The Savers Bungalow

Superfoods Here We Come!

by Natasha on February 17, 2012

Thanks for stopping by The Savers Bungalow! Share with us your favorite shopping trips and deals that you found this week below!

Total Paid $290.59
Total Saved $45.47

As I noted on the Our New Diet: Eating Superfoods post we are changing a few things in our diet: adding A LOT more protein and vegetables with less carbs. I exercise six days a week and usually five out of those days two hours each day. I recently noticed that I was feeling sluggish, so after some reading and research I decided that what I was eating wasn’t good enough for my body.

I’ve always felt that as a family we eat a well balanced diet, especially compared to the typical american. No eating out (once every 3 months, except for vacations) home-cooked meals, no prepared freezer meals from the store, homemade whole wheat bread, etc.. However, since I’ve changed my exercise routine my eating habits were not providing my body with what it needed. This week I have felt a lot better and it’s looking like I’ll even loose a pound by the end of the week! Not bad considering I have about three pounds left to my goal:-)

I went out shopping Monday to purchase the weekly menu items AND put a dent in the grocery budget!  Well it’s now Friday and I don’t think we have touched half of it! It’s a good thing because I spent most of the February budget already. I’m hoping that starting out will be the hardest on the budget but then it will be come easier as I buy supplies at different times and not all at once. As I mentioned in the menu plan I am so hoping to keep our budget under $400 each month-we shall see!

Aldi: Chips & pretzels (kids lunches), 4 dozen eggs, cucumbers, bell peppers, artisan lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, spinach, avocado, onions, corn, wafers, oranges, mushrooms, cream corn canned, carrots, mangoes, grape tomatoes, canned corn.
Paid $44.01

Costco: Trail Mix, Pistachios, shrimp, colby jack cheese, blackberries, flushable wipes, popcorn, almonds, half & half, butter, 5 gallons milk, salmon, 36 cups Yoplait Yogurt, jonagold apples, roma tomatoes, dentyne ice gum.
Paid $198.52
Saved $20.20

Kroger: grapes, 2 dozen Omega eggs (manager’s special), gnocchi (olive garden soup),alfalfa sprouts, bananas, pears, aspargaus, red onion, green onion, celery, sugar peas, limes, dannon yogurt (manager’s special), red grapes, spiral sliced ham $16.86 (MS-Easter Dinner).

2 Welch’s Strawberry spread $5.00
Used two $0.55/1 Welch’s Jam printable
6 Yoplait Yogurt cups
Used $1.00/8 Yoplait Yogurt printable
2 Clorox wipes
Used two $0.50/1 Clorox product coupons

Used $3.00 off $15 produce purchase from Kroger mailed coupon

Paid $48.06
Saved $25.27

Did you find a great deal or have a great shopping trip? Share your deals and weekly shopping with us below with a link or a comment! If you are linking please link directly to your post.

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The Saver’s Bungalow 2/10

by Natasha on February 10, 2012

Thanks for stopping by The Savers Bungalow! Share with us your favorite shopping trips and deals that you found this week below!

Total Paid $61.73
Total Saved $18.85

I didn’t do coupon shopping this week, just got the necessities with stops at Costco, Kroger, and CVS. My husband and I have decided to try a new diet with more protein and vegetables and less carbs. I’m putting together a new menu to try out next week that I’ll be sharing Monday.

Costco

6 gallons milk
Apples
Tyson Chicken Tenders
Strawberries
Sugar
Paid $49.10, Saved $3.00

Kroger
Cherries (school valentine party)
Bananas
Grapes
Lettuce
Kiwi’s
Baking Cups
Paid $10.24, Saved $3.51

CVS
3 Purex Detergent $1.99 each
Used $4.00 ECB
Paid $2.39, Saved $12.34

Did you find a great deal or have a great shopping trip? Share your deals and weekly shopping with us below with a link or a comment! If you are linking please link directly to your post.

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2011 Budget and Savings Review

by Natasha on February 3, 2012

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With our 10-year anniversary vacation in the first week of this year, I am just now getting around to examining our 2011 spending habits and goals.

I paid a total of $4254.43 for the year for all groceries and household items for a family of 2 adults and 4 boys which averages out to $354 a month.

I saved $5792.91 for the year 2011 using coupons and shopping the sales or an average of $482 savings each month! See two of my favorite shopping trips below.

Shopping at Kroger and Walgreens I paid $19.43, saved $233.97 with $2 RR leftover

Walgreens: Paid $8.80, Saved $126.36, Earned $32

It really helps a budget to keep track of every penny-and I do mean every cent! Last year I was really strict about writing down everything so I could find out what we were spending in each category. Here’s what our spending and saving categories looked like last year.

There is room for improvement but, overall my husband and I were pleased with the results. If  It’s really encouraging to set goals and then slowly month by month make progress to reach the goal by the end of the year. Shopping has really changed in the last six months so it will be interesting to see what happens to my budget and saving numbers in 2012.

For this week in 2012 I shopped at Kroger, CVS, & Walgreens last Saturday spending $72.94, saved $111. I took a second trip to Kroger this week spending $40.23 and saving $45.68. with a total of $113.70 spent and saved $156.68 this week.

Did you find a great deal or have a great shopping trip? Share your deals and weekly shopping with us below with a link or a comment! If you are linking please link directly to your post.

Thanks for stopping by The Savers Bungalow! Share with us your favorite shopping trips and deals that you found this week below!

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The Savers Bungalow 1/27

by Natasha on January 27, 2012

Thanks for stopping by The Savers Bungalow! Share with us your favorite shopping trips and deals that you found this week below!

My baby and I have had a nasty head cold this week so I didn’t venture out too much this week.

I did manage to get to Costco for some milk, potatoes, eggs, sour cream, 2 pack apples, oranges, peppercorn, baby carrots, 2 boxes graham crackers, string cheese, pork tenderloin, organic lettuce mix, tomatoes, ziploc bags, kiwis,  and block cheese for $149.45, saving $11.50.

Did you find a great deal or have a great shopping trip? Share your deals and weekly shopping with us below with a link or a comment! If you are linking please link directly to your post.

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Home At Last

by Natasha on January 20, 2012

Thanks for stopping by The Savers Bungalow! Share with us your favorite shopping trips and deals that you found this week below!

Chillin' in Jamaica with Jerk Chicken and Mango Colada

My husband and I had the time of our lives celebrating our 10 year anniversary in the Caribbean aboard the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas cruise ship. It was well worth saving for, but not cheap. I’ll share some saving tips we learned next week. One of the hard things about coming back is cooking dinner and planning meals again-yes we were spoiled with lots of elegant, delicious food!

Grandma stayed home with our four boys so the fridge was still fairly full when we got back. I stopped by Kroger and the bread store this morning to grab a few things.

Total Paid $52.79
Total Saved $29.66

2 Brawny Towels $1.00
Used $1/1 Brawny Paper Towels
4 Progresso Soup
Used $1/4 Progresso Can Soup 01/08/2012 GM Insert (exp 03/31/2012)
3 Campbell’s Soup
Used $0.40/3 Campbell’s Soup 01/15/2012 SS Insert (exp 03/15/2012)
Angel Soft Toliet Paper
Used $0.50/1 or $0.45/1 Angel Soft Bath Tissue Double Roll, 4 ct 11/13/2011 RP Insert (exp 02/13/2012)
Tennessee Pride Sausage
Used $0.55/1 Tennessee Pride Product 11/13/2011 RP Insert (exp 01/31/2012)
3 Gerber Baby Food
2 Trix yogurt
Used $0.75/2 from GM insert
1 Danimals yogurt pack
Use $1/1 Danimals Crunchers, p. 88 All You, Feb 2012 (exp 03/17/2012)
1 Activia yogurt pack
Use $1/1 Activia, p. 88 All You, Feb 2012 (exp 03/17/2012)
2 gallons milk
Sour Cream
Grapes
2 Bell Peppers
Green Onions
Cilantro
Roast
Bananas
4 loaves bread
1 bag mini bagels
1 bag bagels

Did you find a great deal or have a great shopping trip? Share your deals and weekly shopping with us below with a link or a comment! If you are linking please link directly to your post.

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Thanks for stopping by The Savers Bungalow! Share with us your favorite shopping trips and deals that you found this week below!


I’ve had a lot of fun keeping up with my four boys the last two weeks and haven’t had much time for shopping. It’s nice to take a break and enjoy what’s most important though-especially when the deals are not that great. I hope you have all enjoyed the holidays and have a happy New Year’s weekend!

Since I missed last weeks post I have two weeks of shopping to report. I stopped at Costco twice the past two weeks, here’s what I purchased:

Sour Cream
8 gallons milk
Blackberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
String Cheese
Salad Blend
Roma Tomatoes
Celementines
Granny Smith Apples
Oranges
2 lb Block Cheese
Dishwasher Detergent
10 lb. Sugar
Chicken Wings
Flour Tortillas

Paid $133.19

Walgreens

3 Nabisco Crackers $7.50
2 Large Dozen Eggs $1.29 each
2 On the Border Tortilla Chips $1.99 each
1 Brach’s Pumpkin 14 cents *filler

Use $1/2 Nabisco Crackers, 6-16 oz 11/13/2011 SS Insert (exp 12/31/2011)
Use Buy TWO Get ONE Nabisco Crackers 9 oz. to 16 oz. FREE coupon!
STACK WITH $1/2 coupon from Walgreens December coupon booklet
Used two $0.55/1 On The Border Product printable
Used $8 in Register Rewards from last week

Saved $23.44
Paid $1.09

Did you find a great deal or have a great shopping trip? Share your deals and weekly shopping with us below with a link or a comment! If you are linking please link directly to your post.

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Thanks for stopping by The Savers Bungalow! Share with us your favorite shopping trips and deals that you found this week below!

Total Paid $204.80
Total Saved $73.97
Total Leftover $8 in RR’s

This week I bought 5 gallons local Dark Honey for $125. We have PB & Honey sandwich eaters in our family and I like to use it in baking and cooking. I buy in bulk to save money with the quantity discount.

I stopped by Costco this week purchasing season salt, Club Crackers, salt, brown sugar, potatoes, frozen vegies, canola oil, rotisserie chicken, and nine gallons milk spending $75.75.

I shopped CVS and Walgreens this week paying $4.05 for everthing pictured above, saving $53.97 with $8 RR’s leftover-see the details here.

Did you find a great deal or have a great shopping trip? Share your deals and weekly shopping with us below with a link or a comment! If you are linking please link directly to your post.

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