The Food Spending 2021........June Edition

 Onward to June' s Food Spending report......

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for JUNE 2021.

I have posted June'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 June.  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(2-3 eating at home this month). No "kids" under 25. (I don't count all the "freebies" I get at the Discount Outlet in my totals either.)
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ALDI

OOP  $20.04

Value  $35.36

Savings 43.33%

P and R DISCOUNTS
OOP  $23.72
Value  $59.07
Savings  59.84%

RITE-AID
OOP  $0.00
Qs/Ads/BC  $1384.74
Value  $1384.74
Savings  100%

TARGET

OOP  $100.31

Value  $129.99

Savings  22.83%

WALMART
OOP  $148.37
Value  $419.89
Savings  64.66%

WEIS

OOP  $50.53

Qs/Sales  $42.12
Value  $92.65
Savings  45.46%

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My best 3 Store Savings Totals were Rite-Aid at 100%, Walmart at 64.66% and P and R Outlet at 59.86%.

The worst rate was at Target at 22.83%(not counting the $25 in gift cards earned).
I shopped at 5 different stores in June.

TOTAL Spent in June.........................$342.99

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards......$393.97

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased....$736.96

TOTAL Savings of ...............................53.46%

TOTAL Out of Pocket for June w/R-A...............$342.99

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards w/................$1,778.71
TOTAL Value of Items Purchased w/Rite-Aid...$2,121.70
TOTAL Savings with Rite-Aid items....................83.83%

This closes out the June food/toiletries spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month.....

I went into June without a firm $$ limit on grocery shopping and still stayed under $400.  yeah me.

I also wanted to cut back on the rebating but failed to do so.  I earned $310.34 back on Ibotta alone(not counting rebates earned on other apps and Target gift cards).

The monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by 2.0% in June 2021 to 83.83% compared to the May's 85.83% savings average.  So a small increase but not too bad.

With 6 months accounted for, I have spent a Year-To-Date Total of $1,951.26 on food/toiletries in 2021.

2020 Yearly Grand Total Spent....................$1,951.26

2020 Yearly Grand Total Value of Items.....$10,788.06

2020 Grand Total Saved...............................$8,836.80

2020 Yearly Savings Total.............................83.91%

The average per month amount spent is $325.21 in 2021 so far.

My Ibotta rebate total for the year so far is $1,482.49.  Put that next to a full spending of $1,951.26 for the year so far and I've "actually" spent only $468.77 on food/toiletries for the year or an average of $78.13 per month.  Plus I've been able to donate to the food bank and share my haul bounty with others.

I'd call that a win.

LOOKING AHEAD To July 2021...........

Again, I am going to attempt to cut back on the rebating. (Sluggy plans, God laughs!)  I'll give it my best effort this month. I'll cross the $100 mark in earnings by this weekend but I am really going to slack off on rebating so we can eat down the supplies some more.

I am not giving myself a price limit for July but there is always that $400 mark in the back of my mind yelling at me. 8-)

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 June?

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?  It's really not that hard or time consuming; just have your receipts and either track it in a notebook or on a spreadsheet.

*  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

This Week on the Dining Table

  The "Big Adventure to New Jersey" Edition...

Hubs and I met our future daughter in-law's parents over the weekend plus a whole lot of other extended family.  We thought at this point we wouldn't meet them until the wedding. lol  It went well.

Here's a picture of Oliver aka Ollie, the fiancé's parent's dog.  He was cute and had a little 
chair/bed that matched the living room furniture. lol

Onward to the meal planning!

Moving On-

This is what was planned--

1. Sunday--BLT Sandwiches(finally got ahold of a "good" tomato

2. Monday--Chicken Thighs, Zuke in Tomato Sauce, Rice

3. Tuesday--Chicken apple sausage, Sweet Potato Wedges, Green Beans or whatever

4. Wednesday--Salad, Flatbread Pizza
5. Thursday--more BLTs "maybe"

6.  Friday--Salad, Whatever, it will be too hot to cook

7. Saturday--Cook-Out at Son's place(I'm not cooking)

You can tell I am not enthused about cooking this week, can't you?;-)

And this is what really happened.......

