Groceries- anyone NOT know what they spend?

[Remudamom]

I've never budgeted anything. Nothing, ever.

 

When I go to the grocery store I just get what we want or need. If I think something is too expensive I might or might not buy it.

 

Dh sometimes mentions the B word, but we never do it. We aren't in any financial trouble. (yet, we've been married 32 yrs so far.)

 

Anyone else this irresponsible? I wonder if we'd be happier/smarter/better if we implemented a budget?

[cdrumm4448]

We don't budget either. Any time I have ever asked my husband about creating a budget, he has said,"Just don't spend any money." Interesting. And impossible. So, I buy what I buy. MY SIL budgets to the penny, but if she spends her cash for the week, she just goes to the bank to get more. To me that is really no different than what I do. We also aren't newly married and broke, so that helps tremendously.

[ChristusG]

That would be me. I just buy what I need. The cost varies each time.

[Wheres Toto]

We don't budget. We buy what we want at the grocery store although most of it is the same items so I probably could give a rough ballpark of what we spend (depending on whether DH did the shopping or I did - he buys tons of meat and seafood).

 

We haven't been married very long (6 years) but neither of us are young and just starting out either (I'm 41, he's going to be 54 next week).

[Jan in SC]

Never.

[Parrothead]

I don't budget for groceries. If I need it I buy it. If it is on sale I buy 2.

[ChemMommy]

My dh always says that groceries are cheaper than eating out, so if we overspend, we are still saving money.

 

Now, when we were first married, by the end of the month, we were out of money and groceries and we did watch grocery spending carefully. We did watch it quite carefully when dh lost his job a few years ago. Thankfully, we are not in that state right now.

[Guest ME-Mommy]

We don't budget...we've tried several times and fell off the wagon...repeatedly.

 

I usually buy "repeat" items so I could tell you ROUGHLY what I spend...although it varies depending on what I find at the local discount wholesaler. (I go there first and then the bread store and then Wal-Mart last.)

[Prairie~Phlox]

I keep everything in Quicken, but we don't go through and say, we're going to spend xx amount on groceries, but I do know when to spend and when to cut back and I also coupon. Our average is about $600 a month on food and eating our for our family. Really we can't not afford more than that, so I just watch it and try really hard, plus we have great stores around here. I also garden and buy my beef from my parents since they are beef farmers, so that helps a LOT!

[NanceXToo]

That would be me. I just buy what I need. The cost varies each time.

 

Yep, me too!

[jld]

I don't budget for groceries. If I need it I buy it. If it is on sale I buy 2.

 

Lol!

[forty-two]

I've never budgeted anything. Nothing, ever.

 

When I go to the grocery store I just get what we want or need. If I think something is too expensive I might or might not buy it.

That is what my parents do, and they are some of the most frugal people I know. Mom in particular falls into the "just don't spend money" crowd, so she is not prone to going hog wild or anything. Plus she keeps track of their money to the penny, so she knows exactly how much they have (a lot, what with good jobs and lifelong frugal habits).

 

I do have a budget, though, b/c I (and dh) am not as frugal as my parents, we don't keep close track of our money like my mom does, and we don't have a lot in the bank. In practice, though, it generally worked out like my parents' system. I budget down to the penny to make sure we have enough for everything (including retirement and savings) and to see how close to the margin we are (depressingly close right now, so long as we have to pay on two houses :glare:), trying to make sure that I budget things like electric/gas/water high enough to cover the most expensive month. That gave me a cushion so that in day-to-day life I had a general idea of what we could afford, but I didn't track expenses and just spent whatever was needed; in practice it worked out well - I could spend "over budget" without actually breaking the bank. Sadly, we are too close to the margin to do that right now, so I've gone to a cash envelope system to keep me from going over.

[Farrar]

Ditto. I've suggested budgeting and the husband nixed it. I do try to look for deals, I'll buy more of nonperishables if there's a good sale and I won't buy something (or won't buy it often) if it's pricey. But food costs what it costs.

