Budget - How do you do it?

[Soul_Patch]

So, in an effort to get some debt paid off this year, my wife and i have decided to take a long look at our budget and make some changes. this is what we have come up with. These ammounts are split between the both of us.

$200 - Gas every two weeks

$200 - Groceries every two weeks

$400 - Spending every two weeks

We also have 300 a month going into savings.

I just realised this past week that the grocery money needs to double. We spent 200 sunday for just 6 meals and a few odds and ends...

What do you guys budget, and does it work?

[Jekka]

I make sure to have at least two days a week where I don't spend any money at all - I eat whatever's in the fridge/pantry, gas tank needs to be filled the day before, etc. That's helped a lot because it makes me think more when I do pull out the card, and I prioritize my errands better.

[Soul_Patch]

I make sure to have at least two days a week where I don't spend any money at all - I eat whatever's in the fridge/pantry, gas tank needs to be filled the day before, etc. That's helped a lot because it makes me think more when I do pull out the card, and I prioritize my errands better.

that is actually not a bad idea.

[Sportcamper]

I have not had to make a real budget in over a decade…This year I do…

[mrsmaalox]

I've never had to hard core budget, but I am careful with what I do with my money. The only area I keep a sharp eye on is Dining Out. That one will drain a lot of money real fast, which I could accept if it was for quality meals, but the reality is that most of it will go to fast food, and I will not allow myself to waste good money on bad food.

[Soul_Patch]

I've never had to hard core budget, but I am careful with what I do with my money. The only area I keep a sharp eye on is Dining Out. That one will drain a lot of money real fast, which I could accept if it was for quality meals, but the reality is that most of it will go to fast food, and I will not allow myself to waste good money on bad food.

So you guys dont make and try and keep a budget? like for bills, mortgage, car payments, etc??

I made a spreadsheet when i was 19 and in college...and my wife still uses the same exact spreadsheet today...expanded obviously, but we keep and forecast everything on it. Id probably use it if i made 60k or 600k a year, it just makes forecasting and money mgmt so much easier.

I agree about the food though. That one KILLS us...It is too easy to just skip cooking and go out. I thought we would save a ton of money cooking dinner at home...been doing it a few weeks now, and i have to say, we are eating better, but groceries cost so much money its really a toss up as to what is more cost efficient.

200 a week for 6 meals (dinners) + a few odds and ends VS. 30 a meal x 6 dinners a week out, 180 dollars...no cooking or cleaning needed.

hrmm....

[Sense]

If I want to save... I try not to spend or think about spending like Jekka said couple days of the week, for me that works great because before I know it it's been 5 days of no unnecessary spending, and then I get my check again.

[baseline bum]

I never like to pay for things like with credit, debit, or check, unless absolutely necessary (for instance, buying something online). You pay with cash and you ensure that you not only are paying attention to exactly what you're spending, but you're also having to make trips to the ATM to get it, so you're not as apt to blow it impulsively. Of course, this assumes you're only getting as much cash as you need on your ATM trips. It's always good to travel with a light wallet. Another must is to make lists of exactly what you want/need when you go shopping for groceries, or really, anything else. If you don't know exactly what you want, it's easy to get seduced into buying extra crap. One way I have tremendously slashed my grocery bills is by not buying microwaveable stuff like sausage-egg croissants and not buying ready-made stuff like frozen pizzas. That stuff is pretty expensive, and doesn't taste as good as what you can make from scratch with a few minutes extra work. Slashing out a lot of snack crap is good too. This doesn't apply too well to San Antonio I guess, but doing outdoors things like hiking or swimming in the ocean is a very cheap and extraordinarily rewarding upgrade from blowing money at the movies or buying a new video game.

[Soul_Patch]

I never like to pay for things like with credit, debit, or check, unless absolutely necessary (for instance, buying something online). You pay with cash and you ensure that you not only are paying attention to exactly what you're spending, but you're also having to make trips to the ATM to get it, so you're not as apt to blow it impulsively. Of course, this assumes you're only getting as much cash as you need on your ATM trips. Another must is to make lists of exactly what you want/need when you go shopping for groceries, or really, anything else. If you don't know exactly what you want, it's easy to get seduced into buying extra crap. One way I have tremendously slashed my grocery bills is by not buying microwaveable stuff like sausage-egg croissants and not buying ready-made stuff like frozen pizzas. That stuff is pretty expensive, and doesn't taste as good as what you can make from scratch with a few minutes extra work. Slashing out a lot of snack crap is good too. This doesn't apply too well to San Antonio I guess, but doing outdoors things like hiking or swimming in the ocean is a very cheap and extraordinarily rewarding upgrade from blowing money at the movies or buying a new video game.

second the cash thing.

