The Grocery Game Challenge-May14-20 Sweeping Up Savings!!
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By: Canadian Budget Binder
Welcome back to your on-line grocery shopping Game!
I was unsure if we had killed the The Grocery Game Challenge budget in one blow this week and truly, WE DID! We planned our shop at several stores for this week although there was nothing over the top that we would rush out for. For the most part what we needed can wait another week or two.
Here are the Grocery Coupon Match-Ups from Save Big Live Better where you can also find your source for printable grocery coupons as well as Smart Source Printable Coupons.
Last Weeks Shop Left Us $2.09 to add to this weeks shop if needed…. yep we need it!
$82.70-$80.61=$2.09 left to spend this week!
So to start this weeks shop we have the $64.00 weekly grocery budget and the $2.09 for a total of $ 66.09 to spend this week.
I want to touch on the subject of food and the budget as most people seem to forget it’s one of life’s biggest expenses. If you are not budgeting you should and like most will be astounded how much you actually spend each month on grocery items even if you use coupons.
If you are budgeting you know that if you owe any debt to anyone that you are in the red and need to save wherever you can. You are not saving anything when you owe people money. By playing The Grocery Game Challenge we hope to motivate you to stick to your budget and think of the end goal ~Debt Be GONE and Spending Less than you Earn!
You can check out my budgeting series that I have written for all my fans here at Canadian Budget Binder and see how setting goals and a budget will help you along the way to financial freedom. It only means making informed decisions, staying away from credit, and paying down your debt. If you put your mind to it and stop making excuses you can do this. Always seek professional financial advice before starting anything that affects your finances that you are unsure of, I do and so should you.
Ok…on to this weeks shop….. sometimes the reduced sections gets the best of us and we stock up and this week we needed to stock up on meat.
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Food Basics
2x Everything Bagels Sale $1.99- $1.00
4x Red Rose Tea 72’s Sale $1.99
2x Primo Pasts Sale $0.99
4x Hellman’s Olive Oil Mayo Sale $2.99
1x Pack of Chicken Thighs reduced $10.31-3.09
1x Pack Family Pork Chops reduced $6.40-$1.92
1x 2pk of Steak reduced $10.31- $3.01
1x Pack of Pork Rib Chops reduced $9.61-$2.88
1x Beef Steak reduced $4.85-$1.46
1x Pack of Pork Chops reduced $6.75-$2.03
1x Beef Steak reduced $4.36-$1.31
Total Oop- $63.45
Coupons Used $19.70 ( these are the discount stickers on the package of reduced meat)
Shoppers Drug Mart
1x Dozen of Eggs Sale $1.99
Total Oop- $1.99
Did we grind the budget this week?
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Total for this weeks Grocery Shop $65.44
Total we had to spend $64.00+$2.09 (from last weeks shop)=$66.09
Total Spent $66.09-$65.44= +$0.65 YAY!!!
How well did you shop?
Post your shop below but read the rules to The Grocery Game Challenge here!
If you have Facebook you can find us HERE or if you are Tweeting up a storm on Twitter… follow us HERE! See you there. Mr.CBB
Related articles
- The Grocery Game Challenge-May 7-13 What’s Your Savings? (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
- The Grocery Game Challenge April 30-May 6-Coupon Savings! (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
- April 2012 Canadian Budget Binder Family Budget Update (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
- The Grocery Game Challenge April 9-April 15- What’s In Your Bags? (canadianbudgetbinder.com)
Ok…to add to my week…I had $64.64 left to spend…I think I may have made it!!!
May 19 Walmart
Nutella (lrg jar) $5.77
Dad’s cookies $2.00 (on sale)
Arrowroot cookies $2.77 – $2.00 wub2 Christie’s products (I think they were on sale)
Gerber’s yogurt melts on sale $3.00 – $1.00
BBQ sauce $1.97 – $2.00 (on sale) =$.03 overage
magazine $2.98
Scrubbing Bubbles $3.98 – FPC=Free!
Nexxus $2.00 – $3.00=$1.00 overage
Ground turkey $3.61
Banana’s $1.66
Oranges $3.66
Ketchup $2.97 (on sale)
Coffee $6.97 (PM to fresh co)
Miracle whip $2.97 (on sale)
3 x Chapman’s novelties PM to No Frills $1.97 each – $5.00 =$.91!
