Let's talk money. The U.S. national average spent on food per week is $151 according to a Gallup poll in August 2012. Households without children spent $143/week and young adults (18-29) spent the most at $173 per week.
That amount is almost as much as my ENTIRE food budget for
the month! Jake and I’s goal is to only spend $200/month, that’s 1/3 of the
national average. I don’t think this is because we are ‘poor’ or so destitute
that we cannot feed ourselves. I think the difference lies in spending money with intention. There is almost every type of food imaginable within a five-block radius
in most large cities and that allows us to buy on impulse and craving. I don’t
think 18-29 year olds want to spend that much money on food, they would
probably much rather put that money towards the latest ipad. However, how hard
is it to say no to your daily indulgence of Starbucks and eating out for lunch?
It’s difficult. BUT, if you can prioritize your budget, possibly saving money
towards going on vacation instead of on treats from 7 Eleven, it is worth it.
So set a goal; set your intention. It can be a large goal to cut spending in
half or it can be modest like saving 5-10%. I honestly think in terms of ‘go
big or go home.’ Set a goal that is a little frightening. If you fail, so what.
I guarantee that you will achieve much more than on any modest goal you would
have set. This also depends on your spending habits to begin with. If you are
by nature reserved in the spending department, it will be a lot more difficult
for you to see a huge percent in savings. However, you do have something going
for you – it won’t be such a shock to cut down on a few things and that means
you will stick it out possibly saving more in the long run.
My husband and I plan on keeping within our budget in a couple of ways:
stocking our pantry with staple food items, experimenting with tried and true
family recipes while also expanding options with food from other cultures and
making as much food from scratch as possible (this is also friendly to the
environment by cutting down on all of the packaging waste).
My plan is to record my receipts
from the grocery store and then, at each month's end, break down the cost per recipe and cost per
serving. I will give you guys information on how much you will be saving from
making the meal at home vs. buying it ready-made from the store. I am only
cooking for two but most of the food I make serves 4-6. In our house, we do
leftovers! Anyway, this will help you plan accordingly with adapting the meal
plans to fit your family. At the end of the month I will do a grocery audit to
see if we stayed within budget. Let's get started!
With Love,
Jess
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