We just returned from a nine day camping trip, so I don't have a trip-by-trip breakdown of our food expenses for the last two weeks, but I have updated our spending in our budgeting software and we will definitely have extra money in our groceries/restaurants spending for the month of July. Here are the totals so far:
Groceries: $249.82
Restaurants: $101.46
Total: $351.28
I haven't really gone grocery shopping since we returned, so I do have some things to buy in the next couple of days, but I hope to keep it to $50 or less. So my projected savings this month is about $150.
Now if I can keep that up for 2 more months...
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Week Two
I've finished most of my shopping for the week. We're going camping next week so I'll do shopping for our trip on Thurs. Here is my total so far:
11th - $9.06 (Kroger)
11th - $20.76 (Little Caesars)
12th $11.79 (McDonalds)
12th - $32.84 (Kroger)
13th - $25.71 (Food City)
13th - $3.55 (Target)
Total for the week: $103.71
Grocery total for the week: $71.16
Grand total for the month of July for both groceries and restaurants: $194.84
Groceries: $139.35
Restaurants: $55.13
If you try to reconcile this number with previous posts it's off by a few cents. The numbers I used for this post come from my budgeting software and are the "official" numbers. Considering that it's almost halfway through the month and I've only spent appr. $200 of my $550 budget (total for groceries and restaurants) I feel like I'm pretty much on track to save $100 for the month - if I continue to watch my spending. I also collected $20 in coupons to use at Kroger next week from my purchases this week, so that should help keep my spending down next week.
11th - $9.06 (Kroger)
11th - $20.76 (Little Caesars)
12th $11.79 (McDonalds)
12th - $32.84 (Kroger)
13th - $25.71 (Food City)
13th - $3.55 (Target)
Total for the week: $103.71
Grocery total for the week: $71.16
Grand total for the month of July for both groceries and restaurants: $194.84
Groceries: $139.35
Restaurants: $55.13
If you try to reconcile this number with previous posts it's off by a few cents. The numbers I used for this post come from my budgeting software and are the "official" numbers. Considering that it's almost halfway through the month and I've only spent appr. $200 of my $550 budget (total for groceries and restaurants) I feel like I'm pretty much on track to save $100 for the month - if I continue to watch my spending. I also collected $20 in coupons to use at Kroger next week from my purchases this week, so that should help keep my spending down next week.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
First Week Down
I have almost officially made it through a full week without blowing the grocery budget I set. I did spend another $4.00 on Thursday but I stayed under my goal of $50.00. I hope to keep my spending next week to $50 or less as well.
Results for the week:
Goal: $50
Actual: $38.29
Total grocery spending for the month of July: $88.34
I wish I could say my spending was down in other categories, but we've been doing home repairs/improvements this week and we're definitely going to be using our entire home improvement budget for the month. Guess I'll tackle that spending problem next. Even those expenses take on new meaning when I think about how much help that money could be to people who are hungry. It really makes me question if I'm being a good steward of the money God has entrusted to me. But on the other hand, we need to keep our home in good repair or it won't be salable when we decide to move. I guess it's always easy to justify spending on myself. Yes, I definitely need to spend some time praying about what expenses are necessary and which ones are just selfishness on my part. At the very least, I'm determined to cut some spending out of groceries to share with those less fortunate. Only 20 days to go and about $250 left out of my "new" grocery budget to spend.
Results for the week:
Goal: $50
Actual: $38.29
Total grocery spending for the month of July: $88.34
I wish I could say my spending was down in other categories, but we've been doing home repairs/improvements this week and we're definitely going to be using our entire home improvement budget for the month. Guess I'll tackle that spending problem next. Even those expenses take on new meaning when I think about how much help that money could be to people who are hungry. It really makes me question if I'm being a good steward of the money God has entrusted to me. But on the other hand, we need to keep our home in good repair or it won't be salable when we decide to move. I guess it's always easy to justify spending on myself. Yes, I definitely need to spend some time praying about what expenses are necessary and which ones are just selfishness on my part. At the very least, I'm determined to cut some spending out of groceries to share with those less fortunate. Only 20 days to go and about $250 left out of my "new" grocery budget to spend.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
What?! No Target Trip?
