Frugal Friday - Grocery Shopping Savings May 11, 2007

Warning-- This is a long post - I guess I bought alot :)

For Frugal Friday this week I decided to talk about grocery shopping. I have a set budget of $50.00 a week for groceries but I like to shop for a month at a time so I go to the store with a budget of $200.00 in mind. I like to combine coupons with store sales especially buy one get one sales (BOGO).

First of all let me confess... I am a coupon freak and think everyone should be, I mean why not? If you have to buy it and there is a coupon available for it, utilize it. I'll put it this way, if someone handed you a dollar you wouldn't reject it so why reject a dollar off coupon for something you already have to buy???

I want to clarify that my shopping this week will feed us for an entire month possibly longer (with the exception of bread and milk) not just a week - hence the somewhat high price at store #3. Also, we still have some items leftover in the pantry, freezer and fridge from my last shopping trip so that plays it's part as well. Oh and I bought several bottles of shampoo, tubes of toothpaste and packs of razors, this is me stocking up and these items will last way longer than a month. I went ahead and stocked up on these items because some were free and the rest were really cheap...

I went to three different stores this week, all three stores are within a mile of our home so there's really no going out of the way. All three stores were grocery stores and unfortunately none of them double coupons, no discount marts this week, I tend to spend too much when I shop there :)

Store #1:

• 2 Bottles of Juicy Juice (BOGO) = $3.19 for two - $2.00 coupon = total cost $1.19 for 2 bottles ( approx. $.60 per bottle)


• Hungry Jack Syrup 2.35-.55 coupon = total cost $1.80


• 2 Glade Scented Oil Kits (BOGO) = $6.99 for two - $4.00 coupon = total cost $ 2.99 for 2


• 2 Old Elpaso Taco Dinner Kits (BOGO) = $2.59 for two - $2.00 coupon = total cost $.59 for 2


• 2 Cans Scrubbing Bubbles (BOGO) = $3.19 for two - $2.00 coupon = total cost $1.19 for 2


• 1 Tube Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste on sale for $2.00 - $1.50 coupon = total cost $.50


• 2 Bic Soleil Resuable Kit Razors = $ 11.98 - $11.98 coupon = FREE (Our paper had coupons for free ones this week)

Total Savings (Store Sales & Coupons) $38.91

Total Spent at Store #1: $8.86

Store #2:

• 1/2 pd Smithfild Corned Beef (deli) Daily Store Special - total cost: $1.61


• 1/2 pd Sara Lee Honey Ham (deli) MVP cost $3.00 - $1.00 = total cost $2.00


• 1/2 pd Sara Lee Colby Jack Cheese MVP cost $2.07 - $1.00 = total cost = $1.07


• Sargento Shredded Cheese (BOGO) = $3.33 - $1.50 coupon = total cost $1.83


• Mrs. Smith's Full Size Apple pie $3.00 - $1.00 coupon = $2.00


• Tide (40 load) MVP Buy $5.99 - $1.00 = $4.99


• Hefty Kitchen Bags, 40 ct = MVP Buy $5.99 - $1.00 coupon = $4.99


• Suave Kids Shampoo - MVP Buy $1.79 - $.50 coupon = $1.29


• Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste - MVP Buy $1.99 - $1.50 coupon = $.49


• Edge Senitive Shave Gel - 1.99 - $1.00 coupon = $.99


• 3 Pack Venus Disposable Razors - MVP Buy $5.99 - $3.00 coupon = $2.99


• Aquafresh Toothpaste - $1.19 - $.75 coupon = $.44


• Bic Soleil reusable Razor Kit - MVP Buy $ 5.99 - $6.99 coupon = FREE


• Windex Micro Cloth - Closeout $2.34 - $1.00 coupon = $1.34


• Mr. Clean Large Bottle- MVP Buy $2.50 - $1.00 coupon = $1.50


• Lysol Dis Spray - Closeout $2.74 - $1.00 coupon = $1.74


• Cascade Gel Orange - Closeout - $2.09 - $1.00 coupon = $1.09


• Dawn Dish Det. - Closeout $2.09 - $1.00 coupon = $1.09


• Cottonelle 4 pck double roll - $2.99 - $1.00 coupon - $1.99


• Bake Shop Sugar Cookies (we got hungry...) MVP Buy $2.79
  

(Total Combined Savings (MVP & Coupons) $37.36

Total Spent at Store #2: $43.09 w/tax

Store #3:

