Your monthly grocery bill and a celebration for me lol

[Mickey Fliers]

Okay...just got back from the Commissary and my bill was $290. Minus $9 in coupons and minus the $13 surcharge and my total is $268.

I shop based on menus. My menu this week

Angel Hair with Italian Sausage
Pork Tenderloin stuffed with feta, spinach and tomatoes
Tacos with seasoned black beans on whole wheat tortillas
Ziti (leftover last week menu item so I already had the ingredients. Normally do not have 2 pasta dishes in one week)
Burgers with Black bean and Corn Salad
Pizza Night
And then...we are hosting a huge party on Friday that will be catered, but I am provided appetizers and drinks...which I have NOT bought yet.

All nights will include a spinach salad.

I spent $20 on cereal (7 boxes)
I spent $17 on meat (3 lbs. ground beef (96% lean, pork tenderloin and 1 lb. sweet Italian turkey sausage)
I spent $10 on deli meat and cheese
I spent $25 on fresh veggies and fruit
I spent $12 on frozen thin crust pizza (3 at $4/each - much better than take out and I couldn't make it cheaper)
I also bought diapers, wipes,cat litter, cat food, deodorant, some paper products for the party, laundry detergent and some cleaners to the tune of $52

All that plus milk, greek yogurt, one package cookies, angel hair, applesauce, black beans, mayo, 2 salad dressings, one package wheat thins, string cheese, salsa, whole wheat bread (2), etc.

I shop only for what I need based on the menu items for the week. All three boys and husband take a lunch every day (Turkey sandwich, piece of fruit, yogurt or cheese stick and package of chips...which are $10 for 55 bags). I know I could coupon more, but honestly, I hardly every find them for the brands I use. I guess I could branch out. I am a total creature of habit.

 

[Disney.Love86]

It's only my boyfriend and myself but our budget is $90 every two weeks because I hate food shopping weekly. I use coupons because if we spend $75 instead of $90 one trip then the $15 goes into our "Disney spending" jar. He gladly gives up name brand cookies and crackers knowing he can throw $3 extra in the jar for vaca.
We have a liquor store in ours too and one time he actually gave up grabbing beer for the football game because he said, and I quote "I think I'll put it in the jar for a vinylmation".

 

[rumrunnergirl]

.

 

[LaDonna]

Well LaDonna you probably just saved me a trip to the store that probably would have ended up costing me $50. I was thinking about what to make for dinner today and I suddenly began craving cheesy potatoes. Since I don't have the ingredients for said dish I was going to go to the store to get the stuff which would have led to I need one of these and one of those.

Well I stood there and thought to myself "Self, what would LaDonna do?" So I looked in my kitchen for what I already had and decided on macaroni salad, a garden salad and BBQ chicken.

So thanks LaDonna for saving me $50 today.

ooh I want that for dinner tonight now, which I could do because I have all that on hand EXCEPT the kids ate my whole bag of carrots the last two days and I just don't want a salad without my carrots I'm heading to Aldi tomorrow

 

[LaDonna]

I would be very careful doing this. Put your flame suit on beforehand, because I can guarantee that you will post a meal or two and you'll hear:

we would never eat that/I wouldn't feed my kids that
we eat healthier than that/that is unhealthy
you shouldn't eat that/feed your kids that
we'd starve/die before we ate that
you really feed your kids that????
cancel your next trip to Disney and spend the money to improve your diet

etc.

yeah I'm starting to see that
I just thought it was obvious when showing how to coupon and save money that obviously you aren't going to save as much when purchasing organic or if you are brand loyal.........
I should have put at the beginning I was actually just curious how much monthly people spent that couponed heavily.......I have learned though I didn't realize grocery prices were so much different everywhere

 

[LaDonna]

Okay we are having chicken enchiladas tonight for dinner

Chichis Whole wheat tortillas .29 used coupon Publix
Can chicken 1.50 used coupon Publix
crm chicken soup .50 used coupon
can rotel tomoatoes .50 (although this could have been free I did get some free recently but I also buy them when they are sale)
Helluva good dip(I used in place of sourcream) free after coupon
2 cups cheddar $1 used coupon Publix(got my new Publix ad today, kraft cheese is gonna be 1.66 and I have $1 off coupons! I'll being stocking up again)

rice was free after coupons
2 cans refried beans $1 used coupons too


so total for this meal is right around $5 and that is also feeding the 2 extra kids I'm babysitting right now

 

[Marionnette]

yeah I'm starting to see that
I just thought it was obvious when showing how to coupon and save money that obviously you aren't going to save as much when purchasing organic or if you are brand loyal.........
I should have put at the beginning I was actually just curious how much monthly people spent that couponed heavily.......I have learned though I didn't realize grocery prices were so much different everywhere

I agree with marmalade about the naysayers. When you post about yourself (how you raise your kids, how you practice your faith, how you spend your money, etc.) you open yourself up to criticism. I will admit that I probably won't be able to duplicate your success but that doesn't mean that I'm not open to using some of your ideas.