[melissel]

We don't budget. We buy what we want at the grocery store although most of it is the same items so I probably could give a rough ballpark of what we spend (depending on whether DH did the shopping or I did - he buys tons of meat and seafood).

 

Same here. That said, I do think I overspend unnecessarily, simply because I have the "my eyes are bigger than my stomach" issue. And considering how full our chest freezer is, I'm obviously buying way too much food! (This month we're working on getting the level down significantly.)

 

We're not in financial trouble, technically, but we're also not saving for things I think are important, like home renovations, college, etc. So I think some of my grocery money would be better spent elsewhere, and a budget would help me do that. I aspire to budget...I'm just too disorganized :lol:

[Baseball mom]

I don't budget either. I sale shop but I try to keep the total low though.

 

If ground beef is on sale this week, I buy extra. The next time it might be chicken. I do the same with all things.

 

Having the nice supply has helped when we have hit hard times. Or when friends or family hit hard times. We might not be able to give them money but I have gone shopping from the pantry and freezer to share with them.

[hornblower]

I know what I spend but I don't budget for it - see the diff?

I keep track of it but if I'm at the store, I do buy what I need, & yes, if there are sales, I'll stock up.

 

We did have several periods in our life of having to really watch our money (Vancouver has a really insane cost of living, esp if you buy a home) & I was more conscious about not buying certain things then.

[Nakia]

I don't budget either. I sale shop but I try to keep the total low though.

 

If ground beef is on sale this week, I buy extra. The next time it might be chicken. I do the same with all things.

 

Having the nice supply has helped when we have hit hard times. Or when friends or family hit hard times. We might not be able to give them money but I have gone shopping from the pantry and freezer to share with them.

 

 

 

I know what I spend but I don't budget for it - see the diff?

I keep track of it but if I'm at the store, I do buy what I need, & yes, if there are sales, I'll stock up.

 

 

I do the same things!

[scmama]

Well for my house, since dh's work is seasonal, 6 months out of the year, we don't budget, just get what we need, and sale shop as well. I stock up what I can, when I can. The for the other 6 months, money is tight, and I watch everything that we spend..to the penny most weeks. Stocking up during the good 6 months does help a lot. So for us it depends, seasonally. :)

[SailorMom]

I don't have a budget - but I know about what I am spending on groceries, and try not to go overboard. I figure as long as I am not buying expensive groceries (premade deli and bakery stuff, pre-packaged specialty foods), I'm good

[Dawn in OH]

I don't budget, but most of the time I do keep track of what I spend per month on groceries. If we need food, we buy it. I buy in bulk when it's a money saving move, I shop sales when I can. I know which local store has the best price on an item and make a point to buy it there. But I do not have a set amount for spending on groceries and restrict myself to that amount. I also don't have a consistent weekly or monthly spending amount because of how I shop. I could spend $50 one week and $200 the next week based on sales and need.

[hornblower]

But food costs what it costs.

 

Wow - see, I disagree with this because FOOD is not an item. Food is a category, just like housing, & there are so many variations & options for various budget levels.

 

I could be feeding my family on a 50lb bag of rice, 20 lb of lentils, dried peas, spices, & in season vegetables. I knew folks who lived like this in university & ate rice & legume + veg for three meals a day.

 

Or I can be feeding them lots of meat, bread, cheese, boxed cereal, canned soup, prepared pasta & sauces etc etc etc. + fruits and vegetables.

 

There are a lot of choices we make in that store & for anyone who wants to save some $, I think it's a reasonable place to start.

[mrsrevmeg]

But food costs what it costs.

We can't control what something costs. We try to not to spend outrageous amounts every week, but sometimes prices go up.

[rafiki]

.

[Tammy]

and I don't want to know, LOL! I am not a planner though.....I wake up in the morning and then decide what I want to eat.....and go to the store!

