Estimated reading time: 19 minutes
Discover affordable options for fresh produce on a budget. Learn how to find alternatives to grocery store shopping.
Stock Up On Produce At The Best Prices
Most people shop at the grocery store when buying fresh produce because that is where most of us are conditioned to go from a young age.
Unless you’ve grown up on a farm or had parents who ventured outside the supermarket, you might believe this is the only place to stock up on fresh produce.
It’s not as if there are many other ways you can enjoy the luxuries of fresh produce as long as you are willing to do the work or, shall I say, the homework.
Produce As Part Of A Healthy Diet
According to the Canada Food Guide, this is what YOU should be eating in terms of fruits and vegetables daily.
You don’t want to remove fruits and vegetables from your diet just because you think they are too expensive.
Our bodies need nutrients that come from produce that help us stay healthy.
- Children aged 2-3 Male/Female 4 servings
- Children aged 4-8 Male/Female 5 servings
- Children aged 9-13 Male/Female 6 servings
- Teens aged 14-18 Male 8 servings Female 7 servings
- Adults between the ages of 19-50 Male 8-10 servings Female 7-8 servings
- Adults aged 51+ Male/Female 7 servings
You can download the Canada Food Guide for free and print it so you have it for full reference.
I think I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read that we couldn’t be eating a healthy diet on such a small grocery budget for two.
Increased Grocery Prices
I think $235 plus a stockpile budget is more than enough, although we have off months when we may spend a bit more because of great sales.
The other day, while in line at the grocery store, we watched the woman in front of us pay outrageous prices for her produce.
She had only a few bags of groceries to show for that money, and Mrs.CBB and I looked at each other and then put our heads down.
We looked at the grocery belt because lots of our fresh produce had pink stickers.
If you are new to CBB and aren’t familiar with pink stickers, this is how Loblaws stores cut the cost of their produce for fast sale.
The pink sticker signifies 25% or 50% savings, depending on your location.
Where we live, we get the 50% savings, and it’s worth it.
Produce Food Storage
Many people improperly store produce, which leads to waste, so another tip is to keep produce such as apples, figs, and melons away from other produce.
These fruits produce a gas called ethylene, also known as the “Ripening Hormone,” which ripens other fruits fast.
This is how produce is ripened most of the time before it’s time for commercial production.
If you’ve ever heard the tale about putting an apple in a bag of green bananas to ripen them faster, you will know this is true.
Never refrigerate tomatoes, bananas, peaches, and plums because they are best left on the counter.
Related: Fruits and Vegetables that should never be refrigerated
You may get those pesky fruit flies in the summer, but if you eat them fast enough, this shouldn’t be a problem.
When we visit the in-law’s house with the big garden, they have a massive fruit basket on the counter, and my father-in-law doesn’t like to refrigerate most fruits.
He does refrigerate greens, but he gave us one tip: never to leave them in sealed containers or bags as they will sweat and rot.
So always leave the bag rolled down and left open.
You may notice your salad containers have holes in them for this reason.
Expand Your Produce Knowledge
How many times have you said you wouldn’t try something because you’ve never heard of it or tried it before?
Many people tend to stick to the same boring produce, which is why their grocery budget is more expensive than that of someone more adventurous in the kitchen.
Today, I want to dispel the myth that it’s impossible to eat a healthy diet filled with produce, including higher costing vegetables such as Kale, Asparagus, Bok Choy, Spinach, Rapini, Fennel, and Dandelion greens.
You can eat dandelions steamed and sautéed with garlic, olive oil, and salt.
We have often eaten dandelions as my father-in-law loves to forage for mushrooms and other herbs and greens.
If your fruit diet consists of just apples and oranges, please embark on a tasting journey through the produce section of your grocery store.
Don’t limit your budget to the same fruits because when you don’t expand your dietary shopping list, you will pay more because your options are limited.
So many fruits from around the world taste amazing and aren’t as costly as you think.
The critical thing to remember is that you should be open to trying new varieties of food.
Fruits that some customers shy away from because of cost or knowledge may be the;
- Mango
- Fresh Coconut
- Cantaloupe
- Pomegranate
- Prickly Pears (Opuntia)
- Kiwis
- Star fruit (Carambola)
- Pummelo (similar to a grapefruit and popular in Southeast Asia)
How To Save Money Buying Fresh Produce
My wife and I have spent years combing through the grocery industry, looking for the best deals and sourcing delicious fresh produce that won’t break our budget.
Along the way, we’ve learned other tricks that have helped us save, and today, I will share all of this information with you. It’s no fun not sharing.
Learning about food is a never-ending adventure, which is probably why I enjoy writing about it.
Reduced Produce
Don’t miss out on big savings at the grocery store or farmers’ markets because produce won’t last forever.
They would rather make some money than nothing at all, so ask a shop owner if they have reduced product or have a look around.
A local produce market in town has a table where you can buy reduced produce, which is great.
All the shops sell produce, so they are bound to have bargains if you are willing to buy ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables.
The grocery stores typically have racks where they wrap produce and mark it at an excellent price.
We’ve bought so much from the “cheap rack” that we’ve saved ourselves lots of money.
There is nothing wrong with the produce, but it is ready to be eaten that day or within a day or so.
For example, I bought a 6-pack of avocados last month for $1.29, typically costing 2/$5.
We enjoyed some delicious avocados.
Quiz: Do you think an avocado is a fruit or a vegetable?
An avocado is not a vegetable. It’s a fruit.
Some of you might have picked vegetables because you put them on your salad or enjoy them on toast or as is.
Flash Food App
Almost all Loblaws stores across Canada participate in the Flash Food App program.
You can read and sign up for the Flash Food App program here.
Once you sign up for the Flash Food App, you will start to see reduced foods at your favorite stores.
For example, No Frills may have a banana box full of mixed fruits and vegetables for only $5.
They reduce the prices of products near expiry by 50% or more.
If you can get the Flash Food App, don’t miss out on the savings.
Using Coupons For Produce Savings
Yes, yes, yes, there are occasional coupons for produce if you don’t mind using coupons as we do.
We typically find coupons for produce on the packages, in the produce section, or other products we must cut out. You might also find coupons on a coupon board.
Recently, we found a $0.50 off coupon for POM pomegranates, and my mother-in-law was lucky to score a great deal from the reduced rack as they were selling them for $0.25 each, so she got them free.
