Grocery Expense - Week of November 29th

Here is what I spent this week at the grocery store.  I went over my $25.00 budget.  In fact I spent double what I had budgeted.

Two - 4 lb. bags of Gold Medal Flour @ .25 = $0.50
Eight pkgs. of Hershey’s chocolate chips @ $1.00 = $8.00
Two – 4 lb. bags granulated sugar @ $1.88 = $3.76
10 lb. bag of granulated sugar = $4.88
Tone’s Spices – two free with coupon

4 pkgs. Corn Muffin Mix @ .25 = $1.00

Two pkgs. of Blueberry Bagels = $2.38
Bread = $0.99

3 lbs. of Pork Sausage @ $.99 lb. = $2.97
Two 16 oz. pkgs. of Turkey Bologna @ $0.69 = $1.38
Two – 8 oz. packages of imitation crab meat (halibut) @ $0.99 a pkg. = $1.98

2 lbs. butter @ $1.98 lb. = $3.96
2 – ½ gallons 1% milk @ $0.99 = $1.98

Bananas @ .29 lb. = $.67
Whole Fresh Pineapple = $2.88
4 pack of sweet peppers (Yellow, red, green) = $2.99

Two bags of M & M’s @ $2.50 = $5.00

Two – 2 ltr bottles of of Coca Cola @ .50 = $1.00
Two – 8 oz. bags of Potato Chips @ $0.99 = $1.98
One 16 oz. bag Corn Chips = $1.59
Three 13.5 oz. bags of Nacho or Ranch Tortilla chips = 3 for $1.00 + $1.00

Total Spent:  $50.89
 
Here is how my decision making went this week on buying groceries.
 
There was a great deal at our two grocery stores this week.  Buy 4 packages of Hershey's chocolate chips (any flavor) at $1.00 a pkg. (a great sale to begin with) and get one 5 lb. bag of Gold Medal flour for only 25 cents.  I am donating these to our Food pantry.   At Christmas I always try to donate some baking supplies to the Food pantry. 
 
Granulated sugar was on sale and several items that I don't usually buy. 
 
As for the bag of M & M's, I bought them to make two holiday items.  One is a cereal mix using almond bark, chex cereal, pretzels, peanuts and M & M's.  The other is for dipped pretzel rods which I'll save for a later post.  Let me just wet your appetite by telling you it involves pretzels, caramel, almond bark, M & M's and chocolate.
 
I purchased quite a few snack foods this week.  One store was selling tortilla chips for only 3 for $1.00.  These are large bags and with the holidays coming, I decided to pick some up.  Also, did you notice I bought pop?  Again, I normally don't buy pop but I will buy some during the holidays.
 
I signed up several weeks ago for NOW WOW deals through Hy-Vee and I get one special deal from them each week.  I receive a text message for that special deal that is only available for a few hours or til supplies last.  It's really easy, I just go to the store and pick up the special Now Wow deal and then when I go through the checkout I show the clerk the text message with the special deal code.  One week the deal was 1 lb. of 80% lean ground beef for only 59 cents. 
 
As for the bologna, my husband does like it and I will buy it when it is on sale.  He has been eating ham or turkey or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.  Also, my daughter in law made nachos at her house a couple of weeks ago and instead of using ground beef she used breakfast sausage.  It was really good so when I saw the sausage on sale I picked it up and with the tortilla chips on sale, this will make a nice snack type meal on a weekend. 
 
We still have Clementine oranges left at home and I still have a lot of salad lettuce.  I bought the lettuce about 10 days ago, and by packaging it in those Hefty Extend bags, I have been able to keep that lettuce fresh. 
 
So, there you have it.  Lots of good deals, I only spent $8.50 for 8 bags of chocolate chips and two 5 lb. bags of flour to donate to the food pantry. 
 
I do feel guilty about going over the $25 I had budgeted but I feel good about what I did buy especially about the items I will donate.  I am still spending far less especially in December than what I would normally be spending.