A little bit of background:
If you know me personally, you're probably well aware that i'm money-conscious, pretty frugal and obsessively check my credit score for updates. Believe it or not, I didn't really grow up with a whole lot of financial guidance, but instead learned this behavior on my own. But I wasn't always this way. In fact, from ages 18-21, I wasn't a fan of saving and I spent the majority of my "big girl" paycheck on designer bags, expensive nights out and travel. Often, I even put big purchases on my credit card and spent more than I was financially (and emotionally) prepared for. When I moved out on my own, I had to make changes, which meant setting a budget, actually writing down where my money was going and most importantly saving everything that I could (A.K.A. not blowing all of my money).
I finally established a budget that worked for my lifestyle and savings goals: I would give myself $150 per week for all meals (weekday and weekend), gas, fun, monthly subscriptions, etc. At the time, I thought this was pretty aggressive, and hardly believed this would be enough to actually enjoy my life. I was spending anywhere from $15-$20 per work day on breakfast and lunch, and at least $60 every weekend. On the low end, I was spending $540 just on food and fun, which only left me about $60 for gas, recurring payments, and unexpected expenses.
What I didn't realize is that I could cut my monthly expenses by about $200, and put that toward travel or even put some extra money right into long-term savings. Instead of eating out at lunch every weekday, I could grocery shop for the week, and it would cost me about $35 if I got items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This breaks down to about $7 per day for all three meals. If you had brought me this idea a month ago, I would 100% tell you I couldn't make it work. I valued treating myself to lunch every single day way too much to make this work.
So, how are you only spending $35 per week on groceries?
Simple- I go for buy-one-get-one and 2 for $3 deals every single time to stay within budget. One thing I will mention is that i'm not exactly a cooker, so a lot of this doesn't include meat, fresh veggies, etc. This works most effectively for those who work a 9-5 and are typically on-the-go the majority of the time. However, anyone can make this work!
Here's what I bought last week for $32:
(5) Chobani Flip yogurts
(4) Lean Cuisines
1 lb. of green grapes
(1) box of strawberries
A 5 pack of Babybel cheese snacks
(1) pack of Thomas english muffins
1 lb. of turkey breast
(1) container of Publix brand cream cheese
(It's Friday, and I actually still have a ton of this stuff left)
After reviewing week #2, I have spent $24 less than projected. Yes, I have only spent $176 so far this month, which includes weekend fun, food, gas and other expenses.
Utilizing this method has allowed me to save about 30% of my income and put it directly into several different sources.
If you know me personally, you're probably well aware that i'm money-conscious, pretty frugal and obsessively check my credit score for updates. Believe it or not, I didn't really grow up with a whole lot of financial guidance, but instead learned this behavior on my own. But I wasn't always this way. In fact, from ages 18-21, I wasn't a fan of saving and I spent the majority of my "big girl" paycheck on designer bags, expensive nights out and travel. Often, I even put big purchases on my credit card and spent more than I was financially (and emotionally) prepared for. When I moved out on my own, I had to make changes, which meant setting a budget, actually writing down where my money was going and most importantly saving everything that I could (A.K.A. not blowing all of my money).
I finally established a budget that worked for my lifestyle and savings goals: I would give myself $150 per week for all meals (weekday and weekend), gas, fun, monthly subscriptions, etc. At the time, I thought this was pretty aggressive, and hardly believed this would be enough to actually enjoy my life. I was spending anywhere from $15-$20 per work day on breakfast and lunch, and at least $60 every weekend. On the low end, I was spending $540 just on food and fun, which only left me about $60 for gas, recurring payments, and unexpected expenses.
What I didn't realize is that I could cut my monthly expenses by about $200, and put that toward travel or even put some extra money right into long-term savings. Instead of eating out at lunch every weekday, I could grocery shop for the week, and it would cost me about $35 if I got items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This breaks down to about $7 per day for all three meals. If you had brought me this idea a month ago, I would 100% tell you I couldn't make it work. I valued treating myself to lunch every single day way too much to make this work.
So, how are you only spending $35 per week on groceries?
Simple- I go for buy-one-get-one and 2 for $3 deals every single time to stay within budget. One thing I will mention is that i'm not exactly a cooker, so a lot of this doesn't include meat, fresh veggies, etc. This works most effectively for those who work a 9-5 and are typically on-the-go the majority of the time. However, anyone can make this work!
Here's what I bought last week for $32:
(5) Chobani Flip yogurts
(4) Lean Cuisines
1 lb. of green grapes
(1) box of strawberries
A 5 pack of Babybel cheese snacks
(1) pack of Thomas english muffins
1 lb. of turkey breast
(1) container of Publix brand cream cheese
(It's Friday, and I actually still have a ton of this stuff left)
After reviewing week #2, I have spent $24 less than projected. Yes, I have only spent $176 so far this month, which includes weekend fun, food, gas and other expenses.
Utilizing this method has allowed me to save about 30% of my income and put it directly into several different sources.
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