BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS THE SAVINGS
I would consider myself a grocery shopping deal sniffer because I’ve taken the time to learn as much as I possibly can about grocery shopping in Canada even though I knew nothing only 8 years ago.
What is a deal sniffer?
When I moved to Canada I had no idea about any prices and was led by my wife who helped get me on board with how things happened at the grocery store. I was always a deal sniffer in the UK and I even had a hand scanner similar to the Nielsen Hand Scanner where I scanned my groceries for rewards points.
I did just about anything to save money as long as it was legal even if that meant eating the same foods week after week. My kitchen isn’t that boring these days because now I’ve got my grocery shopping goggles on the second I walk through the door.
A deal sniffer is someone who knows their stuff when it comes to grocery prices, the grocery store and other places that sell food products. They know where the deals are how to find them and what they need to do in order to save money on their grocery shopping trip.
Let me explain further below in detail.
Finding Deals Takes Practice
You can’t expect to start saving massive amounts of money on grocery shopping right off the hop. Many experienced deal sniffers have been going at it for years and know the ropes. They’ve customized the way they shop, where they shop and know the in’s and out’s of the grocery shopping system along with the art of negotiation.
It sounds like quite a bit but trust me when I say the more you deal sniff the better you will get at it. The same goes with killing debt. You can’t expect to get rid of it over night, it takes work.
Grocery shopping for deals is not for poor people or cheap people it’s for everyone. Why pay more money than you have to? I’d say you were making a bad financial decision if you knew there were savings but failed to capitalize on them because you felt they were not necessary. Yet many people are saving tonnes of money which helps them to pay down other debts or build their savings account.
The grocery store counts on some people to not care – They are the money-makers
There are those people and you may be one of them who think that looking for deals is a waste of time and it won’t amount to enough savings to warrant the time spent deal sniffing. Tell that to the wife who proudly owns over 80 jugs of laundry soap that she practically got for free over the years with coupons. These days coupons aren’t quite as lucrative however they are still an important secret for grocery shopping savings.
What I find interesting though is that the people who complain the most about rising food costs don’t take the time to investigate where they can save themselves some money. Shopping the flyer sales is great but only one secret to keeping money where it belongs- in your bank account.
Perhaps if we continue to spread the word that grocery savings are possible and with a bit of effort anyone can chop their grocery budget. One fan of this blog went from spending $1100 a month down to $600 a month by listening to the pro grocery shoppers and finding out how they picked up deals.
That’s right, listen to the people who know what they are talking about and have proven it. You want to listen to someone who can show you that they have conquered the money demon and won.
Grocery shopping is a HUGE financial demon for just about anyone’s grocery budget whether they are debt free or not. My wife and I struggle to keep our budget in check but most often we are only over by $20-$30 if any at all. I’d like to say we’ve done well over the years sticking to our grocery budget apart from a few overage shops. This grocery game challenge has been our budget savior and many other challenge participants would agree as they’ve been on this journey with us since 2012 when I started this blog.
We’re certainly not the best grocery shopping couple in the land but we know a thing or two about grocery shopping and how to get those deals. Keeping shopping secrets to ourselves only means we aren’t doing our job of helping the fans of Canadian Budget Binder save money which is our mission at CBB.
We want you to feel comfortable knowing that we are in the same boat as many of you however our faults lie with in-store advertised specials that are hard to pass up. Even now we do our best to say no to these deals and push the grocery cart away but it’s so hard especially when you know you will use the product.
The most important part is to always make sure you have the money to spend even if you do go over your grocery budget a bit. If you are taking money from your household bills category to pay for deals then it’s a no-brainer that you must say no and walk away.
If you’re a grocery shopper who already knows how to become a deal sniffer than this post might not be exciting for you but I’d certainly love to hear your opinion. I asked my fans for their advice on Facebook and a few them had some secrets that I want to share with you today as well as my top 7 secret ways to save money.
7 Secrets of the Grocery Shopper Deal Sniffer
- Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) – One of the best kept secrets that really isn’t a secret is the Scanning code of Practice. Next time you are at the cash register or walk into a store have a look around and you may be shocked to see the SCOP sign. Learn about this grocery savings tool and you’ll be well on your way to cashing in on errors made by the grocery store. Let’s not forget though that we are helping the store find areas they need to improve in. SCOP is not a game.
- Coupons and Coupon Stacking- Coupons in general are a savings no matter how much they are worth if you can use them on a product you need. These days paper coupons are limited in the stores however they are still around where printable coupons have become widely popular. We can’t stack coupons in Ontario but if you live out West and have a London Drugs near you by all means take advantage of the savings. The lucrative amount of money you can save is outrageous.
- Coupon Apps- This is a must-have for any shopper since coupon apps are where the manufacturer wants to direct the customers. We use Checkout51 and Zweet the most but there are others. The only downfall with the coupon apps is the quantity of product you can get which is typically whereas with paper coupons you could take as many you think you would use. Coupon apps aren’t widely known but slowly are creeping out to the masses.
- Flyer Inserts- Believe or not but people don’t actually read the flyer inserts in full. Many times there are savings in the fine print as well. You may also find one-day sales, weekend sales that are promoted in a small section of the flyer. If you don’t read the flyers, get the flyer or toss the flyers in the bin you’re missing out on some serious money-saving. A great app for flyers if you don’t get them is Reebee or Flipp.
- Reduced labels- The toughest thing about reduced labels is tracking them which means you have to keep your eyes peeled on products. Sometimes we don’t come up for air because our eyes are constantly scanning product labels. Loblaws stores for example use bright pink reduced labels which make them easy to spot. Recently they’ve introduced a new black 50% off round sticker which is horrifying to see. We hope they don’t implement it across the board and keep the pink stickers. Other stores use black and white labels or nothing but a sign in front of the product such as a blowout sale, discontinued etc.
- Expiry Dates- We don’t mind buying close to expired products but if you have a keen eye for detail you can find those products on your own and asked to have a price reduction. Every time we’ve asked we have had no issue as they want to move the product out the door.
- Hidden deals- Every deal sniffer must know where the grocery store hides their reduced product. It’s not really hidden but most often it’s pushed aside, at the end of an aisle, in the corner of a bunker or in a hallway. If you don’t look you will miss the great deals they have on marked down product.
I know I only said I had 7 secrets for you but I have one more secret and that’s getting to know the staff. If they see you are a regular who isn’t shy to say hello they may direct you to some great deals or fill you in on special truck deliveries that aren’t flyer listed. One time we were able to score a great deal on buckets of Lettuce for $0.99 instead of $5.99 because the produce guy had some extras in the back he needed to move out of the store fast.
Shop like these experts for deals
Some of the best deal sniffers I know are going to share with you their secrets today because they want you to save money too. Now is the time to make notes!!!
