September Grocery Challenge....anyone want to play?

[jma924]

Since tomorrow is September 1st, can we start a new grocery budget challenge? State what your goal is for the month and then update as you spend it! (please specify if your budget includes pet supplies, paper products, eating out, etc.)

[jma924]

My budget for the month of September is $600. This includes paper products, household cleaning supplies, eating out and regular groceries. We are a family of 6 (3 adults, plus 3 kids) and also have another adult (my mom) over for meals about 4-5 times per week. We homeschool, so this budget is for 3 meals per day/ 7 days per week. Also, dd1's 9th birthday is later this month, so any expenses related to that will need to come out of our grocery budget!

8/31 (but counting towards our September budget):
$94 grocery store + $7 organic milk

9/2: $60 on household products (Melaleuca)
$40 groceries

9/4: $7 for lunch out (this was $7 for our entire family....we went to Moe's and used a B1G1 coupon, and then had $15 in gift certificates that dh was given as a gift....and all we had to pay was $7!)
$35 odds and ends at the grocery store

9/7 big stock up grocery shopping trip $120 (that was after $102 in coupons/VIC savings).

9/9: $20 (dh picked up a few things at the store)

9/10 ate lunch out and took entire family (my parents included) out for ice cream to celebrate our good news! $30 (YIKES!)

9/11: $22 at BJ's (eggs, new kitchen scissors, juice, milk)

9/12-9/20: have spent another $260 on groceries/etc...I think that puts us over-budget for the month....between my dd's surgery and food needs post-op, and my morning sickness/food aversions, we've bought more groceries than I had planned and ended up eating out one night....plus we rented a few movies for dd while she was "home-bound"

9/23: $30

[Shannon]

I need to do this as well. We've never had a budget before so I really have no idea how much we spend. I *think* we have $400 for food, dog food, supplements, toilet paper, toiletries,etc. I'm not planning any eating out this month. DS and I eat vegan and gluten free, but I have started buying meat for dh. I really don't want to eat grains, but it looks like I will have to because they are cheap. Oh and we are a family of 3 with 2 large dogs. We were spending almost $50 a month on dog food for one dog and we just took in a stray that eats more than he does. They get holistic dog food and I'm not willing to compromise on their health. I am going to research the barf diet and see if it would cost less.

I'm going to need help, I don't know how I'm going to do this.

Whole Foods:
tinkyada pasta $3.59
earth balance $2.49
total $6.21

Walmart:
hershey syrup $1.50 (dh felt bad that I gave up choc. silk so he bought this)
Total: $1.57

Farmers Market:
5 bellpeppers total $1.00

Walmart:
stuff for week $23.08

Walmart:
lemons $3.31

Whole Foods:
2 peanut butter
2 boxes cereal
honey
case of milk
total $35.74

produce stand $24.30

Walmart $37.61

two loaves of bread $5.05

2 bags of dog food $56.66


Bakery Thrift:
$2.97

Walmart:Food for week $$29.46

total for month: $226.96

Dh and Ds are not gluten free yet and dh still eats some meat, but here are the main dishes I'm making this week.

White beans (in the crock pot) and rice. Dh will have ham with his.
Tex Mex Corn Casserole (from Body Ecology)
Tortilla Soup (from a post here)
Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole (from Vegan and Gluten Free yahoo group)

I'm also making black bean hummus, hashbrowns, crock pot breakfast delight, eggplant, spinach, squash, and will have salad every day.

I just started cooking again so this list freaks me out a little. LOL

I really need to figure out breakfast ideas for dh. He leaves at 5:30am for work and usually eats poptarts in the car. Ds eats gf cereal so I'm hoping he will like the breakfast delight. I'm thinking of making gf breakfast burritos for dh, but I can only imagine the mess they will make while driving. When I figure out how to make bread it will be so much easier to get them on board with gf. They both (dh and ds) eat sandwiches for lunch. Dh sometimes doesn't get a lunch break so he has to take a 10 minute on the side of the road lunch break. And he can't eat in his truck.


I can't believe I am actually staying under budget. I made sure to cut back last week so that I can buy dog food tomorrow.

[herc]

shannon, i spend a lot on pet food too, and i cant do 400-- thats what i have been trying to make happen and i just cant do it. Between food and litter and flea drops for 3 cats we spend over 100 a month. I spend 100 a week between the grocery and the veggie coop, 100-150 at the beginning of the month at sams, and then 150 every 2 months at the coop

[BlueRoseMama]

Thursday, Aug 30th (but off Sept budget)
$52.46 at the grocery (including Alex's $15 thermos for his lunch box)
$25.60 at Costco
$2.35 for treats (berry smoothie and a lemonade)

Friday, Sept 1st
$2.80 coffee and $.50 tip

Saturday, Sept 2nd
Trip to farmers market...
pulled $25, spent all but $.01 of it. LOL!
(Includes lunch, and produce, a $2 donation to the fire fights against muscular distrophy, and a cookie for each kid)

$15.07 for Monsters and food out for Don.

