After spending $304.57 on groceries this week, I've worked out that I saved $127.58 when compared to the cost of ordering it and having it delivered from Coles.
I've also worked out that in the six weeks since I started this little project on 18 March, I've spent a total of $1659.08 on groceries, spending an average of $276.51 per week. The last couple of weeks have been over that average, so I'm going to try to get under it this week, and then go for my minimal ($200-ish) shop the week after that.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Shopping Day, 20 April
Costco: $44.05
IGA: $12.00
Supabarn: $18.88
Woolworths: $27.01
Aldi: $104.41
Coles: $94.22
Reject Shop: $4.00
Total $304.57
I ended up going a little bit over my $300 budget this week, partly because Karen added several items at the last minute, and partly because I didn't cut out a few of my multi-buys to bring the total back under the limit. At the end of the day, I'm happy with what I did.
Shopping day actually happened over two days this week, because the kids are on school holidays and I didn't want to try to cram it all in on Friday. So I went out to Costco on Thursday, just to score a few bargains offered by their larger sizes and lower prices. The best thing was a big five-pound bag of shredded cheese, which I've split up into 300g sizes and popped into the freezer. That ought to last us a couple of months, and I scored it for $11. I also got a big-ass bag (1 kg, I think, for $8) of corn chips that I'm hoping will last a while.
Then today I started at the IGA, grabbing a dozen cans of soup for $1 each (cream of chicken, cream of celery, etc. that I use in different casserole recipes). From there to Supabarn to get 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) of chorizo sausages for $15 ($10/kg, compared to $14/kg that I normally pay at Aldi). Then to Woolworths to score a dozen packs of rice crackers (Karen loves 'em) for $1.16 each (half price). Then to Aldi, which is now competing with Coles as my main grocery store. No big bargains at Aldi, just the usual lower prices. And at Coles this week I scored more Campbell's stock (beef, chicken and veggie) for $2/liter.
That was an impulse purchase, and I nearly didn't go for it because when I buy the big ones, I end up wasting a lot. A lot of recipes call for one or two cups, and then I the rest ends up at the back of the fridge and finally re-discovered and dumped. This time I'm going to try using what I need for the recipe, then freezing the rest for later.
My stockpile shelves in the garage are pretty full, and I've got two weeks until the week I try to do a minimal shop and feed us from the stockpile. I noticed that when I started all this 6 weeks ago I thought I might get by with a $50-100 shop those weeks, and the one I've done so far came in at a little over $200. That's a nice kick in the balls from reality, but if I can do it for $200 or less this time, I'll be happy enough with that.
IGA: $12.00
Supabarn: $18.88
Woolworths: $27.01
Aldi: $104.41
Coles: $94.22
Reject Shop: $4.00
Total $304.57
I ended up going a little bit over my $300 budget this week, partly because Karen added several items at the last minute, and partly because I didn't cut out a few of my multi-buys to bring the total back under the limit. At the end of the day, I'm happy with what I did.
Shopping day actually happened over two days this week, because the kids are on school holidays and I didn't want to try to cram it all in on Friday. So I went out to Costco on Thursday, just to score a few bargains offered by their larger sizes and lower prices. The best thing was a big five-pound bag of shredded cheese, which I've split up into 300g sizes and popped into the freezer. That ought to last us a couple of months, and I scored it for $11. I also got a big-ass bag (1 kg, I think, for $8) of corn chips that I'm hoping will last a while.
Then today I started at the IGA, grabbing a dozen cans of soup for $1 each (cream of chicken, cream of celery, etc. that I use in different casserole recipes). From there to Supabarn to get 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) of chorizo sausages for $15 ($10/kg, compared to $14/kg that I normally pay at Aldi). Then to Woolworths to score a dozen packs of rice crackers (Karen loves 'em) for $1.16 each (half price). Then to Aldi, which is now competing with Coles as my main grocery store. No big bargains at Aldi, just the usual lower prices. And at Coles this week I scored more Campbell's stock (beef, chicken and veggie) for $2/liter.
That was an impulse purchase, and I nearly didn't go for it because when I buy the big ones, I end up wasting a lot. A lot of recipes call for one or two cups, and then I the rest ends up at the back of the fridge and finally re-discovered and dumped. This time I'm going to try using what I need for the recipe, then freezing the rest for later.
My stockpile shelves in the garage are pretty full, and I've got two weeks until the week I try to do a minimal shop and feed us from the stockpile. I noticed that when I started all this 6 weeks ago I thought I might get by with a $50-100 shop those weeks, and the one I've done so far came in at a little over $200. That's a nice kick in the balls from reality, but if I can do it for $200 or less this time, I'll be happy enough with that.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Shopping Day, 13 April
I'm a little under my max budget limit, but there are still a few things I want to buy. When I'm done, I should be right at the limit.