 

.

[Cricket]

I don't really budget when I know I have more than enough money in the bank for what I need for groceries. And I mean *need*. I tend to buy only necessities and only once in awhile splurge on a treat. I coupon and do stock up on sale items when it is a great deal so I think I do pretty well with what I spend.

 

I have been in the position though where we've only had like $40 for the week and I had to plan very carefully. I'm glad we aren't in that position right now!

[mmasmommy]

This thread is making me hyperventilate. :lol:

[Imprimis]

I couldn't tell you the exact amount I spend each week, and I don't budget.

 

That said, I don't spend indiscriminately or without thought. I buy what we need, sometimes I buy things we don't need but want.

 

I have made some changes in our diet over the last few years---I am buying more organics now. That factor has made my trips to the grocery store a bit more costly than they used to be.

[Shelly in the Country]

I don't budget for groceries. If I need it I buy it. If it is on sale I buy 2.

 

:iagree: This is what I do, too :lol:.

[DesertDweller]

We don't budget for food. We go to the store and buy what we need. If we don't have extra money one week, we buy just the necessities and eat what's already in the pantry.

 

Dh and I are on a diet, so we buy pretty much buy the same things every week. Dd eats mostly what we do along with some things we buy just for her. I have a master list. When we run out, I check the item on the list. At the end of the week, I use that list and replenish as needed.

 

We usually spend about $100-$150 a week. We don't plan it that way, but since we're usually buying the same things, it tends to work out to about the same amount.

[LibraryLover]

I know what I spend, but I don't have a particular budget. Some weeks it's less, some more. If something we buy is on sale, I stock up. I might not order for months from my coop, but then buy a bunch of items in bulk.

[KidsHappen]

I pay all of the bills and then whatever is left is what I have for gas and groceries. I pretty much just buy what we need whenever we need it. The portion of money taken up by bills is getting larger and larger though leaving a smaller and smaller amount available for gas and groceries.

[Lolly]

We don't have a budget. I get what we need/want if it seems reasonable. I do have a good idea in my head of how much I will be spending each week/month.

Like others, if a staple is on sale I'll buy something I wasn't planning on getting. I don't make menus. I tend to walk through the store picking out what we might want. I do have a list on the fridge that everyone is supposed to add to if they use the last of something or start the last box/bottle of a staple. Just I would like to haves are allowed on that list also. I take that to the store and try to make sure I get those things.

[Guest wheelchairmomy]

no budget here....

 

we say we are

 

 

and we never do.

[Mejane]

Me. Sometimes it's $60/week, sometimes it's $200. Often depends if I'm on one of my totally-organic kicks.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I've never budgeted anything. Nothing, ever.

 

When I go to the grocery store I just get what we want or need. If I think something is too expensive I might or might not buy it.

 

Dh sometimes mentions the B word, but we never do it. We aren't in any financial trouble. (yet, we've been married 32 yrs so far.)

 

Anyone else this irresponsible? I wonder if we'd be happier/smarter/better if we implemented a budget?

 

Same here.

[Mommyof4ks]

I know roughly what I spend every month, but I cannot tell you down to the exact dollar. We budget when things are tight, but most of the time that is not necessary.

[Natalieclare]

I've never budgeted anything. Nothing, ever.

 

When I go to the grocery store I just get what we want or need. If I think something is too expensive I might or might not buy it.

 

Dh sometimes mentions the B word, but we never do it. We aren't in any financial trouble. (yet, we've been married 32 yrs so far.)

 

Anyone else this irresponsible? I wonder if we'd be happier/smarter/better if we implemented a budget?

 

This is me, only we've only been married for 19 years. I often wonder if we'd be richer by implementing a budget.

[Farrar]

Wow - see, I disagree with this because FOOD is not an item. Food is a category, just like housing, & there are so many variations & options for various budget levels.

