The Grocery Game Challenge Oct 7-13, 2013 #1: Grocery store activities for kids
Knowing When To Say No To Your Kids
I’m always on the hunt for my next grocery game challenge topic and while we were out this morning I walked by the grocery store stocker only to hear a child throwing a fit with his mother.
We don’t have any kids so the screaming is something I’m not used to in my daily life (although I wouldn’t complain).
The child who looked about 4 or 5 was in the chip and pop aisle (come on it’s your favourite aisle and you know it lol) throwing a wobbler because he wanted a bag of Ruffles chips and the mother flat-out said, “No you can’t have them put them back now Johnny” so he screamed louder.
Then he said, “can I have some cookies then?” and you know what she said?
Sure, just pick out the kind that you want. Well sure enough he grabbed a bag of the Halloween Oreo cookies and my blog post was born.
I don’t imagine shopping with a toddler is much fun if he/she is crying let alone a child that likes to use the “I want” after everything they see and desire.
Keeping the kids busy while grocery shopping must be a tough job but there must be ways to keep them occupied or maybe a way to enhance the life skills for kids by turning your grocery shop into a grocery shopping game for kids.
If you are grocery shopping on a budget like most people are the last thing you want is to give in to your kids every time they want something.
Giving up and giving in to your kids only drives the cost of your grocery shop up and for some it might pressure them to stretch the budget or even worse, run short.
In a perfect world we want to keep kids healthy and fit so we send them off to play sports and to hang out with their friends.Playing outside and keeping active is only one part of being healthy.
When bringing the kids grocery shopping what you could do is make the shopping environment for kids a place where they feel they are participating in the grocery shop.
There’s nothing worse than being forced to go somewhere or do something you don’t like to do so make it fun for them.
Creating a grocery game for kids
When you are going through your weekly flyers to make your grocery list for the week you could talk about a snack the kids can make and create a grocery list for the kids and have them cut out the photos from the flyers and glue them to the list.
I guess it would be more of an activity to keep kids busy but it’s also a way for them to participate in the grocery shop while interacting with them and spending time with them.
I know some parents that are couponers include their children in coupon clipping so why not include them with another aspect, the budget and cooking.
You could easily talk about money and budgets with kids but it depends on their age as well.
That would be up to the parent to know if their child is ready for grocery budget 101.. baby steps.
According to my lovely friend Shannon at The Heavy Purse you should talk to your kids about money at different stages and ages in their lives but there is also phrases you should avoid when talking to kids about money such as, “we can’t afford it”.
Creating a grocery list for kids means that they can help you with the shop. While you are pushing them in the shopping cart or if they are walking about they can keep busy by looking for products on their grocery list.
Snacks kids can help make
One easy snack kids can make instead of buying cookies is a banana slathered in peanut butter, rolled in coconut and raisins and chocolate chips or a mixture of the items.
You could also create mixed dry fruit and nuts or talk about recipes because cooking with kids is such a rewarding experience and one that I just recently did with my best friends young daughter.
We made Dark Ally Chocolate Chip cookies homemade instead of buying them. You could also whip up a batch of sweet potato chips or even take a homemade olive bread or regular pita, chop into triangles and bake them for a healthy snack for kids.
A favorite of my nephew is cheese and crackers with fruit so you can keep it simple or create a recipe that might require participation.
Teaching kids that convenience foods are the only way to buy snacks is like saying that money doesn’t exist and everything is put on credit.
Maybe it’s a far-fetched idea but trying to shop for groceries on a budget and having your kids upset because they don’t get their way and then you give in means you are potentially wasting valuable time when you can be teaching kids about the value of money.
Instead of saying “no” to your kids teach them lessons that are rewarding because teamwork for kids is a skill that will carry through their life for many years to come if they know that they are an integral part of the process.
You might even find they want to help you bring the groceries in and put them away… kill two birds with one stone. 🙂
Do you have any grocery type activities you play with your kids to keep them busy while grocery shopping so they don’t get upset because they want stuff?
Grocery saving tips
Free Money Saving Downloads is lists that were created to get us on track to work towards reaching our budgeting goals. Get organized with a freezer inventory, meal plan, shopping list, price comison list and much more all for FREE.
NEW!! You can now download the Canadian Budget Binder Budget Spreadsheet in Excel…… Grab it while you can… It’s FREE! We use it to budget.. check it out!
September Grocery Game Challenge Posts
Congratulations to BALLOT 4 for WINNING the September Grocery Game Challenge- Allyson T (please email me your address for your prize)
I will post the previous week’s grocery game here for ease of finding them each week if you need to go back and post your shops for the month.