Aldi: $110.91
Woolworths: $80.37
Reject Shop: $11.00
Coles: $79.28
Total: $284.56
The sale items I grabbed this week came mostly from Woolies, including 4 jars of their new store brand salsa, 8 cans of their refried beans, and 10 packets of their taco seasoning. They pulled a smooth little trick, advertising Old El Paso for half price, then running their new store brand items, also at half price, and cheaper than the OEP stuff. So I loaded up more than I'd planned, while still being within budget.
My other unexpected purchase this week was a half dozen cans of Dr. Pepper. Dublin Dr. Pepper, with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, which I haven't had since I left Texas. They've been available here through mail order, but buying soft drinks on the internet has always seemed a little extravagant, and I've never done it. But the Reject Shop is selling them, and I'm hoping I can buy more. I've read that the Dublin bottling plant isn't making any more, so this might not last long, but I'm going to enjoy them while I can get them.
The problem, of course, is that drinking Dr. Pepper doesn't really fit in with my weight loss plans, so I'm going to have to work out some sort of reward system, I think.
Aldi: $110.91
Woolworths: $80.37
Reject Shop: $11.00
Coles: $79.28
Total: $284.56
The sale items I grabbed this week came mostly from Woolies, including 4 jars of their new store brand salsa, 8 cans of their refried beans, and 10 packets of their taco seasoning. They pulled a smooth little trick, advertising Old El Paso for half price, then running their new store brand items, also at half price, and cheaper than the OEP stuff. So I loaded up more than I'd planned, while still being within budget.
My other unexpected purchase this week was a half dozen cans of Dr. Pepper. Dublin Dr. Pepper, with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, which I haven't had since I left Texas. They've been available here through mail order, but buying soft drinks on the internet has always seemed a little extravagant, and I've never done it. But the Reject Shop is selling them, and I'm hoping I can buy more. I've read that the Dublin bottling plant isn't making any more, so this might not last long, but I'm going to enjoy them while I can get them.
The problem, of course, is that drinking Dr. Pepper doesn't really fit in with my weight loss plans, so I'm going to have to work out some sort of reward system, I think.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Weekly Menu Plan
Friday: Burgers & Chips ($8.00)
Saturday: Nachos ($11.20)
Sunday: Chicken & Tomato Braise w/Rice ($6.80)
Monday: Fish Stew ($7.00)
Tuesday: Chicken Nuggets & Hash Brown Casserole ($11.00)
Wednesday: Spaghetti ($7.10)
Thursday: Sausage & Potato Casserole ($11.80)
Wow, that comes to $62.90 for dinner all week (out of a $300 weekly shopping total). Although that mainly just covers dinners for the three kids, because Karen and I will eat different meals. Because we're special like that.
Saturday: Nachos ($11.20)
Sunday: Chicken & Tomato Braise w/Rice ($6.80)
Monday: Fish Stew ($7.00)
Tuesday: Chicken Nuggets & Hash Brown Casserole ($11.00)
Wednesday: Spaghetti ($7.10)
Thursday: Sausage & Potato Casserole ($11.80)
Wow, that comes to $62.90 for dinner all week (out of a $300 weekly shopping total). Although that mainly just covers dinners for the three kids, because Karen and I will eat different meals. Because we're special like that.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Shopping Day, 5 April
Shopping day came early this week because all the shops are closed tomorrow for Good Friday.
Aldi: $78.68
Coles: $88.03
Woolworths: $43.05
Total: $209.76
My original plan this week was to buy as little as necessary, but that was quickly vetoed by the rest of the family. They figure they can't fully enjoy their four-day weekend without some treats, and my vote doesn't count. But to be honest, even with their junk food, the total could've been a lot lower if I hadn't stocked up on a few sale items.
I've been thinking that once a month, I'd try to do a very minimal shop. But today I started thinking that, with the stuff we buy on a regular basis, it makes sense to buy it when it's on sale, and that means hitting the sale items every week.
I'm also starting to think that when I find a really good deal, I need to buy more items. The $1 pasta sauces I grabbed a few weeks ago were an excellent bargain. Sure, somebody's running pasta sauce on sale every week, but I haven't seen it at $1 since then. And at the time, buying nine jars seemed like a lot, but three weeks later, we've used half of them.
So the key is to make sure it's really a good deal (by checking my price book to see that it not only beats the regular price, but it's a good sale price, too)
As it turned out, this I could get potato chips at Woolworths for $1.50 a bag if I bought four of them. So I did. And Aldi three 12-packs of "Fake Zero" available, so I bought them all. They also had the sugar-free chocolate chip cookies, so I bought eight packets of those. And Coles had big jars of Kraft peanut butter on sale for $6 and 100 pks of Earl Grey tea bags for $7, so I bought two of each. Oh, and fat-free salad dressing for $2, so I grabbed three bottles. Five bucks here, seven bucks there, and by the time I was done, I'd spent an extra $50.
