Local Health Food Store
6 Oranges @ 3/$1 – $2 total
2.25 lbs Gala Apples @ $0.99/lb – $2.23 total
Organic Cucumbers (2 pk) – $0.79 total
Organic Green Bell Peppers (2 pk) – $0.79 total
Carrots (2 lb bag) – $0.79 total
Total with tax: $7.08
Aldi
1 Gallon Milk – $1.99
1 Roma Tomatoes – $1.19
Total with tax: $3.41
Dillon’s
1 Dillons Bread – $1
2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta – $1 each, used $1/2 coupon from the 4/28 SmartSource insert – $0.50 each after coupon
1 Fruttare Frozen Bars – $4.99, used Free Dillons e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 Sargento Sliced Cheese – $2.50, used $1/1 catalina coupon – $1.50 after coupon
1 Kroger Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $1.67
1 Kroger Butter – $2.29 (that’s cheaper than Aldi right now!)
1 Yoplait Trix Yogurt (4 pk) – Marked down to $1.19 (I wished I would have had a coupon for this.)
1 Dannon Activia Yogurt (12 pk) – Marked down to $1 (Amazing price for a 12 pk!) 🙂
1 Nestle Hot Chocolate – Marked down to $1.59 (I needed this for a get-together I’m hosting.)
1 Post Great Grains Cereal – $2.69, used $1/1 catalina coupon – $1.69 after coupon (My Mom gave me this coupon as she knows this is one of my very favorite cereals and since I haven’t had it in months, I couldn’t wait for a better deal. Yum!)
French Yellow Mustard – $1.25, used $0.50/1 coupon from the 5/12 SmartSource insert (doubled) – $0.25 after coupon
2 Yakisoba Ramen Noodles – $1 each, used 2 $0.50/1 coupon from the 5/19 insert (doubled) – Free after coupons
1 U by Kotex Liners – $1.49, used $2/1 printable (no longer available) – Free after coupon
3 Special K Cereal Bars – $2.99 each, received $3 instant savings at register for buying 3, used 3 $0.70/1 printables – $0.99 each after coupons and instant savings
1 (5 lb bag) Potatoes – $1.99
1 can Kroger Black Beans – $0.69
Total before coupons and sales: $47.38
Total with tax after coupons: $20.72
Total for all grocery items: $31.21
Menu Plan for this Week
Breakfasts
Oatmeal, Toast, Cereal, Fruit, Yogurt, Cinnamon Roll Cake
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot & Zucchini Bars (I’ll be slightly tweaking this recipe), Leftovers, Yogurt, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Fruits & Veggies
Dinners
Spaghetti, Sliced Oranges, Steamed Broccoli, Toast
Broccoli & Cheese Quiche, Steamed Cauliflower, 30-Minute Rolls
Mini German Pancakes, Grapefruit (from my mom)
Cheesy Enchilada Casserole, Tossed Salad
Chicken & Rice Casserole, Apples, Green Beans
Shepherd’s Pie, Biscuits, Sweet Corn, Tossed Salad
Date Night (eat out)
Kim says
I signed up for Cartwheel & tried to check the boxes in front of my items, but nothing happened. I clicked on print to print the bar code. The bar code nor the coupons printed. I checked their “help” on Cartwheel’s website & this issue is not addressed. Does anyone know why mine did not print & what correction I need to take? Thanks!
Jessica says
I am so jealous of your Health Food Store. We have NEVER had produce that low. 😉 Great job though, and thanks for sharing.
Debbie Scott says
I too am jealous over your prices!! Though, I am thinking I may have to check the health food stores more than I do! But in our area, milk alone at Aldi is $3.45 (for 2% as of last weekend)….
Megan says
Thanks for sharing! You got some great deals. I am a little confused on your menu plan, where is the broccoli from? What are you using for the enchiladas? And the meat in the shepherd’s pie? I’m sure you buy ahead on some things, but a large portion of your menu is not accounted for. Thanks for the info!
