• Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    It was a busy week but in between appointments I was able to make it to a couple stores.  I was able to stay under budget and stock up on some goodies, including produce and diary products!  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and Save A Lot | RiteAid

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $10.03 at Ingles for 1 fresh Coconut, 1 container fresh Celery, 1 container fresh Mushrooms, 1 container fresh Cherry Tomatoes, 1 bag fresh Oranges (4 lbs), 1 package Summer Sausage (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance except the summer sausage which was a special treat I bought for my husband this week.  All the produce including the bag of oranges were marked down to 99 cents!)

    Save A Lot | RiteAid Groceries:

    • $22.74 at Save A Lot | RiteAid for 1 bag Bagels, 1 box Poptarts, 1 container Country Crock Spread, 1 box Mrs Freshley Chocolate Cupcakes, 1 container Cool Whip, 1 box Tropical Jr Pops, 2 boxes Yogurt Tubes, 4 cans Cream of Mushroom, 1 container Parmesan Grated Cheese, 1 can Pinneapple Chunks, 1 jar Salsa, 1 two liter Orange Crisp, 1 gallon Milk, 1 bag Carrots, 1 bag Grapefruit (3 lb), and 1 box Cream Cheese.  (All the items were on sale or clearance plus I used a couple of coupons!  The bagels, Mrs. Freshley Cupcakes, Tropical Jr Pops, and Yogurt Tubes were marked down to clearance “special today” prices.)
    Groceries, Household Items, & Other Goodies from Walgreens

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $0.49 at Walgreens for the grocery items – 4 boxes Baking Soda and 3 bags Chewy Spree Candy.  (The total for this entire purchase was $2.06 including tax for 30 items making it $0.07 per item which is how the 7 groceries items cost $0.49 at Walgreens this week.)
    Groceries from Kmart

    Kmart Groceries:

    • $1.50 at Kmart for 1 box Saltines, 1 pack Orange Gatorade, and 1 box Ritz Crackers.  (Jake ended up getting sick this week so on my way home from a work appointment I stopped by Kmart to pick up some stuff for him.  Thankfully, I had a $5 Kmart Gift Card and all the items were on sale this week at Kmart).
    Groceries, Household, Baby, Beauty and Gift Items from CVS

    CVS Groceries:

    • $0.21 at CVS for the grocery items – 1 loaf Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bread, 1 loaf Sara Lee White Bread, and 1 box Candy Canes.  (The total for this entire purchase was $3.16 including tax for 42 items making it $0.07 per item which is how the 3 groceries items cost $0.21 at CVS this week.)

    This week I spent $34.97 on groceries.  Even though I was only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time.  I did not anticipate my husband being sick but we had enough flex in the budget and hit the sales to cover the extra expense.  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

    School is continuing at full throttle and we are finding ways to stay busy, ha!   I was able to get some great items on clearance and stock up on some lunch box items.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Aldi's and Walgreens
    Aldi Groceries:
    • $48.39 at Aldi’s for 4 boxes Macaroni & Cheese, 1 bag Cinnamon Bagels, 2 boxes Moo Tube Yogurts, 1 box refrigerator Pie Crusts, 4 bags Cheese Sticks, 2 boxes Seasoned Potatoes, 1 three pound bag Chicken, 1 bag White Tortilla Chips, 1 bag Sugar Wafers, 1 bag Cheddar Nuggets, 1 box Oatmeal, 2 packs Taco Seasoning, 1 box Butter, 2 blocks Cheddar Cheese, 4 boxes Vanilla Pudding, 1 container Light Sour Cream, 1 bag Granulated Sugar, 2 Blueberry Pancake Mixes, 5 boxes Tropical Fruit Rolls, 1 bag Carrots, and 2 containers fresh Mushrooms (I was able to get several of these items marked down at Ali’s, which is rare for me, yay!)

    Walgreen Groceries:

    • $1.21 at Walmart for 4 boxes Baking Soda, 3 bags Disney Car Marshmallows, 1 two liter Lemon Lime and 2 gallons Milk (the Baking Soda & Milk was on sale and the Marshmallows & Lemon Lime was on clearance.  I used a couple Register Rewards towards the purchase.)

    This week I spent $49.60 on groceries.  Even though I was only a little over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.     Thankfully I had extra in the grocery wallet to cover the expense.  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 were on the road again this week, it really has been a summer full of adventures and road trips.  I didn’t take a lot of time to use coupons since time was tight but was able to score a cluster of clearance items.   The bad news is I went over budget this week, the good news is the freezer is restocked with meat, vegetables, and fruit!   Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles and BiLo

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $50.34 at Ingles for 5 containers of Strawberries (on clearance for $0.99), 5 containers of Blueberries (on clearance for $0.99), 8 packages of Ground Hamburger (93% lean on clearance), 1 package of Lobster (on clearance), 1 package of Alaskan Salmon (on clearance), 2 heads of Cauliflower (on clearance), 2 bags of Brussel Sprouts (on clearance), 1 bag of Bananas (7 pounds on clearance), 2 bags of Apples (on clearance), 2 containers of Carmel Dip (on clearance), and 3 bottles of fruit drinks (on clearance).

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $23.87 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Skim Milk, 1 bag of Potatoes (on clearance), 2 bags of Purple Grapes (on clearance), 1 bag of Green Grapes (on clearance), 1 bag of Tomatoes (on clearance), 1 bag of Grapefruit (on clearance), 1 bag of Onions (on clearance), 1 bag of Summer Squash (on clearance), 1 package of Catfish (on clearance), 1 package of Perch (on clearance) and 1 gallon of 2% Milk.
    Groceries from CVS, Walgreens, Dollar Tree and Walmart

    Walgreen Groceries:

    • $2.25 at Walgreen’s for 2 Hamburger Helpers and 1 Tuna Helper.