Two more days down and our pantry is holding out just fine. I've not spent any more money on groceries and I don't plan on going shopping again until next week. Welllll, I may stop at a local produce stand to see what's available, but I don't intend to spend much money there.
I have noticed that my focus has changed this week from what I don't have (need to make a shopping list and buy more stuff) to what I do have (let's eat what's in the freezer). I understand that this will only work as long as I have excess in my freezer and pantry, but I've had excess in my freezer and pantry for years and still go to the store to buy more stuff. I'm really hoping that this change in focus can become permanent, because I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and contentment. Gratitude for all God has given us and contentment because I realize I don't need more stuff to be fulfilled or happy - or even full!
I have noticed that my focus has changed this week from what I don't have (need to make a shopping list and buy more stuff) to what I do have (let's eat what's in the freezer). I understand that this will only work as long as I have excess in my freezer and pantry, but I've had excess in my freezer and pantry for years and still go to the store to buy more stuff. I'm really hoping that this change in focus can become permanent, because I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and contentment. Gratitude for all God has given us and contentment because I realize I don't need more stuff to be fulfilled or happy - or even full!
Monday, July 6, 2009
So Far So Good
I did my weeks' grocery shopping today and didn't do too badly:
Kroger - $ 13.12
Food City - $21.17
I was able to resist stopping at Target even though I distinctly heard some sales calling my name. And I pretty much stuck to my shopping list. I bought two rolls of sausage on clearance at Kroger to freeze for pizza in the next few weeks. I also added a few extra items at Food City because I had a $5 off $25 coupon to use (valid this week only) and had to get my total up to $25 in order to use it. It was fun using cash again. I'd forgotten how I used to challenge myself to spend less when I used cash. Seeing cash in my hand and thinking about how much food that could buy in other parts of the world also made more of an impact on my brain about why I am doing this.
So far my total for July is: $84.34
Not great considering it's only the 6th, but I don't plan on spending much for the rest of the week (maybe another loaf of bread or a bit more fresh produce on sale). So I should be able to stick to my goal this week of $50 or less.
Kroger - $ 13.12
Food City - $21.17
I was able to resist stopping at Target even though I distinctly heard some sales calling my name. And I pretty much stuck to my shopping list. I bought two rolls of sausage on clearance at Kroger to freeze for pizza in the next few weeks. I also added a few extra items at Food City because I had a $5 off $25 coupon to use (valid this week only) and had to get my total up to $25 in order to use it. It was fun using cash again. I'd forgotten how I used to challenge myself to spend less when I used cash. Seeing cash in my hand and thinking about how much food that could buy in other parts of the world also made more of an impact on my brain about why I am doing this.
So far my total for July is: $84.34
Not great considering it's only the 6th, but I don't plan on spending much for the rest of the week (maybe another loaf of bread or a bit more fresh produce on sale). So I should be able to stick to my goal this week of $50 or less.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Week One
Normally I use a debit card for groceries but for this experiment I will use cash. I always used to use cash for groceries but started using my debit card because it's "easier". I know that it hurts more to spend cash, so I plan on going back to cash. My expenses for the past week are:
7/1 - $14 (Target)
7/2 - $4.06 (Kroger)
7/2 - $6.17 (Target)
7/4 - $5.71 (Target)
7/5 $20.03 (Popeyes)
Total as of 7/5 - $49.97
Why all the Target expenses you ask? I kept going back in there for items I forgot for a 4th of July party. The Popeyes expense came about because we promised our DD last Sunday that we would eat there after church today (we made the promise before I decided to start this challenge).
Tonight I'll be making my menus for this week based on local sales ads and what's in my pantry, then I'll make my shopping list for the week. I know it's gonna be fairly short so I'm going to attempt to keep the total spent below $50. We'll see how the week goes.