- The grocery game challenge Sept 2-8, 2013 #1: Back to school treats for kids
- The grocery game challenge Sept 9-15, 2013 #2 : Using the produce scale
- The grocery game challenge Sept 16-22, 2013 #3: Would you pay for personal grocery shopping services?
- The grocery game challenge Sept 23-29, 2013 #4: Does size really matter?
- The grocery game challenge #5 Sept 30-Oct 6, 2013- Is it really a blowout price?
Click, Save and Print. It’s that easy!
- Let Your Coupons Expire And Save Money
- Welfare Food Challenge $26 Per Week In The Grocery Budget
- What A No-Shop Week Really Means
- Should You Buy It Now Or Buy It Later?
- Stock Up On Items When You Can
- The Cost Of Organic Food
- What Foods You Should Not Eat and Organic Gardening
- Knowing Your Prices Is The Key To Saving Money In The Grocery Budget
- Product Price Adjustments Don’t Miss The Savings
- Scanning Code of Practice In Canada (SCOP)
- How To Start Saving Money On Groceries In Canada?
- How Much Should My Grocery Budget Be?
- Top Ten Ways To Cut Your Grocery Budget
- Meal Planning For The Budget
- The Grocery Game Challenge and Our Grocery Budget
- Grocery Budget Saving Tips
- Food Shopping On A Budget
- How To Grocery Shop
- Grocery Store Self-Scanners
- Food and Vegetable Preparation
- Best Time To Grocery Shop
- Organic Food Costs
- Why Shopping Hungry Is Not A Smart Idea
- Are We Eating Too Much Food?
- Discount Days and Rewards Programs
- Getting Back On Track With Food Budgeting
- Why You Should Ignore Your Grocery Flyers
- The Low-GI Diet and Your Budget
- How To Track Grocery Expenses
- Comparing Prices With a Price Comparison List
- Why Too Much Salt Is Not Good For Us
- Shopping More Than Once Per Week
- Food Samples When Shopping
- Food Waste In Canada
Food food and more food
Food Basics
- 3 x Pineapple Sale $5.00
- 7 x Cashews Sale $1.97
- Apples Mcintosh $2.30
- British Coconut Oil Sale $2.97
- 2x White Mushrooms 1lb sale $1.97
- Real Lemon Juice Sale $2.29
- Ground Beef Lean $5.00-30%
- Seedless cucumber Sale $0.98
- Fresh Ginger- $0.79
- Bananas $1.40
- 4 x Black Diamond Cheese 500g Sale $3.88
- 7 x Black forest ham Sale $3.00
- Basmati Rice Bag 5kg Sale $6.99 rang up $9.99 scanning code of practice- Free
Total out of pocket $77.77
Shoppers Drug Mart
- Milk $3.97
- Sugar $1.99 x4- 1x Scanning code of practice $1.99 returned- Free
Total out of pocket $9.94
Yearly grocery budget for two: $2819.38
- Total Grocery Budget for the Month: $235.00 or $78.33 week with one no-shop week per month or $58.75 for 4 weeks per month. (During the months with 5 weeks we just make it work)
- Total Budget For October $235.00-$21.12 (overage September)= $213.88
- Total Coupons Used this Week : $0
- Total Discounts this Week: $0
- Total Gift Cards Given Used this Week: $0
- Total Rewards Points Used: $0
- Stockpile Budget: $20.00 Used $20.00 (ham)
- Total Spent This Week: $87.71- $20.00 stockpile $67.71
- Total Spent So Far for October $67.71
- Total Over/Under spend this shop: $0
- Total Over/Under spend for the month of (October): $0
- Total Left to Spend for the Month: $146.17
- Total Coupons Used This Month: $0
- Total to Carry Over Next Month: $0
- Total Spent To Date This Year: $206.95 (Jan)+ $160.77 (Feb) + (March)$169.62 + (April)$397.74+(May) $155.68 + (June) $216.01+ (July) $235.83 (August) $182.35 + (September) $255.69 = $1980.64 (does not include stockpile budget)
- Rendezvous Account: $65.38 This is money saved if there is any leftover at the end of a month of grocery shopping for a date night for the wife and I.
- Weekly Overview: We loaded up on ham and cheese again this week while it was on sale. The cashews were a great price and perfect for cashew butter, Christmas baking and general eating as we love mixed nuts. We may have a tight month but we will be gone away for a week for Thanksgiving so we may just pull it off. Guess we will have to watch our shops to see what happens.
Canadian Coupons
Frequently Asked Questions
Read the rules first and if you have any questions email me or comment on this post with your question and someone will answer you as soon as possible.
- Do I have to be Canadian to post my Grocery Shop?
No, you don’t have to be Canadian to post your shops only to win a monthly prize. We have fans who post their grocery shop who live all over the world.
