Budgeting

[Townhallsavoy]

My wife and I spent $750 on food last month.  SEVEN HUNDRED AND FITTY DOLLARS.  I looked at that number and said, "That can't be right.  Neither of us are overweight.  We don't go to fancy restaurants."  Somehow or another, we spent that much.

How much do you lugs usually spend on groceries per month?  Restaurants?  We're trying to save up for a house, and I think food is an area we can cut back on. 

[Tarheel]

My wife and I spent $750 on food last month.  SEVEN HUNDRED AND FITTY DOLLARS.  I looked at that number and said, "That can't be right.  Neither of us are overweight.  We don't go to fancy restaurants."  Somehow or another, we spent that much.

How much do you lugs usually spend on groceries per month?  Restaurants?  We're trying to save up for a house, and I think food is an area we can cut back on. 

That does seem like an awfully lot but it works out to $12.50 per person per day (for 2 people, 30 days); not a lot for three meals assuming that figure is a combination of restaurants and groceries.  That's not terribly unreasonable in my opinion. 

You may want to take the "Dave Ramsey" approach and eat beans and rice (or ramen noodles) several days a week but if you want to cut back I'd suggest something else besides food.  I hate to paraphrase from something that 'Greasy' wrote on another thread; but life's to short for cheap, tasteless food.

Just my opinion anyway.

[AUTiger1]

That does seem like an awfully lot but it works out to $12.50 per person per day (for 2 people, 30 days); not a lot for three meals assuming that figure is a combination of restaurants and groceries.  That's not terribly unreasonable in my opinion. 

You may want to take the "Dave Ramsey" approach and eat beans and rice (or ramen noodles) several days a week but if you want to cut back I'd suggest something else besides food.  I hate to paraphrase from something that 'Greasy' wrote on another thread; but life's to short for cheap, tasteless food.

Just my opinion anyway.

Now I remember a certain fellow that poked fun at me during my first days at the X for making a Dave Ramsey remark..... something about 'going all Dave Ramsey on us".....seems that he hate Duke with a passion.

Agree on cutting back on something other than food.  I got the wife and me on the family plan with Verizon and cut the house phone which saved us $50/month. Doesn't seem like a lot, but by the the time we cut back to the basic package on D-TV and Internet to go along with dropping the house phone, it comes to about $85/month. IF and only if you feel like food is something you can cut back on, try shopping somewhere different.  We shop the local Foodland and even though there are a few items that we have to go to Publix for, they have the cheapest prices around.  Also watch your habits, we spend a lot of money on tobacco, alcohol, and miscellaneous bullshit that we don't really need. 

[BZ770]

I have no clue how much I spend.  This kind of makes me want to add it up for a month.  My only advice is to buy the Sunday newspaper and cut out the coupons or go to Coupons.com and cut out the coupons.  Don't make fun of me but I've been doing the coupons for several years now.  It started when I was laid off and I kept on doing it.  I bet you hate Walmart as much as me but they are cheaper on their groceries.  I still go to Foodworld or WinnDixie for meat and produce, but they are much higher than walmart on canned and frozen foods.  Other thing is to look at the Wednesday Grocery store inserts in the paper.  In Mobile they mail them to your house once  aweek. Lookat the sales papers and you can save a few dollars on specials.  One more tidbit on grocery shopping is that Winndixie buy one get one free is buy 1 at full price get 2nd free.  At foodworld you can buy just one item and it is half price. instead of having to buy 2.

[Jumbo]

I think you should plan your meals for the week and go to the grocery store with a plan and eat out every chance you get!

[Ogre]

It's funny you bring up this topic.  My wife and I went through our budget last weekend and discovered that we spent $650 just eating out last month, and another $300 on groceries.  My jaw hit the floor.

Then she reminded me that I am counting all the alcohol I drink when we go out to eat into that bill, and it made more sense.  I've decided I'm going to get as drunk as I can at home before we go out, and hopefully I won't drink as much while we're out to eat.  We'll see how that goes.

[Buzz Killington]

I think you should plan your meals for the week and go to the grocery store with a plan and eat out every chance you get!

Yeah, but what does that have to do with restaurants?

[Tarheel]

Now I remember a certain fellow that poked fun at me during my first days at the X for making a Dave Ramsey remark..... something about 'going all Dave Ramsey on us".....seems that he hate Duke with a passion.
...

