Stop and Shop

3.34 lb Pears $4.98 ($1.49/lb)

2 lb Strawberries $4.99

.83 lb Bananas .49 (.59/lb)

2 Avocados @ $1.25 each

Cantaloupe $1.49 with in-ad coupon

2 lb Bag Onions $2.49

5 lb Bag Russet Potatoes $3.99

Apple and Eve Juice Boxes $2.50

Wheat Thins $2.00

2 Wheat Ritz @ $2.00 each - $1/2 MC and .50 scanner gun savings

3 Cheerios @ $3.00 each

2 Gallons Stop and Shop Milk @ $3.49 each - $3.50 instant savings wyb 3 General Mills cereal

Oreos $1.88 with in-ad coupon (treat for me- maybe I'll let the kids have a couple if I feel nice)

2 Motts Natural Applesauce @ $2.00 each - $1/2 MC

Hellmanns Mayo $1.88 with in-ad coupon

2 Fransesco Rinaldi Sauce @ $1.25 each

3 Stop and Shop Sliced Beets @ .89 each

3 Old El Paso Dinner Kits @ $2.14 each (33% off sale) - .60/3 MC (doubled) ***$1.74 each***

Kikoman Light Soy Sauce $2.00

4C Grated Parmesan Cheese $3.49

2 Sierra Mist @ $1.50

Margherita Pepperoni $1.99

2 Starbucks Ice Cream @ $3.50 each (for my husband- he's got expensive taste!)

Little Debbie Honey Buns (snack for husband on way to work)

Omega 3 Cage Free Eggs $3.19

2 Matthews Whole Wheat Bread @ $2.49 each

Tropicana Orange Juice $1.88 with in-ad coupon

Stop and Shop String Cheese (24 pack) $6.29 (yikes- expensive!)

Chi-Chi's Whole Wheat Tortillas $1.67

2 GoGurt @ $2.99 each - .85/2 MC (doubled)

5 Stop and Shop Frozen Veggies @ $1.25 each

6 Yoplait Yogurt Cups @ .50 each - .40/6 MC (doubled)

2 Yoplait Yogurt Cups @ .50 each - (2) .35 MC (doubled) ***.40 overage***

3 Bags Cadbury Mini Eggs @ $3.69 each - $3.69 Buy 2 Get 1 Free Sale (husband really wanted these)

Total: $115.28

It makes it super hard to buy the kind of foods I want when the lovely store that is closest to me doesn't have the brands I want. I prefer to buy my kids Stoneyfield yogurt in the big containers but of course Stop and Shop did not have them. My second choice was Simply GoGurt, but of course Stop and Shop did not have them either. I had to settle on regular GoGurt which isn't going to kill my kids but it has too much sugar in it along with other ingredients I'm not ecstatic about.

I budgeted $125 this week for groceries which means I am under but I was really hoping to run to Whole Foods to buy some split chicken breast (on sale for $1.99/lb) and some pork chops. If I do manage to make the trip then I suppose I will be over for the week but we gotta eat and I could just spend less next week to make up for it.

Sunday Shopping Adventures!

photo credit

I took pictures of my shopping bounty but unfortunately it turns out that my camera does not store pictures internally if there is no memory card inserted. Blah.

So here is a much less exciting plain list of what I got:

Target

Up & Up Bleach Kitchen Spray $1.89

Annies Graham Cracker Bunnies $2.00

Motts Natural Applesauce $2.19

Little Debbie Honey Buns $1.50 (for my hubby)

4 lb Bag Market Pantry Sugar $2.69

(2) 5 lb Bags Market Pantry Unbleached Flour @ $2.09 each

Market Pantry Dried Apricots $2.44

4 lb Gala Apples $4.79

Bananas $1.44

Market Pantry Frozen Broccoli .92

(2) Gallons Market Pantry Whole Milk @ $3.49 each

Simply GoGurt $2.64

Kraft Singles $2.99

24 Pack Market Pantry String Cheese $5.39

(4) Market Pantry Shredded Cheese @ $2.00 each - (2) $1/2 Target Coupons

Less $1/3 Market Pantry Items Target Coupon

Less $25 Gift Card (a Christmas Gift)

Less $10 Gift Card (from a previous shopping trip)

Less $1.25 in Red Card Savings

Total Out Of Pocket: $11.06

Dave's Marketplace (a local grocery store chain)

2 Crispix Cereal @ $1.99 each - $1/2 MC (I love this cereal as a snack!)

Matthew's Whole Wheat Bread $3.99

Stoneyfield 32 oz. Strawberry Yogurt $3.99 - .50 MC

2.72 lb Pears $4.05 (1.49/lb)

5 lb Bag Red Potatoes $3.99

2 Avocados @ $1.00 each

Kiwi .50

Total: $21.00

The following trip to Stop and Shop was made by my husband on Saturday...

