Five Cent Nickel recently asked bloggers to post about their biggest financial vices. I wasn't sure what this might be off the top of my head. A year ago, I would have said it was books or purchases from Lush. But since putting myself on a budget, I've been very good about not spending much on either of those things.
Looking at my budget, I'd say that my biggest financial vice falls into the general category of "food." I don't eat out much, but when I do hit up a restaurant with a friend, we typically go all out, with wine and appetizers and dessert. I'm also a sucker for fancy groceries. I try not to go into Whole Foods too often, but when I do, I find myself drawn to all sorts of things. Sure, I'm buying things that are healthy and that will get consumed, but they are a drain on my budget. I'm thinking that I should actually split my grocery budget category - most of the money for typical groceries, with maybe an extra $30 set aside for "splurge" purchases. Maybe that would keep me in line!
Abundant Life Spending Spree - $51,200
I've been watching Planet Green a lot lately, and have become fascinated with alternative energy sources. I love that Ed Begley Jr. has a stationary bike that he rides in order to generate enough electricity to power his toaster before breakfast. Ok, maybe that's a little weird, but at the same time, I bet I'd be more inclined to workout if I was not only doing something good for my health but also generating electricity and doing something good for my wallet.
Anyway, for today's spending spree purchase, we must first pretend that I own a house. I know nothing about this house except that it is a house and not an apartment. And then, I would use the $51,200 to buy a solar panel system - the best I can get for that amount of money. Going off the grid, even just partially, seems very appealing.
Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label groceries. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Yearly price increases
Thanks to Diet Blog for pointing out this article over at The Cattle Network: The Price of Food: 2007-2008.
Some things aren't a surprise. Eggs up 28.32%. Milk up 15.37%. The price of meat hasn't gone up as much as I thought though. Not that I buy much meat to begin with. The price of celery has doubled, which seems surprising. Some things are down: tangerines, oranges, bacon, and other things. And bacon makes everything better, right?
(Side note - I was in college when McDonalds was having its "Make it bacon" promotion or whatever it was called where you paid an extra amount and they'd put bacon on whatever sandwich you got. A friend of mine convinced them to put bacon in his milkshake. I believe it was just stuck in, not blended. But he ate it anyway.)
Net Worth update to come. I'm a little afraid to see what's happened to my retirement accounts this month.
Abundant Life Spending Spree - $3200
This one was easy. MacBook Pro and all sorts of accompanying software. I've been a PC user all my life, but worked in a Mac lab in college and really would like to try out a Mac for my next computer. It'll be a while before I have the cash saved up, and hopefully it will also be a while until I need to buy a new computer. But hey, if $3200 fell from the sky today, I'd be first in line at the Apple store.
Some things aren't a surprise. Eggs up 28.32%. Milk up 15.37%. The price of meat hasn't gone up as much as I thought though. Not that I buy much meat to begin with. The price of celery has doubled, which seems surprising. Some things are down: tangerines, oranges, bacon, and other things. And bacon makes everything better, right?
(Side note - I was in college when McDonalds was having its "Make it bacon" promotion or whatever it was called where you paid an extra amount and they'd put bacon on whatever sandwich you got. A friend of mine convinced them to put bacon in his milkshake. I believe it was just stuck in, not blended. But he ate it anyway.)
Net Worth update to come. I'm a little afraid to see what's happened to my retirement accounts this month.
Abundant Life Spending Spree - $3200
This one was easy. MacBook Pro and all sorts of accompanying software. I've been a PC user all my life, but worked in a Mac lab in college and really would like to try out a Mac for my next computer. It'll be a while before I have the cash saved up, and hopefully it will also be a while until I need to buy a new computer. But hey, if $3200 fell from the sky today, I'd be first in line at the Apple store.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
And we think grocery prices affect our budget!
While perusing the news this morning, I came across this CNN article: Food prices rise, shoppers pay more dough. I can't say there are any surprises in the article, but the woman highlighted in the beginning has nine children. She spends $800-$900 a month on food, which seems like a lot, until I compare it to my grocery budget. I can't imagine budgeting for that many people.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Saving money but busting the budget
I've been trying to be a smarter grocery shopper. I've shopped with a list for a long time, and am good about not deviating from the list too much, but lately, I've been paying more attention to sales and coupons in an effort to save money. I'm also working on stocking up on groceries a bit more, just to keep the cupboards from getting bare on the off chance I can't get to the store for longer than normal.
For example, today, I discovered that my favorite brand of coffee was on sale. $1.30 off. I needed one bag. But I bought two. I also noticed that Lean Cuisines were marked down to $2.50, so I picked up a few of those as well, even though they weren't on the list at all.
Unfortunately, it's the end of the month. I didn't have enough in my monthly grocery budget to cover all of these extras. I just decided to pull from next month's budget, since I'll be eating most of the food next month anyway, but that's not a trend that can continue from month to month.
