• Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Groceries from Ingles

    Last week didn’t go as I planned.  My husband was in an accident and the van was totaled so my priorities were altered.   Thankfully he is ok but my week didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned.  I didn’t shop any sales this week, but I did get some groceries,  took the time to take pictures, however, I know I picked up other groceries but forgot to take pictures and cannot seem to locate the receipt either.   Unfortunately, I went over again with the busy week, Father’s Day Holiday, and planning for the upcoming week of no grocery shopping.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4 (with the items I tracked).

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $22.09 at Ingles for 1 container of Mixed Fresh Peppers (clearance), 1 loaf  Bread, 6 packs Strawberry Yogurt  (clearance), 2 (32 oz) bags Carrots (clearance), 1 bag Strawberry Lettuce Mix (clearance), 1 container fresh Strawberries (clearance), 1 bag fresh Broccoli, 1 bag fresh Bananas, 1 bag fresh bakery Bread,  1 container fresh Pineapple (clearance), and 1 bag Corn Tortillas (clearance) Everything was marked down, on sale, or on clearance at Ingles.

     

    Groceries from BiLo

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $26.77 at BiLo for 1 gallon Milk, 1 Red Baron Pizza, 1 Southern Home Mini Bagels, 1 box Smores Poptarts, 1 box Cherry Poptarts, 1 two liter Mountain Dew, 1 container Ice Cream, 1 Red Barron Pan Pasta, 1 bag Spanakopita Rolls, 1 box Southern Home Frosted Flakes, 1 box Southern Home Fruit Loops, 1 box Southern Home Crisp Rice  (these items were bought in a hurry with the girls on our way home to check on Jake.  The Red Barron pizza, Red Barron Pasta, Mini Bagels, Mountain Dew, Spanakopita Rolls, and ice cream were part of a BiLo Meal Deal.)

    It was a tough week when it came to groceries this week. Thankfully, I was able to make it by the store and pick up some items that we needed in the house but I didn’t do a good job of shopping the sales or keeping track of what I bought.  With Jake’s accident this week my mind has been a little preoccupied with him and all the other details.  Thanks for helping keep me on track even in the midst of this busy season!

    This week I spent $48.86  on groceries (on the items I tracked, not sure yet how much total was spent with the other quick trip I made).  I was bummed that I didn’t keep up with everything this week but sometimes life has a way of changing my plans.  I was happy to find the meal deal for our busy week to help us from eating out and some fresh produce on clearance.  Next week I am taking off from grocery shopping in celebrate of the girls first week out of school, spending time with the family, going on a couple fun adventures, and trying to help recover from going over budget the past couple of weeks.  I hope the following week we can come under budget!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    We had a birthday party celebration for the girls and Valentine’s Day this week but in between the fun I was able to make a quick trip to the grocery store.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles, Dollar Tree, and Save A Lot | RiteAid

     Ingles Groceries:

    • $10.16 at Ingles for 2 bags Laura Lynn Bread, 1 container Portabella Mushrooms,  1 container whole fresh Mushrooms, 1 container fresh Strawberries, 1 loaf Poppy Seed French Bread, 1 bag fresh Bananas, 1 bag Romaine Lettuce, and 1 box Jimmy Dean’s Sausage & Biscuts. (All the items were on clearance, marked down or on sale.  The produce was marked down on clearance.)

    Dollar Tree Groceries:

    • $14.00 at Dollar Tree for 2 jars Strawberry Jam, 3 boxes Applesause, 2 boxes Toast’ems, 1 Chocolate Frosting, 1 Vanilla Frosting, 2 containers Sprinkles, 1 can Canola Cooking Spray, 1 jar Vanilla Extract, and 1 bag Marshmallows.

    Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:

    • $7.76 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 2 gallons Milk and 1 box Dannon Yogurts (yogurt was on sale).