2 Starbuck's Ice Cream

3 Bags Cadbury Eggs

Frozen Pizza

Candy for the kids

Total: $24.72

My total spent for the week is $149.96 which means I am .04 cents under what I budgeted, even with my husband's impromptu trip to the store.

I figure that next week I will be able to get by with spending less than $100 (hopefully!) and maybe from here on out I will be able to wrangle in my budget a bit while also buying healthy foods.

Stop and Shop- Back to Posting My Shopping Trips!

In my quest to buy more healthy (and to figure out what my grocery budget should be) I am going to be posting all of my shopping trips. Here we go...

Special K Cereal $2.50 - .62 in-ad coupon and .70 MC (doubled)
Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers $2.50
2 Cheerios and 2 MultiGrain Cheerios $10.00 - (2) .85 MC (doubled)- had to buy 4 to get the sale price
5 lb Red Potatoes $3.49
3.82 lbs Pears $5.69 ($1.49/lb)
2 Avocados $3.00
1 lb Strawberries $3.49
Star Fruit $1.99 (wanted to buy something new- the kids kind of liked it)
Stop and Shop Salad $1.00
1.97 lb Apples $1.95 (.99/lb)
1.20 lbs Bananas .71 (.59/lb)
.44 lb Red Pepper $1.32 ($2.99/lb)- for the chili I am making next week
Garlic .50
2 Juicy Juice @ $2.50 each (I thought I had coupons for them, but the coupons were for different ones)
Motts Natural Applesauce Cups $2.00
2 Stop and Shop Candy Bags @ $1.00 each (treats for the kids- bribery still works!)
2 Sargento Shredded Cheese @ $2.50 each
Stop and Shop Ricotta $3.29
Heinz Ketsup $4.88 (terrible price, but we ran out- grrrr)
4 Progresso Soup @ $1.50 each - $1/4 MC (my husband likes these for lunch when he's home)
2 Cans Stop and Shop Kidney Beans @ .67 each- for chili
Chi-Chi's Whole Wheat Tortillas $2.39
3 Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta @ .79 each
Tutturosi Tomato Puree $1.00- for chili
Stop and Shop Sugar $ 2.39- thought we needed this but I had a whole bad already in my pantry
Stop and Shop Milk $2.49 - .50 in-ad coupon
2 Simply GoGurt @ $2.99 each - .85 MC (doubled)
4 Yoplait Simplait Yogurt @ .50 each - (2) .30 MC and 2 .40 MC (all doubled) ***.80 overage***
6 Yoplait Yogurt @ .50 each - .40 off 6 MC (doubled)- this is the only yogurt I like
2 Land O' Lakes Omega-3 Eggs @ $2.50 each - $1/2 MC
Florida's Natural Orange Juice $2.79
Sara Lee Whole Wheat Bread $2.50
Stop and Shop Pretzels $2.29
Packing Tape $1.99

Total: $90.90

I feel like I did pretty well health wise- nothing stands out as too junky to me. My kids love wheat Ritz- not the healthiest but if that is the worst thing they are eating then I think we're doing pretty well.

Money wise I don't think I went too crazy- everything I bought was stuff we needed. I figure we'll most likely need one or two more gallons of milk before next Friday which will add maybe another $7 at most and possibly another loaf of bread which will be about $3. With all of that my weekly grocery total will be right at $100 (my week goes from Friday to Thursday).

As for meat, we have enough in the freezer to get us through the week. I am planning on making a Whole Foods run next week but if the opportunity comes up I may just do it this week. I really am not sure how much buying higher quality meat will cost us each month- once I get a better idea I should be able to come up with a set in stone grocery budget that won't make me feel like a failure each week.

