Recap of May spending

I suppose it is time to fess up how much I sent over budget. I will say in my defense that Noah and I were sick last week and when I am sick I just really want whatever tastes good to me at the time. Last week that was cherries and beef soup with red potatoes.

As close as I can tell last week we spent $16.17 on groceries. All but $5.17 was for cherries, cottage cheese, and red potatoes. The rest for for 4 boxes of Teddy grams, 2 gallons of milk and something else that I can't remember.

Add that to the $2.93 that I was already over buy and you get a total of $$19.1. Which means last month I spend $113.70. Not that great.

Oh well, time to do better this month. I'm going to stick with the $85 being I was under and then over so I still don't really know if this is the correct amount, but to this I will add the knowledge that at the end of the month there will be some excellent stock up opportunities so I might need more then $85.

Things like hotdogs, brats, hamburger, and anything condiment or picnic related should be on sale right before the 4th of July. Last year we got enough hotdogs, mustard, ketchup, and bbq sauce to last all year. Most of it was just pennies.

Over Budget

Alright, so I went a little over budget last week. It wasn't for anything we NEEDED, but I wanted to get more cheese while it was on sale instead of paying more for it later. Noah has been eating up to two grilled cheese for lunch almost every day so I wanted to stock up.

Rainbow
Bush's grilling beans $.11(don't ask)

Cub
2 Bacon $4.29
1 Bush's $1.39
Total after coupons $.17

Cub
1 Bush's gillin beans $1.39
2 Secret Deo $1.99
1 Mennen 24/7 deo $.99
10lb bag of rice $4.00
Total after coupons $7.42

Cub
4 Kraft Singles $2
2 Kraft Chunk $2
2 Kraft Shredded $2
1 Bush's grillin beans $1.39
2 Kraft To Go dressing $1.66
Total $12.20



Total this trip $19.90
Total Spending this Month $97.73
Total Left to Spend $0
Overbudget $2.93

There are a lot of variables as to why I am over budget. Part of it is the deodorant, but it was 1) needed, 2) on clearance, 3) being discontinued and we won't be able to get the right one any longer.

The real thing is the only thing we NEEDED was the deodorant. The thing with how I shop is that I don't tend to buy things when I need them, but when they are on sale for the lowest price. It just happened that this past week there were a lot of items that we will be needing soon on sale for a really good price. I spent a little more now in order to save more later.

My goal with this budget challenge is not to go over even when I am stocking up on things. I don't want to have to make exceptions for stockpiling because then it seems like you would never know how much you are really spending on groceries/toiletries.

So will I spend anything this week? Good question. At this point I could feed an army for a month and not need to go shopping, but that doesn't mean I always have what I need to make a complete meal. Cherries are on sale this week so I might bite the bullet and get some even though I am over. I'll just have to take a look at the ads and see if there is anything else I actually need.

I feel so uneventful. Like a broken record, saying the same thing over and over. I guess if it is boring to you just skip on over it. :) I learned it really helps me to track what I am spending and what I am getting. I seem to spend a lot less this way. We used to keep track in Microsoft Money, but not as detailed. It seems the details have made a difference.

Anyway,

Walmart
3lb bag on yellow onions $.99 (priced matched the Aldi ad)

Cub
4 Bacon
2 Beans

Total for the day $1.33
Total Spending this Month $77.83
Total Left to Spend $16.97

I feel like I'm the dog from the Beggin Strips comercial...

You all know what I'm talking about. The dog that goes running all over the place to get "bacon." I only have 6 more coupons to use, but I feel like I have been running back and forth from Cub all week.

To make it easy on me, and also less borning to read I'm just going to give a grand total of what I have gotten and the total spent on it.

Walgreens
1 Oral B crossaction toothbrush
2 4ct Schick refill blades
8 Chef Boyardee raviolli
1 Schick Titanium razor
1 Schick razor with trimmer
total $
Used $13 RR and $3.89 cash
Rebate $4.99 for toothbrush +$5 for raviolli +10% extra for having it put onto a gift card
Total OOP after rebate $7.10 overage.

I still have $20 in RR to use before the end of the week so hopefully I will be able to find more of the free after rebate items to increase my giftcard total.

CVS
6 Sobe life water
6 Crayola Color Wonders Mini pads with paints or markers
3 CVS brand Tylenol
1 Colgate 360 toothbrush
2 Garnier shampoo, each w/bonus travel size shampoo and conditioner
OOP was $11.90, I used ECBs and a gift card. I got back $8.99, so overall I paid $2.91 in ECBs.

