New month, new grocery budget! Even if I am starting out 27 cents in the hole.
Bad news bears: the digital coupons are still scarce and the in-store sales are underwhelming, to say the least. I don’t get pumped about 10 for $10 in the best of times, but this cycle seems particularly unhelpful for my family’s dietary needs.
Because that’s really the gist of the thing, isn’t it? The usefulness of a sale cycle or coupons really boils down to what your family needs specifically. This is not a great week for me, but I like to imagine that there is another blogger somewhere who shops at Kroger and is having the BEST WEEK EVER. Bristol K, who writes for Penny Pinching for Universal, has three boys, and a Mr. K. They were able to load up on toilet paper and ketchup this week at Kroger, living their best life. Good for you, Bristol K.
Before you start feeling too poorly for me, know that where the in-store sales failed me, the Manager’s Specials did not disappoint. Due to the added child on my grocery excursions, I’ve been getting to the store later in the week than I’d like, and missing out on all the good manager’s specials. There is no cheap cheese left by Saturday, y’all. Bristol K knows that. Bristol K always makes it to the store the first day of the sale cycle. Her children are always well behaved. Bristol K always gets the best cheap cheese.
But this week I joined the Bristol Ks of the world and did my grocery shopping on Thursday. Hold your applause, please. I picked up quite a few Johnsonville Sausages on sale for more than half off, got TWO sale cheeses, and even managed to snag a milk on special. Truthfully, I think the milk had been clearanced accidentally, because it doesn’t expire for another 12 days. But I am not going to look a gift cow in the mouth.
We were able to treat ourselves thanks to the manager’s specials on Simple Truth Organic Ribeyes, since they ended up costing way less per pound than the non-organic, non truthful steak. I also threw in some delicious fancy ginger ale because ginger ale is my fave, and this was $1.79 for four bottles, which is $.44 cents a bottle. And it paired very nicely with my fancy steak.
Last week I realized my freezer was getting a little full, and maybe we needed to decrease the chicken supply before loading up. This left me very under budget, and for a few seconds I stood in the frozen aisle, wildly contemplating what I needed to throw in my cart so my family didn’t starve. Did I need to grab a few more cheeses?
Sense prevailed…after I did a few laps muttering to myself about oranges and pork ribs. The truth of the matter is, some weeks you don’t need as much as other weeks. Spending money just because it’s there is like the anti-budget. It’s wasteful. Better to save that money for next week, when the Manager’s Specials may be as fleeting as the sales. Whether you’re a Kristen B or a Bristol K, it’s always a good thing to have a little extra room in your budget.
- Asparagus, 1.13 lb-$1.10.
- Bananas, 1.86 lb -$1.10.
- Bell Peppers (4)-$5.
- Boar’s Head Honey Maple Turkey, .5 lb-$5.19.
- Boar’s Head Sandwich Pepperoni, 1lb -$8.99.
- Clementines, 3 lb-$3.99.
- Dansk Blue Cheese-$1.99. Manager’s Special!
- Johnsonville Sausage, 3 lb-$6.87. $2.29 a pound with the Manager’s Special.
- Kroger Milke, .5 gal-$.70. Manager’s Special.
- Mango (2)-$1.98.
- Private Selection Whole Wheat Bread-$1.99.
- Parrano Gouda-$4.99. Manager’s Special!
- Red Grapes, .91 lb-$1.54.
- Red Gold Canned Tomatoes (2)-$1.78.
- Reed Ginger Ale, 4 ct-$1.79.
- Red Tomatoes on the Vine, 1.75 lb-$1.70.
- Simple Truth Organic Ribeye, 2 lb-$17.97. Manager’s Special!
- Apps I’ll submit to: Fetch Rewards, Ibotta ($.10 off Any Item), Checkout 51 (.25 off Bananas), CoinOut
Total Budget: $84.73
Total Spent: $69.62
Total Saved: $6.27
Rolled Over to Next Trip : $15.11
What would you ideal sale cycle look like? What coupons are the most helpful for your family’s dietary needs? How many cheeses are too many cheeses? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!