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Budget Ideas

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RedVines

Sun, Feb 13 2005, 8:45 pm

Anyone have good ideas on how to make a grocery budget, or how to stick to one....

Pearl

Mon, Feb 14 2005, 6:53 am

maybe you should have a look at the Money saving ideas thread.

if you live in the states, I can't help as I live in europe, and I am sure the best ideas come from fellow country women!

Yael ↓

Mon, Feb 14 2005, 8:54 pm

someone once told this to me: (not that I do it, but I thought it was a great idea)
lets say you allow $70 a week for shopping, take 70 cash and no more and go do your shopping. if you run over you have to put something back. no credit cards or debit cards allowed!
learn to compare prices. get generic brand stuff. I stand in front of a product for 5 min calculating in my head which is cheaper. you have to figure out how much is it per oz, or gram to decide. not just which bottle is cheaper.
actually last week I put ketchup on the list to buy, but when I went to the store I discovered that the ketchup was more expensive than walmart so I didnt get it, then I went to costco and again it was more expensive b/c in walmart I'd get the store brand and in costco they only have the brand name. so I still need ketchup, I need to make a trip to walmart this week, cuz I'm running really low!

Tovah

Mon, Feb 14 2005, 9:04 pm

I actually do that when I go to costco, b/c you can spend bw 100-300 dollars really easily. so I go with a price range and calculate how much e/t is and decide what I need and what I don't really need.

Sunshine

Mon, Feb 14 2005, 9:20 pm

Yael the $ you spend on gas running back and forth, to get the cheeper ketchup, makes it more expensive!

↑ Yael

Mon, Feb 14 2005, 10:13 pm

not if I have to go to these places anyway!!

Chanie

Wed, Feb 16 2005, 10:17 am

Sunshine wrote:

Yael the $ you spend on gas running back and forth, to get the cheeper ketchup, makes it more expensive!

When I first got married my DH used to run to the store with the product on special.... I told him exactly that, that after gas costs it's more expensive... He was used to doing it that way cuz that is how his mother shops. Now I limit my weekly shopping to a few local stores.

zuncompany

Wed, Feb 16 2005, 10:40 am

I heard this is a great place to help save money!
https://www.thegrocerygame.com/
sara

Sharon73

Mon, Feb 21 2005, 8:36 pm

I live in Mexico, but I suppose this can apply to the States as well. When I'm on a tight budget I avoid going to the supermarket and instead order the groceries by phone (I'm assuming you also have this service in the US). I've noticed that when I overspend it's by buying items I happened to run across during my grocery shopping that weren't in my original list. By ordering exactly what you need by phone or the Internet you avoid these impulse buys.
My two cents

Sharon

eliana

Sun, Apr 10 2005, 5:23 am

The meal planning is a great saving for me - I plan meals a week ahead, and approx calculate the cost of ingredients. In order not to overrun the weekly grocery budget I choose cheaper meals for weekdays and more expesive for Shabbos. That saves money and adds festivity to the Shabbos meal. Then I make the ingredients list and do the general shopping once a week. The ingredients that must be bought fresh I take on my way home on the weekday.
I found one more good thing. I try to buy grocery goods that are at special price. Even if do not need it this week - I buy it for the next week and save money during my next week shopping.

curlyhead

Sun, Apr 10 2005, 6:14 am

I read this in a book once and treid it for a while. Put aside in different envelopes for various expenses such as groceries, bills, clothes, ma'aser etc. When ever you get a pay check cash it divide it according to the envelopes. Then you could only spend whatever you have in the envelope. You could borrow from another catagory but you have to pay it back.

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