January 2017 Grocery Spending

HI! Welcome to what I 'hope' to be a new, monthly post.  I say HOPE because you know, life gets in the way of things but this year, I'm aiming to really watch them dollars and treat them like little green soldiers with a job to do each and every day ...

In late December, I opened up another CapitalOne 360 account online. This one was a checking account (I already have two savings accounts set up there) and it's specifically for grocery shopping. I figured maybe, just MAYBE this will keep my grocery shopping in check.  I deposited $200 at the time of opening and then another $200 right before the new year so I would have my new goal of $400 in that checking account. The debit card arrived a little over a week after I set it up, thanks to the funky Monday holiday schedule and I used it the first time on January 4th ...

I kept all my receipts in an envelope in my notebook … I really should have typed them up as the month went along but that would have required too effort. Instead, I’m spending the LAST Sunday of January doing it … *raise your hand if you are floored that it’s the end of January already?!

So. At the end of the month (today, as far as I’m concerned since I don’t anticipate any stops Monday or Tuesday), I spent $561.53.  That’s $161.53 over what I had hoped to spend.  I’m thinking I need to do a No Spend week from 1/30 to 2/6 if not longer. We do have a rather large expense at the end of the month as we are hosting my daughter’s wedding reception at the house on the 25th … it will be fine as we are making all the food and such and limiting the alcohol to beer and wine/sangria.  Told hubby we need to hide the real stuff in the house just in case! There will be about 65 people and since we didn’t have to pay for a wedding, I said let’s do the reception right with tents/tables/chairs/centerpieces, etc.  And since we all love to cook, we choose to make the food ourselves with a little help from Costco!


January 4th, 2017
Publix $31.02

Seriously, no idea how it got to $31 so quickly!


2 bunches cilantro (thought one was parsley) $1.78 for both
2 bags sweet baby peppers B1G1F $5.99 for both (as opposed to $3.99 a pound for red pepper)
2 bottles light olive oil (mayo and ranch making) B1G1F $8.63 for both
12 pk of LaCroix water $4.99
1 pound bag of carrots 99 cents
12 pk organic store brand coffee pods $7.99 (cheapest there was)
1 lonely WHITE sweet potato (1/2 pound) 65 cents (should have been $2.49/pound but he rang it up wrong)

Whole Foods 1/5/17
$18.28

Honeycrisp apples (really) $12.29 (3 pounds worth)
Bag of date Sugar $5.99

I need to really take the sugar back, it’s not what I thought it was

Publix 1/8/17
$26.35

We volunteered to pick up drinks and ice for a Celebration of Life for my daughter’s father in law … yes, he passed away after undergoing extensive chemotherapy in California for a year. Enough money was raised to fly him home (medivac flight) on a Sunday, was admitted upon arrival to hospital on Monday morning, released to hospice at home on Tuesday morning and passed at 11:55am on Wednesday. All he wanted was to be home with his family and animals. Last wish granted.

6 12 pks soda (b2g1f) $5.29 x 4
20 pound bag of ice $3.69

Publix 1/13/17
$71.98

Huh.  I do fairly well, and then look what happens. I was aiming to only spend, maybe $30 for cat food, Lacroix, and a few veggies.

Bananas $1.65
Kcups – Dunkin Donuts $6.49
Fresh salsa x 2  $5 for both
Guacamole x 2 (b1g1f) $5.49 for both (not sure why I buy this, it needs so much
to make it yummier)
Almond milk creamer $3.00
Shredded carrots $1.99
3 jalapeno peppers  $.37
Fresh parsley  $.99
taters $2.93
cat food $13.59
Lacroix $4.99
Plantain strips (chips) $2.79
12 pk Becks light $9.99
Blue tortilla chips  $5.99
2 bags of chips  $5 for both

Publix 1/22/17
$21.11

Bananas $2.18
Honeycrisp apples $6.90
2 pkgs green beans $1.69 each
2 gallons water $.95 each
Milk  $3.75
Almond milk creamer  $3.00

Walmart 1/24/17
$43.48

Uhm, this was on my lunch hour to get out of the office and find something to eat as well …

Watermelon water $2.98 (ick)
2 red bell peppers  $1.68 each!
1 jazz apple   $.77
Hot dog buns $2.98
Bag of coleslaw mix $1.86
Bottle of ketchup  $2.98
Green juice x 2     $2.49 each less 50 cents each 
Celery $2.43
Grass fed hunk of beef $10.39
Sliced ham  $2.18
2 gallons water $.88 each
Icebreaker candy $1.98
Mints  $1.98

So - I feel I need to explain the gallons of water. We had this big @ss Brita container in the main fridge that took up half of one shelf. It was great, so long as everyone remembered to add water AND I remembered to change the filter every once in a while.  I got tired of the condensation build up from when we filled it and just dealing with it all the time, so I cleaned it up and stuck it in storage for the Boy when he moves.  After 8 gallons of water, the boy pulled up this on Amazon and suggested I buy it. I did, since I had a $25 gift card (thanks to swagbucks!) and it came in 2 days. Works like a charm and now we just need to remember to fill up the gallon once it's empty and we always have 2 in the fridge already ... that was a win win to me ... $18 would have been 18 gallons of water, 2 to 3 gallons a day and we would have hit that $ in one week.