Sunday, Sept 3rd
Lunch: $14.29 (Ikea trip)

Tuesday, Sept 5th
Shopping: $33.74 (stocked up on sale items such as tortillas and yogurt)
Costco $14.57 (for feta, organic salad greens, and freezer sour dough bread loaves.)
Treated myself to a small blended decalf coffee $3.00 with tip

Wenesday, Sept 6th
Ate out with friends $7.01
$12.64 at the farm for more squash, eggs, corn, and zucchini.
Don picked up whipping cream, milk and water at the store tonight... $6.

Monday, Sept 11th
Went out to lunch with Cyan today... $14.59
Grocery shopping. $41.11
$6 for icecream after the first day of school (Cyan)

Thursday, Sept 14th
Grocery shopping trip for cheese and milk etc. $26.05
Large Chai tea for my first morning off in FOREVER! $4 with tip
Monsters for Dons night shift $3.25

Friday, Sept 15th
Stopped and got Chai tea (to make) for me and a friend $4.99

Monday, Sept 18th
Grocery for dinner fixings and fresh produce $26.73
Costco $15.97
Coffee $3.20 with tip

Tuesday, Sept 19th
Ate at Izzy's with a friend on kids night. $15.62

Wenesday, Sept 20th
Fixings for this weekends menu $16.70
Ate out for lunch $13.22

Saturday, Sept 23rd
Groceries $52.03
Water and a few last things that Don wanted $12.01
Don brought lunch home from local burger place (cus I let him sleep in. lol) $15.40

Total so far this month: $478.70

This is it for this month. Not only are we pretty stocked up now, but we are out of money until Don gets paid.

Sat; Fresh tomato soup, with fresh sour dough bread
Sun; pasta tossed with fresh tomatos, veggies, and olive oil

[Shannon]

Originally Posted by herc

shannon, i spend a lot on pet food too, and i cant do 400-- thats what i have been trying to make happen and i just cant do it. Between food and litter and flea drops for 3 cats we spend over 100 a month. I spend 100 a week between the grocery and the veggie coop, 100-150 at the beginning of the month at sams, and then 150 every 2 months at the coop

Oh, I forgot about the flea stuff, and the brewer's yeast for the dogs, and treats, and oh how am I ever going to do this? And not to mention a dh on prednisone and a tiny six year old that eats more than his dad on prednisone. lol

I'm really wishing the co-op would start up again and that we had a CSA still. I'm thinking of going to the farmer's market this weekend with a specific list. Do I need to join Sam's? When I had a card I only went a couple of times a year, but now that I'm trying this budget thing I may go more often. Hmm, just not sure about that one.

[mamabear]

I'm in. I didn't get to post an update on the other thread but we did pretty well overall.

This month we have $400 for the month, so we'll see how we do. I think we should be fine since we stocked up on some basics this month. This includes most of our soap/shampoo etc, except that today I spent $40 on those things (stocked up on some deals) and I'm not counting that. Doesn't count pet/animal food.

Not sure of exact dates or what was what anymore! (Which would be helpful to know, it might help to map out, like Val, exactly what we spend where.) But the only take-out we've had is twice I have picked up a sushi roll for $3.50 at the co-op, and a 69 cent water. I'm weak! I found $10 and spent it on yummy treats at the coop today (cultured butter, natural saeurkraut, the roll, water, an avocado!).

Anyway so far we have spent $187 - that included about $40 for wine and beer and food for our friends who came over for Labor Day. Still have one bottle of the wine. That also includes $20 to make about eight gallons of pickled cucumbers. ($10 for 1/4 bushel pickling cukes, $1.60 dill, $4 for five heads of organic local garlic, $2-3ish for sea salt, $2 for peppercorns). And it includes $9 for a **** fine jar lifter for canning (the only choice at the local general store - I will use a stockpot for my small batch of jelly, I resisted the $24 canning pot/rack).

And then I know I spent about $10 at the co-op the other day, and $16 total today.

So total: $213. Ack! It's only the 6th! :P We are well-stocked on food though.

[JeniLyn]

I'm in. I've been getting out of hand with BUYING. ugh.

Our budget for September is: $350 This includes food, cleaning supplies, bulk items, laundry soaps, eating out. Also, we share dinner with other families 3 times a week and lunches several times, too--but those are pitch-ins.

