Don't feel bad... remember diapers can add a lot onto your budget... also depending on where you live, your food cost may be higher than other places.

We have a $350 budget for myself, DH, and DD (17mo. old). We could probably have it down to around $275 if DD wasn't in diapers and needed wipes to go with them.

Starting Budget: $350

5/2

Target:
Pampers 19.99
wipes 4.64
body wash 2.89
socks 3.99
-----------
Total: 33.64

Meijer:
2 Diaper sacks 4.48
Onion soup mix .99
2.58 # banana 1.29
paper plates 1.15
baked beans 1.19 (-.50 coupon)
2 applesauce 2.70
2 apple juice 3.58
mini pancakes 1.79
1 lime .67
rice 2.15 (-2.15 coupon)
basil 2.79
almond accents 2.99 (-2.99 coupon)
4 mixed veggies cans 1.76
2 green beans cans .88
cilantro .34
hamburger buns 1.00
salsa 1.00
2 waffles 2.00
3 mixed fruit cans 3.00 (-1.00 from by 10 of $1 sale items receive 11th free)
3 cans peaches 3.00
2 cans pears 3.00
stuffing 1.00
can mandarin oranges 1.00
sour cream 1.00 (-1.00 coupon)
paper towels 1.00
spaghetti .67
Syrup 2.96 (-1.00 coupon)
palmolive 2.00 (-.80 coupon)
2 gal. skim milk 5.00
2 gal. Vit. D milk 5.00
2 # strawberries 2.50
Swiffer refill 5.74 (-1.00 coupon)
Carnation instant breakfast 4.00 (-4.00 coupon)
--------------------
Total: 60.20

Kroger:
cheetos 1.88
hershey chocolate 1.00
2 12 big roll TP 8.88 (-.50 coupon)
pasta salad 1.79
can pears 1.09 (-.35 coupon)
Tonys pizza 2.75 (-2.75 coupon)
Taco shells 1.00 (-1.00 coupon)
brownie mix 1.79
2 pudding mix 1.78
York patties 2.50 (-1.10 coupon)
Wheat bread 2.09 (-1.98 coupon)
bbq sauce 2.69 (-1.29 coupon)
2 mouthwash 2.00
1.15# tomatoes 1.44
.85 # red potatoes .84
bologna 2.19
maxi pads 3.64 (-3.49 coupon)
butter 2.59
Frosting 1.69 (-1.00 coupon)
toothpaste 2.00 (-1.50 coupon)
toothpaste 2.00 (-1.00 coupon)
toothpaste 1.99 (-1.00 coupon)
air freshner 1.00 (-.80 coupon)
toilet bowl cleaner 2.69
soup at hand 1.50
lettuce .99
shredded cheese 1.99
ground beef 2.70
chuck roast 6.97 (-2.00 coupon)
bacon 1.47
ham lunch meat 1.97
2 packs reeses cup 2.00
---------------
total: 54.59

Spent today: $148.43
by shopping sales and using coupons I saved $70.94

Left over: 350-148.43= $201.57

Ack.... DH made some unplanned purchases that I didn't budget for. He bought stuff for a small BBQ that he and DD are attending on Saturday. Hopefully, I'll be able to compensate for this throughout the month.

Smart & Final

5 gallons water
oreos
doritos
hamburger buns
hotdog buns
tomatoes
hamburger patties
2 lettuce heads
2 salsas
sliced cheese
hot dogs
coffee syrup (for me)
coffee creamer (for me)
nacho cheese sauce
disposible bowls
ketchup
jalapenos

May budget: $500.00
total: $ 63.44

Balance: $436.56

__________________
SAHM to 4 rugrats

$250 left
5/1
pizza rolls on sale $1 $3.00

5/2
pizza sauce $1.35
baked beans $1.39 (coupon for $1 off)

$1.74

skim milk (2) 5.98
canned pasta (2) .67
rice snacks 1.99
yogurt raisins 1.49
salad dressing (2) .99

12.28

whole wheat bread 1.00
whole wheat buns 1.50

2.50

walmart
135.77
-coupons
125.02
+ tax
127.97
-10 (gift card)
117.97
(some of this was not groc. (undies and printer paper in there)
total 5/1-5/2
$137.49
$112.51 left for the month.

I am new to this budget. So i will try for $200.00. DH, DS-14 mon., and I along with 2 boarder collies. Going to the store now. I am nervous.

Tom's Food Market-
2 liter of coke(Treat)1.69+.10 deposit
Tumaro's wraps 3.29
Ground cumin 3.29
2 liter of diet coke(Treat)1.69+.10 deposit

Save-A-Lot-
Beef Stewing meat2@2.93 each(-2.00 in coupons)
Pecan Pound cake 2.29(-1.00 coupon)
Bag of green onions .99
Cilatro .59
box if instant rice(Stocking up)

Meijer's-
Pull ups 9.99
2.36# bananas 1.39
2 burpless cucumbers@1.50 each
meijer turkey breast lunch meat 3.19
4 pack of tomatoes 2.50
6 bottles of water 1.00
24 boxes of macaroni and cheese@3/1.00
12 cans of abc 123's pasta and sauce@3/1.00
frozen panini sandwich 2.00
12 pack of coke(DH lunches)3.67+1.20 deposit

$365.07 Left
$ 10.16 Tom's Food Market
$ 9.22 Save-A-Lot
$ 40.54 Meijer's
-----------
$305.15 Left

Kroger:
(1) corn flakes: 0.99
(2) Cheese: 4.00
(1) mango: 0.20
(3) Yellow corn: 1.00
(1) cucumber: 0.50
(2) ginger ale: 1.00

Total: $7.11

$200.00-$7.11= $192.89

Tom Thumb:
(2) capri sun: 3.98
(1) FF milk: 3.00
(1) whole milk: 3.00

Total: $10.31

$192.89-$10.31=$182.58

Albertsons:
(1) sunflower seeds: 1.79 (-1.00 coupon)
(1) taco rice: 0.95
(1) cereal: 0.69
(3) kool-aid: 0.50
(3) soy joy bars: 0.74 (-0.74 coupon)
(1) pork ribs: 3.22

total:$8.66
$182.58-$8.66= $173.92

Okay, I'm back to the budget! I didn't do badly last month, but I know I went over my usual $320 budget. However, on a positive note, I was able to do all my grocery shopping with babysitting cash, so at least it wasn't out of the bank and I didn't do too bad.

So, back to normal...$320 for 2 adults and 1 toddler, 2 cats, 1 border collie and 2 goldfish. Lucky for me, we don't need pet food this month (one of the reasons we went over last month, we buy every two months at Costco)

Monday: Safeway, $43 (diapers included)
Friday: Lucky $18 (tp included)
Today: Safeway $67 (I about died when the total came up, food keeps going up and I really went bare bones, this is getting harder!)

320-133= $192

This is going to be tough, I think I may need to adjust up to $350 because of rising prices. We'll see how May goes...

I went to meijer today....
I spent 13 dollars I got 20 items
and saved 47 dollars!
Woo-hoo!
I have $337 left

__________________
Check out my blog for great product reviews and giveaways. http://sheilacakes.blogspot.com

I spent 137 today. I plan to spend only 250.