Food Spending.....the February 2025 Edition

Onward to February's Food Spending Report.....

Here are my FOOD BUDGET spending totals for February 2025.

I have posted February's totals on the Total Grocery Savings Page located  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, Pet Food. We are a family of 2(and 2 dogs).
****************

ALDI

OOP  $16.30

Sales  $7.75

Value  $24.05

Savings  32.20%

BROOKSHIRE'S

OOP  $2.79

Sales  $1.71

Value  $4.50

Savings  38.00%

KROGER

OOP  $234.63

Qs/Gift Cards  $223.28

Value $457.91

Savings  48.76%

SHOPPER'S VALU

OOP  $41.77

Value  $58.89

Savings  29.17%

WALMART

OOP  $63.13

Qs/Gift Cards $25.24

Value  $88.37

Savings  28.56%

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My best Store Savings Total was at Kroger with a savings of 48.76% and most of the grocery dollars were spent at that store.  My worse rate was at Walmart with 28.56%, unfortunately Walmart was where I spent the second most of my grocery dollars.  Not a bad savings rate average overall though.

I shopped at 5 different stores in FEBRUARY.  

TOTAL Spent in February.....$358.62

TOTAL Coupons/Sales/Gift Cards....$278.10

TOTAL Value of Items Purchased.....$633.72

TOTAL Savings of........43.41%

This closes out the February food/toiletries/etc. spending.

THOUGHTS & COMMENTS for this month....Nice job this month.  Didn't spend a lot, for us, in our situation, but got some good deals and lots of savings.

The Monthly food spending savings percentage went DOWN by .73% in February to 43.41% compared to January's 42.68% savings average.  When savings percentage goes down it's a good thing.

Since we have an adequate income and food should be a pleasure in life(no way am I going to eat unseasoned rice and beans for my remaining days like some people-because I don't have to). I will buy quality food and pay the price at the register.  I may not like the price but I will deal with it.

With 2 months accounted for, I have spent a Total of $759.05 on groceries/HBA/paper goods/etc. in 2025.  Food prices have gotten to the ridiculous level, haven't they?  And it will be awhile until they come down as we recover from Bidenomics.

2025 Yearly Total Value of Items  $1,332.43

2025 Total Saved   $573.38

2025 Yearly Total Spent  $759.05

2025 Yearly Savings Total of  43.03%

The average per month amount spent is $379.25 in 2025 so far but that's before all the rebate monies are added in.

Remember that I withdraw all my cash rebate monies(Ibotta, Shopmium, TaDa, Checkout 51, Swag Bucks, My Points and other miscellaneous rebates-Aisle, Tremendous, Sampoll  etc. and have it sent to my Paypal)at the end of the year and add it back into my food budget, so at the end of the year my food spending will go down.  I don't add in all the cashed out savings until the end of the year,

The other savings apps like Fetch, Shop Kick, Kroger Cash Back that let us get free gift cards(or $ off your grocery total-Kroger Cash Back), those are added back in when I cash those points in along the way.  Alexa app gave me Amazon credit onto my account but I don't buy food on Amazon(sometimes I buy dog food there)so I really don't know how to count that and it's defunct now so I won't worry about that bit.

Because I don't like to let money sit in these rebate accounts and Paypal, I send $$ to my bank account throughout the year.  So far I have sent $489.82 from various rebating programs and through Paypal to my bank.  If you add in all that my food spending at the 2 month point in 2025 comes in at $269.23 or $134.62 per month.

Besides all I sent to my bank account I have more $ sitting in these various rebating programs as well as in Paypal.  This is not counting Alexa, ShopKick or Fetch, which all comes out in gift cards or Amazon credit.

LOOKING AHEAD TO MARCH 2025....

I will continue to be using up what is here.  We have 2+ months to get all this food gone(not counting what I donate to the local church's food bank).  Mostly for personal use, we'll be buying fresh vegetables and fruits.  But that's just us as we continue to empty the freezer and pantry ahead of the move.  Other than fresh foods this will mean a lower grocery bill until we get out of Dodge.