Along with posting all of my shopping trips, I am also going to be getting back to menu planning. I really hate menu planning but I think it will help me see where I am spending my grocery money and how I can maybe streamline things.

Stop and Shop- Cheap Organic Meat

Stop and Shop Tater Tots $2.00 (haven't had these in a looong time)

Cole Slaw $1.91 (husband's favorite)

Stop and Shop Hamburger Buns $1.25

6 lbs Nature's Promise Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef @ $4.99/lb

Total: $35.10

Alli and I went to pick out some plants at Home Depot to de-ghetto-ize (made the word up) our patio at which time I realized I had not planned anything for dinner. We meandered into Stop and Shop to find grub and I stumbled upon something so very wonderful- $4.99 a pound organic grass fed ground beef.  They weren't labeled with a price so I asked the meat guy how much they were and he said $7.99- I grabbed one package for dinner but when I checked out and saw how cheap it was I went back for more. $4.99 is an unheard of price- I bought six and left a bunch for other people though I wish I bought more. We made burgers with it and wowzer did it taste way better than the regular crap they sell. It actually tasted like beef, not like chemicals and it didn't have a weird texture.

I blew my grocery budget out of the water but I could not turn down the ground beef. I stink at budgets but am really good at making excuses for going over my budget...

Stop and Shop

I have no picture because my husband took the memory card from the camera to work by accident so in  place of a pile of food I have a picture of a donkey.

7 Ears Corn on the Cob $2.31

5 lb Bag Russet Potatoes $3.99

Green Grapes $2.05 (.88/lb with in ad coupon)

Grated Carrots $1.79

*Planters Natural Peanut Butter $2.50 - $1.00 MC

*Belvita Biscuits $2.99 - .75 MC (doubled)

*8 Nabisco Snack Packs @ $2.00 each - (4) $1/2 MC

Motts Natural Applesauce 8 Pack $2.00 - $1.00 MC

Francesco Rinaldi Pasta Sauce $2.00 - .25 MC (doubled)

2 Truvia Sweeteners @ $3.49 each - (2) .75 MC (doubled)

Stop and Shop Pretzels $2.00

Wisk $2.88 with in ad coupon - $2.00 MC

Tropicana Orange Juice $1.88 with in ad coupon

Stop and Shop Orange Slice Candy .55 (75% off summer clearance)

Gummy Worm Tub .92 (75% off summer clearance)

2 Angry Bird Gummies @ .27 each (75% off summer clearance)

3 Tootsie Roll Banks @ .25 each (75% off summer clearance)

12 Yoplait Yogurt @ .50 each - (2) .40/6 MC

2 Yoplait Simplait Yogurt @ .50 each - (2) .30 MC (doubled) ***free***

2 Beech Nut Stage 4 Pouches @ $1.09 each - (2) .75 MC (doubled) ***free***

Lenders Frozen Bagels $1.50 - .25 scanner gun savings

Lenders Frozen Bagels $1.50

2 Entenmens Little Bites Muffins @ 4.49 BOGO

Brawny 6 Pack Paper Towels $4.99 with in ad coupon - $1.00 MC

*Less $10 in instant savings

Less .20 in reusable bag credits

Total: $45.08

Saved 63%

Earned $4 Catlaina for purchasing 2 Truvia

*The General Mills deal was pretty good- I purchased eight snack sacks, one peanut butter and one box of Belvita for $15 after coupons. Then I got $5 instant savings for each set of five product I bought which netted me ten products for .50 each. We should be set on treats for awhile, unless I scarf them all down when the kids are in bed.

Other good deals were:

 Truvia- I paid $3.98 for both boxes and got back a $4 Catalina

Wisk- paid .88 after in ad coupon and $2 manufacturer coupon

Yoplait Simplait was free after .30 coupons doubled

When I was shopping today, an employee at Stop and Shop almost ran into me with the carriage he was pushing. Even though it was his fault I smiled and said sorry because I am polite. He rolled his eyes at me and then walked away shaking his head. That really pissed me off so I called him out on it- I told him it was rude to shake his head at me to which he denied that he did it and I called him rude again. Are you kidding me? If you are going to be rude someone at least have the balls to stand by your rudeness instead of denying it like a little pansy. What is the world coming to these days? I did have to laugh though because he totally avoided me like the plague for the rest of my shopping.