With our new budget, we have given up our check cards all together...its to easy to spend willy nilly with them

we get cash out each sunday and split it in our envelopes for our different categories...if we need gas, or spending money..we get it from the envelope...if there is left over at the end of the week, we take it out and put it in our RBFCU savings (short term stuff)...its kind of neat to try and see how much surplus we can make at teh end of the week.

[CosmicCowboy]

I canceled all my wife's credit cards. Problem solved.

[PM5K]

I'm confused. You said in order to pay off some debt you wanted to look at your budget and make some changes, and the change you came up with was to spend MORE on groceries?

I'm confused. Is this your before budget or after?

[Blake]

I make sure to have at least two days a week where I don't spend any money at all - I eat whatever's in the fridge/pantry, gas tank needs to be filled the day before, etc. That's helped a lot because it makes me think more when I do pull out the card, and I prioritize my errands better.

3 people at $15 a day for each person for food times 30 days a month = $1350. It's freakin hard to keep the budget under that some times, especially if we're both busy with work and neither feel like cooking.

still we try to do at least two nights a week with cereal night, a couple of nights cook real meals and a couple of nights eat out at places where we can work the menu.

works out alright.

[Blake]

I canceled all my wife's credit cards. Problem solved.

barring the short term credit hit, hell yeah, I need to do the same with the few dept store cards she has....

..except for the Victoria Secret angel card. She can keep that one.

[Soul_Patch]

I'm confused. You said in order to pay off some debt you wanted to look at your budget and make some changes, and the change you came up with was to spend MORE on groceries?

I'm confused. Is this your before budget or after?

We decided to buy more groceries, thus limiting the "going out to eat" it is turning out that eating at home costs close to the same, if not more than eating out...which surprised me.

[bus driver]

your not really saving if you in debt........so not sure how big your debt is but put that 300 towards it and hopefully you will be out in no time.

[baseline bum]

How many people are you feeding @ $200 per 6 meals?

[Soul_Patch]

your not really saving if you in debt........so not sure how big your debt is but put that 300 towards it and hopefully you will be out in no time.

nice pic.

Even with the 300 a month going to our emergency fund, I will still be completely out of debt by 2012. No car notes, No CC debt.


My goal is to get our savings account up to $10,000 also, which i think will happen around the same time.

[PM5K]

I don't spend anywhere near that much for groceries per person, but if you can afford it go right ahead.

[Strike]

I really don't budget my money at all. The only thing I do is keep a tight balance on my checkbook so I know how much money I have at all times. I live pretty cheap so my expenses stay pretty low. Plus, since I live alone and am not supporting anyone, all my money is all mine. Much easier to save money without a wife spending it behind my back.

[Soul_Patch]

I don't spend anywhere near that much for groceries per person, but if you can afford it go right ahead.

Seriously? How? my meals this week consist of lime / chicken tacos (last night) pork chops, Ribs, grilled chicken, Chili, beef stroganof type stuff...thats not extravagant in my opinion...what do you eat that could be so much cheaper...im all ears because id love to reduce that.

[leemajors]

How many people are you feeding @ $200 per 6 meals?

i think we have a Central Market/Whole Foods shopper!

[Soul_Patch]

i think we have a Central Market/Whole Foods shopper!

nope, HEB on Culebra and 1604. Feeding 2 adults and 1 kiddo. few lunch items thrown in, and maybe 1 or two toiletries...but not much else. Maybe im just totaly doing it wrong, i dunno. Im open to suggestions. What do you spend a week on groceries?

[PM5K]

Seriously? How? my meals this week consist of lime / chicken tacos (last night) pork chops, Ribs, grilled chicken, Chili, beef stroganof type stuff...thats not extravagant in my opinion...what do you eat that could be so much cheaper...im all ears because id love to reduce that.

Most of that doesn't really sound expensive.

