End of November Grocery Spending and Eating Out Summary

I maintain a monthly budget of $160 for groceries and $40 for eating out to keep my total spending under $200.  I work to shop sales, use coupons and any deal to get the most groceries under my budget.  I have a lot of thing in my pantry, fridge and freezer so I am trying to make a dent in those items and not spend as much time in the grocery store this month.  I normally use the majority of the November budget for two turkeys but I already had one in the freezer so I only got one and my spending was pretty low this month.

Below are the pictures and descriptions of everything that I got with my budget this month.  The purchases at the beginning of the month are broken down here but all the pictures are shown below.

Aldi $3.32

Aldi $18.16

Shoppers $0.10

Giant $32.40

Shoppers $0

My son was in charge of picking out his special treat and paying for it and it ended up free without any tax.  He was pretty excited and the lady at the register was excited for him too!!

Aldi $4.08

I needed potatoes and I knew that they were going to be going on sale with the holidays so I asked my husband to stop and get 30 pounds because it was so heavy and my shoulder was killing me.  He got three bags and one of them had a gross potato that was yucky so I had to go back and return it and get a new one so I got $2.04 back and a free bag.  Of course, I told my husband to check each bag which he said he did but I was happy with my 30 pounds of potatoes for $4!!!

Aldi $10.81

My husband and son went to Aldi in Manassas because there were out there watching a friend play in a soccer game.  There are much cheaper prices out there but I totally forgot what I needed so they grabbed a bunch of things that we will totally use.  We were out of tortilla chips and almost out of corn shells.  The tub margarine is $1.39 close to the house and $0.85 out there so $2.70 savings with that stockup.  The Nacho chips were $0.75 so my husband grabbed those and my son told him that he wasn't allowed unless he called me to ask.  I think that was the answer my son got when he asked but it made me laugh still!!

Aldi $5.20

I went back to the store again and returned the  potatoes and got the ice cream that was requested and celery because it was on sale for $0.99 which is way cheaper then it has been.  I used all of the remaining one to make stuffing so it will come in handy for fried rice and more.

Harris Teeter $30.40

I went to the store the day before Thanksgiving.  I missed the sales for the week and it was the last day so I was a little surprised that it was like Black Friday in the busiest mall because I don't normally head to the store then.  I had to wait for another car to pull out to get a spot.  They were out of one of the sodas that I wanted but grabbed lots more of everything including the baking soda that was $0.19 each.  I was trying to put all the sodas back into the cart and packing the bags with cranberry juice but I guess the coupon didn't scan.  The cashier lady said this doubles to $1 right and I said yes.  She said how many did you get 4 and I said yes and then she put the credit on and I didn't pay attention but she gave me $4 instead of $2.  My distraction was easily seen because I left my cell phone on the thing by the cashier and the guy behind me in line had to point and tell me.  I am obviously not cut out for holiday grocery shopping!!

Aldi $3.57

I went to the store to return the turkey that we had because my husband said that it was gross and the expiration was December 24th so I brought it back and got a free replacement.  The money was then put back towards my grocery total so I didn't have to pay as much.  They have been out of Extra Sharp Cheddar so I got another block of Sharp Cheddar cheese just in case we need it because we are out of cheese.

Giant $0.10

I went to get my freebie yogurt that was loaded on my card.  They were out of the flavor that I wanted so I was thinking that I was going to head to another store but I asked and they went into the back and found it for me.  I got the Cheerios free after printable coupon and there was an additional electronic coupon that gave me $1 overage so I got a box of cake mix to make my son's birthday cupcakes.  He really likes store bought cupcakes so I try to make them for his birthday since I make everything from scratch the rest of the year.  So sad that those are his favorite!!

Shoppers $0

I got to save my freebie on Friday and got to get it today before it expired.  I figure that we will save it for a party but great for free.

Total Retail $252.07

Total Savings $143.93

Total OOP $108.14

I wasn't feeling really well this month so I didn't get to the store to get a lot of deals.  I had plenty of food in the house to work through and still came in way below budget.  We currently have a very full fridge and freezer which I am trying to work my way through things before getting more but hoping to finish lots of things before getting more deals.  Frozen food month is in March so I try, usually without a lot of luck, to empty the fridge before there are more sales.