CBB fan Mary C. brings up some very good points about shopping for deals that are important to consider especially when it come to budgeting.
I like to mention, a deal is only a deal if I have the funds to cover it. Long before I head anywhere near a store, I “sniff out” the grocery budget to see where we stand and if we can afford to look for discounted items or not. That having been said, over the years since I started posting on the GGC we have amassed almost $1,000 in our “reserves” for summer produce, holiday shopping, re-stocking the freezer and pantry, US Shopping etc. Because I save in advance, if it’s a wonderful sale…I can take advantage of it if I NEED it. So I come to the 2nd point on sniffing out a deal. It’s only a deal if you actually NEED the item and purchasing the newly found deal isn’t going to just create food waste in another area. Once I have established that it is actually a need and not just a want, I am the same as any other shopper trying to find a deal. I keep my eyes peeled, enjoy a second pair of eyes by shopping with my hubby and then doing what I have to do to take advantage of my deal – be it cook it up, trim it up or eat it that day.- Mary C.
Pat says that she sniffs out the deals that have reduced stickers on them and she knows her prices which is critical to getting the best bargains.
I’m not much of a deal sniffer but pink stickers sure stand out to me and I know prices so I don’t over pay.- Pat C.
I look over the meat counter especially for those lovely stickers!! Hubby and the boys want their meat so even a 30% off sticker helps the budget here! She also….I check the flyers before I go shopping and my food supplies just in case I find something to be sure I have the room in the pantry of freezer. I also check any deals I have from online sources like PC Points products etc. Once at the store I keep looking around for reduced product. It helps if you know your prices to start with so you know how good the deal actually is.- Christine W.
Most of the grocery deals come from our small Co-op store. They have a reduced bin where things are usually priced at 99 cents. You will find distressed fruit and veggies in bags drastically reduced. I’m always watching the milk cooler for near best before dates. I am not afraid to buy distressed and reduced items unless it is beyond salvageable. You learn when truck deliveries are and keep an eye out either just before or just after. With nothing to do in this burb it has become a hobby of sorts.- Our Queen Deal Sniffer, Colleen K.
I flyer shop and try to only buy things when on sale. I buy enough to last until the next sale. I look for clearance items and use coupons a bit (not very much lately). I look for used items before I purchase new. That’s about it. I agree with Mary though, it’s only a deal if it’s needed and within budget– Samantha
Not everyone sniffs out the deals but just because you aren’t buying the deals doesn’t mean you can’t save your money from different food sources such as foraging like Beth does.
I’m not a deal sniffer at all, Mr. CBB. I’ll take advantage of a bargain if one comes my way but I rarely bother with grocery flyers, coupons, or other bargain hunting activities. I find they actually result in me spending more than I otherwise would. I simply eat seasonally, forage when I can, put by what I can for the more expensive winter season, and reduce waste as much as possible.- Beth
What secrets have you learned about grocery shopping that will save you money but maybe others don’t know about? Share your secrets in the comment section below. I promise I won’t tell anyone.
-Mr.CBB
April Grocery Game Challenge posts 2016
Join in the 2016 Grocery Game Challenge (GGC) fun and post your grocery shop in the comment section of each GGC blog post. Here are the rules to get you started and where you’ll also find a link for the updated 2016 GGC schedule. Please feel free to download, save and even print the schedule so it’s handy. Thanks to Mary for putting this together for us again this year. If you need any help please let me know.
New monthly prize: $10 President’s Choice Gift Card for Canadian residents only BUT If you want to play from outside of Canada and have PayPal and you win I will pay you $10 Canadian . I use a random online generator to pick the winning ballot every month.
If you missed any grocery game posts for the month I will post the line-up each week below for you so you don’t have to go looking for past GGC posts for the month. Alternatively, just click on the “Grocery Game Challenge” tab on the blog side-bar to see past posts.
April Grocery Game Posts
- The Most Annoying Situations When Buying Groceries #1 April
- How Customer Feedback Will Make You Richer #2 April
- Strange Things People Do At The Grocery Store To Save Money #3 April
Free Money Saving Tools 2016
I know I blast you every which way I can on this blog about my free money saving tools and that’s because I want you to take advantage of them being FREE. So many people pay for budgets and tools on the internet to help them save money and honestly you don’t need to. Even a paper and pen will do the trick.
Click, Save and Print. It’s that easy!
This is the budget that brought us to debt freedom back in 2013 and now I’m offering to all of you for FREE. We still use this budget every month as it helps us to see our overall financial picture.
Don’t pay someone for these services, I’ve done the work for you along with some help from other amazing bloggers.
You can download the FREE Canadian Budget Binder Budget Spreadsheet in Excel…Grab it while you can… It’s FREE! We use it to budget and in large part a reason we could pay our mortgage off in 5 years, check it out!
Free Money Saving Downloads are awesome lists that were created to get us on track to work towards reaching our budgeting goals and now we are sharing them with you.
Get organized with a FREE freezer inventory, meal plan, shopping list, price comparison list and much more all for FREE.
CLICK HERE to download all the free lists and even our family budget spreadsheet. So many free resources at your fingertips.
Ultimate Grocery Shopping Guide 2016
Everything you want to know about grocery shopping in Canada is packed into this amazing FREE grocery shopping guide that has taken over 4 years to create.
The Ultimate Grocery Shopping guide is ongoing with new informative money-saving posts added every month.
Even if you don’t live in Canada there are some amazing budget saving tips that will help put you on the path to more savings at the supermarket.
Share this guide with your friends and tell them about Canadian Budget Binder especially if they are struggling with their grocery budget.
The time is NOW to get started saving money on groceries so please enjoy the many money-saving posts in the The Ultimate Grocery Shopping Guide.
2016 Grocery Shop Results
Yearly grocery budget for two + 1 Toddler 2016: $2820
(The above total does not include the stockpile budget of $300/year or $25/month.
Points Overview (add any other sections you need to show us your savings)
- Total Grocery Budget for the Month:$235.00-$8.50=$226.50
- Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $226.50
- Total Gift Cards used to date: $50
- Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
- Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
- PC Points Plus Earned to date: 149,000
- Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP)to date $0
- Shoppers Optimum: Over 700,000 points (I will update this twice a year)
Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)
- Zweet to cash out : $18.25
- Checkout51 to cash out : $8.00
Grocery Shop This Week
Food Basics
- Radishes $1.97
- Beatrice Homo Milk $5.27
- Beatrice 2% Milk $4.27
- Bananas $1.77
- 2 x Astro Yogurt Coconut Sale $1.88 each
- Cedar Olive Oil Sale $22.99
Total Out-of-pocket $39.81
Metro
- 4 x dozen Omega Eggs Sale $2.88 each
Total Out-of-pocket $11.52
- Total to spend this month $226.50
- Stockpile budget 2016 ($25.00-$2.65 overage= $22.35)
- Stockpile budget used this month: $21.60 $0.75 left
- Total coupons used this week: $0
- Total coupons used to date: $5.60
- Total in-store discounts this week:$0
- Total in-store discounts to date: $226.93
- Total spent this week: $51.33
- Total spent so far this month: $248.11
- Total over/Under spend this shop: over
- Total over/Under spend for the month:
- Total left to spend for the month: -$21.61
- Total Spent To Date 2016: (does not include stockpile budget) Jan $252.95+ Feb $249.46+March $211.11+April $248.11
Weekly Overview (your final thoughts)
We were so close this month but the gallon of olive oil put us over budget for the month which were already trying to catch up on. We are now over $21.83 to start May. The challenge hasn’t gotten us yet but we’ll conquer it soon enough!!!
