I detailed the final tally of my October budget challenge in this post last Saturday. I overshot my goal of $250 for the month but still beat my original budget amount.

Now that it's November, I'm challenging myself once again. With the great Mega Event at Kroger the past two weeks, I'm optimistic that I can hit or beat my goal of $250 this month.

So how did I do this week?

Kroger:



For details on the coupons I used, see my Let's Go Krogering post here

Spent: $68.76
Saved: $102.19, or 59%

Walgreens:



Used (2) $1.00/1 Mitchum, SS 11/01 + sale priced Mitchum $1.99 with in-ad coupon
Used $9.00 in RRs that were expiring

Spent: $3.24
Saved: $18.00, or 85%
Earned: $5.00 RRs on the (4) boxed chocolates (which will be saved for teacher gifts!)

And I had a quick trip into Kroger last Sunday for bagels, donuts (a treat for the kiddos for *mostly* behaving at Mass), and an extra newspaper after church.

Spent: $9.26
Saved: $0.50

My weekly totals:

Spent: $81.26
Saved: $120.69, or 60%

I'm above where I should be for the week (to come in at or under $250 for the month, I should be spending about $62 per week) but I'm confident I'll be spending less next week. I plan on heading to Kroger for the last freebies and cheabies from the Mega Event and...drumroll please...the new Aldi's just opened in our town! Even better, there were $5.00/$30.00 coupons for Aldi's in my circulars last weekend. Sweet!

If you've never shopped at Aldi's before and have wondered if there are great deals to be found, the answer is yes and no. Aldi's is a basic grocery store with no frills; when we lived in Illinois and my shopping choices were few, I discovered how to shop and save at both Aldi's and Save-A-Lot.

The best savings at Aldi's are on staple pantry or baking items (flour, sugar, pasta, canned veggies, etc), things you'll likely be using quite a bit of as the holiday season gets into full swing. You can also find decent savings on fresh fruits and veggies as well as on eggs, cheese, and milk.

Looking for recipes for meals you can make with items you buy from the more limited selection at Aldi's? Click here or here; Amy at MomAdvice has already done the work for you!

I hope you saved a *ton* this week with your humble little coupons . If you find that your pantry - like mine - overfloweth, consider donating some of your extras to your local food pantry; click here to locate one close to you. The need is great, my friends, and we can help!

This post is linked to Money Saving Mom's weekly Super Savings Saturday - click over and see how much smart frugalistas around the blogosphere saved this week!

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