Eating Out

We took a family trip at the beginning of the month and we bought pizza at Pizza Hut for $22.40.  We were running errands and stopped at Panera to get some treats for all of ours.  I had a gift card which paid for all of it.  We went to Pizza Hut again (my son's favorite new place) and spent $10.60.  Total spent was $33.  We only had $7 left for the month for eating out. My parents came and took us out to my son's favorite restaurant and then bought Chinese the next day.  I feel like we ate out too much this month but that might have just been me!!

Middle of the Month November Shopping Update

I maintain a monthly budget for our family of three for groceries and eating out of $200.  I use $160 for groceries and $40 for eating out.  I work hard to shop sales and use coupons to stretch the budget as far as possible. Shopping at the lowest possible prices mean that the items in my pantry, fridge and freezer afford me many months that I am not running to the store to get lots through the month.  This was one of those months where I didn't need to go to the store.

I normally set aside November budget to buy whatever I have to get two turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Sometimes it requires a $40 or $50 purchase at a store that I don't normally shop at which has me getting more then I think is necessary because I don't know if it is going to be pre-sale or post-sale price or with or without coupons.  This time there were sales for turkeys at two stores for $0.39 per pound with only a $25 purchase.  I already had one turkey in the freezer for Thanksgiving so I was trying to decide on whether to get another turkey or eat something different for Christmas like steaks.  My mom said get a turkey so I did!!

Below are the items that I got and what I spent at each store with a break down of what the different items cost.

Aldi $3.32

I went to the store to return a bag of Honey Crisp Apples that I got.  I got another bag and half of those were bad too.  It is tough to go out of your way to get apples when none of them look decent and it is hard to see into the bag.  I thought about returning the second bag but it seemed pointless.  I threw the second bag in the fridge so that I could cut out the good parts and make them into bread.  I grabbed turkey lunch meat, tub margarine and stick margarine because we were running low on both of them.

Aldi $18.16

We were totally out of cheese, milk and lettuce.  I got the chicken fries and turkey lunch meat just in case because I wasn't sure what we had at home.  I wasn't planning on getting this much but they changed the packaging on the chicken fries so I was a little worried that the product changed too which will be a tough fight with my son since these are the only chicken product that he likes.

Shoppers $0.10

I went to get the freebie that was tasty broth for free especially since I haven't made it for the last few weeks.

Giant $32.40

I was looking at all the deals to get the best price on a turkey.  I know that it is only turkey season to get them cheap so I made a plan to get it on sale.  Giant had Heinz ketchup on sale for $1.88 which we just ran out of.  Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice was $1.88 (limit 4) which I had one printed coupon and one electronic coupon come off.  I also picked up cranberry sauce for my husband (leftovers to be used in some yummy salad dressing).  They had a deal for free pasta which they were continually out of so the manager substituted another one.  I had enough in my cart to get my turkey for $8.27 instead of $31.60 which is almost what I paid for all the groceries instead.

Total Retail $107.85

Total Savings $53.87

Total OOP $53.98

I hope that you are having a good month and have lots more deals to get this month.

Eating Out

We took a family trip at the beginning of the month and we bought pizza at Pizza Hut for $22.40.  We were running errands and stopped at Panera to get some treats for all of ours.  I had a gift card which paid for all of it.  That leaves us $17.60 for the rest of the month.  I also have gift cards so we are hoping to use those for some more special treats this month.

End of October Shopping Summary

I was pretty happy that I spent right about at the halfway mark for the month at the middle of the month.  I budget $160 a month for our family of three to get the items that we need at the lowest stock up prices possible.  I use sales and coupons to stretch that budget as far as possible.  I had a bunch of my budget left to get the deals at the end of the month.  Sadly, the shelves were very empty and never restocked at Super Doubles so I didn't get a ton of deals even though I went to a bunch of stores every day.  I think that I stocked up on a lot of things at very low prices so I am happy with what I got this month overall.

