Trying something new.

For the month of September I've decided to try something new. I'm going to make a menu for the month of September and then make a huge grocery list off that list. I'm going to buy everything on that grocery list except fresh fruit and veggies.
Then weekly I'm going to shop deals to stock up on items. I seem to keep getting in this rut of spending all my monthly grocery money on deals early in the month and then at the end of the month we are having to scrape by. I'm a little tired of living like that.
I have a pretty good stockpile built up and then we go through it at the end of the month. With school starting I now have to worry about packing lunches and it makes it hard.
I figure if I buy everything that I need at the start of the month then just keep adding to the stockpile that maybe just maybe the month of October when I go to do the monthly shopping trip it might be a little less due to being stocked up. At least this is my hope.
Of course I'll also make my menu with some things that we already have here at the house, to help with the cost.
Plus since I've started doing Weight Watchers and working out this will help me better plan out my meals.
Check out my fitness blog

http://mommyof6gettingfit.blogspot.com/

Another shopping trip

I ran into a guy in Walmart the other day who had a coupon binder. I thought it was awesome so I said something to him about his binder and we got to talking. He shared some really good info with me about websites and shopping at Walmart. Some of the items in this picture are from Walmart. $214.96 worth of groceries for $37.72. Saved $177.24 or 82%!

Here's the picture:

Here's the list of items:

5 Dove deo
7 Snuggle fabric softner sheets
1 air freshner
1 Mr Clean floor cleaner
8 count Gatorade (some got broken into on the ride home)
2 bags of chips
7 Hawaiian sandwich rolls
4 2 pack bars of soap
4 trail packs of Cascade (they paid me to take them home)
1 Fiber Plus bars
1 box Cereal
1 pack Nesquick
2 noodle cups
6 Lipton recipe secrets
2 things of blueberries
6 boxes of pasta
17 cake mixes
14 frostings
3 brownies
5 Weight Watchers yogurt
6 boxes Cracker creations
2 jars of salsa

Now keep in mind this isn't a normal shopping trip! This is a stockpiling trip. I don't really do normal shopping trips. I use our stockpile to fix our meals, clean our house etc.

Target deals

This week Target has women's razors on a deal! They have Venus razors on sale and if you buy two you get a $5 gift card. Here's the deal I got!

Venus razor for $5.99 (there are some for $8, don't get those)buy 2 and get $5 gift card. There is a $2 off coupon that expires 7/31/11. There is also a coupon out that if you buy any Venus razor you get free shave gel. I got 2 Venus razors for $1.49 each and 2 free things of shaving cream. I roll my gift cards sometimes. In this case I had a $5 gift card to use and I got a $5 gift card.

I also got 2 boxes of Luvs diapers on sale. They were $16 a box and if you bought two you got a $5 gift card. There is also a $2 off a box of Luvs coupon out. Two boxes of Luvs $32, then the coupons make it $28, then take away the $5 gift card that you roll (if you have one)$23. I bought 176 diapers and paid about .16 cents a diaper.

I also scored a travel swing (which I've been needing) for $35. The swing is usually $50.

Free Razors:)

Target has a deal right now that you can score some free razors on.

Schick Hydro 5 (men's razor) is on sale for $6.49. If you buy 2 you get a $5 gift card. There is a $4/1 razor coupon out there making the razor $2.49 after the coupon. Use two coupons (one for each razor) and you get them for $4.98. If you have a $5 gift card already and use it on this purchase then both razors are free and they pay you with a $5 gift card to carry 2 razors out of the store:)

I sometimes roll my gift cards to give me a great deal and other times I take the gift cards and give them away at kids birthday parties. What kid doesn't like to shop with their own "credit card".

Other times I take the cards and put them in an envelope and use them for birthday presents or Christmas presents.

Today's shopping trip and break down

$284.54 worth of household/grocery items for $101.73. I saved $182.81 or 64%. I shopped at Target, Walmart and CVS. Here's what I got!

