• 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

    I didn’t get a post up last week with birthday celebrations and Thanksgiving taking up extra time.  I sent Jake to the store with a list of items to pick up and he came home with a few “extras” and I was told that they were for my birthday so they shouldn’t count in the normal weekly budget.  He did get everything on the list and the few extra items were delicious (shrimp, corn on the cob, etc….) .  I am back to a more regular routine this week.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Walmart and Ingles

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $21.40 at Walmart for 2 packs Yeast, 1 gallon of milk, 1 bag Purple Grapes, 1 bag Apples, 2 bottles Ocean Spray Juice, 2 bags Bread, and 1 bag Chicken.

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $7.74 at Ingles for 2 containers Strawberries, 1 box Wholly Guacamole, 1 container Mushrooms (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance except the strawberries because they were for a new Mom’s dinner I was delivering this week.)
    Groceries from BiLo and Walgreens

     BiLo Groceries:

    • $3.27 at BiLo for 1 gallon of milk. (Somehow my family managed to drink a whole gallon in a day this week so I had to go back and get some more!)

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $0.18 at Walgreens for 2 boxes of Brown Sugar after coupons.

    This week I spent $32.59 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 and to recover a little bit from last weeks birthday and Thanksgiving celebrations.  This week I had the privilege of taking meals to two new Moms and meet their little ones, what a blessing children are in our lives!  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

    It was a blast having the girls shop with me and to have extra time together last week, but I must say I am glad to have Jake back.  I did manage to keep myself very busy while he was awhile so the week flew by quickly.   I am back to my “normal” schedule this week.    Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries Ingles and Save A Lot | RiteAid

     

    Ingles Groceries:
    • $16.10 at Ingles for 4 gallons of Pet Milk (marked down to $1 each), 2 Peach Tea, 1 Nectarine Juice, 1 bag Bananas, 1 container Tomatoes, 1 container Oranges / Grapefruits, 1 loaf Bread, 1 bag Snow peas, and 1 container Pork Filets,  (I was excited when the “milk” man marked down the already marked down milk to $1.00 each, I got 4 gallons and froze three of them when I got home.  Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down or on clearance including the produce, meat and milk!)
    Save-A-Lot |RiteAid Groceries:
    • $11.59 at Save-A-Lot | RiteAid for 24 pack Bottle Water, 1 pack Brown and Serve Rolls (12 count), 1 Cheddar Chex Mix, 1 box Toast Em Strawberry, 1 package Deli Ham, 1 package Roast Beef, 1 package Chicken Breast, 1 package Carrots (2 pounds), and 2 cans Pillsbury Biscuits.  (All the items purchased were on sale this week, for more information and coupon match-ups go to our  weeklySave-A-Lot page)
    Groceries from BiLo

     

    BiLo Groceries:
    • $5.51 at BiLo for 1 bag Southern Home Wavy Potato Chips and 1 gallon Milk (BiLo still has the best prices on milk on this side of town.  I picked up the chips for a snack for our Community Group.  Plus save $0.05 per bag for bringing my reusable bags.)

     

    Groceries from CVS
    CVS Groceries:
    • $0.75 at CVS for 4 bags Flava Puff Nacho, 1 bag Flava Puff Hot Party Mix, and 6 canisters Doritos Nacho Cheese Chips (I was able to get ALL of these items marked down on clearance for 75% to 90% off plus I used a $2.00 ECB coupon!  I should be good on chips for lunches the next couple weeks.)

    This week I spent $33.95 on groceries.  Even though I was a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.  Thankfully I had extra wiggle room this week to help on future grocery purchases.  I hope that next week is an even better week and we can come under budget.  I was THRILLED to get milk for $1.00 a gallon (milk averages between $3 to $4 and this brand is close to $6 per gallon normally.  Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several other items!

    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 am slowly adjusting to quieter grocery shopping trips, I miss the girls chit chat.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Dollar Tree and Rite Aid | Save A Lot

    Dollar Tree Groceries:

    • $1.00 at Dollar Tree for a loaf of Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread.

    Rite Aid | Save A Lot Groceries:

    • $5.24 at Rite Aid | Save A Lot for a package of Cheese, fresh Peaches, fresh Plums and fresh Nectarines (the fruit was on sale and were great for the girls lunches).
    Groceries from BiLo

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $9.97 at BiLo for 2 gallons of Milk and 1 container of Country Crock Spread with Calcium (BiLo still has the least expensive milk on our side of town $3.49 per gallon and the Country Crock was on sale.  I used two reusable bags and BiLo gave me 10 cents off my entire purchase, every little bit helps.)
    Groceries from Ingles

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $21.60 at Ingles for 1 bag Bananas, 1 container Red Raspberries, 1 container Grape Tomatoes, 1 bag Green Grapes, 2 containers Strawberries, 2 Turkey Lunchables, 2 Chicken Lunchables, 1 Sweet Onion, 1 package Cube Steak (about 3 pounds) and 1 package 93% Lean Hamburger (Everything was marked down on clearance or on sale except the Lunchables which were $1.  The girls asked if they could have them at least a couple times a month as a special “treat” for their lunches at school, I decided to be extra nice and see how well they eat them, the ones I picked up don’t expire until Nov / Dec so we have a couple months to try them out).

    This week I spent $37.81 on groceries.  Even though I was only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I would like to see it even lower.   This week I was able to stock up on several staple items as well as lunch bag items that we were needing.  I wish the milk prices would go down because that is a large chunk of the amount we spend on groceries each week.  Hopefully next week is an even better 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

    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.