Now this is more what I think of when I think of savings! $90.16 for all of this! For me, this is great! I love a stocked freezer full of meat. We have an upright freezer in addition to our very large refrigerator/freezer. I hope Jeff will get a deer this season, too. That would be wonderful!It's been once a week shopping for me at S.uper Wa.lma.rt since Witt was born. I have just been accepting their everyday prices, using coupons and occasionally doing a price match, but this week I just couldn't pass up the meat savings at our small local grocery store. Then, I dropped by Aldi and loaded up on produce. [I love Aldi. If you have one nearby, go check it out. Be sure to bring a quarter for your cart (you'll get it back) and some bags for your purchases.]
Now I have been spending a lot this week, but I'll be saving a lot in the long run. I also went to Kro.ger earlier this week for their P&G sale; I bought only what I had coupons for and saved big! There was also a sale on the dog food we purchase. $7 off each bag, I had a 10% off coupon, and we get an additional 10% off when we purchase 200 lbs of the stuff. 200 lbs?!? Yes, 200 lbs. That's about 5 weeks worth for my two retrievers in the winter.
Both boys have diapers to last them about two months, we've got plenty of toilet paper, meds, and chicken noodle soup (a staple for the boys). We'll have enough meat for a VERY long time, and the produce will probably last a week to 10 days. Now I just need to work my menu plan around what I have and we're good to go... unless another great sale comes along. :)
Not only have I saved money by shopping at multiple places, I have found that I really enjoy making several small trips. The stores I've gone to this week are less populated, smaller, friendlier (not just the staff but the shoppers as well!), and generally have cheaper sale items than Wa.lmar.t if I buy only what I went for. No long lines to stand in while trying to keep the kids happy. No buggy PACKED FULL that is hard to turn corners with. Not feeling like I'm in a hurry to get out. It has been a nice week of budget planning and coupon shopping. Quite enjoyable even. So, I think I'm going to stick to this type of shopping for a while. Leave Wa.lm.art as my last stop for the things I can't save on elsewhere.
And just in case you want the specifics, here's what is pictured above:
19 lb ham (I'll cut in half at least)
9 lb Boston Butt (I'll cut in half)
2 lb ground turkey
4 lb ground beef
15 lb pork chops
5 fully cooked bratwursts
10 breakfast sandwiches for Jeff
1 pkg Boca burgers (never had them before)
6 bananas
8 pears (4 red, 4 green)
8 kiwi
12 roma tomatoes
2 pkgs fresh blueberries
1 bag baby carrots
2 crowns broccoli
2 cans diced tomatoes
9 navel oranges
3 lbs sweet potatoes
3 lbs gala apples
7 lemons
10.5 oz bag marshmallows
What do you think? How did I do compared to your shopping habits? Any suggestions for improvement? I really need to learn money saving skills because we really want to start building our house soon. Thanks for any suggestions! :)
6 comments:
I am very impressed! I have just patted myself on the back for getting out last week with $123.67 for just one week. NOw, I am green with envy! I will say that my meat and dairy (and some of the produce) were organic, I just googled the brands that I use and found that I could have saved $19 if I had printed off coupons:)
Wow, that ammount of meat would last us for about 18 months!
Craig my husband eats meat but the rest of us rarely eat any. We try to grow a lot of our own veg in summer and that saves us lots although that isn't possible in winter.
Also I've got together with a group of friends to form a food co-op so that we can buy staples such as rice and pasta direct from a wholesaler. Together we can make up the minimum order value they require for wholesale discounts. We are in the UK but there may be something like that in your region? It is a huge saving for us.
Boca burger is pretty good. I think it is a bit salty so remember that when you are cooking with it.
Ugh...I too just spent about $125 on just one week of groceries at our local Walmart. I have tried to keep our grocery budget at $90 a week, but I was never able to stay within that amount. I always ended up going back to the store for stuff we ran out of! My hubby tells me I have to at least spend between $100 to $120 every week in groceries. The sad part about it is- we eat all of it! My boys eat more than I do! I do have an Aldi by us so I need to get better about hitting several different stores and watching for meat on sale. I just need to be more organized- it's hard though because so much of my time is spent homeschooling Jonathan. Maybe once summer roles around...we'll see. Good for you though!
By the way, hope you enjoy your Boca burgers. I can't eat them- they give me a headache. I'm allergic to soy so the thought of them makes me sick...but they honestly don't taste that bad. =P
Great job! I wish I was better and could give you advice. I am big on BJ's, the local food warehouse - get all the produce, dairy, and meat there.
I would pay extra to aviod Walmart personally - terrible service and not to mention that apparently they give NOTHING to charity and don't treat employees well. Therefore, I'll pay extra to hit Target or my grocery store if I have to...
what a great goal for your family - check out Thrifty Florida Mama and Money Saving Mom and Monica at Shine Again for good tips!
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