Meal Planning And Shopping Weekly

So i just started a new way of shopping for me. It's what the coupon world recommends, it's like DUH why didn't i do this before? I have budgeted $400 a month (4 person family) for grocery, toiletries... any diapers or wipes or things that like i might need. I had been shopping monthly since my husband gets paid monthly. BUT since ad matches vary from week to week i was buying a big bunch of my food and then going back each week to get stuff for my stock pile when items went on sale.
Instead i'm going to try to shop weekly. By doing this i'm planning on looking at the ad matches for the week and the coupon deals for the week and plan my meal plan accordingly and shop just for the stuff on my meal plan. Some things are the major good deals i will buy more then i need that week so it can go into my stock pile.
Like this weeks meal plan was as follows:

Meals

Dinners:

1. Burritos
2. Nachos
3. Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes & Corn
4. Hamburger Pie
5. Veggie Pizza
6. Mac & Cheese w/ Hamburger
7. BLT's & Baked Beans
8. Sloppy Joes

Lunches:

1. Fancy Dogs w/ Cheeto's
2. Ham Sandwiches
3. Salad
4. Baked Potatoes
5. Tuna & Tomatoes

Snacks:

Pretzels

Peaches

Ice Cream

So the nachos and burritos needed salsa, well since the Red Gold 16oz salsa was on ad match for $.50 a piece instead of buying one (which is all i would have needed this week) i bought 7 because really... $.50 for 16oz of salsa doesn't come around to often.
I also grabbed a few extra Mission Tortilla shells because i wanted to freeze some and it was a really good deal.

Here was my shopping list:
AD = Ad match
Q = Coupon

Fresh Foods	Dry Foods	Cold Foods
-Vine Ripe or Roma Tomatoes $.99lb (AD) -Baby Carrots 16oz $.59 (AD) -Broccoli $.99lb (AD) -Head Lettuce $1ea (AD) -Russet Potatoes 5lb Bag $.98 (AD)	-Mission Flour Tortillas 10ct $1 (AD) (4) -Red Gold Salsa 16oz $.50 (AD) (7) -Hamburger buns -Bread -Cheetos -Best Choice Mac & Cheese 7.25oz $.39 (AD) (6) -Always Save Peach Pieces 29oz $1 (AD) (4) -Snyder's Of Hanover Pretzels 13.5-16oz $2 (AD)	-Kroger Sour Cream or Dips 16oz $1 (AD) (4) -Best Choice Shredded Cheese 16oz $3.39 (AD) (4) -Cheese hot dogs -Crescent rolls (3) -Bacon -Ham lunch meat (Q) -Blue Bell Ice Cream or Cups Half Gallon $4.99 (AD) -Best Choice Large Eggs $.99 (AD) (2) -Kraft Naturals Sliced Cheese 7-8oz $1.99 (AD) (2) -Milk 1 Gallon $1.99 (AD) (3)

So on all of this i spend about $80 and with what i could remember of the regular prices i saved about $30+ and that was with buying some extra things.

This food should also actually feed us longer then a week because the burrito stuff alone has fed us 3 meals already.

This is my first time actually doing this week meal plan thing so i'm hoping i will get better and better at this!

New Ad Matches Button

So it occurred to me that new comers to the blog might not know where to find the most recent ad matches of the week. There is a link to the right where you can always fine the ad matches but just as a precaution i also added the above button which will always appear on the top of the blog. That way everyone that comes should know where to go. I hope this helps!

Planning My Shopping Trip

Plan on making my last minute trip to Wal-Mart.

Some ad matches i'm interested in look at are:

Checker: 1/2 - 1/8

• Bar S Jumbo Meat Franks 8-16oz $1
• Best Choice Plastic Cutlery 48ct $1
• Thinking i might grab a few to stock pile for when the new baby comes :)
• Dole Salad 9-12oz $1.50

Homeland: 1/2 - 1/8

• Land-O-Frost Bistro Thin Sliced Meats 6oz Buy 1 @ $3.29 Get 1 FREE or $1.65ea
• Land O Lakes Eggs Natural Brown or Omega 3 $2
• Use $.35 OFF (1) Eggs 12/2 SS
• Final Price: $1.65
• Minute Instant Rice 14oz $1.50
• Cains Custom Roast Coffee 30oz $5.99

ShurFine: 1/2 - 1/8

• Fresh Grape Tomatoes 10oz $1.59

G&W: 12/26 - 1/1

• Hiland Butter 16oz $2
• Farmland Bacon 12oz $2.50

ALDIS: 12/26 - 1/1

• Milk 1 Gallon $1.99
• Blueberries 6oz $1.69
• Blackberries 6oz $.89
• Naval Oranges $.37lb or $1.48 for a 4lb Bag

Not on my ad matching list:

• Bagels

At Dillons:

• Buy (1) Duracell 4ct AA or AAA, 2ct C or D and the 1ct 9Volt batteries – $2.99
• Use (1) $2/1 coupon from the 12/9 RedPlum
• Final Price: 99¢!
• Buy (6) Tony’s Original Crust Pizzas – $11.94
• Use (2) $1/3 coupons from the 1/6 inserts
• Pay: $9.94 and get a $2 Catalina
• Final Price: $7.94 for all SIX, or $1.32 each

So now that i have my list ready i will go and grab out the few coupons i have that match up and get them put aside and ready.

Coupons To Swap On Facebook

My sister was able to snag me a couple coupon books with longer lasting expiration. Here are a few coupons that i will not be able to use and i would love to give away.
All these coupons have an expiration of 7/31/13

• (2) Save $1 OFF any 11oz or larger bag of Dunkin Donuts Coffee
• (2) Save $1 when you buy 3 Kid Cuisine
• (2) Save $1 one one 20lb or larger package of Purina Tidy Cat Scoop any variety
• (2) Save $1 on any 3 Weight Watchers Smart Ones Frozen Product
• (2) Save $1 on any 2 Nestle Coffee-Mate liquid or powder coffee creamers (excludes natural bliss)
• (2) Save $1 on 2 Lipton Tea products 18ct or higher
• (2) Save $1 on 2 Magnum products (excludes single bar)
• (2) Save $1 on any 2 Dove Chocolates 8.5oz or larger
• (2) Save $1 on 2 I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! products
• (2) Save $1 on any 12ct box of K-Cup packs

These coupons also expire 7/31/13 and yes these really are Best Choice Brand. I've never seen Best Choice coupons before! These are cool! But i don't ever get to a store that actually carries the Best Choice brand so why hold onto the coupons? So i'm giving them away to who ever will use them. Hope they help someone!

• (2) Save $1 on 1 Best Choice Physx 8-pack, 20oz bottles.
• (2) Save $1 on any 1 Best Choice Coffee 34.5oz Columbian, Supreme or Breakfast
• (2) Save $1 on any 1 Best Choice Laundry Detergent

*** I am posting this here just to display the coupons i have to give away for facebook purposes. Please only reply on the facebook coupon swap site the link was posted on. Thanks!