This past week I went over budget. I need to get serious and hunker down here pretty soon if I am going to reach my goal of averaging $100 a month for groceries for 2012. With only $273.40 left to spend for the year, I’m going to need to map out a plan, and quick. My biggest concern is money for milk and baking supplies. I hope I can do it.
Here is what I bought this past week.
Wilco Feed Store $16.50
The Girl and I had stopped by Wilco just as they were marking down cases of fruits and vegetables. We picked up 28 pounds of pears for only $12.00, and 25 pounds of onions for $4.50. I didn’t really need the onions {because we grew them in the backyard this summer} but I couldn’t resist.
1 Fisher Scone $1.25
It would be a crime to go to the Puyallup Fair and not stand in line for 10 minutes for a scone.
Butler’s Farm $9.00
Last week I stopped by a local farm stand and picked up 24 pounds of apples and made applesauce and apple butter. I have a feeling I might be headed back there soon because the prices are so good.
Safeway $.45 {for postage}.
Had the “free” products not been free after rebate, I would have only been willing for pay about $.25 for 4 of the items. The other items I would not have looked twice at. Can you guess what they are?
Safeway $10.00
The free weenie deal at Safeway was awesome. We still have milk and orange juice in the refrigerator, the candy is gone, but there are still 8 packages of weenies left and the butter is safe and sound int the freezer.
For what it’s worth, I think I made out pretty good last week.
How about YOU?
Score any free food?
Stop by any roadside stands and pick up some fresh produce?
Total Spent This Week $37.20
Total Spent This Year $926.60
Total Spent This Year on Garden Seeds/Supplies $516.21
Total “Seed Money” donations received $51.00
Lisa says
Next year you should check out the Curan Apple Orchard Cider Squeeze in University Place. It is a community event each year. Once a year families are allowed to pick the apples off of the trees and have them (or not) turned into fresh squeezed apple cider. They like it if each family only picks 2 grocery bags full (one bag makes a little over a gallon of cider, and they limit the families to 1 crate/bag of apples for squeezing). If you’re like us we sponsored a tree so got in a little early to start picking promptly at 12:00. We picked out two bags, got in line for washing and as soon as we got our crate my husband emptied the bag and handed it off to me for more picking. Cheating I know.
If you sponsor a tree you are entitled to all of the apples on that tree. They ask that you prune your tree, hang traps and thin the tree over the year. We went in with a family on a tree (it was only $35) and my friend and I will go back this week or next for our own apples.
From the free trees we got 50+ pounds of apples. Our personal tree isn’t packed with fruit, but there is more than enough for the two families.
Miriam says
In fact, I did just get some free food. I went to Smiths this last week. I missed the Wags deal with the Velveeta and the mayo, but I printed the coupons. Luckily, this week’s deal was amazing! By buying two jars of mayo and 8 bottles of Kraft salad dressing and using the 2/2 mayo and 1/2 salad dressing, I was able to get all 10 items for free with the catalina.
For anyone who is wondering.
The deal is still good.
WYB 10:
– Kraft Dressing: 1.49 -$1/2 online coupon
– Kraft Mayo (light or regular, not the Miracle Whip): 2.49- $2/2 online coupon (NLA)
Sub Total: $10.90
Catalinas: $10 (for buying 10 Kraft items) and $2 (for buying 2 Kraft Mayo)
Total: $1.1 MM
Note: The green goddess kraft dressing didn’t ring up right and I had to have them rering it up using a different dressing to force the catalina to print.
Miriam says
I forgot to say how many of each I bought. I am a ditz.
8 dressing and 2 mayo.
Also, great job Mavis. I don’t know how you do it!
Jennifer Jo says
Why are you wearing pantyhose on your head?
Mavis says
You, of all people, think that’s odd? You are a nut!
Jennifer Jo says
I didn’t say anything about it being odd! I was just asking WHY! (Ha! You just called yourself “nuts!”)
Jennifer Jo says
I just reread that. You didn’t actually call me nuts for pointing that out. You just said I think it’s odd, which is not what I was thinking (well, maybe I was a little). You were callilkjkllkjkl. Daggnabbit. I can’t see what I’m typing cause the curser goes under all this ads you have on the sidebar. Help! I’m typing blind!
Mavis says
How many cups of coffee have you had today?
Brenda says
I have about 14 gallon freezer bags full of blackberries! all free! and a grocery bag of plums to dehydrate, free as well!
Gwenn Ferguson says
Where do you people find this stuff? I’m soooooo jealous. I live in NE Wisconsin we have nothing cool like you all do. Maybe we should move?!?
