A short blog about not over-spending... As today is Saturday....(grocery day)....I'll write about food shopping.
As usual we have our handy dandy shopping list of all the groceries we'll need to get through the week with us. DO NOT IMPULSE BUY....MAKE A LIST AND STICK TO IT. The first stop is the bank to withdraw some cash. Note I say withdraw cash. Using a debit card or credit card is too easy and by using cash it prevents us from over-spending on items we don't really need.
Before heading to the bank we always do a rough calculation of what the week's grocery bill will be. As there's only the two of us, I usually withdraw under $75, depending on what's on the week's list. Except for holiday dinners we never spend more than $75 a week on groceries. We read the flyers carefully to see what's on sale this week and only buy if it's something we would enjoy having. Sometimes if it's a really good sale we'll stock up on wanted items. Just because it's a bargain, doesn't mean you should buy it.
We use cash for most shopping. It's one method of not being tempted to purchase discretionary items. Here's an example of how stocking up and wise buying can help. This week our total grocery bill was $36.61.
Your read correctly.. $36.61. Our fridge and cupboards are never short of anything and our weekly grocery bill is generally under $55.00.
We always buy the best cuts of meat, chicken etc....but cut our intake in half. Example: One steak or large chicken breast cut in half is enough for two. We supplement with more fresh or frozen vegetables. It's much healthier.....and much less expensive and we never go without.
Meal preparation and presentation is half the battle. My wife and I love to cook....so every meal is a gourmet delight. At our house dinner is an event every evening. Dessert is ok...just cut your normal portion in half.
We find this method also avoids food being wasted.
Here's another tip..... Resist the temptation and stay away from fast food restaurants.
Good luck. Thanks. David
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