This Week's Best Buys AND My $42 Saturday Shopping Trip

It's time for me to confess what I bought at the store and then list this week's best buys! 

Don't forget, all month long I'll only be spending no more than $320 this month to feed a family of seven!  I'll be basing my weekly menu plans on the items I purchase for $80 a week and the contents of our weekly CSA produce box.  To see what I got in this week's CSA box, click on this link. 

 

$42.34:  Spent at Three Stores and One Farmer's Market

 

 First Stop:  The Farmer's Market:  $3.00

We picked up our CSA share bright and early Saturday morning.  There's something about seeing all those stalls, filled with fresh produce that just ignites my inner chef.  I spied a bin of small zucchini and yellow summer squash.  I instantly thought of making a spring pasta primavera.  

Second Stop:  The Dollar Store:  $4.04  

I had just used the last of our frozen blueberries.  I picked up four bags for $1.00 each and headed to the door.  They are small 10 ounce bags.  So, a return trip may be necessary before the end of the month, since we throw blueberries on our breakfast oatmeal several times a week.  

See this post for my list of items that I always buy at the Dollar Stores and learn why I like this chain of stores so much!  

Third Stop:  Kroger:  $15.55

Dairy Markdowns and Saturday Only Specials!

 Saturday Only Deals!  Krogers is regularly featuring Saturday only deals.  You have to load the digital coupon onto your Kroger card.  Some readers put me wise to this last week and I found that even a technology-challenged person like me can easily sign up on their website and download the coupons to your store loyalty card.  The sour cream, cottage cheese, and dip were the large 24 ounce size and only $.99 each!  I don't eat dairy.  But, there are going to be some happy dairy lovers in my house this week.
 

Dairy Aisle markdowns galore!  I found Chobani yogurt on clearance for $.49 each.  I bought 12 of them and plan to use most of them to top homemade granola.  We use granola more for snacks than we do for breakfast.   

My Kroger markdown aisle deals.

Markdown aisle bargains!  All Kroger stores have an aisle dedicated to product markdowns.  It is always worth the time to peruse this aisle when visiting your local Kroger.  I found brown rice syrup for $1.59 a jar and Greek yogurt dressing for $.99.

Donuts:  Somehow the container of 12 glazed donuts for $1.99 (a Saturday only deal) and the free sports drink (a Friday Freebie download coupon) didn't make the photo.  Really, I give you my word it was not because we had already consumed them.  😀

For my tips on shopping your local Kroger store, see this post. 

Fourth Stop:  HyVee:  $19.75

The discount bin at HyVee was amazing! 

Admittedly, I walked away from HyVee with far more than was on my list.

 The actual grocery list was quite short:

On sale all week with a coupon:

HyVee Peanut Butter  - $.99
C & H Cane Sugar - 4 pound bag - $1.49
  

Special Thursday through Saturday only sale:  

Eggs - 2 dozen - $.88 each
Bananas - $.29 a pound 

That was the sum total of what was in my grocery cart.... until I reached the markdown section!  

That's when I scored!  

Large tin of organic diced green chiles - marked down to - $1.00

Bottle of sriracha mayonaise - marked down to $2.00.  ( I honestly have no idea what this is.  But, my son's Southern belle loves it and since she is visiting from Mississippi, I bought it for her.) 

Four pound bags of brown jasmine rice - marked down to - $2.00 each! 

Nope!  That is not a typo!  I bought 5 bags. Then I saw a friend while in the store and steered her to the remaining two bags that were marked down to this price.

Grand Total:  $42.34.  

This leaves me a generous $37.66 for the rest of the week.  The new sales ads come out in a couple of days.  So, undoubtedly, there will be some deals that I will want to take advantage of later in the week.  

This Week's Best Deals!

The Four Pound Bags of Rice for $2.00 each have to get our absolute best deal shout out!  

Next in line would be the Kroger Dairy Markdowns 

The $.29 a pound bananas certainly deserve an honorable mention.  

Stay Tuned for detailed menu plans based on this week's shopping and our CSA box !  

 

Remember to Enter My June Contest!

If you've not already entered, head over to our contest page!  Click here!  You can read all about my June food budget challenge and enter for the chance to win a copy of  of one of my favorite books, Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half, by Steve and Annette Economides.

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope