Friday, April 16, 2010

My Weekly Spending - $38.91

Aldi - $10.34 Since it was a slow week at Kroger I decided I'd go to Aldi to get a few items. I have a few baking staples I like to pick up there so generally I usually only go to Aldi every other month.
Rite Aid - $8.40 / K-Mart - $2.71 - I bought 3 packages of Huggies at Rite Aid and I had a raincheck for it. I bought the other package of Huggies at K-Mart along with a travel size Axe body wash. I had a $5 catalina coupon I received during K-Mart doubles that I used to buy the Huggies along with a $3 manufacturer coupon. :) The Axe body wash a K-Ching Reward I won during K-Mart doubles.
Target - $1.39 / CVS - $1.60 The light bulbs and wipes I bought a Target. The light bulbs were free after coupons and the wipes were $1.16 after coupon. The contact solution and shampoo I bought at CVS. I had a raincheck for the contact solution and both items were free after ECBs and it ended up being a $3.50 moneymaker after coupons.
Meijer - $7.61 I split this into 2 transactions so I could use the $4 catalina from the Pillsbury Biscuits. I had a coupon for a free gallon of milk and also used my Nabisco coupon for a free package of cookies wyb cookies and milk. The Ronzoni Pasta was on sale for $1 and I had some $1/1 coupons from All You and Parents. As if I need more pasta! :) I will be giving it to my sis who's getting married in a month.

Dales Cardinal - $6.00 (No picture) I bought 8 packages of Kraft Cheese.

My Spending This Week:
Total Spent - $38.91
Total Saved w/Coupons - $75.91
Total Saved w/Sales - $14
Total Savings - $89.91

I was challenging myself to only spend half of my grocery money this week so I could use the rest to buy flowers for my flowerbeds. At first I thought it was going to be easy since Kroger didn't have anything on sale I wanted/needed but it ended up being harder than what I thought. I did manage to have $20 left so I'm excited about that even though I didn't meet my goal. $20 will be plenty for flowers as I don't have many flowerbeds.

How was your spending this week? Were you able to stay on budget?

11 comments:

  1. Do you like Aldi's shortening???? I've never used it. I heard it doesn't work in some recipes.

    Did you get your free Stride gum?? Interesting flavor. :) :)

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  2. Well, so far the only thing I've used Aldi's shortening for is for frosting and it's okay for that. I only have 1 or 2 cookie recipes that take shortening so I haven't tried it yet.

    Yep I got the Stride Gum. It's okay but the flavor doesn't last long, like most fruit flavored gum. I think it could taste like the zebra gum.

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  3. Where do you buy your flowers? I have gone to Country Colors but they are so expensive! The one thing I like there though is you can buy a flat and mix and match the flowers.

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  4. Grace......I get my flats of flowers at a little Amish greenhouse out towards New Castle on 229. You can mix and match a flat....but she doesn't have a huge selection. Just the usual ones like petunias, geraniums, impatiens, marigolds, etc. I can't remember what the price was last year, but it was the cheapest I could find. But, you need to buy them by mid-May, because she sells out fast.

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  5. Ditto what Monica said. Do you know where the scratch and dent store is out that way? The greenhouse is right before there. I think a flat of flowers is around $8.99 - $9.99. I am cutting back this year on the number of flowers I'm planting in order to try to save a little.

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  6. Great job Michelle. :)
    About Aldi: I have heard people say their flour is no good and other things. I have never noticed a difference in any of their baking supplies. I am pretty sure I have used their shortening.
    I think I will buy a few vegetable plants this year, but probably no flowers.
    Spending for this week:
    $28.51 For groceries and household
    $3.52 at Dollar Tree for butterfly nets, and ear phones for my computer (So I don't drive John crazy listening to Colin) :)
    - I know I used $3 last week and went to Taco Bell with the kids this week (this is starting to be a bad habit.) :(
    But even with overspending a bit last week, buying non-essentials at DT, and stopping at Taco Bell, I still have $2 left! :)
    Is there an easy way to calculate percentages for the week, (in the spreadsheet) or do you figure it all out manually?
    By the way, Dollar Tree has the cutest headbands! I think they are decent quality, and look like they will hold up well.

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  7. I'll have to check out the headbands at Dollar Tree! Good job on the spending! You're always an inspiration to me to spend only what I have to! I kinda started a habit at stopping at Burger King or McDonalds and getting a milkshake for J and I to share. It's kinda of an incentive for him to be good.

    I haven't figured out a way to calculate percentages for the week other than doing it manually.

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  8. Ok, then manually it is: :)
    I guess it's good for the brain, right? :)
    $81.44 before coupons
    Saved with sales:$22.95 (Don't know what cheese is normally at Dale's so that doesn't figure in here)
    Saved with coupons $26.47
    Coupons used: 16 (That's quite a change from last week's...115??!)
    Total spent $37.83 (Including DT, etc...)

    I should show you the headbands so you can decide if it's worth going in. :)

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  9. Oops, forgot to add.....total savings $49.42.
    Not as impressive of yours. :)
    Our difference is $1.08, but you got more stuff for about the same money. Way to go!

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  10. I used 32 coupons this week. Less than half of what I used last week. :) I'm trying to decide if I like putting in my total before sales on the spreadsheet. I would really like to see a savings percentage of coupons only because who really buys stuff when it's not on sale? I think next year I may do it differently.

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  11. Yeah I know what you mean. I have been thinking about it too. It's fun to see the pre-sale total because I like to make fun of people who actually pay that. :) But it's not what I would EVER pay. So the savings are inflated. The bottom line is what we were spending versus what we are spending now. I think next year I will put in the sale price as the starting price and not fill in the other line. Becasue that's what will tell me how much I am saving by couponing. I know it's still a HUGE amount, and totally worth it. :)

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