7/1 - $14 (Target)
7/2 - $4.06 (Kroger)
7/2 - $6.17 (Target)
7/4 - $5.71 (Target)
7/5 $20.03 (Popeyes)
Total as of 7/5 - $49.97
Why all the Target expenses you ask? I kept going back in there for items I forgot for a 4th of July party. The Popeyes expense came about because we promised our DD last Sunday that we would eat there after church today (we made the promise before I decided to start this challenge).
Tonight I'll be making my menus for this week based on local sales ads and what's in my pantry, then I'll make my shopping list for the week. I know it's gonna be fairly short so I'm going to attempt to keep the total spent below $50. We'll see how the week goes.
Introduction - What Am I Doing and Why?
Recently I finished reading The Hole In Our Gospel by the president of World Vision Richard Stearns. This book has challenged me to take another look at my life and reevaluate how I am spending my time, talent and treasure. As a Christian I know I am called to show the love of Christ to my neighbor. Through organizations like Compassion and World Vision I have the ability to reach "neighbors" throughout the world. One of the ways I have decided that our family can better serve these neighbors is by monitoring our grocery/restaurant budget and donating any excess from it to these organizations.
For the past several years my DH and I have followed the financial principles outlined by Dave Ramsey, so we have a monthly budget that we follow. I feel that our budget is reasonable and it is certainly based on several years of monitoring our grocery bills, so there I don't feel that there is any room to trim "excess" off the top to automatically give to these charities. Our family of five spends $450 a month on groceries and $100 a month on restaurants (we try not to eat out very often!). It breaks my heart to know that when I sit down to a full, (at least somewhat) healthy meal that in so much of the world children will not eat at all that day. If one of these precious children were in my home I would gladly fix them a meal. Unfortunately that isn't possible. But it is possible for me to reduce spending on "extras" like ice cream and chips and send that money to someone who can fix a meal for a hungry child.
Goal: For each of the next 3 months save $100 to give to Compassion and World Vision
How I Plan To Do This: (1)Reduce spending on "junk food" (2) Plan meals around loss leader sales (3) Reduce impulse buying by using a shopping list (4) Limit trips into stores - the more I'm in stores, the more I spend and (5) Keep a record of my spending to keep motivated
My Challenge: If anyone else finds this blog and has a heart for helping children living in poverty I challenge you to find a place to cut out an "excess" in your life - even small things like choosing to rent a movie instead of going out to the movies can mean the difference between life and death to a starving child. I've been on budgeting boards and I know that people make lifestyle choices such as choosing not to eat out for a period of time in order to pay off debt or save for a vacation. I wonder if we can do it for "the least of these" as well.
For the past several years my DH and I have followed the financial principles outlined by Dave Ramsey, so we have a monthly budget that we follow. I feel that our budget is reasonable and it is certainly based on several years of monitoring our grocery bills, so there I don't feel that there is any room to trim "excess" off the top to automatically give to these charities. Our family of five spends $450 a month on groceries and $100 a month on restaurants (we try not to eat out very often!). It breaks my heart to know that when I sit down to a full, (at least somewhat) healthy meal that in so much of the world children will not eat at all that day. If one of these precious children were in my home I would gladly fix them a meal. Unfortunately that isn't possible. But it is possible for me to reduce spending on "extras" like ice cream and chips and send that money to someone who can fix a meal for a hungry child.
Goal: For each of the next 3 months save $100 to give to Compassion and World Vision
How I Plan To Do This: (1)Reduce spending on "junk food" (2) Plan meals around loss leader sales (3) Reduce impulse buying by using a shopping list (4) Limit trips into stores - the more I'm in stores, the more I spend and (5) Keep a record of my spending to keep motivated
My Challenge: If anyone else finds this blog and has a heart for helping children living in poverty I challenge you to find a place to cut out an "excess" in your life - even small things like choosing to rent a movie instead of going out to the movies can mean the difference between life and death to a starving child. I've been on budgeting boards and I know that people make lifestyle choices such as choosing not to eat out for a period of time in order to pay off debt or save for a vacation. I wonder if we can do it for "the least of these" as well.
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