Week of August 11th

This is going to be an expensive week. I went to Babies R Us today to get some formula. Here's what fell into the groceries category:

4 cans formula $22.09 each = $88.36
Overnite diapers $11.99
Diaper doublers $2.99
Gerber snacks $2.99 (ended up seeing them cheaper at Target)
Baby wash $2.99 - $1 coupon = $1.99 (also cheaper at Target)

Total grocery bill here: $108.32

I went next door to Target to pick up some diapers. Here's how my bill came out:

144 Huggies $29.99 - $1.50 store coupon - $1.50 mfr. coupon = $26.99
I bought a second box of Huggies as a shower gift and got a $10 giftcard for buying two boxes of diapers. I used that giftcard on the rest of my groceries (separate transaction).
2 Gerber snacks $1.66 each
Bisquick $2.64 - $0.60 coupon = $2.04
Marshmallows $0.87
2 boxes Eggos $1.50 each - $1 store coupon (off 2) - $1 mfr. coupon (off 2)= $0.50 each

Total grocery bill here: $34.22 - $10 giftcard = $24.22 (including the diapers!)

Here's my menu for the week:
Monday: Chicken enchiladas
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Chicken soft tacos
Thursday: Roasted chicken w/potatoes & green beans
Friday: Date night!
Saturday: Farfalle w/zucchini
Sunday: Empanadas
Monday: Leftovers

Safeway and Walgreens

Here's what I spent at Safeway today:
Sesame oil $5.39
Instant oatmeal $2
2 cans white beans $2
Rice vinegar $2.99
2 lbs. Monterey Jack cheese $5.99
Shredded parmesan cheese $2.99
Cottage cheese $2.50
Thin sliced sirloin steaks, 1.25 lb. $5.39
Bananas $1.65
Scallions $0.79
Red pepper $0.90
Nectarines $2.59
Broccoli $0.79
Ginger root $0.35
2 lbs. organic strawberries $4.79 (bogo)
blueberries $3
2 boxes Cheerios and 2 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch $10/4 - $6/4 coupon - $0.55 coupon off each box = $0.95 per box
Total: $47.91, with a savings of 42%, plus it printed out a coupon for $2 off 5 boxes of General Mills cereal.

At Walgreens:
3 pk. Puffs tissue $2.49 - $0.25 coupon = $2.24
2 pkg. Keebler cookies $4 - $1 coupon = $3
2 boxes Fruit Loops $5 - $1 coupon = $4
2 boxes Special K $5 - $1 coupon = $4
2 boxes PopTarts $4 - $1 coupon = $3
2 boxes NutriGrain Bars $5 - $1 coupon $4
Dawn dishwashing liquid $2.19 - $1.20 store coupon - $0.50 mfr. coupon = $0.49
Total: $20.73

***Here's the bonus...For buying $10 in Kellogg's cereals, I got $5 Register Rewards to use at Walgreens. For buying $10 in other Kellogg's products, I got another $5 Register Rewards. And, because I bought 10 items in one transaction, I can send in the UPC's for a rebate of $10! Now that's a good days work!

My grocery shopping is done for the week. I've spent $89.43. I came in under $100 this week! Nice!

Target run

I'm bubbling over with excitement. I went to Target today, coupons and list in hand, and came out with money in my pocket...lots of money.

Here's what I got:
Gerber Banana Puffs $2.24
Skintimate shave gel $2.24 - $1 coupon = $1.24
Sour cream $1.97
Cover Girl Blush $4.79 - $1 coupon = $3.79
All Small & Mighty (32 loads) $3.79 - $1.50 coupon = $2.29
Gerber Baby food (2) $2.00 - $1 coupon = $0.50 each
Gerber Organic baby food (2) $2.58 - $1 coupon = $0.79 each
Cheddar cheese (8oz.) $2.00 - $0.50 coupon = $1.50
Crest toothpaste $2.50 - $0.75 coupon = 1.75
Suave 2 in 1 shampoo $1.97
Dial liquid hand soap $1.37 - $1 coupon = $0.37

I got all this for $20.79. I used $7.75 in coupons, which means I saved 27% using my coupons! I'm pretty proud of myself, I must admit. I'm so excited to see how the grocery store goes tomorrow!

Week of August 4th

Today I scoured the ads and compared them against the coupons I had. I'll be making a grocery run and a Target run this week, so we'll see how the receipts come out.