I definitely spent more this month on groceries than I have in the past. But I also have more food in my house than I normally do, and even though I've spent more than normal, I've also saved quite a bit by watching for sales. Obviously, saving is good, but spending out of budget is bad.
I hope that in a month or two, this plan will start to pay off in that I will be spending less because I'm buying on sale, and stocking up when things are less expensive. And that the budget busting will end.
For example, today, I discovered that my favorite brand of coffee was on sale. $1.30 off. I needed one bag. But I bought two. I also noticed that Lean Cuisines were marked down to $2.50, so I picked up a few of those as well, even though they weren't on the list at all.
Unfortunately, it's the end of the month. I didn't have enough in my monthly grocery budget to cover all of these extras. I just decided to pull from next month's budget, since I'll be eating most of the food next month anyway, but that's not a trend that can continue from month to month.
I definitely spent more this month on groceries than I have in the past. But I also have more food in my house than I normally do, and even though I've spent more than normal, I've also saved quite a bit by watching for sales. Obviously, saving is good, but spending out of budget is bad.
I hope that in a month or two, this plan will start to pay off in that I will be spending less because I'm buying on sale, and stocking up when things are less expensive. And that the budget busting will end.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Taking time to save money
I admit that I'm not the smartest shopper when it comes to groceries and other household items. Sure, if I happen to catch a sale, I might stock up slightly. But note the words: "happen to catch." That's right, I very rarely look for sales. It's just not something I do. But it's something I need to start doing.
For the first time in a long time, I clipped coupons last weekend. I made a point to go to the store, pick up a paper (for $1.50 - but I plan to subscribe in the upcoming weeks), clip the coupons, and then, because I'm a bit obsessive, I started a spreadsheet with the coupon data. The theory there is that I can watch for expiring coupons, and I can have all my coupons listed on one page rather than just stuck in my coupon organizer. Having already done the major grocery shop for the week, I decided to look at the CVS circular to see what was on sale and if anything matched up with my coupons.
Lo and behold, I found a number of deals! Items already on sale that I also had coupons for! Items that I use all the time with ECBs offered this week! I'm trying to do my best and only buy things that I would normally buy - because otherwise, am I really saving any money at all? I realize that's not always the way to play the drugstore game, but I think that's how I'm going to play my version for now. Realizing how productive this trip was, I decided that I also needed to start looking at the grocery store circular every week.
I tend to do my shopping early in the morning on Saturdays or Sundays, and my store's circular goes online on Fridays. Perfect! I can browse through the circular, figure out what's on sale that I use and compare that to my coupon list. This should also help my plan to have more of a stock of food around the house, in case of emergencies (and let's be honest, also in case of "too lazy to go to the store").
I'm not sure why I haven't done this before. It didn't take long to go through the paper on Sunday morning, and I did it while catching up on some tv. I know some people spend hours planning their shopping, but for me, that just doesn't make sense. I shop at one particular grocery store (plus Whole Foods on occasion) and I go to CVS. That's what's within walking distance for me - anything else requires getting in my car, and that's when it becomes too much of a hassle in my mind. So I just need to block out a little bit of time every week for couponing. Shouldn't be hard at all.
Yet another money saving plan to implement when I get home from vacation.
For the first time in a long time, I clipped coupons last weekend. I made a point to go to the store, pick up a paper (for $1.50 - but I plan to subscribe in the upcoming weeks), clip the coupons, and then, because I'm a bit obsessive, I started a spreadsheet with the coupon data. The theory there is that I can watch for expiring coupons, and I can have all my coupons listed on one page rather than just stuck in my coupon organizer. Having already done the major grocery shop for the week, I decided to look at the CVS circular to see what was on sale and if anything matched up with my coupons.
Lo and behold, I found a number of deals! Items already on sale that I also had coupons for! Items that I use all the time with ECBs offered this week! I'm trying to do my best and only buy things that I would normally buy - because otherwise, am I really saving any money at all? I realize that's not always the way to play the drugstore game, but I think that's how I'm going to play my version for now. Realizing how productive this trip was, I decided that I also needed to start looking at the grocery store circular every week.
I tend to do my shopping early in the morning on Saturdays or Sundays, and my store's circular goes online on Fridays. Perfect! I can browse through the circular, figure out what's on sale that I use and compare that to my coupon list. This should also help my plan to have more of a stock of food around the house, in case of emergencies (and let's be honest, also in case of "too lazy to go to the store").
I'm not sure why I haven't done this before. It didn't take long to go through the paper on Sunday morning, and I did it while catching up on some tv. I know some people spend hours planning their shopping, but for me, that just doesn't make sense. I shop at one particular grocery store (plus Whole Foods on occasion) and I go to CVS. That's what's within walking distance for me - anything else requires getting in my car, and that's when it becomes too much of a hassle in my mind. So I just need to block out a little bit of time every week for couponing. Shouldn't be hard at all.