Meal Planning
If you want to stick to your grocery budget, plan your meals so you know exactly what produce you need to buy each week.
Most people buy and eat too much, so creating portions is a great way to cut back and save money.
Just guessing what you might need to eat for the week is a great way to blow your budget.
If you don’t plan your meals, you risk buying too much, and if you don’t have a freezer, you may throw it in the compost, which is a huge waste of money.
Buy Produce In Season
Buying in season is so crucial to your grocery budget.
If you want to pay $6.99 for a mini watermelon in the dead of winter, be warned that you will get little for your money.
Why not hold off until the summer when you can buy enormous watermelons for $2.99?
Mrs. CBB loves watermelon, and come summer, and I know I’ll be buying plenty.
In-Season Produce Availability Guide
Learn How To Grow Produce In A Garden
Growing your produce is fun to do with or without kids and rewarding when you get to cook with the produce you grew yourself.
Whether you have a small space for gardening or want to garden in pots, you can do it.
Don’t underestimate the power of growing food because many people do and miss out on this wonderful opportunity.
Here are some great gardening articles on CBB that you may want to consider reading.
- How to grow fruit at home
- How to start your Spring garden using odd containers
- How to grow pot-potatoes
- Tips for growing a Fall garden
- Planting tips for your vegetable garden
- Garden Growing Guide: How to prepare your garden
- Growing a garden in a small space
- Starting our Frugal garden from seed
- Sow, Grow and Save
International Stores
Some of the cheapest places to buy your produce will be at the International stores.
On the odd occasion, we visit the Asian market in town where we can buy limes 10 for $1 instead of $0.50 for one at the grocery store.
Since the markets are mostly independently run, you will find the deals greater because they want to keep you there and build their customer base.
International stores want other cultures to come in and explore their world of flavors.
We went into an Indian grocery store in Brampton, Ontario, once, and the owners were so friendly.
They helped us to find what we were looking for, plus they gave us so many food samples to try as they had a sweets bakery in-store that we left high on sugar that day.
I remember buying bags of star anise at the Chinese grocery store for $1.99, and the grocery store wanted something ridiculous like $4.99 for a small jar full.
Drop by these gems and see what they have to offer.
Weekly Flyers
Flyer savings is the top go-to for Canadians looking to slash their grocery budget.
Most people have the grocery flyers delivered to their homes or use a smartphone app like Flipp or go online to see the week’s deals.
Plan your meals, as I mentioned above, around these flyer specials, and you will see you produce savings.
Price Matching
If you don’t want to drive to many grocery stores or if you have a store that price matches, why not use this convenience they offer to you?
You get the best of all the grocery stores in your area in one shop.
Price matching is where one grocery store will match the sale price of another store for the same product.
Most stores ask you to bring in the flyer or show the product on your smartphone flyer app to get the same sale price.
Buy Frozen
There’s nothing wrong with buying flash-frozen produce, especially when it is out of season and on sale.
That would be a great time to stock up and enjoy produce you typically would only buy when it was fresh in the produce aisle but don’t want to spend the amount it costs when it’s not growing season.
One vegetable we would buy frozen is chopped spinach, especially if we were making a dish that required a large amount.
You would have to buy many bunches of spinach to get what you get in a small package of frozen spinach for $1.29.
So go ahead and use frozen vegetables. They are worth the money, especially when they are on sale.
Local Farming Co-ops/ Gardening
Back in the UK, we have farming co-ops where you can garden on a plot of land for a fee all year.
My sister and her family do this since plots of land in the UK are pretty small or non-existent, as we don’t have as much land as Canada.
Every year, she brings the kids to the garden, and they learn skills she hopes they will use as they become adults and pass along to their own children.
Other gardening co-ops may look for volunteers to help with the garden throughout the growing season.
In return, you will be given free produce. It’s worth researching in your local community or talking to the city to see if they have any further information for you.
Farmers Markets
Every community we’ve visited has a farmers market open to the public a few days a week.
If you live in the Toronto area like we do, there is no shortage of local farmers’ markets that you can visit to find the freshest local produce in Ontario.
One of the most popular markets in Toronto is the St. Lawrence Market, where you can pretty much shop until you drop.
You will find it all at this market, from produce, meat, fish, and cheese to local merchants all over Ontario.
If you live in the Kitchener, Ontario area, you might be aware of the popular St. Jacobs Market, which has produce vendors from the local area who sell produce from their farms every week.
That is not all you will find at St. Jacobs Market.
You can shop indoors or outdoors and find local butchers, antiques, fashion, crafts, and specialty foods worldwide.
It’s a trip the wife and I will be making this summer to check out and stock up on fresh produce.
Buy Fruits And Vegetables In Bulk
This is a pretty simple concept, which is great if you have a significant function you need to cook for or a freezer.
If you can freeze produce, it’s great when there is a sale.
You can stock up without running out because your freezer inventory will be fully stocked.
Neighbourhood Garden Exchange Program
If you live in a neighborhood, you might be surprised that a producing program is happening in your area.
You might even find a Facebook group dedicated to the streets you live on, or a local school in the area may be the hub of knowledge where these programs begin.
In our residential community, our neighborhood association has teamed up with organic farmers in the area to offer produce bins to the residents for a decent price.
I believe it’s $20-$40 for a bin of mixed fruits and vegetables.
You can mix and match the produce, so it’s a great way to get involved in the community and pick up your produce on the way home if the school is close to your house.
Another program I’ve heard of is a neighborhood garden exchange.
Not all of us have huge backyards, so some neighbors with the space rent out portions to those who want to grow a garden.
I know it sounds like it may cost more money, but not always since some homeowners might only charge for the water you use because they want to see space get used up every year, plus help out local families who want to garden.
Organic Farmers Buyers Club
We all know that organic produce costs are very high, but if you look around, you can still find deals.
I looked online, and I know the Toronto area has plenty of places to buy organic produce that will be delivered, such as Fresh City Farms, for a fee to your door.
However, I wanted to see what else was in the surrounding areas.
There’s a place called Globally Local that will deliver fresh seasonal organic produce in the surrounding London area for a reasonable price.
You can also pick up your produce bin in a designated area in the city.
What they sell is a produce bin filled with organic vegetables.
You can get a full bin for a mere $40, a week’s produce.
