So the goal I set for myself this month was $300 for our family's groceries, household supplies, and baby needs (such as diapers). As a reminder, my family is two adults, and two adorable toddlers (a 3-year old boy and 1-year old girl)!
Guess what? I did it!! We spent $298.91 this month, which means we actually have $1.09 left over! I am really excited because this is the first month I actually made it – no excuses, no mishaps. I am pleased I set a challenging, but do-able goal for myself. Here are the numbers for the month:
Total shelf cost: $700.81
Coupon savings: $162.54
Other savings (sales, rebates, etc.): $433.31
Savings rate: 61.83%
My out of pocket: $298.91
And lest you think we're over here eating rice and beans, let me tell you, we've eaten well this month – casseroles, baked chicken, enchiladas, pastas. Plus, we've also been enjoying all the wonderful summer produce which is such a bargain right now. Our kids have gotten to enjoy some of their favorite, name-brand snacks, and my husband has enough tuna to last him several months.
One of the things I'm passionate about is helping you to make a meaningful difference in your bottom line each month – not just finding a "good deal" here and there. If you would like to understand more about how to set saving and spending goals, I recommend you read this post I recently wrote for Deal Seeking Mom. I've also created a free tracking spreadsheet you can download – you'll find it on the left-hand sidebar of my blog. This is identical to the one I created for myself awhile ago.
In the world of couponing, it's easy to get bogged down by transactions and deals. I encourage you to see the bigger picture! We still have six months left in 2009 - why not decide now to create some saving and spending goals to kick of July 1st?
Photo credit Flavio Takemoto
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Congrats! That is awesome!
I’m new to the couponing thing, and I’m still sort of in “stockpiling mode”, but I’m hoping that in a month or two of stocking deeply discounted toothpaste and deodorant (and, heaven help me, the ice cream!) that I can cut our monthly grocery expenses considerably.
Mendy: that is exactly the way it works. But I do think it’s good to have a goal to work towards. Let’s say your monthly budget is currently $500…keep that and stockpile as much as you can. Then pick a goal – $400 by 3 months, $300 by 6 months, etc. Make sense?