An Open Letter to Stop and Shop...

photo credit

Dear Stop and Shop,

I am writing this because I have had it with your terrible produce. Everything I buy from you is gross! The strawberries are moldy, the potatoes are rotten (my most recent batch had mold growing on them) and the expensive avocados I bought are full of gray, rotten spots.

I really thought that when you came out with your new guarantee of double your money back if you're not satisfied that you would upgrade the quality of your produce but you didn't. It still sucks and I have had it with buying it. I shouldn't have to truck my butt back to the store to get a refund for crappy produce- I should be able to buy a darn bag of potatoes without having to throw at least half away.

Due to your lack of desire to provide your customers with high quality produce, I will not be buying it from you anymore. Now I will go out of my way to purchase higher quality (and more expensive) produce from Whole Foods (Shaws, Target and BJ's suck too) or from the farmer's market. This means that I will be spending more of my time and using way more gas but at least I'll know that I won't be feeding my family moldy, rotten junk.

So, there you have it Stop and Shop- because of your inability to sell decent produce I will no longer be buying it from you. You should be ashamed of the crap that you try to pass off as produce.

Signed,

One Disgruntled Mom

Stop and Shop- Junk Can Be Good

1 lb Strawberries $2.50

Watermelon $3.49

2 Pack Garlic .99

4 Ears Corn $1.60

Pears $1.60 ($1.49/lb)

Mother's Day Card $3.69

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $2.49 (daughter was good so she got a treat)

3 Crispix @ $3.49 each

Frosted Flakes $3.29 (treat for my husband)

3 Instant Soups @ .40 each (lunch for work)

4 Stop and Shop Beets @ .85 each

Polander All Fruit Jelly $2.59

Whole Grain Goldfish Crackers $2.00 (not pictured)

4 El Paso Refried Beans @ $1.00 each - (2) .50 MC

4 Pampers Wipes @ $1.99 each - (4) .75 MC

Sorrento String Cheese $3.69

2 GoGurt @ $2.69 each - .75/2 MC

Simply Orange Juice $3.00

3 Newman's Diet Lemonade @ $1.79 each - (3) .75 MC (doubled)

2 Stop and Shop French Fries @ $2.00 each

Land O' Lakes Eggs $3.05 - .35 scanner gun savings

Stop and Shop Iced Oatmeal Cookies $1.50 (total craving)

Less $6 savings when you buy 4 Kelloggs cereal

Total: $58.14

Received free milk Catalina for purchasing four Kelloggs cereals

There is a lot of junk here. I suppose we all have our junky shopping trips and thank goodness for them. A little junk here and there is a great thing!

Stop and Shop

1 lb Organic Carrots $1.29

Oscar Meyer Selects Uncured Hot Dogs $3.99 - $1.00 MC

5 lb Bag Potatoes $3.99

McCormick Paprika $3.99

Molasses $3.69

Stop and Shop Worcestershire Sauce $1.99

Bush's Baked Beans $1.50

Liquid Smoke $1.99

.91 lb Apples $1.36

Celery $1.99

Calise Italian Rolls $2.79

Stop and Shop Hot Dog Buns $1.25

Total: $28.82

This trip is a classic example of how trying new recipes can really cost you. I made pulled pork sandwiches last night for dinner (recipe was from Cook's Illustrated) and needed paprika, molasses, worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke which are all things that I do not typically keep on hand. If I had decided to make a boring recipe that I've made a million times before I would have saved myself over $11 and if you include the rolls about $14. The good news is I got to make a yummy new recipe (I really liked it but it was very spicy so my husband who is not into spicy stuff thought it was so-so) and now I have a bunch of ingredients on hand that I can use in future recipes.

Target and Stop and Shop- Nothing Special Here...

I did some shopping at Target and Stop and Shop on Sunday but I have no pictures because I am a scatterbrain and forgot to charge my camera.

