• Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Groceries from Ingles and Save A Lot | RiteAid

    Last week we were in Charleston so this week were are back home and in the new summer routine.  The girls had a fun week at VBS and I was able to catch up on a few projects I needed to tackle.  Our family is juggling one car for awhile now so my grocery shopping may be a little higher one week and lower the next depending on when I get the vehicle.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $17.96 at Ingles for 1 bag Mixed Fruit (5 lbs apples and oranges), 1 container of Mushrooms (clearance), 1 bag Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots (clearance), 1 bag Oranges (clearance), 1 container Fresh sliced Pineapple (clearance), 1 container fresh Salsa (clearance), 2 bags Sorrento Mozzarella String Cheese (sale & used coupon), over 3 pounds Ground Beef (clearance), and 2 Sweet Yellow Onions. Everything was marked down, on sale, or on clearance (all produce was $0.99 or less) at Ingles.

    Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:

    • $22.05 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 1 gallon Milk, 1 container of Whipped Topping, 1 bag English Muffins, 2 boxes Brownies, 3 cans sliced Pineapples, 3 cans Mandarin Oranges, 1 bag Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, 2 cans sliced Peaches, 1 bag Cheese Balls, 1 bag Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix, 2 cans Fruit Cocktail, and 1 bag Corn Tortilla Chips.

    Groceries from Ingles

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $43.58 at Ingles for 1 container of Mushrooms (clearance), 1 loaf  Bread, 20 packs Kool Aid Pink Lemonade, 1 bag Spinach (clearance), 2 Orange Crush two liters (on sale for $0.88), 2 Mountain Dew two liters (on sale for $0.88), 1 can Heavy Whipping Cream, 2 bags Mozarella Cheese Sticks (12 count), 10 bags Kraft Shredded Cheese, 3 blocks Kraft Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 1 bag Bananas (clearance), 1 bag Potatoes (clearance), and 1 container Soy Beans (clearance). Everything was marked down, on sale, or on clearance at Ingles.

    This week I spent $83.59  on groceries.   I went way over budget this week, it’s embarrassing……!  Thankfully with us being in Charleston last week we didn’t spend any on groceries so in some ways this is like grocery shopping for two weeks instead of one (makes me feel a tiny bit better).  I was happy to find some cheese deals and some fresh produce on clearance that should last us for quite awhile, although I am not too thrilled about how much I went over this week.  We are still juggling around one car in our family so that makes schedules and grocery store shopping a little more challenging.  Next week it looks like I won’t have the car most days so it should be a lower week to help make up for this week.   Hopefully next week we can come under budget and July will be a better month for us!

    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.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Deep Freezer Goodies – Purple Grapes, Blueberries, Bananas, Green Grapes, & Strawberries

    Freezing Seasonal Fruit - Blueberries, Bananas, Strawberries, Purple & Green Grapes

    This summer we were able to stock up on some fresh produce, including fruit.  Thanks to friends sharing their goodies, time picking produce as a family, and clearance items at our local grocery store we have been able to fill up a section of our freezer with delicious fruit.  The girls have been enjoying Smoothies the last couple of months and were super excited to stock up on some of these great items.  They are already planning on having smoothies after school because they will not be able to share them with me over lunch.

    Here is a great Smoothie Recipe:

    There are many variations to smoothies, may be sharing a couple more favorites over the next few weeks.  Add a handful of fruit you have on hand, a little cream (milk or yogurt), blend,  and you have a smoothie.  If you want a little extra sweetness you can add a touch of honey.  Usually after adding the fruit that is plenty sweet for us but we have tried a variety of different ones.

    Another great use for strawberries is as a healthy sauce!  When we have pancakes or waffles we blend up a cup or two of fresh strawberries to use as a dipping sauce in place of the traditional syrup.  It is healthier and fresher plus the whole family enjoys it.

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    I took time this week to spend reading, playing and hanging out with my girls.  They will be going back to school soon so I wanted to spend more time with them.   Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from the Sav Mor Sidewalk Box Sale!