Coppertone baby sunscreen PM to Valumart $7.99 – $1.00
4 x Resolve $1.97 – 4 x $2.00 =$.12 overage
Total Coupons=$25.98
Total OOP=$46.10
May 20 Dollarama
2 x reese cups $2.00
Total OOP=$2.26
May 17 Metro
Mushroom soup $.79
Total OOP=$.79
$35.36 (earlier this week and the overage last week) + $46.10 + $2.26 + $.79=$84.51
That leaves me $15.49!!! (might need it next week!)
Knowing you .. you will need it but you are doing SO WELL.. I am so PROUD OF YOU JEN. I am screaming it… you have come such a long way in one month. I hope you continue to strive for the best with your budget and in everything you do. Keep up the good work darling! Mr.CBB
I’m totally amazed that you spend only $64/week for 3 out of 4 weeks a month on groceries.
I’m wondering if the $64 is food only; does this amount include cleaning supplies and items such as toilet paper, toothpaste etc.?
A few months ago I took a coupon class and I check the weekly sales/coupon matchups on extremecouponingmom.ca, but find that the majority of items on sale are not items we purchase. I make 95% of our meals from scratch and try not to purchase convenience foods. Meats and produce make up the bulk of our grocery budget and those items almost never have coupons.
My mom tells me we spend a lot on groceries because I’m constantly trying new recipes and she feels I spend more because of that. I guess that could be true, but we only eat out at restaurants on average about once every two to three months and I get bored if I have to make the same old recipes time and time again.
I’m motivated and would love to learn more about how you manage to keep your cost so low.
I spend at least $500/month on groceries (food, cleaning supplies, all toiletry products, etc.) for just my husband and myself.
Our budget does include health and beauty as well as grocery. It’s been pretty good so far but posting on the Grocery Game Challenge has been helping us SO MUCH. Now that we know that we have to post we really watch the budget. We are also not buying convenience or trying to slim that down and cooking from scratch. We are hanging out with our mate FRUGAL SALLY who has some great tips as well as what we have learned over the years. Cooking from scratch is something we knew but didn’t always do. We both love to cook but more so me. We don’t eat out at restaurants but we do have a small budget for it just in case. We use savebiglivebetter for coupon match ups weekly in our grocery game challenge as she is spot on and knows her stuff. She’s been a great help. Thanks for your post Pam and I hope to see your posts in The Grocery Game Challenge. Mr.CBB
The coffee cream is fresh and is a multi buy to be 1.99 each. Would love to know about the frozen stuff might help if we can’t finish the fresh before it expires!
We have semi stocked up on coffee so I am willing to spend extra on cream and sugar, to help us kick the to go coffee every morning before and after work habit. Cause we all know that is money very quickly spent and a large chunk of the budget. It took me a year and a half to decide that I wanted the mr. coffee keurig kcup coffee maker and it has totally been worth it for us money wise and convience of it.
cant wait for next weeks shop 🙂
Were you able to read my co-worker comparison post I did on coffee and lunch comparing Tim Horton’s coffee and eating out to making coffee at home and bringing a lunch. The numbers were astounding to say the least. The coffee cream I see is in the freezer at Zehrs,RCSS, No Frill… it’s a white and blue container. I thought that is what you were talking about. I would pay $1.99 for coffee cream for the 1L but not any more than that. I’ll use milk until it goes on sale but Shoppers usually has it a good deal on it. Cheers Mr.CBB
our budget is $100
h & w produce (cheap produce store)
.44 tomato
1.21 red pepper
.69 yellow pepper
1.04 orange pepper
.28 jalapenos
1.19 romaine lettuce
1.39 pk mushrooms
1.49 strawberries
$7.73 total oop
walmart
2.00 dads cookies
2.00 coffee creamer international
$4.20 total oop
superstore
1.98 hot dog buns
4.18 coffee cream (2)
.57×5 – .57C frozen juice
$8.44 total oop
.57 total Coupon
Sobeys
2.99 veg sandwich
1.99 x2 chips
.50 x2 pop (gotta get off the pop)
.64 x2 cucumber
1.65 hamburger buns
3.49 – $1C boursin cheese
5.49 -$1C pam spray
7.60 -$2C(from wub pam) steak
1.99 x2 -$1C bacon
$25.17 total oop
$5.00 total coupons
weeks total oop $49.88 and Coupons used $5.57
super awesome week for us!
the rest of the budget went into buying seeds for the garden we planted
That is a super awesome week, considering you have $100 to spend! I noticed you bought the coffee creamer at RCSS. Is that the cream you can buy that is frozen in the freezer section? I’ve seen it before but was not sure if I should buy it. I love coffee with cream so I’m always looking for a better deal on cream. Good Job with your shop.. looking forward to next weeks shop….Mr.CBB You get Ballot #10!