- When does the Grocery Game close each month?
The Grocery Game Challenge closes at midnight of the last Sunday of the last post for the month. You can post your shops all month-long.
- Does your Grocery Budget include health and beauty and laundry products?
Yes our Grocery Budget includes such items as shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, fabric softener, dish soap etc. We don’t mind stockpiling items that won’t be affected by expiry dates or have long expiry dates but not so much food any more. It’s just one way to help cut your budget to save money.
Here are your latest Coupon Match-ups of the week including Checkout 51 from 25 Newspaper Inserts around Canada compliments of Save Big Live Better that you can use to help you save money in the Grocery Game Challenge.
- What is an FPC?
An FPC is a free product coupon which means you can get a free product as described on the coupon.
You can find all your store coupon policies here. If you are not sure it’s always best to call the store and ask.
I can tell you about grocery shopping and what we do in terms of shopping to save money and how it works for us. There are no wrong or right answers, just smart choices. Over time you will gradually learn where you should and shouldn’t go in the grocery store or at least how to say no, I’m on a budget I need to buy this or that.
You may also substitute items in order to stick to your budget to make it work. Nobody is perfect, heck we struggle with this t of our budget like many people do and this is why the grocery game challenge was created.
If you have just joined The Grocery Game Challenge get ready to dive deep into your grocery budget and learn just where you are spending, how much you are spending and what you are saving. You’ve made a wise decision.
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It’s been that kind of a month trying to get things done including this. I’m hoping if I can get this week done tonight I can work on week #2 tomorrow night and be caught up by the weekend!!! It will be tight for the month but we shall see. There has been stocking up this month that was needed plus Thanksgiving and I grabbed the turkey for Christmas and fired it in the freezer… the [price was too good to not do this! It’s a utility grade but that’s fine with me… .87 lb I can live with a bird minus a wing!!! I’ve also been picking up boxes of that cider mix the older boy likes in the cold weather as it’s been on price mark down for the last while and will be until Nov 7. It’s only a dollar but that will add up over the winter.
Foodland, Oct 4
1pack muffin cups- 1.19
bananas- 1.04
2 Gatorade @1.98- 3.96
1 pack quick rising yeast- 2.29
1 W/W bread- 2.49
1 Triscuits- 2.79
3 cases pop @2.97- 8.91
1 cider mix- 2.99
2 Yogurt@ 2.99- 5.98, $3.00 coupons
1 raisin bread- 3.49
1 shredded Parmesan cheese- 4.29
2 4l milk @4.79- 9.58
1 jug water-5.49
1 pack lean ground beef- 6.07
1 pack boneless skinless chicken breasts- 10.72
Tax- 3.29
Total- $82.34, 3.00 coupons
Canadian Tire, Oct 4
3 2kg sugar @1.48- 4.44
Total- $4.44
No Frills, Oct 8
2 6pack Powerade @3.97- 7.94
2 boxes Cheerios @3.97- 7.94
2 tomato soup @1.07- 2.14
1 yogurt- 4.97
1 yogurt- 3.97, $3.00 coupons between two packs of yogurt
2 cans pineapple @.77- 1.54
1 Franks hot sauce- 2.97
1 frozen veggies- 1.97
2 4l milk @3.97- 7.94
2 lbs butter @3.47- 6.94
1 unsweetened apple sauce- 1.67
1 cranberry cocktail- 2.97
1 pack pasta- 1.87
1 Temptations cat treats- 1.63
1 W/W bread- 1.97
1 turkey- 14.03 (Christmas)
1 xlean ground beef- 9.56
bananas- .38
1 pack cranberries- 1.97
1 dole salad mix- 2.99, 1.50 discount
1 dole cole slaw- 1.50
Tax- 1.24
Total- $85.60, $4.50 coupons and discounts
Foodland, Oct 9
1 pasta sauce- 1.79
1 cream cheese- 2.50
1 Triscuits- 2.79
1 bag onions- 2.79
1 case pop- 2.97
1 grated parmesan cheese- 4.54
1 jug water -5.49
Tax- .39
Total-$23.26
Total Budget for year- $7800.00
Total budget for Month- $600.00
Total coupons this week- $7.50
Total spent this week- $195.64
Total spent this month- $195.64
Total over/under for week- $45.64
Total over/under for month-N/A
Left for the month-$404.36
Total coupons for month- $7.50
Total carry-over to next month- $530.52
Total YTD- J$818.08+F$598.07+M$770.12+A$938.07+M$650.13+J$876.78+J$734.75+A$625.95+S$800.56+O$195.64=$7008.15
So I was over for the week, but I have 3 more weeks to make it, next week looks better but week #3 doesn’t, The last week will the tough one… As I said I did some needed stocking up and grabbed the Christmas turkey and put it in the freezer. This won’t help this month but it will in Dec. I do like the prices at No Frills better than in town here.
