Week 4 Grocery Budget Challenge

I really thought I'd blown it yesterday. 

I had a small list of things to get, but I forgot my cash envelope.  Since we were in pretty desperate need of broccoli and things, I went ahead and shopped. 

I walked out of the stores (Winco and Albertsons) feeling like I'd made a big mistake.  Surely I overspent.  (Broccoli at $2.38 a lb, ouch).  No coupons.  It felt icky.

I was wrong.

I reconciled my accounting and found that I am well within the budget.

To recap, my budget for this month was $600. ($400 for the first payperiod, $200 for the second).  I am ashamed to say that even that overly generous amount was less than we'd spent in the past. 

In my head, I was hoping for a 10% reduction from that budget amount, or $540.  It was this amount I was sure I'd exceeded yesterday. 

Accounting for everything:  last week's Boise Milk delivery, this week's Bountiful Basket order, and what I spent yesterday, I am pleased to announce my totals:

Amount spent for the month:  $522.84
Amount saved this month:  $72.35
% saved this month:  12.16%
Total value of items purchased this month (amount spent plus amount saved): $595.19

Lessons learned:
Fresh produce (from Bountiful Baskets or Boise Milk) tastes SO MUCH BETTER.
I spent $99 at Boise Milk and Bountiful Baskets.  I'm content with that.  Last time I got a Bountiful Basket the strawberries were SO good, as were the bananas.  I love the milk from Boise Milk. 

NEVER go shopping without looking for coupons and taking the cash envelope.  The stress.  Totally NOT worth it. 

Costco has good coupons.  I am going to quit buying produce there (except for the celery sticks, love them) and maybe berries once in a great while.  I don't usually buy meat there, but will keep it in mind.  I need to cut down Costco spending by amount a third, and again I'll do that a bit at a time.  My goal for Feb:  spend no more than $155 at Costco (which is a reduction of about 10%).  This is about the amount I reduced spending at Costco in Jan - 10%.

Meat:  we can eat less of this now that the girl has gone back to school (she's not exactly a veggie eater and I hated seeing how little was on her plate so I would try to fill it with meat and starch).   I will only buy meat next month if a)we're out of whatever and/or b)it is such an amazing sale that I really can't pass it up. 

I would REALLY like to stop shopping every week, and just fill the weeks with produce from either Boise Milk or Bountiful Baskets, but I haven't yet let go of a)not liking certain veggies (Brussels sprouts, kale) and b)wanting to know exactly what veggies/fruit I am getting each week.  I will work on that this next month.

So: monthly budget for Feb:  $500.  (We need dog food and kitty litter this month, so I'm setting this amount. Plus this is pretty close to 10% less than Jan.) 

Onward.

Week 3 Grocery Budget Challenge

So, week 3 is starting for the grocery budget challenge!

So far I am on track.  I have done the grocery shopping for the next week.  I went to one store, Winco.  I spent $58.84 and got a bunch of things, including Cheerios on sale for 1.98 a box and a coupon for $1 off three.  I got some things for our food drive at work.  I love having this stuff to be able to give.

So, total for month: 
Spent $477.09
Saved $64.39 or about 12%.

Thing is, I am carefully planning each and every grocery shop, and using coupons at every shop, but it doesn't seem like I am saving all that much money.  I'm pretty sure my 2012 average was more like 20% or even higher.  I do shop at Costco, and I do get milk delivered twice a month and I get one Bountiful Basket a month, but it just seems like I should be saving more.

However, on the really positive side, I think I am going to adjust my month goal from $600 to $550 because we are doing so well.  I credit that to using cash and my trusty calculator at each and every shop. 

My grocery budget includes cleaning items, dog and cat food, kitty litter, and dog treats.  I know we have a very generous budget, and it also includes things I buy for care packages for my college age daughter.  It does not include food we order in (tonight we had pizza), but we have a separate budget for that. 

Life is good.  I am pleased with the spending much less that has been happening.  Onward!