I don't know about Tracy but I do know that I add up non food supplies with my food. I buy my stuff at the same stores which makes it harder to keep the items separate. I have also found that when I tried to have separate budgeted amounts I actually spent more in each.  

  A track and slash update:

I stopped at the Dollar General for a few things and since I tacked supplies onto the food budget, I need to update here.  I thought I had done well with stocking up until I could make it to Wal-mart for some household things. I didn't do as well as I thought.

My goal for July's food expenses: $310

Total spent so far: $20

Money left to spend: $290

 I include everything also, except pet food.  It is(pet food) budgeted out of grocery but has a set amount of $100 each month.

 We begin today with $250 for the next two weeks and $128 left from last month will go into the savings account today.  The change that is leftover in my purse and the car changetray(used to be ashtray ; ))will go into the jar and be counted out at the end of July.  This money will also go into savings.

We need bread supplies and milk, possibly eggs.  I also want to see about some fresh fruits and veggies.  Hubby says if Ball Park 100% beef hot dogs are on sale he wants to pick up 12 packages to can with beans and bbq sauce.  Okay by me.  : )

My Food Stamps came in this morning, & we'll be doing my major monthly shopping tomorrow at double-coupon Cala/Ralphs/Kroger.  The Stamps' amount is $180.32, which includes the $25.32 that I did not spend in June.  I am going to do my best to only spend the $155 that is assigned to me monthly.  In teh early afternoon, I will write a detailed post on teh Food Stamps (Frugal Food forum) thread of what I bought & how much it cost.

I have been stocking up for the last month or so  I won't be spending as much this month. I usually spend about $500 - $600 on average including pet food, laundry soap, household cleaners, diapers etc for an average household of 4 I include it all because is it all part of running the household. It depends on if we have homestay students or not. My husband has major allergies to grains, eggs, and nuts. Not peanut butter though. Is a picky eater too.  Laundry soap is the biggest part of my cleaners since I do about 10 loads a week. It's usually $20 -$30 a week for perishables like milk, creamo, bananas, bread etc. I don't bake much since there is a good reduced section at my local stores. Plus Safeway has their homebaked cookies on sale all the time for $2.99 ($4.99 reg) for 3dz. 5 different flavours, oatmeal raisin, choc chip etc. They freeze well too. So I figure I can't bake them cheaper. Cheese is normally $6.00 a lb and up.

 I alway's check the weekly flyers that come in the local paper for sales.  I do most of my shopping at Safeway. They have lots extreme specials on basics like coffee, cereal etc so I stock up then. Plus will the airmiles points I get which I can redeem for gift cards, toys etc. They have buy $100 get 100 airmile points coupons alot plus earning extra points with certain products.  I just discovered that I can redeem airmiles for passes for our local fair at playland so that will save me $100.00 next month.  Pet food averages $75 per mth. The cats eat a big bag of science diet per month and a can of fancy feast a day. I buy the fancy feast for average of .50 a can.  Birds are cheap to feed, seed, millet, and lettuce. My two little finches chew me out if they don't get their romaince lettuce  every day. lol it is quite funny to be squawked at by two little guys an weighing an ounce each at the most   

I stock up every few months at costco and international sausage, a local place that makes sausages, cold cuts, has fresh meat etc (have a german polish deli inside) great quality and prices.   You can't buy liquor, beer etc in grocery stores here, just in govt liquor stores or beer and wine stores.  So that keeps the booze budget down. Too much bother to go to the store, not that we drink much. My husband gets a few gifts at xmas from co-workers of wine and beer that stocks us for xmas season. Also I do the crisco hamper program. You pick the food package you want and pay according. I'm at $40/mth so at xmas I get about $500 -$600 worth of food and xmas goodies!

Brandy, that's interesting...that you spent more when you separated the non food household from the grocery. i may try adding mine together and see if I fair better this month!

My envelopes won't get filled for July until next Friday's ( 7/6) paycheck. I still have left $5 for grocery and $15 for gas from my son's income donation last week.

Michelle, I think in terms of totals spent and remaining. When the purchases are combined then I have one budgeted amount or stack of cash to work with. When I am tracking it separately then it gets more complicated with me having to tally two amounts. I always screw that up and end up trying to make up differences by juggling the funds from one category to another.  

 I think it is easier to keep everything I buy at the grocery store in the grocery budget- sometimes I do buy pet food at the pet store, then it goes in household.  I go to Walgreens every month and get the rebate things and prescriptions, and pick up non-food things I didn't get on sale at the grocery, that's in the ambiguous household budget .

By the way, I just found out some of our meds are on th $4 plan at Walmart- has anyone else used that?  Plan to transfer some prescriptions- unrelated to track and slash, but will save money that we could then use for food!

This week I have lots of canned vegetables to use- thinking of soup, curry, and spaghetti with cheese and veg sauce- also we have about 8 cans of fruit juice.  Will have to buy produce and milk.  Does anyone make salsa with canned diced tomatoes?

Tracy 

 Brandy, for us we buy so little in the way of paper products, cleaning supplies, etc., that it doesn't benefit us to seperate the accounts.  I buy vinegar, baking soda, borax, fels naptha($.50 a bar yea!!)4 rolls of TP a month, rubbing alcohol, peroxide and bought the gel bleach to mix which will last us for years.  The vinegar and baking soda we use for food stuffs also.  We do buy a few OTC items but I have enough of everything stashed for 3 years or so, including shampoos, cream rinse, toothpaste, mouthwash, razors, etc.

I make my powdered laundry soap for a year at a time, we use a baking powder/peroxide mix for bath soap, and neither of us use shaving creams, etc.  If an item is free I will try it out, but for the most part I stick to the old way of doing things and using what I have on hand.