Grocery shopping for the week

I make a monthly menu.  And as I make the menu, I jot down ingredients that are needed for each meal that I generally wouldn't buy this time of year (for instance, bell peppers).  I have a magnetic pad on the fridge that serves as the shopping list, and I put the week's shopping requirements down on each page.  Usually I only have three or four things on each page for the week, and more often the list includes meat that I don't have.  I do stock up on things when they are on an amazing sale.  So I know, for example, that I have no need to buy chicken breasts any time soon. 

I am finding that one of the keys to meeting my grocery budget goals for the month is staying OUT of the grocery store.  And I have, last grocery shopping was 1/6.  I probably could've waited until today to do the grocery shopping for the week, but I was already heading out to the gym and the grocery store is on the way. 

Didn't have much in the way of coupons.  However, I bought stew meat, milk, chocolate milk, biscuits, crackers, and misc and spent $44.73.  I saved $11.42.

Today I am picking up some fresh produce. I ordered a Bountiful Basket earlier this week.  It's 20 servings of fresh fruit and veggies.  Spent:  $16.50. 
Check out Bountiful Baskets, they always have the coolest produce! And compared to the grocery store, it is far cheaper and FAR fresher. 

Total for the month: 
Spent:  $387.96
Saved:  $60.89 or 14%.
Budget amount for this payperiod:  $400.  Will make it, hurrah! 

Need to up the amount saved and decrease the amount spent.  It's a work in progress.

Onward!