)

1 x Breakstone cottage cheese $3.14

1 x Rumma beef liver $2.82

1 x McCain's dippin wedges $2.48(for Ex-CB)

1 x Dave's English muffins $4.56

1 x Ballpark hot dogs $2.84

No coupons used so $33.34 Total OOP 

I earned back $11.34 plus 2 x .50¢ Bonus(May Level 1 and Dave's Brand)so $12.34 in rebates.

Total spent on all 15 items was $49.34($14 of that was ice cream cake)and I earned back $25.84($1 DT, $2.50 Weis, $12.34 Walmart+ $10 Bloomin' Bonus).

And the ice cream cake was bought for the cook-out so technically that didn't come out of the food budget but the take-out budget anyway. ;-)

After Ibotta rebates the total spending was $23.50.

I've earned $40.99 in rebates in May on Ibotta.  Not bad.

*  This arrived in the mail on Thursday as well.....

Two more $4 off $20 Qs-one for each of the cards I am currently using for our family(and for giveaway stuff).  Look for them if you are on Rite-Aid's mailing list.  They are good May 31st through June 27th.

That's about it for the report from here.

As much as possible during this insane time, stay frugal my friends.

Personally, I don't even want to add up my grocery spending this month....geez! ;-)

What frugal wins did y'all have this past week?

Sluggy

More Rite-Aid This Week

Before I head off to run errands this morning here's what I picked up at Rite-Aid yesterday...........

I forgot I still had a $4 off wyspend $20 snail mailed Q from R-A so bought--

1 x Midnite sleep aid on sale=$9.00

1 x Salonpas roll-on on salee=$9.00

2 x Wild Organics coffee 50% off clearance($3.39)=$6.78

SubTotal=$24.78

I used that $4 off $20 Q and a $1/1 Midnite IPQ so $5 off making all this $19.78, paid with Bonus Cash.

I earned back $16 in new BC(2 x $8 Midnite/Salonpas-same deal).

So essentially the Midnite was free after BC and Q, the Salonpas was $1 after BC back, one of the coffees was free after $4/$20 Q and I got .61¢ off the other coffee.

I would have preferred 2 Midnites as both would have been free after Qs and BC rolled(plus I like this stuff!)but they only got one package in this week's delivery. *whomp whomp*

Be sure and look around Rite-Aid for some food clearance, mostly this newish organic line(plus some beverages too).

Ok, I am off for the day.  I'm trying out this NEW blogger format and it's weird and I'm finding it difficult at times to change this old geezer's ways.  

I know I sound like an old person but "why do they have to keep fixing shit that ain't broke"?!? lolz

Sluggy

Rite-Aid Shop on Tuesday

I went to Rite-Aid yesterday to pick up a weekly ad and in hopes of seeing my friend who works there.

Tuesday is "truck day" so I figured she'd be there.  But with the holiday truck day is on Wednesday this week.

It seems every time I go to my R-A she is either off that day or it's not during her shift. Alas, alack!

I did pick up something while I was there anyway...........

1 x Salonpas patches on sale for $9 but 20% Wellness discount better=$8.39

I paid with Bonus Cash and received $8 in BC back so these cost me .39¢ in BC.

That's all I got today.

What is your life looking like today?

Sluggy

Another Rabbit Hole-Goodnight John Boy!

So I have a friend, my first childhood friend named Marsha.  We visited her and her DH, Parker, in Tennessee where they live back in 2014.

Here is Marsha back when we were little.............

Marsha is the one shoving cake in her mouth, I am the one mugging for the camera at my 2nd birthday party.

Anyway on that trip I got to talking about genealogy(duh!)and Parker pulled out some of his paperwork to compare notes.
He told me he was related to Martha Washington through his Dandridge line(She was born a Dandridge, married a Parke and then a Washington, and is his 1st cousin 7 x removed)and Patrick Henry who married secondly Dorothea Dandridge(who his 5th Great Aunt).
He also said he was related somehow to Earl Hamner, the writer who is known as the creator of the epic tv series "The Waltons".

                                       Earl Hamner, Jr.

I fairly quickly years ago found all his Daindridge related ancestors.  Then I found that Parker and I are 9th cousins 1 x removed through our common ancestor Robert "Potato Hole" Woodson(he's my 9th Great Grandfather and Parker's 7th Great Grandfather).

