Monthly Grocery Budget Challenge!!

[Mkaz]

I made a late night trip to Price Chopper on Sat. evening, so technically it wasn't June 1st yet. This was a rare trip because it is a 40 min. drive, but we were in the area.

Price Chopper:

4 chickens @ .58 per pound
10 Sobe life waters @ 10/10

Total: 27.25
Less coupons= 7.00
Total= 20.25


Local mom and pop store:

4 propel waters 4.00
2 maltomeal cereals 2.00
Kraft cheese 2.00
buns 1.00
buns 1.00
tomatoes 1.85
1 1lb of deli ham 2.90
2 cucumbers .99
1/2 gal. milk 1.88
sunflower seeds 1.29
crackers 2.00

Total: 20.91
Less coupons 4.00
Total: 16.91

Total for this week: 37.16

Edited for new total:
My husband threw out my 2nd receipt, but I think I can remember most of it:

1/2 gal milk
bananas
muffin mix (for Parent Volunteer breakfast)
yellow cake mix
semi sweet choc. chips
4 bottles propel
wheat bread

Total: 15.65
less coupons 4.00
Total: 11.65


GRAND TOTAL JUNE 1-7: $48.81




This is an off week for us because the kids are finishing school on Friday. I didn't need to buy much for their lunches for this week.

Keep in mind that we don't buy beef because we raise our own. We rarely eat pork. The only pork that we eat is bacon and ham.

Placeholder for new totals for this week

 

[IDoDis]

Gosh, I know how that feels but I know that our Subway has a turkey/ham combo thing on our $5.00 menu - How about ordering that one next time and skip the ham!

Ours didn't have that -- I checked to see if there was anything close I could alter. The only cold cut was a "cold cut" combo which had all kinds of meats on it that she doesn't like and she said she was tired of chicken since we eat a lot of that at home. Oh well! I noticed that Subways are popping up all over the place more and more. There are more Subways around here than McD's now! I can go to 4 of them that are each about a mile away from the house in different directions.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Ours didn't have that -- I checked to see if there was anything close I could alter. The only cold cut was a "cold cut" combo which had all kinds of meats on it that she doesn't like and she said she was tired of chicken since we eat a lot of that at home. Oh well! I noticed that Subways are popping up all over the place more and more. There are more Subways around here than McD's now! I can go to 4 of them that are each about a mile away from the house in different directions.

Sorry that your Subway was limited. Our Subway now allows all subs except the "double meat" kinds. So we didn't have a problem. Sorry yours is not that understanding.

 

[lillygator]

this is great info.
I am really needing to start budgeting. I think for our family of 4 we could get by with 50-75 per week. (kids get breakfast and lunch plus two snacks at school M-F)
I am writing out a menu and will do a weeks shopping on Friday night. Hope to keep the total under $75 including any toiletries we need for the week.

 

[piratemom07]

I wanted to ask a few questions I live about 45 minutes to a Sams so I do not get there very often. I wanted to ask if those of you who do shop there do you think you save enough to buy your toothpaste,landuary detergent,shampoo, and such in bulk.
I was wanting to go this weekend and wanted to purchase several items but I wanted to make sure I was getting my monies worth.

My family of four consists of myself, DH, DS(18) DD(13) my kids got out of school the end of May so with then home in the day I am trying to purchase items for lunch. My dh works nights so whatever I cook for supper he has late at night when he comes home. I use to cook lunch so he had something to take to work but with my job(part time) also I keep my nieces two days a week that became less and less.

I did not realize Ebay has coupons, usually when I would use coupons I seemed to be buying things that i really did not need only purchased them because I had a coupon. I use to go to different stores that had certain things on sale but now I usually go to one Kroger or Walmart. The Kroger in the town I shop at has been offering if you spend at least 100.00 for the month you save 10 cents per galllon on gas so that helps out. I live in the country so one town is 15 minutes away and the other is 30 minutes, I try and shop on Fridays or Sat. and make it to the following Fri or Sat. if we run out of anything it is usually bread or milk.

I have told my family we have got to make our dollar stretch even father, I use to spend from 75.00-125.00 week and the past two weeks it has been about 60.00 but I dont feel like the 60.00 was spent on all I needed. I look in my basket and say"what do I really need" if it is not needed I put it back. I want to be able to buy the things I use to buy.