If you have other ideas or guidelines you follow please leave a comment and share your thoughts with us all.

*  How much did you spend on food/toiletries in February?

*  Do you track your yearly food spending?  It's really not that hard or time consuming; just keep 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 versus 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

  

The Return of the Sluggy's Boring Blog Giveaway!

I have decided to start up the Giveaways I used to do.  Some of you seemed to enjoy them so. ;-)

Here's what's in the current box of goodies......

And some close up photos...........

12 packets of Skittles

1 Bueno Kinder chocolate bar

1 Airwick Warmer w/the light

1 pack of Orbit gum

1 Jamaica bracelet

1 pack of Boiscoff cookies

1 pack of Clorox wipes

1  NCL belt clip

1 Bactine liquid bandage

1 Cover Girl eye shadow palette(235 Pure Radiance)

1 Cover Girl liquid foundation

1 NCL cellphone stand

1 tube of Tylenol

1 wooden NCL ink pen

1 thin plastic case(or pencils, pens or coupons and such)

1 pack of notes that are cat themed

1 pack of playing card from NCL

1 oven mitt

3 travel size tubes of Neutrogena

1 travel size tube of La Roche Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

1 twin pack of Febreeze car clips

1 reuseable plastic grocery bag

1 pair of slipper sox with grippy things on them

1 Lip Smacker strawberry lip gloss

1 Carmex lip balm

All this can be yours if you are chosen the winner.

You can enter once per day until Monday, March 10th at 11:59pm.

Please let me know in your entry what you have done for someone else lately.  It can be something big or small, just something you've done to help someone, make them smile or made their day better.

That's all.

Winner will be announced on the evening of March 11th.

Have a good weekend!

Sluggy 

Frugal Friday....the February 28th 2025 Edition

Here are our frugal wins for this past week....

*  I love finding marked down foods at Kroger(this really doesn't happen at Walmart).  I found 2 dented cans of crushed tomatoes(or double crushed if you count the cans lol)markes down to .09¢ each, a carton of oatmilk to use in my oatmeal was a $1.01 moneymaker,  some clearance marked Hummus and Spinach Yogurt Dip, 2 lbs. of Smoked Sausage for $1.99 total after sale and digital coupon, 2 1lb. packs of Ground Sirloin on clearance for $5.16 each, a 3/4 lb. of salmon  for $1.65 after clearance price and mega sale, 4 lbs. of strawberries for $1.88 each after digital coupon sale, 2 bottles of Panera Blueberry/Pomegranate Vinaigrette dressing clearance to $1.24 each after sale price and mega sale, and 5 packages of Jiffy cornbread mix marked down to .33¢ each.

*  We used up some pantry items as well.

*  We also had no food waste last week.   We cooked at home and then ate some leftovers this past week. There was no eating out.

*  I sold a length of fabric last week.  Of course I took an offer that was less than I probably paid for it and I hadn't updated my bank account info since the move so it went to an account that doesn't exist. lol  Stupid me.  Hopefully that bank returns it and I do finally get the cash.  

*  While grocery shopping I picked up some items for the food bank we donate to.  It wasn't much cash out of hand but helps folks struggling here out and makes us feel good.

Spending money on groceries not for us isn't frugal but it certainly is frugal for others.  Especially if it's toiletries or paper goods which they can't use EBT/Snap benefits on.

* It's been warm here so the heat has been off during the day.  Not "hang your laundry out to dry warm" but warm enough not to need the furnace days.

*  Entertainment last week was free tv, YouTube watching, doing genealogy or reading.

*  I found money! 

Between Aldi and Kroger I found .27¢ total-a quarter and 2 pennies last week.

Found Money This Week.... .27¢

Grand Total Found this Year....... .57¢

That's all I got.

Any frugal wins in your neck of the woods?  Let's hear all about them!

Sluggy   

This Week on the Dining Table.....Feb. 23 to Mar. 1

The "Back to Meal Planning" Edition........I've been bad and not meal planning.

