[brieclark]

Another new month, another new budget!

I'm going with $50 a week as my max, but I'd really like to spend less. I'm well stocked on certain things, but running out of others. Not sure what the August sales will hold. My budget includes groceries, HBA, household needs like cleaners and toilet paper, and baby needs.

I'm starting with:

$200 cash
$16.99 ECBs
$15 +ups
$9.50 RRs
$7 Kroger OYNO cats

What are your goals for August?

[purplerain]

I deducted my M*A*C purchase and Ulta trip from the original budget. Here is my revised plan for August:

Groceries/Toiletries: $165
Drive-thru/dine-in: $20
ECBs (First card): $4.00
ECBs (Dad's card): $1.00
+ups: $0.00
RRs: $0.00
STAPLES REWARDS check: $14.00

Update
Nashville Pet Products
Orijin Chicken Cat Food $49.00
Weruva Chunky Chicken Soup $1.79
oop: $56.57

Rite Aid
Rite Aid Disinfecting Wipes 2/$5
oop: $5.46 w. $1 +up

Whole Foods
Clementines $5.99
365 Everyday Value 2 percent milk $1.99
-$0.10 reusable bag credit
oop: $8.50

Lenny's
Regular Sub and Lemonade
oop: $8.85

Groceries/Toiletries: $94.57
Drive-thru/dine-in: $11.15
ECBs (First card): $4.00
ECBs (Dad's card): $1.00
+ups: $1.00
RRs: $0.00
STAPLES REWARDS check: $14.00

[mama2twins2000]

I would like to join this month! I'm still trying to figure our budget so I may not have it all down yet. We are a family of four plus two doggies.

I think I'll try a weekly budget of $100 and see how that goes. :-)

Today: $4.00 cafeteria.
8/5: dinner out $27.66
8/5 groceries - 10.23
8/5 hubby lunch - 3.69

[VitaLuna]

Thank goodness July is over! I lost track of things and went overbudget. I WILL do better this month! Grocery/HBA/household budget is still the same, but I'm going to add a $100 entertainment category (eating out, fun stuff, movies, etc), since my biggest problem last month was not knowing where to take that money from.

Here it is for August!
-grocery/HBA/household: $200 (goal of $50 a week)
-entertainment: $100

[EStimpert]

You all have been motivating me for a couple months now. My goal is to nail down a grocery budget this month. My husband is deployed so it is me and two little ones. My youngest just stopped formula and moved on to milk, so it'll save me about $100 a month. I am thinking the best way to stay on a grocery budget it to use cash, using my debit card I think I tend to spend more. I also want to have a budget for stockpiling. I only shop at the military commissary for food and usually amazon for diapers and some h&b.
I want to start with $300 a month for groceries, diapers, and h&b. Maybe $50 for stockpiling.

[rhondag508]

Thanks again for another month Brie! Good luck everyone! All effort you spend on this is worthwhile to your budget even if it doesn't work out perfectly each month.

I should probably lower my budget since I had leftover money last month, but I love that it is so easy for me now.....and the sales at Homeland this Wednesday are great.... Try not to think less of me for being a little lazy...I'm so happy with what I'm saving and stockpiling!

August Goal: $400

Donate Goal: $10 (goal TO spend)
1.88-deodorant tax
.66 paper clips (taking them to church office)

Stockpile: $50 ($31.24 + $5 RR)
$17-Walgreen's-batteries, cottonelle, 3 Keri, paperclips (I actually needed some for clipping my coupons to my lists!-I wanted some baggies but my store was out.), toothbrushes
$1.76-trade

Groceries & HBA: $290 137.96 152.04
2.43-3 rice sides-needed them to take food to a church family soon
8.18-sunscreen and 50cent Dawn hand renewal
48.55-10 tuna (DH likes light, low sodium), 10 ranch style beans, 2 gravy mix, 1 canned chicken, 2 ink pen packs (Free), 6 Ramen, 6 lean pockets, 6 # boneless skinless chicken breasts (1.66/lb)
78.80-bread, bananas, season salt, jar minced garlic, 2 wholeberry cranberry sauce (can't wait to stock up on this at the right season), pudding pack, 4 cottonelle wipes, plastic cups, eggs, 4 ramen, almonds, kettlecorn, M&Ms, 2 crescent, 2 tiny buttermilk, brie, laughing cow cheese, salad, 3 pizzas, 8 chicken cordon blue (with $4 off in coupons!)

