For the last month I have been playing “The Grocery Game,” which is a guide to buying groceries at rock bottom prices, and the general idea is to buy what’s on sale while also using coupons. Since I love organization, I put myself in charge of keeping the coupons in order and making the grocery list then my roommate and I split the cost. It's so much cheaper to buy stuff together. Anyway, I have been averaging a savings of $30 a week but yesterday was different. I could just feel it. I went into Kroger with my crazy long list, a pile of coupons, and I’m not going to lie…I was nervous. If I didn’t shop correctly, I would end up spending way too much money.
My total bill came to $188.11 after my 50+ items were rung up. I started to stress out a little when that number popped up on the screen because our entire monthly budget is $200. I just had to remember that my Kroger card and coupons hadn’t been scanned, and once they were, the final cost came to $78.46!!! That’s right. I saved $109.65 for this week’s worth of groceries. I think I secretly expected the cashier to congratulate me on what a great job I did and for confetti to fall on my head, but instead she just handed me my receipt.
Well I get really excited about saving money, so before I knew it, I had walked out of the store, raised my arm in the air and yelled, “I beat Kroger!” Yes, my roommate made fun of me. Yes, I probably got some strange looks. No, I didn't care. It felt great saving almost 60% on my groceries, and the people in the parking lot needed to celebrate with me.
After grocery shopping and my annual Monday night dinner with friends, I had a softball game to play. My team (who loses more often than not) ended up winning 16-1. It was like having batting practice without the hassle of having to field your teammate’s balls and was a fabulous way to end my day.
I’m 2-0 and loving it!