Last night we had spaghetti. We spend 2.00 on a pound of ground beef, 2.00 on a jar of sauce, 1.00 on spaghetti, and 1.75 on HEB fresh bread.

That's less than 7.00 and easily feeds five with leftovers. That might be one of the cheapest things we eat but on average we don't spend a lot more than that, except on the weekends. That's usually the time that I have more time to cook and because of that make more extravagant meals.

[desflood]

For a family of 5 we generally spend between $130 and $170 on groceries per week (including toiletries and pet items), depending on the menu. If you plan your menu for the week before you hit the store it saves a lot.

[baseline bum]

Man, breakfasts can be dirt cheap. Chorizo and eggs cost almost nothing. French toast costs nothing to make, and tastes incredible if you slice some banana and stuff it in the middle. Pancakes are cheap. Oatmeal with some fruit in it is dirt cheap. Omelets are easy and cheap to make. For lunch, sandwiches are cheap unless you're buying premium stuff from the deli.

[PM5K]

Man, breakfasts can be dirt cheap. Chorizo and eggs cost almost nothing. French toast costs nothing to make, and tastes incredible if you slice some banana and stuff it in the middle. Pancakes are cheap. Oatmeal with some fruit in it is dirt cheap. Omelets are easy and cheap to make. For lunch, sandwiches are cheap unless you're buying premium stuff from the deli.

I agree. When I see someone saying they spend 5.00 per meal times three meals a day. I mean if you can afford it that's fine, it's just not how I normally eat or spend.

Yesterday for breakfast I ate some Golden Grahams, probably cost me fifty cents. Sometimes it's more than that, but probably rarely ever 5.00.

Even if you buy premium deli meats and cheeses, on a per serving basis it's still not incredibly expensive.

[PM5K]

Also, without question breakfast is the cheapest meal of the day, your scale should at least slide up from meal to meal, 3.00 per person for breakfast, 4.00 lunch, 5.00 dinner, or whatever.

If you're spending the same amount per person per meal for all three meals you're doing something wrong.

Now the OP didn't say that but someone else did.

[Soul_Patch]

I must be totaly buying groceries wrong...

[PM5K]

I must be totaly buying groceries wrong...

Nah I think you're buying them right, and if you can afford it and you enjoy what you eat that's fine.

Maybe left overs are killing you.

I don't know. Let's use chili as an example since you used it. When I eat chili I use a jar from HEB, it runs about 5.00, I also get a pound of ground beef 2.00, a can of Bush's beans (regular pinto beans) and a can of diced tomatoes, both less than seventy five cents each. Now right there per person you're talking about 1.70 and that easily feeds five with left overs. Now I usually make cornbread or serve it on white corn tortilla chips (Tostitos) but that doesn't make it much more expensive per person, especially since there are chips left over that I can use at some other time.

If you made the same meal, and only fed three people and didn't keep left overs you'd be spending more per person, but even still it's not more than 4.00 per person.

Maybe you are doing something wrong, which Central Market do you go to?

LOL.

[ploto]

I spend a TON of money at the grocery store and there are only myself and my son. We are not big eaters but we eat at home, and I pack him a lunch for school everyday. I also include in that cost detergent, cleaning products, paper products, and any kind of toiletries...

Using the cash method is what works best for me.

I also would encourage not buying new clothes or shoes... except for your child.

[PM5K]

I list my groceries and sundries separately.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I use a spreadsheet covering everything I spend money on (utilities, body corporate payments, phone and internet, food, LPG, insurances, etc), excluding alcohol, although I'm adding that this year (and these days I don't drink much anyway). Last year I lived on $13K, the year before $12.5K.

As for your food shopping, sounds like you eat a helluva lot of meat, which is expensive. Try mixing some vegetables in there - better for you, much cheaper. Also, try to avoid pre-processed food, or sauces in a bottle or anything like that - learn to cook from scratch. That way your food is a lot cheaper, tastier and better for you. Try keeping the reciept and look at what you bought, then work out what you can get rid of and substitute with fresh food.

I can make a number of healthy, tasty, nutritious meals that I get 6 servings out of for under $15.

[Soul_Patch]

Made chili tonight, or the wife did really. With corn bread.

We have plenty for lunch tomorrow, and even dinner again if we wanted to. I guess when it washes out, it is much cheaper.


we usually center a meal around a meat dish...not necessarily steak, but chicken, fish, pork, beef...one of those...rarely do we have a meal without at least 1 meat portion.