Here is my menu for this week:



Monday: Leftovers (Poppyseed chicken w/noodles and peas)

Tuesday: Cobb salad

Wednesday: Grilled halibut steaks, zucchini & white bean salad

Thursday: Turkey Paninis

Friday: Homemade Chinese...Crunchy Noodle Salad, Beef & Broccoli

Saturday: Leftovers/Up for grabs

Sunday: Chicken Enchiladas



Cost for Poppyseed Chicken:

Frozen chicken breasts (6): $4

2 cans cream of mushroom soup: $2

16 oz. sour cream: $2

1 stick butter: $0.75

2 sleeves Ritz crackers: $1.75

2 Tbsp. poppy seeds: $1.95

Spaghetti Noodles: $1

Frozen Peas: $1.50

Total: $14.95/6 to 8 servings = $1.87 to $2.49 per serving

That's not too bad. I had people for dinner and made this Sunday night. If I had made it for the husband and myself, we could have gotten 3 days' worth of dinner out of it instead of 2. I also had to approximate some of the prices (like the poppy seeds). I had everything for this recipe in my pantry except the Ritz crackers.

Budget Buster!

My husband told me that our grocery budget went WAY over last month. Of course he asked me what did I spend that money on...and I had no answer. So I've decided to slim down our budget overage and see where my grocery money is going. I also need to figure out how much we're spending on meals and if that can also be trimmed.

For the month of August, I will detail my grocery purchases and the meals I plan to make with them. My grocery budget is $400 for the month. It's just my husband and myself and our 10 month old twins. They don't eat as much as we do, but formula and diapers gets added in to that grocery budget too. Jeez!

On July 24th, I bought 6 cans of formula (25.7oz. each) for $132.54 = $22.09 per can. I also bought a 30oz. can of formula for $21.59. I have already used the 30oz. can and have opened one of the 25.7oz. cans. I also bought 204 diapers for $32.97 ($0.16/diaper) and 616 wipes for $13.01 ($0.02/wipe). I haven't opened these boxes yet, so I don't know if I will get through August without buying more.

Today I went to Safeway and spent $12.98. I bought:

• 2 gallons milk $5.49
• Jif peanut butter $3.99 (for all those pb&j's we'll soon be eating)
• Ritz crackers $3.50

I'm having some family for dinner Sunday and I'm making Poppy Seed Chicken. I had everything but the Ritz crackers. Tonight we are having leftovers (I made individual meatloaves last night and eggrolls w/fried rice the night before). Saturday night I was thinking about grilling some halibut steaks I bought at Trader Joe's.

Friday's dinner: $0

I'll post totals for Saturday and Sunday's dinners as well as the menu for the new week on Monday. Submit your dinner plans (along with prices) and help us all figure out how to save a little money in the grocery aisles!

Sweets for Your Sweet

Crate & Barrel is one of my favorite places to browse. I say browse because I would be in big trouble if I actually bought everything I love there! Something I can buy? Their Valentine Hot Cocoa . It comes in a fun little tin and the cocoa changes color to pink! What little kid (or grown-up kid) wouldn't love that with their Valentine's Day breakfast?! A 2.25oz. tin is on sale for just $1.95.

I also love this Valentine's tea from Crate & Barrel. A chocolate flavored black tea with rosebuds in silk sachets is a luxurious gift for a tiny price: $1.95 for this 0.4oz. tin that contains 5 sachets. Isn't the tin gorgeous?

I knew See's made delicious chocolate Easter eggs, but I did not know they made these Valentine hearts! I picked some up yesterday (in Milk Chocolate Bordeaux, my FAVORITE!). They also come in Dark Chocolate Raspberry and Milk Chocolate Butter with Walnuts. Each heart weighs 3 oz. and is $4. Such a delicious, tiny treat! Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, be prepared to stand in line a little while. : )

Send a little kiss

Haven't gotten a card for your special someone yet? Valentine's Day is the second largest card-sending day of the year (behind Christmas). This card from Hallmark.com plays Barry White's "You're The First, The Last, My Everything". Go to Hallmark's website and select "Cards With Sound". You can personalize the card online and Hallmark will lick it, stamp it, and send it off for you! Other cards (without sound) are available to send, too.

Hallmark.com is also a great resource for other gifts, and allows you to shop by recipient and price, among other categories.

Here's a cute idea: Snapfish has 2x3 inch mini photo books that you can personalize with up to 24 of your own photos. Why not use it to create a coupon book for your Valentine? One way to do this is to write out your coupon ("Good for one free neck massage") and then scan it into your computer. You can then upload this image to Snapfish as one of the "pictures" in your coupon book. Even cuter? Take a picture of the item you will give (maybe a picture of your loved one's feet for a foot massage coupon or a picture of their car for a car wash coupon) and upload that to Snapfish. The possibilities are endless! These adorable mini books start at $5.99

And if you don't have time to do either of the above? Well, lucky you! Snapfish also has FREE photo e-cards for Valentine's Day. With animation, sound, and your own photo, who wouldn't want to get something like that in their in-box?

Have any more cute last minute Valentine's ideas? Email them to me at SavvyStarBaby@gmail.com.