Cub
14 packages Farmland Bacon
4 cans Bush's Gillin Beans
24 cans Cub brand green beans (used raincheck)
1 loaf wheat bread
4 8oz pk of Kraft cheese
4 Kraft to Go salad dressing
2 pks baby carrots
1 red onion
1 Kraft Mayo
1 A1 Sauce
3lbs ground beef
Total $13.54 Cash + $10 OYNO

There were also a couple of random purchases at the end of last week. I can only rememeber one, but there might have been two.
Cub
Salad $.53

Grand total $14.07
Total Spending this Month $76.50
Total Left to Spend $18.30

Budget Update

Walmart

2 Boxes Live Active Post cereal $2.86
2 Fringo individual string cheese $.25
1 2lb bag of carrots $1.52?
Total after coupons $1.11

Sam's Club
5lbs Country Crock $3.
2 18ct eggs $1.79
144oz box oatmeal
Granulated Garlic
I'm not sure on some of the prices because mom has the recipet, but I know the total was $18.14


Grand total $19.25
Total Spending this Month $62.43
Total Left to Spend $32.37 + $10 OYNO @ Cub

Spending this weekend

Cub on Friday
Radishes $.79
1 Organic Bagges Salad $2
Total after coupons $.79


Cub on Saturday
Round One
10 Peter Pan $1.67
4 Hunts pudding $1
2 Organic Salad $2
Brownberry Dutch Country bread $1.50
Total before coupons $26.20
Total after coupons $12.10 + $10 OYNO

Round Two
Reddi-Whip $2.22
Pam spray $2.75
Wesson Oil $4.49
4 Oville Redenbacher popcorn $1.66
Hunts pudding $1
3 Hunts Manwich $1
2 lt Squirt $1.25
2 lt Welch Strawberry $1.38
Total before coupons $22.73
Total after coupons $6.90 +$10 OYNO

Cub on Sunday
4 Dannon Light & Fit $1
1 Cub French bread
1 Kraft LiveActive Cheese $1.50
Total after coupons=Free

Cub on Monday
1 Dannon Light & Fit $1
Total after coupons $.25

Total this weekend $20.04
Total Spending this Month $43.18
Total Left to Spend $51.62 + $10 OYNO @ Cub

Walgreens on Saturday
They would only let me use one RR per purchase on Saturday so my OOP was more then I was expecting. In the end I ended up with $43 in RR

3 CoverGirl pressed power $2.99
1 CoverGirl TruBlends Blush $7.99
4 Powder Puff $2.99
1 CoverGirl stick concealer $3.19
Total w/tax $33.80
Total after coupon $7.21 +Earned 2/$10 RR


CVS Today
I had $18 in expired ECBs and was able to use them in Chanhassen today. It's nice to have them all current again so they are easier to roll. I haven't been adding my overages at CVS into my spending because I just get it back as ECBs. I have also only been adding what I spend if I use actual cash instead of ECBs or a gift card.

Colgate Total Advanced $2.99
2 Tums Quick Pack $4.69
Schick Intuition Plus $8.88
2 Hershey's Bliss $4.29
1 Almond Joy 8ct $.99
1 Kit Kat 8ct $.99
Total $31.81
Total after coupons and ECBs earned $.86 Overage

Lots of salsa

Not much to add today. If you read the post below we will see what I got. :)

Cub
6 Wild Harvest organic salsa $1.79
Total after coupons $4.77

Total This Trip $4.77
Total Spending for The Month $23.14
Total Left To Spend $71.66

I've decided this week is a great opportunity to get into the Walgreens RR/rebates with very little OOP. I'm planning on doing the same thing I did this fall with CVS and put in $20 or less to get started and then just keep rolling it from there. I don't think I will really need the whole $20, probably just $5. At any rate. I'm not going to take the start up $ out of the grocery budget for the month. In the future I'll add in what I spend, just like at CVS, but for now I fell it would skew the numbers to deduct that from the monthly grocery budget.

Walgreens
9 Crest Pro Health $22.50
-$13.50 WG coupon
-$4 in MF coupons
-$4.61 in random gift card I had
Total $2.85
received 2/$10 RR

Starting the month off with a bang...or maybe with bacon

It seems like I have been to the store a lot in the last couple of days. I don't really know where I stand right now, but don't think that I have spent too much.

I did solve the no meat problem. This great lady on HCW mailed me 11 coupons for $2/1 Farmland Bacon. Becca found it on sale at Walmart so I got 11 packages of bacon today. Not much of a variety, but in stockpiling variety doesn't come all at once.


Thursday

Cub
Manwich $1.19
Ham soup base $1.50
Total $2.68

Target
Golden Plump oven ready whole chicken $2.50
Total $2.50

Rainbow
2 Muir Glen organic tomatoes $1.25 each
Minute Maid Limeade $.88
White bread $.88
Smart Taste pasta $.88
Gala Apples $.98 per lb
Total after coupons $4.37? I can't find my receipt, but I think that I got 2.75lbs apples. If so then this is the total. I know it wasn't any more then this.

Friday
Cub
Red Leaf Lettuce $1.66
2 Old El Paso refried beans $1 each
Old El Paso taco seasoning $.66
Total after coupons $.34

Saturday
Cub
2 Mission Tortillas $1 each
Total $2

Walmart
11 Farmland Bacon 16 oz $2.50
Russet Potatoes 5lb $.98
Total after coupons $6.48

Total This Trip $18.37
Total This Month $18.37
Total Left To Spend $76.43

I am going to keep looking for the Rainbow receipt because I really don't think it should have been that much.