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How's your grocery budget looking this week? I know it's so easy to get excited in the New Year with tons of great intentions, but three weeks in those resolutions have all but bit the dust. However we're not quitting yet (do you hear me?) We can stick with our budgets throughout 2013 and reach our long term goals.
I'm absolutely thrilled because we made it through our a-wee-bit-tight grocery and miscellaneous budget for the last two weeks with $10 to spare (yay!)Â We haven't stuck as closely to it as I've wanted to in quite awhile, so I'm just tickled to have that $10 leftover . . . especially since that included a whopping 6 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. (There's no way I can say no to a Girl Scout!)
Here's what I spent on groceries this week:
- Publix: Â $27.57
- Sam's Club: $26.56
- Total: $54.13
- We've really cut back on eating out over the last few weeks. While our grocery budget has never been high, we had gotten in the habit of eating out as a family three times per week, which was just too much for our budget.  We have a ton of easy food to make in the freezer, and I've been working to stay on top of menu planning, which helped us to stay under budget.
- When we do eat out, we've been mindful of how to spend less. Over the weekend we really wanted to go to one of our favorite Japanese restaurants, usually a huge budget bust for our family. We chose to go at lunchtime which saved a ton, all ordered water instead of  soda, and used coupons (of course!) Our family of five had a huge meal for under $40 including tip, which is pretty reasonable for us!
- I've really stuck to my grocery budget while at the store, specifically by adding up how much I'm spending as I shop. Instead of just going in and grabbing any item on sale with a coupon, I've been much more conscious of exactly what my total is . . . that really does help so much!
If you need to change your grocery budget in 2013, this really is a great time to start, and I know you can do this. I wish I could let you know how wonderful financial freedom feels (if you're not there already), because I promise it's worth pinching every single penny!  Determine today how you want your year to look, set realistic goals, and decide to take control of your finances instead of allowing them to control you.  I can't wait to hear how you're doing on your goals, and am excited to see how we'll do in 2013 to pinch those pennies even further.
Share your goals by clicking HERE ~ I love hearing from you!
New to budgeting and don't know where to begin? Here are a few posts that might help you get started:
- Don't Sacrifice What You Really Want For What You Want Right Now
- Budget Check Up Week One: Have You Determined Your 2013 Grocery Budget
- Are you on an all cash budget?
- New to couponing? Here's where to start.
- How Does Your Grocery Budget Look?Â
- Extreme Coupon Fraud: What You See On TV Isn't Always Real
- Are You Spending Within Your Budget?
- Save the Way You Can Save: Penny Pinching Is Not A Competition
- Are You Satisfied With Your Penny Pinching?
- You Do Have Time To Coupon (But  You Don't Have To Do Everything. . .)
- Are Coupons For Everyone?
We’re learning to look at the budget not just on a weekly basis, but to look back on the previous week. This is helping us stay on track for the entire month overall.
Also for the longest time when I created my shopping list using the sales ads, I would round up the prices to cover the taxes. Well silly me, I finally found an app that calculates taxes so I have a better idea of how much room I have. It saves me from underspending and cutting things off the list that we actually need.
What’s the name if the app you use?
The app is called Tax Me. It works as a calculator and you can adjust the tax percentage. I use the free version and just exit the ads when they pop up each time I open it.
Thanks so much for sharing Bree – I need to try that (I do the same thing – I never can figure out how much to a lot for tax during my trip, and that would help so much!)
I’m way under this week, but that’s to be expected with our financial situation this month. Goal is $85 per week for 2 adults, a 4yr old, a 1yr old and 3 pets. If I include the emergency run to Walgreen’s for Gatorade for the sickly people, our weeks spending was $34. Living off the pantry isn’t bad as long as there’s money for produce, bread and eggs.
Wow Vanessa – you did great and I know that had to be tight! Great job …. awesome that you’re sticking to it! (It really makes things so much easier when you have food in the pantry….) 🙂
One thing that I have started doing is to write down the amount of money that I am budgeting for each item on my list. So if I have chicken on my list and I budget $5, I pick up a package that costs $5 or less. Thjs has really helped me to stay on track while at the store.