Last week when the grocery fliers came in the mail one thing caught my eye. The Albertsons case lot sale. There were 3 things in the ad that I buy on a regular basis and since the case prices were better than the usual sale prices, I decided to stock up. Plus, there was an additional coupon in the ad for $5 off a $50 grocery purchase.
Tuna for $0.59 a can, Nalley chili $0.88 each {monkey boy LOVES canned chili and will eat it cold out of the can … GAG} and Hunt’s pasta sauce for $0.79. Some years I’m able to can my own sauce, but last year wasn’t one of them, so this year I’m buying sauce. Since I always add things to my pasta sauce {leftover chicken, pork or taco meat I’ve stored in the freezer, fresh or diced tomatoes I’ve frozen because we didn’t use the whole can etc.} I’ve stopped buying the more expensive brands of pasta sauce. With the add in’s the inexpensive stuff works just fine.
Sadly when I got to the store they were sold out of tuna. Luckily though I remembered to snag a rain check at the register. 🙂
Albertsons $45.13 after $5.00 off coupon and $0.25 iBotta avocado rebate
24 cans chili
12 cans pasta sauce
4 pounds shredded cheese
70 oz salsa for the boys
tater tots for the boys
hot dog buns because I need to use up the 2 packages of hot dogs in the freezer
1 avocado
Costco $16.08 {shopping with Mrs. HB}
80 oz Peanut butter $7.49
3 lbs bananas
Delicious horseradish cheese
Fred Meyer $1.11 {shopping with Mrs. HB}
1 loaf of Hawaiian Bread {monkey boy loves it}
Friday freebie mac and cheese and refried beans
Fred Meyer $53.91 after iBotta rebates and Fred Meyer ecoupons
Milk, chocolate milk, orange juice $1 per half gallon
Blueberries $3.49 for 18 oz {plus I used a $.50 FM ecoupon on 1}
Gala apples $0.99 lb
Honey Nut Cherries $1.38 a box after $1 of 2 FM ecoupon
Organic salad greens $3.39 after $0.60 FM ecoupon
Best Foods Mayo $2.49
Wholly Guacamole $1.49 each after manager markdown
80z mushrooms $0.99 after manager markdown
3lbs clementines $3.99 each
Taco shells $1.25 small avocados $0.99 {plus I redeem a $1.00 iBotta rebate}
Kettle Chips $0.88 each after $1.00 FM ecoupon and $1.00 iBotta rebate
Annie’s Mac and cheese $0.50 after $0.50 FM ecoupon
Every single thing I bought from Fred Meyer yesterday was either on sale, or I used a FM ecoupon or iBotta rebate.
But seriously, the best deal was the Wholly guacamole. 😉 It freezes really well. Did you know that? Yep, so keep your eye out for it.
Winco $29.54 {my favorite deals are below}
5 dozen eggs $3.98
Greek Gods Yogurt $2.48 {the best price in town}
Broccoli $0.99 lb
English cucumbers $0.88 each
Kiwi $0.38 each
Mango $0.88 each
and a few other things.
So. Even though I went WAY OVER my grocery budget for the month of January, I’m totally not sweating it. Why? Because when you have an opportunity to stock up and get a good deal, you should do it if you have the funds. Luckily, I started this month with $250 in my flexible grocery/take out/date night budget and I still have $25.65 left in my envelope.
True, because of work and the fact that the HH and I have both been sick this month we haven’t gone on any dates, but I’ve still been able to splurge a little and visit some delicious bakeries. I think if you can stay on track, on budget… it all works out in the end. Our fridge is full, I know I won’t be doing any grocery shopping this week, so with $25.65 left in my budget for the month… I still have plenty left for a trip to a bakery and maybe this month the HH and I will have date night at Costco instead of our favorite mexican restaurant. Being flexible. That’s what I’m talking about. 😉
Well, that’s it for this weeks grocery budget update.
Did YOU find any good deals at the stores this week? Go anywhere cool for date night?
~Mavis
- Total Spent This Week $145.77 {wowza!}
- Total Spent in Janaury on Groceries $202.30
- Total Spent in January on Take Out, Date Nights, and Bakery Treats $22.05
Go HERE to read more Shopping Trip Stories.
sharon says
Where in your budget does the Costco membership go? Do you put in food, gas, misc? Just trying figure out where it should go in my budget.
Mavis Butterfield says
My parents gift us a Costco membership every year for Christmas. BUT, if I had to add it in my budget I would have a category for annual memberships or misc. But, if all I did was buy food there, it would go in my with my yearly food budget.
sharon says
Thanks!
Amy A. says
Love the updates, keeps me motivated to track my own grocery spending. I like to stock up when I find a great deal too.