Coupons and Coupon Apps 2016
Here are some great places you can find Canadian Coupons! These are your latest Checkout 51 offers which you can use to help save money. We’re finding less and less coupons in the stores these days. What are your thoughts? Are coupon apps taking over the paper coupons?
Sign up for the Nielsen Canada Home Scan Program and you can earn rewards points fast to redeem for awesome products or gift cards. I did this in the UK and loved it!!
Where can I find Canadian Coupons 2016?
Plus check out these other hidden areas online to get more coupons!!
- Healthy Essentials Printable Coupons (Johnson and Johnson)
- Clorox Coupons Sign up to print coupons in the Clorox family which include Greenworks, Glad etc.
- Kraft Canada Sign up and receive recipes and coupons by email
- MySavings.com Printable Smart Source Coupons
- Walmart Canada Printable Coupons
- Proctor and Gamble PandG Sign up for printable coupons
- Hidden Coupon Portals You Should know about – I found this over at Save a Loonie and you’ll want to sign up for notifications and check out the site so you get notified every time a hidden coupon is available from Save.ca, Brandsaver, Smart Source etc.
Grocery Game Challenge 2016 FAQ’s
- Grocery Game Challenge RULES: 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. The rules have been updated for the 2016 challenge year.
- Do I have to be Canadian to post my Grocery Shop?: No, you don’t have to be Canadian to post your shops. We have fans who post their grocery shop who live all over the world.
- What is the monthly prize and who can claim it?- The monthly prize is a $10 PC Loblaws Gift Card and for our out of country friends it’s $10 CDN via Paypal if they win. As more people join I will add more money to the gift card or I will split it up and offer 2 prizes every month.
- 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 but you will still get a ballot when you post your shops even if they are late but I encourage you to stay on schedule. If you choose to post monthly or bi-weekly you will only get 1 ballot for that shop. It’s a proven fact the minute we stop doing something that is scheduled that we end up forgetting to do it altogether. Don’t let that be you! You can post your shops all month-long.
- Does your Grocery Budget include health and beauty and laundry products?: No, our Grocery Budget includes such items as shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, fabric softener, dish soap etc. As of 2014-2015 we no longer include such items in our grocery budget so we can see actual food numbers at the end of the year in order to plan accordingly our budget.
- Do you stockpile food? 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 longer as we found we weren’t eating it fast enough. Stockpiling is still great and just one way to help cut your budget to save money if you do find items that you can buy in bulk at a sale price.
- Canadian Coupons:Where can I find Canadian Coupons?: Here are your latest Checkout 51 offers that you can use to help you save money in the Grocery Game Challenge. There are many great Canadian Couponing websites online that share weekly coupon match-ups so you can plan your grocery list.
- Best Coupon Apps: Coupons are slowly fading with mobile coupon apps being the big rave these days. Just recently the popular coupon site Save.ca that mailed coupons to households has gotten involved with the addition of a new mobile Save.ca app joining forces with the many other coupon apps available. If you find an app that I don’t talk about please let me know as they are always being added and I’d like to review them.
- What is the Best Flyer App- We use Flipp on our Iphone so if you wan to have all your flyers in one spot download Flipp from the Apple Store or get it on Google Play.
- What is an FPC?: An FPC is a free product coupon which means you can get a free product as described on the coupon.
- What is GGC?– The Grocery Game Challenge of course!
- How Do I Know what stores accept coupons?: If you are not sure it’s always best to call the store and ask.
- How Do I Grocery Shop?: 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.
Nobody is perfect, heck we struggle with this part of our budget like many people do. This is why the grocery game challenge was created back in 2012 and is one of the most popular hang out spots for people who want to save money on groceries in Canada.
If you’ve just joined The Grocery Game Challenge 2016 get ready to look at your grocery budget by learning…
- Where you are spending money
- How much money you are spending
- How much money you are saving every month
If you want to learn everything I know about grocery shopping in Canada check out my Ultimate Grocery Shopping Guide! It’s FREE!
If you know a topic that should be discussed send me an email. If I use your topic I will put your name in a draw for a prize at the end of the year.
You’ve made a wise decision to take control of your grocery budget now show me your shops and let’s get saving!
Welcome to The Grocery Game Challenge 2016!
Please Note: Some of the links in the body of the blog post are affiliate links which means I may get paid if you buy something from Amazon. The items I’ve chosen are products we use at home or similar to.
-Mr.CBB
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Juanita says
May 4, 2016 at 12:25 amOur Weekly budget is $125 making this month $500
H&W Produce
$2.29 butternut squash
.69 shallots
$1.88 grape tomatoes
$4.99 5lb cucumbers
$1.16 Satsuma oranges
$1 total oop
No frills
$1.77×4-$1Cx4 Palmolive dish soap – yes more but we use a lot!
$1×4-$1Cx4 glade aersol
.50×16-1Cx4 campbells soup – chicken noodle and vegetable
$1 sos pads
$1 cupcake mix
$3.03 acorn squash
$2 sch sausages
$1×3 English muffins
$2×2 hot dog/hamburger buns
$2.07×2 coffee creamer
$25.85 total oop
$12 total coupons
Co-op
$3.98×2-bogosale cheerios
$4.98×2-bogosale mini watermelon
$3.98×4-bogosale blackberries
$17 total oop
Superstore
$1×2 cake mix
$1.49×6-$2.50Cx3 lady deo – great for donatons 1600P
$3.90 total oop
$7.50 total coupons
Walmart
$1.44×11-$1Cx5 scrubbing bubbles toilet cleaner – clearance
$2×11-$2.50Cx11 sch country naturals wieners pmed to no frills
$5.97×2-fpcwub3 ready crisp bacon
$3.99×2-$2Cx2 bounce in wash booster – clearance
$8.50 total oop
$48.44 total coupons
Sobeys
$4.99×2 twitter deal – sour cream 500ml, 2L homo milk, perogies
$2.99 bagged ice
$1.27 mushrooms
$2.11, $1.56 bananas
$2.11×14-.50Cx14 sm international creamer
$2.79 santa fe tortilla strips
$1.99-50%GMO romaine lettuce
$12.85 to sirloin steaks – 2 meals SPLURGE!!
