Friday, March 18, 2011

Frugal Challenge Update - Cherry Picking The Cheap Grocery Shopping Deals

With rising food prices I am doubling my efforts to shop wisely buying items at their lowest prices and watching for the rock bottom grocery shopping deals. Today I had great fun. Two hours and three stores. I hit Target, Ralphs and CVS. I spent about an hour listing the grocery shopping deals this week I wanted and clipping the coupons. To conserve fuel I shopped in a circle and all the stores are only a few miles from where I live. 
And before you think we only eat junk food and drink too much soda, I am stocking up on things for this weekend as we have some friends and lots of teenagers coming to the house. 
I will have to pick up some produce but we have a great local produce market that has the freshest fruits and veggies at the lowest prices around. I can come home with 4 bags full of produce and fresh baked breads for around $10-$12. Can't beat that.
I am at a point in my stockpiling that I can cherry pick the deals and wait to buy other items when they go on sale again. This isn't always the case but for the most part it works this way.
Among the items I bought were two bags of dog food, baby diapers and wipes, shampoo, hair gel and Olay face wash and body wash. Tylenol, decongestant, meat and two containers of ice cream were also bought.
I squirrel away the snacks so the kids do not eat it all at once. I buy for upcoming holidays when I can get it cheap or free. The three bags of M&Ms will go in Easter baskets. All told I spent $69.27 for 65 items. At Target the checker was a young sweetie who was so surprised at my savings. I saved 26 dollars with coupons. I told her she could do it easily already working there. She was a doll.






We rarely eat dinner out and I cook most meals from scratch as it is the most economical way. I have a small garden too that gives us some fresh veggies in the summer.

Update: I do not coupon like I used to because couponing frankly has become much harder to make all the work of planning worth the saving. Also, we are eating less processed pre-packed foods and more homemade and from scratch cooking. I have always cooked dinner most every night but I am trying to make more of our food from scratch, like granola for cereal. Also, we garden year round and try and grow as much as we can in our yard.





10 comments:

  1. My Hubby (bless his heart) does most of the grocery shopping, as he's retired. We save the BIG shopping trips to do together. But....and this is great...he's more frugal than I am! :-)

    Hugs, Diane

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  2. Lots of great groceries!

    I just found your blog through one of the Friday Blog Hops!! Have a great weekend.

    Amanda @ www.nutritionistreviews.com

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  3. Excellent post. I tellya, I find that when I go into a grocery store, if I pick up the sales ad at the front I can find some good deals and prices. As you say with the cost everyone needs to be more frugal. Picking cherries is a fun day spent....I think. You get lots to freeze for months to come.

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  4. I'm a new follower from Boost My Blog Friday! Great blog! I would love if you'd stop by my blog at http://www.formulamom.com! Have a great day!

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  5. Stopping by to say hello and to follow.
    You can find me at http://poshonabudget.com/2011/02/happy-fridayfollow.html.

    Have a great day!
    POSH

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  6. I'm with you! Making meals from scratch are so much more economical! I also have a garden and love to pick fresh fruit!! I’m a new follower Happy Friday!! I would love for you to stop and take a look at my blog as well! Thanks!
    http://heavenlysavings.blogspot.com

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  7. Now that is some amazing savings!!!!

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  8. Hi, sounds like you might be a "grocery gamer" as well! My pantry is fully stocked and at dirt cheap prices. Managed to get our grocery bill down from $200-300 per week for a family of 4 with 5 cats and 1 dog to $50-60 per week for EVERYTHING...food, pet food/supplies, HBA....

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  9. Thanks so much for sharing! That is awesome! I am always trying to do better at the grocery store! I have recently started organizing my coupons in a binder but it is hard to find time with a 13 month old!

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  10. You're my idol! Thanks for linking up to Home and Family Friday!

    Becca

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