Fruit – Bananas, Ambrosia Apples, Red Bartlett Pears, Navel Oranges, Grapefruit
Veggies – Romaine Lettuce Hearts, Green Kale, White Mushrooms *Ontario*, Carrots, Zucchini, Eggplant, English Cucumber *Ontario*, Bean Sprouts, Grape Tomatoes *Ontario* Green Onion, Yellow Potatoes *Ontario*,This box contains a balanced mixture of high carb and low carb organic fruit and vegetables.
This box is ideal for families of all sizes.
Total produce weight is between 25-35 pounds.
Roadside Farmers Produce Stand
So you are driving along, and suddenly, you see roadside stands where farmers sell their local produce like they did years ago.
If you want organic or non-organic produce from the farmers but cannot drive out to the farm or markets, keep an eye out in the city.
Many farmers rent local parking lot space in the city to set up a stand to sell everything they grow, including corn, peaches, asparagus, apples, beans, etc.
This is a great way to support your local farmers, especially when they bring the farm to you.
Friends and Families Gardens
If you have family or friends who love to garden like we have, don’t be shy about seeing what they are willing to give you if you help them out.
We never have to ask as we get boxes full in the summer when we visit, but if they were in town, we know that we wouldn’t be buying any produce over the summer months.
You could also volunteer to help with the garden if it’s a large garden or water it if they need to go on vacation.
You never know what produce they might gift you for your generosity because it’s tough to go away with a garden that needs tending to.
Kijiji and Facebook Groups
I know that we try to eliminate apples that grow on our property in abundance every year because we can’t use them all.
We hate to see them go to waste, so we put an ad online, and we always have people emailing right away, willing to pick the apples and take them away for free.
If you are looking for freebies, don’t miss out on joining freebie Facebook groups or putting an ad on Kijiji.
Often, you may find someone that has too much produce that they want to give it away if you come and pick it.
Saving Money Is Easier Than You Think
There are plenty of savings to be had when it comes to produce, but you have to be willing to get them or be open to new concepts of buying produce.
This list will expand as time passes, and you might even have something you’d like to add that will help save consumers money in the produce department.
If you do, please comment and share your knowledge to help those who come to CBB learn how to save money in their budget.
April Grocery Game Posts
If you missed any grocery game posts for the month, I will post the lineup for each week in this section.
Join the Grocery Game Challenge fun and post your grocery shop in the comment section of each blog post.
Grocery Saving Tips
Free Money Saving Downloads are awesome lists created to get us on track to reach our budgeting goals, and we are sharing them with you now.
I hope you take the time to get back on track and start the savings process in your grocery budget today.
Get organized with a FREE freezer inventory, meal plan, shopping list, price comparison list, and more.
CLICK HERE to download all the free lists and our family budget spreadsheet.
You can now download the FREE Canadian Budget Binder Budget Spreadsheet in Excel.
We use it to budget and in large part a reason we could pay our mortgage off in 5 years, check it out!
Ultimate Grocery Shopping Guide
Everything you want to know about grocery shopping in Canada is below, with new information added monthly.
2015 Grocery Shop Results
If you are a foodie like I am, you will enjoy going through my Free Recipe Index, where recipes from our kitchen are shared each Sunday.
Yearly grocery budget for two 2015: $2820
(The above total does not include the $240 per year stockpile budget or $25 monthly.
Food Basics
- Premium Bananas $2.41
- 2 x fresh Pineapple 2/$5.00
- Sweet potatoes Bulk $3.47 sale
- 3 x Astro Yogurt Coconut $2.49 each
Total out-of-pocket $20.28
Zehrs
- PC Salsa with white corn $2.99 500 PC Plus Points
- Organic Baby Carrots $2.50-pink sticker 50%
- Baby Spinach container $3.79 sale
- Renee’s Dill Dip $4.49-50%
- Baby Bok Choy $2.77-50%
- White Bulk mushrooms $4.14-50%
- Smoked Ham $7.99 reg $14.99
- PC Tuscan Style ham $5.79-50%
- Black Forest ham $10.58-50%
- 2x Ricotta Cheese $6.99-50% each
- Provolone Cheese $6.17-50%
- PC Cheese Tortellini fresh $7.99-50%
- PC Tomato Basil Tortellini fresh $4.79-50%
- PC Spinach and Ricotta ravioli fresh $4.79-50%
Total out-of-pocket $50.43
Points Overview (add any other sections you need to show us your savings)
- Total Grocery Budget for the Month: $235.00
- Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs: $235.00
- Total Gift Cards used to date: $0
- Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
- Total Rewards Points used to date: $20.00
- PC Points Plus Earned to date: 61986
- Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $0
Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)
- Snap Groupon to date: $1.50
- Zweet to date: $1.50
- Cart Smart to date: $0
- Checkout51 to date: $1.50
Grocery Shopping (add any other sections you need to show expenses and savings)
- Total to spend this month: $213.47 ($26.53 overage from March applied)
- Stockpile budget 2015 ($25.00): (Jan/Feb) $50.00 +$0 (Mar)+$16.94
- Stockpile budget used this month: $16.94
- Total coupons used this week: $0
- Total coupons used to date: $13.00
- Total in-store discounts this week: $36.15
- Total in-store discounts to date: $229.40
- Total spent this week: $70.71
- Total spent so far this month: $63.38+$70.71=$134.09
- Total over/Under spend this shop: -$10.02 over budget.
- Total over/Under spend for the month: $n/a
- Total left to spend for the month: $150.19-$70.71=$79.48
- Total Spent To Date 2015: (does not include stockpile budget) Jan $166.49+ Feb $261.51+ Mar $231.02 + April $
Final Thoughts
We picked up a fair amount of groceries this week, but the good news is that many of them were 50% off and came with PC Optimum points.
The rest of the month will be tight, but we have nice food storage that should last us, along with the stockpile budget that we can use up.
Canadian Coupons Found This Week
Here are some great places you can find Canadian Coupons!
You’ve decided to take control of your grocery budget.
Now show me your shops, and let’s get started!
Welcome to The Grocery Game Challenge 2015!
Join in and become money savers and take control of your grocery budget.