Yet another money saving plan to implement when I get home from vacation.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Couponing
When I lived in St. Louis, I was obsessive about coupon clipping. Mainly because I subscribed to the Sunday paper. But I quickly realized that while I was using the paper for coupons, I was never actually reading the paper, so it started to feel like a waste. The papers would start to pile up because I spent my Sundays preparing for class the next day, and then throughout the summer, studying for the bar exam.
Well, my student days are thankfully over, but when I moved to Washington, D.C., I didn't bother to subscribe to the Sunday paper. I figured I wouldn't end up reading it, and the environmentalist in me struggled with the idea of having all that extra paper (even though I recycle, of course). It seemed like a cost that I didn't really need.
But I wasn't thinking about the coupons. (I also wasn't thinking about the money I would save by always using the comics to wrap presents.) Given the rising food prices, I think this is an idea I should revisit.
I often struggle with whether or not coupons are really worth it. I've always believed that you should only use a coupon on something you would buy anyway - don't think of it as a "deal" on something new. Unfortunately, it seems like most coupons out there are for new products hitting the shelves. Of course, there's nothing wrong with trying new products, especially if it's a type of food you consume regularly. For example, if you eat a granola bar for lunch every day and the paper has a coupon for a new kind of granola bar, it doesn't hurt to check it out - provided that with the coupon, the new granola bar is cheaper than your old standard.
(This is probably a given, but be sure to watch your base price. How much is in that package? What are you paying per base unit? I'm lucky enough to shop at a store that lists the unit price on the shelf tags so I can determine which item is the best buy, but if you don't, be sure to do the math in your head or carry a calculator. Trust me, it's worth it.)
The other thing is that I'm always trying to eat healthier, and it seems like so often, coupons are for processed foods. I'm not going to find a coupon for apples or other produce. But even though I do try to be healthy, I admit that I'm still stuck on a number of processed foods, and there are coupons on things I use, such as various canned soups and vegetables, and occasionally rice and other grains as well. Besides, I need things like detergent and toothpaste too, and there are often coupons for those products.
You can also print coupons online, though I have sporadic luck with those. Sometimes it's products I use, but most of the time, it's nothing I want. Conveniently, I don't have to print those. The big sites are SmartSource and CoolSavings.
The CouponMom is a highly touted resource for coupon usage. The site has a database of coupons from the Sunday paper (you do still have to buy a paper) to help you figure out what's on sale and when you'll get the best deal combining coupons with a sale.
A number of bloggers have been talking about The Grocery Game. This is a subscription based site ($1 for a 4 week trial, then $5 a month). Every week, you get a list of the lowest priced products at your supermarket matched with coupons and specials. Of course, to do this, you need to stock up on the coupons, as frequently, the coupons in this Sunday's circular will be best used in a few weeks to match up with sales. I haven't tried this yet, but I think that I will sign up after I return from vacation. A summer experiment of sorts.
I also read a lot about the Drugstore Game on various blogs. This is played at CVS or Walgreens, though I admit, I only pay attention to the CVS discussions, as that's what's nearest to me. The theory is that by combining coupons and products with ECBs (Extra Care Bucks - basically coupons for $X off your next purchase, no matter what it is), you can save hundreds of dollars. This oftentimes means buying products you wouldn't normally buy, just to get the ECBs. I see the point - an example would be if I buy this shampoo with this coupon, I spend $2.00, but I get $3.00 in ECBs. So I technically got a dollar for the purchase. It's just hard for me to make that expenditure, especially if it's something I don't normally buy. I'll have to look into it further though, especially since I work within walking distance of a CVS - I could play on my lunch break!
Don't forget coupon codes for online shopping! I've mentioned Ebates here before - it's where I start when I'm shopping online. Not only do you get cash back, but they often have some great coupon codes as well. And of course, before you submit an order, do a quick Google search for StoreName Coupons. Who knows what you might find!
Want more info? Check out these links:
The Zen and Art of Coupon Clipping
Coupon Tips and Tricks That Can Cut Your Grocery Bill By 80% (some great ideas here!)
Well, my student days are thankfully over, but when I moved to Washington, D.C., I didn't bother to subscribe to the Sunday paper. I figured I wouldn't end up reading it, and the environmentalist in me struggled with the idea of having all that extra paper (even though I recycle, of course). It seemed like a cost that I didn't really need.
But I wasn't thinking about the coupons. (I also wasn't thinking about the money I would save by always using the comics to wrap presents.) Given the rising food prices, I think this is an idea I should revisit.
I often struggle with whether or not coupons are really worth it. I've always believed that you should only use a coupon on something you would buy anyway - don't think of it as a "deal" on something new. Unfortunately, it seems like most coupons out there are for new products hitting the shelves. Of course, there's nothing wrong with trying new products, especially if it's a type of food you consume regularly. For example, if you eat a granola bar for lunch every day and the paper has a coupon for a new kind of granola bar, it doesn't hurt to check it out - provided that with the coupon, the new granola bar is cheaper than your old standard.
(This is probably a given, but be sure to watch your base price. How much is in that package? What are you paying per base unit? I'm lucky enough to shop at a store that lists the unit price on the shelf tags so I can determine which item is the best buy, but if you don't, be sure to do the math in your head or carry a calculator. Trust me, it's worth it.)
