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Lobotomy may be the answer

June 26th, 2008 at 10:26 am

I know there are certain areas of my "budget" that can be improved upon but besides having a lobotomy I am not sure how I am ever going to change.

I just looked over some numbers from both April and May of this year. While some areas I did great in others didn't fare so well. Categories like my car and utilities don't change too much from month to month unless we are in the dead of winter.

Take for instance the amount of money I spend on food. Crazy! I'll admit that I don't do a menu plan every week and that maybe contributing to my dilema. More than that I think I just like to eat Smile

Food totals for April- 519.63. We are a family of 4 people, not 40! Does this seem like a lot? I know we had company during the month and it was DD birthday. Out of that 519, 467.42 was spent at the grocery store and 52.21 was spent on things like coffee and donuts and lunch when I didn't bring something with me to work.

Food totals for May-much better coming in at 243.91. 191.22 spent at the grocery store, 33.20 on coffee and donuts, 19.49 taking the fam out to McDonalds.

I have to put an end to this craziness! I am toying with the idea of using envelopes for food money. When I get paid tomorrow I am going to take $150 out in cash. $20 will be left in my desk drawer at work for 2 weeks and $130 will be my grocery money. When the envelope is empty that's it. Now this is where the lobotomy may come in handy. How I keep myself to this routine and not use my debit card for additional purchases is beyond me. I think I may leave the card at home so I am not tempted.

There are a few more categories that I have to discuss with myself but that will have to wait. I have to go eat my lunch Smile

Posted in Budget | 8 Comments »

8 Responses to “Lobotomy may be the answer”

  1. too ashamed to post my blog ID Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 10:29 am

    I would not beat myself up for the food expenditures. My allotment is more than that and I have fewer people in my household. If anything, you can lift your head a little higher knowing you have your food spending under better control than me.

  2. sagegirl Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 10:34 am

    We have a family of 4 and I feel like I have done well if I keep it under $400 ( my budget is $400 for food but does not included meals out or lunches out) I have a separate category for meals out to the tune of $100 per month. I need to work on both of these areas--I am right there with you!

  3. sillyoleme Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 10:47 am

    I don't think the food budget is too out of whack. Our household is just BF & I... and we spend quite a bit. Our weakness has been eating out (fast food places at that), but we're gradually getting better. It looks like you have cut back recently, so you must be on to something!

  4. compulsive debtor Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 10:50 am

    I have to agree that the food budget isn't out of whack. I budget $600 a month for groceries alone for our family of three humans and two dogs.

  5. JanH Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 11:32 am

    Your totals look great to me! Especially for four people. And, we always have a big jump with company or a special occasions. You had a big drop in May so you are already doing things differently.

  6. princessperky Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 01:24 pm

    So what are you planning on buying differently?

    I honestly don't see your food budget as too terrible. but I understand if something needs to change food can be adjusted.

    But cutting the food bill by limiting yourself to X amount without a plan, is like cutting calories without planning how..you are liable to eat your fill of calories by lunch time and starve the rest of the day.

  7. HouseHopeful Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 02:56 pm

    The food budget isn't too out there, but I'm sure you could probably cut it down a bit with some planning. I find that I get way off my food budget when I don't plan my meals. I don't need to know that Monday I'm having sloppy joe and only sloppy joe, but that sometime this week I'm having sloppy joe, and other days I'm having spaghetti, meatloaf and tacos. (Just an example)

  8. klbb90 Says:
    June 26th, 2008 at 06:59 pm

    I made a list of meals the family likes, usually 15-20 meals then compared that to what was on sale in the grocery flyers and frozen in the freezer and bought accordingly. That way a weekly food menu was fast and easy. HouseHopeful sounds like my family when hamburger was on sale or plenty was in the freezer. Don't beat yourself up, just get back into the habit.

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