And to show that, here's my menu for tonight:

Asparagus Chicken Roll-Ups
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Asparagus-Roll-Ups/Detail.aspx
I made the amount of sauce in the recipe but only made 3 chicken rolls.

• 3 boneless chicken breasts ($3.60 after BOGO and coupons)
• 1/2 c light mayo (4 oz. from a 16 oz. bottle that cost $1.50 = 38 cents)
• 3 Tbls. Dijon Mustard (just about 1.5 oz. from a 7.5 oz jar that cost $2.00 = 40 cents)
• Salt, Pepper, Taragon - I have no idea of cost but it was minimal
• Asparagus - 12 stalks, about 1/3 of a bunch that cost $3.75 = $1.25)
• Sharp Provolone - 2 oz. from a 5 oz. brick that cost $7.89 = $3.16
• Panko Bread Crumbs - 1 oz. from an 8 oz. package that cost $1.89 = 24 cents
• 1 lemon - at a cost of 3/$2 = 67 cents

Total cost of 3 servings of chicken = $9.70

Also on the menu is a Birds Eye Vegetable Steamer (wild rice and vegetables) at a price of 30 cents after coupons. Which brings the total for dinner to around $10.

So, tell me how would you budget-minded cooks alter this recipe to make it less costly?

 

[LaDonna]

Asparagus Chicken Roll-Ups
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Asparagus-Roll-Ups/Detail.aspx
I made the amount of sauce in the recipe but only made 3 chicken rolls.

• 3 boneless chicken breasts ($3.60 after BOGO and coupons)
• 1/2 c light mayo (4 oz. from a 16 oz. bottle that cost $1.50 = 38 cents)
• 3 Tbls. Dijon Mustard (just about 1.5 oz. from a 7.5 oz jar that cost $2.00 = 40 cents)
• Salt, Pepper, Taragon - I have no idea of cost but it was minimal
• Asparagus - 12 stalks, about 1/3 of a bunch that cost $3.75 = $1.25)
• Sharp Provolone - 2 oz. from a 5 oz. brick that cost $7.89 = $3.16
• Panko Bread Crumbs - 1 oz. from an 8 oz. package that cost $1.89 = 24 cents
• 1 lemon - at a cost of 3/$2 = 67 cents

Total cost of 3 servings of chicken = $9.70

Also on the menu is a Birds Eye Vegetable Steamer (wild rice and vegetables) at a price of 30 cents after coupons. Which brings the total for dinner to around $10.

So, tell me how would you budget-minded cooks alter this recipe to make it less costly?

ah lawd that sounds SOOOO good! I LOVE asparagus!

I'm not sure how your recipe goes, but I sub mayo for yogurt,sourcream, chipdip, whatever I have on hand that I got cheapest(those 3 things I normally get free to almost free), but I normally get my mayo pretty cheap a big jar for under $1.50
I'd use regular mustard, but that would be because no one eats the dijon here
The provolone I'd probably get in the prepackaged cheese section when it was on sale and I had a coupon
and I'd use jarred lemon juice
I guess really I'd just get the cheaper version of everything

 

[rumrunnergirl]

 

[Marionnette]

Just chiming in to say I *love* allrecipes.com - I've got tons of recipes from that site. It is soooooo handy! LOL

I don't see how you could make that recipe less costly, except for using a cheaper cheese, regular breadcrumbs, a cheaper cut of chicken, etc. Some dinners are just going to cost more than others, so what I do is make a less inexpensive entree after making a more expensive one, to keep costs down.

Reminds me of that joke about making Martha Stewart macaroni and cheese (a fancy recipe with lots of expensive cheeses):

"Recipe: add asiago cheese - I add more parmesan. Recipe: add shredded fontina cheese - I add more parmesan. Recipe: add shredded gouda cheese - I add more parmesan . . . " - LOL

Have you tried the allrecipes dinner spinner app? It's awesome for pulling up recipes when you're in the grocery store and want to make sure that you don't need to make an emergency run later on for that key ingredient.

And LOL at the M.S. joke. I totally understand.

LaDonna, I'm going to test drive the recipe using the substitutes you recommended (and maybe use boneless chicken thighs instead of the breast meat). I'll have to see how it affects the taste (might even turn out better).