Check out my month below.  The trips at the beginning of the month were broken down in my middle of the month post here.  The trips at the end of the month are all broken down below.  Check out what I got this month with my budget.

Harris Teeter $6.30

Harris Teeter $2.08

Harris Teeter $7.76

Harris Teeter $3.07

Shoppers $0

Harris Teeter $1.27

Harris Teeter $1.28

Harris Teeter $0.15

Harris Teeter $3.88

Harris Teeter $0.44

Harris Teeter $6.21

Safeway $0

Aldi $11.03

Shoppers $0.28 

Wegman's $3.12 + $0.08 + $0.08 + $0.08= $3.36

Aldi $14.40 

Harris Teeter $26.64

Harris Teeter $0

I went in to grab the weekend freebie and that was all that I got so it was free.

Safeway $1.41

We had to go somewhere in the morning and my husband promised my son doughnuts on the way so they stopped at Safeway and got one doughnut each.

Aldi $15.66 

I went to the store because we were out of a lot of things and I really still can't figure out why were out of so much but I grabbed what we needed quickly and headed to the next stop my long list of things to do.

Harris Teeter $0.11

I went to the store to get some freebies but this was all that I got. I used this receipt for any item rebate on Ibotta so I got $0.10 back.

Harris Teeter $0.10

I got these two for my cousin who is currently only drinking decaf.

Harris Teeter $4.66

I got a ton of things this trip and ran into a friend who gave me the coupon for the soup and the oatmeal which I used right away.  I turned this in for rebates for the yogurt and the Dentek and any item so I got back $1.60 on Ibotta.

Harris Teeter $0.11

There were a few more string cheese on the shelf so I got three.

Harris Teeter $1.99

I went to the store with my friends who were going but the shelves were already picked over.  I got these few things but I was happy to finally get one Cheez It coupon to print because my computer was being fussy.

Harris Teeter $0

I got the taste and tell and forgot to check out with it so I grabbed it in a separate transaction.  I did a Checkout 51 rebate and got $0.25 back so it was a money maker.

Harris Teeter $0.35

This transaction was less then only tax because two of the coupons fully doubled which gave me an extra $0.30 off the tax so it was an amazing deal with tons of free stuff.  Super great that I had enough cushion in the tax to cover the overage so I didn't have to scramble to get something else.  I also got back $1.10 for the yogurt and any item from Ibotta so it was a money maker.

Harris Teeter $9.58

I went a little crazy with my long list of things to get and I had my highest total in awhile.  I had a rain check to get the peas for $0.88 which I needed for fried rice and more.  The Cheez Its were $0.50 per box.  The Triaminic was the most expensive one but I just got a new coupon so I got one box which ended up being $3.99 instead of $7.49 shelf price with sale and coupon.  The Captain Crunch was free.  I turned it in for Checkout 51 rebate for $1 for the Cheez Its so that was an amazing bonus.

Shoppers $0.12

I didn't get the freebie last week which was yogurt that I even like so I was set that I was going to make it there this week to get the freebie.

Giant $1.45

There was a freebie at Giant of the Well Yes Soup and I thought that I could pull together a pretty good transaction based on the coupons that I had that were all expiring in the next few days but I wasn't sure what I was getting when I went into the store because I didn't know the prices.  The soup ended up being a money maker because the three coupons that I had fully doubles and electronic coupons came off.  I got the rice for $0.50 per box and the Town House Crackers were $0.38 for one box (with the electronic coupon) and $0.88 for the other two.  I probably could have gone around the store to get things a little lower OOP but I knew that I got things that I could use.  Now I just have to figure out how I used to make that skillet taco chicken and rice meal with the minute rice again.  I think that I will get Saving Star rebates back too so that is a nice bonus.

Harris Teeter $1.62

I went to the store to see what I could find left from super doubles and there was nothing on the shelf but I realized that I had three of these coupons left so I got them for $0.50 a box and turned them in for $0.50 rebates each so I got back $1.50.