Braum's-weekly milk and produce pick up etc: $50
5.37-milk & lettuce

[scrapmama34me]

I think I want to join in the fun! Since it is my first time I will just try for a "general spending" budget. I want to track all my spending including gas. So my August spending projection is $775.

8/1
Rite Aid .59 & 1.29 (Have SCR 2.99)
CVS 30.70
Office Max 9.91
Staples 25.65 (have easy rebates $10.99)
KMart .10
LEFT=$706.76

[sugarloaf10]

Ok for the month of August I am cutting things back! This is for me (pregnant), DH and my 1 yr old.

Groceries: $200
Household: $40
Garage Sales/Misc: $50

I have:
Kroger OYNOs: $3
ECBs: $4
RRs: $0

Today I spent approx. $50 in groceries for the week which included some meat and eggs stock up.
Yesterday I went to walgreens and cvs. Got toilet paper, razor, markers, hair clips, contact solution, cereal, mac and cheese, candy bars (free). Spent $18 at wags, and $3 at CVS. Also bought 2 newspapers- $3.50

Remaining:
Groceries: $150
Household: $16
Garage Sales/Misc: $50

Kroger OYNO: $0
ECBs: $5
RRs: $5.50

[dreamgrlsd]

Okay I am going to be good this month...I am gonna be good...I am gonna be good... let's see if that works!! LOL

My son is back home and my husband is coming around more now (we're trying to figure it all out), they both eat me out of house and home. My son saw my stickys on my snacks and laughed at me! I told him you touch you die!!! I got a nice stockpile of them while he was gone I hope they last me for while until I'm able to find some more good sales going on.

MY AUGUST BUDGET:
- Food/H&B: $300 (75/week)
- Stockpile/Coupons (Newspapers): $100 (25/week)
- Gas: $400 (100/week)
- Eating Out: $100.00 (25.00/week)
- Bills: Find a sugar daddy to pay all of them!! LOL

I am so going to try the envelope method. I hope it helps me to keep on track.

Currently I have:
ECB: $80.00
+Up Rewards: $0.00
Gift Cards: $25.39

[MyGalAlly]

August already? Boy is the summer flying by.

I'm in for $100/week but hoping I can do it for less. DS will be headed back to college which will help (of course, I'd rather pay a bigger food bill than tuition!). Don't have much stocked up, veggie garden was a bust and has everyone noticed how food prices are climbing. But, will stick with the $100 goal.

Happy saving everyone!

[gravyqueen]

My goal is the same as last month, $100 on grocery/drug store/etc. (doesn't include gas) and $50 for eating out. I subtract rebates from my total spent when I receive them in the mail.

We spent almost all of our $50 budget for eating out last month, hopefully we'll be able to cut back some this month.


Starting the month with
extra bucks: $130.32
+ups: $72

[mcdlady1]

I need to stock up some so I'm in and going for $75 a week this month with possibly a 100 for the first week

[autumnkavila]

I'm going to say... $25 each week for a total of $100 this month...

So far i have spent 5.84 (July 31 & August 1)

[kmeiding]

OK I'll try again this month.

Starting with $300 cash
$10 Target gc
$9 ECBs
$17.20 Staples rewards

[junewonder]

Our budget this month is $200 for food and I have blown half of it already. But got a lot of good things. I will be looking out for moisturizer, shave gel and castile soap this month, an extra $50 maybe. Keeping another $50 aside because my in laws are visiting and there will be some expenditure.

