Saving Money

I am so glad that I have been using the Grocery Game to save money on my groceries. It is always so awesome to see how much I've saved every week. I also feel like going grocery shopping every week helps me to get that "shopping fix" and luckily it's on needed things.

Last week I was so excited because I only paid $15.46 for my groceries! I saved $69.71 and bought 43 items. The reason the savings were so awesome is because I also had $30 of cash back money from the previous week.

This week I spent $67.29 and saved $75.05, bought 46 items. I almost ALWAYS save as much (or more) as I spend. Of course, I am shopping at Albertson's where the prices are a little higher.

On average I spend about $75 a week. So between $300 to $375 each month, depending on the number of weeks. I do try to cut back on the months with 5 weeks. Not too bad for a family of four. When all the grocery prices started sky rocketing, before I started the Grocery Game, I was spending between $400 and $500 a month.

Oh! If you have the 2009 Entertainment Book (which I got for free) check to see if you have $5 off coupons on $50 grocery purchases. I have some for Safeway and two other local groceries stores and since Albertson's accepts competitor's coupons, I should be able to save $5 a couple times a month all year!

I also get to try new things since they are awesome prices. Some of my favorite finds are Lloyd's tub of meat (it's basically shredded BBQ pork, beef, or chicken ready to be heated and put on a bun- great for a quick, tasty meal), Wishbone Bountifuls salad dressings (only 25 calories per 2 TBSP serving and they are DELICIOUS), and Romano's Macaroni Grill dinner kits (LOVE the Garlic & Herb Chicken Penne-- it DOES NOT taste like a meal-in-a-box). We also get a better variety of fruits and veggies since I will buy things on sale that I might not normally buy. Last week it was grapefruit and tomatoes. I have a thing against tomatoes- unless they are in fresh salsa-- so they are not a normal purchase for me. This week it was canteloupe.

I generally stick to the list that comes out every week and only add a few things. Like this week I added tortillas, milk, and a can of whipped cream and a can of hot chocolate mix (I'm not an impulse shopper or anything... hahaha). I could probably make things more effective if I came up with a menu from the items on sale that week, but I'm not that organized. I see the value in planning meals, but I hate to stick to a menu because I might not feel like eating whatever I'd planned. I tend to make a list of meals and just choose from the list based on what I feel like. I need to get back into doing that... Does anyone else just hate cooking meals? Ask me to bake something and I'm your girl. But it's SUCH a pain to make dinner! The girls and I had waffles and eggs for dinner tonight since Handsome Husband didn't get home from work until 8pm (it's his busy season).

I have also stock piled on a ton of things. I have at least a year's supply of laundry detergent, deodorant, shampoo, and toothpaste. I have SO MANY CANS of food! Currently I have a ton of chicken broth, peaches and pears. I have plenty of boxes of brownies and cake mix for last minute goodies. I have at least 40 rolls of toilet paper in my house. I like the feeling of being stocked up on essentials. I would say that we have a 2 or 3 month supply of food. But I'm sure I could round that out with some other things.

Anyway, just thought I'd share.