Wow! There is some serious frugality and budgeting going on here. I feel like I need to get my act together. I tend just to shop at the lower market store. Not sure if I would ever hop around between stores to get individual savings on individual items.
Thanks for your post Mrmoneybanks. Yes most of the people who play the game are serious about saving money as we all should be. Grocery is one of life’s biggest expenses in any household and we should do whatever it takes to lesson the blow to the bank account. I hope you join in and post would love to see your shops! Cheers Mr.CBB
Ok…I started my shop early this week lol. I was $13.71 over budget last week so I need to be good this week. I went out today because I wanted to catch a few of this weeks sales before they change over Thursday night/Friday.
May 16 – RCSS
2 x Bicks Pickles on sale for $2.97 each – $1.00 off wub2
Melitta Coffee filters (shelf said $2.49 but rang in at $1.87!) $1.87 – $.75 tear pad
M&M’s $1.19 – FPC
Mott’s Fruitsations + Veggies on sale $2.00 – $.50 tear pad (Yes! I found some!)
2 x Neilson’s chocolate milk PM to SDM $.99 each
Peek Frean’s on sale for $2.50 PM to SDM for $1.99 – $1.00 coupon
RC 4L water $.97
2 x 4L Trutaste Homo Milk on sale $4.97 each – 2 x $2.00 coupons
Vitality Bread $2.99 – 50% off pink sticker =$1.50
In Touch Magazine $2.99
Total coupons=$6.44
Colleague Discount=$2.96
OOP=$21.65
$21.65+$13.71=$35.36 Therefore I have $64.64 left for this week 🙂 I hope there aren’t too many great sales starting Friday or I’ll be in trouble! lol
You now have $64 exactly what we spend in one week on grocery to spend until the end of the month.. you can do this JEN.. stick to the budget, don’t let it win! Mr.CBB You get ballot #9
I overspent last week as my budget is $100 per week and I spent $ 250 so I’m not shopping this week with the exception of cat food. 1 Case of canned Cat food and 1 bag of hard cat food $ 19.58.
Did you post your shop last week to win a ballot in the contest? Is your cat food included in the grocery budget? If so now you are spending more this week putting you over budget still. what is your monthly grocery budget? Forgive me if you posted it in the past I’m just drawing a blank on a number. Cheers Mr.CBB
Ya’ gotta’ feel good about that shop! I have always been careful with my money and it has paid off….I retired at age 57,my home,built in 1996, was paid in full just under 5 years after purchase, I paid cash for my 2006 car in 2007, I own everything I have and it sure feels good! I am sure that if I had followed your site years back I would be even better off than I am now. I have a healthy RRSP,.an emergency fund,and about $65,000,00 so far set aside for my 3 grandchildren to share when need be. Yes, I have heard the scoffs and scorns of people of how I have lived to be where I am today. i do what I want and buy what I want. Actually it gives me a thrill to set goals and work toward their end. Just want you to know I believe you are dong a great service for a lot of people and had to add that all the saving,pinching,planning,budgeting and living within ones means DOES pay off…….Oh,and just adding that my hourly wage while working was under $11.50 per hour. I live alone so I guess it was easier for me to set the pace for saving and budgeting. I wish everyone luck wigh their budget and hope too,like me,one day you will be SO very glad you lived within your means and planned for the future!…….thanks for the great information…keep up the good work…
Thank-You Susan for taking the time out of your day to leave me such a lovely message. I too learned at a young as as did my wife the value of money. We have saved and spent money but for the most part have saved as much as we could. I know we have no kids but some of our savings came from wages that were under $7.00 an hour up to what we are at today. We saved and now budget aggressively towards our goals.
We should have our home paid off within the 5 years of purchase as well and are thrilled that we saved our money. We can’t wait to feel what you feel. You did a wonderful job saving your money and at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. Do what makes you happy, we only live once. I always said when I started this blog if only 1 person benefits or succeeds at getting back on track, starts budgeting and begins to pull out of debt I can tick one mark off my bucket list in life. Budgeting is easy as is saving money if you put your mind to it.
Thanks again,
It means alot to have the support of the very people I look up to… I always listen to my parents and grandparents and anyone who’s been there and done it. These are the very people who can offer the best advice IMO. It’s what you decide to do with it that matters.
Mr.CBB