Weekly Wrap Up

Jennifer @ Getting Ahead http://getting-ahead.blogspot.com/2009/01/weekly-wrap-up_30.html (I can't seem to get the hyperlink to work and I don't have time to mess with it, dinners almost done!) is doing a new series on her blog called Weekly Wrap Up. I've been meaning to do it since she started, but haven't found the time (or had anything frugal to talk about ) This week I have the time (I'm a little late, but it's still Friday!) and something to share.

Just today I took Max and Jake to the local hair college and got their hair cut for $4.99 + $1 tip each. Normally we buzz them, but I didn't want to do the buzz this time. Plus, Max has 2 spinner cowliks on the top of his head and his hair is finally long enough that it half way lays down!! Taking them to the hair college is a savings of about $6 a piece. I'm gonna take Jordyn in next week. Si is getting pretty shaggy, too, but he want to grow his out, so I might let him wait awhile.

Most of you (if not all, lol) know I work nights, so in order to save money (Rob only likes to make easy, convenience foods) I try to make dinner before I head to work. Thursday that was just not possible, so I went to Albertsons and got 2 Culinary Circle frozen pizzas and 2 2 liters of Dr Pepper for $5.48. The pizzas are very comparable to DiGiorgno. The Dr Pepper was free with the pizzas, we don't normally drink Dr Pepper, but I guess we will this week, since it's free!

Last night while I was at work I made my grocery lists and pulled all my coupons together and stopped by Smiths on my way home from work, to save me a trip, since Smiths is across town, but fairly close to my work. I spent a total of $25.04 and saved $22.74 a total savings of 48%! I love it!

This afternoon I hit Albertsons and did 2 transactions. On the first one I spent $26.97 and saved a total of $37.97!! Even better! Then next trip I spent a little more, but I bought 15 lbs of hamburger at $1.99 a lb and got 5 packages of skinless chicken breasts for $1.77. Oh, I also got 2 80 oz things of Laundry Soap for $2.49 each! I also had a catalina for a free gallon of milk that I used as well. The second trip I spent $57.72 and saved a total of $63.36. Woohoo! Gotta love it. Can you tell I'm excited? All in all I spent $109.73 out of pocket and saved a total of $124.07. This weeks shopping trips were a little more than I will normally be doing, but I couldn't pass on the great sale on the hamburger because I was down to my last 3 packages. I have been saving coupon money for just that purpose.

I also hit the bread store on the way home from an appointment (it was not out of the way at all) and bought 4 loaves of Grandma Sycamore (my family's favorite) bread and one package of bagels for about $6.

I thought I'd also explain my weekly grocery budget real quick. Well, I'll TRY to be quick about it! I've decided (for now) to budget $100 a week for my family of 6. I am splitting it in half $50/$50 and putting each weeks money in seperate envelopes (I'm doing the envelope/cash only method for groceries and it's working so far) marked current weeks groceries (CWG) and couponing (C). I plan on doing this until I get a nice sized stockpile, then I will lower the grocery budget. Each week I look at the sales flyers and put together my stockpile/C lists. Stuff I know we'll use in the future and I can buy in bulk because it's free or dirt cheap. The CWG list is stuff we need for meals that week and household items. I still need to do that shopping trip, I need to sit down and make my menu for the week before I make my list. Any leftover money at the end of the week from the C or CWG's envie gets put into the C envie for future coupon shopping. That's how I had extra money to really stockpile on the hamburger and I also bought extra crackers and cereal. I hope that all made sense!

Oh and this week Rob put new brakes/rotors and an oil change on my van all at home. I have no clue how much money that saved us, but I'm sure it's alot!! He is also helping a friend who is restoring a car and made $100.

This post turned out way longer than I anticipated, sorry!

Here are some pics of Max and Jake's new 'dos.