$37.20 total oop
$7.50 total coupons
$20 air miles cash
$103.45 total weekly oop
$75.44 total weekly coupons
$459.32 total monthly oop
.$663.13 total monthly coupons
Yes lots of stocking up on some great deals this week!!!
The country naturals coupon was from the peelie booklet that the $2.50 maple leaf bacon was from. I hope to get some more wieners before the sale is over so we can have some all summer but not sure if anyone will have any stock as we are in a heat wave right now.
The glade coupon is an awesome new tear pad being found at rcss and is $1 off any glade, scrubbing bubbles, Ziploc or windex product!!! Good luck finding any as people are taking whole tear pads! I have a couple rcss close to me so I can take some from each one.
Lots of coffee creamer but now we are good for at least a month, lol. I make a pot every morning mon-fri and hubby uses the keurig on the weekends so we go through a lot of coffee, sugar and creamer.
Mr. CBB says
May 9, 2016 at 6:40 amHi Juanita,
Are the dish soap and Glad coupons from a flyer insert? I’d grab them at that price too but not the aeresol. We make our own febreeze with water and fabric softener but hardly ever use it these days. Back in the couponing days we had boatloads of free glade, febreeze etc.. we still have lots in our basement but don’t often use it. OH… I just read your comment above and I have that Glade coupon. We got it at Zehrs. There were two tear pads at our Zehrs full when I picked some up. I’ll look at the other one when we go. Thanks for sharing the photo of the bacon peelie with us. That’s great deal. I can’t believe you found the Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaner on clearance at the same time the coupon came out haha.. score. The steak splurge is not a bad thing considering how much it would cost if you were to order it in a restaurant. Great shop this week as always. You get ballot #3 Mr.CBB.. P.s I still want to see a photo of your stockpile!
kathryn says
May 2, 2016 at 8:32 pmmonth of April 1-30 2016
Name Your Store: i.e. Superstore (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $13.75+ 6.14=19.89(superbucks)
Total Out Of Pocket: $0
Gift card- $50.03
PC points redeemed—=$80.00
plastic bag rebate- $0.02
clark baked beans 2 @ $0.99= $1.98
Shreddies 2/$5.00= $5.00
coffee creamers 2 @4.49 (1400 PC pts)= $8.98
texas hot dog buns $2.99 (reduced)= $1.49
Easter cookie kit $2.94 (reduced) =$1.47
$50.00 gift card (used 50,000 PC pts)=$0.00
pasta sauce- $1.29
chili sauce $2.98
greek yogurt =$4.49 (reduced)= $2.24
3 lbs onions= $1.99
spalding bacon-$2.50
NN 200g instant coffee 4 @$3.99 (3200PC pts)=$15.96
10 lbs potatoes 2@ $2/$4.00=$4.00
bulk mushrooms .125 g (200 PC pts)= $1.24
garlic naan bread 90g 8@$0.99 (3200 PC pts) = $7.92
$30.00 gift card (used 30,000 PC pts)=$0.00
VH sauce Tikka Masa- $2.99
VH sauce Butter Chicken-$2.99
Bull Eye’s BarBQ sauce 5 @ $1.00= $5.00
texas hotdog buns $2.50 (reduced) =$1.25
Name Your Store: i.e. Dollarama (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $
Total Out Of Pocket: $11.80
salted crackers –$2.00
lemon juice=$2.00
baked beans= $1.00
honey-$2.00
vine leaves= $1.25
crackers-$1.25
hickory sticks- 1.00
chocolate bars 2 @ $0.50= $1.00
Name Your Store: i.e. MacQuarries Pharmasave (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $
Total Out Of Pocket: $15.10
eggs 3 doz @1.99=$5.97
Classico Bruschetta 4 @ 2/99c= $1.98
1.36 L Graves apple/blueberry juice 12 @ 2/99c= $5.94
bottle deposit=$1.20
Name Your Store: i.e. Gateway Meat Market (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $
Total Out Of Pocket: $53.51
gift card- $
mushrooms- $1.97
spinach-$1.99
bananas- $1.38
broccoli=$1.97
400g mild cheese 6 @ $1.97= $11.82
Brother’s honey garlic pepperoni=$4.24
kiwi 3 @ $0.33=$0.99
broccoli= $1.97
1.175 kgs (47c lb) green peppers =$1.22
grapes (reduced)= $0.97
1.03 kg -bananas= $1.52
5 lbs frozen blueberries=$14.97
cheddar cocktail sausages=$1.42
Brother’s honey garlic pepperoni=$4.13
10ct-Dempsters tortillas=$2.97
Name Your Store: i.e. Avery’s Farm Market (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $
Total Out Of Pocket: $3.00
1.9 lb bananas (69c lb)= $1.31
1.04 lb tomatoes (68c lb)= $0.71
broccoli- $0.99
Name Your Store: i.e. Bargain Shop! (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $
Total Out Of Pocket: $5.35
454g saltine crackers 4 @$0.59= $2.36
225g Triscuit crackers 3 @ $1.00=$3.00
Name Your Store: i.e. Masstown Market (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $
Total Out Of Pocket: $18.02
bakery $5.29 (reduced) =$2.64
bakery 3.98 (reduced) =$1.99
deli $1.99
bakery $2.99 (reduced)=$1.49
bakery- $4.99 (reduced) =$2.49
bakery $2.99 (reduced)=$1.49
bakery $2.29
bakery $4.99 (reduced)= $2.49
bakery $2.29(reduced)=$1.14
Name Your Store: i.e. Giant Tiger (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $0.50
Total Out Of Pocket: $=12.58
chocolate bar 2 @ $0.50=$1.00
1.65 L ice cream- $2.00
12 pk ice cream novelties $2.00 (cashier didn’t ring them in) =FREE
685g Honey nut cheerios- $3.97 (coupon 50c)= $3.47
227g whole mushrooms 4 @ $1.00= $4.00
Idaho auGratin scallop potatoes 2 @ $.99= $1.98
Name Your Store: i.e. Sobeys (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $0
Total Out Of Pocket: $16.33
Gift card-(Purchased with cash) =8.27
Gift card-$12.13+22.61=34.74
redeemed Airmiles- $
4L milk 2 @ $5.69=$11.38
3 lb Margarine 4 @2.99=$11.96
500ml sauerkraut- $1.99
4L milk 2 @ $5.69=$11.38
4L milk 2 @ $5.69=$11.38
pork shoulder- $11.23
Name Your Store: i.e. Dave’s Fruit & Veg market (Canada)
Total Coupons Used: $
Total Out Of Pocket: $4.05+2.19=6.24
1.77 lb tomato=$1.03
cantaloupe-$1.79
green peppers (reduced) =$1.25
cantaloupe 2.19
Overall for the month of April 2016
$141.93 -out of pocket (does not includes the $200 gift card I paid cash for, as I will deduct as I use it)
$ 20.41coupons (coupon and star bucks)
$ $84.77 gift cards
$ – airmiles/ pc points redeemed to pay for the groceries
$ 80.00- PC pts (I use my PC points and Air miles to buy them- gift cards )
$ $8.27 ( Sobeys gift card that I purchased from cash..all used now)
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)..includes toiletries, cleaning supplies,
Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $
Total Gift Cards used to date: =$
Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $3.50 (january)
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: $15.31 (Jan)+25.48 (Feb)+ $14.59 (March) +$20.14 (April) =$75.52
Total in-store discounts this week: $0.00
Total in-store discounts to date: 0.00
Total spent this week: $0
Total spent so far this month: $150.20
Total over/Under spend this shop: $
Total over/Under spend for the month $under spent $97.89 (jan &Feb)-=$239.13 (Jan-Apr)
Total left to spend for the month : $
Total Spent To Date 2016: (does not include stockpile budget) $218.21 (jan) +$118.78 (Feb) +$141.90 ( Mar)+ $150.20= $629.09
Weekly Overview (your final thoughts): Found some really great deals this month. 🙂 We are averaging $157 a month (out of pocket) and except for milk, we wouldn’t need to go to the store for a month.
