You might be asking, “Lady. Do you seriously think anyone is interested in your grocery trip from two months ago?”
Short answer: No.
Long answer: No, but I’m still going to write about it anyway.
When I started my Kroger posts almost five years ago (time flies when you’re talking about cheese) they were very different. The Kroger posts started as simple coverage of Kroger deals and coupons. In doing that for a few weeks, I discovered that I used the Digital Coupons more than paper coupons. That may seem like old hat now, but five years ago, on a blog literally dedicated to couponing, doing all your savings digitally was a bit off the beaten path.
So the Kroger Grocery Trips became less about all the possible deals and coupons and whatever (because let’s face it, I was never very good at that) and became more about the specific digital deals that I took advantage of. And guess what? No one read them.
Like, no one.
But I kept writing them. Because I liked writing them. I liked listing my purchases, liked seeing my shopping trends, liked keeping track of the price fluctuations for certain items. Most of all, I liked how it kept me extra accountable to my grocery budget.So I kept on, even with low readership.
And an interesting thing happened. Because no one was reading my posts, the expectations were low. And because expectations were low, I started to loosen up a little. I strayed from the numbers and prices and quantities and dipped my bloggy toes in the pool of observations. I told stories about my shopping trips. I shared my profound love of cheese. I wrote about whatever struck my fancy that week. Sometimes it was deep, like the fear of trying new things because of budgets, which was really the fear of failure and waste. Sometimes it was not so deep, like wondering who chose the Spotify playlist at my Kroger and why it seemed to be comprised only of songs from The Greatest Showman. We even had a big discovery together on my silly little grocery posts. Remember the time I got sick in the store and we discovered I was pregnant? Some readers picked upon that before I did!
Did you notice I said “readers” just then? This is the craziest part: people actually started to read my posts. Whether I was talking about the emotional process involved with grocery shopping during a difficult pregnancy or comparing my groceries to 80’s class The Last Unicorn, people were reading my words. This has never stopped surprising me. That people take the time to read what I write shocks me every single time I post something. Every. Single. Time. As if that wasn’t enough, some of these readers tarted to engage. To leave questions, comments, encouragement. All of a sudden, I was having conversations with people from all walks of life because I wrote a few hundred words each week about food that I paid money for.
The Kroger posts have evolved into something cooler, more helpful, and more meaningful than I ever could have imagined.
You maybe noticed I had to take a little break this Fall. More on that in a different post. But I promise it’s not the same reason as my last break. Toddler B is officially our last B. ;) In coming back, I had to decide, do I pick up where I left off? Do a couple “greatest hits” of the last few months? Ignore it all and start clean with January?
There’s pros and cons for all possible options. Cards on the table, though, I’m going to go with the one that makes me the happiest. It may not be the most practical. It may not be the most efficient. But practical and efficient have never really been my vibe.
Thank you, for reading. I know you don’t have to. I still think it’s wild that you do. Whether you want to go down this rabbit hole with me or you’ll catch me up when the posts are real time again, please know that I am so grateful for you.
- Bananas, 2.04 lb-$1.20.
- Beechnut Baby Food Pouches (3)-$3.
- Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream, pint (2)-$4.98. Sale price was $2.49 each.
- Blackberries, 6 oz (4)-$5. In-store sale, 4 for $5.
- Boar’s Head Maple Turkey, .5 lb-$5.49.
- Boar’s Head Pepperoni, .5 lb-$4.75.
- Clementines, 3 lbs-$3.99.
- Fuji Apples, 4.87 lb-$5.80.
- Heritage Farm Chicken Breasts, 4.69 lb -$9.89.
- Kikoman Bread Crumbs-$1.79.
- Kraft Salad Dressing (2)-$1.98. Sale price was $.99 each.
- Kraft String Cheese-$1.99. In-store sale stacked with a *Digital Coupon* for $1 off.
- Kroger Italian Sausage 2 lb-$6.
- Kroger Heavy Cream-$3.79.
- Kroger Pasta (1)-$1.
- Kroger Yeast-$2.99.
- Mott’s Applesauce-$3.19.
- Pepper Jack Cheese-$4.05.
- Private Selection Bread-$2.19.
- Private Selection Red Raspberry Jam-$3.49.
- Raspberries, 6 oz (4)-$5. In-store sale, 4 for $5.
- Red Leaf Lettuce, .81 lb-$1.37.
- Ribeye Steak-$7.75. Manager’s Special!
- Roma Tomato, 1.04 lb-$1.03.
- Vidal Onions, 2.14 lb -$2.12.
- Apps I’ll submit to: Fetch Rewards, CoinOut, Ibotta ($.10 off Any Item), Dabbl
Total Budget: $65.09
Total Spent: $93.83
Total Saved: $24.14
Deducted from Next Week: $28.74
Next post, we’ll wrap up the October budget and I can finally balance my books. Huzzah!
What have you been up to during my sabbatical? How goes the grocery shopping? 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 three 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!
(*raises hand*) I am interested in any and all of your shopping adventures — past, present and future! You absolutely have a flair for writing and I get such a kick out of your stories. And I definitely relate to the thrill you get at a good deal.
And although it wasn’t a grocery store deal, I’d like to brag that this morning I scored a couple of adorable long-sleeved toddler Christmas T-shirts at 90% off — 70¢ each!
Thanks for sharing I love to see how you do