Any receipes you all can put I would love to see them we eat, pork, chicken and hamburger dishes, myself and my dh love most all veggies, my kids are a little different. I love fresh veggies and I could eat a meal with only veggies no meat at all but i usually try to cook some sort of meat for my kids and husband. We are not big breakfast eaters usually cereal, poptarts, or nothing at all.

last night for supper we had packaged cocktail weines with bbq sauce
cornbread, canned turnip greens and instant mashed potatoes
tonight, hamburger helper, green beans and carrots
the hamburger helper is not a big favorite but I try to cook it some my husband could eat it every night of the week but the rest of us could not.

Thanks for you help keep the comments comming

Shannon

 

[delmar411]

Kroger~ .68
6 gerber jarred fruits

 

[SnowWhite607]

I wanted to ask a few questions I live about 45 minutes to a Sams so I do not get there very often. I wanted to ask if those of you who do shop there do you think you save enough to buy your toothpaste,landuary detergent,shampoo, and such in bulk.
I was wanting to go this weekend and wanted to purchase several items but I wanted to make sure I was getting my monies worth.

My family of four consists of myself, DH, DS(18) DD(13) my kids got out of school the end of May so with then home in the day I am trying to purchase items for lunch. My dh works nights so whatever I cook for supper he has late at night when he comes home. I use to cook lunch so he had something to take to work but with my job(part time) also I keep my nieces two days a week that became less and less.

I did not realize Ebay has coupons, usually when I would use coupons I seemed to be buying things that i really did not need only purchased them because I had a coupon. I use to go to different stores that had certain things on sale but now I usually go to one Kroger or Walmart. The Kroger in the town I shop at has been offering if you spend at least 100.00 for the month you save 10 cents per galllon on gas so that helps out. I live in the country so one town is 15 minutes away and the other is 30 minutes, I try and shop on Fridays or Sat. and make it to the following Fri or Sat. if we run out of anything it is usually bread or milk.

I have told my family we have got to make our dollar stretch even father, I use to spend from 75.00-125.00 week and the past two weeks it has been about 60.00 but I dont feel like the 60.00 was spent on all I needed. I look in my basket and say"what do I really need" if it is not needed I put it back. I want to be able to buy the things I use to buy.

Any receipes you all can put I would love to see them we eat, pork, chicken and hamburger dishes, myself and my dh love most all veggies, my kids are a little different. I love fresh veggies and I could eat a meal with only veggies no meat at all but i usually try to cook some sort of meat for my kids and husband. We are not big breakfast eaters usually cereal, poptarts, or nothing at all.

last night for supper we had packaged cocktail weines with bbq sauce
cornbread, canned turnip greens and instant mashed potatoes
tonight, hamburger helper, green beans and carrots
the hamburger helper is not a big favorite but I try to cook it some my husband could eat it every night of the week but the rest of us could not.

Thanks for you help keep the comments comming

Shannon

To answer your question about Sam's and toiletries, my answer is NO. I find I can get stuff cheaper at Walmart or on clearance at the Dollar store or sometimes free at CVS. Do you do the CVS ECB? If not, there is a thread on the budget board about how to "do" CVS. Sometimes they will have things for free after ECB (a money back rebate of sorts). I have 12 toothbrushes, 6 toothpastes, 5 deodorants and a bunch of razors in my cabinet and I started about 2 months ago and probably only spent $20 or so on all that. CVS also has Fab this week for 1.99 a bottle. Great deal!

As far as recipes, tonight I am having red beans and rice with sausage and tomorrow is chicken parmesan, noodles and frozen broccoli. I bought the chicken when it was a BOGOfree sale and got 12 huge skinless breasts for about $6. Spaghetti noodles are cheap, will serve them with butter and olive oil. Frozen broccoli was probably $1. I shop at SuperWalmart and use coupons when I find them but only on something I would normally buy anyway.

You can learn a lot on this thread and also on one called "Whats for dinner? Was it budget?" on the budget board. I get a lot of ideas that way.

Good luck!

 

[IDoDis]

Has anyone been able to buy tomatoes? I noticed last week that I couldn't find one tomato in the store. I just figured that Wal-Mart had not received their shipment yet. Then I talked with a co-worker who had salmonella from eating bad tomatoes. The article said it is very prominent in my state (NM). Anyone else dealing with this? I was just hoping that I'd find some the next time I went to the store. I guess not.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25076885/wid/11915773?GT1=31037

 

[piratemom07]

A few days ago in Krogers I noticed a sign by the tomatoes regarding why they had certain ones and did not have the others, that is the first I had heard about it. Then on Sunday after church were eating w/ my sister and family and on the salad bar at a pizza place were tomatoes and she said she was surprised they had the tomatoes out. I live in East Texas so I guess it must be all around.

I dont watch the news much so I am lost on what is going on
seems like the story of my life at times

 

[#1hockeymom]

I'm in Michigan and I'm hard pressed to find a tomato! The national chains all pulled them, so its taco bell with no tomatoes, subway with no tomatoes, etc. We had subway tonight and I had to switch my sandwich choice to something else because I didn't want tuna w/o tomato!

 

[estherhead]

Hiya, I updated Week 2.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1842862&page=7

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I wanted to ask a few questions I live about 45 minutes to a Sams so I do not get there very often. I wanted to ask if those of you who do shop there do you think you save enough to buy your toothpaste,landuary detergent,shampoo, and such in bulk.
I was wanting to go this weekend and wanted to purchase several items but I wanted to make sure I was getting my monies worth.

My family of four consists of myself, DH, DS(18) DD(13) my kids got out of school the end of May so with then home in the day I am trying to purchase items for lunch. My dh works nights so whatever I cook for supper he has late at night when he comes home. I use to cook lunch so he had something to take to work but with my job(part time) also I keep my nieces two days a week that became less and less.

I did not realize Ebay has coupons, usually when I would use coupons I seemed to be buying things that i really did not need only purchased them because I had a coupon. I use to go to different stores that had certain things on sale but now I usually go to one Kroger or Walmart. The Kroger in the town I shop at has been offering if you spend at least 100.00 for the month you save 10 cents per galllon on gas so that helps out. I live in the country so one town is 15 minutes away and the other is 30 minutes, I try and shop on Fridays or Sat. and make it to the following Fri or Sat. if we run out of anything it is usually bread or milk.

I have told my family we have got to make our dollar stretch even father, I use to spend from 75.00-125.00 week and the past two weeks it has been about 60.00 but I dont feel like the 60.00 was spent on all I needed. I look in my basket and say"what do I really need" if it is not needed I put it back. I want to be able to buy the things I use to buy.

Any receipes you all can put I would love to see them we eat, pork, chicken and hamburger dishes, myself and my dh love most all veggies, my kids are a little different. I love fresh veggies and I could eat a meal with only veggies no meat at all but i usually try to cook some sort of meat for my kids and husband. We are not big breakfast eaters usually cereal, poptarts, or nothing at all.

last night for supper we had packaged cocktail weines with bbq sauce
cornbread, canned turnip greens and instant mashed potatoes
tonight, hamburger helper, green beans and carrots
the hamburger helper is not a big favorite but I try to cook it some my husband could eat it every night of the week but the rest of us could not.

Thanks for you help keep the comments comming

Shannon

First Shannon:

Okay now onto some questions:

1. Breakfast should become a priority for you. It is the most important meal of the day. Try to at least give yourself and the kids, cereal and juice, bagel and milk, even poptart w/fresh fruit and a liquid. This helps your metabolism and your sugar levels (energy) throughout the day. It does not have to be a lot, but try to get something each day.

2. Lunches - This is how I do it for my family during the summer. DH takes left-overs, the kids have a sandwich with fresh fruit and a snack (chips or a few cookies) and I eat whatever is left over. You can make your own lunchables if they like them. Buy juice in the containers for the summer as juice boxes are more expensive. Give them 6oz juice, then offer water. Mid afternoon snacks can be crackers, popsicles, granola bars, etc...

3. Dinners - I would make a menu. Stick to it. Take time to freeze dinners for your husband and try to get a good assortment in the freezer. Then give him the option of what he wants that night. He can have what you ate re-heated or you can take a freezer meal out earlier in the day. He should be able to reheat any sides or veggies that you made that day without any problem. Pretty much all sides reheat in the microwave or a toaster oven. I know he is eating later, but he will have to get used to the system. But he will at least have two choices each day. You can get cheap containers with seperations at the dollar store. I will start posting some recipes tomorrow with some of our family favorites, but please take some time to read this thread, lots of great budget meals and recipes.. What's for dinner, Was it budget? http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1690602

4. Sams Club - I purchase laundry soap, softener, softener sheets, and bleach. I find that I get a better price on these than sales and coupons. BUT and this is a bid BUT, I do cut coupons for these items and check the sales. If the item is close to or near free with the coupon, I purchase it, and stockpile for tight months. Send for freebies, they have the best coupon's in them. I get DH his Old Spice Deodorant at Sam's also, and Children's Motrin. That is all of the Cleaning/Health and beauty that I get there. I use coupons and store sales for all other items like toothpaste and shampoo. Food items from Sam's: I get my skinny cow ice-creams, bananas, coffee, items being discontinued, seasonings, coffee filters, and a few other things that I can't think of right now... Take the time to walk the store and write down sizes and prices on week and compare to sale items minus your coupons... This should help.