-Mr.CBB
APRIL – Week #2 of 4- April 13-19, 2015
2015 GROCERY BUDGET / STOCKPILE BUDGET AND US RESERVE:
•Total Grocery Budgeted For Year: $190.00 x 12 = $2,280.00 for 2 adults
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REMARKS FOR THE WEEK:
Since I have lots of frozen broccoli, we decided to let the following rain check expire:
Broccoli Florets @ $1.99/lb – Good until Apr 7/15
I sent hubby to do a really small shop at Thrifty Foods this week to pick up some bread using a rain check for $1.00 per loaf. That will keep him in good shape for a bit!
And, we got another new rain check for Skippy Peanut Butter. Hubby has peanut butter several times a week so I am always looking for a good sale. Kraft is okay but Skippy is my favorite!
Check out the grocery shop at RCSS…I don’t remember the last time we had a grocery bill that small! LOL 🙂
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OUR “CANADIAN” SHOPPING THIS WEEK:
Thrifty Foods – Maple Ridge –
6 x WW Bread $6.00
•Total OOP: $6.00
• Grocery Budget OOP: $6.00
• Stockpile Budget OOP: $0.00
• Cash Hiding Spot: $0.00
** Earned 0 Air Miles on this shop **
** USED $0.00 in Coupons **
** SAVED $0.00 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
—————————————————————–
Safeway – Mission
2 x 1.75L Simply Lemonade (BOGO) = $4.98
2 Loaves Garlic French Bread @ 50% off = $3.79
•Total OOP: $8.77
• Grocery Budget OOP: $8.77
• Stockpile Budget OOP: $0.00
• Cash Hiding Spot: $0.00
** Earned 1 Air Miles on this shop **
** USED $0.00 in Coupons **
** SAVED $8.77 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
—————————————————————–
RCSS– Pitt Meadows –
1 x 3lb bag yellow onions $0.96
5 x Hot House Tomatoes $1.58
•Total OOP: $2.54
• Grocery Budget OOP: $2.54
** Earned 0 PC.Plus Points on this shop **
** USED $0.00 in Rain Check Coupons **
** SAVED $0.00 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
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OUR “US RESERVE” SHOPPING THIS WEEK:
OUR NEXT USA SHOP WILL BE May 18th!
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2015 Y-T-D GROCERY SAVINGS:
•Total Loyalty Card Price Reductions This Year:
Jan $3.58+ Feb $0.00 + Mar $14.54 + Apr $8.77= $26.89
•Total Coupons/Rain Checks Used This Year:
Jan $0.00 + Feb $0.00 + Mar $0.00 + Apr $0.00 = 0.00
•Total Price Match Savings Used This Year:
Jan $0.00 +Feb $0.00 + Mar $0.00 + Apr $0.00 = $0.00
•Total More Points Earned This Year:
Jan 22 + Feb 45 + Mar 140 + Apr 0= 207 Points
•Total Air Miles Earned This Year:
Jan 0 + Feb 0 + Mar 1 + Apr 1= 2 Air Mile
•Total PC PLUS Points Earned This Year:
Jan 1200 + Feb 900 + Mar 900 + Apr 1,500 = 4,500 Points
•Total Optimum Points Earned This Year:
Jan 30 + Feb 40 + Mar 0 + Apr 0 = 70 Points
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2015 Y-T-D GROCERY SPENDING:
•Total OOP Year-To-Date:
Jan $199.31+ Feb ($180.69) + Mar $274.41) + Apr (trf $10.00 Xmas Reserve+$15.00 to Summer + $10.10 +$6.00 + $2.54 +$8.77 = $52.41)= $706.82
•Total Year-To-Date Grocery Budget:
Jan $190.00+Feb $190.00 + Mar $190.00 + Apr $190.00 = $760.00
•Total Over/Under on Year-To-Date Grocery Budget: $53.18 AVAILABLE
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2015 UNUSED CANADIAN GROCERY RESERVE :
2014 Fwd $0.00+Jan $0.00+Feb $3.83+ Mar $32.09 + Apr $0.00= $35.92
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2015 RE-STOCKING RESERVE:
2014 Fwd $325.00+Jan $22.50+Feb $22.50 + Mar $17.50 + Apr $0.00= $387.50
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2015 Y-T-D BORSCHT RESERVE:
2014 Fwd $412.50+Jan $12.50 + Feb $12.50 + Mar $12.50 + Apr $0.00= $450.00
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2015 Y-T-D HOLIDAY SEASON RESERVE:
2014 Fwd $110.00+Jan $10.00 +Feb $10.00+ Mar $10.00 + Apr $10.00= $150.00
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2015 Y-T-D SUMMER RESERVE:
2014 Fwd $90.00+Jan $10.00 + Feb $10.00 + Mar $15.00 + Apr $15.00= $140.00
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• SUMMARY OF FUNDS Y-T-D:
$ 760.00 Grocery Budget JAN-MARCH
$ 35.92 Redeemed Points to Purchase
Groceries
($ 0.02) Hiding Spot Cash – SPENT
($ 13.45) 2014 Costco Rebate Chq – SPENT
($190.00) Trf to Misc Reserves (Re-Stocking,
Borscht, Xmas, Summer)
($170.00) Trf to US Grocery Reserve
($ 35.92) Set in a reserve to offset
Redeemed Points
($ 333.35) Actual CASH SPENT
($ 53.18) AVAILABLE FOR SPENDING
• VALUE POINTS REDEEMED Y-T-D:
$ 4.98 Skim Milk- 3,100 MORE Pts – JAN
$ 4.69 Skim Milk- 3,100 MORE Pts – FEB
$ 4.69 Skim Milk- 3,100 MORE Pts – FEB
$ 4.99 Whole Milk- 3,100 MORE Pts – MAR
$ 4.99 Skim Milk- 3,100 MORE Pts – MAR
$ 4.99 Skim Milk- 3,100 MORE Pts – MAR
$ 1.60 Sprouts- 1,000 MORE Pts – MAR
$ 4.99 Skim Milk- 3,100 MORE Pts – MAR
$ 35.92 Total $ Value of Points Redeemed
So far $570.00 has been budgeted Y-T-D for 2015 and we have recorded these funds as “spent” and in fact they have been “saved”:
$387.50 Freezer Re-Stocking Fund
$450.00 Borscht Fund
$150.00 Holiday Season Fund
$140.00 Summer Season Fund
OUR TOTAL UNUSED RESERVES ARE $1,127.50 … that is a $937.50 carry-forward from 2013 & 2014 and $190.00 in NEW 2015 savings.
