My husband has complained for a long time that I spend too much money on groceries. How can someone spend too much money on food? UGH! That would infuriate me! I mean, it's food. You have to eat. And in order to live you have to eat well...right?
True! However...after finishing my budgeting spreadsheet from the month of January...it wasn't pretty. I figured out where all of my "extra" money kept going. Turns out I make one to many extra trips to the store.
And I mean...6 too many. I WAY over spent this month. I totally thought I had this nice simple budget shopping at the discount places, sticking to things ONLY on my list. But then, inevitably, I'd run out of something I wasn't planning on. (I need to get better about checking my cabinets.) Or I'd need "snacks" but end up eating all the snacks in 3 days. (I also need to plan snacks better whether I'm purchasing them OR I'm making them...I need to make them count.)
Oh vey! Turns out the hubs was right after all. I am spending WAY much more than I thought. Albeit, I eat healthier, AND food prices have gone up...but seriously...way to much money went out this last month on snack runs.
Almost to say where your money is spent that's what you love most...well, I do like to eat. I like to eat well....but I also need to eat on more of a budget. No more quick trips. With trying to decide to attempt the Whole30 Diet...I'm going to need a hard core plan of attack if I am going to succeed. I might need to wait to start until later into next week. While I could start tomorrow I have a protein bar planned for after my run already, and I don't know that it's Whole30 friendly...It is mostly Paleo friendly. Everything in it except the pea protein is paleo friendly.
I'm going to try to do more research. One of the bigger factors for attempting this Whole30 business is because I really want to control how much sugar I intake. Plus I've noticed how much salt and fat I also consume as well...I swear...depending on what article you read...at least 4 of the 6 things you put into your mouth, are "bad" for you.
I have goals in mind. I think the biggest thing I need to remember is what's best for me and what WORKS best for me. I know the cleanest possible diet is working. So I am going to continue to stick to it.
Alright...enough complaining. Here's the game plan. More research on how to shop more frugally for the Paleo diet & make a shopping list for two weeks worth of food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 snacks, per day.
To help with that...a fellow reader and blogger over at The Adventures of Avery and Brandon suggested using (who coincidentally just wrote a post on checking your bank account & how to budget) Plan to Eat which helps you create meal plans, creates a digital shopping list for you and then prints it all out. If I remember correctly it will even budget it for you...I am signed up. I hope to use it this week, when I make my first Sam's club run for this adventure. Check out the Paleo Mama for her list of about how much she spent at Sam's and what she bought. Her $176 haul would definitely last 2 weeks in my house. Which has me pumped! I plan to make a Sam's run tomorrow, just to check to see what they have and to start budgeting for my trip later this week.
Boy am I glad I finally sat down & figured out where all my money is going...kind of irritating at the same time though...thought I was doing good.
Anyway, I'll stop complaining and get started planning.
Blessings everyone,
A
P.s. if you read yesterday's post, I am asking for prayers for a family member on their current journey with cancer. Can't give any details, not really sure if they would want me too...but please be thinking of them.
Thank you.
True! However...after finishing my budgeting spreadsheet from the month of January...it wasn't pretty. I figured out where all of my "extra" money kept going. Turns out I make one to many extra trips to the store.
And I mean...6 too many. I WAY over spent this month. I totally thought I had this nice simple budget shopping at the discount places, sticking to things ONLY on my list. But then, inevitably, I'd run out of something I wasn't planning on. (I need to get better about checking my cabinets.) Or I'd need "snacks" but end up eating all the snacks in 3 days. (I also need to plan snacks better whether I'm purchasing them OR I'm making them...I need to make them count.)
Oh vey! Turns out the hubs was right after all. I am spending WAY much more than I thought. Albeit, I eat healthier, AND food prices have gone up...but seriously...way to much money went out this last month on snack runs.
Almost to say where your money is spent that's what you love most...well, I do like to eat. I like to eat well....but I also need to eat on more of a budget. No more quick trips. With trying to decide to attempt the Whole30 Diet...I'm going to need a hard core plan of attack if I am going to succeed. I might need to wait to start until later into next week. While I could start tomorrow I have a protein bar planned for after my run already, and I don't know that it's Whole30 friendly...It is mostly Paleo friendly. Everything in it except the pea protein is paleo friendly.
I'm going to try to do more research. One of the bigger factors for attempting this Whole30 business is because I really want to control how much sugar I intake. Plus I've noticed how much salt and fat I also consume as well...I swear...depending on what article you read...at least 4 of the 6 things you put into your mouth, are "bad" for you.
I have goals in mind. I think the biggest thing I need to remember is what's best for me and what WORKS best for me. I know the cleanest possible diet is working. So I am going to continue to stick to it.
Alright...enough complaining. Here's the game plan. More research on how to shop more frugally for the Paleo diet & make a shopping list for two weeks worth of food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 snacks, per day.
To help with that...a fellow reader and blogger over at The Adventures of Avery and Brandon suggested using (who coincidentally just wrote a post on checking your bank account & how to budget) Plan to Eat which helps you create meal plans, creates a digital shopping list for you and then prints it all out. If I remember correctly it will even budget it for you...I am signed up. I hope to use it this week, when I make my first Sam's club run for this adventure. Check out the Paleo Mama for her list of about how much she spent at Sam's and what she bought. Her $176 haul would definitely last 2 weeks in my house. Which has me pumped! I plan to make a Sam's run tomorrow, just to check to see what they have and to start budgeting for my trip later this week.
Boy am I glad I finally sat down & figured out where all my money is going...kind of irritating at the same time though...thought I was doing good.
Anyway, I'll stop complaining and get started planning.
Blessings everyone,
A
P.s. if you read yesterday's post, I am asking for prayers for a family member on their current journey with cancer. Can't give any details, not really sure if they would want me too...but please be thinking of them.
Thank you.
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