Sunday, October 8, 2017

October Grocery Shopping: Week 2-Part 1

October 7 Grocery Shopping
I stopped by the grocery store to pick up some bananas ($.59/lb = $.70), eggs ($.88) for the prayer meeting dinner, and bagels ($1.99).

Oh, but what's that on the left of the picture?  No, not the cat, who is playing "Spot the Dancer" with all of you.  But all those bags of chocolate chips and boxes of chocolate mints? 

 They were all in the clearance shelves:

Clearance Chocolate

I couldn't resist those prices!  $.59 for bags of chocolate chips ($3.49 regular price), $.59 for mint chocolates ($2.29 regular price), and $.89 for the Ghirardelli chocolate chips ($4.99 regular price).  The Ghirardelli chips and 2 bags of the chocolate chips are for daughter, who asked me to get them for her (I called her from the grocery store, when I saw the sale); the other two bags of chocolate chips are for me to use for holiday baking.  The mint chocolate will be for the prayer gathering - it will be one of the items I'll serve for dessert. 



October 7 Grocery Receipt
My total came to $8, of which, the eggs ($.88) and the mint chocolates  ($1.18) are from the rosary budget.

In addition to the above, I also bought a 6-pack of meal replacement drinks from the pharmacy (I had gone to pick up some medication refills):


Meal Replacement Drink
I have one of these, once or twice a week, often on days like today when I don't have an appetite and don't want to eat much.  I had finished what I had in the pantry, last month, and bought these today.  They weren't on sale and I paid the regular price of $11.99, but I used my $1 coupon on them:

 
Receipt for Meal Replacement Drink
My total came to $12.03 with tax.
I guess the chocolate chips and the meal replacement drinks don't belong in any of the categories I allowed myself ("dairy, bread, produce") to spend on this month, but that's OK.  I am still going to try to keep the rest of this month's spending limited to those three categories.   
October Prayer gathering budget = $300
Spent to date:
9/18:  $4.49 for smoked sausage
9/27: $1.29 for 2 cans of mixed nuts
10/4: $10.97 for 2 whole chickens
10/7: $2.06 for 1 dozen eggs and 2 boxes of mint chocolates
 
October regular grocery budget = $53
So far, I have spent $4.13 + $1.98 + $.61 + $5.94 + $12.04 = $24.70
Balance left in the budget = $53 - $24.70 = $28.30

I plan to go grocery shopping for fresh produce on Sunday.  Stay tuned for Week 2 Part 2!



16 comments:

  1. Hello Bless, sounds as if you have found some bargains there. It's always good to allow a little leeway in a budget so that we are able to benefit from an extra low price on something. Do tell me, how do Ghiradelli chocolate chips differ from ordinary ones?

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    1. It's the quality of the chocolate; daughter assures me they taste a lot better than the regular ones, especially if one is eating them straight out of the bag or as part of a trail mix, rather than baked in a cookie.

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  2. Good buy on the chips. I don't buy chocolate chips regularly, but I do this time of year as I consider holiday baking.

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    1. It's been years since I last bought chocolate chips, partly because even on sale, they are rarely less than $2.00. But when I saw it at $.59, I knew I had to buy some! I see some chocolate chip cookies in my future! :D

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  3. Replies
    1. Thank you, Regine. Hope all is well with you.

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  4. Fantastic buy on those chocolate chips. I buy them on sale and pop the bags in the freezer. They last well over a year that way.
    It is going to be interesting when you see how little of your Prayer Gathering budget you actually spend. I predict you will have a lot left over!

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    1. Thank you for the tip, Anne, to store the chips in the freezer.

      Yes, I think I will come well under budget with the prayer gathering budget. If I do, I will keep that money aside for stocking up and my next trip to the Sri Lankan store, so that I don't go over on the grocery budget!

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  5. Wow..what a bargain on the chocolate chips.. So happy for you , that you found them
    Have a blessed day.

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    1. Thanks, Judy. I was very happy to find them at that price! I don't think I've ever seen them for that price!

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  6. Amazing price on the clearance chocolate chips and the Andes chocolate mints are perfect for your prayer dinner. I always feel happy when I can find something I know one of my children or grandchildren will enjoy.

    We returned yesterday from our short trip out of town to attend a wedding. The wedding ceremony was personalized by the bride and groom. Not at all traditional and quite short. There was a choice of steak, chicken Parmesan or vegetarian. Wedding cake or cheesecake for desert. It was nice to visit and see the happy young couple. I was surprised at the heavy traffic and the hotel was full but some people had today off so maybe a long weekend for many.

    I went grocery shopping this morning and then caught up on laundry. I promptly fell asleep after lunch!

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    1. I couldn't believe it, when I saw the price on the chocolate chips! And they weren't near their expiration dates, either.

      The wedding ceremony sounds nice, although I do like the traditional services. Sounds like a nap was just the thing after all that traveling, grocery shopping, etc. :)

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  7. Good grief! They were giving away those chocolate chips. Amazing! I'm glad you got them.

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    1. That they were, Becky. Chocolate chips aren't something I buy on a regular basis, due to the price, but at $.59/bag, I was happy to get a few. :)

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  8. Oh my goodness! I would have been doing a happy dance right there in the store to find such a great deal on those chocolate chips! :) You are doing great my friend!

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    1. There was another lady there, who was exclaiming, "No way!" the whole time she and I were making our selections! :D

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