This also means that with $190.00 to start APRIL less $25.00 transferred to the various savings reserves less $0.00 transferred for Points Redeemed = $165.00 less an overage carried forward from March for $84.41 less an additional $0.00 saved in our US grocery reserve, we opened the month of APRIL with $80.59 available to spend on the Canadian side of the border PLUS we have spent $27.41 on our groceries (cash & points) so this month and have $53.18 AVAILABLE for the month of APRIL.
We have groceries that have been purchased using points redeemed, rather than the budgeted cash in the amount of $35.92. Available as an offset, we currently have $35.92 in our UNUSED CASH RESERVE. As at this moment, we need and additional $0.00 in the UNUSED CASH RESERVE. If our budget is truly sufficient, when we reach December 31st, the unused funds should still be equal to, if not greater than, the value of the points redeemed. It’ll be interesting to see if they actually are.
Note: Another reserve of $283.07 IS AVAILABLE for our next US shop currently scheduled for May 18th!
Of the outstanding US Shopping Reserve $283.07:
$113.07 is carried forward from 2014
$170.00 is new 2015 Y-T-D savings
Less $0.00 that we’ve actually spent in 2015
= $283.07 US Reserve Available
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The valid rain checks I hold are as follows:
Safeway
4 Lean Ground Pork @3.49/lb-Good ‘til Apr 26/15
4 Signature Café Pizzas @ 2 pizzas for $9.00- Good ‘til June 19/15
6 Ronzoni Sweet Onion Marinara @ 2 for $5.00- Good ‘til June 20/15
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts @ $12 ea- Good ‘til July 4/15
6 Skippy Peanut Butter @ BOGO – Good ‘til July 11/15 << NEW THIS WEEK! 🙂
Thrifty Foods
4 Island Gold Large Brown Eggs @ 2 for $5.00- Good ‘til April 21/15
4 Island Gold Large Brown Eggs @ 2 for $5.00- Good ‘til April 23/15
6 Island Bakery WW Bread 570 g @ 1.00 per loaf- Good ‘til April 27/15
6 Island Bakery WW Bread 570 g @ 1.00 per loaf- Good ‘til April 29/15
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Hi Mary,
Considering how big RCSS is I’d say you did very well with a receipt like that lol. We can’t seem to go into big stores and come out with one or two things. My wife said she prefers the Skippy brand too over Kraft. I never really ate PB until I moved to Canada so I don’t really fancy one over the other. I mostly use it in cookies as I don’t eat it from the jar or in sandwiches. What do you use the broccoli for? Our son seems to like Kale and Spinach but if he likes broccoli I will do the same as you and freeze it when I find it for a good deal. Great shop! You get ballot. 12. Mr.CBB
Mr CBB…Broccoli and Cheese Soup!
That’s a good one. Baby would even like that I bet. We picked up some baby food jars for the road and that stuff is BLAND and disgusting. Feed him table food and he LOVES it.
Good tips. We are lucky to have 3 discount grocery stores in my area, including my favorite, ALDI. We also garden, have fruit trees, and buy in season fruits for the most part.
That’s the way to do it. What kind of fruit trees do you have?
I am one of the people who doesn’t change much in the kind of foods that are bought and eaten in the house. I typically buy bananas and they are eaten fairly quickly. This summer, I want to buy a couple of bushels of apples to make applesauce and freeze it for the summer….maybe I’ll get some as well. I plan on making a number of different kinds of jams for the freezer as well. I used to buy kiwi and my daughter would devour them like there was no tomorrow. I’ll have to look at them again to see if I can get some for a decent price.
If you can find the apples for a good price that’s great otherwise it’s not worth it. We need about 8 apples to make a jar of apple sauce and that can cost us around $3 or more for apples, time and hydro. You can buy a jar for $1.69.
I can pick up a bushel of apples around $20 – $25. Not sure if that’s a good price or not but it’s local apples and I can then make a large batch of applesauce. I can get a 795 gram jar of applesauce for 2/$3.00. Yes that’s a good price but to buy the same quantity, it would cost more than $20.
Whenever I buy fresh fruits and vegetables, I usually go to our wet market. The prices are pretty low compared at the grocery store.
What is a wet market?
Name Your Store: i.e. IGA (Australia)
Total Coupons Used: $0
Total Out Of Pocket: $22.60
Week 11- 06 -12 April 2015
2L pineapple juice- $1.79
2kg sugar-$1.65
3L milk- $3.00
1kg cheese- $6.00
300ml sour cream- $1.30
500gr margarine- $1.40
250gr strawberries= $3.99
.761 kg oranges –$4.94 (reduced)=$0.99
500gr blackberry jam-$1.49
1L- dish detergent- $0.99
Name Your Store: i.e. Aland’s Fruit and Veges(Australia)
Total Coupons Used: $0
Total Out Of Pocket: $10.48
1 kg carrot-$1.49
500 gr mushrooms-$2.99
mango-$1.99
.245kg turnip swede- $1.22
lettuce-$2.79
Do the above for each receipt you have then copy the template below and paste it to the bottom of your shop so we can see your results.
Points Overview (add any other sections you need to show us your savings)
Total Grocery Budget for the Month: $216.67 (averages $50 week)
Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $
Total Gift Cards used to date: $0
Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
PC Points Plus Earned to date:0
Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $0
Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)
Snap Groupon to date: $0
Zweet to date: $0
Cart Smart to date: $0
Checkout51 to date: $0
GROCERY SHOP THIS WEEK (add any other sections you need to show expenses and savings)
Stockpile budget 2015 ($0.00): $0
Stockpile budget used to date: $0
Total coupons used this week: $0
Total coupons used to date: $0
Total in-store discounts this week:$3.95 (6-12 april)
Total in-store discounts to date: $65.82+$3.84=$69.66+$3.66=73.32+$3.95 (6-12 april)=$77.27
Total spent this week: $22.60+$10.48=$33.08
Total spent so far this month: $12.26+24.89=37.15+$28.85=$66.00+$33.08 (6-12 April)=$99.08
Total over/Under spend this shop: $
Total over/Under spend for the month $216.67 each month-$12.26= $204.41 (30 march-5 april) under –$24.89=$179.52-$28.85 (30 March-05 April)=$150.67-$33.08 (6-12 april)=$117.59
Total left to spend for the month : $367.14-$12.26 = $356.33- $24.89=331.44-$28.85 (30 March-05 April)=$302.59-$33.08 (6-12 April)=$269.51
Total Spent To Date 2015: (does not include stockpile budget) $498.09(23-29 March)+ $12.26 (30 Mar-5 April)=$510.35+$24.89=$535.24+$28.85=$564.09+$33.08 (6-12 April)=$597.17
Weekly Overview (your final thoughts):
Trying not too buy too much., because anything than needs to be stored in the fridge, will need to be given away or tossed, when we leave for Canada in a couple of weeks.
