Week 1 - Grocery, Couponing and Garden Budget

Week one and I'm already slacking on the pictures *holds head down* Last year I had a budget of $300 a month for groceries and $160 for couponing/stockpiling for a family of 5 but this year I plan on going LOWER!! the grocery budget is dropped to $200 and couponing is down to $90.

Couponing here in the South is much different than couponing in the Northwest. In my area there are no stores that double and to get to a store that does, you have to drive 45mins+ (I drive the speed limit) and that is something I'm not willing to do.

 I will start to make it a habit of taking pictures of everything I buy, that includes all our fruits and vegetables. The summer should yield more produce from our garden so I will be buying less and less from the store and have made the decision to either barter with local people for produce or buy only from our local farmers for things I can not grow.

I have also made $15.50 this weeks using ibotta. It's a smartphone app that gives you money for buying regular groceries. Can't do couponing? You could totally do this!!

Using that $15.50 from ibotta I bought (2) half gallon of raw milks from our local family dairy farm- the Davis Family Farm with extra money  for more milk in the coming week.

I've found myself not buying as much things with coupons as I once did and that's okay I think. I still have a cereal, dishwashing tabs and laundry detergent addiction which couponing helps with but we've been making almost everything we eat from scratch, give or take a few things. I'll admit having a box of instant noodles or mac n cheese comes in handy when I'm dead tired from gardening or baking for people.

I don't really know what changed my thought on food and diets but we are a household and business now focused on locally grown and organic produce for ourselves and clients.


Have your tastes changed over the years?




Week 1 

Couponing: $58.97
Grocery: $40.89
Gardening: $21.61
Savings: $147.49