7 4 packs of Scott TP for $1.97 each
2 boxes of Graham crackers (kis took off with one box) $1.89 each
1 box Tampax Tampons .99 cents
2 Oral B toothbrushes FREE
1 Gillette Razor FREE
4 pack of Starbucks Frap. FREE
6 packs of gum .28 cents each
9 travel bottles (for shampoo etc) .99 cents each
1 bottle Pantene shampoo FREE
1 bottle Pantene conditioner FREE
3 plastic tubs $1.49
3 Bath buddy bars .97 cents each
1 Aussie shampoo FREE
1 Aussie hair spray FREE
5 jars of Jif $1.67 each
1 jar jam $1.48 each
14 sponges .47 each
Bowls .75 cents
Tape .62 cents
1 twin pack of Swiffer refills $1.64
2 bottles of Head and Shoulders FREE
4 bottles of Gillette body wash FREE
1 Febreeze Fabric Refresher FREE
1 Febreeze Air Effects FREE
1 bottle Dawn FREE
2 bottles of Listerine Total Care FREE
5 bottles of Coke's for .69 each
2 bottles of Cacade Gel FREE
3 8 roll packs of paper towels (not pictured, already put up) $4.99 each
1 Swiffer Wetjet Starter kit $13.99
1 All You magazine $1.63 (yes, I had a coupon for this)
1 pack of sippy cups $2.96 (kids took off with them)
3 candy bars .25 cents each (kids)



I used a lot of Extra Care Bucks that I had saved up. I also got $18 worth of Extra Care Bucks, $10 gas card, and $5 gift card to Target. At CVS alone I saved $150.

Shopping trip

Ok I have no picture of this shopping trip because after shopping for 4 hours, with 5 kids in tow I was a little tired! I got $586.22 worth of groceries for $238.02. I saved $348.20 or 59%. Oh and I got $10 worth of Target gift cards, and .70 cents off per gallon of gas!

I'm stockpiling I'm not buying groceries for the week so keep that in mind as you read the list. I make our dinners etc off what's for sale, and what I already have in my stockpile.

Here is the list...

Grapes
1 salad kit
1 pack of spinach
Banana's
10 Sobe Lifewaters
2 six packs of Hershey bars
2 36 count boxes of tampons
1 box of Luvs diapers
12 bags of Wacky Mac
5 Dan-o-nino yogurts
10 boxes of pasta roni
2 cinnabon cereals
4 boxes of Fruit Loops
2 bags Tortilla chips
6 Edy's shakes
2 Sauve shampoo's
2 Sauve conditioners
5 boxes of pancake mix
1 can of frosting
2 boxes of cake mix
1 8 pack of paper towels
4 boxes of tampons (clearance)
1 beverage pitcher
2 Country Time Lemonade
6 boxes of snack crackers
10 Chef Boyardee
6 mustards
2 jars of pickles
2 bags of marshmallows
2 boxes of brownie mix
1 box Cheerios
2 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch
2 boxes of Cocoa Puffs
3 bottles of Wisk Laundry detergent
18 boxes of Totino's party pizza's
5 12 packs of Coke products
32 packs of hot dogs (Oscar Mayer & I got them for .49 cents)
1 bag Cheetos
1 bag of Fritos
12 cans of Grands biscuits
12 packs of lunch meat
5 boxes of M&M's

I went a little nuts on the hot dogs, but I figure they freeze and it's summer time which means cookouts!

Another grocery trip

Here is another great shop! I got $539.50 worth of groceries for $186.13. I saved $353.37 or 65%. I'd say that was a great shop! Here's a list of what I got!

4 12packs of Mt. Dew
6 All
5 2 liter of soda
12 packages of lunch meat
7 packs baby food
10 Lysol wipes
1 frozen veggie (free)
1 pack stew meat
4 soft scrub (2 free)
5 Lean Cuisine meals
1 Texas toast (free)
2 packs of pull ups
1 Off clip on starter kit
1 Off pack of refills (free)
1 Crest mouthwash
1 Olay face wash
1 Zyrtec (free)
2 Razors
1 razor refill
6 pop tarts
8 toothbrushes
18 Degree deo
3 Motrin pm (free)
6 Crystal lights
7 chocolate milks (free)
6 Texas toast croutons (free)
1 box ice cream bars (free)
1 hair color
1 Tide stain release
1 bag frozen dinner

Seems like I'm forgetting some things also. I'm going from memory and not my list. I know there were some other free or really close to being free items also.