Monthly Grocery bill anyone ?
So I have been thinking alot about my need to grocery shop, it has become some sort of outing for us weekly...something I look forward too, not because we necessarily NEED groceries but because as a mom it has become something we can do and have to do. Awhile back I posted that our monthly grocery/household expense was around $900 yes you read it right NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS. How can I spend that much money ! I find a weekly trip to Costco, Walmart and sometimes superstore adds up fast. It is tough I guess to really shop prices on everything and be super $$ conscience when you get into a habit like this. Buy what you want, when you want...well it has got to STOP. As most of you know we are building a house and it would be so nice to save $500 a month so that I can have some " Play " money or extra savings. So do tell ...
HOW OFTEN DO YOU GROCERY SHOP ?
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How much do you spend a month or do you know?
In an attempt to cut back on how much I spend a month on groceries I am going to write down every penny I spend in hopes it keeps me accountable. Everything that is food or household such as cleaning supplies or toiletries is getting counted. My goal which is going to be a HUGE stretch for us is $450 for the month of February. I will keep you posted. I would love to know your grocery stats and how they compare to mine.
10 comments:
Well, actually with 5 young adults STILL living under our roof, that $900.00 a month on groceries really seems like a small amount to me. : D
But then again that is everything included. Food storage stuff and equipment..... Cleaning supplies, toiletries, small birthday gifts, maybe a T-shirt or two with some socks and underwear needing replacing, toiletries (with 4 girls in the house.....you get the idea.
Anyway.....love your goal. We did a NO spend month for the entire month of Feb. last year.. We only paid the mortgage and utilities. Nothing else. It truly was an amazing experience. Thank goodness we had our extra water and food storage and supplies in the house already.....but it really opened our eyes up to all the little things that seem to constantly have our wallets opened......school field trips that would come up.....more supplies needed for homework....unexpected party invitations. Sigh. It really DOES ad up fast.
I can't wait to hear your report. This will be fun. Have fun while doing it! That was the best part. We made a game of it when it got hard and it kept it fun.
I grocery shop every 2 weeks and spend $300/trip but that includes diapers and formula on top of all the other household things.
THE #1 thing that I did to cut back on grocery expenses was make a menu and STUCK to it. That way I wasn't walking up and down the aisle grabbing stuff that looked good/or I would need for a meal. Then when I got home there were tons of times that I would realize I didn't have 1 ingredient for a recipe so back to the store I would go. The only problem was that I wouldn't come home with the 1 thing but with another 20 things. Like you said it adds up quickly.
I also found that when I cut out chips, pop, cookies, etc. my bill dropped a HUGE amount (not that I was even buying that much, but it adds up)...plus, it's not healthy.
I could go on and on...way too many things/tips that help make each trip cheaper.
Good luck with cutting back.
Menu Planning made a huge difference in our grocery bill! When coming up with the meal plan, I would try to keep in mind what was currently in my food storage to use. Then once a week all I would need to get from the store would be a few miscellaneous things like milk and my produce.
Once a month we usually hit Walmart and try to restock our food storage.
We actually avoid COSTCO now, because we were always coming out of there spending way too much than we were planning. Everything just looks so tempting to buy.
I also found that on those quick trips to the store, if I go into the grocery store with a cart, I was more likely to come out with a lot more than I was planning. Sometimes those baskets can be a good thing.
I usually do one big trip to the grocery store that is around $200-$250 every month. Then I send Dan to get milk and any extras on his way home from work.
I guess I'm pretty cheap but I am also a price shopper. I've actually had a friend ask me to grocery shop with her to help her save money. I don't know if it worked or not! :) I do not buy the same things every time I grocery shop. I look for things on sale and I definitely have a menu so I know exactly what I need and don't need. I find there is a lot less waste that way. I pretty much never throw away food.
We also eat a ton of vegetables which are pretty cheap and only things that are in season to avoid high prices. I don't buy any prepackaged foods (which isn't always the best when you are looking for something quick to make and eat) but saves money... and we don't buy treats (very often;).
Good luck! I love a challenge like this.
I did the weekly flyer checking and shopped at three different stores to get the best bang for my buck, and really it took a lot more time I think than it was worth. Now we do Costco once or twice a month, I have a lot of self control and stick to my budget. I add things up as they are ticked off the list and if there is money left in the budget for that trip then we buy something extra. I also do an occasional trip to Safeway for produce.
A bi-weekly menu or even a monthly menu works GREAT! And making things homemade instead really helps. I don't buy alot of snacks instead I bake them and freeze them for later. I spend about $450-$500 per month for 4 people, there are months where I have extra money so I use that to stock up my food storage. Good luck!
we shop once a week, (i say we but i mean i) and i always have a very specific grocery list & menu planned for each trip. our grocery budget is $50/week, so $200 a month. keep in mind there are only 2 of us though. good luck on your goal, that extra $$ will be so fun to play with. keep us posted on your house finds.
wow...lots of GREAT comments. I could learn from you ladies as well. I like you Tiff, buy what I want...when I want & I add all the stuff I don't need. Do I really need ANOTHER shirt...NO...do my kids really NEED those cute $22 gum boots...NO! But I do it. It makes me feel good.
I need to find something to replace the happy feelings I get when I go shopping with something that doesn't cost money. I still haven't found something yet...and thus....the over spending. But I will continue to try to save a penny here and there...once in awhile. LOL!
what a good idea! we are actually starting with quick books. when we went to school we stuck to a budget. (we left school debt free) since we have been here we mentally keep a budget but decided we had to keep track on paper.
I'm thinking we spend around $400 a month on food. $200 more on misc. items.(some months)
I have been meal planning which makes a huge difference. when i don't we throw away so much it's sickening really. not only did food go to waste money was thrown away also.
we stock up on things when they are on sale, like diapers and any canned things.
we also don't carry much cash which may not be the smartest thing, but we just spend it way too fast on random things. (we are keeping some in our 72 hour kits though)
can't wait to hear about it!!
What a great topic! I was listening to the radio the other day with a lady that talked about doing a debit/credit card fast. Of course if your landlord will only accept your rent in plastic, you pay your rent. But otherwise, she suggested taking out in cash what you need for 6 weeks and only spending cash . . . she said you feel it more when you are outputting actual bills rather than plastic. Even if you pay off your credit card every month. She suggested going it twice a year to help yourself rethink your spending.
We also use Quicken (home version of Quickbooks)--have since we were married. Nick is great about entering most of the transactions. But it's been a great too to see how much we spend on clothes or gifts or postage or grocery or non-grocery (diapers, shampoo, tp, etc), eating out, babysitters and it's been a very good way for us to analyze how we spend our money (those $5 lunches at Subway are my weakness-even though I can feed me and my two kidds on one, it adds up when I go as often as I'd like).
Anyway, great post girl! Thanks for helping me recommit!
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