Grocery Trips - week 12, '10

I did GREAT with the shopping last week! Total spent was only $26.67, we hardly needed any groceries and I was able to pick up a big jug of dish soap. The bad news, next week will be a little rough - both kids ran out of diapers! Must tell them to coordinate better :)


Shaw's
2lbs strawberries - $3.98 ($4.00 in store savings)

Total: $3.98

BJ's
90oz Dawn dish soap - $7.99+tax
1 gal milk - $2.45
3lb sweet potatoes - $2.49

Total: $13.43

Price Rite
Box PR Raisins - $1.49
1 loaf Texas Toast - $1.49
3lb apples - $2.99
1 canteloupe - $1.50
1doz eggs - $1.79

Total: $9.26




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Grocery Tracking - week 11, '10

I didn't do too bad last week, total spent was $43.29 but that included some jarred baby food and Gerber puffs for the babe to snack on. It turns out that buying the 6pack from BJ's for $9.99 was cheaper than buying individual containers of the Wal Mart brand at $1.79 each! I will have to watch out for coupons, especially since the little guy LOVES them. I realized that I can't really get meats to the right consistency for him, so for now I'm going with jars of baby dinners...but he's getting better at chewing so it won't be long before I just mash up what we're having for dinner anyway.

I don't know how we'll do in the next 2 weeks before the end of the month - we need diapers and probably more formula, plus some cleaning supplies...I will really have to stretch what we have in the pantry to keep on budget, but it's not impossible!!

Here's how the spending went down:

BJ's
18-pack Beech Nut stage 2 dinners - $6.79 (got $1 instant rebate)
6lb bag Broccoli,carrot,squash frozen veg mix - $5.99
3lb bananas - $1.44
6-pack Gerber Puffs - $9.99
1gal milk - $2.45

Total: $26.66

Shaw's
1 loaf Whole Grain White bread - $0.65 (near sell-by, original price $2.50!)
6-pk whole grain English Muffins - $0.55 (near sell-by, original price $2)

Total: $1.15

Price Rite
14oz box PR cheerios - $1.59
32oz jar PR Strawberry Jam - $1.99
42oz canister PR quick oats - $1.79
1 loaf PR wheat bread - $1.19
.58lb green pepper (1) - $1.27
.57lb red pepper (1) - $0.96
2.76lb pears (6) - $2.73
3 avocados - $2.97
16oz Int'l Delight Fr Van creamer - $0.99

Total: $15.48

This week I had $1 in store savings!




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Grocery Trip - week 10, '10

Hello, payoff!

Last week's shopping was the first post-Once a Month Cooking week, and boy did it show! Total spent was $32.87, and that was INCLUDING formula, some baby food supplies, and a big container of honey. The honey wasn't TOTALLY necessary, but the Lazy Granola I made for OAMC is such a hit, I'll be making it on a VERY regular basis.

It's SO hard to resist stocking up when I know I could squeeze a little into every week till the end of the month, but I'm really trying to see the impact OAMC has on the budget! At this point I've only used one OAMC meal per week, which would stretch my freezer stash almost to June - my goal is to use 2-3 per week, but either way the extra investment last month should do my budget good at least through April!

Here's what we bought last week:


BJ's
2 gallons milk - $4.96
51oz canister BJ's formula - $16.99 (got $3 instant rebate!)
3lb bag sweet potatoes - $2.49 (for baby food)
3lb bunch bananas - $1.44
3lb jar BJ's honey - $6.99

Total: $32.87

This week I got $3 in store savings!






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Grocery Trip - week 9 '10

SOOOOO...my Once a Month Cook-off shopping bled into the first week of March - I had hoped to get more done up front but I was able to get ALL of my freezer meals done before the end of the week! Total spent last week ended up at $86.56, but very little of that was non-OAMC shopping. It also included wipes and Ziploc bags for my OAMC! The good news: I finished last week with 21 dinners and a lot of granola for breakfast in the freezer, so my biggest challenge for the rest of March will be to resist the urge to pad my stockpile.

I also did a CVS ExtraCare Bucks deal last week - first time in a LOOONG time! But we needed body wash and the milk was $1.99/gallon after the ECBs! I also came across two loaves of whole wheat bread at Shaw's for $0.45 each because they were close to the sell-by date...those went straight into the freezer!