LaToya says
Hmmm…the smoothie mix – because you can make your own with what you have on-hand…the 2 baking mixes…and the Mott’s? I bought a bunch of those recipe starters for 29-cents at Albies with the round-up. And the Simplait yogurts that I wasn’t able to get last time. And the Bounty paper towels too. Hoping that recipe starter stuff is good and I can just add to some ground beef and maybe pasta and potatoes for a quick during-the-week meal. I got a bunch of stuff at Walmart matching the round-up: free Carmex lip balms, 28-cent taco shells, 8-cent Dawn (I have plenty, but these were for my mom), and gross seafood snack things for free.
Those are pantyhose? For real? Why?
Mavis says
Yogurt, Yogurt, soup, frozen potatoes.
When you try the soup starters let me know how they taste. I’m guessing the mushroom one is going to be just like cream of mushroom soup. I’d try it out but I don’t think I have any ground beef/bison in the freezer.
Heather says
I just did the Safeway Rebate deal this morning…it was a hunt all over the store, but it was fun! I am wondering if you really write all the UPCs on the receipt or did you cut and paste them? I am leaning towards cutting, but the “fine print” says to write. Do you recall what you did last time? And my guess is yogurts, veggies and smoothie mix, right?!
We also picked more blackberries for free…all told we have picked about 60 cups so far!
Gwenn Ferguson says
Free blackberries?!? I most definitely need to move 🙂
Heather says
Too bad we aren’t closer…I’d barter blackberries for some WI cheese any day!
Mavis says
I love cheese. 🙂
Mavis says
Luckily there was nothing printed on the back of my receipt so I was able to write the UPC’s on the back. I think last time I had to cut out the UPC’s. Yogurt, Yogurt, soup, frozen potatoes.
Heather says
Thanks for the idea…back of the receipt…here I was going to try and *squeeze* it on the front! LOL!
I have no doubt you will make your goal…you will have ample veggies to barter with…plus I am sure you have a trick up your sleeve. Didn’t you test drive a car for a turkey or something last year?
Susan says
QFC is the place to shop this week!They are having the Buy 10 Get $5 off INSTANTLY along with the $10 catalina on some of the same products!
Start off with the Kraft American Cheese. The 12 oz package- 16 slices- are $1.49 (after .50 savings) There are $1/2 coupons right in front of the product! Buy 10- Use 5-$1/2 coupons.
$1.49 x 10 = $14.90 – $5 = $9.90 and Receive a $10 catalina = FREE!!
I only got 4 of the cheese b/c we don’t eat much (they are dated through March 2013) But if you have a large family or need barter material…you might want to get 10!!
Here’s what I did:
4- cheese- ($1.49) Used 2-$1/2 coupons
4- Kraft salad dressings – ($1.49) Used 2-$1/2 coupons
2- Kraft mayo- Used 2- $1/1 coupons
These 10 items qualified for the $10 OYNO catalina. I also Received an EXTRA $2 OYNO for buying 2 of the mayo! (Triple dip??)= $12 total
On the Buy 10 – Get $5 off INSTANTLY you can do more sets than 1. Just make sure they are in increments of 10!
I also got:
2-Triscuits($1.49) Used $1/2 coupon
4-Kraft BBQ sauce- (.49) Used 2-.60/2 coupons
2-all detergent($2.99) Used 2-$1/1 coupons
2-Blue Diamond Almonds ($2.49) Used a .75/2 coupon
For all 20 items I
SPENT: $22.35 (.50 tax)
SAVED: $47.91
RECEIVED BACK: $12 OYNO! 🙂 For a total of $10.35 ( if you include the OYNO catalinas!
Jasanna says
You’re doing great! Look for neighbors with fruit trees and fruit they don’t want. Just today I went to a neighbor and asked about apples from their tree. They’re going to let me have a bunch. 🙂
Heidi says
Only $273.40 for 3 1/2 months of groceries! Girl, you better start hitting up family and friends for your holiday dinners. Free weenies and beets will make for a sad Christmas dinner!
Mavis says
Ha! I need to find someone willing to trade weenies and salmon for a turkey or a ham. Hmmm
Celia Husmann says
You have salmon? I just started reading your blog and haven’t been able to keep up with posts. We have older birds (from last year) in our freezer.
Sherle says
I scored 200 pounds of bartlett pears for $48 and made most of them into pear sauce, which has been canned and stored. The sauce is so sweet, no sugar needed!
Mavis says
You are my hero. 200 pounds? Holy canolies!
Jessica Hardin says
Mavis send me beets and I will send you money for your turkey!! My beets do not like me. So in Virginia, we still have pretty hot weather. My tomato plants are barely producing, still lightly flowering, but are not looking too good. (Too hot this summer). Do I wait to see if anything is going to happen or yank them and use their containers for other things? It hurts me to say it, but i don’t know if they are going to recover enough. Your thoughts?
Mavis says
It ain’t over til it’s over. 😉 Here is where I was at towards the end of September with my goal. http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/2011/09/week-36-on-one-hundred-dollars-a-month/