I picked up my groceries today (Sunday). As mentioned before, this was a stock up grocery order, to take advantage of sales and current prices before they increased!
I bought:
Chicken thighs, 2 family packs, 6.58 lbs. @ $0.99/lb. (reg. price $2.49/lb.) = $6.51
Grapes, 3 lb. container, reg. price $7.99, on sale with digital coupon = $4.99 ($1.66/lb.)
Pancake mix, 1 box, 32 oz., store brand = $3.29 ($0.10 price increase since I bought it last in November 2022)
Rice, 10 lb. long grain, white, store brand = $7.49
($2 price increase since I bought a 10 lb. bag in March, 2022; in July 2022, 10lb. and 5lb. bags of rice were not available for pick up - delivery only, according to the website - and I bought 3x 2 lb. bags for a higher price per lb.; the 2 lb. bags of rice have increased in price to $1.99 now)
Condensed milk, 6 cans, 14 oz.@, store brand @ $2.49 = $14.94 (price increased by $0.10/can since I last purchased in October 2022)
Milk, 1/2 gal. store brand with digital coupon = $1.99 ($0.40 price reduction with coupon)
Flour, 5 lb., store brand, unbleached = $3.19 (same price as when I bought in January 2023)
Sugar, 10 lb., white, store brand = $6.99 (same price as when I bought in December 2022)
Ground coffee, 12 oz., daughter's favorite brand, $6.99@ (reg. price $14.99 per receipt!) = $13.98 (it's been quite some time since I last bought coffee, but, it was on sale for $5.99 back then).
Total spent today = $63.37
March grocery budget = $100.00
Spent to date = $36.42 (on March 4) + $63.37 = $99.79
Balance left = $0.21
I had $63.58 left in my March grocery budget after my shopping on March 4; I think I planned out this week's shopping almost down to the penny! LOL.
I am not planning to buy more groceries this month. I have plenty of fruit and vegetables in the fridge and freezer, plus there's lettuce ready to be picked in the garden and I noticed that the first snow pea pods are just about ready to be picked!
How are you coming along with your grocery shopping and grocery budget? How do these prices compare with what you are seeing in your grocery stores?
I have noticed prices on nearly everything I buy increasing. I did buy a dozen eggs this week, though, and they have dropped by about 1.50. Go figure!
ReplyDeleteYay for falling egg prices! 1 doz. large eggs (store brand) is $4.99 here.
DeleteYou did well with your budget and hopefully that will be it for this month. I'm not too impressed with the new supermarket as the substitutions were all returned so next shop I will not allow substitutions to be made and if something is not in stock I can call in elsewhere. Prices are rising wherever you shop so you did well to stock up while the offers were on.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Eileen; I'm not planning to do any more shopping for the rest of this month!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear that the new supermarket isn't up to standard and you've had to return the substitutions. Hopefully, not allowing substitutions and picking up what you need from another store will work out well. Or, maybe the previous store will offer another discount on deliveries and you can switch back. :)
Grocery budgeting is still one I do in pencil as food prices are still on the rise. The government has ordered an inquiry into the grocery stores making so much profit. Let's see if that translates to savings at the checkout. You do well with your calculations & use of coupons.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary-Lou; I was rather pleased with how the budget balanced, this month!
DeleteI read online that so many grocery stores in Canada are owned by basically three major corporations which have posted quite healthy profits and that the government has ordered an inquiry. Apparently, too, the CEO of one of those corporations has said that they only make $4 profit on every $100 spent on groceries or something like that. I don't know how many mega grocery corporations there are in the US, but, I don't think they are hurting for profit, either!
Have a lovely day. Regine
ReplyDeleteThank you, Regine; the same to you, too. Hope you have a wonderful week. :)
DeleteEgg prices are down here to by a couple of bucks. They usually go on sale before Easter. I wonder if that will happen this year?
ReplyDeleteYay for egg prices going down! They are currently priced at $4.99 at my grocery store. I'm glad I bought a dozen at $3.99 with a coupon, earlier in March. I don't eat a lot of eggs by themselves in a given week (maybe 2 or 3), but, if I bake, then, I go through a lot of eggs, as almost every recipe calls for at least a couple of eggs. Maybe it's a sign that I shouldn't bake too much! :D
DeleteGrapes are $4.99 lb at one store and $7.99 for 2lb container at the other. But they do have rather a long way to travel.
ReplyDeleteYes, grapes were $3.99/lb. earlier this year and I didn't buy them. I've been waiting for them to come down in price to $1.99 or less! I've tried growing grapes, but, I've not had any success with them.
DeleteSounds like you're right on budget! I am struggling to find different things to cook. It all seems to be the same. I don't mind so much but I don't think the guys always like it. I'm trying to plan my meals around things on sale.
ReplyDeleteI am, indeed, right on budget! I will have to sit tight and wait until April to go shopping, next!
DeleteI, too, plan my meals around what's on sale and what I already have on hand (having bought on sale). I will often buy things when they are on sale and freeze or store them.
It's hard to figure out different things to cook, isn't it? But, variety is the spice of life, they say! Why not list some of the favorite meals that you make and see if you can vary them a bit? Will your family eat casseroles or pasta bakes?
Excellent job coming right in under the wire on your food shopping for March. You did some good stocking up and have your supplies at a good level.
ReplyDeleteLook at that rice price increase! That is a crazy price increase for rice at almost 27% in a year while the condensed milk is a price increase in line with what we all used to experience. .10 here .05 there.
Eggs here at Aldi's have been down to $2.15 for a couple weeks now so that's good news. And the St Patrick's day sales for potatoes, cabbage and a few other vegetables are good.
I'm above in my spending where I should be for mid-month so I will need to reign it in for the rest of the month.
Thank you, Debra; I'm pleased with my grocery shopping and spending! Of course, this week, they have cereal on sale for $1.99/box if you buy 5 participating items or more and cereal is the first (and only item, right now) on my on-going list for the next stock up! I don't eat a lot of cereal, but, every so often, I go through a cereal phase! I am going to sit tight and wait; hopefully, cereal will go on sale at this same price, next month or so!
DeleteYes, the price of rice increased quite a bit, didn't it? I just opened a 10 lb. bag of rice and that's why I bought a new bag. I do not want to be out of rice!
Yay for egg prices coming down! I've read that one can freeze eggs - you have to break up the yolks, and, of course, they won't be good for hard boiled eggs, etc., but, they can be used for scrambled eggs or for baking. I've not tried freezing eggs, myself, however.
No sale on potatoes, here - the 5 lb. bag is $3.99 and the 10 lb. bag is $6.49 (well, at least it's cheaper than rice!); cabbage is on sale for $.79/lb. (down from $.99/lb. last week).
I hope you will be able to keep the spending down for the rest of the month. I'm keeping my eye on the gas bill, myself - I received the latest bill tracker up date, this morning with 5 more days to go in the billing period. It's amazing how quickly that bill goes up!