The other thing is that I'm always trying to eat healthier, and it seems like so often, coupons are for processed foods. I'm not going to find a coupon for apples or other produce. But even though I do try to be healthy, I admit that I'm still stuck on a number of processed foods, and there are coupons on things I use, such as various canned soups and vegetables, and occasionally rice and other grains as well. Besides, I need things like detergent and toothpaste too, and there are often coupons for those products.
You can also print coupons online, though I have sporadic luck with those. Sometimes it's products I use, but most of the time, it's nothing I want. Conveniently, I don't have to print those. The big sites are SmartSource and CoolSavings.
The CouponMom is a highly touted resource for coupon usage. The site has a database of coupons from the Sunday paper (you do still have to buy a paper) to help you figure out what's on sale and when you'll get the best deal combining coupons with a sale.
A number of bloggers have been talking about The Grocery Game. This is a subscription based site ($1 for a 4 week trial, then $5 a month). Every week, you get a list of the lowest priced products at your supermarket matched with coupons and specials. Of course, to do this, you need to stock up on the coupons, as frequently, the coupons in this Sunday's circular will be best used in a few weeks to match up with sales. I haven't tried this yet, but I think that I will sign up after I return from vacation. A summer experiment of sorts.
I also read a lot about the Drugstore Game on various blogs. This is played at CVS or Walgreens, though I admit, I only pay attention to the CVS discussions, as that's what's nearest to me. The theory is that by combining coupons and products with ECBs (Extra Care Bucks - basically coupons for $X off your next purchase, no matter what it is), you can save hundreds of dollars. This oftentimes means buying products you wouldn't normally buy, just to get the ECBs. I see the point - an example would be if I buy this shampoo with this coupon, I spend $2.00, but I get $3.00 in ECBs. So I technically got a dollar for the purchase. It's just hard for me to make that expenditure, especially if it's something I don't normally buy. I'll have to look into it further though, especially since I work within walking distance of a CVS - I could play on my lunch break!
Don't forget coupon codes for online shopping! I've mentioned Ebates here before - it's where I start when I'm shopping online. Not only do you get cash back, but they often have some great coupon codes as well. And of course, before you submit an order, do a quick Google search for StoreName Coupons. Who knows what you might find!
Want more info? Check out these links:
The Zen and Art of Coupon Clipping
Coupon Tips and Tricks That Can Cut Your Grocery Bill By 80% (some great ideas here!)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Farmer's Market - Redux
I was telling a friend last night that I went to the Farmer's Market that morning, and she replied that she did her best to avoid that particular market because everything was so expensive.
I actually did a bit of cost comparison yesterday when I went to the Farmer's Market. Mainly because after I went to the market, I went on a planned trip to Whole Foods to pick up a few odds and ends I can't get anywhere else. I decided to price out some of the items that I had seen at the Farmer's Market as well. I was surprised to see that a lot of the fruits and veggies priced out exactly when looking at cost per pound. A few things were a cent off ($2.49 at Whole Foods, $2.50 at the market). Of course, with taxes, that makes it a few more cents off, but overall the prices were the same. I didn't price everything at my regular grocery store, but I do know that apples were exactly the same price.
So what makes the Farmer's Market worth it? Well, number one, I enjoy the experience. I look forward to walking up to the market on Saturday mornings and seeing what they have to offer. I frequently pick up fruits or veggies I wouldn't normally buy, just to try something different that week. But more importantly, I like supporting local growers. For the most part, I feel like I'm buying better quality products as well. The products are fresh and the people are passionate about what they're selling.
So maybe it's not the most frugal choice. But I'm not really spending any more money than I would be, and I enjoy it. Can't complain. I'm eating an apple I bought yesterday as I type, and it is absolutely delicious.
I actually did a bit of cost comparison yesterday when I went to the Farmer's Market. Mainly because after I went to the market, I went on a planned trip to Whole Foods to pick up a few odds and ends I can't get anywhere else. I decided to price out some of the items that I had seen at the Farmer's Market as well. I was surprised to see that a lot of the fruits and veggies priced out exactly when looking at cost per pound. A few things were a cent off ($2.49 at Whole Foods, $2.50 at the market). Of course, with taxes, that makes it a few more cents off, but overall the prices were the same. I didn't price everything at my regular grocery store, but I do know that apples were exactly the same price.
So what makes the Farmer's Market worth it? Well, number one, I enjoy the experience. I look forward to walking up to the market on Saturday mornings and seeing what they have to offer. I frequently pick up fruits or veggies I wouldn't normally buy, just to try something different that week. But more importantly, I like supporting local growers. For the most part, I feel like I'm buying better quality products as well. The products are fresh and the people are passionate about what they're selling.
So maybe it's not the most frugal choice. But I'm not really spending any more money than I would be, and I enjoy it. Can't complain. I'm eating an apple I bought yesterday as I type, and it is absolutely delicious.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Farmer's Market!
