January Food Budget Update

I posted previously about a new way I'm tracking our food budget using a google docs savings tracker from the Coupon Project. Its January 19th and our food budget is down to $7. How did this happen? 

Well we spent $63 at Costco stocking up on some essentials, we only do this every other month and it happened to fall this month. We also bought a supply of paper towels and toilet paper which only happens about every 3 months. Lastly I tried out quite a few new recipes this month which required I purchase a few ingredients I didn't have on hand. 

Luckily I have a coupon for free milk and a $3 catalina to use at Safeway, that combined with my $7 will be my grocery budget next week. Next weeks menu will incorporate several freezer meals I made from doubling a batch of dinner and freezing half earlier this month.

Heres a reminder of the things we include in our grocery budget: Toiletries, paper products, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, baby wipes and diapers and my weekly newspapers.