1. Sunday--BLT Sandwiches(finally got ahold of a "good" tomato

2. Monday--TV dinner for me

3. Tuesday--Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs, Zuke in Tomato Sauce, Rice

4. Wednesday--BLT Sandwiches
5. Thursday--I don't remember

6.  Friday--Hubs got Chinese Take-out so I had soup

7. Saturday--Cook-Out at Son's place(I'm not cooking)

What got put into the freezer last week....

* 8 pack of burritos(again)

* 1 pack of mini Klondike bars

* 3 pack of chicken breasts

* 1 Stir-Fry in a bag dinner

What got taken out of the freezer and used...

* 1 tv dinner

* 1 pack chicken thighs

* 1 pack of bacon

We spent a whopping $100.88 on food/toiletries/HBA last week at Weis/P and R/Shoprite and a little something bought 6/30 at Ollie's that I didn't account for on June's total.  This brings our food/toiletries/paper goods Total to $100.88 for July.   

There are 26 shopping days left in July.

I've earned $62.68 on Ibotta in July.

I've earned $0.00 on Checkout51 in July.

I've earned $0.00 on Coupons dotcom/Paypal in July.

I've earned 4,049 points from shopping on Fetch in July which equals $4.04.

I've earned 0 points from food shopping on Shop Kick in July which equals $0.

I've earned 0 points from food shopping on Swagbucks in July which equals $0. 

That's $62.68 in rebates(not counting the ShopKick/Swag Bucks/Fetch)on $100.88 in grocery spending so in reality it's $38.20 spent after the Ibotta and Coupons dotcom rebate apps.

My savings percentage for last week was 55.80%(without "regular" Rite-Aid trips)for June and the monthly savings total for June comes in at 55.80%.(w/out R-A). 

Leftovers going into this week....Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs, Zuke in Tomato Sauce, Rice.

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

1. Sunday--Cheeseburgers, Salad

2. Monday--leftover Chicken Thighs, Zuke in Tomato Sauce, Rice 

3. Tuesday--Chicken Marsala over Taters, Green Beans

4. Wednesday--Salmon, Sweet Potato, leftover green beans
5. Thursday--Stir-fry Veggies, Chicken and Noodles

6.  Friday--leftovers?

7. Saturday--Flatbread Pizza, Tossed Salad

What do I need to buy to fix everything on this menu?  Maybe more green beans?

But I'm working on a $10 Ibotta Bonus that ends next Monday so we'll see what pops up during the week. ;-)

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

Happy Birthday to the USA!

Happy Fourth of July to our country....the day we celebrate the formation of this nation.

On a somber note, I also like this number from that same musical show, "1776", which captures the paradox of the north vs. the south in this country concerning slavery.  There was a very good book written about 14 years ago that I recommend on the complexity of the slavery situation called, "Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged and Profited from Slavery" by Anne Farrow, Joel Land, et al.

If you want to go beyond the "shallow dive" into history that our school systems provide on this difficult subject of our national past go have a read.

I'd also like to present an excellent number from "1776", one of the only songs I know of that delves into this sensitive subject.  It was sung in the movie version by Broadway musical actor John Cullum, one of the best male voices we've every had on the musical stage in this country.

I'll close with this bit of fluff number from the show starring one of my FFV ancestral cousins on my mother's side of the family tree,  Richard Henry Lee.......

Happy fourth and celebrate safely!

Sluggy

Frugal Friday....the July 2nd Edition

 A new month but the usual frugalness around here at Chez Sluggy.  Let's look at what went down this past week............

* I had gotten a "we miss you, here's $5 to spend" from Kohl's so I went in and found something that was close to that price that I could use/live with.....

a long sleeve knit shirt for kicking around the house that cost me $2.20 OOP.  It may be too big to wear in public by Winter/Fall but perfectly good for around the house.

*  I got a post coupon at Rite-Aid........