Mr. CBB says
May 3, 2016 at 12:16 amHi Kathryn,
WOW I’m impressed. I remember when people would say they couldn’t believe we could eat good for $235 a month but it is possible. The problem is not many people want to take the time to look for bargains. You’re doing wonderful. I love how you visit the local markets as well. Do you get flyers for each of these places or do you look online for deals or just go in the shop to see what they have on sale? Looks like you had a great month!!! Keep up the excellent shopping Kathryn… 🙂 You get ballot #29. Mr.CBB
kathryn says
May 3, 2016 at 8:58 amThanks Mr. CBB.
We do receive flyers for most of the local stores, and online flyer for one market (an our away).We go there 1-2 times a month, mostly because we want to go for a drive.One local market just advertises on the board, outside their store.Last year, we always got our eggs and milk at Shopper’s Drug Mart, but this year their prices have changed. So, every month, we stock up at Pharmasave for eggs (and look at their other amazing instore unadvertised sales). Milk is from Sobeys.
I feel a bit guilty by saying we only spend $157 on average, because we get a lot of food for free…via PC points, Airmiles, Gas vouchers (use at grocery store), what tenants leave behind, what family members discard.
I didn’t have any cofee flavouring left, so I picked up my old bottle of coffee whitener pwd, added some sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, mixed with milk…and shook…really surprised how good it tastes )
I saved the old scraps of bread crusts…yesterday, used them in a bread pudding…no waste 🙂
Most importantly, my husband and I have fun doing this. We have considered buying a freezer, but decided, we would end up with too much food, which may get freezer burned.Our fridge is a very small apt fridge, and always stuffed full 🙂
Christine Weadick says
May 1, 2016 at 9:59 pmYearly grocery budget for 4 adults and 2 cats
(The above total does not include the stockpile budget of $300/year or $25/month.
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
Total Gift Cards used to date: $30
Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
PC Points Plus Earned to date: 32100
Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP)to date $0
Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)
Zweet to cash out : $6.50($25.75)
Checkout51 to cash out : $13.75($25.50)
Grocery Shop This Week
Foodland #1
1 Cheerios -4.99
3 cases pop @3.69
1 yogurt -2.99
1 plum sauce -2.98
1 gherkins pickles -2.49
1 Temptations cat treats -1.79
2 4l milk @4.99
1 roasting chicken -7.03
Tax -1.67
Total OOP -$44.99
Foodland #2
1 case KD -9.99
1 Rice Crispies -5.99
1 jug water -5.49
1 Cheerios -4.99
3 cases pop @3.69
2 yogurt @2.99
1 Temptations cat treats -1.79
2 4l milk @4.99
2 dozen large eggs @1.99
10lbs potatoes -3.99
Bananas -1.44
1 W/W bread -3.29
Tax -1.67
Total OOP -$74.50
Total to spend this month $650.00
Stockpile budget 2016 -$25.00
Stockpile budget used this month: $25.00
Total coupons used this week: $0
Total coupons used to date: $55.46
Total in-store discounts this week:$0
Total in-store discounts to date: $77.04
Total spent this week: $119.49
Total spent so far this month: $584.23
Total over/Under spend this shop: under
Total over/Under spend for the month:under
Total left to spend for the month: $65.77
Total Spent To Date 2016: (does not include stockpile budget) Jan $579.69+ Feb $628.96+ March $605.28+ April $584.23
Weekly Overview (your final thoughts) Another good week and month coming in under budget!! Next month might be trickier as it is a 5 week month. I have been lucky so far with so many good sales on stuff I use so I am in good shape for groceries and the budget. Not sure how long my luck with the sales will keep up but I will take advantage as much as I can. The case of KD wasn’t a great deal but according to the bill I saved $8.00 on it. Hubby and the boys love it but I could care less. I need to watch for sales on sugar and my Certo Light for jam soon as that will be in June. The farmers market will open soon too for the fresh goodies.
Mr. CBB says
May 2, 2016 at 12:48 amHi Christine,
I am always smiling when I read that any of you are under budget for the month because I know how challenging grocery shopping can be. Congrats to you! What types of goodies would you buy at the market? Great deal on the eggs. Yes the KD case I’ve seen as high as $15.99 so that was a good price if your family likes it. What kind of bread do you buy for $3.29. That seems a bit pricey to me but not shocking. Well done. You get ballot #28 Mr.CBB 🙂 Here’s to MAY!
