Here's an update on my September Savings Challenge goal:
First of all, instead of the normal one week, I sat down and made a menu plan for almost the entire month. After looking at the calendar I was surprised how few meals I'll actually have to make. We've got several evening things scheduled--many of which include free food. :o) The hard part for me is determining what to plan for lunch. We utilize any and all leftovers, but often there aren't enough to go around, so I end up making something quick for Emily & me at home. After really thinking things through, I've discovered quite a few options already on hand. I'd be open to any suggestions, though!
As far as my stated goal, I was extremely surprised at the size of my grocery bill this week (I spent only 11% of my normal monthly grocery budget.)--especially since it even included meal choices for Austin for next week (he is not going to NW Iowa with us). Even though I always go grocery shopping with a list, I usually allow myself one "impulse" item and tend to grab things I think I'll need in the future if they're on sale (i.e. stockpiling). I didn't realize how hard it would be to resist the temptation to strictly adhere to my list and not stockpile. I did grab a few extra things, but I know for sure I'll be using them within the next month, and they were really good prices. (Really!) I think this week was a bit of an anomaly because I didn't have to purchase any milk or cheese and very little meat. Those are the grocery bill killers!
I saved $.39 this week (hey--every little bit helps) by buying 2 loaves of bread at Kwik Star instead of just the one I needed for now. I much prefer getting a fresh loaf of bread when needed rather than freezing loaves and pulling them out later, but they were running a special. I now probably have my bread supply for the month. For anyone who has the option I've found that Kwik Star has the cheapest milk, bread and bananas--all staples in our house. A loaf of Honey Wheat is normally $1.19 with the special of 2/$1.99 this month. They have all sorts of other varieties also at extremely cheap prices compared to the name brands at the grocery store. (We don't eat plain white bread, although it's only $.79 every day at Kwik Star.)
How are you doing on any savings goals?
1 comment:
I just read about the "September Savings Challenge", it does make me think about our spending on food. I like to think that we are conscience about our spending on food but it also comes and goes. Phil and I want to support the local economy (ex. buying local milk or vegetables) and we want to buy fresh fruits and veggies but these are both more expensive than buying frozen or canned foods. We also have times that we stock up on extra foods, especially meat, but then there are times when we feel the need to use up our frozen food. I think the best way for us to save is make a menu based off of what is in our cupboards/freezer and then limiting anything extra. We hadn't been doing that (making a menu) for awhile and I started to realize the extra food that we had in our cupboards. I think we also struggle with choosing whether we want quality foods or cheaper foods (ex. low sodium cr. of mushroom/chicken). We like to save money but with my husband and I being on a major health kick (and succesfully) we don't want to spoil what we've accomplished. I also think that with food being a joy in our lives this is one area that we like to splerge, especially trying new recipes that require odd/new ingredients, we do try to limit how many new things we try each month (depending on the extra ingrediants). Anyways, I think this is a great idea and I'm glad it gets me thinking. I'll keep in touch and see if I can learn anything! Feel free to give me any recommendations as well. Thanks for the idea!
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