My Budget Experiment

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