Christine Weadick says
May 3, 2016 at 10:07 amI’m looking forward to the fresh fruits and veggies at the market and there is a vendor that sells meT that is raised organically and humanely…so tasty!! The bread was whole wheat as I don’t normally buy white. There wasn’t any sale bread in W/W so I was stuck. I keep looking and will grab a couple of loaves if there is sale bread in W/W when I’m in the store. It’s personal preference there. KD is running around $1.50 for one pack and I refuse to pay that much so the case price was in my price range as I try for a dollar per or less…
Angela Mainse says
May 1, 2016 at 2:31 pmWeek 4 – April 24 – 30
• Grocery budget to work with in April: $200
• Total coupons used this week: $0
• Total coupons used to date: $0
• Total RCSS gas coupons used this week: $0
• Total RCSS gas coupons used to date: $8.12
• Total Giant Tiger Enviro bag credit this week: $0
• Total Giant Tiger Enviro bag credit to date: $0.09
• Total value PC Plus points redeemed this week: $0
• Total value PC Plus points redeemed to date: $40
• Total gift cards/certificates/gifts used this week: $0
• Total gift cards/certificates/gifts used to date: $35
• Total Neilsen Homescan Visa rebate cards used this week: $0
• Total Neilsen Homescan Visa rebate cards used to date: $15
• Total Checkout 51 rebate cheque used this week: $0
• Total Checkout 51 rebate cheques used to date: $20.25
• Total student discounts this week: $1.10
• Total student discounts to date: $30.24
• Total tax savings RCSS this week: $0
• Total tax savings RCSS to date: $0
• Total spent this week: $31.75
• Total spent so far this month: $185.05
• Total left to spend for the month: $0
• Carry over: $1.00
• Total in carry over jar: $1.00
• Total overspent: $0
• Total Spent To Date 2015: $804.00
RCSS: Dr Pepper 12 pk 2.99, cereal 3 x 1.98, Italian bread 1.00, less student discount 1.10, tax .47: Total paid 10.30 rounded up 1 cent
Freshco: Crispy mini 1.33, YOP 2 x .75, sour cream 1.99, tomatoes .85, cheese 4.79, taco seasoning .99: Total paid 11.80 rounded down 2 cents
Frescho: Ground beef 3 x 2.88: Total paid 8.65 rounded up 1 cent
Walmart: bananas clearance 1.00: Total paid 1.00
The end of the month marks the final achievement of our one big goal. We have fully covered the over spend amount from January and have started our carry over jar for the first time this year. It’s exciting. We are thrilled. It took a month longer than we had anticipated, and it took the help of a Guardian Angel who gifted us a simple $10 gift card as a random act of kindness.
A bit of a splurge for the soda pop, but with the warmer weather we were craving a bit of something sweet and bubbly. Last week was a big shop, so we kept it simple. By doing so, next week will be a big shop again, but that’s ok.
We managed to get to another city and stopped in at Freshco. We picked up a few things early in the day and popped them in our cooler on ice. I didn’t want to chance meat early in the day. We took our chances and went back later in the day to get the ground beef to put on ice for the hour drive home. We got lucky and they still had a dozen packs of the 1lb lean ground beef left. We took what we could afford and have worked them into the meal plan. Tacos and chili are at the top of our menu plan. My son is on a taco kick lately, and it shows in our grocery purchases this month. It’s easy and he can help. Anything to get him interested in helping in the kitchen!
May is a fresh start for us and I will have to be careful from here on out. School is now done, and the job hunt is on. My student job has tied up for the year. Scary and exciting at the same time. As far as it affecting groceries, I will have to be super careful not to be wasteful and dig into the freezer as much as possible. I have gone back to carefully planning my grocery list and meal planning as well as going back to shopping on Tuesdays for the student discount. My student card is good until August, so it will help bridge the gap to get the 10% discount. It’s time to grow up and get a job, again! LOL, feels just like it was 20 years ago, difference is I have people relying on me.
Mr. CBB says
May 2, 2016 at 12:44 amHi Angela,
YAY Beverage and snacks for everyone!! That’s great news, congrats on finally catching up.
I would certainly make use of that student discount until the end. Don’t let this time in your life scare you rather challenge yourself to rise above these bumps in the road. You have more than enough knowledge of how to budget, meal plan and grocery shop to get you through. You’ve done so well over the years. I’m proud of you given what you’ve had to endure. Keep at it and tacos are great!! Smart kid. You get ballot #27. Mr.CBB
Angela Mainse says
May 3, 2016 at 5:27 pmHe is a smart kid. And, Mexican food is always a winner with me. I do plan to switch it up with cinco de Mayo coming up. We usually go out for burritos this day, this year I just may make burritos at home instead with a lot of fixings so it feels like we are going out! Time to get creative for a while. I will use the student discount to help us as much as possible. It still won’t be for every purchase as the RCSS doesn’t always have items in stock that I want to price match, or it will only price match certain stores in our area, but I will pay as little as I can for everything I can. Biggest store I love to get to is Frescho, nearest one is an hour away and RCSS doesn’t PM it. So, I hope to add that store into an excursion soon too! I loved getting there this week, the ground beef is almost gone!
Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank says
April 29, 2016 at 8:56 pmI just recently discover “The Coupons App.” I was able to get a discount from a restaurant and stores. There are a bunch of ways to browse through coupons including by expiration & location. Great app!
Catherine Alford says
April 29, 2016 at 11:33 amWe are getting ready to move, and I know the grocery prices will change drastically from our old area to our new area. It’s going to take some getting used to so we know when a deal is a deal again.
Dee says
April 26, 2016 at 12:01 pmWeek 17 – Apri 22 – 28, 2016
Name Your Store: Superstore
Total Coupons Used: $0
Total Points = 200
Total Out Of Pocket: $53.41 (includes Stockpile)
Human
2 – 4 Kg Sugar = $6.96
2 NN Mushrooms = $2.38
900 mL Ranch Salad Dressing = $2.67
4 can Campbells Cream of Mushrooms – $1.15 (PM Zehrs @ $0.50) = $2.00
640 g Rice Krispies = $4.98
890 mL Hellman’s Mayo – $5.47 (PM Food Basics @ $3.49) = $3.49
2 ICBINB – $1.98 (PM Zehrs @ $0.99) = $1.98
4 L 2% Milk = $4.27
2 Kg NN Frozen Vegetables = $7.96
Bananas – 1.255 Kg = $1.58
2 Hot Dogs – $5.49 (PM Sobeys @ $2.99) = $5.98
Cucumber = $0.77
Cats
18 Kg NN Cat Litter = $6.98
500 mL Baking Soda = $1.00
Grocery Game Challenge Results
Total Grocery Budget for the 2 Adults ($1890.00, for the pay period – $70.00)
Total Human (Adults) this Week Period: $41.03
Over/Under this week: Under
Left for the Month: $28.97
Total Human (Adults) to Date: $505.40
Total Grocery Budget for the 3 Cats ($364, for the pay period – $14.00)
Total Cats this Week Period: $8.89
Over/Under this week: Under
Left for the Month: 11.23
Total Cats to Date: $127.23
Total Grocery Budget for Stockpile ($520)
Total Stockpile this Week Period: $3.99
Total Stockpile to Date: $93.18
Total Grocery Budget for the Personal Hygiene ($182)
Total Personal Hygiene this Week Period: $8.40
Total Personal Hygiene to Date: $122.86
Total Grocery Budget for Wholesale Meat ($500.00)
Total Wholesale Meat this Week Period: $
Total Wholesale Meat to Date: $125.89
Total Grocery Budget for Canning Produce ($400.00)
Total Canning Produce this Week Period: $0
Total Canning Produce to Date: $0.00
Total Coupons Used this Week Period: $
Total Coupons Used To Date: $4.00
Total Discounts/SCOP this Week Period: $
Total Discounts/SCOP to Date: $4.09
Total Checkout 51 rebates this Week Period: $0
Total Checkout 51 rebates to Date: $10.00
Total Snap rebates this Week Period: $0.00
Total Snap rebates to Date: $1.00
Total Price Match for this Week Period: $11.56
Total Price Match to Date: $98.71
Total PC Points Received this Week Period: 200
Total PC Rewards Points Used this Week Period:
Total PC Rewards To Date: 16390
Overview: It was a small shop this week. I noticed that there was some items have their prices dropped again, which I am in favour of.