Target

Dentyne 3 Pack Gum $2.54 - $1.00 MC

10 Cans Market Pantry Tomatoes @ .50 each

Nesquik Powder $4.74 (requested by husband)

Entenmans Mini Muffins $2.99 (snack for husband)

2 Del Monte Peach Cups @ $2.39 each - $1/2 Peelie

McCormick Cinnamon $2.74

5 lb Bag Market Pantry Sugar $3.44

5 lb Bag Market Pantry Un-Bleached Flour $1.99

5 lb Bag King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour $3.88

Market Pantry Dried Apricots $2.44

2 Simply GoGurt @ $2.59 each - .75/2 Target Coupon

2 Men's Speed Stick @ $2.44 each - $2.44 BOGO MC

2 Puffs Bundle Packs @ $4.49 each - $2/2 Target Coupon

6 Ella's Kitchen Baby Food Pouches @ $1.39 each - (4) $1.00 MC and (2) .55 MC and $2/6 Target Coupon

Less $2.55 red card savings

Total: $48.92

Stop and Shop

5 Bags Stop and Shop Frozen Veggies @ $1.25 each

4 Ears Corn $1.60

Total: $7.85

Stop and Shop- Back Again

This trip is from Friday- it was one of those last minute OMG, we need produce trips.

2 lb Strawberries $3.99

Baby Watermelon $2.99

Bananas .97

Pears $3.89

Natures Promise Beef Patties $8.68 - $2 Meat Markdown and $2 Catalina

Pam Cooking Spray $3.79

Snyder Pretzel Rods $2.50

Oscar Meyer Uncured Bacon $4.99 - .55 MC (doubled)

Fiber One Whole Wheat Bread $2.50

Stop and Shop Hamburger Buns $1.25

Yoplait Kid's Yogurt $2.09 - .50 MC (received from a complaint to the company)

Florida's Natural Orange Juice $3.00

Less $7 in Catalina's from previous trip

Less .15 in reusable bag credits

Total: $27.39

Will send away for a rebate for Pam for $3.79

Saved (including rebate amount) 53%

I am really happy that big companies are starting to realize that consumers want more natural products to feed their families. I have been trying to steer clear of added nitrated in food which at one time meant that whole foods was my only option for such things but Oscar Meyer has really stepped up and are now offering uncured meat products. We are a big fan of their uncured Angus beef hot dogs, me because they don't have added nitrates and my husband and kids because they taste really good, and now I am excited to try their uncured bacon. If only more companies would open their eyes and start making products that don't have tons of added junk.

Stop and Shop

This trip is from Thursday, which was the last day of the awesome Scott paper goods sale of which I only took advantage of once because I can't seem to get my act together.

2 Pampers Wipes @ $1.99 each - (2) .75 MC (doubled)

Scott Naturals Paper Towels $4.99 - .99 MC (doubled)

Scott Naturals Toilet Paper $6.99 - .99 MC (doubled)

2 Newmans Diet Lemonade @ $1.79 each - (2) .75 MC (doubled)

Stop and Shop Old Fashioned Cookies $1.00 - $1.00 free Catalina ***free***

Calise Rolls $2.79

Less .05 in reusable bag credit

Total: $13.00

Saved 55%

Received $7 in Catalina coupons ($5 for purchasing $15 in participating items and $2 for purchasing Scott products)

So I ended up paying .50 cents each for the toilet paper and paper towels after coupons and taking into account the Catalina's I earned.

Other great deals were the wipes for .50 cents each (less than one cent per wipe) and the .29 cents lemonade.

Stop and Shop

5 lb bag Russet Potatoes $3.99

3 Ears Corn $1.21

Apples $1.95 ($1.49/lb)

Pennsivania Dutch Egg Noodles $1.67 - $1.00 MC

Stop and Shop Diced Tomatoes .75

2 Lysol Wipes @ $2.00 each - $1/2 MC

Oscar Meyer Premium Natural Hot Dogs $3.99

4 Pampers Wipes @ $1.99 each - (4) .75 MC (doubled)

Ellas Kitchen Baby Food Pouch $1.34 - .55 MC (doubled)