Hi Christine,
Considering it was Thanksgiving and all the stocking up you did I would say you did pretty good. Not every month is going to be a good month as we know all so well. I’m sure even if you go over this month you will surely make up for it next month. Keep at it. You get ballot 12 Mr.CBB
Our weekly budget is $100 making this month $500.
Lots of shopping for us this week!!
Walmart
.97 broccoli
.97 3lb onions
$4.47-$1C con queso dip
$2.66×2-$1Cx2 tostitos chips
$11.80 total oop
$3 total coupons
Shoppers
$2.49×4-$5Cx2 lady time stuff
.88×2 alum foil
$2.30 total oop
$10 total coupons
Superstore
.97×2 gravy mix
$1.68 butter chicken mix
$2 herb & garlic cream cheese
$3.83-$2C axe spray
$7.65 total oop
$2 total coupons
Safeway
$2.70 6pk bagels
$1.32×5-$2C 2L pop
$7.65 total oop
$2 total coupons
Costco
$3.59 1kg cornstarch
$4.99 seasoning salt
$2.99 sea salt
$11.55 total oop
Target
$3.99 anni card
.88×8-.75Cx4 del monte canned veg
$3.98-$1C&$1TC kleenex 4pk
$1.67×2-$1TCx2 astro yogurt
$11.75 total oop
$7 total coupons
Sobeys
$4.53-$1C ginger ale 12pk
$1.99×2-.75Cx2 coffee creamer
.99×2-.50Cx2 barilla pasta
$2 tuxedo cake slice
$4 pecan butter tarts
$2.50×2 white tray buns 12pk
.99×2 canned pineapple
$1.99 frozen veg
$9.99-.75C 907g cheese brick
$2.99 cool whip
$1×2-.50Cx2 pie filling
$3.99×2-fpcx2 spag sauce
$1.99×2-$1C dzn eggs
$3.99 hot chocolate
$3.99×2-fpcx2 juice
$2.99 pumpkin pie
$4.49×4-$10C&bogoC glade glass candle
$60.25-$20GC=$40.25 total oop
$46.10 total coupons
$92.85 total weekly oop
$70.10 total weekly coupons
$199.42 total monthly oop
$118.88 total monthly coupons
I used a lot of fpcs at work cause I got bonus points for spending a certain amount and stocked up on a few other things.
Hey Juanita,
Lady time stuff? You mean tampons and pads right lol.. ya I buy them for the wife.. no biggie…. hahaha! Ok.. back to business. Where did you find the AXE coupon? We like sea salt as well. WOW, seasoning salt is pricey. When would you use the seasoning salt? Is it better than regular salt? I’m all out of cream coupons. I wish I had more. Your OOP is awesome for this shop but you always do well especially since you are in the midst of it all. Your coupon use is amazing and I’m proud of you for that. Keep up the good work Juanita!!! You get ballot 9 Mr.CBB
I shop for 2 adults and a 2 ½ year old boy. Our budget is $90/week or $450 for this month and includes laundry, health/beauty, etc.
Walmart
Strawberries (PM Fortinos) $1.67
OOP $1.67
RCSS
Almond milk $3.49 – $2.00 coupon
Coconut yogurt $4.59
Country Naturals bologna $4.99 – FPC
Coupons $6.99
OOP $6.08
RCSS
Lindor 60% cocoa $3.74 – 50% pink sticker – $1.87
Maynard strawberry gummies $1.98 – 50% pink sticker – $.99
Dove chocolate bar $1.64 – 50% pink sticker – $.82
OOP $4.16
RCSS
Del monte veggies (PM NF) 2 x $.77 – $.75 wub 2 coupon
NN tuna $1.17
NN broth $1.47
Cheerios 2 x $3.97 – 2 x FPC
Maynards fish gummies $3.49 – 50% pink sticker – $1.75
Milk $3.97
Almond milk $3.50 – $1.00 coupon
Coconut yogurt $4.59
Folgers coffee (PM Fortinos) $4.99 – $1.00 coupon
Sour cream (PM FC) $1.49 – $2.00 coupon
Butter (PM Target) $2.88 – $2.00 coupon
Philadelphia cream cheese (PM Fortinos) $1.99
Natural Selections deli meat (PM NF) 2 x $3.97
Hummus (PM FB) 2/$5.00
Bread $2.17
Rolls $1.99
Mushrooms (PM WM) $.97
Cucumber $1.39
Grapes (PM NF) $.67
Strawberries (PM Fortinos) 2 x $1.67
Broccoli (PM Fortinos) 2 x $.77
Oranges $2.24
Bananas $1.71
Coupons $14.69
CO51 $2.00 (VISA)
OOP $49.85
Walmart
Touch ups 2 x $2.96 – $2.00 coupon – BOGO free coupon
GG yellow beans (PM GT) 6 x $.69 – 6 x $.50 coupons
Pumpkin $1.00
Coupons $7.96
OOP $3.87
Total Grocery Amount Budgeted For the Year : $4,680 ($90/week)
•Total Grocery Budget for the Month: $360 – $172.82 (meat order) = $187.15 (There’s no way I can do this :-()
•Total Coupons Used this Week : $29.64
•Total Coupons Used This Month : $215.42
