This is why I like spreadsheets.

I have a google doc spreadsheet that totals up my grocery spending and savings each week.  I like to see all the numbers laid out in front of me- the instant gratification of putting away the groceries and then inputting my totals in the spreadsheet is the kind of thing I live for.

I went shopping to prepare for Christmas dinner today.  We're only having 8 people total, but we'll be serving Christmas breakfast AND dinner since everyone will be staying here the night before.  I went shopping today with specific items in mind, things that aren't a normal purchase for me (sprigs of fresh thyme?  a 16 oz. package of breakfast sausage?!?) so I spent a little over $100, which is way over my normal total.

It felt good to enter that into my handy-dandy spreadsheet and find that I still saved 32% on this oddball trip.  In fact, I've only been keeping this spreadsheet for 2 months now, but I've already saved a total of $363 on groceries!  What a good feeling, to see exactly what my efforts have done for us, and that's groceries alone.

I should start a separate spreadsheet for drugstores- that one would probably blow my mind!