    CVS Groceries:

    • $1.78 at CVS for 2 two liters of Mountain Dew.

    Dollar Tree Groceries:

    • $1.01 at Dollar Tree for 1 loaf of Nature’s Own Bread

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $2.76 at Walmart for 1 loaf of French Bread (on clearance) and 1 loaf Cheese Bread (on clearance).

    This week I spent $82.01 on groceries.  Even though I was over my budgeted amount for the week  I was able to stock up on several items on clearance and bread items to use as we traveled.  I really hope to have a better week for my next update.  I am happy to stock up but need bumped on the head for going over the budget this week.  We were out of town for a part of this grocery week so it was a little different from our usual events.

    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

    This week was a little different doing our Groceries $40 for 4 because we were on the road for part of the week.   It was a great road trip with the family, we traveled over 40 hours in a week and were able to spend time with family during our trip.  Thankfully the girls travel well and slept well in the van.  I packed a lot of fun activities and snack food for the trip.  We came home to a house that was 90 degrees inside, clean, and had an empty fridge since we had eaten or packed pretty much all our perishables.  This week I spent most of the grocery budget on restocking items in our fridge and pantry.

    Groceries from Walgreens, Ingles, and BiLo

    Walgreen Groceries:

    • $4.07 at Walgreen’s for A & W Root Beer (2 liter), Domino Sugar, Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, Betty Crocker Brownie Mix, Frito Lay Stax BBQ, Frito Lay Stax Original, Frito Lay Stax Sour Cream & Onion, Daisy Sour Cream, Cream Cheese, 4 packs of Ranch Flavored Sunflower Seeds (on clearance for $0.89 each, usually the best price I can get is $1.00 so stocked up on a these for upcoming road trips).   I used $10 in Register Rewards that were expiring this week to bring this total down to $4.

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $4.13 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread (on sale for $0.98), 30 packs Wylers Cherry Drink, 5 packs of Strawberry Cheesecake Yogurts (on clearance for $1.00 each), 1 package of Pork (reduced for quick sale), 1 box of Pretzel Lean Pockets (free with coupon), 6.5 pound bag of banana’s (clearance for $1.49),  4 packs of Raspberry Yogurt Covered Pretzel (on clearance for $0.99 each, normally $6.83 per pound), 1 package of Strawberries (on clearance), 1 package of sliced Mushrooms (on clearance), 1 package of whole Mushrooms (on clearance.  I used a gift card I had been given a few months ago for part of the amount and paid for the rest.  All of the items were on sale or clearance so it really was a great shopping trip to Ingles.

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $12.92 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Skim Milk, 1 gallon of 2% Milk, 1 bag of splenda Sugar (store brand and on sale), 1 bottle International Delight Coffee Creamer (free after coupon), 2 boxes of Banquet Pasta Carbonara (on closeout for $0.50 each). 

    I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again after our big road trip for the summer.  I was surprised to see the milk prices spike even more since I bought it last, however, I was pleased to get some great clearance items this week in my shopping trips, (especially at Ingles).   This week I spent $21.12 on groceries.  Even though I was under budget on my amount for the week  I was still able to stock up on several items.  Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason so I had little extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over.  We were out of town for a part of this grocery week so it was a little different from our usual events.

    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

    Another week of doing Groceries $40 for 4. I was able to stock up on some items but overall it was a quiet grocery shopping week because a lot of unexpected activities came up.  We are trying to eat up our perishables this week since we have a lot of produce already in the fridge and from the garden.  A lot of the items we picked up will be great for the upcoming road trips we have this summer!  I am hoping to get back on schedule soon with grocery shopping although I have a feeling the summer months may have a new type of shopping schedule with the kiddos along helping.  Below are my grocery shopping adventures for the week!

     

    Groceries from CVS and Walgreens!

    CVS Groceries:

    • $1.46 at CVS for 1 Powerade Fruit Punch, 1 Powerade Mountain Blue, 1 Vitamin Water Energy Blast, 1 Fuze Refreshing Peach, 1 Fuze Strawberry Melon, 1 Chex Mix Cheddar, 1 Chex Mix Honey, 2 Chex Mix Turtle, and 1 Powerbar Energy Snack.  I used coupons on the Chex Mix and a couple ECB’s to help with the savings.  I received an $2.49 ECB for the Powerbar and $2.00 ECB for the drinks.  These items will be great for our upcoming vacation road trip.

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $2.01 at Walgreens for 4 cans of Mandarin Oranges, 2 boxes Strawberry Royal Gelatin, and 2 boxes of Raspberry Royal Gelatin.

     

    Groceries from BiLo

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $14.49 at BiLo for 1 gallon of Whole Milk, 1 gallon of Skim Milk, 1 container of Country Crock, 1 box of Oatmeal Cremes, 1 box Blue Bonnet, 1 box of Peanut Butter Bar, and 1 container fresh Mushroom.  (I had three munchkins with me on this trip so I didn’t have a chance to match the sales and coupons).  I probably spent a little more than expected but it was worth to have the extra time with the kids.

    I am excited to be back doing our Groceries $40 for 4 budget again.  This week I spent $17.96 on groceries.  Even though I wasn’t even close to the budgeted amount for the week  I was still able to stock up on several items.  Thankfully I was able to keep the amount within reason although I would like to see a little extra left over for those weeks when I find a really good deal or go a little over.  Plus I hope to have more time soon to do more regular grocery shopping.  We were out of town for the weekend part of this grocery week so it a little different from our usual events, however, we brought the majority of our food with us to make meals or just did two meals a day with snacks in between.

    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.