Parker's Martha Dandridge shows as more distant for me-the wife of my 11th cousin 8 x removed(Geo. Washington)and Martha's cousin, Dorothea Dandridge shows as the mother in-law of my 3rd cousin 6 x removed-her son Patrick Henry Jr. married Elvira Ann Cabell, who is my 3rd cousin 6 x removed).

                     Dorothea Spotswood Dandridge, the second wife of Patrick Henry

Incidentally I found years ago that my direct ancestors, John Mason III and his wife were neighbors of Patrick Henry and wife Dorothea Dandridge Henry, and they sold 400 acres of land to Patrick Henry's widow(Henry died before the actual transaction happened)for 80 pounds in July of 1799.

Parker and I also share Payne and Cole cousins on these same allied lines.

But I digress......back to the Hamners.

A photo of Earl Hamner with Richard Thomas the actor, who portrayed the character base on Earl.

I just couldn't seem to find the exact link from Parker's Hamner line to Earl Hamner's line.  When I get stuck like this I'll usually start another tree for the person I am trying to link to, in this case Earl Hamner.
So I start going back and once I hit Earl's Great Grandparents I find Andrew J Mann(born in Campbell County, died in Charlotte County VA)and wife, Tabitha Holt(born in Prince Edward County, married in Campbell County and not sure where she died abt. 1832, probably in Charlotte as Andrew remarried in Charlotte County).

Holt, I have a lot of Holt ancestors!  So I search MY Holts.
Tabitha's father was Josiah Holt who was my 5 x GGrand John Francis Holt which makes her my 1 st cousin 6 x removed.
So this  means Earl Hamner Jr. was my 5th cousin 2 x removed through his maternal grandmother's side.



Everybody of my generation knows what a phenomenon "The Waltons" tv show was, running from 1972 to 1981.  There were specials and tv movies after that into the 1990's too.
You can go read all about the career of Hamner HERE if interested.
Earl Hamner Jr. based The TV show on his childhood living during the Great Depression in Nelson County in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Earl Hamner wrote a novel in the early 1960's that was turned into a major motion picture called "Spencer's Mountain" in 1963, starring Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara.(It's a good old movie if you are looking for something to watch too.)  Even though they moved the setting in that film to Wyoming from Virginia, it was the genesis for the TV show, "The Waltons".
Hamner wrote another novel, "The Homecoming: a novel about Spencer's Mountain".

Spencer by the way was Earl Hamner Jr.'s paternal grandmother's maiden name, Susan Henry Spencer, the part played by Ellen Corby in the series. And Susan's mother's name was Olivia, the name given to John Boy's mother in the TV series too.

That "The Homecoming" novel was turned into a tv special called "The Homecoming"(starring Patricia Neal, Richard Thomas, Ellen Corby and a few of the same kids from the tv series)and further gelled "The Waltons" tv show concept.

Something else I found interesting while rooting around in Earl Hamner's mother's family.  His mother was born Doris Marion Giannini.  A surname like that makes your ears perk up in rural early 20th century Virginia!
Seems her Gianninis go back in America to the 1700's.
To Giovanni Antonio Giannini(or Gianniny as it was written back then)and Maria Modena Giannini from Lucca, in the Tuscany region of Italy.  They arrived in 1773 on the "Triumph" into a port on the James River along with Fillippo Mazzei, and Italian entrepreneur, who hoped to establish a wine, olive oil and silk business in the Virginia Colony.
Antonio Giannini was one of the ten Vignerons(or vineyard cultivators)who traveled with Mazzei and his family.
Mazzei's plan was to set up in Western Virginia but after sending his workers to scout out conditions in the west, Mazzei stopped over at Monticello to see Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson, so taken with European culture and that lifestyle(he was ambassador to France for years you know)and Jefferson wanting to help get wine making going as an ecomony in the Virginia Colony(and my guess is Jefferson though having a neighbor who made wine could only be a good thing too!), sold Mazzei land nearby Monticello to set up his operation.  Mazzei called his plantation "Colle".  And that is how Doris Giannini, Earl Hamner, Jr.'s mother's 3 x Great Grandparents came to the Albemarle region of Virginia.
And Earl Hamner didn't let this Italian winemaking heritage go to waste as it was the basis of his writing of the TV series "Falcon Crest" about a family of California winemakers. lol
Go HERE to learn about the Giannini Family in Virginia and their Thomas Jefferson connection.

Just the most interesting stuff you dig up when you discover your family roots!
Now I'm honing in on Parker's direct connection to the this Hamner line.

Sluggy