Okay here we go...
remember how i said that we'd talk money on monday?
first order of business,
grocery shopping.
in a family of 6 our grocery bill can get to be quite astronomical.
let's just say i usually spend more than our mortgage.
and that's never going out to eat!!!
my new grocery goal?
$125.00 / week = $500/month for a family of 6.
and i was successful in the first week!!!
i take cash and a calculator!
i really believe the key to this is planning, planning and then planning.
on sundays i sit down and write out a menu for the week, including each meal and snacks and drinks.
i look at the store ads to see if there are any good deals that i can build a meal around,
or cheap snacks.
i usually shop at wal-mart and safeway.
safeway for the sales and meat, staples and whatever else wal-mart.
then i pull out recipes if needed, or by heart,
and look through my cupboards and make sure i have everything i need on my list.
be sure to check little things, like baking powder, flour, oil, etc.
there are items that are on my list every week,
such as 2 gallons of milk,
at least 2 boxes of cereal,
etc.
when you go to a store with a list in hand it's amazing how much less you buy!
and i'm telling you,
running in the store once a week, my day is mondays, sure beats running in 4 days/week and then grabbing 10 other items you hadn't planned on.
another thing i do to keep the kids from asking me what's for dinner,
or what their snack choices are, is write it up on a white board in the dining room.
they can see the whole weeks menu.
this gives them the chance to complain on monday about the enchiladas you're making thursday.
hey, i'm always here to help.
well,
i'm off to shop.
if you haven't jumped on the dave ramsey bandwagon, check him out!
God Bless,
mandy
4 comments:
I can tell I'm going to LOVE this weekly installment. We are nearly done building our new house, and I am almost panicked about what financial/budget changes lie ahead with our new {much larger} mortgage {not to mention baby #4 on the way}. I do make a shopping list, but I *always* pick up way more than what is on my list. I need to do better, and you are inspiring me to do that!
Good for you Mandy! We started our "road to recovery" new family budget in August and have been doing good thus far. It takes me about a week, but i sit down and make a menu for the month. then i go through the pantry and put together a grocery list. it took a couple months, but we are getting pretty good at knowing how many boxes of cereal we go through and loaves of bread a month, etc. We do a big grocery trip at the first of the month when we get paid and then run to the store only once a week for our 2 gallons of milk, and any veggies and fruit that won't last a whole month. We have been able to keep our weekly trip no more than $50 and have gotten our monthly down to under $400 for a family of 5, including school lunches and hubby comes home for lunch every day and we don't eat out at all. It's tough, but so worth it once you got the groove. Best of luck, you guys can do it!
well it looks like you're doing a great job. I pay cash for groceries too and it really makes you watch what your buying doesn't it?
This is Aunt Sally writing,
I've been a fan of Ramsey's for years and I can't imagine going grocery shopping without a list -- even if I do forget it too often and often get things not on it and forget things on it -- even if they are written down right in front of me. I too shop on Mondays.
Good job, stay positive.
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