Still, I'm $90 under my usual $300 a week, and at $1071 in four weeks, I figure I've saved about $300, or nearly 25%, in a month.
Now I just need to figure out a way to make sure that the next $300 I save is actually sitting there in the bank a month from now. I haven't checked, but I'm pretty confident that the $300 I saved this time has already been spent (by those who shall remain nameless) on other things.
Aldi: $78.68
Coles: $88.03
Woolworths: $43.05
Total: $209.76
My original plan this week was to buy as little as necessary, but that was quickly vetoed by the rest of the family. They figure they can't fully enjoy their four-day weekend without some treats, and my vote doesn't count. But to be honest, even with their junk food, the total could've been a lot lower if I hadn't stocked up on a few sale items.
I've been thinking that once a month, I'd try to do a very minimal shop. But today I started thinking that, with the stuff we buy on a regular basis, it makes sense to buy it when it's on sale, and that means hitting the sale items every week.
I'm also starting to think that when I find a really good deal, I need to buy more items. The $1 pasta sauces I grabbed a few weeks ago were an excellent bargain. Sure, somebody's running pasta sauce on sale every week, but I haven't seen it at $1 since then. And at the time, buying nine jars seemed like a lot, but three weeks later, we've used half of them.
So the key is to make sure it's really a good deal (by checking my price book to see that it not only beats the regular price, but it's a good sale price, too)
As it turned out, this I could get potato chips at Woolworths for $1.50 a bag if I bought four of them. So I did. And Aldi three 12-packs of "Fake Zero" available, so I bought them all. They also had the sugar-free chocolate chip cookies, so I bought eight packets of those. And Coles had big jars of Kraft peanut butter on sale for $6 and 100 pks of Earl Grey tea bags for $7, so I bought two of each. Oh, and fat-free salad dressing for $2, so I grabbed three bottles. Five bucks here, seven bucks there, and by the time I was done, I'd spent an extra $50.
Still, I'm $90 under my usual $300 a week, and at $1071 in four weeks, I figure I've saved about $300, or nearly 25%, in a month.
Now I just need to figure out a way to make sure that the next $300 I save is actually sitting there in the bank a month from now. I haven't checked, but I'm pretty confident that the $300 I saved this time has already been spent (by those who shall remain nameless) on other things.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Dollar Store Bargains? Sure, If Know What You're Doing
Forbes has an article called Are Dollar Stores Really a Bargain? that's worth a quick read. In a nutshell, it says that the best deals are usually on paper products (paper plates, napkins, etc.), seasonal items (Karen always grabs a lot of cheap wrapping paper and cards right after Xmas), kitchen ware, kids' coloring books, and things like paintbrushes, tape, etc. Items to avoid (usually due to quality issues) include electronics, clothes, medication and vitamins, power cords, and toothpaste.
I think the two most important things when shopping in dollar stores are:
1) know whether the price is really lower than elsewhere ("price book" data comes in really handy here)
2) take the quality into account;
The hard part (for me at least) is that most of the dollar stores around here don't have websites or put out any info (either online or on paper) about their prices and sales. To check for bargains, I have to go into the stores and have a look around. Occasionally, I do that, but not on any sort of regular basis. So even if there are bargains to be found, I'm missing them because I'm not there.
I think the two most important things when shopping in dollar stores are:
1) know whether the price is really lower than elsewhere ("price book" data comes in really handy here)
2) take the quality into account;
The hard part (for me at least) is that most of the dollar stores around here don't have websites or put out any info (either online or on paper) about their prices and sales. To check for bargains, I have to go into the stores and have a look around. Occasionally, I do that, but not on any sort of regular basis. So even if there are bargains to be found, I'm missing them because I'm not there.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Weekly Meal Plan With Meal Cost Breakdown
I've been posting our weekly meal plans on my other blog, but I should probably start posting them here as well. Since I shop on Friday, our menu plans run from Friday through to the next Thursday, and this week it looks like this:
Friday: Hamburgers & Chips [large burger patty, big salad]
Saturday: Tacos [chicken breast, beans, salad]
Sunday: Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya [jambalaya, salad]
Monday: Tuna Patties, Pasta, and Green Beans
Tuesday: Meatball Soup, Garlic Bread
Wednesday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread
Thursday: Tater Tot Casserole
And tonight I worked out the cost of each meal, and the cost per serving. It's a little tricky because I'm on a low-carb diet and don't always eat the same meals I cook for the boys, but I'm figuring in my costs, too.