    Sav Mor Box Sale Groceries – spent $14.00 at Sav More Sidewalk Box Sale

    • 4 Kettle Krinkle Cut Chips Salt & Pepper (14 oz each)
    • 2 General Mills Corn Chex Cereal (14 oz each)
    • 2 Enviro Kids Organic Peanut Butter Panda Puffs
    • 1 Laura Lynn Deluxe Moist Yellow Cake Mix
    • 1 Fantastic Vegetarian Chili
    • 1 Milton’s Corn Bread Crackers
    • 3 Milton’s Everything Multi Grain Crackers
    • 2 Milton’s Whole Wheat Graham Crackers
    • 5 Laura Lynn Deep Dish Pizza Crust (each package had 2 pizza at 11.3 oz each)
    • 1 Laura Lynn Thin Pizza Crust (each package had 2 pizza at 7.4 oz each)
    • 2 Kettle Krinkle Cut Chips Buffalo Bleu (9 oz each)
    • 1 Kettle Krinkle Cut Chips Sweet Onion (9 oz each)
    • 1 Fiber One Complete Pancake Mix
    • 1 Hefty Gallon Bags (13 count)
    • 6 Knorr Pesto Sauce Mix
    • 1 Kraft Mac & Cheese Family Size (14.5 oz)
    • 1  Annie’s Organic Rotini Pasta with 4 Cheese Sauce
    • 1 Late July Organic Bite Size Cheddar Cheese Crackers
    • 1 Sorbee Sugar Free Eat Rite Be Fit Chocolate Syrup (18 oz)
    • 1 Starkist Chunk Light Tuna (5 oz)
    • 1 Bremner Waffer Crackers (4 oz)
    • 1 Thai Kitchen Roasted Garlic and Chili with Jasmine Rice
    • 7 Knorr Four Cheese Sauce Mix
    • 1 Kind Nut Delight Bar
    • 1 Knorr Roasted Pork Gravy
    • 1 Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard (12 oz)
    • 3 Wish Bone House Italian Dressing
    • 1 Glutino Gluten Free Organic Chocolate & Peanut Bars (16 oz)
    • 1 Organic Ville Sun Dried Tomato
    • 1 Kellogg’s Special K Double Chocolate Bar
    • 1 Crosset Blackwell Cocktail Crackers
    • 1 Duncan Hines Creamy Lemon Supreme Frostings
    • 1 Kool Aid Fun Fizz Partyin Punch
    • 2 Quaker Oatmeal to Go Maple Breakfast Bars
    • 1 Jiffy Golden Yellow Cake Mix
    • 1 Stewart Peppermint Candies (5 oz)
    • 5 Little Hugs Drinks
    • 4 McCormick Seafood Garlic Butter Steamers and Steam Bags
    • 1 pack Cupcake Liners
    • 1 Laura Lynn Straws (50 Count)
    • 1 Jello Vanilla Pudding
    • 1 Solo Mint Mania Bar
    • 4 boxes Band Aids plus Antibiotic (20 count each)
    • 2 SoyJoy Berry Bars
    • 3 boxes Band Aids Assorted Sizes
    • 1 box Russell Stover Fine Chocolates
    • 2 Nestle Juicy Juice Apple Raspberry Juice (64 oz each)
    • 1 Duncan Hines Double Fudge Brownies
    • 5 Fiber One Chocolate Bars
    • 24 Slim Fast Chew Chocolate Crisp Bars

    For more information on the Sav More Sidewalk Box Sale check out my post about the details on the sale.

    Groceries from Ingles!

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $25.84 at Ingles for 1 container diced Yellow Onions, 5 bags Sugar Snap Peas, 1 bag Pepperoni, 8 bags Shredded Cheese, 1 container Zuchinni and Summer Squash, 1 bag Potatoes, 1 bag Bananas and 4 packs of Activia Yogurt.  (all the items were marked down on clearance or on sale except the pepperoni)

    This week I spent $39.84 on groceries.  Even though I barely squeaked under my budgeted amount again for the week I was able to do it and stock up on several items on clearance.  I hope to have an even better week for my next update since it has been hard going under budget as we stock up for upcoming events with family in town for several days.  Thankful for an opportunity to stay within the budget for my family.  I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come way under budget for the week.  We had a gallon of frozen milk in the freezer we used up this week so that helped save us a little bit too.

    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.