In February I focused on eating out of the freezer and pantry. You’d think this would mean my total grocery bill would be lower than usual! Unfortunately, my kids all decided to start eating crazy amounts of food!!
In February, we averaged about 5 or 6 loaves of bread per week, 2 lbs of carrots a week and about 10 lbs of fruit PER WEEK!!
So what was my monthly total??
Total Spent on Food: $381.90
Eating Out: $34.83
Costco: $64.71
Regular Groceries: $282.37 or $70.59/ week on average
Changes for Next Month:
I would much rather stay closer to $65 per month on groceries, $40 for eating out and $50 at Costco for a total of $350. I was only over by about $30 this month which I was able to cover with extra money from my “kid” category.
$30 isn’t a big deal BUT the freezer and pantry stash will be running out soon. If my kids continue eating fruit like that have been, my food bill will be WAY over budget. I love that they are choosing fruits and veggies over other snacks, and I don’t want to discourage that. I do need to make a few changes though!
- Less chips, more homemade popcorn. This should save me a few dollars per week, and it’ll be healthier.
- Less store-bought sweets and more homemade. My hubby likes to take a sweet for lunch with him every day. I usually buy oatmeal pies, granola bars etc. In March I’m going to try making more homemade cookies and see how it helps the budget.
- Examine my pre-made foods. I really try to make most things from scratch. This month I’m going to pay close attention to what else I can be making. I already know I should stop buying pre-made baking mixes!
- What about soda? Yes, I know we shouldn’t spend money on canned soda. However, my hubby likes to have one with his lunch. Since he faithfully packs his lunch instead of buying AND always goes along with my crazy money-saving ideas (like when I made him dress up like a turkey to get into a baseball game free), I’m going to let him have his 20 cent soda each day.