Here's how it went down:

BJ's
BJ's wipes - $10.99 (got $3 in instant rebate)
5lb bag Mozzarella cheese - 11.99

Total: $22.98

Wal-Mart
Ziploc quart freezer bags - $2.67+tax
Ziploc gallon freezer bags - $3.26+tax

Total: $6.30

Price Rite
42oz Price Rite old fashioned oats - $1.79 (for OAMC)
14oz box Price Rite cheerios - $1.59
20oz box Price Rite baking mix - $1.79 (for OAMC)
2 24oz jars salsa - $2.98 (for OAMC)
10 oz can Price Rite corn - $0.49 (for OAMC)
1 packet PR brown gravy mix - $0.29
24oz PR honey - $3.99 (for OAMC)
24oz PR yellow mustard - $0.89 (for OAMC)
15oz can PR peas - $0.69 (for OAMC)
12oz PR dijon mustard - $0.99 (for OAMC)
PR cinnamon - $0.89
box PR raisins - $1.49
1 loaf PR wheat bread - $1.19
1 bunch scallions - $0.59 (for OAMC)
1 bulb garlic - $0.45 (for OAMC)
1 bunch celery - $1.49
4.78lb onions (8) - $4.25 (for OAMC)
0.7lb zucchini - $0.69
16oz Caramel Apple Coffeemate - $1.29
2 dozen eggs - $2.98 (1 for OAMC)
4 24oz bags PR frozen corn kernels - $5.16 (for OAMC)
42oz canister PR quick oats - $1.79
4 pkg PR cream cheese - $3.96 (for OAMC)
1 bag PR tater tots -
1 pkg Bar S hot dogs - $0.99

Total: $36.91

Shaw's
0.64lb green pepper - $1.91 (for OAMC)
2 8oz packages white mushrooms - $2.00 ($2.38 in-store savings) - for OAMC
2 loaves whole wheat bread - $0.90 (no instore savings but these are usually $2.50 ea!)
Strawberry pie filling - $3.99 (for OAMC)
Blueberry pie filling - $4.29 (for OAMC)

Total: $13.09

CVS
2 Gallons milk - $5.98 ($0.80 in store savings before ECB)
1 Suave body wash - $1.99+tax($0.80 in store savings)
1 Irish Spring body wash - $4.99+tax
received and used $6 in ECBs

Total OOP: $7.28

This week I got $8.54 in store savings and ECBs!




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Grocery Trips - week 8 '10

Last week was a weird shopping week, we were WAY over budget at $106.03 - I needed very little "regular" shopping items, but I did pick up part of my remaining OAMC shopping. That accounted for about $26 of the spending, and I'll make that up in March when we are eating mostly out of the freezer. I got SUPER lucky at BJ's, the day I was there they happened to have some ground beef that was close to the "sell by" date, it was 93% lean and marked down to $1.50/lb for quick sale! I picked up 8lbs, which will cover ALL of the beef dishes for my Once a Month Cooking.

The snag came when I decided to do a little "extra" shopping at Stop & Shop. I needed toilet paper, and they had the 12-pack double rolls of Angel Soft for 2/$11. A great deal when paired with the $0.50/1 coupons from the Angel Soft website, which doubled! But they also had Gorton's seafood products at half off, a great price AND I had coupons. My toddler loves fish but we can't always afford it, so I went for it. I also picked up 4 containers of ice cream to prepare for the Boy Wonder's birthday party this weekend, since they were also heavily marked down. I could have passed both these deals up, but I didn't (and I missed out on an extra $4 in savings because I didn't plan out my transactions correctly ahead of time - my own fault!). It just means I will have to be even MORE diligent through March.

The good news: my total spending for the month of February was $261.91 - while that was over budget, it was only $12 more than my max goal! The last OAMC shopping will fall on the first week of March and will drive that budget up a little...but if I plan well through March, things should look good by April 1st! Keeping fingers crossed :)

BJ's
3lb bananas - $1.44
Foil lasagna pans - $7.99 (for OAMC)
8.2lbs 93% lean ground beef - $12.30 (for OAMC)
51oz can BJ's formula - $19.99
2 gal milk - $4.96
2 40-oz jars Skippy peanut butter - $7.79
3lb shredded cheddar cheese - $7.99 (most for OAMC)
BeechNut stage 2 dinners - $7.79 (while I figure out the homemade versions)
2 SodaStream soda mixes - $7.98 (we don't buy soda, we make it!)

