Morning!  I’m writing this morning as our van is being worked on.  We were headed to church this morning, when a radiator hose blew.  I swear, it’s always something.  This once again reminds me that it is so important to save money where you can, so when these unexpected expenses occur, you have a cushion.

The area I have the most control over is our grocery budget.  I constantly find myself looking for the best deals and can spend hours in the store analyzing prices so I don’t overspend.  I decided starting this month, that we need to make a price book.  I am looking at every item we buy and figuring out the best price per ounce, pound, or item (depending on which is most fitting).  I have been hesitant in the past to shop at bulk stores because I didn’t want to overspend.  Well folks, the way to avoid overspending is to know the unit price.  We decided to start with a few items at Sam’s and then I’ll compare when I shop at Food Lion.

Our grocery budget is set a $425 for the month.  This includes all food and household items, but not eating out (we have a separate budget for that).  This can be quite difficult sometimes!  Many of the items I bought will carry over to the next month and then I’ll pick new items to stock up on for November.

Sam’s Club

Gatorade, 24 20 oz bottles   $12.98    $.027/oz  (for lunches)

Vanilla Wafers                      $4.98      $.17/oz

Charmin Toilet Paper           $24.98    $.003/sheet

Grape Tomatoes                    $4.98      $2.49/lb

Cayenne Pepper                    $4.88      $.35/oz

Prego Spaghetti Sauce          $7.98      $.06/oz

Bell Peppers                          $6.98      $1.16/per

Salsa                                      $4.92      $.10/oz

Sharp Cheddar                      $5.58      $2.79/lb

Elbow Noodles                      $5.68      $.06/oz

Gogurt                                   $6.98      $.22/per

Animal Crackers                   $5.98      $.077/oz

Veggie Straws                       $4.98      $.25/oz

Tortilla Chips                       $3.88       $.14/oz

Pretzel Thins                        $5.98      $.20/oz

Shredded Parmesan             $7.48      $.31/oz

Nutella                                  $9.88      $.18/oz

all Free ‘n Clear                    $14.28     $.063/oz

Norton’s Fish Sticks             $11.98     $.07/per

Rotel                                      $5.48      $.69/can

Kale Salad                             $2.58    (for my lunch at school)

Asian Salad                            $2.58   (for my lunch at school)

3 Dozen Eggs                         $2.26      $.75/doz

Dry Pinto Beans                    $6.13       $.038/oz

9 Volt Batteries                     $16.98    $2.83/per

Total:       $193.78 including tax

I have typed these prices up on a Google spreadsheet so I can pull it up on my phone whenever I’m at a store and compare prices to see if it’s a good deal or not.  There’s no sense in stocking up on an item if it isn’t the cheapest possible.  I’m excited to have a starting point and this will definitely be a work in progress over the next several months!!

The next part of planning out our menu is to look in my fridge, freezer, and pantry and see what needs to be used up before it is wasted.  After I look at all of that, I will fill in the few items I need to get from the regular grocery store.

Check back later for October’s first weekly menu plan and shopping trip!