Jeni

[JenTwo]

Goal is under $200 this month. We move in just a bit over a month and I really need to clean out the fridge and freezer. We have a bit of meat and veggies in the freezer, some fruit. In the fridge there are some other meal ideas so I'll work with those before buying things for new meals.

Last month we spent $260+ including an expensive emergency, organics and stocking up on clearanced items. However, I didn't purchase any supplements last month and I'll need to purchase a couple this month.

[Briefaerie]

Count me in. We have my daughter's birthday party to buy for so I am going to add that in. Goal for Sept $280.
This includes all toiletries, eating out etc.
ETA: this also includes one dog(and a "stray" cat that eats dog food too)


9/1-hubby ate out for $8
9/3-Sams-$47.33 and $8 to eat there
Walmart--$30.78
9/7-Farmers Market-6.59
9/11-Kroger 22.32 and $5 pharmacy
Paid angel food $79
$41.82 + 16.85--canning stuff and peaches
picked fresh figs--$16
9/13 Walmart $43.07-pressure canner
9/14 bowling alley $12.83
9/17 Kroger $8.25
Walmart $31.84
9/23--a fast breakfast at Burger King $5.67
$5.49 for ice cream and tortillas
9/25 Walmart-$8 on veggies to plant
Kroger $11

$406.93 Done for the month and ouch

[Mamaselena]

September Goals for Selena $350
this is my plan for the whole month's spending, including gas money while DH is working - remember, we are at Mom's so no other expenses besides food and gas and mad money (hopefully to a minimum)
September 2
16.29 at Old Navy for 2 shirts and one pair of shorts for Dan-he needs warmer shirts and cooler bottoms to get him through the last couple weeks of heat (shorts) here and the first couple cool days (shirts)
$46.20 at Payless, 3 pairs of shoes Anna no longer has any shoes that fit... her feet seriously shot out in the last week. She has hand me downs from a friend that are too big and about 10 pairs that are now too small...grr. And I got some fake crocs... they are a wee bit too small, darnit...
$20.03 at Pizza Place in mall
$40 spending money to Jeff
----------
$122.52 Running total as of September 2 And Mom bought our first week of groceries because she felt bad that there was nothing in her house that we usually eat. So, I suppose, with that... we aren't off to too bad of a start. School is expensive. Oh, and we bought books but that came from old paypal so I am not counting it

[jma924]

Wow...my grocery budget is SO high compared to everyone else's.....and I'm worried about being able to get everything within that budget range....and I use coupons all the time! Obviously we must eat a lot more than other folks or something! LOL!

[annemarie5]

Originally Posted by jma924

Wow...my grocery budget is SO high compared to everyone else's.....and I'm worried about being able to get everything within that budget range....and I use coupons all the time! Obviously we must eat a lot more than other folks or something! LOL!

Well, if your feeding more people (or bigger people!) it goes up! lol We have two adults, two teens and 7 and 5 yr olds. My budget is $600. That does not include pet food or school lunches that are purchased by my two teens. I'd like to get it down but my teens eat alot (and are both super thin) and my younger kids must be having growth spurts since they are eating a ton lately. I'm just trying to stay in budget since I frequently go over. We've cut our eating out way down from what it was. I'm going to do envelopes this month and have a seperate one for dining out/take out and see how that goes.
Anne

[jma924]

Originally Posted by annemarie5

Well, if your feeding more people (or bigger people!) it goes up! lol We have two adults, two teens and 7 and 5 yr olds. My budget is $600. That does not include pet food or school lunches that are purchased by my two teens. I'd like to get it down but my teens eat alot (and are both super thin) and my younger kids must be having growth spurts since they are eating a ton lately. I'm just trying to stay in budget since I frequently go over. We've cut our eating out way down from what it was. I'm going to do envelopes this month and have a seperate one for dining out/take out and see how that goes.
Anne

Okay, thanks Anne...you made me feel better! We have the same budget ($600) and we're feeding 3 adults (my dad also lives with us), 3 kids (9, 5, and 2 1/2)...plus my mom eats dinner with us about 4-5 times per week. And I do home daycare and while the parents send lunch, I do sometimes end up doing additional snacks,etc.

[Briefaerie]

I think you quite well for all the people you feed! And heck if we could afford more we would but we have about $20 leftover at the end of the month(according to my budget..in reality it's never there).
Brie

Originally Posted by jma924

Okay, thanks Anne...you made me feel better! We have the same budget ($600) and we're feeding 3 adults (my dad also lives with us), 3 kids (9, 5, and 2 1/2)...plus my mom eats dinner with us about 4-5 times per week. And I do home daycare and while the parents send lunch, I do sometimes end up doing additional snacks,etc.