Hi Kathryn,
Great deals on the pineapple juice and sugar. I always find pineapple juice is pricey. My wife likes to drink it or add it to mixed drinks in the summer. Great shop. You’re coming home! Yay.. which means we will start to see some of your Canadian Shops! I can’t wait to see how you make out in Canada. Do you find you have to get used to the prices here again or do you remember the best prices when you return? Does your budget stay the same when you return? The weather is getting nice in Ontario now! You get ballot. 13. MR.CBB
Week 2 – April 11 – April 18
• Grocery budget to work with in April: $200
• Total coupons used this week: $2
• Total coupons used to date: $26.50
• Total RCSS gas coupons used this week: $0
• Total RCSS gas coupons used to date: $5.37
• Total value PC Plus points redeemed this week: $0
• Total value PC Plus points redeemed to date: $90
• Total gift cards/certificates/gifts used this week: $0
• Total gift cards/certificates/gifts used to date: $38.76
• Total student discounts this week: $3.20
• Total student discounts to date: $71.96
• Total tax savings RCSS this week: $1.22
• Total tax savings RCSS to date: $7.26
• Total spent this week: $48.30
• Total spent so far this month: $91.65
• Total left to spend for the month: $100 (1.70 moved to carryover)
• Weekly carry over: $1.70
• Total in carry over jar: $200.10
• Total Spent To Date 2015: $939.85
RCSS: Veggie Straws 2.50 x 2 less SCOP 2.50 x 2 (two kinds, not marked on shelf correctly), Veggie Straws 1.66, Finish Gel 4.99, Miss Vickies 2.77 (PM) less 2.00 coupon, less taxes 1.22: Total paid 7.40 rounded down 2 cents
Shoppers Drug Mart: Milk 3.97: total 3.95 rounded down 2 cents
RCSS: Ketchup 3.28, breadmaker yeast 4.28, Hellmans mayo 2.97 (PM), Large container Minced garlic 6.49, NN Plain yogurt tub 1.00, eggs 1.99 (PM), apples 3.48, peppers 1.97, onions 1.79, mini seedless watermelon 2.50 (PM), pears 1.33 (PM), cucumber .77 (PM), less student discount 3.20: total 32.60 rounded down 2 cents
Budget wise we stayed on track for this week. It was not an easy week though. I think the reality of the new food budget is kicking in and needing so much made decisions difficult. I spent a lot of time calculating at the store this week and putting things back. We are digging deeper in the freezer so that we still have protein and saving those PC Plus points. However, we needed a lot of staples that we don’t necessarily buy every week like bread yeast, garlic, onions, mayo and ketchup. That took a huge hit to the budget, particularly the garlic. However, the smaller container of minced garlic is almost $4 and it is a fraction of the size (1/4 of the size of the big jar), so we always get the larger container at $6.49 because it saves so much money in the long run. And, we use a lot of garlic. The heads of garlic don’t save us any money in the long run, so we stopped buying those ages ago. We have continually tried to grow them, but have always been unsuccessful. Anyhow, I left the grocery store on budget with a few cents to spare, but with a heavy heart. We don’t have enough fresh food to last the week, but we will continue digging deeper in the freezer to try and keep the balance to the meal. Can’t wait for garden season.
Hi Angela,
Tell me more about the gas money you save? What are the mini watermelons like? Are they worth it? I noticed the one of the grocery stores has the 11lb melons on sale this week. Are you meal planning for the new budget? We always use fresh garlic and feel the opposite of what you do when it comes to $$ and buying it minced plus it tastes fresher. We’ve had both. My father-in-law grows over 1000 bulbs a year so we normally get it free but have bought it many times in the past when we run out since he doesn’t live in town. We can get a 6 pack of fresh garlic here for $0.50-$under a dollar. I should ask him for tips on growing garlic for you since he’s a pro plus it’s all organic garlic too. If you are buying organic garlic it WILL cost much more at the grocery store for sure. I think we saw 2 heads for $3.99. Garden season will make things a bit better. What are you going to grow? You get ballot. 16. Mr.CBB
The gas coupons we get are much like Canadian Tire money but for RCSS. It spits out a receipt for 2 cents per litre filled and it has an expiry on it. Basically like adding free food to the budget now that we’ve stopped travelling to the U.S. as often. When the dollar was better, that was our go to for gas since it was so much cheaper. Now that the prices are more par with the exchange, we’ve gone back to the RCSS gas station.
We are meal planning on the new budget. This is the most important time for it now that we have to watch the dollars more carefully. However, I have not been doing a month at a time like in the past (where I would stock up on things for a future week at low costs to save), but a week or two at a time. It has been a lifesaver with time each day knowing what we are going to eat for the end of my school year and for the end of hockey season. It also keeps us out of drive thru or hot prepared grocery store foods on a whim which saves on the wallet too.
We don’t buy organic garlic, just the large jar of minced. Yes, the fresh tastes better, it always does. It is just a little cheaper for us in the long run since there is no waste and it is a convenience item that works for us. We have a few convenience items – healthy or unhealthy that we have around.
The garden this year will be harder to determine in the past. I usually do my seeds from scratch as much as possible, but time just got away from us this year. Cost will be a factor. I guarantee we will have some tomatoes. However, I will target ones we eat more. The tomatillos went nuts last year and we have had more than I can use. I won’t dedicate space to them this summer. Likely beefsteak, cherry, and plum or Italian tomatoes. Beyond that, I am hoping for zucchini (plant to be purchased sadly as direct seed in garden has never worked for me), cucumbers and carrots which I can seed right into the garden, soon if the weather cooperates. Some of my spices come up each year, so I hope for the best with those, or I will seed again. Chives and oregano have been coming up each year. I will likely seed basil, parsley and mint (in a pot of its own). The other thing I may do is green or yellow beans and green onions. But I have some green onions coming up on their own this year. Apparently some seeds survived the winter in the pot they were in last year. So, good news there already. The strawberries are always a bust, the plants spread every year, but we never get anything off of them. The garlic looks like it is surviving the winter, but I have no clue whether it will work or if this a harvest in spring or fall. Sadly, my in-laws do not plan to put much of a garden in this year. Generally we get peppers and tomatoes from them so I can do some canning or freeze them. Unfortunate for us. My mom has a small garden, but she sends off whatever she doesn’t eat to us. I think it will be the same this year.
