Kristen B’s Kroger Trip 9/30/19

The curse really has been lifted! The Kroger Fairy has visited!

And really, could not be better timing, because I am in DEEP with this budget, y’all.

This is my last trip of the month and I have $24 dollars to account for. Never mind that LAST month I was over budget and started this month off at a deficit. Never mind that the Teacup is growing like she was bitten by a radioactive piglet and must consume all food in a ten foot radius. Never mind these distractions! Stay on task! Save that money!

Why, though?

Do you ever have those moments?

You know that feeling when you say a word so often it loses its meaning and then you keep saying it because now your brain can’t even wrap itself around the concept and then it starts to sound funny in your own ears so you start saying it wrong?

Sometimes saving is like that.

My brain knows that for my most recent Disney Trip, Grocery Budget overages accounted for 6% of my overall savings. That may not seem like much, but at $88, it paid for my Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party ticket. My brain knows this is nothing to say boo to. My brain also knows I am so over budget this month. My brain should be able to figure a way out of it, but my brain is now having trouble understanding the concepts of savings and budgets. Budge-itz and savungz. Berdgutss and sebbinz. Poor brain.

So I am very thankful the Kroger Fairy chose this week to bestow some helpful paper coupons because me and the ole brain are in a rough way. The coupons the Kroger Fairy sends are almost exclusively catered to my tastes and past purchases. This is obviously because Kroger is data mining all my grocery trips, which I don’t mind. It’s okay that they know how I much spend on cheese if the result is that I get coupons that I actually need and use, and are not just given to get me to spend money I wouldn’t otherwise. Life’s a give and take.

I don’t know how groceries are in your neck of the woods, but I live in the Midwest and the SECOND there is a twinge of chill in the air, all grocery sales cease to be. And that chill? She is a comin’. Which is why I have been stocking up on meat the past few weeks. This trip I said to myself, “Self, if you’re going to buy that meat on sale, you need to not get something else, because berdgutss,” and my self is like, “You know NOTHING, KB! All the meats, all the baby food packets, all the cheese forevvvaaaaa! Forget you and forget your sebbinz!” It’s a real Dr B-Kristen Hyde situation.

• Bananas, 2.76 lb -$1.63.
• Black Plums, 1.40 lb-$1.36. $.97 a pound, in store sale.
• Boar’s Head Pepperoni, .5 lb-$4.76.
• Creamette Pasta (3)-$1.64. In-store sale for $.88 each stacked with a paper coupon for $1 off 3.
• Heritage Farm Chicken Breast, 5.82 lb-$11.60.
• Kroger Ground Turkey, 1lb-$2.29. Paper coupon for $.70 off.
• Multigrain Cheerios (3)-$6.47. Buy 5, Save $5 made these $2.49 each, stacked with a $1 off *Digital Coupon*, brining them down to $2.15 a piece.
• Private Selection Wheat Bread-$1.49. Paper coupon for $.50 off!
• Private Selection Honey Turkey, .5 lb -$4.23.
• Private Selection Maple Ham, .5 lb-$3.60.
• Private Selection Ice Cream, pint-$1.34. Paper coupon for $.45 off.
• Robusto Gouda-$5.40.
• Roma Tomatoes, 1.49 lb-$1.48.
• Red Grapes, 2.58 lb-$2.50. $.97 a pound, in store sale.
• Red Leaf Lettuce, 1.09 lb-$1.84.
• Salmon Filet, .61 lb-$3.35. Manger’s Special!
• Simple Truth Organic Pasta-$.89. In-store sale of $1.29 stacked with paper coupon for $.40 off.
• Simple Truth Organic Baby Food Pouches (12)-$12. On sale for $1 each. I will take that $.19 savings. Again.
• Starbucks Coffee-$6.99. Buy 5, Save $5. Mr.B assures me this is an excellent deal sooooo.
• Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ Sauce-$1.49. Buy 5, Save $5.
• Top Round Steak, 2.21 lb -$9.92. Manager’s Special
• Vidal Onions, 1.44 lb-$2.87.
• White Peaches, 1.94 lb-$1.88. $.97 a pound, in store sale.
• Apps I’ll submit to: Fetch Rewards, Ibotta ($.20 Off Any Item, $.20 Off any Cereal), CoinOut

                                       Total Budget: $61.81

                                       Total Spent: $90.02

                                      Total Saved: $25.98

                                      Deducted From Next Week: $28.21

Over budget, but at least I have a delicious portion of lunch salmon to munch while I try and strategize for next week.

If you could choose three coupons to get every week, what would they be for? If you could choose one coupon to never get again, what could say goodbye to? Has using a coupon on a new item ever introduced you to a favorite, can’t live without product? Give me all your thoughts 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!