[PM5K]

So how much did it cost you to make chili?

[Soul_Patch]

Hrmm...lb of hamburger, packet of mix stuff, couple cans of tomato sauce, and corn bread mix.

probably under 10 bucks...

[ploto]

Made chili tonight, or the wife did really. With corn bread.

We have plenty for lunch tomorrow, and even dinner again if we wanted to. I guess when it washes out, it is much cheaper.

I eat leftover chili over a nice big baked potato.

[PM5K]

Obviously if your budget includes sundries you need to list them separately, doesn't make sense to me otherwise.

Otherwise your numbers come out to an average of 33.00 per meal, so what's for dinner tomorrow, prawns, steak, and caviar? Yum!

I'd bet that you easily made twice what you could eat, so if you throw out the other half you're easily doubling the cost of your food.

You can freeze chili for months, and it will taste almost as good as it did the day you made it. You can also use it as a topping for hot dogs, or imagine some Frito pie tomorrow for lunch, all you need is a bag of Fritos and some cheddar cheese, imagine the cost of your lunch tomorrow when you already have the chili.

Some people will also use chili as an enchilada topping. There's a million ideas out there.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Who throws food out? That I do not understand.

[PM5K]

Let me also say, I don't eat a lot of leftovers but since meals are split between five people there aren't always a lot of leftovers and when there are I'm not loosing a whole lot of money by tossing them because the cost has already been split five ways, so to speak.

Obviously it would be pretty lame to eat chili tonight, and then eat it again tomorrow night, but if you eat it in a different way, such as Frito pie (Yum!) then it becomes a different story, or if you freeze it and eat it two weeks later, MMM!

I won't eat chili a day after I make it, once the smell of it gets in my house I don't want it for at least a day or two.

[PM5K]

Also, it could be worse, you could be Blake.

How many people are you feeding again?

[Soul_Patch]

2.5 2 adults and a 2 year old.

[Jekka]

There are some things that are cheaper at Whole Foods and Central Market, too, btw. Some of the Whole Foods brand canned vegetables, etc., are just as cheap as the other name brands, but a lot of times they're organic to boot. Also, if you're buying spices (hello, expensive), Central Market's bulk spices can't be beat. I have easily saved more than $30 in a trip there on several occasions.

[METALMiKE]

I use www.mint.com to manage my finances.

[ploto]

Obviously if your budget includes sundries you need to list them separately, doesn't make sense to me otherwise.

Otherwise your numbers come out to an average of 33.00 per meal, so what's for dinner tomorrow, prawns, steak, and caviar?

I don't care about an average cost per meal. I care about my total budget for the month that I spend at HEB/Super Target. I do not have the time nor the need to go home and to separate it all into various sub-types. To me, everything I buy there is a necessity- I need food; I need toilet paper; I need to do my laundry and clean my house. The specific need matters little in my budget. I don't overspend and I keep within the total limit. I save time buying it all in one place-- and my time has a value, as well.

[CuckingFunt]

Who throws food out? That I do not understand.

I do, unfortunately, but not often.

Whenever I cook, I either make a small amount of something or stick to meals/items that I won't get sick of and/or can freeze (for instance, the rockin' split pea soup I made the other day was divided into small containers and put in the freezer for when I'm in a soup mood), so I very, VERY rarely throw out cooked food or leftovers. I do, however, have to throw out fruits, veggies, or other perishables on occasion. I hate doing it, and try my hardest to shop in a way that won't happen, but I live alone and sometimes get overly ambitious at the grocery store. I'll end up buying way more than I have any chance of eating because it looks good. Either that, or I'll stock up on various items with the best of intentions and then get too busy to cook -- eat dinner out a few nights in a row and next thing you know I've got a fridge full of green beans and broccoli that needs to be tossed.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I do, unfortunately, but not often.

Whenever I cook, I either make a small amount of something or stick to meals/items that I won't get sick of and/or can freeze (for instance, the rockin' split pea soup I made the other day was divided into small containers and put in the freezer for when I'm in a soup mood), so I very, VERY rarely throw out cooked food or leftovers. I do, however, have to throw out fruits, veggies, or other perishables on occasion. I hate doing it, and try my hardest to shop in a way that won't happen, but I live alone and sometimes get overly ambitious at the grocery store. I'll end up buying way more than I have any chance of eating because it looks good. Either that, or I'll stock up on various items with the best of intentions and then get too busy to cook -- eat dinner out a few nights in a row and next thing you know I've got a fridge full of green beans and broccoli that needs to be tossed.