2 Scotts Naturals Wipes @ $2.19 each - .99 MC (doubled)

Stop and Shop Paper Plates $2.00 - $1 store Catalina

Stop and Shop Hot Dog Buns $1.25

McCain Fries $2.50

2 Care One Kid's Flossers @ .99 each - $1.50 store Catalina

2 Care One Hand Soap @ $1.50 each - (2) $1.50 store Catalinas ***free***

Less $3 off $30 store Catalina

Less .15 in reusable bag credits

Total: $22.60

Saved 57%

Will submit for Lysol Wipes try me free rebate ($2.00)

Stop and Shop- Produce and Beans

(2) 1 lb Cartons Strawberries @ $3.99 BOGO

Apples $2.38

Pears $3.65

Garlic $1.00

3 lb Onions $2.99

5 lb Bag Red Potatoes $3.49

Stop and Shop Pinto Beans $1.29

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks $2.00 (bribe for daughter- bad mom)

Total: $20.79

I am planning on making homemade bean and rice burritos tomorrow and will be making my own refried beans, hence the pinto beans, onions and garlic. Stay tuned to see if I am successful or if I totally screw up.

Stop and Shop

Autocrat Coffee Syrup $5.25

2 Beach Nut Baby Food @ .55 each - $1.10 free MC ***free***

Beech Nut Baby Cereal $1.79 - $1.79 free MC ***free***

2 Whole Grain Goldfish Crackers @ $2.39 BOGO (kids love these)

Stop and Shop Paper Towel $1.00 - $1.00 catalina ***free***

1.05 lb Nature's Promise Italian Sausage $5.24 - $2.00 Meat Markdown

1.01 lb Nature's Promise Italian Sausage $5.04 - $2.00 Meat Markdown

.87 lb Nature's Promise Chicken Breast $4.78 - $2.00 Meat Markdown

Less $2 catalina

Total: $14.76

Saved 50%

I wanted to use the free Beech Nut coupons that I had before they expired and I also just had to get my husband the coffee syrup because he kept complaining.

I like having sausage in the freezer for those nights where I am lazy and we end up having pasta for dinner. I defrost it, cut the meat out of the casing and add it to some jarred pasta sauce. Simmer for awhile, dump on some cooked pasta and enjoy. If I'm feeling really crazy I'll make some bread in the bread machine. So for minimal effort I look like I am some kind of top notch housewife.

Stop and Shop- Saved 60%

1 lb Strawberries $2.50

Nature's Promise Veggie Burgers $2.50

4 Yakisoba Noodles @ .50 each - (2) $1/2 MC ***free***

Stop and Shop Distilled Water .95 (for the steam mop)

Stop and Shop Marshmallows $1.00 (daughter's treat for being good)

Lay's Chips and Sunchips $2.50 each wyb 2 - $1 off salty snacks catalina

2 Pampers Wipes @ $1.99 each - (2) .75 MC (doubled)

4 Schick Shave Gel @ $2.65 each - (4) .75 MC (doubled)

Sorrento String Cheese $3.69 - $1.00 MC

Land O Lakes Eggs $3.19 - .35 scanner gun savings and .75 MC (doubled)

Land O Lakes Butter $2.50 - .75 MC (doubled)

Stop and Stop Eggs $1.99 - $1.99 free eggs when you spend $5 catalina

4 Bird's Eye Veggies @ $1.00 each - (2) $1/2 MC

Stop and Shop French Fries $2.00 (great for lazy dinner nights)

4 Ziploc Bags @ $2.29 each - (4) .60 MC (doubled)

Less $2 off $20 purchase catalina

Total: $28.54

Saved 61%

Received a $2 catalina for purchasing 4 Ziploc products

The Ziploc bags were a great deal- I paid $4.36 after my coupons (they were manufacturer coupons on Target.com) and got a $2 catalina. If you take the catalina into account I paid $2.36 or .59 a box. I know that there is supposedly a better deal at K-Mart this week but I hate K-Mart and would rather claw out my own eyeballs than ever set in that store.

The Yakisoba noodles were free but they have milk in them so I will most likely donate them which stinks because I love them- they are junk but sometimes junk just tastes too good to resist. Speaking of junk, I broke down and bought chips. I have not been buying any snacks for myself lately and I needed a  salty junk food fix. Hopefully I will use some willpower and not devour them too quickly but I don't see that happening.

How to Blow Your Grocery Budget...

