Friday, November 28, 2008

My Groceries for This Week

I did go grocery shopping this week, but because of all the other madness going on, I didn't get time to take a pretty picture of it and post a nice blog :)

Today things are a little more low-key around here... for a bit. Later on we head on over to Daniel's parents for Thanksgiving with his parents, brother & sister-in-law. A friend of mine from the bank and her daughter will probably join us as well. She is separated from her husband and I have always felt a need to minister to her in some way, and so I invited her to join us!

But this morning and afternoon I am tackling a couple mountains of laundry, clean and dirty, that have creeped up on us over the past while. I also need to wrap some gifts for a get-together tomorrow, and make food for that. I haven't decided what I'm making yet - wish me luck!

Here are the groceries that I got Wednesday afternoon:

Kroger
20 Mule Team Borax (for homemade laundry and dish-washer detergent!) - $3.99
4 roll Cottonelle - $.50 moneymaker after coupons
Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (for the detergent) - $2.89
3 bars Ivory Soap (detergent) - $1.49
Kroger All Purpose Flour - $2.08
Kroger "American" Cheese - $1.39
2 Kroger Lemonade Mix envelopes (dishwasher detergent) - $.29
1 lb. Kroger butter - $2.50 (when are they going to run a GOOD sale on butter again??)
6 Kiwi - $2.00
Fresh Pineapple (took to Thanksgiving yesterday) - $1.99
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Coupons:
$.50 Cottonelle Coupon, doubled to $.99
$.50 Cottonelle CellFire Coupon
Total Before Sales, Coupons and Kroger Savings: $22.94
Total OOP: $18.82
Total Savings: $3.62 (16%)

WalMart:
Whole Wheat Flour - $3.42
2 1/2 doz. eggs - $3.63
Total: $7.23

Grocery Total Before Savings: $30.17
Total OOP: 26.05
Total Savings: $3.62 (12%)

On the toilet paper I forgot about the CellFire coupon... I should've used the $.25 coupon I had and it would have still been free (it would have doubled to $.50 + the $.50 CellFire = Free) and I would still have my $.50 coupon which would still make free TP since it would double to the amount of the TP. Oh well :)

I was so tickled pink when I saw that Kroger here DOES carry the Washing Soda!! I'd heard that some do and some don't. I used up the last of my dishwashing detergent Wednesday night before we went to bed, so I need to mix up a batch of homemade today :) The Lemonade Mix that goes in it is to provide the Citric Acid that the recipe calls for. I didn't feel like tracking down a "brewery supplies" store to buy the citric acid, and the recipe offered this as an alternative. And the first listed ingredient on the packet is Citric Acid :)

I am coming down the home stretch of my store-bought laundry soap, too, so I am eager to make the homemade :) I was a little bummed that Kroger didn't have the Fels Naptha soap, I hope to find a store SOMEWHERE that carries it so I can use it instead of the Ivory since Fels Naptha is the first choice in all recipes I've seen.

I was also really happy that my total came in so close to my budget this week :) Of course I didn't use a whole stack of coupons and score piles of free goods, but I did get everything that I needed (well, the TP was extra, but it was free :) ), and the soap ingredients should last a long time, as well as the whole wheat flour.

I was really bummed that I had to throw out a whole bag of buggy whole wheat flour Tuesday. I think all the flour in that cupboard has weevils in it. I need to drag out the stool and climb up there and go through it all. I'm guessing that one bag had the eggs in it, and they migrated to the rest, because it is all flours that I bought at different times and different kinds, too.

Alright, I need to go tackle that laundry. The first load of dirty is done in the washing machine, and I have 3 loads of clean on the bed that I need to start folding and lots more to go in the washer!!

I hope you're all having a wonderful and relaxing day today :) My hubby is at work (it seems like a lot of people have Black Friday off, though), but hopefully he's having a great day and won't have to work late.

8 comments:

simple~needs said... [Reply to comment]

my email addy is
smalltownprim at yahoo (dot) com
i will send you some fels naptha... consider it a gift. :)
kim

Amy said... [Reply to comment]

if you put your flour in the freezer for 48 hours after you buy it, it will kill any eggs it might have in it. Same with rice. If it is stored in an airtight container, it shouldn't get any bugs thereafter. happy belated thanksgiving!

Aliisa said... [Reply to comment]

From Aliisa:

I found that that homemade dishwasher detergent leaves my glassware looking horrible. I still make it but what I have been doing is using it with very inexpensive detergent and combined they work great.

I hope you have better luck than I did with it!!

Unknown said... [Reply to comment]

When I've been dead-flat broke, I've sifted "buggy" flour and reused it. Don't tell anyone! ;)

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

one time of the times when i've been dead-flat broke, i sifted the bugs out of flour and used it anyway. ;0) please don't tell on me... LOL

The Lewis Family said... [Reply to comment]

I would love if you'd share your recipe for washing powder and dishwasher detergent. I've only seen recipes using Fels Naptha soap, so I'd like to see how you do it. I'm kind of a blog-stalker; I love reading your blog! You have awesome tips and I just really enjoy your writing style.

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

If you decide you are interested in the real deal on citric acid, there is a brewing store a couple miles from my house. I could check it out if you're interested and deliver it to you at church. Or you could use the brew store as an excuse to come over house for dinner or Sunday lunch sometime (that's what my bro-in-law does when he wants to go to the brew store). I'd be interested in the homemade dishwashing detergent too, if only I had a dishwasher.

Elizabeth said... [Reply to comment]

Ewww... I never even think about flour bugs. Haven't come across any yet but still... ewwwwww. I had no idea!