For Christmas Dinner I worked extra hard on shopping around and saving where I could. I did pretty good too, and I had plenty of leftovers for extra meals. I had 7 adults and one picky toddler to feed 🙂

Here is what was on the menu, and the savings too:

• Turkey $15.00- I paid $10.96
• Ham $10.00- I paid $10.19 (coupon of $1.00)
• Corn $1.00- I paid $1.00 (bought on sale)
• Stuffing 2 Boxes $2.00- I paid $1.76 (bought on sale)
• Russet Potatoes 10 lbs for mashing $5.00-I paid $1.68
• Crescent Rolls (2) $3.00- I paid $2.00 for 2 (on sale and $1.00 in coupons)
• Chicken (for noodles) $7.00- FREE my Mom brought Chicken from Angel Food
• Homemade Noodles $3.00- FREE I had everything in my pantry
• Celery $2.00- I paid $.88 (on sale)
• Baby Carrots $2.00- I paid $1.68
• Black Olives $1.00- I paid $.99 ( on sale and $.51 in coupons at Walgreens)
• Easy Cheese $2.00- I paid $2.97 (no savings there, bummer)
• Baby Bel Cheese $3.00- I paid $2.98
• Camembert Cheese $4.00-I paid $3.29 (on sale at local grocer)
• Truscuits $2.00- I paid $2.00 (item was on sale)
• Townhouse Crackers $2.00-I paid $1.50 (item was on sale + $.50 in coupons)
• Garlic Salt $1.00- I paid $.50
• Poultry Seasoning $1.00- I paid $2.12 (ouch, that one was pricey for such a tiny jar)
• Chicken Broth 2 Large Containers $4.00-I paid $3.00 (on sale and $1.00 in coupons)
• Margarine $1.00-I paid $.68

I had estimated that the meal would cost $71.00, and with shopping around and using coupons I only paid $50.16! I was $20.84 under Budget, and I had $4.01 in coupons too.

I am proud of those savings, in Christmas past I haven’t done quite as well in the saving department, but having a menu planned really helped me stay on track. I learned to take the time and shop around for the best deals, and stick to my budget. It worked out pretty well, and we all had way too much to eat 🙂