Harris Teeter $1.26

I finally found a store that had some things in stock that I still had coupons for so I was excited to grab them.  The $0.50 pie crusts were thrown in because I didn't know how the milk coupons would double so I was a little freaked out because this store is horrible to couponers normally but everything rang up the way it was supposed to so I was excited to get all this for free.

Harris Teeter $0.03

I went to the store and they only had the captain crunch so I grabbed them and only paid tax.  The women seemed interested in couponing who checked me out and was impressed that I got two things of cereal for three pennies but I was exhausted so just said yup couponing is great.  Normally I would tell her where to find the coupons and different websites but I think that she was just trying to be nice so I went on my way with my two cereal.

           

Total Retail $776.93

Total Savings $650.33

Total OOP $126.60

I got back $17.15 in rebates so far this month and I expect a few rebates to come through Saving Star so I am hopeful to get a little bit more.  This is a little better then I have done for the past few months so I think that did a pretty good job keeping up with all the rebates.  There are many times that you have to check back and I did a pretty good job of that this month.  I have also worked hard to get all my receipts in Fetch which I have gotten some pretty good point totals this month.

I stocked up on a lot of rice, yeast, cereal, crackers, cranberry juice and more.  I was happy with the items that I got for the month.  I know that we have a bunch of food in the cupboards that they are overflowing into the basement for canned goods and into the laundry room for the cereal so we are plenty over stocked and hoping to find some more great deals to use next month but will be plenty fine with what is in the house for a little while.  We are running low on butter and a few other things but nothing a quick trip to Aldi's won't help!! Getting ready to start the winter baking soon and making a few yummy treats so that we have some breakfast treats again.

Eating Out

We went to a festival and my husband decided to get Kettle Corn so that was $6.  My parents came into town and bought Pizza Hut for my son that would have been $21.20 (I only know because I ordered online) and there was something messed up with the order so they gave my husband free cinnamon rolls.  My parents also bought Chinese food because it is my mom's favorite which was a great treat for everyone.  Our total spent for the month was well under my $40 budget with only $6.

Middle of the Month October Budget Update

I work every month to shop for all of the things at the best price so that I can stock up on the items that my family needs at the lowest price to spread our budget as far as possible.  My budget for the month is $160 per month for all our household goods for our family of three.  I use sales, coupons and any method to get the items that we need for the lowest prices that I can.  I shop at lots of different stores and my shopping may look a little different then a normal trip to the store because of that shopping technique.  Most of our monthly meal plan is already in our house in the pantry and the freezer with a few additions of deals that I get in the month that I work in.

I didn't do the best job this month of writing the receipts into my spreadsheet as soon as I got them but I knew that I was a little over shopping but still well under budget.  Below are the pictures and break downs of all the items that I got this month.  We have a lot of cereal and granola bars now but it was a pretty good month so far.

Harris Teeter $6.30

I got the tomato sauce and soup for free.  I bought the cold medicine to stock up for this winter cold systems since there was a coupon that doubled.

Harris Teeter $2.08

I bought these because my husband seemed to enjoy them as a special treat and there was a $2 rebate on Ibotta so they ended up being a great deal after the rebate.

Harris Teeter $7.76

Super excited for the beginning of super doubles and I got my free canned tomatoes.  We are running low on rice so I decided that I would get the Mahatma Jasmine for $1 since I didn't get it back when it was free.  The ground chicken was $1 each and it took a few stores to find it so I was excited to find it in stock.  The Quaker Chewy Granola bars are $0.74 per box which was a great deal!!

Harris Teeter $3.07

This store was out of a bunch of things but had the right granola bars that my son likes so I grabbed what they had left for $0.74 per box.

Shoppers $0

Another yummy freebie that I ran in and grabbed at Shoppers.  They didn't have the right thing so they replaced it with these.  They were tasty treats for me that I got to have over a few days.

Harris Teeter $1.27

I was excited to get free coffee, Piergoies, and Evol burritos.  The Wewalka pizza crust is $0.50 and the Nellie eggs were $0.49.  

