Week 2 Grocery Day

Today was my "grocery day" for week 2. I spent $32.13 on food. I was a couple of dollars over my $30 target, but that included a $2.62 6-pack of sugar free Kool-Aid mix so hubby won't have to suffer through drinking unflavored water with meals. :P I meant to pick up something at Aldi but I forgot, so Kool-Aid it is. At least they had grape! I snagged some great deals at Meijer today, including some non-food stuff. If you buy at least $10 worth of Scott, Kleenex, or Cottonelle products, you get $10 off instantly on 3 packs of Fruit of the Loom "basics" (i.e. underwear, socks, and T-shirts). The 24-pack of double rolls of Cottonelle is on sale for $12.99 and I had a 50 cent coupon that doubled to $1. The girls socks were on sale for $3.99 a pack and I needed socks (and I have small feet), so I really scored on my socks (67 cents a pack after the discount). I also got some boxers for hubby for $5.15 after the discount. I might see if I can scrounge up another Cottonelle coupon and get some more later tonight.

Anyway, on to the groceries. I separated my non-food items from my food and did two separate transactions at the self checkout for easy purchase tracking. Naturally, I picked the one that didn't like coupons, but the cashier who helped me was great and very patient. I saved $29.24 ($16.40 in coupons alone) and spent $25.30 at Meijer. I also did the General Mills deal where if you buy 10 select items for $20 ($2 each), you get a $5 custom coupon for your next order. It didn't print on its own, so customer service had to force it out, but I did get a surprise Catalina at the register from Kraft for $1 off my next order from buying 4 boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese. So now I have $6 free to spend at Meijer next week! (Or perhaps later tonight on more boxers and socks.) I posted the image of my Meijer receipt; just click on it to view it larger.

I also went to Aldi to pick up a few things I knew I wouldn't be able to get cheaper at Meijer (and that also didn't have to be refrigerated). I spent a total of $6.83 at Aldi, getting hubby some snacks to keep him out of the vending machines and the makings of Taco Soup to be made later this week.

Topping off my day was the free iced mocha from McDonald's, since it's Mocha Monday. It was small (7 oz) but it sure was tasty! That was the only thing I got, and the employees didn't bat an eyelash. I'll be back next Monday for another. (And I will probably buy at least a couple after the grocery challenge is over!) For right now, though, you can't beat free.

$$ Spent Today: $32.13
$$ Remaining: $17.87

Day 7: Change of Plans

I had originally planned to fix what my mom calls a "veggie supper" tonight, but after having to wait in line for 30 minutes to pay for my new Crock Pot Smart Pot and a huge plastic container to hold all our camping stuff, I wasn't going to have time to fix the fresh green beans I bought at Meijer. So the veggie supper will have to wait until tomorrow. Tonight, I pulled a Birds Eye Steamfresh Meal for Two out of the freezer and made some garlic bread to go along with it. It was very tasty and easy. For lunch, hubby had leftovers, and I made myself a fish sandwich and some tater tots.

I did go to Meijer to buy some produce though, in preparation for the veggie supper that didn't happen. Meijer's sale on produce this week is just awesome. For $3.08, I got 3 bananas, 2 summer squash, 1 lb of green beans, a cucumber, and 2 ears of corn. Not too shabby!

I was in desperate need of a pick me up, this afternoon, though, and I did hit the drive thru of a local ice cream joint called Zesto. I had a milkshake, which cost $2.93. I had the room for it in the budget though, so I didn't feel too bad. They didn't give me a receipt, so that's one more item for my "no receipt given" log.

$$ Spent Today: $6.01
$$ Left Over for Week 1: $1.56

T minus 2 days...

Monday is the day when the All You grocery challenge officially begins. Although I already spend $50 or less most weeks at the grocery store (unless I am really stockpiling), I decided to join this contest so we could really challenge ourselves to limit how much we spend on extras and meals away from home, including lunches at work and dinners out.

My goal is to make something that will have some leftovers most every day, so we will always have plenty of food for lunch, and to use as many fresh vegetables as possible. I already have a nicely sized stockpile, thanks to The Grocery Game. (They are now offering a free trial if you'd like to try it yourself; it truly makes couponing easy. Let me know if you decide to give it a go!)

I plan to post the recipes I make on the blog so others can benefit from them. I love budget friendly recipes and there are several websites I frequent for good meal ideas, and I hope you will be able to glean some good ideas of your own from here. I love my slow cooker, so don't be surprised if you see a lot of recipes that use it!

I've taken out our grocery money for this week in cash and we will do our shopping tomorrow -- I can't wait to get started.