Total: $79.23

Stop & Shop
4 containers Breyer's ice cream - $7.96 ($14 store savings)
4 pks Gorton's seafood - $10.06 (used $2 in coupons, $12.10 store savings)
2pks 12 double roll Angel Soft toilet paper - $9.00+tax (used $2 in coupons, $3.98 store savings)
used 5% off your order coupon from mailer - additional $0.74 in savings

Total: $26.80

This week I used $4 in coupons, and got $30.08 in store savings!





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Grocery Trips - week 7 2010

This week we hit the outer edges of budget with $57.19 spent - but it was a weird shopping week. Instead of planning my usual trips to the Price Rite and BJ's near my house, we were out apartment shopping a few days this week so I did some shopping at the Super Wal Mart near that area. Again spent more than normal on some items, but I paid for the convenience. The good news is I had some leftover room on a gift card so that shopping trip was not out of our pocket :) When I was able to get to the Price Rite, I did a bit of stocking up - including BIG hotel-style turkey breasts that were only $0.59/lb! I bought a 9lb and an 11lb turkey :)

That might seem excessive, but I get a LOT of mileage out of those turkey breasts! I cooked one on Friday, and we had about 3.5 lbs of leftover meat after dinner - that will be used for the Once a Month Mom Cook Off in the Curried Chicken Tidbits dish - curried turkey is just as good! I also made about 10 cups of broth from the carcass and giblets which will find their way into soups and stews over the next few months.

I tallied up about what I should have to spend for the rest of the Once a Month Mom Cook Off dishes that I plan to make, and that alone came to just under $50...plus I need formula and more baby food supplies (that kiddo can eat!!). So I will almost definitely exceed my budget for February, but I will have a TON of meals in the freezer already paid for to carry me through March! Here's how the shopping went down this week:

Wal Mart
3lb bag Gala apples - $2.97 (usually $2.59 at PR)
2 large onions - $1.17 - for OAMC
2.30lb bananas - $1.13 (usually $1.49 for 3lbs at BJ's)
Egg noodles - $1.50 (usually $1 at PR) - for OAMC
Great Value canned corn - $0.78 - for OAMC
Great Value canned peas - $0.78 - for OAMC
1 gal GV milk - $3.23 (usually $2.69 at PR)

Total on Gift Card: $11.56
Total OOP: $0.00

Price Rite
10lb rice - $2.99
42oz PR old fashioned oats - $1.79 - for baby food and OAMC
48oz PR vegetable oil - $1.99
16oz PR unsalted peanuts - $1.99
6 cans Campbells tomato soup - $3.54
6-pk PR microwave popcorn - $1.49
Wheat bread - $1.19
20.75lb (2) Shadybrook Farms turkey breasts - $12.24
5lb carrots - $2.19
3.01lb Bosc pears - $2.38
2.62lb green grapes - $3.90
6 large oranges - $3.78
2 avocados - $1.98
large tub butter spread - $1.49
1 gal PR milk - $2.69

Total: $45.63

This week I shopped with NO coupons!





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Grocery trips - week 6 2010

Last week shopping was a little sporadic, I totally skipped on making a menu plan because we ALL got sick and things were just nutty. We were either too ill to eat or working off of leftovers for the first part of the week, and this past weekend both hubby and I worked so we used up the last of the leftovers or ate at my in-laws. Good for the budget, yes...but I am looking forward to stocking my freezer with meals to take some of the pressure off!

I bought the pork for the Once a Month Mom Cook-off, the pork tenderloins were $1.99/lb and the store butcher will custom cut them for nothing! He cut me four nice 1.5lb roasts for OAMC, and 7 yummy boneless chops :) Since the two February menu pork roast recipes (Asian Pork Roast and Pork Roast with Apples and Pears) were just "dump" recipes (toss everything in the bag and freeze) I whipped those together while I made dinner one night - 10 minutes of busywork and I have 4 pork roast dinners ready to go! Woot!