On friday Wholefoods had a one day sale on Wild Alaskan Coho Salmon, so we planned a trip and combined other sept purchases. We came home and realized that dh had left the milk at the bottom of the cart. We hurried back and luckily it was still there.
Here is what I got..
2.4lb wild Salmon $21.50
Kerrygold irish pasture butter 8oz $2.49
Organic valley pasture butter 16oz $6.39(what on earth is happening? this was $5 something few weeks ago)
Bobsredmill organic stone ground whole wheat pastry flour 3lbs $4
Organic valley milk pwd 12oz $7 (for dhs coffee)
gallon organic milk to make yogurt $5.79
Bulk aisle: Sunflower seeds, steel cut oats, raisins
2 wild planet canned wild sardines $2.79 ea
1 big organic eggplant $3.xx
some red wine $12 (splurge, not in food budget thankfully)
oop $75... have never spent this much in one trip!

Then on saturday we went to the farmer's market determined to spend a maximum of $25. However, there were so many fantastic veggies that we spent $40.
12 brown eggs $4, purple beans $5, green beans $3, okra $3.50, sugar snap peas $2, new red potatoes $5, huge yellow zucchini 75cents, 4 green peppers $2, cucumbers $4, heirloom tomatoes $3 and blackberries $7.
No leafy greens. I froze most tomatoes, peppers, green beans for winter. We were also given a dozen fresh peaches and more zucchini(20 something) by a generous family. I will freeze zucchini tomorrow. And can't wait to have roasted new potatoes with garlic and rosemary. Yumm!

Bought a newspaper on Sunday. $2

Spent: $105 Remaining: $95

[Tjemgoins]

I need to be held accountable. I am thinking $100 per month for shopping HB, food, OTC meds, etc. I will allow myself $50 per week gas, and $25 per week eating out.

So far I am oop 2.17 eating out.

[notrbl2]

I"m in this month!

Grocery budget is $500 which includes stockpile, food, HBA and anything else. IT doesn't include gas, dog food or horse feed/hay for our 19 horses.
I was over $30 last month (but did LOTS of stockpiling) but I'd like to come in under budget this month since it is DD's birthday AND I have to buy school clothes and a backpack. Thank goodness the school supplies all of their supplies!

August 4, spent $65 at WalMart on misc. groceries and 3 gallons of milk. We drink way too much milk.
August 11, SPent $20 at WM this week. BUT< my DH went to the store (UGH) and spent $110.
So, down to $205 left for the month. I just might make it on budget!

Oh, and edited to add we lost one of our horses Monday morning. SHe was 20 and we were not expecting it quite yet.
So, guess that puts us down to "just 18" horses now! :/

August 20, spent $187 at WM which includes 2 birthday presents for my DD. Also, annoyed b/c $5 in Qs didn't scan and I even asked about it and cashier said they did. Checked again when I left and they did not. I'm thinking of taking those 5 items back to WM b/c I wouldn't have bought them if I didn't have the Qs! So, I'm going to take $30 off my total for the gifts and that leaves me with $48 for the month Yeah, I might not make it on budget! Taking those 5 items back would give me around $20 so I'm thinking that is what I'll do to "help out" . Still annoyed. I would have argued more, but I'd locked my keys in the car and my husband had jsut arrived from home to bring me the other set (40 mile drive) and the place was CRAZY as school starts Monday.

August 31, spent $47 at WM and used a few Qs I had before the expired. That puts me $1 under budget for the month!!! Yeehaw!!!
Thank goodness for my small stockpile... we had 2 places hold and cash large checks from over 3 months ago last week, really putting us in a bind as we thought they'd already been cashed (UGH). So, I didn't have the $ to go to the store at all and we ate from what we had and I had plenty of HBA items in case we ran out of anything!

