I should have already had this posted days ago, but the truth is I've been avoiding it. On purpose. I kind of went over my budget, and I hate to admit it.
I thought I could shop once a week. I think I might be wrong. I usually plan a month's worth of meals, then just do one major shopping trip a month to get what is needed for the meals, and just buy stuff like milk and bread when we run out. Now that I'm couponing, I feel like I NEED to shop every week so I don't miss a deal. It's driving me crazy.
I went to CVS, Walgreen's, Walmart, Dollar Tree, and Kroger all in the same day, (then Piggly Wiggly the next day). I bought a lot of stuff and spent a lot of money. I didn't take pictures because I had a raging headache when I got home and just wanted to get it put away so I could sleep.
Here are my totals:
CVS:
Suave deodorant - $2.00
Advil - $9.99 minus $1 MFG coupon = $8.99
Kotex - $3.69 minus $1 MFG coupon = $2. 69
Total = $14.78
Saved = $2.39
ECB earned = $1.00
Walgreen's: (WAG)
2 boxes Fiber One bars - $4.00 minus 2 $1.00 MFG coupons = $2.00
Lysol Wipes - $3.79 Buy one get one free (BOGO), minus $1 MFG = 2 for $2.79
Peter Pan Peanut Butter - $3.49 BOGO = 2 for $3.49
2 Glade air fresheners - $.89 each with WAG coupon, minus $1 MFG coupon = 2 for $0.89
Kleenex - $0.89 with WAG coupon
Bounty Basics Paper Towels - $0.89 with WAG coupon
Total = $11.88
Saved = $17.18
Walmart:
I'm not going to list everything from here because it was mainly just store brand food stuff with no great deals.
Total: $62.44
Dollar Tree:
Sandwich bags, wax paper, lime juice, minced garlic, tortilla chips, scrubber sponge, clearance Christmas candy (.25)
Total: $6.69
Kroger: I did get some good deals here, so I'll list it. Everything was on sale except for the milk, eggs, and rolls.
Honey Nut Cheerios - 3 $8, minus $1 MFG coupon = $7.00
Kroger red beans - $1.39
Healthy Choice Fresh Mixer - $3.29, minus $1 MFG coupon = $2.29
Hamburger Helper - 3 boxes @ $1 each, minus $1/3 MFG coupon = 3/ $2.00
Kroger shredded cheese - 4 @ $2.00 each = $8.00
Kroger crescent rolls - $1.67
Kroger gallon milk - $3.97
Activia yogurt - $2.00, minus $1 MFG = $1.00
Kroger sour cream - $0.99
Kroger eggs - $1.61
Green Giant frozen boxed vegetables - 4 @ 1.00 each, minus $.50/2 coupon, $1/2 coupon, and bonus coupon loaded onto Kroger card from website = 4/ $2.00
3 Lean Cuisines - $1.88 each, minus catalina coupon $1/3 = 3/ $4.64
Onions - $2.00
Potatoes - $2.00
Saltine crackers - $1.25
2 small packages Kroger honey turkey lunch meat - $0.29 each = $0.58
Kroger smoked sausage = $2.50
Kroger sandwich bread - $1.00
Total: $50.09
Total saved: $32.54
Got catalina coupons for $1/6 Lean Cuisine, and $1.50 on 4 General Mills cereals
Piggly Wiggly: When I decided to bake cookies and make Mr. McHacker's birthday cake, I realized I was out of brown sugar and shortening, things I needed for cookies and cake. So I went to the Pig cause it's the closest
Total: $6.08
Total for all stores: $151.96
Year to date total spent: $211.53
Year to date left in budget: 1608.47
Year to date savings using Manufacturer's coupons: $21.25
That makes me $59.86 over budget for January. See what I mean? Everything I bought was stuff we needed, and I'm so used to buying enough to last a month at a time, it's hard trying to change. *Driving me crazy.* So I'm not sure what to do. Do I continue to buy things of they are really cheap and a great deal, or do I not spend any more money until next month?(We have enough food to do that). Does it matter how much I spend monthly, as long as I'm within budget at the end of the year?
I know I'm new at this, so I'm hoping that I will get better at finding deals and using coupons. I'm off to browse the forums at Hot Coupon World and hope I can learn something!
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4 comments:
"Does it matter how much I spend monthly, as long as I'm within budget at the end of the year?"
Think it depends on your circumstances. For me, I simply cannot afford to get all the good deal that come my way. Our primary income is my husband's social security disability, which gets paid on the 3rd of the month, and then there is essentially no more until the 3rd of the next month.
If you CAN afford to do it, though, it seems to make sense because, at some point, you're going to be so completely stocked up from the "deals" that you got that you're literally not going to need to keep buying (or have room for) them.
I'm really looking forward to Feb 3. I plan to shop wherever it takes to get us fully stocked up and then hopefully just have to do the bread/milk/eggs/water stuff through the rest of the month....
I need to be in the stores less because I virtually can't make a store run without thinking of 5 or 10 other things we need.
We'll see how it goes.
WOW that is a lot of running around! don't beat yourself up for going over budget...did you include your hubby's birthday in that? also, some of those products may carry over into next month, like the advil and the potatoes assuming it is a 5 lb bag), etc. maybe you will be under next months budget and even things out
I find that the best thing to do is to set a monthly budget and stick with it--even try to go under it. If I go under it one month I either put that money in savings or choose to add it to next month's budget. I try to only go over the budget if it's an insanely good deal.
I really applaud your efforts to cut costs and stay within budget. I would think that shopping for deals would make your meal planning more difficult. Is it? Maybe fore one moth you should try to plan your meals based on the coupons you have and compare that to shopping using the weekly flyers. Either way....it sounds like lots of work! Keep it up!
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