• 2- 2.93 lb (each) Split Chicken Breasts (BOGO) - Total $8.17 for 2


• 2- 2.98 lb (each) Beef Chuck Boneless Roast (BOGO) - Total $11.89 for 2


• .79 lb Beef Top Sirloin Steak Bonus Buy Price Total $3.35


• .75 lb Beef Top Sirloin Steak Bonus Buy Price Total $3.15


• 2 - 1.68 lb (each) Beef Steak Boneless Thin Cut (BOGO) Total $8.53 for 2


• 2- 3lb (each) Ground Beef (BOGO) Total $6.55 for 2


• Fresh Italian Sauage Links Total $3.99


• 3 Boxes, 40 ct, Totinos Pizza Rolls - Sale Priced - Total $3.00 for 3


• 1 lb Bacon - Sale Priced - Total $3.49


• 2 Boxes Toaster Strudels - Sale Priced 3/7.00 - $1.00 coupon = $3.67 for 2


• 2 Boxes Edwards Hershey Pies - Sale Priced $1.67 each - $.55 coupon = Total $2.79 for 2


• 5 Totinos Pizzas - Sale Priced Total $5.00 for 5


• Gortons Jumbo Butterfly Shrimp - Sale Priced $5.49 - $.50 coupon = Total $4.99


• 44 ct Gortons Fish Sticks Sale Priced $4.99 - $.50 coupon = Total $4.49


• PF Thick Garlic Toast - $2.59


• 2 - Breyers Ice Cream (BOGO) $5.49 - $1.00 coupon = Total $4.49 for 2


• 2 packs, 6ct Frozen Corn on the cob- Sale Priced Total $4.00 for 2


• Betty Crocker Dry Muffin Mix - Sale Priced $1.29 - $.55 coupon = Total $.74


• Betty Crocker Dry Supreme Brownie Mix - Sale Priced $2.00 - $1.00 coupon = Total $1.00


• Coffee Mate Non Dairy Creamer $2.59 - $1.00 Coupon = Total $1.59


• Big Red 2 Liter Sale Priced $ 1.50 - $.40 coupon = Total $1.10


• Tropicana 3qt. Sale Priced $ 4.99 - $1.00 Coupon = Total $3.99


• RediWhip Cream - Total $2.50


• 2 Large Boxes Cereal $7.18 - $1.75 coupon = Total $5.43 for 2


• 6 pack Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix - Sale Priced Total $2.00 for 6


• Thin Spagetti Noodles - $1.09


• 2- 4pk Del Monte Pineapple Tidbits (BOGO) Total $2.00 for 2


• Fruit Roll Ups - Sale Priced $1.67 - $.25 coupon = Total $1.42


• 2 Boxes Old El Paso taco Shells (BOGO) $1.79 - $1.55 coupon(s) = Total $.24 for 2


• Two Pkgs Oreo Double Stuff Cookies - Sale Priced - Total $5.00 for 2


• 2 Boxes Kool Aid Singles (BOGO) Total $2.99 for 2


• 4 Cans Old El Paso Vegetarian Refried Beans - Sale Priced $4.00 - 1.00 coupon = Total $3.00 for 4


• Mckormick Season All Seasoning - $1.69 - $.55 Coupon = Total $1.14


• 5 Cans Hormel Chunk Chicken - Sale Priced - Total $5.00 for 5


• Luzianne Family Pack Tea - Sale Priced - Total $2.00


• Large Package Fresh Strawberries (BOGO) Total $4.00


• 2-12pk Sunkist (BOGO) Total $4.50 for 2


• Pillsbury Cin. Rolls - $1.79- $.30 Coupon = Total $1.49


• Natures Own Butterbread - Sale Priced Total $2.00


• 8ct. Dessert Shells (Bakery) Total $1.09


• 1 pkg Grade A Large Eggs - $1.59 - $.30 coupon = Total $1.29


• 2 Bottles Spray N Wash (BOGO) -$2.79 - $1.00 coupon = Total $1.79 for 2


• Crest Toothpaste - Sale Priced $2.00 - $.75 = Total $1.25


• Fructis Shampoo - Sale Priced $2.89 - 1.60 coupon = Total $1.29


• 3 Bottles VO5 Shampoo - Sale Priced - Total $2.93 for 3

Total Combined Savings (Sale & Coupons) $92.15

Total Spent at Store #3= $153.05

Total Spent For One Months Food (Possibly More Than A Month - Milk & Bread Exception) $205.00 which equals $51.25 a week (4 weeks)

I had an overage of $5.00 ($1.25 a week) this month, I am not too disappointed with that. :)

To view more Frugal Friday Posts - Visit Crystal's Blog - Biblical Womanhood by Clicking Here.