Harris Teeter $1.28

Got more freebies and $0.50 Wewelka pizza dough and $0.49 Nellie eggs because the deals were too good to pass up.

Harris Teeter $0.15

I grabbed these additional coffee pods which are going to be a big gift box for my cousin for the holidays.  Who doesn't enjoy getting something they use which normally cost $8 per box?!

Harris Teeter $3.88

I went out at night with my friend to see if I could find some more things that I couldn't find earlier in the day and I didn't have a lot of luck because everything was out of stock.  I decided to get the tomatoes.  The Muir Glen was on sale for the big can and I got them for $0.67 each.  The other cans were $0.60 each.  I was hoping to make a big pot of sauce and lasagna so I wanted to grab some sauce to make my own sauce so I was glad to get some deals.

Harris Teeter $0.44

I went back to the store to get some deals and saw in my email that there was a $10 off $50 digital coupon on my account and free milk.  I decided to go a little crazy when I had found most of the things that I wanted in stock including some high priced items like the $7.99 coffee and $3.99 cereal.  I added up the price of the items before coupons to make sure that it was over $50 and after coupons and it was still under the $10 after coupon amount so I added the eggs to my order. The coffee, chocolate milk, life cereal and Captain Crunch were all free after coupon.   The Cheerios were $0.75 each, the Frosted Flakes were $0.97 each, Children's medicine $2.99, and eggs were $1.47.  The $10 digital coupon and another digital coupon that came off paid for all my items that weren't free and I paid only tax for all these items worth about $92 retail. 

Harris Teeter $6.21

I went to another store to see if they have any more Cheerios cereal and free Life cereal.  I got these for $1 each box after sale and coupon.  My husband was super excited to have all those Cheerios since they are now his favorite cereal.

Safeway $0

I got another digital coupon added to my account and my husband and son picked it up and we had it for lunch.

Aldi $11.03

I was out of all these items so I grabbed a few things to cover us until I had more time for shopping.

Shoppers $0.28 

Super excited for these deals.  I got the free Lucky Charms, Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  I also got $2 overage in digital coupons.  There was a Friday freebie for the Grown in Idaho Tater Tots which are my son's favorites.  I also got the Orville popcorn with the overage for a treat for my son.  I ended up getting $2 back from Saving Star and $1 from Checkout 51 so it was a great bonus on a trip where I paid only tax.

Wegman's $3.12 + $0.08 + $0.08 + $0.08= $3.36

I went to the store to get lettuce so that I didn't have to drive farther to Harris Teeter. I was willing to even pay a little more so I didn't have to make another stop but I luckily didn't have to because it was $0.99 at Wegman's.  I grabbed the yeast and saw the flour out of the side of my eye and they have already started the holiday sale on flour (limit 2).  I checked out four different times to get all of these groceries super cheap.  I have so much yeast but it is hard for me to pass it up when we get the high value coupons. 

Aldi $14.40 

Next stop of the day was Aldi.  We needed lots of things but I was on a mission to get all my errands done and make it home.  I grabbed what I had written on my list and was super happy that I didn't forget anything.

Harris Teeter $26.64

Maybe my craziest trip of the month but the Cranberry juice was on sale half off so it was $2 each so I grabbed what I could carry.  I got the free taste and tell milk to use in baking.  The ricotta was to make some yummy lasagna with all the things that I already have around the house because it was half price.  I got the Nonni Thin cookies which were $1 each and there was a rebate for $1 each.  It seemed like too good of a deal to pass up.

Total Retail $462.56
Total Savings $374.41

Total OOP $88.15

I have $71.85 left for the month so I know that I will spend it well.  I am looking forward to a rumored super doubles at the end of the month.  I am going to save a little bit of money to spend there but I haven't seen a lot of other deals that I couldn't pass up.  I guess I will see what the rest of the month brings but I know that I am on a mission to clean out the freezer and eat a bunch of things from the pantry before filling them up again.

I have already received back $11.10 in rebates so that is an amazing bonus for the month. I hope that you have a great month so far and enjoy some great shopping.