We were still within budget this week at $54.55 spent (though on the higher end), even with some OAMC shopping. But I'm going to need to replenish some of the stores (we are almost out of cheese - can't run out of cheese!!) so we may go over budget a bit in the coming weeks - we'll see how it goes, or if I'm able to do this month AND OAMC within budget!

Stop & Shop
9.28lb pork tenderloin - $18.47 (6lb for OAMC - $11.94) $4.64 store savings
Jello cups - $3.69 (Ouch! Stomach bug caught us and I went for convenience. Bad Suzie!)
3 avocados - $5.00 (baby food)

Total: $27.16

Price Rite
42oz canister PR quick oats - $1.79
14oz box PR generic cheerios - $1.49
Gallon jug vinegar - $1.89 (used for recipes and cleaning!)
Pepperidge farm cheddar fish - $1.67
5lb bag white potatoes - $0.97
2 Gallon milk - $5.38
PR Apple Juice 64 oz - $1.19 (for OAMC)
PR Strawberry Jelly 32 oz - $1.99
1 loaf PR wheat bread - $1.19
3.60lb butternut squash - $3.20 (for baby food)
2 large garlic bulbs - $0.74
2 large red apples - $1.13 (for OAMC)
16 oz Breakstones sour cream - $0.99 (for OAMC)
24 oz bag frozen cut green beans - $1.29
24 oz bag frozen mixed veggies - $1.29
16 oz bag frozen California mix veggies - $1.19


Total: $27.39s

This week I used NO coupons! I got $4.64 in store savings!




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Grocery Trips - week 5 2010

So how excited am I...we finished January with UNDER $200 spent - that included 2 cases of diapers and formula! Woot! Yes, I started with a very happy stockpile, but I made stockup purchases as well as weekly needs in January. We started off this month pretty strong, I am just slightly under budget at $44.13 spent!

February may tip the budget a little - I am participating in Once a Month Mom's Cook-off and will be buying not only what we need for our weekly meals, but also what I'll need for the freezer cooking. I'll be blogging my progress too - if you want to get on board go check it out, they've lined up some great prizes! I'll try to make notes what I'm buying for regular shopping and what is included in the Once A Month cooking.

BJ's
51 oz can BJ's formula - $19.99
1 gallon milk - $2.41
Kotex pads 80ct - $9.99

Total: $32.39

Price Rite
1 loaf wheat bread - $1.19
2.21lb baking potatoes - $1.30
1lb carrots - $0.69
2.85lb pears (6) - $3.68 (2 pears for OAMC @ $1.23)
3lb Macintosh apples - $2.39
32oz Coffeemate creamer - $2.49

Total: $11.74

This week I shopped with NO coupons!





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Grocery trips - week 4 2010

Another week eating from the pantry, and we needed so little I went ahead and stocked up on a couple of things again. Total spending for the week was $39.13 ($4.42 on my Wal-Mart GC), still well under budget! I did get some jarred baby food, mostly because I haven't made up homemade fruits yet and I don't own a food mill to break down the peas enough. I also bought my bread at BJ's instead of Price Rite, we paid more but the kids were getting a little lively and we needed to get home. It's nice to know that we can be flexible like that and still make budget!

BJ's
2 40oz jars Skippy PB - $7.79
8-pk canned diced tomatoes - $6.89
1 gallon whole milk - $2.48
2pk wheat bread - $3.49
3lb bananas - $1.44
18pk Beech nut stage 2 fruits - $7.79

Total: $29.88

Shaw's
2.57lb boneless chicken breast - $4.83 (store savings $6.20)

Total: $4.83

Wal-Mart
4 jars Beech Nut peas - $1.84
24oz Great Value raisins - $2.58

Total on gift card: $4.42
Total OOP: $0.00






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Grocery trips - week 3 2010

We were a bit over budget last week (spent $66.83), but I'm still on track to hit the $200-250 mark for January - keep in mind, that includes diapers and formula! We didn't need much in the way of mealtime staples, but I did pick up some snacks and flavored creamer (my little indulgence) as well as some extras for the freezer since they were on sale :) I'm finding that doing the pantry challenge is making it REALLY easy to use the "extra" grocery money to restock...but then, that may just be how it works best for me.

I also hit up the Stop & Shop cat deal on Breakstone's cottage doubles that Wicked Cool Deals had posted about - not something I would normally buy but they've been nice to have!!

