Happy Fridays and Good Coupon Deals

Happy Friday! Today, like many of my Fridays, started with a relatively lazy morning and a busy afternoon. My dear husband has been very overworked and under slept this week. Well, more so than usual. So, I cleaned and de-cluttered the house and left with the kids at 4 so that when he got home it would be serene, quiet and clean. The kids and I went to Safeway to do one of my multiple planned trips this weekend then on to a local sushi restaurant to grab a special take-out dinner for us. Safeway has some great deals this weekend/week due to super bowl. I was able to get all 27 items for $36.51 or $1.35 per item!

Most of these don't require that you are a regular coupon clipper either. Just look for the big cardboard cut out's for The Joy Of Football, with these coupon booklets:

Here's what I got and how you can get these deals too! (Safeway increases all coupons to $1)

4 Wheat thins (one day sale, Friday only) $.99 each
     -use two $1.00 off of 2 boxes coupons
=$.49 each

3 Rosarita Refried Beans $1.00 each
    - I used a coupon from the paper for $1.00 off of 3 but the Joy of Football booklet has a $1.00 off of 4
=$.66 each

4 Coke products
    -In Store Ad coupon for 4 for $9.00
=$2.25 each

2 Mini Gatorades (to keep the girls quiet!)
=$.34 each

4 Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chili's $1.49 each
    -Use $1.00 off of 4 from Joy of Football Booklet
=$1.24 each

1 block Velveeta
   - In Store Ad coupon for $4.99
=$4.99

2 bags Mission Tortilla chips $4.49 each, buy one get one free
    -use $1.50 off any chip when you buy Velveeta and Ro-tel peelie from next to the Velveeta
=$1.49 each

4 Oscar Meyer Hotdogs
    -In Store Ad coupon for $.99 each
=$.99 each

3 Johnsonville Italian Sausages $3.99 each
    -In Store Ad coupon for $2.99 each plus, $.55 off per package found in Joy of Football booklet
=$1.99 each

There are several other great deals I'll hopefully get to post for you tomorrow. For now, I'll leave with pictures of Hailey devouring a piece of salmon sushi and Makenna showing off her favorite, the pickled ginger.

Grocery shopping on a cash only system

If you haven't had a chance to read the "About Me" section of the blog then you may not be aware that my family operates on a cash only system. In a nutshell it's exactly what it sounds like, we only use cash. We do not have a debit card or check book and only have one very small credit card for emergencies.
Someone asked me recently how I grocery shop on the cash only system and I thought I'd share the answer here.

First, I figure out what our budget is for the week. It ranges from $100-$175 a week depending. When needed, I can shop for my family of five on $75 a week. Then I look at the ads for Frys and Safeway and compare who has the better overall sales. I try to just go to one store but I'm not opposed to going to multiple stores if the sales warrant. I then make my meal plan based on the meats on sale or what I have in the freezer. I use an excel meal planner that has all the meals I make in it and let's me use an organized drop down box to pick a meal. This keeps me from getting stuck in a rut making the same thing over and over again. When ever I make a new recipe I add it into the meal planner. If I can figure out how to share it here I will.

After I have my meals planned I make up my list of needs. Those are the things I have to have for the week. Then I make a list of wants. Those are things that I already have stocked piled in the house but are on good sale this week and I want to keep adding to my stock pile. At any given time I have 3-4 deodorants, body wash, dish soaps, tooth brushes etc... Combining coupons with sales and/or store coupons I often get most of those items for free or at very least less than a dollar. Maintaining my stock pile ensures that I never pay full price for things I know I can get for 50-75% off. I try not to stock more than 5 of any one item due to space and need. At the end of the year I clean out my stock pile and donate items to local food banks or shelters.

Anyways, once my list is complete, I load my purse up with lollie pops, juice boxes and mini books in hopes of keeping the girls entertained while I shop. (You know you're a stay at home mom when you relish the chance to go grocery shopping by yourself!) At the store, I weigh each produce item and tally up the price of everything as I go. I carry a calculator and keep track of the total. I pull my coupons out as I grab the item and deduct the coupon amount plus more if my store doubles. I usually try to go into the check out lane about $10 under my budget just in case I missed adding anything.

I am not always this diligent but doing this has helped me be able to guestimate as I go with out the calculator and tally sheet for the times I can't or just don't want to be exact. The times I don’t spend our budget amount I use the excess to buy things I know we’ll eventually need such as pull-up’s, toilet paper, dog food, etc. Again, this just ensures that I don’t get stuck having to buy those higher price items on a short budget week.

How do you keep yourself on budget for groceries?