Goodbye

I've decided to retire this blog. It's just too much of a hassle to keep track of exact amounts and takes a lot of time to do properly (which I haven't done consistently since the spring). On top of that it isn't very interesting reading when I'm not really doing much wheeling and dealing (i.e. this summer).

I will still be shopping frugally and will probably come in at somewhere between $1600 and $1800 for the year (we spent a lot dining out when Ryan was visiting last week) by simply following my current shopping habits. It's certainly interesting to track food/household spending for a long time period...so I'm taking the lazy way out and saying that 6 months is sufficient :)

Good luck shopping... may your Catalinas always roll, your coupons never beep, and your shelves always be well-stocked!

Shoprites, Produce Junction, CVS, Blueberry farm

Shoprite:
16 Goya beans, $0.50 each = $8.00
Purina Kitten Chow, $2.19, used Free MQ = FREE
2 Hunt's Ketchup, $1.00 each, used $1/2 MQ = $1.00
Seltzer = $0.99
Shoprite brand diet cola = $0.89
Quart milk = $1.39
Onion = $0.92
4 Hefty zip bags, $1.19 each minus 4 $1 MQ = $0.76
Wooden BBQ skewers = $0.99
2 green peppers = $1.65
4 McCormick grinders, $0.99 each, used 3 $0.75 MQ and 1 $1 MQ = FREE
Mighty Dog can food, $0.66, used FREE MQ that ended up doubling to $1 = $0.34 overage
2.38 lbs cherries, $1.49/lb, used $1 produce winetag MQ = $2.54
$0.67 tax
$0.10 reusable bag refund
Total = $19.34

Produce Junction:
Total = $7.50 (forgot the individual prices)

CVS:
Yup, I'm starting from scratch at CVS. I had a $3/15 email coupon, and in trying to spend that much, Ryan pointed out that the FAECB Filler Paper was indeed, a filler :)
Filler paper = $2.00
Pens = $1.98
Notepads = $1.98
Speed Stick = $2.99, used $1.50 IP MQ
Trash bags = $7.49
Used $3/15 CVS email Q
Total = $12.88 off GC, earned $7.96 ECB ($2 for paper, $1.98 for pens, $1.98 for notebooks, $2 for deo)

U-pick blueberry farm:
We spent a sunny Saturday morning picking blueberries, then the rest of the weekend eating blueberry cobbler :)
5.5 lbs blueberries at $1.60/lb = $8.75

Shoprite:
I was feeling domestic! Did my first canning (blueberry syrup) and baked my first ever yeast bread!
5 lbs Shoprite flour = $1.99
5 lbs Shoprite sugar = $2.49
Packet yeast = $0.50
Mighty Dog can food, $0.66, used free item MQ that doubled to $1 = $0.34 overage
Purina Kitten Chow, $2.19, used free item MQ = FREE
2 12-pack Ball pint canning jars, $7.99 each, used $2.50/2 MQ = $13.48
$1.32 tax
Total = $19.43

The jars were expensive but are sort of an investment; they can be reused and I plan on doing more canning over the years as my garden gets bigger.

With receipts I had accumulated over the summer, I submitted a $25/$50 meat rebate and $10/$20 produce rebate, both from Dos Equis. Minus the cost of stamps, that's $34.12 into pending rebates.

I received June's Rite Aid SCR, so that's $7.99 from pending to received rebates.

Total spent: $1,3497.61
Pending rebates: $93.50
Rebates received: $165.51
Flea market profits: $346.00
Remaining on Target GC: $10.00
"So it's really like": $782.60 spent

Finally, some wheeling and dealing!

I'm so happy to be back at home. Last night at Superfresh triples, we got all this for $3.06 :)

Moneymaking overage stuff: Finesse shampoo/conditioner, French's honey mustard, Sunny D Smoothie
Free stuff: Carolina white rice and rice mixes, Mentos gum, Suave deodorant, Newman's Own salad dressing
Cheap stuff: Tony's single serve pizza, Luigi's Italian ice, Hot Pockets, Dole pineapple, Newman's Own lemonade, Ocean Spray Cran-Pomegranate

I am very excited about the cheap pineapple. Usually a rock-bottom sale price would be $0.80 per can, and I got 8 cans. We like to have burgers off the grill topped with BBQ sauce and a ring of pineapple. The Italian ice and lemonade are very yummy for these hot summer days. The shampoo, deodorants, and honey mustard I will sell at the fall flea market for at least $10. Woohoo! I do have a few more Finesse coupons...may go back again tonight.

