- Maybe my $75 goal for over two weeks was a little too unrealistic.
- Maybe I am buying too many snack items as well, although I know we will use them, especially the days the boys have to pack their lunch for activities.
- Maybe instead of getting snack pack items, that are individual in size, I should have gotten normal sizes and used containers (like for Pringles and canned fruit). I'm paying for the convenience of the packaging.
- Maybe I should get more of a balance between the whole foods I used to buy, and the packaged products I am purchasing now.
- Maybe I should just stay out of grocery stores for awhile....
It makes me wonder how I would do if I ever lived during the Great Depression. I guess I wouldn't even have the money to spend.... Which is why Crystal over at Money Saving Mom, only brings cash with her to the grocery store...so she isn't tempted to overspend on her budget. Hmmm... good idea.
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Hmmmm, do you ever bake from scratch? A homemade brownie would be a lot cheaper (and yummier!) than a bag of chips...even if you use a mix for the brownies! (A mix you bought on sale--with a coupon--of course!)
Buying the big bag instead of individual ones works if the kids will bring back re-usable containers or you can get baggies really, really cheap.
Don't worry--if you had lived during the depression, you would have found a way--even if it meant growing turnips in your kitchen window, LOL!
BTW...$75 for two weeks? Total? Or are you talking $150? Less than $40 a week does not seem realistic when you have children. But you could use this experience to tweak it a bit for next time. I think it's impressive that you even gave this a try--and you didn't seem to do too badly, either!
Thanks for that encouragement! Actually, it was $75 for the last two weeks, but only because I had spent so much in the beginning of the month, I really didn't need a lot. I was really trying to stretch it. I'm shooting for a normal budget (in February) of $100/week. And yep, those were the sames lines I was thinking on.... baggies instead of prepackaged containers. :-)
Here's my 2 cents worth.... I think when you start using coupons and you've never used them before, you go crazy buying everything that's a great deal. It's almost like an addiction to see how many great buys you can get. That being said, I also think when you first start shopping like this your overall mentality changes. Instead of buying month to month you adopt a long term perspective. You will spend more in the first months because you're shopping for the future. I think it will balance out over time. For instance; since you bought so many cleaning products now, you won't have to buy any in the coming months which will free up money for other things. So... you spend more in the beginning and hopefully it will work itself out.
Lisa- I agree with that statement, my perspective changes to long term.... good point.
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