Shopping for Staples

I tend to do a lot of coupon shopping. It works for us, but there are obviously times that you just can't everything you need with a coupon. With grocery prices not just creeping up but blasting up like they are rocket propelled, it really does "pay" to do the grocery shopping at multiple stores instead of just one. Sunday afternoon, I'm hosting a pre-holiday "Open House" for my side gig. So, I needed to pick up some items specifically for the foods I'm serving there. I could have gone to a higher priced grocery store, and would have paid dearly. Instead, I had an hour between work and another meeting last night, so I made good use of the time, traveling from work to Aldi, getting in and out of there, home to put everything up and to my meeting on time. It was a quick trip, and I had a list -- which definitely made it easier. My point is, that if you can work the extra grocery trips into time that would otherwise be a bit wasted, it can definitely pay as my estimation of the savings for this trip, versus paying regular grocery non sale prices is close to $20. Not bad for "rush hour" savings! Anyway, this is what I picked up:

1 Quick Oats
1 Whole Chicken
1 Baking Soda
2 Dried Cranberries
3 Cream Cheese
1 Bag White Onions
2 Bags Chocolate Chips
1 Shredded Cheddar
2 Yeast Pack Strips
1 Bunch Celery
1 Box Golden Raisins
1 Wheat Thins

Spent: $30.61