Our goal every winter is to get through all of the food I canned last fall before summer… pretty sure we would survive months of no grocery shopping, but would miss the fresh dairy and veggies.
Hope to hear how Mrs. HB is doing this week! I’m rooting for her, and hope to learn some thrifty habits from you as well.
My down fall is store bought granola bars and snack food for our crazy work/sport schedule. I’ve been taking advantage of Amazon’s subscribe and save deals (15% off) which makes it much cheaper, but probably still a large chunk of our grocery bill.
sharon says
Check your subscribe and save prices every now and then. I was surprised when I looked at a pet vitamin and realized it had gone up over $5! I switched to a different package size to bring the price back down.
Carrie says
I did not know you could freeze guacamole! I always look to see if they have it marked down because that is the only time I buy it. It is one of my “splurge” items
Lucy says
Hi Mavis! Just a tip for using up your hot dogs! Google Rachael Ray’s hot dog salad recipe, it sounds kinda strange, but is really good! Thanks for the updates, it keeps us motivated!
Mavis Butterfield says
It sounds very strange… but I’ll take a look. Thanks!
Katelyn says
Every time I see milk for $1, I can’t believe it. I live in Vermont, land of dairy, and our milk is NEVER that inexpensive!
Carrie says
I’ve never seen milk for $1/half gallon in NC either!
Marybeth says
Not happening in NY either.
UpstateNYer says
Mavis – do you freeze all that milk you purchased? If so, how long do you tend to freeze it for?
Mavis Butterfield says
I have froze milk in the past but I won’t with this batch. Fred Meyer milk goes on sale every 2 weeks so I think about how much milk we will need for that time frame. I bought more than I usually do this time around because I bought 2 boxes of cereal.
eliz says
How do you make your oatmeal? I noticed from the pictures of your husband’s oatmeal bowl that it looks totally different than how mine turns out. Always looking to find a new favorite way to eat oatmeal.
Also, are you still getting rid of your extra freezer? It seems like you use it a lot with freezer meals, meat, etc. I have a chest freezer in the garage and am glad because I freeze a lot of greens from my garden and keep it stocked with things to fix for my husband as I only shop about once a month and Costco is over 2hrs away. I don’t think the chest freezer uses a lot of energy.
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes, I still plan on getting rid of the garage freezer.
As for the oatmeal. We usually eat Steel cut oats. When I make my morning tea with my electric kettle I take out a saucepan and add 1/3 cup oats and 3/4 boiling water, cover and then let it sit for 30 minutes. Then I turn the stovetop on low, add 1/3-1/2 cup of milk and finish cooking them. Then I add a lump of brown sugar before serving them. They turn out super creamy this way.
eliz says
I’ll give it a try. Thanks!
eliz says
Oh, are you using quick steel cut or regular?
Mavis Butterfield says
Steel cut.
eliz says
I used your method with my Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats. Delicious breakfast after my run this morning, cheap and good!
Marybeth says
I love steel cut oats. I do brown sugar and cinnamon. My husband love raisins with maple syrup.
Mavis Butterfield says
I have never added cinnamon! Next time I’ll try it. Thanks Marybeth.
Beth says
I did a big grocery shopping trip at WinCo this past Saturday and used my Ibotta app, Checkout 51, and some paper coupons. My plan is to not step foot in the grocery store until February 3rd or 4th but I may have to buy milk so we’ll see how that goes. I did a meal plan and based on what I have in the house already, I am thinking about doing a pantry challenge in February. I say that but then when I see good deals, I cave.
My biggest challenge is to adjust my cooking because we are empty nesters now- except on weekends my daughter comes home from college because she hates dorm food. My husband likes our new eating style because he gets to have things we don’t have when she is home like tonight’s green curry chicken and tomorrow’s bratwurst and German potato salad.
Lilypad says
Boy, I wish we had a Winco on the Eastside. I may have to drive down to the closest one (Kent? Renton?) to check it out. The cheapest price I can find for that Greek Gods yogurt is $4.49 and it’s usually $4.99 at the closest store to my house, so I don’t buy it often. I haven’t found broccoli for $0.99/pound lately either.
Jamie says
Where do you live when you say “Eastside” and talk of driving down to Kent or Renton? There are quite a few locations around the greater Seattle area. I hope you can fine one close by 🙂
Emily says
If it makes you feel better, my husband and I have made grocery shopping our weekly date for years. It gets us out of the house, we like doing it, and we spend quality time together. When we were on grad school budgets it might be the only date that week. Now we got out a little more, but it’s really about who you’re with not where you go.
UpstateNYer says
In NY we have Shoprite. In the month of January is their “Can Can Sale”. Canned goods are marked down and some packaged items too (like Lipton Rice). A great time for stocking up on your canned goods – at least for the next few months. Each week something different is on sale.