As you know, we have been taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class. Last week, after discussing budgeting at class and with a new month starting, we sat down and drew up a budget and gathered everything we needed to pay cash only for groceries. Our budget is $200 a month for all food, cleaning supplies and health and beauty products. It is the same budget I've had for the past year but using cash only is a LOT more serious! Sometimes the last minute pack of diapers at the end of the month puts me over the top but I am determined to stay within the limits this month! The only way to make such a strict budget work is to lay out a great plan and stick with it. After looking at what was on sale, I wrote down 14 ideas for breakfast, lunch and supper and armed with $100 and very few coupons, started my shopping.
I was so amazed once again at how far a $100 can stretch using just a few coupons! I stopped first at Randalls and picked up lots of protein including sausage, lunch meat, steak, catfish, pork loin and sliced cheese. I also picked up some potatoes frozen veggies and granola thins. All together I paid $33.53. The best deals I found at Randalls were for Jimmy Dean sausage and Hormel pork loin.
*Jimmy Dean sausage is $4.69 and is buy 1 get 1 free. If you "like" Jimmy Dean on Facebook you can print two coupons which are
$1/1 any Jimmy Dean product. If you apply both, the sausage about $1.35 each!
*Rancher's Reserve New York Strip Steak is $3.77/lb. That is a fairly good price as well.
*I was able to purchase the Nature Valley granola thins for .24 after 3 (.50) e-coupons were applied as well as a .75 coupon. For free granola thins use the three e-coupons from Cellfire and Shortcuts as well as the .50
printable coupon.
My next stop was Whole Foods! I love getting as many organic vegetables and fruit as possible there. I was able to get organic apples, oranges, grapes, romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers and celery. I love their bins of organic cereal and grains. I picked up some organic steel cut oats, muesli and wheat berries. I found a great deal on Food Should Taste Good chips and bought those as well. Of course, I also picked up a gallon of organic milk and a quart of half n' half. This trip came to $34.30 and I left with so much healthy food!
There are some good deals at Whole Foods.
*Valencia oranges are on sale for $1.69/lb.
*Fuji apples are $1.69/lb.
*Grapes are $1.99/lb.
*Food Should Taste Good chips are on sale for $2. There is a
$1 printable coupon which brings them to $1 each.
I stopped briefly at Kroger on my way home and found a great in store sale on bacon and sausage. Oscar Mayer thick bacon was on sale for $2.09 a pack and Jimmy Dean sausage was clearanced to $1.49. I wished I had more coupons! I didn't expect to spend that money but it was too great of a deal to not stock up! I also picked up yams, pepperoncini, onions, garlic, organic raisins and several spices. Altogether I spent $23.36.
I think I did pretty well. I didn't use very many coupons and still managed to get quite a bit of food. For me, the most important thing is that we eat healthy foods and use products that aren't harmful to our bodies as well. I am excited that we can accomplish those goals easily with a little planning and budgeting!