• Total Coupons Used this Year: $1548.27
• Total Checkout 51 rebates this week: $2.00
• Total Checkout 51 rebates this month: $16.00
• Total Checkout 51 rebates this year: $131.00
• Total Colleague Discount (CD) this week: $0
• Total Colleague Discount (CD) this month:$0
• Total Colleague Discount (CD) this year: $394.31 (Unfortunately September was the end of using the card for us as we are no longer allowed to use it)
• Total SCOP this week: $0
• Total SCOP this month: $3.39
• Total SCOP this year: $7.63
•Total Gift Cards Given Used this Week: $0
•Total Spent This Week: $65.63
•Total Spent So Far for October: $178.16
•Total Over/Under spend this shop: N/A
•Total Over/Under spent for the month of October: N/A
•Total Left to Spend for the Month: $8.99
•Total to Carry over Next Month: I do not carry over to the next month.
•Total Spent To Date This Year: $3242.47
•Weekly overview: Well, I did better this week but there’s no way I can make it to the end of the month with $8.99. I’m going to have to increase the grocery budget to include the meat order. Still I got some great deals….I love coupons lol 🙂
Hey Jen!!!
One thing I have to admit is I enjoy seeing Adams age increase over the past almost 2 years of blogging. You always make sure to do that. He’s growing fast. I love coconut yogurt… what is the brand you buy? I thought you said no more chocolate? hmmmmmmm Great job with the coupons this week. You are right you won’t make it with $8.99 but work as hard as you can to stretch what you have at home so you aren’t going too far over budget. Since your CD is gone you have to account for that loss in savings and move forward with spending less. I love coupons too ha!! You get ballot 8.. keep smiling Jen.. you can do this! Mr.CBB
we don’t have kids either so no worry. but just today when i was at giant tiger. i saw a little boy asking if they could get this and get that, his mom kept saying no all the way. i think that would drive me super crazy. it might be a good thing that we dont have children. i believe i would be slapping them all day long lol
October 7-13, 2013
Budget for 2 people + 3 pets: $250-134.54(over-budget from Sept)=$115.46
October’s spending: 22.42+14.82=37.24
October’s budget left: 115.46-22.42-14.82=78.22
October’s coupon used: 0+78.72+
My shops for the last week: 5.08+2.34+(0.33)overage+1.79+5.94
Food Basics total $5.08
Catelli pasta 4×0.99-4×1.00= +0.04overage
m&m’s 6×0.99-6xFPC= FREE 🙂
Nappa cabbage 1.47
Bok Choy 1.88
Walnut 1.00
HST 0.77
Petsmart total 2.34
Nutrience dry cat food 41.99-FPC=FREE
Pro Plan dry kitty food 16.99-FPC=FREE
Pro Plan kitty can food 1.00-FPC=FREE
HST2.34
Walmart total +0.33 overage
Oasis nutrisource juice 2.64 –FPC=FREE
Zantac’s 2.22-3.00= +0.78overage
m&m’s 2×1.08-2xFPC=FREE
HST0.57
Asian store total 1.79
Wonton wraps 1.79
Giant Tiger total $5.94
Black diamond cheese 3.97-1.00=2.97
Pumpkin pie 2.97
Hey Wing
Where were the Catelli coupons from? Great deal on the pasta! You and your chocolate lol.. you love it don’t you? I think when people have kids it changes their world. I think it’s harder to imagine without kids and when you do have them it all changes. I dunno, we don’t have any either. You get ballot 5… keep at it Wing!
OCTOBER – Week #1 of 4 – October 7-13, 2013
2013 GROCERY BUDGET / STOCKPILE BUDGET AND US RESERVE:
•Total Grocery Budgeted For Year: $142.50 x 12 = $1,710.00 for 2 adults
•Total Stockpile Budgeted For Year: $47.50 x 12 = $570.00 for 2 adults
•Combined Grocery Budget for 2013: $190.00 x 12 = $2,280.00
================================================================================================
REMARKS FOR THE WEEK:
Before we even start the month, I am allocating my total grocery funds for the month as follows:
Grocery:
$142.50 for the month
($12.50) transfer to borscht reserve
($ 21.72) to cover last month’s overage
Balance $108.28 << Oh dear!!