    We were able to stock up on some great items this week.  Although we had the girls birthday party celebration and Valentine’s Day we were able to keep it within reason! 🙂

    This week I spent $31.92 on groceries.  I was over on my budgeted amount for the week because of the busy week with traveling, appointments, and upcoming celebrations so thankfully I have a little extra to cover the groceries this week.  I was happy to find fresh eggs and great produce on sale that we can use for several meals.  I hope that next week is better week, back to normal, and we can come under budget!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Jake was traveling for work most of the week and I had a lot of appointments for myself and the girls but I was able to squeeze in a quick trip to the grocery store.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles, Walgreens, and Save A Lot | RiteAid

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $37.14 at Ingles for 6 containers Fresh Strawberries (marked down to $0.99 on clearance), 3 bags Fresh Oranges (4 pounds each marked down to $0.99 each), 3 limes, 1 box Roarin Twirling Berry Drinks (10 count), 1 box Roarin Twirling Fruit Punch (10 count), 1 box Laura Lynn Oatmeal, 5 packs Kool Aide, 2 packs Wylers, 4 cartons Minute Maid Cherry Limeades, 2 boxes Go-Gurt Strawberry and Blueberry (10 count each), 1 pack Laura Lynn Sliced Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 1 pack English Muffins, 1 large bag Pepperoni, 1 pack Potatoes, 1 small pack Pepperoni and 1 fresh Pineapple.  (All the items were on clearance, marked down or on sale.  I was able to use a couple coupons as well.)

    Walgreen Groceries:

    • $0.00 at Walgreens for 2 cartons of Eggs, a dozen each.  (Used Register Rewards to pay for the eggs).

    Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:

    • 20.49 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 1 bag Granny Smith Apples (3 pounds), 1 bag Red Delicious Apples (3 pounds), 2 bags Carrots, 2 packs KoolAid Drinks (6 count each), 2 bags Cheddar Chex Mix, 1 bag Fresh Spinach (marked down on clearance), 1 fresh Green Pepper, 1 box Frosted Flakes, 1 stalk fresh Celery, 1 can Cinnamon Rolls, 1 box Little Hugs Reduced Sugar Drinks (20 count), and 1 fresh Cucumber

     

    Groceries from Walgreens

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $0.00 at Walgreens for 1 gallon Milk and 2 cartons of Eggs (They had their eggs marked down to $0.99 each this week and they are still the best price I can find on milk in our area. I used Register Rewards to pay for the milk and eggs today.  We should be stocked up on eggs for a few days.)

    We were able to stock up on some great items this week.  Although we were a  little over we have two celebrations going on this weekend.  The girls Birthday party and Valentine’s Day!

    This week I spent $57.63 on groceries.  I was over on my budgeted amount for the week because of the busy week with traveling, appointments, and upcoming celebrations so thankfully I have a little extra to cover the groceries this week.  I was happy to find fresh eggs and great produce on sale that we can use for several meals.  I hope that next week is better week, back to normal, and we can come under budget!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    It was a busy week which started with traveling from a conference (we went to Nebraska and Kansas with a brief stop in Texas).   Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and Walgreens

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $18.02 at Ingles for 2 loaves Laura Lynn Bread, 3 containers Fresh Strawberries (on clearance for $0.99), 1 bag Bananas (on clearance for $1.49), 1 bag mixed Fresh Fruit (5 pounds oranges, red delicious apples, granny smith apples on clearance for $1.49), 2 containers Fresh Raspberries (on clearance for $0.99), 1 half gallon Pomengranate Tea (on clearance for $0.99), 1 bag Fresh Organic Cucumbers (on clearance for $0.99), and 3 bacon wrapped Steak Filets (they are normally over $9 each regularly but got them on clearance for $1.99). (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance.  The fresh fruit, veggies, tea and steaks will come in handy with the upcoming Valentine Holiday.   I don’t usually pick up fancy steak even with it on clearance for $1.99 but since Valentines Day is right around the corner and we are going to do a special dinner!)

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $7.54 at Walgreens for 2 gallons Milk and 2 two liters Mountain Dew (They had their milk marked down to $2.79 each and their Pepsi products marked down to $0.98.  The soda is great for upcoming events).

    I think my body was worn out by the time I got home from the conference that it crashed and I ended up getting sick.  Thankfully after a couple days of rest, extra fluids, and lower activities I was able to bounce back.  I appreciate my husband and kids for stepping up and helping out around the house.  Somehow they managed to stay healthy, yay!  I didn’t have around to doing a regular grocery shopping run until Friday with all the travel and sickness.

