Food is one of my weak points with money. I like going out to eat. Or I’ll get a bit lazy and run to the grocery for prepared food. And while I’m there, obviously I need that piece of cheesecake! But let’s face it, eating out is expensive and generally not the most healthy.
With my current work situation, I need to be more careful with money. And I’ve had some success. But I still need to tighten the proverbial belt.
So in December I’m challenging myself to spend only $100 in groceries/food for the month. Any time I buy food, I will keep the receipt and track it. Perhaps I’ll eat out, but if I do that will count against the amount. Hankering for a beer? That’ll count too.
I know this will be a challenge, but I’m also pretty sure I can do it. Too often I default to the “there’s nothing to eat,” when I really mean “there’s nothing I want to eat.” I generally have pasta and beans around, and there’s always the old PB&J standby.
As I mentally prepare for this challenge, I realized I have absolutely no idea how long food lasts me. How often do I need to buy coffee? Bread? Etc…
I’m looking forward to this challenge, and I hope it will cause me to be more mindful about what I spend money on and also what I put into my body.
Leanne Brown even created a free cookbook for Good and Cheap food. She made it for folks on food stamps, and we could all use some help eating healthy on a budget. You can download a free PDF of the cookbook here. So I’m thankful for Leanne for creating this book to help me on my journey.