The hamburger and chips meal was the least expensive so far. A half pound of ground beef ($3), 3 hamburger buns ($1) (I bought a half dozen, the others are in the freezer for next week), a half a bag of frozen oven fries ($1), some salad ($1.50), and Coke ($1) cost a total of $8, so that works out to $2 each.
The tacos were more expensive (but only because I had a grilled chicken breast instead), with another half pound of ground beef ($3) and a taco meal kit ($4), salad, cheese, sour cream, etc. ($2), Coke ($1), plus I had a half a can of beans ($0.40) and a chicken breast ($2.50) for a total of $12.90, or $3.23 each.
And the chicken and sausage jambalaya was in the middle, with a cup of basmati rice ($1), a chicken breast ($2.50), a couple of links of sausage ($3.50), a can of diced tomatoes ($0.80), 2 cups of chicken stock ($1), Coke ($1) and some salad for me ($1) for a total of $11.80, or $2.95 each.
That's three dinners for roughly $32.70, and I'm pretty happy with that. I'm a little bit surprised at how cheap the burgers are, especially since grabbing McDonalds instead would set us back between $35 and $40. And while the oven-baked chips don't compare to hot, deep-fried, salty, golden French Fries, the kids agree that my burgers beat Maccas' any day of the week.
So far the kids have enjoyed all the meals on the menu. Friday night is almost always Burger Night, except on the rare occasion that it's Pizza Night (sometimes homemade, but usually take-out), and they really enjoy it. It's how we start our weekend.
And Saturday night is almost always Mexican Night, but rarely tacos. Usually we do nachos or, if I'm working I'll fix up some enchiladas that Karen can throw in the oven for half an hour. Lately, I've been trying some different Mexican-inspired casseroles (some of which have been better received than others), but because we have tacos so rarely, the kids think of them as a treat, and thoroughly enjoyed them.
The jambalaya was a recipe that I've had for a while, but haven't cooked in a long time. In fact, I didn't remember ever cooking it, but both Jack and James insisted that I have, so I'll take their word for it. Everybody enjoyed it, and there were complaints about the absence of left-overs, so I might have to add more rice next time.
So hey, I'm three for three, and I'm doing it on the cheap!
Friday: Hamburgers & Chips [large burger patty, big salad]
Saturday: Tacos [chicken breast, beans, salad]
Sunday: Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya [jambalaya, salad]
Monday: Tuna Patties, Pasta, and Green Beans
Tuesday: Meatball Soup, Garlic Bread
Wednesday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread
Thursday: Tater Tot Casserole
And tonight I worked out the cost of each meal, and the cost per serving. It's a little tricky because I'm on a low-carb diet and don't always eat the same meals I cook for the boys, but I'm figuring in my costs, too.
The hamburger and chips meal was the least expensive so far. A half pound of ground beef ($3), 3 hamburger buns ($1) (I bought a half dozen, the others are in the freezer for next week), a half a bag of frozen oven fries ($1), some salad ($1.50), and Coke ($1) cost a total of $8, so that works out to $2 each.
The tacos were more expensive (but only because I had a grilled chicken breast instead), with another half pound of ground beef ($3) and a taco meal kit ($4), salad, cheese, sour cream, etc. ($2), Coke ($1), plus I had a half a can of beans ($0.40) and a chicken breast ($2.50) for a total of $12.90, or $3.23 each.
And the chicken and sausage jambalaya was in the middle, with a cup of basmati rice ($1), a chicken breast ($2.50), a couple of links of sausage ($3.50), a can of diced tomatoes ($0.80), 2 cups of chicken stock ($1), Coke ($1) and some salad for me ($1) for a total of $11.80, or $2.95 each.
That's three dinners for roughly $32.70, and I'm pretty happy with that. I'm a little bit surprised at how cheap the burgers are, especially since grabbing McDonalds instead would set us back between $35 and $40. And while the oven-baked chips don't compare to hot, deep-fried, salty, golden French Fries, the kids agree that my burgers beat Maccas' any day of the week.
So far the kids have enjoyed all the meals on the menu. Friday night is almost always Burger Night, except on the rare occasion that it's Pizza Night (sometimes homemade, but usually take-out), and they really enjoy it. It's how we start our weekend.
And Saturday night is almost always Mexican Night, but rarely tacos. Usually we do nachos or, if I'm working I'll fix up some enchiladas that Karen can throw in the oven for half an hour. Lately, I've been trying some different Mexican-inspired casseroles (some of which have been better received than others), but because we have tacos so rarely, the kids think of them as a treat, and thoroughly enjoyed them.
The jambalaya was a recipe that I've had for a while, but haven't cooked in a long time. In fact, I didn't remember ever cooking it, but both Jack and James insisted that I have, so I'll take their word for it. Everybody enjoyed it, and there were complaints about the absence of left-overs, so I might have to add more rice next time.
So hey, I'm three for three, and I'm doing it on the cheap!
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