~The Grocery Game Challenge Apr 13-19th~
H&W
White mushrooms (0.84lb x $2.98/lb) – $2.50
1 x Green leaf lettuce – $1.49
3 x Tomatoes, field (1.14lb x $0.98/lb) – $1.12
3 x Yellow Peppers (1.7lb x $1.29/lb SALE) – $2.19
2 x Green Peppers (0.95lb x $0.99/lb) – $0.94
4 x Golden Delicious Apples (2.13lb x $0.88/lb SALE) – $1.87
5 x Bananas (2.45lb x $0.77/lb) – $1.89
1 bunch Asparagus (0.95lb x $1.98/lb SALE) – $1.88
1 bag Mini Cucumbers – $3.48
• Total Coupons Used: $0
• Total Out Of Pocket: $17.36
Wal-Mart
2 x Crisper Crackers ($0.88ea) – $1.76
1 x Cornmeal, 500g – $2.77
1 x Cornstarch, 500g – $1.88
3 x Blue Raspberry Jello Powder ($0.77ea) – $2.31
4 x Activia Yogurt, 650g (Reg $4.07→SALE $2.47ea) – $9.88
2 x Liberte Yogurt, 750g (Reg $4.77 SALE $2.97ea) – $5.94
1 x Real Dairy Ice Cream, 1.5L – $3.97
1 x Frozen Hashbrowns Diced, 1kg – $1.98
Eggs (carton 8) – $2.67
Butterscotch pudding (pkg 4) – $1.00
Skim Milk, 2L – $4.46 + $0.08 + $0.25
• Total Coupons Used: $0
• Total In-Store Discounts: $10.00
• Total Out Of Pocket: $39.03
Dollarama
2 x Duncan Hines Cake Mixes, $1.50 each
• Total Coupons Used: $0
• Total Out Of Pocket: $3.15
Superstore
4 x Smuckers Jam 500mL, $2.97 each (reg $4.66) Stockpile $8.91 used
1 x PC Peanut Butter 2kg, $6.68 (reg $7.27)
1 x Bacon, $3.98 (reg $6.49) – Zweet $0.25 rebate
1 x PC Bakery Wholegrain Bread $3.19-30%
1 x Everything Bagels $4.27-30%
1 x PC Bakery Bread (pkg of 4) $5.00-30% Stockpile $3.50 used
• Total Coupons Used: $0
• In-Store Savings: $13.60
• Total Out Of Pocket: $31.37
Overview
• Total Grocery Budget for the Month: $500
• Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $500
• Total Gift Cards used to date: $34.07
• Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
• Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
• PC Points Plus Earned to date: 1670
• Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $0
Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)
• Snap Groupon to date: $0
• Zweet to date: $0.25
• Cart Smart to date: $0
• Checkout51 to date: $0
GROCERY SHOP THIS WEEK
• Stockpile budget 2015 ($25.00): $225 ($25/month Apr-Dec)
• Stockpile budget used to date: $22.79
• Total coupons used this week: 0
• Total coupons used to date: $0
• Total in-store discounts this week: $23.6
• Total in-store discounts to date: $25.56
• Total spent this week: $90.85
• Total spent so far this month: $192.85
• Total over/Under spend this shop: $9.15 under
• Total over/Under spend for the month: $
• Total left to spend for the month: $319.56
• Total Spent To Date 2015: (not including stockpile budget) Start Apr: $170.06
Weekly Overview:
Speaking of saving money on produce…this week I discovered H&W Produce, a “mom & pop” discount produce store in the area. Very impressed. I remember buying asparagus for $5.99/lb about a month ago, but got it for $1.88/lb at H&W this week…crazy! I’m also learning that buying in bulk (ie. Costco) doesn’t necessarily guarantee the best price. Sweet peppers at Costco were more expensive than Superstore, which was more expensive than H&W. Learning to shop around! Also, Smuckers jam was cheaper to buy a 500mL than 250mL size jar, so I decided to stock up. And I’ve been learning how to use Zweet and Checkout51 apps – very cool and easy. Kept it under $100 again this week! Yay!!
Hi Megan,
What an awesome shop! I love how you take advantage of all the sales and discounts. Asparagus is VERY pricey off-season at times. We are lucky we can find it in the wild here growing in the ditches around June or so in the country roads. I’m glad to read you are learning to price items and shop around. Costco isn’t always as cheap as people are led to believe and likely why we still don’t have a membership.
We’ve gone a few times with my sister-in-law but didn’t buy anything but a tub of feta which was worth the money as long as you can eat that much feta. I like that you are doing the math as well with size which so many people fail to do. A smart shopper will investigate all aspects of the product to find the best deals. Eventually it becomes second-nature and your mind just does it and fast. Yes we finally got hooked up with the coupon apps last year and love the extra savings. It’s worth the few minutes to get a cheque in the mail every so often. Have you signed up for the Neilsen Home Scanner yet? You scan your groceries when you get home and earn points to get gift cards and other items. There is a link on my sidebar of the homepage if you have a look. If not I can help you. Great going this week!! You get ballot 17 Mr.CBB
Yearly grocery budget for 4 adults and 2 cats- $7800.00
(The above total does not include the stockpile budget of $240 per year or $25 per month.