Next time, try lightly steaming anything steamable and throw it in your freezer. Comes out pretty much like snap-frozen vegetables. Or simply steam on them and use them as snacks until they're gone, especially for things like beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.

You could also think about getting a little compost bin going and using it on your garden if you have one. That way at least it's going back into the soil and not a landfill.

Oh, and to evertyone, if you have space PLANT SOME HERBS! Most of them grow like weeds, and it means you can eat fresh mint/coriander/parsley/thyme/etc. all year around. Fresh herbs are 100x more flavoursome than dried ones.

:)

[CuckingFunt]

Next time, try lightly steaming anything steamable and throw it in your freezer. Comes out pretty much like snap-frozen vegetables. Or simply steam on them and use them as snacks until they're gone, especially for things like beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.

Yeah, been doing that for a while now when they're running the farmer's markets once a week. Have otherwise almost exclusively been buying veggies and other perishables on my way home after I've already committed to the idea of cooking that night. Like I said, wasting food/money that way is something that I very seldom do, but... meh, shit happens every now and then.


You could also think about getting a little compost bin going and using it on your garden if you have one. That way at least it's going back into the soil and not a landfill.

Oh, and to evertyone, if you have space PLANT SOME HERBS! Most of them grow like weeds, and it means you can eat fresh mint/coriander/parsley/thyme/etc. all year around. Fresh herbs are 100x more flavoursome than dried ones.

Had both when I lived in a house, but neither are currently possible in my tiny apartment. Definitely miss the fresh herbs, though.

[Ignignokt]

just get the jack lalane juicer Cucky.

[CuckingFunt]

just get the jack lalane juicer Cucky.

That a toy, or something?

[Ignignokt]

That a toy, or something?

:lmao,

good one, i'm sure californians could find many uses for that kind of thing.

JRzv1PK7T5M

[4>0rings]

Most of that doesn't really sound expensive.

Last night we had spaghetti. We spend 2.00 on a pound of ground beef, 2.00 on a jar of sauce, 1.00 on spaghetti, and 1.75 on HEB fresh bread.

That's less than 7.00 and easily feeds five with leftovers. That might be one of the cheapest things we eat but on average we don't spend a lot more than that, except on the weekends. That's usually the time that I have more time to cook and because of that make more extravagant meals.
No shit. It's only my gf and I and we spend maybe 300 a month and I have 3 different kinds of steaks in the freezer, fajitas, bags of chicken, pork chops, hamburger meat, sausages... 1 and a half fridges of food, the other half is full of beer/sodas.

I can understand if you have children it gets pricey. I like to cook and try different things so I'am always in the kitchen.

[SpursStalker]

So, in an effort to get some debt paid off this year, my wife and i have decided to take a long look at our budget and make some changes. this is what we have come up with. These ammounts are split between the both of us.

$200 - Gas every two weeks

$200 - Groceries every two weeks

$400 - Spending every two weeks

We also have 300 a month going into savings.

I just realised this past week that the grocery money needs to double. We spent 200 sunday for just 6 meals and a few odds and ends...

What do you guys budget, and does it work?

If you spent 200 bucks for 6 meals, you're definately doing something wrong.

How many people are in your family? 400 bucks for gas per month ... wtf do you drive, a tank?

[Soul_Patch]

If you spent 200 bucks for 6 meals, you're definately doing something wrong.

How many people are in your family? 400 bucks for gas per month ... wtf do you drive, a tank?

$50 every six days or so for my wife to fill up, that equates to roughly $250 a month. $50 every two weeks for myself, since i work from home and dont drive as much. That is $100 a month. The extra 50 could probably go elsewhere...good point.

I was probably mispoken regarding the meals. Thinknig about it lats night, we got a few things for lunch, and for the pets. So all in all, id put that number at more like $140 for 6 meals. Still seems high to me, but better.

[Bigzax]

costco (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11118635&whse=BD_767&Ne=4000000&eCat=BD_767|7446|7598&N=4003863&Mo=33&No=15&Nr=P_CatalogName:BD_767&cat=7598&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&topnav=bdoff)

http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/Product/981000b.jpg


Nissin Top Ramen Chicken
48 ct
$8.21



48 meals...9 bux!!!