 

I could be feeding my family on a 50lb bag of rice, 20 lb of lentils, dried peas, spices, & in season vegetables. I knew folks who lived like this in university & ate rice & legume + veg for three meals a day.

 

Or I can be feeding them lots of meat, bread, cheese, boxed cereal, canned soup, prepared pasta & sauces etc etc etc. + fruits and vegetables.

 

There are a lot of choices we make in that store & for anyone who wants to save some $, I think it's a reasonable place to start.

 

True. And as I said before, I do choose not to buy things (or to only get them occasionally) when they're more pricey. I avoid buying too much preprepared foods and processed foods. But I do feel like mostly, it costs what it costs. I'm not going to eat like a student or feed the kids like we don't have enough. I'm also not going to count every penny. If I did that, I know I'd probably go a little nuts. For one thing, I'd spend forever trying to calculate savings of driving out of the city to go grocery shopping versus walking to the store. When I was at Wal-Mart this summer at my grandmother's in small town GA, I nearly hit the floor with how much cheaper stuff is that at my middle of DC grocery store. I sort of didn't want to know.

[Lawana]

I don't have any idea how much I spend on food or anything else, for that matter. Dh doesn't want to budget, but sometimes he asks me if we could spend less. I say, "Sure. Tell me how much I'm spending, and how much less you'd like me to spend." But that's as far as it ever goes. When he goes to the grocery store, he buys *lots* of meat.

[May]

I have to keep track and cook too:confused:

[Daisy]

It is difficult for me to figure out exactly how much we spend on food. My monthly petty cash budget includes food, clothing, eating out, entertainment, etc.

 

Since we only get paid 10 pay checks a year, I have to budget at least a bit.

[Tess in the Burbs]

we have always had a budget simply b/c when dh and I married I discovered he could spent his paycheck in a day! Without a budget we would be homeless and have a lot of cool stuff ;-)

[lynn]

I've never budgeted anything. Nothing, ever.

 

When I go to the grocery store I just get what we want or need. If I think something is too expensive I might or might not buy it.

 

Dh sometimes mentions the B word, but we never do it. We aren't in any financial trouble. (yet, we've been married 32 yrs so far.)

 

Anyone else this irresponsible? I wonder if we'd be happier/smarter/better if we implemented a budget?

 

I am never quite sure what I spend. I buy what we like and want. I make a menu and have a shopping list but if there's something that looks good I'll buy it.

[Tap]

I don't budget, but I still have a general idea what I spend. I buy certain things at specific stores, so I usually spend about the same each month...give or take.

[amydavis]

I don't budget for groceries. If I need it I buy it. If it is on sale I buy 2.

 

:iagree:

This is me! I think I should have a budget, but I basically know what the bank balance is when I head to the store, and spend what I feel I need to, in order to get what we need. I may go a little lighter, if we've got a lot of bills going out. I may splurge on more fresh fruit, etc. if dh's check was a little bigger than usual. So, no budget. I just wing it.

[DawnM]

We used to never budget, but I was also working full time so we had dual incomes, and we had some debt (student loans and autos). Once we got serious about never having debt again, and once I stopped working, we realized we needed to budget.

 

We have budgeted ever since.

 

Dawn

[Forget-Me-Not]

We don't budget here either. We just buy what we need and some things that we want and we do fine.

 

Every once in a while I think we should track expenses, but I'm afraid to know what we spend eating out :D

[heritageofthelord]

We don't have a strict budget for groceries but I do keep track of what I spend. If I am up to a lot for the month there are always snacks and stuff I can cut from the grocery list easily.

Several years ago I started using grocery coupons the right way by combining them with sale prices like this website http://www.couponmom.com explains. It cut our grocery budget literally in half so now our family of 6 usually spends about $400 a month. Even though we don't have a strict budget I just absolutely can not buy certain items if they are over a certain price or it just bothers me too much. Paying over $3 for a box of cereal would probably give me an ulcer.:001_smile: