Good thing for new months, eh? The August grocery budget went into the toilet around the second week of the month. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty at that point and did nothing to rein it in after that. It seems silly, right? That I wouldn't do everything in my power to try and save money on our groceries because I could use that money towards other things like travel or paying off our mountain size student loan debt. Working on our food budget requires so much more time than I initially anticipated when I first challenged myself to cut my budget back drastically.
Because we are in the throes of homeschooling I just don't have the time to dedicate to planning out a menu, seeking out the best prices for our grocery items, cutting back on the choices we have, baking/cooking every meal, etc...I am still going to try, but I think I have a more realistic set of expectations than I did two months ago or even last month.
I wish I could say cutting back on my food budget it easy. I sometimes wonder if it would be easier if I didn't have the extra money to spend? I grocery shop knowing deep down that I have that fall back bank card with money sitting in the bank to buy those extra groceries that did not fall without the budget I set out. If I did not have that money in our bank account then I think it would be easier for my mind to comprehend that I HAD to stay within the allotted cash budget I brought with me on my shopping trip that particular week.
One thing that I haven't budged on is buying organic food. I would say that 99% of food that comes into this house now is organic. (Yes, I completely understand and accept that I am being fleeced by some of these companies. I am sure someday soon I am going to see in the news a report about how a company claiming to be organic was indeed really not and was shamming the public out of money and health, but I am still willing to take that chance and spend the extra money.)
So, what are the exact numbers for the month of August?
We ended up spending: $1518.78
I know, yikes!
As I said in the beginning - good thing for new months, eh?
Happy September 1st!!!!
What if you made this food budget a part of homeschooling. Teach them all about what it really takes to be an adult and the money that is required for healthy (and not healthy) food. That is something that I never learned in school. I think I learned it from the Cosby Show. Even if you don't stick to the budget they can come to the store with you a few times and add up what they would buy if they were on their own to see what it really costs. Just an idea.
ReplyDeleteI like your thinking! I do try to incorporate them into menu planning, but I find that when I take them with me I end up spending more than I intended to. Until I get this menu thing down pat myself I have to go it alone.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete