Spending and Savings Through 3/4/11

Here's the latest update on our family's grocery/general spending and savings from 2/1/11 through 3/4/11.  For those who are new, this is my best attempt to better monitor our family's spending, in hopes of cutting back and creating a real budget.  I would absolutely love to be able to get our weekly spending down to an average of $60 or less for our family of five.  I am also hoping that others might be inspired and be able to benefit from both our successes and failures together : )

As of 2/19, we had spent $254.35, paid $27.87 in tax, and saved $179.90 with coupons and a shopper's card.  My dear, sweet husband has been allowed to shop once again, which really throws off our savings ratio for sure!  He decided that we needed TEN boxes of Little Debbie junk food snacks one day (and yes, I about had a heart attack when I found them in the pantry), because they were on sale 10/$10.  I know I have explained to him that a sale like that doesn't mean you have to buy all ten, but obviously he did not retain the information.

Heart Attack!

Ben's Spending- $16.21
Ben's Tax- approximately $1.32
Ben's Savings- $0

My Spending at Dillon's 3/1 (really proud of this one)
Bought 14 Colgate Toothpastes @ $.98/ea.: used 14 coupons for $1 off each = free
Bought 1 Tide Stain Relase 15ct. package @ $5.99- used $3/1 Q + $3/1 eQ= free
Tax= $1.35
Total Spent= $1.31 (yep, I didn't even pay the full tax amount)
Saved- $30.43

Our Total Spending 2/1-3/4
Spent- $354.12
Tax- $39.23
Saved- $299.71
Average Weekly Spending (5 weeks)= $71 ($11 higher than my goal)