Grocery Budget Update - January

I don't know about you but the first month of 2014 has gone by pretty dang fast!  This past month I bought A LOT of groceries and A LOT of stock up items.  We ate really well too.  Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, delicious homemade soups, a few casseroles and delicious pasta dishes.  It was a scrumptious start to 2014.

I began our month with $125.oo plus $8.11 left from last month for a grand total of $133.11.  I spent $145.13 and will rollover the negative balance of $-12.02 into next month's budget.  Because this last week in January I got a jump start on my February shopping our starting total will be $112.98

Our non-food spending came in at $20.97 (of our allotted $25 budget) for a 16 lb bag of cat food, two boxes of facial tissues and two bottles of laundry detergent (loss leader at Walgreens for $1.49 each), a bottle of fabric softener, a bottle of dish soap and a lint roller.  Sales, coupons and a stop at the dollar store helped keep these expenses to a minimum.

This is what I bought for groceries this month:

		$$$
Spinach		1.48	Sale
Sour cream - 16 oz. (2)		1.56	Sale
Chile dip		0.68	Store Promotion
Scallions		0.50	Sale
Tomatoes		0.91
Orange juice - 1/2 gal		1.25	Store Coupon
Milk - 1/2 gal (2)		2.50	Store Coupon
Parmesan		2.09
Mushrooms		1.55
Tortilla chips (2)		1.50	Store Coupon
Soy sauce		1.88
Bacon		2.88
Cheddar cheese - 2#		5.89	Sale
Ground beef - 3#		5.99	Sale
Pasta (2)		1.03	Store Coupon/Coupon
Canned tomatoes (4)		2.00	Store Coupon
Oranges		2.01	Sale
Eggs - doz (2)		1.98	Sale
Soup (2)		FREE	Gift Card
Clam chowder (5)		3.95	Sale/Coupon
French bread (2)		1.00	Sale
Milk - 1gal		1.77	Store Promotion
Scallions		0.54
Bagels		1.27	Sale/Coupon
Bread (3)		4.00	Store Coupon
Tortilla chips		1.00	Sale
Cheese soup		1.50
Tortillas		1.39
Chili paste		2.49
Olives (2)		1.98
Lettuce		0.88
Cole slaw mix		0.98
Mixed veggies		3.49
Butter (2)		4.00	Store Coupon
Orange juice - 1/2 gal (2)		2.50	Store Coupon
Tomatoes		0.94
Onions		0.57
Chuck roast - 3.5#		9.45	Sale
Peas & carrots		0.79
Broccoli cuts		0.79
Pudding cups - 3 pkgs.		2.24	Sale/Coupon
Mini  Donuts - 2 pkgs		2.00	Sale
Sour cream - 16oz. (3)		3.00	Sale
Cream - pint		1.99
Oranges - 10#		2.50	Store Promotion
Tuna (2)		1.00	Store Promotion
Garlic bulb		0.34
Bell pepper		0.58	Sale
Green onions		0.44	Sale
Tortillas (2)		2.00	Sale
Cheese - 2#		4.99	Store Coupon
Tea bags		1.19
Cereal		2.32	Store Coupon/Coupon
Sugar - 4#		1.99
Apple juice (2)		1.96	Sale
Lettuce		0.26	Sale/Coupon
Peanut butter		2.99	Store Promotion
Honey		FREE	Store Promotion
Mixed veggies (2)		3.00	Sale
Bananas		0.76	Sale
Oranges		2.50	Sale
Milk - gal		1.77	Store Promotion
Ham - whole boneless		6.21	Markdown
Ramen (10)		1.25
Potatoes-  10#		1.48
Sirloin steaks (5)		7.45
Eggs - doz		0.98
Weiners (2)		1.00
Ice cream (2)		3.98
Total		$   145.13

I marked all my "stock up" items in red.  I am pretty pleased with the purchases I made and the fact that we enjoyed some really great meals this month. 

How were some ways you saved money on groceries this month?