September Budget Results & Apples Apples Apples

September's Grocery Budget $400
Year to date overage prior to September $242.90
Actual September grocery spend $399.53 reducing year to date overage to $242.44.

If you are a new follower the grocery budget includes all over counter medications, grooming and cleaning products.

Coupons Used $9.97. Low again but I have been getting deals without using coupons and scratch cooking so am not too worried about how low that is. This month I discovered that with my Quality Foods card every grocery trip I am entitled to one unadvertised special for any item that I am purchasing that is not already on sale or that you must weigh. This month that gave me discounts on items that almost never go on sale like food colouring and horse radish. This store normally has higher prices than where I usually grocery shop but I have been hitting it up for loss leaders and last minute purchases as is only a block from my house.

Rather than wait until 2012 I am increasing the monthly food budget from $400 to $425 per month - due to higher taxes in BC versus Alberta and the fact that we eat 99% at home rather than eating out. I have the room in our budget to do this - if our budget was tighter we would have stuck with the $400 budget.

Annual Clothing Budget $200
Zero spent in October - leaving $64.79 To Go.
I have decided to transfer all of the budget($34.79) from clothing except $30 for the remaining three months of the year to the grocery overage as really do not need any clothes.

Annual Hair Budget $400

Spent $19.12 on haircut at a discount hair cutting place(that included $4 tip). I have also decided to transfer out $25 to the grocery overage from this budget so have $104.73 left for the year. The hairdresser also complimented me on my home root job from last month so that was quite nice - she actually gave me a good haircut too. I was sure to get her name and will try to use her again as this was a great deal.

With the transfers from hair and clothing budget grocery year to date overage is now reduced to $182.65.

The last of cherry tomatoes were picked to turn red inside as never expected to have tomatoes on the vine outside in October - a frost could happen anytime now and I didn't want to lose these guys as only got 30 cherry tomatoes from this plant. The beefsteak plant only produced one tomato which we ate with burgers last week. Next year I am going to start 12 plants from seed inside in April and will keep most and give away a plant or two to neighbors. Hopefully next year there will be a better tomato harvest.

A few weeks ago I asked my Mother if she had been offered any apples from friends as I was looking for some to make applesauce and crisps. One of her friends has an older well producing apple tree and she gifted my Mother three boxes for helping her pick them - two for my mother and one for me. The lady said she couldn't possibly use all the apples and after they were done she called in a gleaning association who picked ten more boxes off the tree for the local food bank. What a great idea. This weeks job will be making crock pot applesauce with the less appealing apples and will separate the nicest ones for eating. There are at least ten pounds here so I have a big job ahead of me but I never turn down free groceries, especially organic apples!


This week I am not grocery shopping at all and will be making our meals out of items in the cupboards, fridge and freezer.

Have a great week!