I'm still kicking myself for not buying this stout I saw at Trader Joe's after Xmas of 2023.

It's a play on the winning entry of a contest to name a ship if you never heard of it.....

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36064659

At least I took a photo. 8-)

Onward to the meal planning!

Here is what was planned for the last week.....

1. Sunday--Didn't make a plan

2. Monday---Didn't make a plan

3. Tuesday--Didn't make a plan

4. Wednesday--Didn't make a plan

5. Thursday--Didn't make a plan

6. Friday--Didn't make a plan

7. Saturday--Didn't make a plan

And here's what actually happened....

1. Sunday--Don't Remember

2. Monday---Breaded Shrimp(Baked), Squash

3. Tuesday--BLTs

4. Wednesday--Steakhouse Wedge Salad(Hubs had Brats)

5. Thursday--Cheeseburgers(bun optional), leftover Squash, leftover Cabbage

6. Friday--Catfish, Green Beans, Cole Slaw

7. Saturday--Portabello Mushroom Parmesan, Caesar Salad

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

*  Shrimp

*  Bacon

Last 2 weeks we spent $187.89 on groceries and the savings rate came in at 43.08%. Spending for the month is $287.17 and the savings rate is 41.57% for February before rebate monies are added in.

Rebates earned in February-

$82.22 on Ibotta

$0.00 on Checkout51

$20.73 on Aisle and Misc.

$102.95 Total in $$

Total spent after rebates is $184.22.

8,868 Pts. on Fetch

3 Pts. on SwagBucks

783 Pts. on My Points

30 Pts. on ShopKick

0 Pts. on TaDa

(I don't count these until I cash out for a gift card or cash.)

Leftovers going into next week...Pot Roast Stew, 1 Brat, partial container of Tuna Salad.

Here is what was planned for this week.....

1. Sunday--Cheeseburgers, Sweet Potato Fries

2. Monday---Chicken w/Stir-Fry Veggies

3. Tuesday--Meatloaf, Green Beans

4. Wednesday--Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry

5. Thursday--Leftovers

6. Friday--Leftovers

7. Saturday--Leftovers 

Just trying to eat down what is here when I'm not getting great deals.  I chose my meals by cherry picking the deals and building meals around those items, combined with what is in my freezer.

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? 

Sluggy  

Just Stuff

You would think it's the end of the world here because we got a few flakes of snow on Thursday and it got down to 15F degrees that evening.  Everyone was bundled up in 10 layers of clothing.  And I'm sitting here saying, "Honey you don't know what snow is."

This is snow...........

Or This..........

Or even this........

Wimps the whole lot of 'em! lolz

So I've got all this fabric and was wondering if anyone would like buy some of it.  It's all vintage and some of it was bought in the 1990's and is much better quality then you can get now.  I've got prints to make clothing(some with kiddie prints), wool, corduroy, challis, and some cottons that would be suitable for quilting too(but most of it was purchased with an eye toward making clothing).
Hit me up privately if this is something that would interest you.  I really don't want to have to move my stash again and can make you a much better price than Jo-Ann's, etc. will give you.  I don't have the time or patience to put this on a site and wait for someone to buy something. ugh  Otherwise except for a few lengths of fabric I have plans for it's going to Goodwill.

We've got the next cruise and excursions picked and arranged for June.  Now we just have to move this Shit Show out of Louisiana before then.

If you go on Facebook check out Tanara Double Chocolate.  She is so funny.  
"Everyone's so creative!"
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1FzdvvgXES/

My youngest child had his birthday yesterday.  I secretly sent the door banner announcing his birth to his fiancée and he put the banner on the outside of the bedroom door.  I am sneaky. ;-)

Then fiancée's parents made him a birthday cake when they went over there.

It hurt my heart not to be there to help him celebrate his day but I know he was happy and in good hands.
I sent him gifts and a card but haven't heard yet if he opened/liked them yet.

Happy Birthday son!!!

That's about all I have to say today.

Everyone be safe and well.

Sluggy