I need your help again! I am embarrassed to say that I don't really know how to budget a grocery trip. I know about how much I spend a month, but that's about it. I always plan our meals and make a nice grocery list, but I never now how much I am going to spend because I don't memorize all the food prices. So how do you do it? Do other people really memorize food prices? I could guess, but I would be way off. If you have a certain amount of money allotted to food, how do you make sure you don't go over?
Fairy Pools, Loch Ness, Drumnadrochit
4 weeks ago
13 comments:
I am not much help. I am trying to fine tune this, but I just divide my monthly amount (which I get in cash at the beginning of the month and keep in an envelope) into the 4 weeks and try to spend under that amount each week. Having cash is helpful for me because it is more tangible and I can see how I am doing.
I used to try to plan out meals and budget, but we always went over our budget. Now that I do the coupon shopping I only buy things we use that are five star items for the week and use my coupons paying next to nothing for them. At first it cost me more to get our stock built, but now I just replace things as we use them and they go on sale again. It is nice to go to my pantry for odds and end and not the store any more. It has helped our food storage efforts as well.
My sister does the Grocery Game. It costs about $5 for two months I think, and they find all the great sales and coupons for you! I've wanted to try it for a while, but just haven't gotten around to it. They also break down the sales into categories like: free w/coupon, buy it and stock up, buy it if you need it, etc. (grocerygame.com)
Otherwise, no matter what I set my budget at I'm over it. If I set it at $100, I spend $125, if I set it at $200 I spend $300. I don't know how that works out like that, but it does. If you find the magic answer let me know! ;)
I have been wondering this too! I was actually thinking about making a post on the Village blog about it, so stay tuned! :)
Shopping at Wal-Mart has made it really easy to stick to my grocery budget. There prices are always consistently low and stay the same. Other places like Smith's, Lee's, and Albertsons always have varied prices...which doesn't work for me because I eat similar meals on a rotation each week or two. So because I just rotate meals and eat the same things Wal-Mart works great for me because I always know how much it's going to be. Does that make any sense?
I have the same problem. The only thing I have been doing is adding up the total as I pick stuff off the shelf. I round up to the next dollar and just try to add in my head. This isn't really great, but it helps me know where I'm at.
-Holli
I'm glad I'm not the only one that has this problem. I try to just make a list and buy what's on that list. I try to take a little calculator(or just use my brain if it's working that day:)) and add it up as I go. Sometimes I do well, other times I don't. And, I just wanted to apologize about your Scentsy party. I had planned on going and then we had a crazy day and I totally spaced it. Are you still open for orders because I'd really like to get something?
Ditto on the not being much help becaus Im in the same boat! :)
I take my list to the store with my plan of meals for the week, and write down the prices as I go. I add around 25 cents-ish to each item (usually rounding up to the next dollar). I'm usually pretty close to the actual total. Oh, and I also buy all my meats at Costco, cut them into about 1 pound each, put them into separate baggies with the date and freeze them. That helps me because I don't have to even think about buying meat at the store when I'm planning my meals. I just buy perishables, etc. I don't know if that helps, but I'm so much less stressed when I shop now!
You should check out my coupon website, it has all the grocery stores on the Wasatch front and updates every Wednesday with the new weekly prices. I know about what I am going to spend before I even leave the house with and without coupons. The sale price is in the far left column and the coupon price or bottom line price is in the far right column www.grocerysmarts.com and the pass code is g84rcm
Um, I am not very good at it by any means. But I just look at the grocery ads, to decide what recipes to include in my meal plan. Basically the meals we eat are based around the sales. Then I make a specific list, and add it up as I shop. Definitely takes more time and work, but it seems to help. Also, we are working on building a pantry based on sale items. That probably wasn't very helpful, but that's what we do.
I am an ad shopper too. Walmart checkers see me coming and hide! :) I price match like crazy and plan my meals around what is on sale. If I feel like I am going to go over budget, I look at my food storage and see how little I can spend that week. It is amazing what you can come up with if you have to.
That said...I too still go over sometimes. It is an ongoing battle.
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