November--Week 2 (Produce)

I went to two stores this week.  It was a produce week, meaning the sales weren't all that great (basically the same as last week) and we needed produce.  On slow weeks like that I like to get some fruits and veggies to last us a week (and sometimes beyond).  Weeks like this make me feel good about what I am feeding my family, especially since we all love fresh fruits and veggies.  But it can be very expensive to eat fresh produce (especially since Reese considers a bunch of bananas and two apples a snack...yes...he's four) so we also eat canned fruits and veggies when necessary.

Here is what I got at the first store.

4 boxes macaroni and cheese
1 deodorant
1 chapstick
1 eye shadow
2 packs of wipes
1 package chocolate chips
1 pouch ketchup
1 pack of panty-liners

12 items.  I paid $1.32.  That's 11 cents an item.  I was in the express lane since I had less than 15 items.  I usually don't go in the express lane with coupons because if you have a snafu with a coupon or two I feel like it is rude to hold up the 'express' customers behind you.  But all the regular lines were heinous and so I made an exception.  The cashier was great but I was nervous the guy behind me was annoyed.  At the end he said, "If my wife shopped like that, I would take out the garbage without her asking. <pause> Heck, I would take it out twice."  HIRED!
Here is what I got at both stores combined:

What I listed above, plus:
3 bags of flour
2 bags brown sugar
1 bag powdered sugar
3 bags chocolate chips
1 bag tortillas
1 carton of eggs
1 cucumber
2 green peppers
12 yogurts
3 pounds oranges
3.69 pounds bananas
1 bunch green onions
1 stalk of celery
1 head of romaine lettuce
2.76 pounds apples

I paid $26.59 for the items at the second store.  So my total this week was $27.91.  I had a coupon for the tortillas loaded to my Safeway card that didn't come off, so I need to go back in with my receipt and the printout of my ecoupons and get my $2 back, plus tax.  So I actually spent a few dollars less this week.  (TIP:  Always check your receipt!  Do it in the store if you hate going back or when you get home.  Just to make sure all of your coupons came off.)
If you remember last week, I went over my $40 budget by about $5, so I was trying to stay under $35 this week.  Obviously, I succeeded.  I don't feel like it is necessary to spend every penny of my budget, every week.  Especially since there could be a sale lurking just around the corner on something I really would like to stock up on.
Another tip:  When I shop produce I always weigh my produce as I go.  It is easy for me to grab five bunches of bananas (yes, Mack and Reese would eat them in two days if they were sitting around.) but I have no idea how much that will cost me at the checkout.  I like to have produce goals worked out before I go to the store and then weigh as I go to make sure I am sticking within my budget.  I knew I had $3 to spend on apples this week.  Apples were .99/lb. and so I weighed it at the store to make sure I was under 3 pounds.
I love looking at my receipt, at the bottom where it says how much I saved with sales and coupons combined.  This week I saved, $57.01.  That means I would have paid over $80 on the above groceries if I hadn't bought them on sale and used a coupon.  That would have been half my monthly budget.