Mr. CBB says
May 1, 2016 at 11:36 pmHi Dee,
What did you notice dropped in price? I’ve been noticing the price of produce going down which is about right this time of year. You picked up a few great deals this week even though your shop was small. It’s important whether we have a small or large shop that the frugal savings always stay on the radar. Some people who run in for a few bits throw all sense of savings out the window and just grab the first product they see. That will never save money in the long run. Well done. You get ballot #20. MR.CBB Oh.. what is this? 2 ICBINB
Dee says
May 2, 2016 at 12:19 pmI noticed that bananas have dropped in price. I also noticed a particular brand of margarine also reduced in price. I typically don’t shop without reviewing what I need and compare that to the flyers. 2 ICBINB is 2 tubs of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” margarine.
Mr. CBB says
May 2, 2016 at 7:43 pmOh…I can’t Believe I didn’t know that ICBIDKT hehe!!
Mary F Campbell says
April 26, 2016 at 9:21 amAPRIL – Week #4 of 4- April 25-May 1, 2016
2016 GROCERY BUDGET / STOCKPILE BUDGET AND US RESERVE:
•Total Grocery Budgeted For Year: $190.00 x 12 = $2,280.00 for 2 adults
===========================================================================================
REMARKS FOR THE WEEK:
I shopped AGAIN but the first week of May will be a NO OR LOW SHOP week for us while we use up the leftovers and sale items that we picked up this week… not to mention all the MyOffers.ca Air Miles. Did I mention we have our GOLD status again for another year?
If I shop next week, feel free to feed me to the wolves ‘cause I’ll have a sizable overage to deal with in May. LOL
I decided to let the following rain checks EXPIRE UNUSED:
Thrifty Foods
6 Island Bakery WW Bread @ $1.00 per loaf – Good until April 22/16
6 Island Bakery WW Bread @ $1.00 per loaf – Good until April 25/16
1 x 2-pack BC Fresh Whole Fryer Chickens @ $2.49/lb – Good until April 27/16
1 x 2-pack BC Fresh Whole Fryer Chickens @ $2.49/lb – Good until April 27/16
And
Safeway
2 Pork Loin Roasts @ $3.88/lb – Good until April 28/16
4 Ground Beef @ $3.88/lb – Good until April 28/16
We did however USE the following rain checks this week:
Safeway
2 dozen Compliments Large eggs @ $1.50 ea – Good until May 16/16
I am sad to use the last egg rain check! 🙁 We go thru a lot of eggs so I am back on a deal sniffing mission for eggs!
Hubby also got me a NEW RAIN CHECK this week:
Thrifty Foods
2 x 1 LB Strawberries @ $2.88 each – Good until July 19/16 << Going to enjoy this one! 🙂
===========================================================================================
OUR “CANADIAN” SHOPPING THIS WEEK:
Walmart – Maple Ridge –
6 Beefsteak Tomatoes $0.97/lb = $2.87
1 Dairyland 2% Cottage Cheese = $5.85
Total Regular Grocery OOP: $8.72
————————————————————
RCSS – Pitt Meadows –
2 -6 packs red peppers $2.99 ea = $5.98
Total Regular Grocery OOP: $5.98
** Earned 200 PC.Plus Points on this shop **
** USED $0.00 in Rain Check/ Coupons **
** SAVED $0.00 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
———————————————————————-
SAFEWAY – Maple Ridge –
1 x 4L Lucerne Milk with $1.00 OFF FLYER COUPON &
$1.23 Cash Back Coupon = $2.66
2 x Lucerne Large Eggs – RAIN CHECK $1.50 ea = $3.00
2 Celery $1.29 ea = $2.58
4 English Cucumbers $0.99 ea = $3.96
2 Iceberg Lettuce $1.69 ea – 4 My Offers Air Miles = $3.38
$4 or more red onions – 50% Off – My Offers = $2.95
4 Green Onions @ $0.79 = $3.16
2 radishes @ $0.99 ea = $1.98
bulk organic mushrooms – 3 My Offers Air Miles = $5.15
2 Compliments Organic Baby Carrots (2 for $3) = $3.00
3 Compliments Dill Pickles $2.99 ea + 20 Air Miles = 8.97
Total Regular Grocery OOP: $40.79
** Earned 30 Air Miles on this shop **
** USED $2.23 in Rain Check/ Coupons **
** SAVED $7.93 Loyalty Savings on this shop **
===========================================================================================
OUR “US RESERVE” SHOPPING THIS WEEK:
OUR NEXT USA SHOP WILL BE LATER IN 2016.
===========================================================================================
2016 Y-T-D GROCERY SAVINGS:
•Total Loyalty Card Price Reductions This Year:
Jan $36.76 + Feb $160.96 + Mar $27.00+ Apr $108.25 = $332.96
•Total Coupons/Rain Checks Used This Year:
Jan $0.00 + Feb $20.46+ Mar $1.00 +Apr $5.23= $26.69
•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 10 + Feb 182 + Mar $3 +April 48= 243 Points
•Total Air Miles Earned This Year:
Jan 6 + Feb 43 +Mar 182 + April 32= 265 Air Miles
•Total PC PLUS Points Earned This Year:
Jan 1800 + Feb 5000 +Mar 5200= April 3,100 = 15,100 Points
•Total Optimum Points Earned This Year:
Jan 0 + Feb 0 +Mar 0= 0 Points
===========================================================================================
2016 Y-T-D GROCERY SPENDING:
•Total OOP Year-To-Date:
Jan $196.78 + Feb $193.74 + Mar $182.77 + April ($26.71+$15.00+$15.00+$45.00+$14.23+$3.00+$20.17-$32.00Trf from Re-Stocking Reserve+$32.00+$6.00+$26.85+$17.37+$4.85+$5.76+$8.72+$5.98+$40.79= $255.43) = $828.72
•Total Year-To-Date Grocery Budget:
Jan $190.00+ Feb $190.00 + Mar $190.00 + April $190.00 = $760.00
•Total Over/Under on Year-To-Date Grocery Budget: ($68.72) OVER << Oh dear! May is going to be a lean month for sure!