BJ's
1 case (204) size 3 Luvs diapers - $24.99 (used $5 coupon from BJ's mailer)
51 oz BJ's brand formula - $16.99 (used $3 coupon from BJ's mailer)
1 gallon whole milk - $2.48 (cheaper than Price Rite now!)
3 lb sweet potatoes - $2.29 (for baby food)

Total: $46.75

Price Rite
Price Rite microwave popcorn 6-pk - $1.49
5lb flour - $1.49
1 can Price Rite beef gravy - $0.59
1 lb jar dry roasted peanuts - $1.99
Wheat bread - $1.19
2 32oz Coffeemate Italian Sweet cream - $4.98

Total: $11.73

Stop & Shop - 4 Transactions

#1
5 Breakstone's Cottage Doubles - $5.00 ($1.25 store savings)

Total OOP: $5.00
got $5 off your next purchase (OYNP) catalina

#2
5 Breakstone's Cottage Doubles - $5.00 ($1.25 store savings)
used $5 catalina)

Total OOP: $0.00
got $5 OYNP catalina

#3
5 Breakstone's Cottage Doubles - $5.00 ($1.25 store savings)
used $5 catalina

Total OOP: $0.00
got $5 OYNP catalina

#4
1.76 lb London Broil - $3.50 ($3.52 store savings)
1.81 lb London Broil - $3.60 ($3.62 store savings)
1.58 lb broccoli crowns - $1.25 ($1.58 store savings)
used $5 catalina

Total OOP: $3.35

Total: $8.35

This week I used $23 in coupons!
This week I got $8.72 in store savings!





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Grocery trips - week 2 2010

Well this was the first week I participated in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge, and boy did it show! We spent a total of $35.33 but that included a case of diapers AND veggies to make into baby food! Even with the diapers I was under budget, but I know I'll need more paper goods before the end of the month.

BJ's
1 case (150) size 5 Luvs diapers - $25.01 (used $5 coupon from BJ's Flyer)

Total: $25.01

Price Rite
1 loaf wheat bread - $1.19
3lb bag onions - $1.29
3.45 lb butternut squash - $3.07 (for baby food)
1 avocado - $0.99 (for baby food)
2 lb bag carrots - $1.09 (for baby food and cooking)
1 gal whole milk - $2.69

Total: $10.32

This week I used $5 in coupons!






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Grocery trips - week 1 2010

OK - I know I'm a little late getting this started, but it's time to get the ball rolling on my weekly grocery tracking! For the week ending Jan 9, I made three stops and spent a total of $55.05 ($16.26 of that was on a WalMart gift card, not out of pocket). That's just slightly over the $50 per week I should be aiming for to stay on budget! I should mention, most of the items we got at Wal Mart are less expensive when I get them from Price Rite (I made notes below) - we only got them at WalMart because of the gift card. So had I done shopping as I normally would have, the total would have been right on target!

Wal Mart
(I made notes on what the Price Rite prices would be, since we'd have shopped there if it weren't for the gift card)
Gallon Great Value whole milk - $2.94 (Price rite: $2.79)
Great Value Peanut butter, 40oz - $3.48
Great Value Strawberry Preserves - $2.86 (Price Rite: $1.99)
Great Value raisins - $2.58
Great Value Brown Sugar - $1.44 (Price Rite: $0.99)
2 Swiss Miss cocoa - $2.00
Gerber stage 1 prunes - $0.96

Total: $16.26 ($0 out of pocket)

Trucchi's
(Their Wacky Wednesday sale got me! I bought items to make freezer breakfast sandwiches, plus a few short-sale meat items!)
4 dozen large brown eggs - $5.16
9 packages Trucchi's english muffins - $3.00
4 lbs Plumrose bacon - $7.56
2.32 lbs bananas - $0.77
2 lbs sweet Italian sausage - $3.58

Total: $20.07

Price Rite
42oz canister PR quick oats - $1.79
10oz fresh mushrooms - $1.89
0.91lb broccoli crowns - $1.17
1.8lb zucchini - $1.42
1 bag celery - $1.69
2lb unsalted butter - $3.78
3lb bag frozen blueberries - $5.99
Dulce de Leche wafers - $0.99 (mommy's special treat!)

Total: $18.72

This week I shopped with NO coupons!




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