Target

Hunts Tomatoes $1.87

Market Pantry Tomatoes $1.37

Market Pantry Tomatoes .77

Market Pantry Egg Noodles $1.59

2 Market Pantry Pasta Sauce @ $1.00 each

2 Market Pantry Kidney Beans @ .87 each

Entenmanns Muffins $2.99

Nature's Pride Whole Wheat Bread $2.19

Market Pantry Spice $2.39

Market Pantry Spice $2.19

2 McCormick Spices @ $3.29 each

Archer Farms Spice $4.89

Market Pantry Spice $3.59

Market Pantry Brown Sugar $2.04

Market Pantry Unbleached Flour $1.99

1 lb Strawberries $2.99

Up&Up Fluoride Rinse $2.29

Colgate Kids Toothpaste $2.29

2 Market Pantry Orange Juice @ $2.29 each - $1/2 Target Coupon

2 Simply GoGurt @ $2.00 each - $1/2 MC and .75/2 Target Coupon

Heinz Ketsup $4.34

Heinz Ketsup Packets $1.97 - $1.97 free promo wyb Heinz ketsup

Less $2.80 Red Card Savings

Total: $53.40

Stop and Shop

5 lb Red Potatoes $4.99

Green Grapes .46

Apples $1.77

Onion .61

Pears $2.84

Red Bell Pepper $1.32

Garlic .50

Nature's Promise Steak Tips $8.78

Nature's Promise Ground Beef $7.91

Nature's Promise Chicken $8.68 - $8.68 (got for free because it rang up wrong)

Plumrose Bacon $3.99

3 Sprite 12-Packs @ $3.00 each plus $2.40 bottle deposit

Stop and Shop Pasta $1.09

Tutturosa Tomatoes $1.49

Total: $48.15

I went to BJ's earlier this week also so basically I blew my budget right out of the water. This was one of those week I really was not into the budget thing. I was on track but then decided that there were some new recipes that I wanted to try which in itself should not have been a budget buster, but I have a severely deficient pantry and did not have any of the spices I needed nor any of the canned tomatoes or beans that I needed.

If I were more gung-ho about budgets I could have just waited until I could get all of the ingredients super cheap but I'm not in the gung-ho sort of mood. Plus, I just dropped major bucks on two Le Creuset dutch ovens (got a great deal at the outlet) and I want to use them because I am in love with them- they are my new babies.

So yes, I totally suck at sticking to my budget. And yes, I totally don't care because I am totally lazy.

Peapod Delivery

Nature's Promise Whole Wheat Bread $1.99

Stop and Shop Hot Dog Buns $1.50

Smart Balance Buttery Spread $3.69

Cooked Perfect Meatballs $5.99

2 Tina's Burritos @ .50 each

Straws $1.10

2.85 lb Steak Tips $14.22

Oscar Meyer Selects Beef Hot Dogs $2.25

Plumrose Bacon $3.99

2 lb Bag Carrots $1.79

Celery $1.99

Cucumber .75

Kiwi .33

Romaine Lettuce $2.00

Mariani Banana Chips $1.99 (kids tried and hated them)

Pears $2.67

5 lb Bag Red Potatoes $4.99

1 lb Strawberries $2.99

1 Pint Grape Tomatoes $1.50

McCormick Marinade Mix $1.00

2 Rold Gold Pretzels @ $3.00 each - $2/2 instant coupon

2 Stop and Shop Potato Chips @ $2.00 each - $1.50/2 instant coupon

2 Cheez-Its @ $2.50 each

Delivery Fee $9.95

Fuel Surcharge $1.08

Less $23 in discounts

Less $3 in coupons (handed to the driver)

Total: $54.26

Saved about 50%

Here is a breakdown of the discounts I received:

$15 from a home mailer

$2 for picking a "greener" delivery window

$5 bonus for signing up for Direct Check

$1 for using Direct Check (I will save $1 every time I use it)

The coupons I will be getting deducted are:

$1 off 2 Cheez-Its

$1 off Cooked Perfect Meatballs

.50 off Mariani Product (doubled)

I was impressed with the quality of the produce that was delivered as well as the bread's expiration date being a week away. It was nice having everything delivered, especially since I also got a pretty good deal on the total order. I also now have free delivery for the next 60 days (they will deduct $6.95 from my order; the delivery fee for less than $100 is $9.95 and the delivery fee for over $100 is $6.95).

