Short Little Mama's Savings Roundup

You might remember that several months ago I started doing a weekly/monthly savings breakdown, to show how much I spent and saved on average weekly.  Well, life happened and you are now getting a super breakdown for all the time I got behind : )

Luckily, I post it all for you each week when I shop, so I just had to go back and do all of the math.  Thank goodness for calculators! This compilation puts all of the entries together to better demonstrate how I've saved overall.

I am by no means the best at couponing or saving, but I hope to share my triumphs and failures to show that I am learning at least & maybe someone else will be inspired to give it a try as well.  Here goes!

**Missed Entry On a Stock Up From Last Week**(80) Santa Cruz Lemonades @ $1.25: used $.75/1 Printable (doubled to $1)= $.25 each
Total Spent: $26.54
Total Tax: $6.64
Total Savings: $219.20

(The cashier and another shopper were both inspired and asked for more info on how they could save too!)

Total Spent 2/1/11 through 6/1/11, including tax: $1460.91

Total Tax 2/1/11 through 6/1/11: $180.31

Total Savings 2/1/11 through 6/1/11: $1856.61

These savings spanned 18 weeks of shopping, which I am using for the following average breakdown.

Average Weekly Spending: $81.16

Average Weekly Tax: $10.02

Average Weekly Savings: $103.15

This is most certainly less than I used to spend on a weekly basis.  Before starting to make a concerted effort to maximize my savings with sales, comparison pricing, and couponing, I easily spent $150 or more each week at the store.  I remember frequently having bills over $200, with half the number of items in my cart as I generally have now at checkout time.

It's awesome to be spending less and now have a small stockpile of household grocery, cleaning, and personal care essentials, not to mention a pantry that's never empty.

What I am by far most grateful for, is how this experience is helping me be a better steward of our earnings.  We are currently surviving some very challenging financial times (two monthly mortgage payments until we get house #1 sold),  and at the same time I am able to donate to others on a regular basis.  Though I cannot always give in cash as freely as I wish I could, I am able to use my time and bargaining talents to obtain essential items that I can give instead.