    This week I spent $25.56 on groceries.  I was under on my budgeted amount for the week because of the busy week with the conference and traveling so thankfully I have a little extra to use towards groceries another week.  I was happy to find fresh produce and steak on sale for the upcoming Valentine celebration.  I hope that next week is better week, back to normal, and we can come under budget!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    I wasn’t able to spend a lot of time shopping the sales this week with all the extra stuff going on around here (including sick family members for a couple days), but I was able to go to a couple stores and pick up some stuff.  Most of the stuff I stocked up on were items that we can use over the next few weeks.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and Walgreens

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $27.93 at Ingles for 1 loaf Laura Lynn Bread, 2 boxes Act II HomePop Popcorn, 2 boxes Act II Light Popcorn, 2 boxes Act II Butter Popcorn, 2 bags Laura Lynn Oyster Crackers, 2 jars Vlasic Dill Relish, 3 bags Laura Lynn Shredded Cheese, 1 container Deans Onion Dip, 2 boxes Yogurt (clearance for 50 cents each), 1 block Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 2 bags English Muffins, 4 tubes Laura Lynn Texas Biscuits,  2 tubes Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls, and 2 loaves French Bread.  (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance.  I was able to pick up some more cheese on sale, and used some coupons for the items purchased!)

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $7.27 at Walgreens for 2 gallons Milk, 1 box South Beach Granola Bars, 4 boxes Mountain Dew (12 packs),  (everything was on sale, I used coupons, registered rewards, and I received $5.99 in Register Rewards back to use towards my next purchase.)

    This week I spent $35.20 on groceries.  Even though I was under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time.  I was thrilled to stock up on bread and diary items as well as other great fridge & pantry items this week.  I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    We had a blast with all our guests and are now back to a more normal routine.  This is the last week the before the girls go back to school so we are trying to make it a fun week for them.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and BiLo

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $11.40 at Ingles for 3 containers of Organic Strawberries, 1 bag of sliced Apples, 1 head of Broccoflower, 1 bag of Bananas, 2 containers of Seafood Dip, and 1 bottle Lemon Juice (all the items were marked down on clearance or on sale except for the Lemon Juice which I was restocking)

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $5.00 at BiLo for 2 gallons of Milk  (They had a Bonus Card Coupon for milk where you could by 2 gallons for $5.00 making them $2.50 each, which is a great deal around our area.  I had to watch the prices because my Bonus Card Coupons didn’t work so make sure to stay on top of those coupons until they work out the kinks.   I brought a reusable bag but they didn’t take it off so I was unable to get a 5 cent discount at BiLo).

    There were several items (Curry, Naan, and a variety of other things) that I or my husband picked up while we had guests staying with us that I did not have a chance to get a picture of over the weekend.  Based on the cash remaining in the grocery budget I believe it totaled just over $21 so I am adding that amount to total this week even though it is not itemized or part of a picture (sorry, with house guests and entertaining several days we have to make exceptions in some areas).

    This week I spent $37.40 on groceries.  Even though I was only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to fed between 9 to 15 people 3 meals a day for several days.    I was thrilled to have my parents, grandparents, brother staying with us and a number of additional family and friends visiting throughout the week.  I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget for the week.

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    We are back from traveling this week and super excited about having guests.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles, BiLo, and Walmart

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $15.80 at Ingles for 1 loaf Laura Lynn Bread, 1 container Yogurt, 1 bag of Banana’s, 2 bags fresh Spinach, 2 bags Fresh Coleslaw,   1 container fresh Lettuce, 1 package Ground Hamburger, 1 head Cauliflower, 1 container fresh Strawberries, 1 container fresh Beans, and 1 bag Shredded Lettuce (all the items were marked down on clearance for $0.50 to $0.99 or on sale plus I used a couple coupons from the yogurt boxes)

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $4.48 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Milk and 1 box of PopTarts.  (I brought a reusable bag today so I was able to get a 5 cent discount at BiLo).

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $21.11 at Walmart for 1 container Vanilla Ice Cream, 1 bag of Hashbrowns, 1 bag English Muffins, 1 bag Mozzarella String Cheese, 1 bag Cheese Twist Sticks, 1 container Sour Cream, 2 containers Whipped Topping, 1 bag Bagels, Oscar Mayer Chicken Combo, Oscar Mayer Combos, 1 box Butter, and 1 bag Potatoes (the Oscar Mayer Combos were free with coupon).

    This week I spent $41.39 on groceries.  Even though I was over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items on clearance plus I had a little extra left over from last week.    I am excited to have my parents, grandparents, and brother visiting this week.  I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget for the week.

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.