First Week of Shopping on the Budget

Happy Halloween! The candy is now out of the house, save a few pieces we let the kids keep.

I shopped at two stores today, Target and Whole Foods. I didn't need to buy much produce since we still have tons left from our Urban Acres share we picked up last weekend. (We pick up again next Saturday...can't wait!) Our monthly budget is $440, which translates to $110 per week. This week I spent $41.95 at Target and $61.86 at Whole Foods for a weekly total of $103.81, leaving a balance of $6.19.

I'm a big fan of the coupon, so you'll notice that I saved $15.74 using coupons and $.30 at Whole Foods for bringing my own shopping bags. On a tight budget, every little bit helps.

Target

My Tazo tea coupons were all expiring today, which is why I bought so many. But, it should last me for the month. (On my Mellman plan, I can drink the Tazo Chai Tea Latte with soy milk. It's delicious!) I got a great deal on cage-free organic eggs ($3.39) and I had a coupon for a free dozen eggs. Now, they weren't organic, but they were free. My Target is also newly remodeled to include a grocery section, so when I walked in the door I was given an orange. Free produce!

Whole Foods

I love Whole Foods, but you have to shop smart in there. Otherwise you walk out with one grocery bag and $150 poorer. The coupons I used were for Organic Valley products that I found here. I got salmon, halibut, and chicken for meals this week. I also found a recipe for whole wheat sunflower bread I'll be making this week with my daughter.

I'm excited about the menu I've got planned for the week and I feel really good about how the shopping turned out. I got organic eggs, produce and dairy products. The fish and chicken were high quality from Whole Foods. I'm using my Urban Acres produce in my meal planning.

So far so good.