Challenge: To trim down the grocery bills by at least 33%

According to the US Department of Labor, the average American family of four spends $8,513 per year on groceries. This statistic breaks down to $177 per person a month. My family is not the traditional nuclear family. In addition to me and my husband, we have four children -- three teenagers, a two-year-old, and a mother-in-law. Applying the above figures, our grocery bill for a family of seven should approximate to $1239 per month. And astonishingly, it has regularly fluctuated in the range of $1000- $1300. My goal is to trim this monthly pile of receipts down to $830,(including diapers, wipes, hygiene products, and restaurant bills) if not less. Being able to frugally feed my nutrition-conscious husband and appease the voracious appetites of my teenagers will be my main challenge!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Pull out those Cereal Coupons

I was reluctant to post this sale up today:  Price Chopper is continuing for another week its special for cereal -- 4 boxes for $6 (all four must be purchased for that price).  If you happened to save any manufacturer coupons, you can apply them to the sale.  One of the grocery stores was giving away General Mills coupon books a few weeks ago on a rack by the front entrance.  It was a rare sight, but when you see something like that and there are a lot of booklets available, try to take two.  The coupon which I was able to apply to the sale was $1 off 2 boxes.  Since I had four boxes, I could use two of these coupons, making the 4 boxes only $4.  It was a frugal deal, not free and not very nutritious.  My children only care for Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  Although the box claims it has a bunch of vitamins and minerals (ranging from 2% copper to 30% thiamin and zinc and 35% vitamin B12), the sugar load is exhorbitant -- 10 grams. 

Cheerios is clearly the best deal, nutrition-wise.  Aside from 9% daily value of protein and the usual vitamins, it has an amazing 45% vitamin B6, 50% iron, and 60% folic acid.  Grams of sugar?  Only one.  Most of the boxes include a coupon for Pampers -- $1.50 off.  The popularity of it in my house, however, is zero.  My daughter asked, "Why didn't you buy the Cheerios with honey in it?"  "O" well, you can't win them all.  Till my next blog, Cheerio!


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