Hope this is useful to you, Diane

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

TOMATOES ARE ON A HUGE RECALL DUE TO SAMONELLA. Make sure to wash all produce. You may need to go to the farmer's market until the source of this problem has been resolved.......

Just more of a reason to go to your local nursery and pick up a few plants. Dollar stores have larger planting containers and you can place them at your back door as long as they get light. Buy a bag of soil at Home Depot or Kmart. (you could even get your plants there if you want. Backdoor gardens are lots of fun

 

[estherhead]

Another Sam's Club purchase for me is trash bags. I just can't seem to get good sales/coupons on them. If I can't get them at Sam's, I get them at Aldi's. Our Sam's Club is 45 minutes from my house so I only go when I'm already down there & I just always get them same stuff.

 

[JaxJags08]

Hiya, I updated Week 2.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1842862&page=7

What are toad-in-the-holes?

 

[SnowWhite607]

I think its like when you take a slice of bread and cut a hole out in the middle. Then you fry it in a frying pan and crack an egg into the hole. Then the egg fries with the bread and you use the circle cut out for dipping in the yolk. At least thats how we did it when we were kids.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

My kids love these bars, and they are cut into 24-32 so you will have them for the week. Its a great afternoon snack and its pretty healthy for you. I buy the ingredients marked down or on mega-sale so the cost is minimal.

Budget Chewy Granola Bars to the rescue...

Preheat oven to 325degrees

3 1/2 cups oats
1 cup rice crispies
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
6tbsp butter/margarine
3/4 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla

(Here's my stress reliever.. 4-5 (small size candy bar) Hershey's pure expresso dark chocolate with coffee bits or Ghiradelli's Expresso Escape - smashed into bits before opening and one large handful of chopped dried cherries)

Mix the dry ingredients including cherries, but not the chocolate. Put aside. Melt butter and honey on stovetop, add vanilla, cool for a little bit. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate bits.

Place into a greased 9x13 pan. (I grease my hands and just push it in and even it). Bake 18-22 minutes til golden brown. Cool at 10 minutes then cut but do not remove, cool thoroughly and enjoy your heaven...

Any type of dried fruit will do about 1-1/2 cups, chocolate is around 12oz. so if you want chocolate chips you can do that. We experiment with all different types of fruit. The batch I have for this week will have pineapple, spiced apple, and cranberrie mixture!!

Nutrition Facts
24 Servings
Per Serving
Calories 160
Total Fat 2g
Saturated Fat 0.6g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.6g
Cholesterol 0.1 mg
Sodium 67.9 mg
Potassium 137.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 31.5 g
Dietary Fiber 2.8 g
Sugars 2.0 g
Protein 4.6 g

Calcium 2%
Copper 8.1 %
Folate 5.6 %
Iron 8.2 %
Magnesium 10.7 %
Manganese 58.5 %
Niacin 2.7 %
Pantothenic Acid 3.4 %
Phosphorus 12.6 %
Riboflavin 3.6 %
Selenium 2.7 %
Thiamin 14.3 %
Zinc 6.4 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie intake.

 

[stahshee]

I put all of my spending so far for this week on post 123
I still need to buy some fruit ECT


Ok some menu ideas
Baked Mac and cheese
Hot potato bar

 

[lillygator]

goign to do my shopping for the week tonight!

 

[extremesoccermom]

335.72 To Go: I still haven't picked up the fresh fruit and veggies for Father's Day yet hopefully tonight or tomorrow but I broke down and hit the Schnucks IceCream Sale. I usually only buy the big tub cheapo stuff but we eat icecream year round. The store had the M&M novelties and Dove icecream varieties 4/$10 and I had $1.00 off coupons.
Tuesday:
5.00 - 2.00 2 pints of Dove Icecream
2.50 - 1.00 1 box Dove mini bars
2.50 - 1.00 1 box M&M bars
5.00 - 1.00 5 boxes Scotties
_________
12.11

Thursday
5.00 - 2.00 2 pints of Dove Icecream
5.00 - 2.00 2 boxes M&M bars
1.67 NorthStar Strawberry Shortcake Bars
________
9.53


So I am now at 314.08 to go for the rest of the month.