Foodland
Bananas – .70
1 pack pasta -1.99
1 yogurt -3.49, $1.00 coupon
1 taco kit -3.99
1 package ground turkey -4.49
1 4l milk -4.88
1 jug water -5.49
1 package ground beef -6.15
Total OOP -$30.18, $1.00 coupon
No Frills
2 apple sauce @1.67
1 ketchup -4.49
1 case ginger ale -3.97
4 Gator Ade @4/5.00, PM to Walmart, stock pile
1 case cream soda -3.97
2 Dawn dish soap @1.97
2 Whiskas cat food @8.99, 2×3.00 coupon
2 4l milk @3.97
2 frozen stir fry veggies @2.47
1 frozen veggies -2.97
2 216 count Tetley tea bags @7.99, PM to Food Basics
2 yogurt @3.33,50% stickers
2 packs pasta @.97
2 cases KD @5.97, 1600 points
2 cranberry cocktail @2.47
2 bagels @2.00
2 w/w bread @2.27
3 packs lean ground beef- 5.10, 5.07, 4.92, 30% stickers x3
1 celery -1.79, 500 points
Bananas -1.20, 100 points
1 deodorant -3.29, 500 points
1 Sensodyne toothpaste -3.96, PM to Walmart
1 lotion -3.97, PM to Walmart
Tax -5.99
Total OOP -$128.96, 7.00 coupons+ $7.87 discount
Points Overview (add any other sections you need to show us your savings)
Total Grocery Budget for the Month: $650.00
Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $650.00 -$148.28 from March=$501.72
Total Gift Cards used to date: $0
Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
PC Points Plus Earned to date: 8950
Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $0
Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)
Snap Groupon to date: $3.00
Zweet to date: $19.00
Cart Smart to date: $0
Checkout51 to date: $17.50
GROCERY SHOP THIS WEEK (add any other sections you need to show expenses and savings)
Total to spend this month $501.72, $148.28 overage from March applied
Stockpile budget 2015 ($25.00): Jan $22.20+ Feb $24.50+ Mar $22.18
Stockpile budget used this month: $5.00
Total coupons used this week: $8.00
Total coupons used to date: $36.29
Total in-store discounts this week: $7.87
Total in-store discounts to date: $48.15
Total spent this week: $154.14
Total spent so far this month: $137.25+$154.14=$291.39
Total over/Under spend this shop: -$28.71 over
Total over/Under spend for the month: $n/a
Total left to spend for the month: $209.33
Total Spent To Date 2015: (does not include stockpile budget) Jan $640.13+Feb $572.63+ Mar$786.52+ Apr $291.39=$2290.64
Weekly Overview (your final thoughts): The rest of the month will be a struggle but I am trying. I finally scored some reduced ground beef at No Frills!! The prices I paid were already at least half price minus those lovely stickers!! I am good now for a little while on ground beef. I was able to PM some Gator Ade for the older boy as the weather is finally warming up and he will be getting into it soon enough. Like everything else it has gone up in price again this year.. 🙁 the lotion will be well used as always with me. Hubby wanted the deodorant, not that great a price but I got points for it. Stuart and Molly were happy to see the cat food.
Hi Christine,
I thought you had a great shop this week but I did notice you were over budget so far. The price of the mince is horrifying these days. I sure am glad we found the meat specials we did or we simply wouldn’t buy it although I know that wouldn’t fly at your place. I never realize about the points until I see the receipt. I’m still not in the points mode yet but I’m getting there. I find we are doing more shopping at Zehrs and Food Basics these days mostly for pink stickers as there are lots where we live and Basics is cheaper than the rest. Once in a while I go to No Frills because I can price match. Does your budget go up in the summer? I know yu buy lots of gatorade and that can get pricey. I wish you could have gotten the drink deals here the past 2 weeks. You could have stocked up for the summer for so cheap. You’ll get there.. keep trying for next shop. You get ballot 18
I usually go to No Frills in Stratford as I don’t have to go all the way into town for them. I am working to remember to load my PC points every Friday. I watch for sales on the Gator Ade and Poweraid so,that helps with the costs plus with the summer and drinking one or two a day it replaces a can or two of pop there so it all balances out long term… Yes I love those deals you saw!! I am trying to get things back in line….
Our weekly budget is $125 making this month $600.
Superstore
$1.98X2 alfredo sauce
$1.98-$1C Palmolive
$1.44 steak taco kit – clearance
$6.50 total oop
$1 total coupons
Shoppers
$1.11×2 1L chocolate milk – clearance
$1.99×2 crackers
.77×4 stove top – clearance
$1.99×2 dzn eggs
.88×4 sidekicks
$1.50×2 bagged jujubes/gummies
.99×3 no name chips
$1.77 doritos
$1.99 cookies
$26.90 total oop
Sobeys
$2×2-$1.50Cx2 international creamer
$1 total oop
$3 total coupons
Walmart
$5.40×3-$1Cx3 4L homo milk
$3-$2C windex touch up – clearance
$3×3-$1Cx3 3L fleecy – clearance
.75 48pk easter eggs
$6.96-fpc hair dye(got for my mil)
$4×6-$3Cx6 oxi clean dish washer rinse cleaner – clearance
$4×9-$3Cx9 oxi clean dishwasher powder – clearance
$39.60 total oop
$59.96 total coupons
$74 weekly total oop
$63.96 weekly total coupons
$353.53 monthly total oop
$145.23 monthly total coupons
$1925.66 yearly total oop
$603.21 yearly total coupons
Yes bought lots of snacks and treats at sdm but we got loads of points and we are now stocked up for awhile.
Also grabbed more fleecy and oxi clean dish washer products! I am refilling my coupon binder to leave in the truck as a back up because the clearance in some stores is awesome and I don’t wanna miss out grabbing stuff unless we have a coupon!
Hi Juanita,
Hey free is good and your MIL will appreciate that. Where did you get the Palmolive coupons? Are there Fleecy Coupons out there? You scored some great deals and yes clearance with coupons is awesome.. hard to pass up. I always do the math with SDM as they are too pricey most of the time. If it’s worth it with the points we’ll do it. We have almost 700,000 points lol. Great shop. You get ballot 22. Mr.CBB
Hey Mr.CBB
The palmolive and fleecy coupons were from inserts (not sure if it was red plum or smartsource).
Wow those are alot of sdm pionts!!!! What are your plans with them? I just made it to 80,000 and fingers are crossed we can get to 95,000 by xmas ans do a redemition if needed.
Juanita
I thought so. I had a look and sure enough I have them here so I cut them out. Thanks!! Ya we’ve been collecting them for a couple years now lol although the past year we haven’t used as many Optimum coupons. They send us tonnes since we have so many points.
I have no idea what we will do with them. I”m hoping eventually they will sell cell phones PC so I can get hooked up for free or get the wife a new one.