Today, my local Farmer's Market reopened for the season. It was kind of a disappointing showing of vendors, as a number of them don't come until later, when they have more to bring. It is early in the growing season, I suppose.
I picked up some fresh bread, some apples, and some apple butter (I have been waiting for this particular vendor's apple butter for a few months now). I ran to the store afterwards to pick up some odds and ends, and I did some price checking. I really wasn't paying any less than I would pay at the store (save for taxes), but I still felt like I was not only getting better products, but I was doing something good for the community and for the environment. I like supporting local businesses, and I like the fact that my apples weren't trucked all the way across the country and handled by countless people before they made their way onto my plate.
I'm excited to have the market back, and I'm eager to see what other vendors have signed up for the year.
I picked up some fresh bread, some apples, and some apple butter (I have been waiting for this particular vendor's apple butter for a few months now). I ran to the store afterwards to pick up some odds and ends, and I did some price checking. I really wasn't paying any less than I would pay at the store (save for taxes), but I still felt like I was not only getting better products, but I was doing something good for the community and for the environment. I like supporting local businesses, and I like the fact that my apples weren't trucked all the way across the country and handled by countless people before they made their way onto my plate.
I'm excited to have the market back, and I'm eager to see what other vendors have signed up for the year.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Budget Busters
Mrs. Micah recently posted about her budget busters and so I'm tagging myself for this meme. What are my five budget busters?
This comes at a time where my budget has already been busted and exploded for the month. So it is well timed.
1. Not planning ahead
I think this is the biggest problem with my budget. YNAB has helped me plan ahead in a lot of areas, but in other areas, I completely neglect to think about what I might need to spend before I make that month's budget. For example, I have been setting aside money for my car insurance payment for the past two months. I have planned ahead so that the bill won't make a huge dent in my monthly budget. But on the other hand, this month, I only budgeted $50 for dining out. At the beginning of the month, I knew that I had two dinners planned with friends. I live in D.C. The odds of me being able to go out to two nice-ish dinners and spending under $25 each time, including tip, is very small. Very very small. I should have budgeted more in that area.
2. Unrealistic goals
Sometimes, I look at the month, and I think "Oh, I can get by without spending more than $10 this month on household items." Never mind that I typically spend closer to $15-$20 each month in this category (it's a broad category for me). And inevitably, I end up spending more than I planned to.
3. Buying in Bulk
I don't just mean buying from a store like Sam's Club or Costco (I never go to either anymore). I mean that I have a habit of stocking up on things. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. Especially if I'm buying something on sale. One of my personal vices, for example, is that I have a can of Coke Zero every afternoon. It's a sweet, calorie free treat that calms my cravings for a snack and keeps me going. It's a vice I'm not willing to give up. So I go through a 12 pack of Coke Zero in a little less than 2 weeks. Today, I counted that I still had 7 cans left, so I didn't need any, but I decided to check the price anyway when I went to the store. 12 packs were on sale for $2.29 under their normal price. Not a bad deal! So I picked up two. Nevermind that I didn't need them. Yes, it was a good price, and I saved nearly as much as I would spend on a single 12 pack, but in terms of the budget, that was money that shouldn't have been spent. I do this when things aren't on sale as well. I notice that I'm out of frozen broccoli, so when I go to the store, I pick up two bags rather than one. I go through it in spurts, so I might use both bags this month, I might not. Could I have just bought one bag? Yes. (And note that I pass the grocery store on my walk home from the metro, so the idea of an "extra trip" just means a few minutes, no driving needed.)
4. Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul
So I notice that I've blown my restaurant budget for the month. But hey, there's $15 left in my household budget! So I'll just reduce my household budget for the month and then add the $15 to my restaurant budget! Perfect! Until a week later when I realize that I'm out of laundry detergent and really do need to wash clothes sometime this month. Whoops.
5. Groceries
Groceries are a hard category for me. This also falls into my buying in bulk and my failure to plan ahead categories. Food is the hardest area for me to budget. I try to eat healthy and also eat frugally. I will never buy ramen noodles, even though they're cheap. They're not healthy. I spend a good amount of money on fresh fruits and vegetables, and prices on both have increased in recent weeks. I am hoping the return of my local farmer's market will help that. But if my grocery budget is gone for the month and I realize that there are three days left and I don't have the proper makings of a well rounded meal, well, I'm going to hit the store and buy what I need. My health and my diet are more important to me than keeping my budget. I think what I need to do is budget more for groceries every month, what with the rising cost of food. The goal will be to end the month with money leftover in the budget, but that's much better than busting the budget all together.
I'm not going to tag anyone for this meme either, but feel free to post your own budget busters! I'd love to see what others think!
This comes at a time where my budget has already been busted and exploded for the month. So it is well timed.