===========================================================================================
2016 POINTS REDEEMED RESERVE:
2015 Fwd $0.00+Jan $4.69+ Feb $5.19+ Mar $0.00+ Apr $0.00= $9.88
===========================================================================================
2016 US GROCERY RESERVE:
2015 Fwd $0.00+Jan $45.00+Feb $45.00+ Mar ($45.00-$104.58)+ Apr $45.00= $75.42
===========================================================================================
2016 RE-STOCKING RESERVE:
2015 Fwd $217.50+Jan -$49.65 + Feb -$140.69 + Mar $25.48 + Apr ($26.71-32.00)= $47.35
===========================================================================================
2016 Y-T-D HOLIDAY SEASON RESERVE:
2015 Fwd $81.51+Jan $15.00 + Feb $11.61 +$15.00+ Apr $15.00= $138.12 ( I also have $120 in PC Points I could redeem)
===========================================================================================
2016 Y-T-D SUMMER RESERVE:
2015 Fwd $100.00+ $537.50 Trf from Borscht Fund+Jan $15.00 + Feb $11.61+ Mar $0.00+Apr $15.00= $679.11
===========================================================================================
• SUMMARY OF FUNDS Y-T-D:
$ 760.00 Grocery Budget JAN-APR
$ 9.88 Redeemed Points to Purchase Groceries
($ 180.41) ADDITION TO: Misc Reserves (Re-Stocking, Xmas & Summer)
$ 252.34 REDUCTION TO: Misc Reserves (Re-Stocking, Xmas & Summer)
($ 75.42) Trf to US Grocery Reserve
($ 9.88) Set in reserve to offset Redeemed Points
($ 825.23) Actual CASH SPENT
($ 68.72) OVER ON Y-T-D SPENDING
• VALUE POINTS REDEEMED Y-T-D:
$ 4.69 Skim Milk- 3,100 MORE Pts – JAN
$ 5.19 Whole Milk- 3,100 MORE Pts – FEB
$ 9.88 Total $ Value of Points Redeemed
THE VALUE will be added to our Holiday Reserve in December for next Christmas.
So far $760.00 has been budgeted Y-T-D for 2016 and we have recorded $370.29 of these funds as “spent” and in fact they have been “saved”:
$ 47.35 Freezer Re-Stocking Fund
$138.12 Holiday Season Fund
$679.11 Summer Season Fund
$ 75.42 US Shopping Reserve
$ 9.88 Points Redeemed Reserve
OUR CURRENT TOTAL UNUSED RESERVES ARE $949.88. This means the $936.51 that we carried forward from 2015 PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $370.29 that we have added in 2016, LESS $356.92 that we have drawn out for use in 2016.
===========================================================================================
The valid rain checks I hold are as follows:
Safeway:
2 Whole Fryer Chickens @ $1.99/lb – Good until May 4/16
12 Motts Clamato Juice 945-960 ml @ $1.00 ea – Good until May 6/16
12 Motts Clamato Juice 945-960 ml @ $1.00 ea – Good until May 8/16
Thrifty Foods:
2 x 3-packs Romaine Hearts @ $2.50 ea – Good until May 16/16
2 x 3-packs Romaine Hearts @ $2.50 ea – Good until May 16/16
2 x Island Farms 750g 2% Cottage Cheese @ $5.39-50% Off = $2.70 each Good until July 3/16
2 x Lilydale Fresh Turkey Breast Roasts @ $6.99/lb – Good until June 29/16
2 x 1 LB Strawberries @ $2.88 each – Good until July 19/16
===========================================================================================
This week’s BREAKFAST menu plan:
HUBBY: Earl Grey Tea with Lemon Juice + Bagels/English Muffins with fat free cream cheese spread, peanut butter or Cheez Whiz OR Rice Krispies cereal with skim milk
MYSELF: Tetley Tea with Skim Milk & Equal + yogurt, apples, bananas or hard boiled eggs
===========================================================================================
This week’s LUNCH menu plan:
MON: Egg Salad Sandwiches, Greek Salad & Banana Bread
TUES: Spinach-Garlic-Ham-Muffin Quiche, Bread and Butter Pickles, Coleslaw & Strawberry Pecan Bread
WED: Turkey Salad wraps with Leftover French Onion Soup & apple slices
THURS: Refried Bean & Cheese Burrito with Carrot Sticks & Dip + Coffee Cake Muffin
FRI: Chicken Salad Wraps, side of Mom’s Macaroni Salad Salad & side of Greek Salad for lunch
SAT: Brunch at Ricky’s Restaurant while car is serviced at Mazda
SUN: Slow Cooker Recipe for Creamy Tortellini, Spinach and Chicken Soup with garlic bread
===========================================================================================
This week’s DINNER menu plan:
MON: Roasted Chicken Thighs, Sauteed Mushrooms, Steamer Mixed Vegetables & Mashed Potatoes
TUES: Toasted BLTCEs (Bacon, Lettice, Tomato, Cheese & Fried Egg) – late getting home from Abbotsford
WED: Chicken Caesar Salad with Spinach-Garlic-Ham-Muffin Quiche
THURS: Leftover French Onion Soup with Cheesy Garlic Bread
FRI: Enchilada Casser-Ole!
SAT: Chicken Meatball Stroganoff Fettucine & Fried Cabbage & Onion
SUN: Scalloped Cabbage and Ham Casserole with Mashed Potatoes
===========================================================================================
Mr. CBB says
May 1, 2016 at 11:31 pmHi Mary,
First off I want to ask about the scalloped cabbage and ham casarolleh! That sounds very nice and possibly something the wife could eat minus the mashed potatoes although I’d enjoy them. Haha I like your Friday Enchilada Casser-Ole!!
You picked up some great deals this shop. I had a look and it seems we are hooked up with Metro and Air Miles where we have to print coupons with Air Miles points etc. Is this the same thing?
The celery and peppers were a great deal too although I hope prices on produce start going down with the seasonal change. Those eggs sure were a great deal. We eat lots of eggs here too so we’re always looking.
I like this….
f I shop next week, feel free to feed me to the wolves ‘cause I’ll have a sizable overage to deal with in May. LOL
Haha….
You get ballot 19 MR.CBB… No Shopping Mary next week !! 🙂
Mary F Campbell says
May 2, 2016 at 9:05 amMr CBB, here’s the link. I plan to skip the bread crumbs…I hate bread crumbs on a casserole. I am also using red pepper instead of green. Without the crumbs, your wife might enjoy the casserole too! 🙂
http://thesouthernladycooks.com/2015/10/13/scalloped-cabbage-and-ham-casserole/
Mr. CBB says
May 2, 2016 at 7:42 pmBrilliant thanks Mary. She says thank-you.