[momto2monkeys77]

I'm in again! Raising my grocery budget by $100 since I keep spending that much extra. Also, lowering the stockpile budget since we seem to be stocked up on most things. So here we go:

Budget (remaining)
Groceries: $300
H&b: $80
Stockpile: $80
CVS: $16
RA: $5

[2boys4me]

I'm in again. I tried to keep up last month but lost track. I know I went over budget by at least $50. I've spent more on food this summer with my 11 year old being home and he eats ALOT! It's much cheaper when he's in school all day.

I'm going to set my budget at $450 for the month for groceries. Good grief if I can't stay under I'm going to scream! We have a small stockpile but no one wants to eat any of that stuff. My family is picky and it drives me crazy. So...

Groceries- $450
Drugstores- $10 (I have a $2 scr coming from Rite Aid this month)

[marenian]

I'm in again this month. My goals will be the same as last month although I'm going to decrease my work breakfast/lunch budget a bit. I need to work on getting myself organized for the day the night before so that I don't run out of time in the a.m. and just say "I'll just grab something later for lunch".

We have 4 in our family, me, DH and DS6 and DS4 and 2 dogs. Groceries include all food, HBA, household and pet supplies.

Groceries: $425.00
Eating out: $240.00
Work lunch: $50.00

Goals this week are to freeze a few red peppers I got on sale Saturday for .50 each, and make/freeze some zucchini bread/cakes with what I got from the farmer's market. Last weekend I made 7 pints of pickles. That's about all my 'garden' is producing this year. My tomatos and peppers are not doing anything and we had a few meals of green beans. The eggplant is starting to go to town so we'll see if anything actually makes it to fruition. I found a u-pick raspberry farm near hear that I hope to get to and make a few pints of raspberry jam. Hoping to help my Mom with sweet corn as well sometime.

Somewhere in there I guess I better start thinking about getting school supplies for DS! Ugh, I think I'm dreading the start of school more than he is!

[marenian]

8/1
- work food - .60 from vending for milk
- eating out - 19.00 ... not starting out the month too good, LOL, but it was 'kids eat free night' at a local pizza/chicken buffet. Hard to pass up being able to feed all of us for under $20 AND the where the kids will actually eat.

8/2
- work food - $5.43
- Target - $3.26 (mascara & 2 fruit snacks for kids)

Groceries: $421.74/$425.00
Eating out: $221.00/$240.00
Work food: $43.97/$50.00

[scrapmama34me]

8/2 Totals
Walmart $209.17 (groceries, clothes clearance, toy clearence)
Walgreens $17.91 & 9.63

Left for the month $470.05 (yikes)
I guess the good news is that my kids clothing and gift stockpile are growing. I am hoping that my spending will go down once I have a good stockpile of things.
I wish we had some better grocery stories up here in Maine. You guys spend so much less on groceries.

[EStimpert]

Check in: Started with $300 groceries and $50 stockpile

Spent: 57.61 at the commissary and 31.49 for diapers from amazon.

Remaining: Groceries. $210.90
Stockpiling $50.00

[VitaLuna]

Originally Posted by scrapmama34me

8/2 Totals
Walmart $209.17 (groceries, clothes clearance, toy clearence)
Walgreens $17.91 & 9.63

Left for the month $470.05 (yikes)
I guess the good news is that my kids clothing and gift stockpile are growing. I am hoping that my spending will go down once I have a good stockpile of things.
I wish we had some better grocery stories up here in Maine. You guys spend so much less on groceries.

We don't have awesome sales at the stores near me like some other people do, but spending less on groceries is a choice and can be done anywhere... We have to be a little more creative and work a little harder than others, but if you choose to spend less and make a conscious effort to do so, it can be done! I promise!

[sugarloaf10]

I just wanted to chime in that I have really noticed the rising price of food too. It's happening across the board, but butter is getting super expensive. At Aldi last month it was $2.29lb now it is $2.79. :-(