I started the month going a week without shopping and I plan to end the month doing the same. I have gone to 4 stores in the past few days and I am tired of having to shop around for the best deals to stick within my budget. Maybe I shouldn’t admit that but it is true. One store to get Emma’s yogurt, another store to get produce, another store to get pasta and milk, etc. It just never ends. Here is how the past few days have looked.
I met my sister at Whole Foods so Michael could spend the night with them and got 5 soy yogurts, hummus and tomatoes. I spent just over $10.
Next up – CVS, I had a $5.99 ECB that was expiring. I got the candy for a project for Luke’s class, and the peanuts were to bring my total to $6. Except when I got to the register they were really $2.50, meaning I needed to spend $0.49 more to use my ECB. I grabbed my favorite Easter candy that I get about twice a year. Total was $0.38.
Next stop was my main grocery store. I got some produce to tide us over, I was out of tea (an emergency for me!), milk, and pasta ($0.50/box!). I spent $24.71.
On the way home I decided that I really didn’t want to shop for another week. But I knew I didn’t have enough fruit. So I stopped at the discount grocery on my way home from gymnastics and got the following for $10.37.
And that will be the last time I shop in January. All of this fresh produce will just have to last. I have already started rationing the milk and will use powdered in cooking and baking. If we run out I guess I can have Kevin stop and get a gallon, but I am hoping to make it. I need to figure up my totals but I think I am under $250 for the month still for all food and toiletries. I will post a final summary of how we did this weekend, even though I fully intend to keep not spending until Feb 1st, 2012.
How is everyone else doing if you are participating?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I used to do this, especially in the beginning when I started couponing. However, the gas spent driving everywhere wasn’t worth it. So my father and I picked the two stores that are closest to our home, and we based all our shopping on the sales in those two stores. That has worked out better. Now my next challenge is to reduce the number of times I go to the store each week. Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather
Heather that is a great idea to limit yourself. What I found though is that if I were going to stick to my lower (by half) budget for the month then I was forced to shop at more stores to get the lowest prices. My wal-mart doesn’t price match all of the stores around me.
One thing though – is I did not go out of my way to get to any of these stores, I was driving right by them for another reason when I stopped. So that helps.
Hi
Just a quick question. When you say you use powdered milk for baking how does that turn out. Do you just make up the milk the way it states or do you add extra or even less powder? I have to confess I have never thought about using powdered milk and fresh milk is always what we are running to the shops to buy when we decide to bake something, even though I sometimes have UHT milk in the pantry.
Christeen – I mix it up like the box says as I need it and then use it just like regular milk. It works great! I have never noticed any difference in flavor or texture. I keep it on hand for emergencies mainly, but when I am running short of milk I will use it then too – like now!
I’m going to have to buy some to keep on hand. I would never have thought to use it. Funny how that goes sometimes. You find out something handy like this and you wonder why you never thought about it before.
I have found that gallon for gallon powdered milk is the same if not more expensive. Jennifer, have you found a source for affordable/inexpensive powdered milk? Maybe I’m looking in the wrong place. I pay $2.19 a gallon for non-fat milk at BJs and get 5 a week. Sometimes more!
Laura, I don’t think it is really any cheaper than regular milk. I keep a box on hand for emergencies (power outages and such) but do use it periodically in cooking and baking when I am running low on the gallon milk – like right now. This way I rotate it through my stockpile and it doesn’t go bad. But yeah, I am not saving any money, just delaying a trip to the store I guess.
Thanks Jennifer. I have gotten out of the habit of keeping powdered milk, though I did use it for waffles/pancakes/baking when I was low in regular milk. Good job this month!
I usually mostly stick to one grocery store… there are a couple around me that usually have great prices so I pick whichever has the best sales & do my shopping there. Faster & easier!