Couponing Update

Yesterday was my grocery shopping day...I was actually so excited about this trip. I had compiled my usual monthly menu and shopping list. However this month I also clipped coupons. Now, I don't claim to be an extreme couponer by any means, but I figure any money I can save is worth it. I bought $400.00 worth of groceries for only $300.00. I even bought stuff that I didn't plan to buy. I started my trip this morning at Food World. They had some great sales going on. I went through the list and picked up everything paying close attention to what I had coupons for. Our first haul consisted of a thanksgiving meal minus fresh collard greens that I will pick up closer to the actual date. It also consisted of about 25 other dinner meals for the month (meats, produce, pasta, etc), breakfast items (pop tarts, sausage, biscuits, cereal, etc), and basic staples (salt, pepper, oil, spices, bread, milk, coffee, tea, sugar, creamer, etc). This is the first time in a long time that everything I bought was not store brand, but actual brand names. Above and beyond the coupons, I knew that on Mondays  Food World gives a 5% student discount with an ID (which I have of course). I saved $55.00 at Food World. I then went to Walmart for a few things I couldn't get at FW. I ended up picking up some snacky foods that were not part of the plan. I did have a coupon for some of the items so it was ok. We also picked up some lunch items for my husband and I. I lack picking up two items for the end of the month right now and have about $30.00 left to use. Needless to say unlike in months past our grocery budget might very well make it to the end of the month. Our kitchen is clean (well almost), stocked, and ready for cooking in.