What $18 Can
Buy You at
the Grocery
Store
by Crystal
Paine
Kathrynne
and I went
shopping
yesterday
and I
thought I'd
share what
we bought so
you can see
how planning
ahead,
shopping
sales, and
using some
coupons
really does
save money.
I spent
about 45
minutes last
week
clipping
coupons,
looking at
the store
fliers
online, and
planning a
menu. We
went to 4
stores (I
usually only
go to 2-3,
but added in
the
additional
store so
that I could
get 11
toothbrushes
for free.
All the
stores are
within a few
minutes of
each other
and I drive
about 10
minutes to
the nicer
grocery
store first
and then the
rest of the
stores are
on my way
home so I'm
not wasting
any gas $ to
go to more
than one
store.) and
from start
to finish,
the shopping
took us
about 1 hr
and 45
minutes.
Here's what
we bought:
First Store
(Nicer
Grocery
Store):
1 Malt-O- Me
al Cinnamon
Twister's
Cereal - on
sale for
$0.99
1 Gallon Jug
of Apple
Juice -
reduced to
$0.50
1 Half
Gallon Milk
- reduced to
$0.50
2 Bars
Cheddar
Cheese - on
sale for
$1.25/each
4
Land-O-Lake's
Spreadable
Butter - on
sale for
$1.00/each -
$0.50/each
with coupon
1 Quart of
Chocolate
Milk -
reduced to
$0.50
2 cans
Healthy
Choice
Hearty Soup
- on sale
for
$1.00/each
-$0.50/each
with coupon
1 can
crushed
tomatoes -
on sale for
$0.39
1 can tomato
sauce - on
sale for
$0.23
Total: $9.37
(saved
around $13
off regular
prices)
Second store
(Nicer
Grocery
Store):
11 Oral-B
Toothbrushes
-on sale for
$1.00/each -
$0.00/each
with $1.00
of each
coupons
Total: $0.82
(saved
$30.69 off
regular
prices)
Third Store
(Discount
Store - Aldi):
Flour -
$0.79
Bread- $0.89
Frozen
Broccoli -
$0.89
Cream Cheese
- $0.89
Peanut
Butter
Wafers -
$0.99
Two
Cucumbers -
$0.29/each
Eggs - $0.59
Total: $6.04
Fourth Store
(Discount
Grocery
Store):
2 Taco
Seasoning
packets - on
sale for
$0.69/each -
with coupon
$0.19/each
4 packages
sliced meat
- on sale
for
$0.50/each -
with coupon
$0.25/each
Total: $1.63
(saved
$3.48)
Total Spent:
$17.86
Total Saved:
Approx. $50
For those
wondering
why there
are not many
fruits and
vegetables
or meats --
I had
stocked up
on two bags
of apples
(at $0.99
each), a bag
of oranges
($1.99), and
three
bunches of
lettuce the
last week
and we still
had quite a
bit left. I
also had
bought a bag
of chicken
($5.99) the
week before
which
usually
lasts us for
two weeks (I
cook it up
and freeze
in 7-8
meal-size
portions
which lasts
us about two
weeks.
Crystal
Paine is a
24-year-old
homeschool
graduate
from Topeka,
Kansas. She
is the
blessed wife
of Jesse and
joyful
mother of
Kathrynne.
Visit her
site,
Biblical
Womanhood,
for books,
articles,
encouragement,
and
inspiration!