Publix 1/16/17
$3.75
One thing: Milk $3.75

Publix 1/26/17
$101.77



What should have been a quick stop at the store ended up to be so much more. Story of my life and perfect example of WHY you shouldn’t stop for just one thing … hold out as long as you can! 10 days was a good hold out!

Kcups (Panera brand) $6.49
Kcups (Publix organic) $6.49
Large Ziploc bags  $2.50 x 2
2 12 pks Lacroix (b1g1f) $4.99 for both
Calendar  $4.99 (cute, yoga poses for cats, for my dad)
3 12 packs soda (b2g1f)  $5.49 x 2 (Hubby is still hooked on soda)
Carton of almond milk creamer  $3.00
Gallon of milk  $3.75
2 lemons $1.69
2 limes  $1.00
2 pkgs of tomatoes $3.99 each (mini San Marzano, total splurge)
2 containers cut watermelon  $6.32 for both (b1g1f)
Bag of yellow onions $2.99
2 ½ pounds tomatoes $3.07
2 bags of chips  $5.00
Bag of Tostitos  $4.29    
Hot house cucumber  $2.00
Garbage bags  $8.49
Large container spring mix $6.99
18 count EB eggs  $4.49 (eek)

Walmart 1/28/17
$243.79 ($32 of which was clothing)



Oops. Can I just say: the purpose of this stop was to pick up dad's stuff, a few cans of celery soup, some marinara sauce and bread. So much unnecessary stuff. I got caught up in the moment 😧

Half & Half (store brand)   $2.24 
large Ranch Dressing   $3.88
Keurig coffee (store brand) $14.98
Bag of candy  $5.38 (dad-I’m questioning though as I don’t remember 2 bags)
Bag of Twix   $5.78 (dad)
2 pkgs Milano Cookies $4.48 each (dad)
Gallon of OJ   $4.54
Twin pack turkey lunchmeat $5.76 *kids at house over weekend
Twin pack ham lunchmeat   $5.76 *kids at house over weekend
3 containers cottage cheese  $1.84 each
2 ¼ lb 85/15 ground beef x 4  $5.77 each (this was black angus and a great deal and took all 4!)
Large container fresh salsa  $4.96
7 pkgs lil smokies (14 oz each)  $1.50 each (stock up for reception at end of February)
Pills White $1.00 (trying to figure out what this is too)
2 pkgs 1 pound Mozzarella  $4.22 each
Bag of fried “rice” cauliflower  $3.97 (fresh produce section, new item)
2 pkgs 1 pound Cheddar Cheese $4.22 each
Pkg Cherrywood smoke turkey  $3.48
Pkg smoked turkey  $3.48
6 cans cream o celery soup  $.94 each
Jar pasta sauce   $1.98
Small grey poupon $2.98  (so used to buying at Costco, I had sticker shock)
2 jars marinara sauce  $1.98 each
Can of red skinned peanuts $3.18 (hubby’s treat)
2 pkgs fudge stripe cookies  $2.00 each (hubby’s treat)
Large bag of chips $3.98
6 pk donuts  $2.78 (treat for dad and friends)
Sour cream  $1.58
Pkg of fresh mozzarella $5.98
2 pkgs of sliced pepperoni $2.48 each
2 pkgs smoked sausage $2.98 each
Pkg of lettuce “filets” leaves   $2.96
Applegate hot dogs  $4.98
2 avocados   $1.96 (.98 each)
2 lemons $1
2 limes $.80
8 pk diet pepsi  $2.50 (dad)
2 heads iceberg $.98 each
2 18 pks EB eggs $3.88 each (again, sticker shock after Costco for so long)
Large container blueberries    $5.52 *kids at house over weekend
Large container strawberries  $4.74 *kids at house over weekend
*2 work out tops   $7.00 each (clearance)
Leggings   $15.86 (for workout)

Notice I said "kids at house over weekend"? Well, not really kids, but young adults. 

Looking forward to sharing with some of these GREAT Parties ... go check them out!

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