$3 for a coupon that was forgotten.  Poor little coupon.

*  Then I returned a couple of items and got money back.........

*  I got some deals at Rite-Aid, spent down to $0 on one of my cards this past week, and hit some Ibotta rebates and bonuses along the way.

* I held a stockpile sale in conjunction with a community wide yard sale day in town.  Busy, busy and got rid of lots of items and between the two sales(with a week in the middle when I was out of town)I raked in 7+ bills.  I gave some away to local friends, there is a largish load ready to go to the food bank, I've got items earmarked for relatives and friends when I go see them too.  I think I emptied at least 3 large Rubbermaid tubs of goods!

*  Hubs got Burger King for us one day using a free gift card. go us.

*  I found money!

Two pennies at R-A on Friday........

Another two pennies at R-A on Monday........

And two additional pennies at Walmart on Tuesday(forgot to take a photo of those).

Total Money Found This Week... 06¢
Total Money Found This Year...$5.68

That's about all I remember from this past week that was frugal.

What frugal wins did ya'll have this past week?
Let's here it!

And have a good weekend....

Sluggy

Walmart & Rite-Aid This Week to Get to My Bonuses

 Trying to spend down and/or convert my Bonus Cash to cash through Ibotta so I hit up Rite-Aid on Monday and brought this home..........

2 x Colorista temporary spray color 75% off=$5.26
1 x Almay eye product 75% off=$2.24
1 x Almay face product 75% off=$3.49
1 x L'Oreal lipstick 75% off=$2.37
3 x Vaseline tiny tubs clearance=$1.47
1 x Vaseline cocoa butter tub 20% Gold Disc.=$1.59
SubTotal.....$16.42

Coupon used was the In-Ad Colorista $4/2 R-AQ so Grand Total was $12.42+.75¢ tax=$13.17 paid for with Bonus Cash.

I earned $8 in new BC(2 x $4 Vaseline)and converted $13 via Ibotta on everything but the Vaseline products.

I then had 4 of the 15 offers for a $3 Midweek Bonus on Ibotta.

Tuesday I went to Walmart and got this stuff........

1 x Good Moo'd reduced lactose milk=$3.68

2 x Suave men's body wash(large ones on clearance-.75¢ ea.)=$1.50

1 x Suave lotion=$1.72

1 x Jergens lotion=$3.48

2 x Ritz toasted chips rollback=$5.00

1 x Frigo feta cheese=$2.12

1 x Sargento creamery cheddar slices=$2.95

1 x Cracker Barrel block=$3.18

2 x U by Kotex pads=$10.94

1 x 6 pack Deer Park water=$2.12 *not in picture

1 x Colgate Renewal toothpaste=$6.96 *not in picture

2 x XXX item=$6.22 (can't show/mention it as it's a gift)

1 x Old Tyme Raisin Bread=$2.78

Subtotal........$52.69

I used $11.25 in Qs so $41.44+.23¢ tax=$41.67

I used a $25 free Shop Kick gift card which brought my OOP down to $16.67.

I earned rebates back on the milk, all 3 cheeses, the Jergens, the Colgate, the XXXX items and the pads=$17.00 on those 8 rebates plus a $2 Level 3 June Bonus.

Then I hit a different R-A near that Walmart and got all this..........

8 x Vaseline tiny tubs on clearance=$3.94

3 x boxes of candy on sale=$3.00

5 x Health Warrior protein bars on clearance=$2.45

1 x Revlon brow kit 75% off=$3.24

1 x Revlon lip crayon 75% off=$2.49

SubTotal....$15.10+.58¢=$15.68 paid for with BC and gift card. (I used no Qs.)

I earned back $16 in new BC(4 x $4 Vaseline).

I also converted some BC to cash via Ibotta earning $12 there plus hit the $3 Midweek Bonus.

Total OOP for all 3 trips......$16.67

Total BC earned.......$24.00

Total Ibotta rebates earned....$47.00

Spent $16.67, earned/converted $71.00.

And my Bonus Cash pile is dwindling as planned. 8-)

Sluggy