February Grocery Tally and Recent Bargains

Annual Grocery budget $450 per month x 12 = $5400
Due to grocery overspending in January the overage was deducted from February and the final grocery budget for the month was $418.20.

Actual was $417.47! Success! and .73 cents has been forwarded to March's budget.

Coupons used: $30.25. Quite low but as always the goal is to stay within the grocery budget so a complete success. It did help that February was a short month. When I neared the budget I quit shopping. Pretty simple really. We just ate out of our existing pantry and freezer.

Freebies received:
2 packets Thinsations
Dentyne Ice Gum
$10 in Amazon.ca gift cards from using Swagbucks

No Contest Wins - really too busy to enter this month

Best buys in February:

In all I bought seven shirts at my two regular thrift stores for $33. One Saturday I stumbled upon a 50% off everything sale at Salvation Army which made a great deal even better. Above are photos of three (the rest are in the laundry as have worn all but one already).

The major benefit of buying used clothes is after a wash they are "NEW TO YOU". You can afford a larger wardrobe without a large cost outlay. Any change in dye colour or misshaping has already happened before you brought it home. I am on a personal mission this year to try and buy 80% used clothing, only buying new for underwear, socks and if required clothing that is required for functions that I cannot buy used (like the wedding we have to go to next weekend that I still don't have the right blouse to wear). With higher clothing prices predicted due to increased cost of cotton and oil transportation costs buying used enables me to stay within budget.

My absolute favorite buy of the lot is the baby yellow Tommy Hilfiger sweater. Not due to name brand but based on compliments received from co-workers and hubby while I was wearing it. Sometimes I buy name brand second hand clothing due to higher quality types of fabrics, wool and cotton, always without paying the high price!

Another massive moneysaver this month was redemption of airmiles: = $1200 savings
2 tickets from Edmonton to Victoria - savings $700 (paid $230 in tax)
1 ticket from Edmonton to Denver for a birthday gift for my mother to see relatives - savings $500 (paid $150 tax)


My next post will include real estate adventures and bargain shopping on Vancouver Island, our future home - yay!