I have a bit of a spending problem and it’s not on clothes or shoes or even books, it’s on FOOD. Not eating out, but buying groceries.
This past weekend I got a bit of a lecture from Eric on how we’re spending too much money on groceries ($300 in 10 days)!!! You see, I’m a little bit obsessed with fresh fruit and produce, which is fine; the problem is I go to buy fresh fruits and vegetables and end up buying some frozen meat and some milk and some bread and some other random things that we don’t really need.
I’ve tried taking a list to the grocery store, yet I always stray from it. Our fridge/freezer/cupboards are jam packed full of good, healthy food, yet there’s always something new on my list.
I think one problem is that I like variety. I will not, cannot, have the same meal over and over again. So I make new recipes quite often, recipes that often require ingredients that aren’t sitting in my cupboard. I go to the store to get those ingredients and end up with $75-$100 worth of groceries in my cart before I know it!
When we didn’t have a car we were much better at staying within our grocery budget. We budget $500 a month for groceries, and every time we bought stuff I would write it down on the calendar. When you don’t have a vehicle you don’t make trips to the store for milk; you plan your trips carefully and strategically because you’re either riding the bus home or walking with all your groceries! Now, it’s much to easy to make a quick trip to the store for one little ingredient that turns into plenty.
I wanted to make my goal for the rest of August to NOT buy ANY more groceries, because clearly, we have lots. BUT I’m seriously obsessed with fresh fruit, it makes up a lot of my diet and I know the amount of fruit we have now will not last. So maybe my goal will be to buy nothing new other than fruits and vegetables – there’s a great little local produce place just down from our apartment, I can get stuff there and not be tempted by all the other things in the grocery store.
I’m nervous!
Does anyone else have this problem? If not groceries; what DO you spend too much money on?
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
i hate grocery shopping! i always spend too much and i never know how. i too am obsessed with fresh produce but the store i go to has so much crap with awesome shiny packaging which i become attracted to, like a fish, and then i end up spending money on stuff i need. it is straight up ridonkulous. i need to find a produce stand but i am certain the closest one is 40 miles away.
sigh my life.
stuff i DON’T* need. whoops! that’s what happens when you wake up too early and try to counteract it by drinking as much coffee as possible in as as little time as possible.
I HATE going to the grocery store. The people annoy me. So I try to go once a month, and a few run in for a quick item when I need it. (Have a cheap store right around the corner.) I spend about 160 bucks every 3-4 weeks and my hubby thinks it’s a lot of money! But yeah, I hate that fruit and veggies are so dang expensive and so good. I went to a market that is run by a local farm yesterday and some of it was cheaper. The stuff THEY grew at least. I would suggest, ONLY buying stuff on sale. That’s how I buy our meat. I may buy 49545345 of a certain meat and none of the other, but if it’s onsale I stock up. It usually ends up being a good mix in the freezer. There are certain things I get every time. (Eggs, milk and CHEESE LOTS OF CHEESE, yogurt and pasta.) But I just buy the brand that is on sale.. Also look for coupons.. Last time I went it was buy 10 items for 10 dollars and get onefree.. I totally made sure I bought items that were on the list for that and got a lot of stuff… But yeah I could go on and on.. cuz the hub doesn’t like BIG purchases.. I swear if I knocked it down to 100 he would still complain… I just make sure I go to the fruits and veggies part first so when my cart seems to be getting full by the end I already got the healthy stuff!
Ha! try having kids. they throw more food on the floor and step on it that they actually eat. incredibly wasteful.
as long as you don’t waste what you buy then it shouldn’t be a problem. it’s good to eat down your supply of what’s in the freezer, but then you have to restock what’s in your freezer.
Girl I hear ya! I spend more money on groceries these days than anything else and I’m only buying for myself! Running makes your appetite grow!!!
I love buying different foods. I’m always buying a ton of things to bake! Half the time, we have way too much for just the two of us. Just this past week, we spent $230 at the grocery store, and I feel like we didn’t get anything substantial! It’s an endless cycle. (Especially if I go to the grocery store hungry.)
I spend too much on books, as you know – so I went on a book buying hiatus (although I am breaking my hiatus to buy the Jillian Michael’s book – so interested in it after reading Carolina John’s review. I’m such a science dork!)
Anywho, I used to love grocery shopping. Like when I was in college and rarely had to do it since I lived in a sorority. SO when I went, it was fun. Now, I don’t love it as much. I am pretty organized about it, though, and lately I only tend to buy stuff on the perimeter of the grocery store – so fresh fruits/veggies, deli turkey meat, and then some frozen vegetables to supplement. I haven’t really bought many ‘pantry type items’ since I tend to just eat uncooked food in the summer (except baked potatoes which I make in the microwave). Last night my bill was $75. I was like – seriously? Granted I was shopping at one of our nicer grocery stores which is on my way home from where I run, so I have been shopping there alot lately. But the produce seems to be so much better and I really believe in the ‘you get what you pay for’ mentality.