[MiamiHeat]

I think we may have a case of the OP eating a lot more than some of us.

;p

[Soul_Patch]

I think we may have a case of the OP eating a lot more than some of us.

;p

Unless you buy your hamburger meat in 1/4lbs or 1 chicken breast at a time, im not sure how that would matter. Its not like im buyin 5lbs of hamburger meat for a meal, or grilling 10lbs of breast meat...who does that?

[leemajors]

I don't buy breast meat anymore unless there is a sale at Sun Harvest. You can get a whole chicken for less than you can a package of breast meat. You can then use the carcass for chicken stock.

[Blake]

Also, it could be worse, you could be Blake.


:lol I'm doing fine, thanks.

[TheManFromAcme]

Believe it or not, coupons do help. I can save anywhere from $10-15 bucks with the right coupons. I am frugal as heck and also believe in saving, saving and saving even more.

Most people have a very hard time saving yet fail to realize that it is quite simple and easy. Most will tell you they can't but looking at it mathematically shines light on it's simplicity. Many of those that can't save will tell you that they can't yet use their money for thier respective vices such as a pack of smokes, cokes, brew or whatever.

When you wake up on January 1 of any year, December 31st looks far away. If you put 10 bucks a week away that's $520 at the end of the year. $20 bucks every week equates to $1040. $50 bucks a week is $2600 and so on.

The discipline lies in not touching it.....at all. Yet most do and fail at it miserably.
Surely anyone can save a measly $10 a week. Trust me, you'll never miss it.

Some pointers.

[baseline bum]

Believe it or not, coupons do help. I can save anywhere from $10-15 bucks with the right coupons. I am frugal as heck and also believe in saving, saving and saving even more.

Most people have a very hard time saving yet fail to realize that it is quite simple and easy. Most will tell you they can't but looking at it mathematically shines light on it's simplicity. Many of those that can't save will tell you that they can't yet use their money for thier respective vices such as a pack of smokes, cokes, brew or whatever.

When you wake up on January 1 of any year, December 31st looks far away. If you put 10 bucks a week away that's $520 at the end of the year. $20 bucks every week equates to $1040. $50 bucks a week is $2600 and so on.

The discipline lies in not touching it.....at all. Yet most do and fail at it miserably.
Surely anyone can save a measly $10 a week. Trust me, you'll never miss it.

Some pointers.

Coupons always seem to be mostly for expensive pre-made meals though (like microwavable stuff, frozen pizzas, tv dinners, and things like that). The only time I consistently use coupons is for milk, because that's the only thing I usually see coupons for that I normally buy. You never see coupons for steak, ground beef, pork, bananas, onions, spinach, carrots, oranges, whole chickens, etc.

[bus driver]

nice pic.

Even with the 300 a month going to our emergency fund, I will still be completely out of debt by 2012. No car notes, No CC debt.


My goal is to get our savings account up to $10,000 also, which i think will happen around the same time.

well good luck :toast

[TheManFromAcme]

Coupons always seem to be mostly for expensive pre-made meals though (like microwavable stuff, frozen pizzas, tv dinners, and things like that). The only time I consistently use coupons is for milk, because that's the only thing I usually see coupons for that I normally buy. You never see coupons for steak, ground beef, pork, bananas, onions, spinach, carrots, oranges, whole chickens, etc.

Good point. However, most of my coupons are for household items and personal affects. To give you an example, Old spice had a special for buy one of the larger end sized armpit stuff and get the other one for free at Walgreens. CVS had a special to buy a set of Gillette blades and get a free shaving lotion. Those are the ones that have value. Your right about the food items though. Maybe one day HEB Central Market will have a sale on their Kobe Beef....Lol:toast

[baseline bum]

Good point. However, most of my coupons are for household items and personal affects. To give you an example, Old spice had a special for buy one of the larger end sized armpit stuff and get the other one for free at Walgreens. CVS had a special to buy a set of Gillette blades and get a free shaving lotion. Those are the ones that have value. Your right about the food items though. Maybe one day HEB Central Market will have a sale on their Kobe Beef....Lol:toast

Oh, ok... I was thinking strictly food.