I really do feel like I saved even more money by just not having to go to the store because there were no impulse buys and no buying crap for the kids to keep them quiet while I shop. I also saved my sanity because at this point in my life I hate going to the grocery store; it is a necessary evil of being a stay at home mom so I tolerate it but dread always sets in when I sit down to make out my grocery list.

If you want to be lazy like me you can get $10 off of your first Peapod delivery (and then the above mentioned free delivery for 60 days after your first order).

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Stop and Shop

4 Sierra Mist/Crush 12 Packs $11.00 - $1/2 Peelie plus $2.40 bottle deposit

Hood Milk $4.79 - $4.50 Free Milk Catalina (from previous trip)

Land O' Lakes Eggs $3.09 - $3.09 Free MC (from Vocalpoint) (not pictured)

Burrito .50 (I don't know why I bought this...)

Frosted Flakes $2.00 (treat for kids/hubby)

Stop and Shop Distilled Water .95 (for my steam mop)

Pears $4.00

5 lb Bag Potatoes $3.99

Total: $24.13

Saved 47%

Stop and Shop-Great Cereal Deal!

Transaction 1

Entenmann Cake $5.99

Entenmann Little Bites $4.49 - $4.49 BOGO Entenmann sale

2 Pampers Wipes @ $1.99 each - (2) .50 MC (doubled)

Kraft Singles $2.50

2 Minute Maid Orange Juice @ $2.50 each

Hallmark Card $4.99

Cinnamon Toast Crunch $3.49 - .50 MC (doubled)

Cheerios $2.79 - $1.00 MC 

2 Multigrain Cheerios @ $2.79 each - (2) .75 MC (doubled)

Welch's Grape Juice $2.50

5 Campbells Healthy Kids Soup @ $1.00 each - $1/5 MC

Fiber One Whole Wheat Bread $2.50 - $1.00 MC

Mots Natural Applesauce $2.39

Yoplait Kids Yogurt $1.99 (forgot to use a .50 I had- damn it)

Less $4 instant savings on GM cereal

Less .15 in reusable bag credits

Total: $34.92

Saved 45%

Received free milk coupon for buying 4 GM cereals

Transaction 2

2 Kix @ $2.99 each - $1/2 MC

2 Cheerios @ $2.79 each - (2) $1.00 MC

Hood Milk $3.75 - free milk coupon

Less $4 instant savings on GM cereal

Total: $4.56

Saved 72%

Received free milk coupon for buying 4 GM cereals

As you can see, Stop and Shop is having a great sale on General Mills cereal this week. When you buy four boxes you get an instant $4 off of your order and you get a coupon for free milk. Between my two transactions I ended up paying $7.42 out of pocket for eight boxes of cereal and two gallons of milk. If I weren't on a dairy free diet I would so be going back to do this deal again but we just aren't using as much milk as we used to (I am so not into freezing milk- eww, yuck, nasty, gross). As a side note, I made sure I went to the Stop and Shop on the other side of town (by this I mean not so nice side of town) because their regular prices are cheaper. If I went to the nicer Stop and Shop closer to my house I could have easily paid a few more dollars out of pocket.

Stop and Shop- $1.99 a Pound Chicken Breast

Apples $3.92 (.99/lb)

Rice Krispies $2.50

Honey Maid Graham Crackers $2.99

Hebrew National Hot Dogs $3.50

Stop and Shop Hot Dog Buns $1.49

5 Progresso Soup $1.11 each - $1/4 MC

6.14 lb Purdue Boneless Chicken Breast $12.22 ($1.99/lb)

2 Entenmans Products @ $5.99 BOGO (treat for husband)

Less .20 in reusable bag credits

Less $5.35 in bottle returns

Total: $31.61

Saved 43%

My savings was actually way more because the Purdue chicken breast was on manager's special for $1.99 a pound. This was such a good find because we have no chicken breast left in the freezer and I was just saying to myself that I wished I could find some on sale. Now we are pretty well stocked up for when I have the baby.

The soup is for my husband to eat when I'm in the hospital and I also got some hot dogs so he can make the kids an easy dinner one of the nights.