1. Not planning ahead
I think this is the biggest problem with my budget. YNAB has helped me plan ahead in a lot of areas, but in other areas, I completely neglect to think about what I might need to spend before I make that month's budget. For example, I have been setting aside money for my car insurance payment for the past two months. I have planned ahead so that the bill won't make a huge dent in my monthly budget. But on the other hand, this month, I only budgeted $50 for dining out. At the beginning of the month, I knew that I had two dinners planned with friends. I live in D.C. The odds of me being able to go out to two nice-ish dinners and spending under $25 each time, including tip, is very small. Very very small. I should have budgeted more in that area.
2. Unrealistic goals
Sometimes, I look at the month, and I think "Oh, I can get by without spending more than $10 this month on household items." Never mind that I typically spend closer to $15-$20 each month in this category (it's a broad category for me). And inevitably, I end up spending more than I planned to.
3. Buying in Bulk
I don't just mean buying from a store like Sam's Club or Costco (I never go to either anymore). I mean that I have a habit of stocking up on things. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. Especially if I'm buying something on sale. One of my personal vices, for example, is that I have a can of Coke Zero every afternoon. It's a sweet, calorie free treat that calms my cravings for a snack and keeps me going. It's a vice I'm not willing to give up. So I go through a 12 pack of Coke Zero in a little less than 2 weeks. Today, I counted that I still had 7 cans left, so I didn't need any, but I decided to check the price anyway when I went to the store. 12 packs were on sale for $2.29 under their normal price. Not a bad deal! So I picked up two. Nevermind that I didn't need them. Yes, it was a good price, and I saved nearly as much as I would spend on a single 12 pack, but in terms of the budget, that was money that shouldn't have been spent. I do this when things aren't on sale as well. I notice that I'm out of frozen broccoli, so when I go to the store, I pick up two bags rather than one. I go through it in spurts, so I might use both bags this month, I might not. Could I have just bought one bag? Yes. (And note that I pass the grocery store on my walk home from the metro, so the idea of an "extra trip" just means a few minutes, no driving needed.)
4. Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul
So I notice that I've blown my restaurant budget for the month. But hey, there's $15 left in my household budget! So I'll just reduce my household budget for the month and then add the $15 to my restaurant budget! Perfect! Until a week later when I realize that I'm out of laundry detergent and really do need to wash clothes sometime this month. Whoops.
5. Groceries
Groceries are a hard category for me. This also falls into my buying in bulk and my failure to plan ahead categories. Food is the hardest area for me to budget. I try to eat healthy and also eat frugally. I will never buy ramen noodles, even though they're cheap. They're not healthy. I spend a good amount of money on fresh fruits and vegetables, and prices on both have increased in recent weeks. I am hoping the return of my local farmer's market will help that. But if my grocery budget is gone for the month and I realize that there are three days left and I don't have the proper makings of a well rounded meal, well, I'm going to hit the store and buy what I need. My health and my diet are more important to me than keeping my budget. I think what I need to do is budget more for groceries every month, what with the rising cost of food. The goal will be to end the month with money leftover in the budget, but that's much better than busting the budget all together.
I'm not going to tag anyone for this meme either, but feel free to post your own budget busters! I'd love to see what others think!
Friday, March 28, 2008
No really, you don't need a sign to tell me it's more expensive
I had the day off work today, so I took the opportunity to hit the grocery store while it was nice and quiet and uncrowded.
I knew that prices would likely be a bit higher than I was used to, and I also needed to replenish a few things that I buy infrequently, so I figured my bill would be higher. What I wasn't expecting were all the signs around the grocery store essentially saying "We know prices are higher, but it's not our fault!"
The first one I saw was by the bananas. Apparently, due to bad weather, the banana crop is not as good as usual, and so prices are up, but don't worry, the grocery store is dedicated to finding you the best at the best price.
I didn't see any signs through much of the rest of the store. Potato chips and soda are still priced so that we can buy them and get as fat as possible. Good to know. Then I got to the dairy case. Signs were posted every two feet or so, telling me that due to all sorts of things, milk prices are up. Additionally, egg prices are up, and sorry, no, we don't expect them to go down any time soon.
It's sad that it's the healthy, staple foods that are rising so quickly in price. I suppose one can live without bananas, but milk and eggs are pretty prevalent in a lot of homes, be they consumed alone or in various recipes. I know that I struggle to keep my budget tight, but I could do better, and if I go over my budget, the world will not end. I have the money to cover, I just might not be able to spend it on something else. A lot of people aren't so lucky.
My plan is to continue with my same grocery budget and to just try to make smart choices in what I buy, watch for price drops, and stay away from convenience foods as much as possible. And shop the farmer's market near my house when it opens in April.
I knew that prices would likely be a bit higher than I was used to, and I also needed to replenish a few things that I buy infrequently, so I figured my bill would be higher. What I wasn't expecting were all the signs around the grocery store essentially saying "We know prices are higher, but it's not our fault!"
The first one I saw was by the bananas. Apparently, due to bad weather, the banana crop is not as good as usual, and so prices are up, but don't worry, the grocery store is dedicated to finding you the best at the best price.