Oooh...this is just like America's Test Kitchen!

ETA: Dinner is over and the dishes are all cleaned up. All I can say is "OMG! THAT WAS AN AWESOME DISH!!!!"

 

[rnorwo1]

Have you tried the allrecipes dinner spinner app? It's awesome for pulling up recipes when you're in the grocery store and want to make sure that you don't need to make an emergency run later on for that key ingredient.

And LOL at the M.S. joke. I totally understand.

LaDonna, I'm going to test drive the recipe using the substitutes you recommended (and maybe use boneless chicken thighs instead of the breast meat). I'll have to see how it affects the taste (might even turn out better).

Oooh...this is just like America's Test Kitchen!

ETA: Dinner is over and the dishes are all cleaned up. All I can say is "OMG! THAT WAS AN AWESOME DISH!!!!"

Was it awesome with the substitutions? I would never have considered mayo?! Good to know if it worked, I will definitely try!

 

[Marionnette]

Was it awesome with the substitutions? I would never have considered mayo?! Good to know if it worked, I will definitely try!

I haven't tried the substitutions yet. I like to follow a new recipe to the letter the first time I do it and then I tweek it on future use. The recipe was awesome as written. But to satisfy my curiosity, I'm going to make it again next week with the cheaper ingredients (chicken thigh meat, deli-style provolone, yellow mustard, regular bread crumbs,etc.). I want to see how close it comes to the original.

But I just had to try to original first.

 

[LaDonna]

Just wanted to share what we had last night for dinner which included the 2 kids I babysit and my Publix shopping trip today

SanteFe chicken alfredo

noodles were free
PhillyCreme 2 tubs were free after coupon and krogo promo
I added half a stick of reg. crm cheese that was .25
chicken $3
toast .50
frenchstyle green beans 3 cans 1.50

$5.25



and at Publix today

6 bag of Lays chips (saving up for beach trip too!) $6 used Publix coupon
8 large cans Tutorosso tomatoes .43 each
4 bags Wise cheese doodles .50 a bag used online coupon
3 large jars Motts natural applesauce 1.37 jar on sale
6 cans dole pineapple .40 each sale and used coupon
3 jbottles Wesson oil 1.35 each used coupn
2 bags DOminoe sugar 1.99 each
1 duncan hines white cake mix .92 for my bday coming up I'm having keylime poke cake
2 Breyer icecream tubs 1.50 each used Target coupon and reg. coupon
2 Duncan hines brownie mixes .35 each
2 Birds Eye steam fresh .43 each used online coupon(just now seeing these rang up for more than they were supposed too
10 Kraft touch of philly shredded cheese .66 each used blinkie coupons
2 blocks Kraft cheese 1.16 each
6 bags Idaho instand potato pouches .33 each
2 packages Perdue chicken breast 2.25 each used coupon and on sale
2 jars banana peppers used coupon free
2 cans Pam free used Publix coupon and reg. coupon
1 3 pk paper towels .1 this was Publix Penny coupon item today
2 oscar mayer bacon 2.50 used 2 coupons
2 dial hand soap .35each used coupons
newspaper .50 (so I could get the penny coupon, so actually paid .50 for the paper towels)
2 packages of hershey 6pack eggs candy 2.10 each
2 sweet potatoes .40
my total was
60.43 I hardly ever spend that much I thought it was wrong at first lol but then I realized I did a lot of stocking up on cheese and stuff

 

[Mom of 3 Princesses]

I have three kids and a hubby. We do not eat out. So we buy for Breakfast Lunch and dinner (and snacks) for the entire family. We do very little couponing (no time or patience) but we do try a little, saves us very little honestly. We started to SLLLOOOWWWLLLLYYY add in bulk items from Sams.

We plan our meals every Sunday and what we need, and STICK to it. STICK TO IT!! We do not stray. This cuts down extra trips during the week.

We started off with 160.00 each week. We now have a stock of food, buy the same things, all fresh, rarely... if any boxed things. We buy and plan meat meals but do not have meals with meat every night. We eat quite healthy actually. We are now (after careful comparison, per ounce pricing) Therefore, in less than 2 and a half months, we are now down to below 80.00 per week. This includes pull-ups for night times too.

For example, this week we had:

Tomato and Basil Penne and homemade Italian biscuits.
Beet Risotto and Tomato and Avacado Salad
Chicken pot Pie (not boxed, made with chicken breast, frozen veggies, gravy and pie crust)
Steak (the good stuff) and Mashed potatoes and Peas
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
We have a day to eat Leftovers
Baked Ziti

For lunches we get triskets and Cheese Nips
We make one bowl Chocolate Cake (not from a box) or Blondie Brownies (not from a box)
We buy Roast Beef from the Deli if they have it on sale for lunches
We are always supplied with Peanut Butter
We always but Bananas, Apples, Lettuce, Tomatos, Avacodos, and Oranges.
Buy 100% Juice from Sams (Cranberry)
No sodas or chips or many boxed foods really.

