I've spent about two hours this morning reading blogs.. mainly of people I have never read before... Ever done that? And then posted on every single one of them.. to maybe have 1 or 2 people come and check you out...?? I feel that every blog I read deserves a comment of some sort.. As a blogger you truly take time out and share your thoughts.. it kind of reminds me of the journals that you had to keep daily for school.... and that one teacher that ALWAYS commented every post... made me wonder if he actually sat and read ALL of them.. or if he skimmed??? LOL LOL...

Today I'm going to share some of my food cost strategies... I'm sorry if it bores you... :( But I hope it helps some too..! Where I live there are no local CVS or Walgreens unless you drive a half hour away...We do NOT have double your coupon grocery stores... or stores that do BOGO... it's your basic Wal*Mart, which I'm finding are more expensive than our local Market Basket.. and then we have Hannafords! Well.. Hannafords is NICE if you can afford their produce and meats ( which tend to run almost .50cents more than Market Baskets)... Over the line into VT we have a food discount store... This is a hit or miss kind of store.... some of the things can be damaged... or outdated.. so you REALLY have to look.. and you also have to be price "smart".. because sometimes with TAX these items can be more than if I got them locally...

So my trip this past week looked like this..

This is where I get our snacks.. and soups.. and tissues.. and what ever bargains I can find.. no fresh produce or freezer fridge items..

What I spent for ALL of this... $23.00 with tax.. and see the two progresso soups in the middle.. I bought those for my elderly neighbor across the street.. it's her favorite soup.. so I combined some stuff I got for free in couponing and the bread I got free last week and brought it over to her.. she was TICKLED!!

What I paid for it.. and what it cost in the stores..
I am pretty much "guesstimating" what you would pay in the stores for these.. remember I live in New England.. so prices my vary from where you live... What I paid will come first and then store price.

4 Kraft Salad Dressings ( sorry Jayedee)
.25 cents each =$1.00
$7.16
King Arthur bread flour 5lb bag
.99cents
$3.69
Crystal Light
.99 cents
$2.50
2 boxes tissues
.50cents each=$1.00
$1.50
4 Marie Calendar Corn bread mix 1lb bags
.59 cents each=$2.36
This one I'm not sure of.. hubby thinks $2.99/bag
$11.96
2 Progresso soups
.99cents each=$1.98
$1.69=$3.38
4 cans of crushed tomatoes 1-12ounce can
.25cents each=$1.00
.89 cents each=$ 3.56
15 pouches of Kool-Aid
=$1.00
10/$1.00
2 boxes of twizzlers snack
$1.19 each=$2.38
$1.99 each=$3.98
Store brand cookies
.79 each
.99 each
Store brand wafer cookies
.59 each
.99 each
Betty Crocker Cookie Brownie mix
.99cents
$2.69
Vinegar
.39 cents
.59 cents
4 cans of Tuna Fish
.59 cents each =$2.39
$3.96
Sipah Straws ( these were NEW to me)
.99cents
$1.99 guess!
Blueberry box mix has THREE boxes worth in side
$4.39
3 boxes at store @$2.69=$8.07
_______________________________________________
Total Food Store: My Cost $23.23
If shopped at Regular Store:$58.01
Total Savings:$34.78

I also saved using coupons at Market Basket this week.. 3 boxes of Crest toothpaste for $1.50 total and two new Oral B tooth brushes for $1.00 total!!
At Rite Aid
2 boxes of Cereal for $2.00 each
3 Body Washes for $1.50 each
Chex Mix Bags BOGO using coupon

Who knows.. with saving that much.. maybe I can buy this in August when it comes out for MY mixer!!