I didn't see any signs through much of the rest of the store. Potato chips and soda are still priced so that we can buy them and get as fat as possible. Good to know. Then I got to the dairy case. Signs were posted every two feet or so, telling me that due to all sorts of things, milk prices are up. Additionally, egg prices are up, and sorry, no, we don't expect them to go down any time soon.
It's sad that it's the healthy, staple foods that are rising so quickly in price. I suppose one can live without bananas, but milk and eggs are pretty prevalent in a lot of homes, be they consumed alone or in various recipes. I know that I struggle to keep my budget tight, but I could do better, and if I go over my budget, the world will not end. I have the money to cover, I just might not be able to spend it on something else. A lot of people aren't so lucky.
My plan is to continue with my same grocery budget and to just try to make smart choices in what I buy, watch for price drops, and stay away from convenience foods as much as possible. And shop the farmer's market near my house when it opens in April.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Groceries and Self-Imposed Rules
I think I might make it through the month sticking to my very strict grocery budget. And that includes spending grocery budget money on a bottle of wine for a party I was invited to! I'm pretty impressed with myself, actually. For months, I struggled to keep my grocery budget under $200, and when 2008 hit, I just said that I wasn't going to try to keep the spending under $200. I was going to keep the spending under $200. Made it last month, and I should make it this month. I've got about $25 left for the month, and technically, I think I could make it through the month without spending any more on groceries. I will want to buy more fresh fruit and veggies.
I've been very good about taking a list to the store, and only buying what's on the list. I stray from the list only if something that I use regularly is on sale, so I stock up a bit. I have also started carrying a calculator with me to the store, so that I have a good idea about how much I'm spending and how that's affecting my budget. It really makes you re-think picking up that $2.50 bag of whatever. And on the other hand, it makes me realize that yes, I can "splurge" and buy that extra bag of Craisins to mix with my oatmeal. It lets me be both frugal and reasonable with my spending.
One thing I do struggle with is all the "rules" that I'm trying to follow while grocery shopping. As has been well documented, eating healthy isn't always cheap. At this time of year in the D.C. area, produce is ridiculously expensive. I can't wait until the Farmer's Market in my area returns (yes, there are other Farmer's Markets in the area, but given the time and cost to get there, it's not really worth it to me to make the trip). I still continue to eat healthy and just let my finances suffer the consequences. And then, there's the idea of staying environmentally friendly. I like to buy organic. I like to buy things with reduced packaging. I even bring my own bags for produce.
All combined, those are a lot of rules to keep for myself, and sometimes it's hard to not go crazy and just buy an expensive, unhealthy, overpackaged, processed frozen meal.
Ok, it's not that hard, because that sort of thing no longer sounds appetizing. But it can be hard to buy healthy, organic, environmentally friendly food that is still budget-friendly. I just remind myself that it's all worth it.
I've been very good about taking a list to the store, and only buying what's on the list. I stray from the list only if something that I use regularly is on sale, so I stock up a bit. I have also started carrying a calculator with me to the store, so that I have a good idea about how much I'm spending and how that's affecting my budget. It really makes you re-think picking up that $2.50 bag of whatever. And on the other hand, it makes me realize that yes, I can "splurge" and buy that extra bag of Craisins to mix with my oatmeal. It lets me be both frugal and reasonable with my spending.
One thing I do struggle with is all the "rules" that I'm trying to follow while grocery shopping. As has been well documented, eating healthy isn't always cheap. At this time of year in the D.C. area, produce is ridiculously expensive. I can't wait until the Farmer's Market in my area returns (yes, there are other Farmer's Markets in the area, but given the time and cost to get there, it's not really worth it to me to make the trip). I still continue to eat healthy and just let my finances suffer the consequences. And then, there's the idea of staying environmentally friendly. I like to buy organic. I like to buy things with reduced packaging. I even bring my own bags for produce.
All combined, those are a lot of rules to keep for myself, and sometimes it's hard to not go crazy and just buy an expensive, unhealthy, overpackaged, processed frozen meal.
Ok, it's not that hard, because that sort of thing no longer sounds appetizing. But it can be hard to buy healthy, organic, environmentally friendly food that is still budget-friendly. I just remind myself that it's all worth it.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Websites that increase your productivity
There are so many great websites out there that can help you save time and money. I have a number of favorites, including del.icio.us for bookmarks and Google Reader for following feeds, and of course, Blogger for creating this website, but below are some of my more recent finds.
Posted this morning on Wise Bread, I just started using Sandy, a site that bills itself as your free personal e-mail assistant. I'm always looking for a new way to manage my to-do list, and this seems like a great option. I recommend checking the site out for yourself, but the basics are that you send the site an e-mail, and it manages that information for you. It tracks lists and bookmarks, stores information such as addresses and phone numbers, and saves reminders and to-do lists. You can get daily e-mails as well as reminders before an event. For example, I want to remember to update Microsoft Money when I get home tonight, so I asked Sandy to remind me to update MS Money at 8:00. And I will get an e-mail around 7:45 reminding me to perform the update. This seems like an exceptionally useful tool for someone who has regular e-mail access but does not want to surf the web at work or is dealing with blocked websites. You just send an e-mail to Sandy, and the site takes care of the rest. It's a great way to track a grocery list to make sure you don't forget things or buy too much, and it also might be a good way to track when you have to pay your bills.
I recently discovered Netvibes. Netvibes is like an RSS feeder with major bonuses. You can create your own Netvibes page with multiple tabs. On these tabs, you can track your RSS feeds just like any other feed reader, but there are a number of other modules available. For example, my Netvibes start page currently shows me the weather, my Twitter account, Gmail, two del.icio.us accounts, a Facebook feed, and a MSNBC graphic feed tracking the primary elections. I have other tabs for various RSS feeds, broken down by categories, such as "finance" and "entertainment." It's a great way to keep everything in one place without having to check multiple websites.
Trent over at The Simple Dollar (thanks Carrie!) linked to SuperCook earlier this week. SuperCook is a recipe search engine, but the great thing is that you can search based on what you have in your kitchen. I am doing my best to limit my grocery spending, so this is a great website for me. You enter what you have and SuperCook provides recipes based on the food in your house and also suggests things you can make if you just go buy one or two additional things. I used it the other night and made some breaded chicken breasts that were absolutely delicious and easy as well!
This is just a brief list. What are some of your fave sites?
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Finances and Food
I live alone, and when I get home from work, the last thing I want to do is take the time to cook a meal for myself, especially knowing that I'll have to clean up from all of the cooking. I solve this in one of three ways:
One of my sticking points lately has been that I'm trying to reduce my food costs, and when I'm planning to make a big meal, I always feel like I spend so much money. I'm still stocking my kitchen after moving a few months ago, so I always have to buy so many food items that a number of people have already stocked in their pantries.
So today, I decided to experiment. I wanted to make a chicken and veggie stew that I love, and I knew that I didn't have any of the ingredients at all. So off to the store I went. I spent approximately $25 on ingredients. The stew makes 5 generous servings (and healthy too - it's a Weight Watchers recipe). So that's $5 per meal. $5? I can get a Lean Cuisine for cheaper than that, especially when they're on sale for 4 for $10.
But wait. I didn't actually use everything I bought. I bought pre-packaged chicken breasts and maybe used a third of the package. I had to buy spices (I still can't find a good local place to buy them in bulk) and I've got a lot of those left. I used two tablespoons of the container of corn meal. Tons of that left. And I've got garlic left too. So doing some rough estimating, I probably paid less than $2.50 per meal. Just less than what I pay for a Lean Cuisine, and only then if I manage to buy it on sale. And it's a recipe that I absolutely love. Plus, if I want to make the recipe again, because I do have so many of the ingredients left over, I would have to spend around $4.
Clearly, the end result of this experiment is that it is absolutely worth it to cook more often. It's cheaper, it's healthier, and I have to admit, I have some pretty delicious recipes that freeze incredibly well. And if I can't bring myself to cook during the week, I'll just have to set aside time on the weekends or my days off. I'm tempted to cook something else tomorrow so that I have both lunches AND dinners for the week!
- Eat a quick fix meal, such as pasta, a sandwich, or when I'm really lazy, a bowl of cereal
- Eat a frozen meal, such as a Lean Cuisine
- Cook on the weekends and then freeze and reheat the leftovers.
One of my sticking points lately has been that I'm trying to reduce my food costs, and when I'm planning to make a big meal, I always feel like I spend so much money. I'm still stocking my kitchen after moving a few months ago, so I always have to buy so many food items that a number of people have already stocked in their pantries.
So today, I decided to experiment. I wanted to make a chicken and veggie stew that I love, and I knew that I didn't have any of the ingredients at all. So off to the store I went. I spent approximately $25 on ingredients. The stew makes 5 generous servings (and healthy too - it's a Weight Watchers recipe). So that's $5 per meal. $5? I can get a Lean Cuisine for cheaper than that, especially when they're on sale for 4 for $10.
But wait. I didn't actually use everything I bought. I bought pre-packaged chicken breasts and maybe used a third of the package. I had to buy spices (I still can't find a good local place to buy them in bulk) and I've got a lot of those left. I used two tablespoons of the container of corn meal. Tons of that left. And I've got garlic left too. So doing some rough estimating, I probably paid less than $2.50 per meal. Just less than what I pay for a Lean Cuisine, and only then if I manage to buy it on sale. And it's a recipe that I absolutely love. Plus, if I want to make the recipe again, because I do have so many of the ingredients left over, I would have to spend around $4.
Clearly, the end result of this experiment is that it is absolutely worth it to cook more often. It's cheaper, it's healthier, and I have to admit, I have some pretty delicious recipes that freeze incredibly well. And if I can't bring myself to cook during the week, I'll just have to set aside time on the weekends or my days off. I'm tempted to cook something else tomorrow so that I have both lunches AND dinners for the week!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