We plant a garden in the summer to help us with Pasta Sauce (we make our own and freeze it). And have more fresh veggies in the summer.

So Plan Plan Plan!! Good Luck!

 

[jakoky]

Wow, I have to ask, cheddar cheese in the US, how big are the bricks you get that are under 2 dollars....I know that is one thing in canada we pay way more for, at Costco the brick I buy is 12-13 dollars and once in awhile I can get it for 10! My kids love cheese and this really doesn't last us very long, cheese is definitely a budget buster here

 

[LaDonna]

well the block of cheese I got was prepackaged Kraft and is normally 8oz but this one had 20% more free in it

 

[Mom of 3 Princesses]

Wow, I have to ask, cheddar cheese in the US, how big are the bricks you get that are under 2 dollars....I know that is one thing in canada we pay way more for, at Costco the brick I buy is 12-13 dollars and once in awhile I can get it for 10! My kids love cheese and this really doesn't last us very long, cheese is definitely a budget buster here

At Sam's we pay for a Block of Chedder at about 9-12 And I get about 5 8oz blocks from it.

 

[LaDonna]

we are having homemade pizza and salad tonight

crust ? homemade not sure how I"d figure that out, I paid about 1.50 for flour and I use 3 cups

pepperonis .50 used coupon
sausage I just use a handful so ? about .50?
cheese well with the deal I got today .66
sauce I use spagetti and that was about .50 after coupon

lettuce half head .50
about 1/4 bag spinach .25
carrots maybe almost half bag .50
cucumber only half my kids want eat that .50
1 tomatoes .25 got a good sale at Aldi
dressing, a whole bottle is about .70 or less so I'd say maybe we use .35 of it

total under $5

 

[Marionnette]

That pizza sounds really good but my family would never be happy with just pizza and salad for dinner. We usually have it for a snack on Friday evenings )it's a Philly-Italian thing I think). I would end up cooking another meal an hour after the dishes were cleared from the table! Besides, it's a beautiful day here and I'm breaking out the grill.

We're having the following:
Pork Tenderloin in Bourbon
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pork-Tenderloin-in-Bourbon/Detail.aspx

• 3# pork tenderloin (~$8 after BOGO and coupons)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (4 oz. from a 20-oz. bottle that cost $3 after coupon; 75 cents)
• 1/4 cup bourbon (the cheaper stuff, adequate for cooking, not so good for sipping; ~50 cents)
• 2 Tbls. brown sugar (from a 2# bag that cost $1.49 after sale and coupon; maybe 10 cents?)
• 2 cloves of garlic (89 cents a head; so maybe 20 cents?)

I reserved some of the marinade and reduced it over a low heat. The I stirred in 1 Tbl Dijon Mustard, 2 Tbls. Honey and 1/4 cup of apricot preserves and a dash of cayenne pepper to make a glaze. I'm guessing at the cost but given that all three were store brand items, I'll say maybe $1 in additional ingredients and that would be high.

Total for the roast = ~$10 but that roast is pretty big and we'll only eat about a third of it tonight.

Also serving:
Butter and Parsley Noodles
1/2 pkg. of Fettuccini noodles (10/$10 deal; 50 cents)
2 Tbls. butter ($1.49/lb after coupon; 8 Tbls in a stick so 10 cents)
2 Tbls. chopped parsley (grow my own in a window garden)
salt, pepper, garlic powder at a minimal cost

Plus broccoli ($1.50), carrots (50 cents) and homemade honey wheat dinner rolls (about 15 cents each).

So total cost of the meal will be around $6.50 to feed 3 adults.

It's on the grill now and it smells soooo goood!

 

[njmom47]

I tallied my coupon savings for 4 shopping trips in March. With electronic (store) coupons and vendor coupons, I saved 121.27. My total shopping for the month was 522.28 (plus maybe another 50 at Walmart, Wawa, the bread outlet, etc.). The amount of items per shopping trip is between 92 and 113. My receipts also tell me which items are on sale and at least 95% of them are. This is in addition to my coupon total above. My average savings per trip is between 70 and 90 dollars all told. We are a family of 5 plus one 6 month old, which I buy food. (DD has diapers left from her shower, and she is on WIC for formula).
No flames for my last sentence please...thank you!