Total spent: $1,342.59
Pending rebates: $67.37
Rebates received: $157.52
Flea market profits: $346.00
Remaining on Target GC: $10.00
"So it's really like": $767.70 spent

July shopping so far

I'm so happy to be going home for a week starting Tuesday. I miss Ryan, the kitties, and my garden. I hate having to buy produce up here when there are free veggies at home in Jersey.

Here's what we've spent in July so far:
$17.56 at Shoprite
$21.38 at Home Depot (42 lbs charcoal!), will submit for $10 charcoal/meat rebate
$30.13 at Hannaford (totals for 3 trips combined)

I guess since I make the rules it's my call, but I have started not including store-bought alcoholic beverages in the budget (restaurant-bought will still be included to discourage overpriced drinks). I have been going out of my mind from boredom up here and need a little entertainment...so alcoholic drinks fall under entertainment expenses.

Since wheeling and dealing has pretty much ground to a halt, I've been planning on reducing the amount of dining out we do during our upcoming vacation at the beginning of August. Since the first couple days will be spent at the field station I've been at (some vacation, huh?) we'll have access to a full kitchen. Perhaps instead of eating a restaurant lobster dinner, we'll boil some of our own and save. The second part of the week will be camping, so we'll cook over the campfire. In all we'll probably only eat out two nights.

Total spent: $1,339.53
Pending rebates: $68.73
Rebates received: $157.52
Flea market profits: $346.00
Remaining on Target GC: $10.00
"So it's really like": $760.64 spent

Woooooaaaah, we're halfway there...

(Edited to change total slightly due to previous math error)

Tomorrow is the last day of June, and I'm not going shopping, so that means that I'm halfway through the grocery challenge! Right now the bottom line is $697.57, which is only 44% of the yearly allotment. That's great, because it means there's some wiggle room for us to go out to eat several times during "vacation" when Ryan comes up to Maine. Mmm...lobster!

Spending during the last week:
Me at Shaw's: $32.62 (didn't use a single coupon! gasp!)
Ryan at Shoprite: $35.87, will submit for $10 salty snack rebate
Me at Dunkin Donuts: $2.71

Total spent: $1,270.46
Pending rebates: $59.37
Rebates received: $157.52
Flea market profits: $346.00
Remaining on Target GC: $10.00
"So it's really like": $697.57 spent

Catching up...

I am a couple weeks behind here...

Purchased in Maine:
Junk food and wine from Hannaford because I was going crazy eating only healthy food: $16.36
Arby's on my way to the airport: $6.32
Gourmet candy bar from Target: $1.99

Down in NJ:
On the plus side, I received $25.00 in rebate checks ($15 from Coors, $10 from Bud)
Ryan's dad came to visit and we took him out to dinner for father's day. I'm not including the cost of his meal since it is considered a gift, but our meals (and tax, tip) come out of the budget: $30.92
I was billed for the newspaper subscription: $13.66
Two trips to ShopRite: used up GC plus $34.06 additional spending to get Ryan stocked up for the next month or so:

I guess I'm in okay shape since the year is almost half over, but the stockpile has shrunk considerably since I'm not shopping as much. Keeping under the $1600 budget shouldn't be a problem, but sadistic 'ol me was kind of hoping to bring it down even more ($1400?). We'll see...

Total spent: $1,199.26
Pending rebates: $49.81
Rebates received: $157.52
Flea market profits: $346.00
Remaining on Target GC: $10.00
"So it's really like": $635.93 spent

Blingee challenge!

I am super bored. It's pouring rain outside and there is no wheeling and dealing to do where I am in the boonies. So...I made this:



That's my loot from CVS Black Friday 2007, decorated using Blingee. I thought it would be fun to see what other people came up with as far as pimped-out shopping trip/stockpile photos. Leave a comment if you make one :)