Whitney says
I know I’m speaking for Gretchen, but a HUGE part of saving on groceries is buying ahead. If you only buy the ingredients you need for each week, you will never see maximum savings. Most of us who coupon or follow sales have a 3-6 month stockpile of basic pantry and freezer ingredients that we purchase when each item is at its lowest price. The additional ingredients used in her menu plan were likely purchased weeks, or even months, ago.
I think the menu plans on this site are mostly informational. It’s easy to get in a rut, and I know for me, it helps to see what others are preparing. I don’t believe you are meant to try to copy her shopping and menu list each week.
Gretchen says
I am actually trying to use up stuff in my refrigerator this week. I’ve purchased broccoli the past several weeks and I realized over the weekend that we still had some in our refrigerator and I needed to use it up before it goes bad. I also found a bag of corn tortillas in there that needed to be used up which is what I will be using for the enchiladas.
I buy meat whenever I find a good deal or markdown (https://moneysavingmom.com/2013/05/gretchens-target-shopping-trip-spent-7-90-saved-11-66.html) and then cook it up and freeze it in small portions to use throughout the month. I only use about 1/3 of the meat that most recipes call for. That way, I can stretch one pound of ground beef/turkey out to 3-4 meals and a 3 lb bag of frozen chicken can last up to a month at our house.
We also have a garden and are starting to get produce from that (lots of lettuce this week!). I grind almost all my flour (and buy the wheat berries in bulk once or twice a year), make my own cream of mushroom/chicken soups, enchilada sauce and taco/fajita seasoning, and have a whole cabinet in my kitchen full of canned items (beans, veggies, etc).
Hopefully that helps!
Charity says
Thanks for all the recipe links Gretchen. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut, so I’m always on the lookout for new recipes. By the way, I just love your name! 🙂
Gretchen says
Thanks! 🙂 I know what you mean about getting stuck in a rut making the same recipes over and over. I really love using Pinterest to find new recipes…in fact, most of the recipes I link to, I’ve found on there.
Amanda says
I’ve made that cinnamon roll cake before and yes it was amazing…. However you could easily cut down the sugar. It was slightly on the almost too sweet side. Enjoy! 🙂
Sarah Tiani says
I went to Kroger yesterday (our Dillon’s) and got 3 boxes of Special K, which they had marked down on their scratch and dent shelf for damaged boxes. They were marked $2/box, and they were the GIANT boxes. They also had the code for free nail polish. I went to the aisle and saw that the Special K also had a $3 off 3 deal. A cashier told me that it wouldn’t take my coupon since it was a markdown, but I used it, and it took the $3 off 3, so I got 3 big boxes for $.67 each! My kids love it so it is a great stock up item. I don’t know why I buy any other bread-it is a great deal at $1, but almost always they have markdowns for $.49!
Betsy says
Wow, I haven’t seen $1.99 milk in a long time! 2% at our local Aldi is $2.89
janel says
Wow I’m so jealous of some of these prices.
Organic cucumbers are usually on sale if you’re lucky for 1.25, organic bell peppers are never under 1.00 each and our milk is close to 3.50 a gallon.
Lori S. says
I splurge on Great Grains once in a while, too 🙂 Usually I won’t pay more than $1 for a box of cereal but we all deserve a treat once in a while. It’s yummy and good for you too!
Bonnie says
How many people are there in your family, Gretchen?
Gretchen says
My husband and I have one little boy…so there are 3 of us.
Nicci Spencer says
I always think of health food stores as being so expensive, but you seem to find great deals there, I’ll have to check in to that. I have pretty much stopped shopping at Dillon’s because I thought Aldi was always cheaper, but I will have to watch the sales and compare. Thanks Gretchen for sharing your grocery buys and menu!
Gretchen says
You’re welcome! I’m glad you are enjoying them. 🙂
Kristine says
The health-food store near us NEVER has good sales. I shop primarily at Aldi.