Stockpile:
$47.50 for the month
($27.50) transfer to re-stocking reserve
Balance $20.00
I had completely run down our fresh produce thinking that we were going to be away on vacation. All I can say is thank goodness for the freezer and pantry because I got sick and wasn’t well enough to think about shopping let alone cooking. Hubby is being my amazing shopper this week… with list in hand and coupons printed off for him. 🙂 You didn't think I would completely remove myself from the process did you??? LOL
This week is all about getting things re-stocked and ready to celebrate a Thanksgiving together. We’ve pretty much obliterated our available shopping in Canada for the month of October this week…other than a few small items like milk and eggs BUT we’ve got a generous amount still set aside for our US shopping next week.
This may very well be the cheapest Thanksgiving dinner we have ever had! I could have picked a free turkey for 10,000 More points at Save On Foods but hubby didn’t want that much turkey. I may get the free turkey for New Years instead. I am dying for a leg of lamb so that’ll probably be the treat for our next holiday dinner.
We have a $10.99 turkey breast, lots of potatoes and fresh vegetables, a stuffing mix for hubby in the pantry, lots of cranberry sauce for me, pickles and olives galore and we even picked up a Wendell’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie for $2.98 after using a coupon! We’ll be eating very well on Thanksgiving Day and have lots of leftovers to use next week!
================================================================================================
OUR “CANADIAN” SHOPPING THIS WEEK:
Save On Foods – Maple Ridge
1 Acorn Squash ($3.84 – $2.06 Loyalty Savings) = $1.82
2 bunches Asparagus ($12.48-$7.96 Loyalty Card Svgs) = $4.52
4 Avocados ($7.96-$1.96 Loyalty Card Svgs) = $6.00
1 loaf Garlic Bread 60% WW ($3.69-$1.19 Loyalty Card Svgs) = $2.50
1 bunch Bok Choy $0.90
1 small bunch Broccoli Crowns ($0.90-$0.32 Loyalty Card Svgs) = $0.58
1 Green Cabbage $2.17
12 carrots $2.44
1 bunch Celery ($3.02-$1.22 Loyalty Card Svgs) = $1.80
4 cartons Knorr Chicken Broth 1L ($11.96-$4.96 Loyalty Svgs) = $7.00
4 cans Cranberry Sauce ($11.96-$4.96 Loyalty Svgs) = $7.00
4 jumbo yams ($11.71-$7.85 Loyalty Svgs) = $3.86
2 x organic sliced mushrooms ($10.98-$3.00 Loyalty Svgs) = $7.98
1 bunch radishes $0.79
3 red peppers ($5.15-$1.94 Loyalty Svgs) = $3.21
2 Sunripe Juice ($9.98-2.00 Loyalty Savings)= $7.98–Cpn $3.99 = $3.99
6 On the Vine Tomatoes ($3.18-$0.80 Loyalty Svgs) = $2.38
1 bag Yukon Gold Potatoes $5.99
1 pkg Sugar snap peas $5.29
2 WF Garlic Sausage $13.98-$6.99 Coupon = $6.99
** Earned 116 More Rewards on this shop **
** USED $10.98 in Coupons **
** SAVED $40.22 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
•Total OOP: $77.21
• Grocery Budget OOP: $57.21
• Stockpile Budget OOP: $20.00
RCSS – Pitt Meadows
1 Romaine Lettuce $4.98
1 Green Salad $3.98
1 small baby spinach $2.98
1 snow peas $1.96
2 tubs garlic margarine $3.36
•Total OOP: $17.26
• Grocery Budget OOP: $17.26
• Stockpile Budget OOP: $0.00
Safeway – Maple Ridge
1 Lucerne Half and Half $2.91
1 Lucerne Whipping Cream $2.54
2 Lucerne Yogurt ($5.00-$2.50 Loyalty Card Svgs) = $2.50
1 Turkey Breast ($12.99-$2.00 Loyalty Card Svgs) = $10.99
** Earned 30 Air Miles on this shop **
** SAVED $4.50 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
•Total OOP: $18.94
• Grocery Budget OOP: $18.94
• Stockpile Budget OOP: $0.00
Price Smart – Coquitlam
1 Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie ($5.98 – $3.00 Coupon) = $2.98
** Earned 3 More Rewards on this shop **
** USED $3.00 in Coupons **
** SAVED $0.00 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
•Total OOP: $2.98
• Grocery Budget OOP: $2.98
• Stockpile Budget OOP: $0.00
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OUR “US RESERVE” SHOPPING THIS WEEK:
NO SHOPPING UNTIL Next Week
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2013 Y-T-D GROCERY SAVINGS:
