Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Budget checkup

So this is my first month of trying my coupon/budget. I am also working on building a stockpile.

It is Jan 21 and so far I have spent $353.89. That is $153.89 over my attempt at $200. So maybe $200 was a little low for me to start with. I will try to stick to $300 from now on. The good thing is I have pretty much everything I need to get through the end of the month. Next month I will try the envelope method to see if I can stick to my budget.


My savings so far this month is $305.83. So I have cut my budget in half by the look of my savings. Now if only I just had that $300 to put in the bank. ;)

Walgreen's 1/18

Went to Walgreens on Sunday thinking I could stock up on Don's Sierra Mist. but they were still out of it.

So I bought:

1st transaction:
2 Ragu pasta sauce
2 Lipton tea
4 Skippy PB
used 2 .40 coupons
2 .50 coupons
1 .60 coupon
1 .75 coupon
and $5 RR
total 11.16
total savings 18.19
and got $10 RR

2nd transaction:
1 pullups
2 bandaids
candy
used $2/1 pullups
$1/1 pullup IVC from coloring book
$1/1 bandaid IVC from coloing book taking off $2
$10 RR
total OOP 3.52
total savings 18.50
got $3 in RR ( $1 from pullups and $3 from bandaids)

3rd trans:
4 Peeps
1 Pullup
1 candy
1 paper
used Peeps sc
pullups $2/1
pullups IVC $1/1
$4 RR
total OOP 8.44
total savings 9.61
got $1 RR frompullups

last tranacation
1 zyrtec
1 candy
used $4 coupon
$4 off sc
$1 RR
total OOP 13.44
total savings $9.00


total spent $36.56
total savings $55.30

Walmart 1/16

Had to run to Walmart to get Will's soy mikl and had a short shopping list with me. I picked up four frozen meals for us along with some fresh fruit. I also snagged several free things thanks to my coupons.

subtotal before coupons $65.70
subtotal after coupons $ 46.00

Total OOP $51.29
Total savings $19.70

Walmart and Walgreens 1/15

So payday was on the 15th and we were running very short on some things for the kids.

I stopped at Walmart first and bought:
2 boxes of cereal bars 2.08 ea
1 box of poptart 1.86

total OOP spent 6.49

Then ran to Walgreens and got:

1st transaction:
5 pepsi 12pk 5/$15
2 Totsitos 2/ $7
total OOP $23.71
got $10 RR back
Savings $10.93

2nd transaction:
2 packages of Pullups 2/ $20.98
1 1/2 galloon of milk (for my mom) 1.99
used 2 $2/1 coupons
and $10 RR
total OOP $11.06
savings $14.00

total OOp for this day $41.26

total savings $24.93

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

updating

I have been to Walmart and Walgreens this past week however in my cleaning I have put the reciepts away. I promise to post them tomorrow as soon as I find them.

Friday, January 16, 2009

tracking rebates

I am mailing out for some rebates:

Bayer Special 1/2 Price offer: Flintstones $4 rebate
*PO Box 1057 Grand Rapids, MN 55745-1057
mailed 1/16/09

Theraflu Warming Relief: $2.25 rebate
*PO Box 6843 West Caldwell, N 07007-6843

P&G Year of Savings Rebate: $120 worth of coupons
*PO Box 750289 El Paso, TX 88575-0289
(mailing one for my mom also)

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Walmart trip last week

I only went to Walmart once last week and that was to get milk. Daycare called to say that Will was out of his milk, so I stopped on my way to get him.

Not sure where my receipt is but I bought:

1 half gallon of Silk soy milk
1 half gallon of milk

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Walgreens trip Jan 4

I went to Walgreens with my mom and hubby with a list and a list of which items to buy in each transaction. I didn't do it just right because I ended up with more OOP than I should have. Also due to the problem of the sale prices not being loaded into the computer, I got really messed up.... then when a manager came over to help I was told I wouldn't be able to use the $1 off coupons on the Garnier Fructis shampoo or the Reynolds Wrap. I still got some good deals and still have $5 in RR to spend later.


I began with $20 in Register Rewards (RR).

I got:
4 Frosted Flakes
4 Triaminic
1 Tennessean paper
2 Ben & Jerry's ice cream
4 Reynold's Wrap
9 Garnier Fructis
2 Quaker Oatmeal
2 Walgreen's candy
4 Flintstones vitamins
1 Cars car (for Will.... dh kept him busy in the toy aisle)
1 Palmolive soap
2 theraflu
3 12pk cokes
2 walgreens Ibu. tablets (b0go)
1 Electrasol tablets



total for all transactions: $36.23

total savings: $112.47

total savings to date: $205.90
total spent to date: $224.78

Walmart trip

I finally found my reciept for Walmart trip last week.

I spent a total of $45.84 and saved $18.75. I got 6 Johnson and Johnson Buddies soaps for free, along with two Luminair candles for free. I had coupons for several things that I bought, however I did not have a coupon for Will's soy milk and $9.00 of it was a toy for Will. This will be the last toy I buy until his birthday.... now to keep that promise.

The price of convience....

I never really knew the true price of the convience of the chicken I was buying. I would buy boneless/ skinless chicken breast for our meals at three breasts for $2.50 a container. Last week I bought two 10 pound bags of chicken quarters with skin on for .39 a lb. That made it 20 lbs for $7.80 + tax. I just put it up for the freezer and was amazed at how much skin I had to cut off. Then add in the cut fingers because I used my new knife. But I will get 8 meals + leftovers out of $7.80 instead of one meal with no leftovers for $2.50.

So maybe it was worth it... even with the cut fingers. Now to just find some crockpot recipes for the chicken.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Visitors...

Hello and welcome to my blog. I hope you are able to find some information that helps you. Let me know you have stopped by.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Walmart, Piggly Wiggly, and Valu Plus trips

I have forgotten to list my trips to Walmart, Piggly Wiggly and Valu Plus this week. I spent more at Walmart than I meant to (Hubby and son were with me) and I ended up putting back two things that I had (one is snow boots for son that I will get later).


My first stop was Piggly Wiggly where I got two ten pound bags of chicken leg quarters for .39 a lb. That comes out to $3.90 a bag! I also picked up some Luck's beans for .50 a can and a bag of salad mix for .69.


Next stop was Valu Plus where I got hamburger meat for $1.39 a lb. Spent around $10 there and have already browned the meat and have it in smaller bags for meals later on. I will be able to get about 6 meals out of the hamburger meat.

I will list my Walmart trip later... I did manage to score some Johnson Buddies for the kids for free thanks to the coupons I had for them. Hope to get some more soon once I get more coupons!


Will post my totals for all three stores later when I find my reciepts.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

My stockpile

I decided that today would be the day I would organize places for my stockpile. I cleaned out the kids bathroom and have places for the kids shampoo and soap and my box of toothbrushes and the kids toothpaste. DH worked on my pantry and I now have a wonderful place for my groceries. And tomorrow I will clean my laundry room so I can store my shampoo and toliet paper.

Dh asked me the other day what I was doing with all that shampoo. He thinks it is strange that I have so much already (especially since one bottle lasts him half a year) He really hasn't seen anything since I will be bringing home more free shampoo on Sunday. But he didn't laugh when I handed him some free toliet paper.