Good luck w/ not grocery shopping! I am sure you can come up w/ lots of great meals w/ what you have on hand! You’ll have to let us know what you cook!
I definitely have the same grocery problem. Of course, I was looking in the cupboard, and we definitely have enough to last for a while except for milk, butter and fruits and veggies. Plus, you know there will be some ingredient I’m missing at some point. Which sends me to the store where I buy too much yet again.
I *always* have a list. I don’t stick to it 100% – but I plan out recipes and then put what I need on there so I actually get it and then have to cook!
I also look at grocery ads and bring coupons – that helps A LOT!!! I don’t have brand loyalty for most things (a few…yes…) so that makes a big difference.
Target (yes, the entire store) – THAT is my weakness. it’s ridiculous.
Do I know about the spending bit or what?
I’m so obsessed with buying shoes, it’s unhealthy.
I run into this issue on occasion, not so much with spending a lot, but just buying groceries if I don’t need them. That’s when I MAKE myself (yes, make myself) cook with the food in the cupboards/freezer/fridge until it’s 90% gone. It’s amazing the concoctions (that are good!) that I’ll come up with. It’s relatively easy to make things low-fat or healthy if you watch portion size and etc. I also had a rule that I could only buy milk & vegetables if I ran out for any reason.
Good luck with the budget! They can be a real pain in the butt sometimes =)
I sometimes feel that way about groceries, but I don’t usually spend more than $200 a month. I guess it just annoys me that it’s money I HAVE to spend. I’m kind of immature that way. I want to spend my money on makeup and nail polish–not food!
I LOVE grocery shopping!!! I am so bad too. Lately I’ve been really trying to control the spending in that area too, and I think I’ve been succeeding. How you ask? You’re definitely not going to like it!! I look in our cupboards at what we have and need to use. I make a weekly meal plan on Sunday and then a list based on that plan. When I go shopping I stick to the list 99% of the time (some cool things/great deals are just too good to pass up!). And yeah – it’s totally been working…
I am SO with you. Unless it’s, like, pizza, I loathe leftovers. I would rather go hungry than eat something I don’t want.
<——–WEIRD
This is a tough one! Switching to bulk frozen fruit for smoothies has helped me to cut down on some costs. A little bit saved here and there really adds up!
Same here, most of my money goes to food. I buy tons of fruits and veggies and recently different flours and other baking ingredients. Running makes me eat more so the grocery bill increased exponentially.
Grocery shopping is my big weakness. I try to avoid shopping alone, because then I have no one to second guess my purchases.
I spend very little money on groceries, actually. I’m of the Carrie Bradshaw way of thinking – “When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I would buy Vogue instead of dinner. I just felt it fed me more.” Thus, I’ll have you know that I overspend on boots and cocktail rings. Oh, and handbags.
I go through phases where I will have WAY too many groceries and then phases where I have practically nothing! I usually try to go only once a week to the grocery store and that has helped curb my spending!
ME and YOU? Are totally twins. I too spend FAR too much on groceries and fresh produce. But I’d rather eat fresh then no veggies at all!
At least you understand a little bit of my pain, being in BC. Groceries are SO expensive there (moreso than Toronto where my parents are) but Australia is even worse. It’s a huge island so everything needs to be grown here or flown here, and there’s not the government subsidies on things like there are at home. Plus with a water shortage things are more $$ to grow too. (Like bananas are commonly 7.99/kg which is over $3/lb. My Mom at home would never buy Bananas if they were over 49c/lb. It’s insane) So yes, $500 a month on groceries is common for us.
Yum, you must make the most delicious dishes! And it must be great to have so much yummy fruit on hand all the time! Your simple fruit & sandwich dinner looked so tasty!
I’ve been trying to go grocery shopping more because I’ve been spending WAY too much eating out for lunch & dinner.
My biggest spending problem has to be clothes & shoes though. I can’t be stopped!
I used to do the same thing!!! LOL but then I made myself make up new recipes with the food i have to find new recipes using what i have. I just started doing this to help me……i love buying new books or clothes…..so if i want something else i have to sell something i have no use for before i can get the new thing.
Steve and I always buy wayyyyy too many veggies and fruit….we like things FRESH! So its hard sometimes to not go to the store for fresh fresh produce.
LOL it must be super tough for you and Eric….especially in the summer…you have amazing fruits and veggies there!!