•Total Loyalty Card Price Reductions This Year:
J$40.04+F$44.48+M$98.35+A$50.00+M$3.00+J$0.00+Jy$55.55
+Au$36.66+S$52.74+O($40.22+$4.50=$44.72)= $347.82
•Total Coupons Used This Year:
J$60.46+F$0.00+M$11.79+A$12.48+M$1.50+J$54.54+Jy$ 42.16= +Au($3.80)+S($38.57)+O($10.98+$3.00=$13.98)= $239.22
•Total More Points Earned This Year:
J265+F248+M151+A26+M0+J59+Jy7+Au26+S0+O(116+3=119)= 901 Points
•Total Air Miles Earned This Year:
J57+F10+M30+A83+M0+J161+Jy20+Au(1)+S(208)+O(30)= 600 Air Miles
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2013 Y-T-D GROCERY SPENDING:
•Total Grocery OOP Spent So Far This Year:
J$217.50+F$198.39+M$72.90+A$215.04+M$70.12+J$49.97+Jy$114.23 +Au$100.49+S$130.85+O($57.21+$17.26+$18.94+$2.98)= $1,265.88
•Total YTD Grocery Budget So Far:
J$190.00+F$190.00+M$108.79+A$142.50+M$142.50+J$50.00+
Jy$114.36+Au$99.62+S$110.00+O($142.50-$12.50 to borscht = $130.00) = $1,277.77
•Total Over/Under on the YTD Grocery Budget:
$11.89 AVAILABLE
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2013 Y-T-D STOCKPILE SPENDING:
•Total Stockpile OOP Spent So Far This Year:
J$0.00+Feb$0.00+M$81.21+A$77.55+M$17.45+J$82.86+Jy$79.24+Au$0.00+S$20.00+O$20.00= $378.31
•Total YTD Stockpile Budget:
J$0.00+Feb$0.00+M$81.21+A$47.50+M$47.50+J$82.86+Jy$35.64+Au$43.60+S$20.00+
O($47.50-$27.50 to restocking = $20.00) = $378.31
•Total Over/Under YTD Stockpile Budget:
$0.00 AVAILABLE
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2013 RE-STOCKING RESERVE:
•Total 2014 Re-Stocking Budget:
J$0.00+Feb$0.00+M$0.00+A$0.00+M$0.00+J$0.00+Jy$17.50+Au $17.50 +S$27.50+O$27.50=
$90.00 AVAILABLE
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2014 Y-T-D BORSCHT STOCKPILE RESERVE:
•Total 2014 Borscht Stockpile Budget:
J$0.00+Feb$0.00+M$0.00+A$0.00+M$0.00+J$120.00+Jy$32.50+Au$30.50+S$32.50+$O$12.50=
$228.00 AVAILABLE
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• TOTAL FUNDS SPENT IN 2013: $1,644.19
$1,900 is budgeted for JAN-OCT '2013 but with cash additions from recycled bottles, cash hiding spot money and repayments of funds owed to us…we increased our reserves to also have :
$90.00 Freezer Re-Stocking Fund
$228.00 Borscht Fund
Total $318.00
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CLOSING GROCERY POSITIONS FOR SEPTEMBER:
CANADIAN $’s
Groceries: $11.89
Stockpile: $0.00
2014 BORSCHT: $228.00
Cash Hiding Spot: $5.00
Re-Stocking Funds: $90.00
US $’s
Our Reserve: $148.73
US Cash Hiding Spot: $17.25
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The valid rain checks I hold are as follows:
Thrifty Foods:
4 China Lily Soya Sauce Refill bottles @$2.99 ea (Good until Nov 13th)
Safeway:
4 Safeway Select Boneless Honey Hams @ $8.99 (Good until Nov 29th)
4 Pantry Essentials 500g bacon @ $2.99 (Good until Dec 2nd)
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Hi MARY
I finally am getting around to catching up with the GGC posts after my holidays. I keep seeing that China Lily soy and I think I’m going to take your word and give it a go as soon as we finish what we have here. I love bacon as well and considering the price you have the rain check for I’d say that’s a great deal. We don’t buy turkey as it’s too much for us but the leg of lamb, I’m in. I love lamb just not the price but it’s a nice splurge. The pumpkin pie was a great deal after coupon considering the price of gluten free for many GF products. Awesome shop this week Mary. You not only got some great deals coupled with rewards points and saving using coupons but you picked some awesome food. I start thinking about all the recipes you will be cooking up. I can’t wait to get going with more soup though. It’s time. You get ballot #6…. keep up the great work and glad to hear the hubby is helping you out with that shopping while you aren’t feeling so hot. Keep smiling. CBB x
As a child, I went grocery shopping with my parents every single week. We didn’t need games because we knew that we couldn’t mess around. But, there were only two of us. I couldn’t imagine grocery shopping with more kids or younger ones.
