My Food Budget

I'm doing so well sticking with my food budget! I used to be really good about cooking and limiting my ordering in and buying lunch etc.  I would always consider take out or fast food as part of my monthly grocery budget, so when I ordered in, I would subtract that amount from what I was allowed for groceries. It kept me on the straight and narrow because it adds up quickly.

At some point I fell off that wagon and started ordering in at least once or twice a week, and often bought lunch and sometimes breakfast at work.  2 meals at work is almost $20!  And ordering in about $25 each order.  So it was getting pretty expensive.

For the last month, with the exception of 2 lunches and one order in for pizza, I've been cooking my own dinners and taking my breakfast and lunch to work!!

Tonight was my proudest moment this month!  I was so bagged when I got home, I just didn't want to cook. So I went to an online menu for Boston Pizza and considered ordering a salad and burger, and maybe something chocolate to indulge in.  When I put the order into the cart, with delivery and taxes it came to $32.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I went into the kitchen and did BBQ ribs in the pressure cooker and heated up some left over cabbage rolls and had a sliced tomato.  I have left overs for tomorrow's dinner, and probably enough for lunch the next day.  Total cost of my meal?  Probably around $7.00! 

I'm thrilled to be back on my grocery budget!

Yay! It's hard sticking to cooking at home when you have a full time job. 

Kudos to you! Sticking to your food budget is not easy in these times.

We do go out to eat, but really, not all that often. We got into the trap many years ago....every Friday night and sometimes on Saturday, too, we'd either grab a pizza or go out somewhere. Fast food or a regular restaurant. The money adds up and when we actually sat down and started looking at our budget and how we could save some money, I was appalled at just how much we were blowing because we weren't cooking. And at just how badly we were eating. 

I cook. Sometimes Rick will make dinner, if I have a meeting that means I'll be home fairly late. But i do most of the cooking. And it's OK, I don't mind it at all. With the money we save by not eating out so often, I can buy some really good food and I can even splurge on something special from time to time.

And now, when we do go out, I think we appreciate it more.

Sticking to a budget is very hard .I try to stay on a budget as much as possible. If my husband goes to the meat shop and gets 4.00 of hamburger for himself, I will get 2 pork chops and the whole trip would cost 6.00.
and with a pack of instant potatoes and left over salad we got a good meal.