Every month I tend to spend waaaayyy over on my food budget. I never realize it until the end of the month. How can I stay on budget better? should I try the envelope system like Dave Ramsey recommends?
Every month I tend to spend waaaayyy over on my food budget. I never realize it until the end of the month. How can I stay on budget better? should I try the envelope system like Dave Ramsey recommends?
I cut coupons, buy sales and make freezer meals (cheese lasagna, and meatloaf freeze great, also crock pot meals I did this when I was pregnant so I didn’t have to cook when we had a newborn) ahead of time so if I’m over budget one month I know I have dinners ready.
An important thing to remember when budgeting for food is this year the cost of groceries has skyrocketed from 2020 and even early 2021. *Make sure you set an attainable budget* in other words, be realistic with your goal.
My husband and I started eating less meat, maybe only 2x per week that cut cost, also only make coffee at home if you can (Starbucks adds up trust me) and skip take out, or eating out as much as possible.
I’m a stay at home mom and this is kind of my job, I’ve got our food down to $70 per week.
Edit: I also have a food spreadsheet template, you can Google that and print off or download a free one. I shop with a list *and stick to the list*
Meal prepping helps too.
Double edit: eggs are a great source of protein, usually if you can find someone local with chickens they’re happy to give you eggs for cheap ($4 every week gets me 18) I make quiche 2x per week or boil them for salads. Ok I’ll stop now 😂
Make a list and stick to it. Go through everything on your list and see if you absolutely need everything on it or if you can go without certain items or try buying store brands. Check the sales papers of local stores and try buying items you need when they are on sale if possible.
Are you being realistic with your food budget? If not, increase it and cut from somewhere else.
People always underestimate what they spend on food. Our first month budgeting, we were 50% over on our food budget. We decreased our spending, but we also brought the budget up to a realistic amount.
Shop with a list and stick to it, and make a budget, but also plug everything into your budget at least once a week so you can’t adjust your spending. If uou wait until the end of the month, you can’t adjust.
Is this only grocery shopping? Or is this food/lunches/eating out too? There would be different approaches to how you’d try to wrangle in each of those issues.
How much are we talking here? Are you budgeting for $200 and spending $300, or are you budgeting for $400 and spending $1,000? Are you eating out? If you save your grocery receipts for a week or two, is there anything that stands out that you’re spending a lot of money on?
How are you currently tracking your budgets? Are you actually evaluating each category as the month goes on?
One thing that has really helped me stay in control of my grocery budget is to order them online. I’m in Michigan and most stores offer the service for free. I specifically shop at Meijer, but ordering online keeps me from impulse shopping and I can keep better track of what I am buying. I try to Meal plan around the ad but with the increase cost of meat, I buy that at Sam’s Club every other week. I do not buy anything else but meat at Sam’s. I am a family of 4 (two 20 something boys) and I keep my groceries down to $800 month. We eat out once a week at a local restaurant but we are all currently working from home so this includes everything.
You may find these links helpful:
– [Budgeting](/r/personalfinance/wiki/budgeting)
– [Tools and spreadsheets](/r/personalfinance/wiki/tools)
– /r/mintuit and /r/ynab
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>How can I stay on budget better? should I try the envelope system like Dave Ramsey recommends?
I say to do what you must to control your spending. If envelopes work and help, then do it.
You can check your food budget more often, say once a week instead of once a month. That will give you time to adjust, whether by eating out less or by buying cheaper staples.
Where do you shop? What kind of food are you buying? Steak and caviar, or chicken breast and rice?
If you go over budget and shop at Whole Foods, look at cheaper stores like Aldi.
If you go over budget shopping at Aldi, you’re buying a ton of food, because I’m always shocked at how much food I can get at Aldi for $40-50.
I separate dining out and groceries because in my mind dining out is a luxury while groceries are a necessity. So if I go over in groceries i don’t beat myself up. To not go over though, I order my groceries on the app and pick them up I add to my cart based off recipes I’ll be cooking that week that way I am only buying things I need for that week. I know if I shop in the store I will subconsciously add things I don’t really need, like junk food and my bill would be much higher.
Yes, envelope budgeting really can help. I use YNAB, but there are others. The trick is to check your budget every single gle time before you head to the store.
Lots of good advice on here. The single most helpful thing I’ve done is making a menu for the whole week then add the items you need to a grocery list. When you go shopping buy store brands and stick to the list.
It’s rough to start, but once you get in a routine it helps so much.