Why so much sugar? you seem to be buying it often and in very large quantity for only 2 people.
We bake for the blog and for friends and family so it’s used in recipes so I can share them with all of you. I also drink tea with sugar as I don’t fancy sweeteners. I buy it in bulk when it’s on offer so I don’t have to pay $2.99 a bag. I know it seems like lots but it does last us unless we are baking. Cheers
Thanks for the mention, Mr. CBB. I appreciate it! Oh yes, the screaming child begging for candy bars, cookies, soda, etc. Been there, done that! The girls are past that stage, thankfully! I think grocery stores are one of the best places to teach your kids about money. You can teach them about budgeting, meal planning around the sales flyer and have them help you find and cut coupons before you even get to the store. When I take the girls shopping with me, I always share with then why I willingly choose to pay more for some things – organic fruits and vegetables – and where I save money and buy store brands. Lots of great teaching opportunities.
Great post, CBB.. Having three kids (ages 2-12), I am a seasoned vet when it comes to grocery shopping with the kiddos. Where I live, they have these shopping carts that are shaped like spaceships.. and the toddlers never mind going for a little ride in those!
I love the site design, btw..
Ugh, HUGE mistake that mom made. She has now taught her child “If I holler loud enough, I”ll get what I want, or at least something similar.”. My kids don’t even ask for stuff much because they know that the answer will be “no” unless it’s in the budget. However, they do have fun when I tell them “I want you to help mom spend the least amount of money today”. They peruse the price tags and check name brand vs. generic, portion sizes etc. Grocery time is great fun for our kids. 🙂
I have a 3 year old daughter and grocery shopping can be a challenge because on a long shop, it’s really boring for her! I play a memory game with her on the way round such as telling her some of the things I need and then ask her to repeat them back to me. Also, I let her get a few things off the shelf from my list and stick them in the trolley.
Yes, teaching kids young to make food and not just heat up convenience food in the old microwave.
My daughter is 6 years old but she is well behaved unlike from the other children. Every time we go to groceries while she is riding in the cart she’s the one who holds the list and she really enjoys reading the list and telling me where to find it.
Nice start to the month!! If I might add here doing anything with kids and peanut butter might have to be a weekend only activity as a good number of schools now forbid PB due to peanut allergies. Because it can be really hard to tell the difference between PB and other nut butters these are not allowed either.Thankfully my kids went through the system before this was wide spread as the older boy refused to take anything but a PB and J sandwich!!!
Our daughter is sorting out what can go to school now as the grandson just started JK. He is told beforehand that they are buying things for his school lunch and that’s it. The rules now (at least at his school, can’t speak for other places) are that nothing with a wrapper is allowed, you have to remove the product from it’s wrapper before bringing it. They are trying to teach the kids to eat healthy so there is quite the list of things the kids are not supposed to bring. The first week she was having a heck of a time making his lunch… She heard a lot of “No Mommy…Teacher says we can’t have that”. Things have eased up some now as he was moved to a different room. Due to numbers they had to make up a new class. Peanut butter is now a week end treat.
When we take him grocery shopping he is told in advance if he can get a treat and he loves pushing his own little cart!!! So long as he walks nicely with it, it’s good. She does get him treats that he only gets in the car, nice to have for trips!!! He actually does behave rather well in stores.
Nice score on the pineapple and cashews Mr CBB! I was just thinking we need to top up our mixed nuts at Rite Aid the next time we are in the US. Hubby loves peanuts and walnuts but unless I throw anything else into my baking or cooking… he’d never touch it. A few cans of the royal mix will last me for a year. 🙂
The nuts were a great deal and hard to pass up. The same cashews but honey roasted were $5.97. .
My kiddos are now 18 and 15 but we played many games in the course of them growing up related around money and even groceries. In fact, I like your style, because I have used games or “playing” to teach many life lessons to my children. When they were little, they could learn number and letters, then learn to read labels, then about money and the cost of things… the learning opportunities are endless. Today, we are learning how to budget our money so we don’t have to eat top ramen three days a week because we ate out with our friends on a Friday night and spent too much…
Karla Twomey
Kids and Money: Teenagers Guide to Becoming a Millionaire
http://nomorecreditcards.com/?p=3196