Yeah, yeah, I did.   I admit to bantering on about Dave Ramsey (and many of his callers) quite often; but some of his budgeting ideas and concepts do make sense; there's certainly no denying that he's helped a lot people. 

I do laugh at his 'beans and rice' food suggestion and meant the suggestion as only whimsically above.  There are better ways to budget for food like buying store brands which are in most cases just as good as name brands and eating in more often than eating out...rather than resorting to eating like a vagrant.

[AUTiger1]

It's funny you bring up this topic.  My wife and I went through our budget last weekend and discovered that we spent $650 just eating out last month, and another $300 on groceries.  My jaw hit the floor.

Then she reminded me that I am counting all the alcohol I drink when we go out to eat into that bill, and it made more sense. I've decided I'm going to get as drunk as I can at home before we go out, and hopefully I won't drink as much while we're out to eat.  We'll see how that goes.

Believe it or not that will help.  Most places one shot = $4.57 to $5.50, by the time you have 3 or 4 shots you have spent $15 to $20.  If you eat out a couple of times a week like we do, then you have saved yourself $120 to $150 in a month.  I can buy a 750ml bottle of Dickel for about $25 bucks and get several shots out of it.

[AUTiger1]

Yeah, yeah, I did.   I admit to bantering on about Dave Ramsey (and many of his callers) quite often; but some of his budgeting ideas and concepts do make sense; there's certainly no denying that he's helped a lot people. 

I do laugh at his 'beans and rice' food suggestion and meant the suggestion as only whimsically above.  There are better ways to budget for food like buying store brands which are in most cases just as good as name brands and eating in more often than eating out...rather than resorting to eating like a vagrant.

Some of his stuff makes perfect sense, but some of it is off the wall.  He will tell people to call the credit card company and tell them this is how much I will pay and settle.  What he doesn't tell you is that it wrecks your credit score, which he is not worried about credit scores, but if you are living in an apartment and want to buy a house, that is the wrong thing to do.

[Snaggletiger]

Budgets are simple....just make enough money to cover everything you have to do and want to do.

The end.

[Thrilla]

I have no clue how much I spend.  This kind of makes me want to add it up for a month.  My only advice is to buy the Sunday newspaper and cut out the coupons or go to Coupons.com and cut out the coupons.  Don't make fun of me but I've been doing the coupons for several years now.  It started when I was laid off and I kept on doing it.  I bet you hate Walmart as much as me but they are cheaper on their groceries.  I still go to Foodworld or WinnDixie for meat and produce, but they are much higher than walmart on canned and frozen foods.  Other thing is to look at the Wednesday Grocery store inserts in the paper.  In Mobile they mail them to your house once  aweek. Lookat the sales papers and you can save a few dollars on specials.  One more tidbit on grocery shopping is that Winndixie buy one get one free is buy 1 at full price get 2nd free.  At foodworld you can buy just one item and it is half price. instead of having to buy 2.

This.

We started clipping coupons after marraige since we get the Sunday paper.  We also use www.couponmom.com for any other coupons and deals for eating out at restaurants.  These coupon websites are fairly easy to use as they are one large database with all coupons from all coupon distributers (ie red plum, protor & gamble, etc.)  You type in the product, they show you the coupon, and if you want it, you print it.  We consistently save $10-$25 dollars at the grocery store with coupons, as we combine the savings from these with Buy One Get One deals and Publix "advantage buys", which are the items that are discounted for the week.  We try not to pay full price for anything...just buy the product that is on sale.

Other than that, I recommend making a "menu" each Sunday night for the following week.  That way you are more focused at the store and don't buy extraneous shit.  My wife and I will also occasionally have a "eat out of the pantry week", where we'll scrounge around our freezer and pantry and create meals on the fly from food we've forgotten about.  It may not be terribly gourmet, but it saves money.

[Saniflush]

You know what else saves a lot of money??????


Not having a wife.

[Thrilla]

You know what else saves a lot of money??????


Not having a wife.

Or child.

[Saniflush]

Or child.

There's a difference?

[Tarheel]

Some of his stuff makes perfect sense, but some of it is off the wall.  He will tell people to call the credit card company and tell them this is how much I will pay and settle.  What he doesn't tell you is that it wrecks your credit score, which he is not worried about credit scores, but if you are living in an apartment and want to buy a house, that is the wrong thing to do.

Exactly.

I also disagree with him about paying off your home mortgage.  The mortgage interest tax deduction is one of the most beneficial ways to adjust your taxable income.

[Jumbo]

Believe it or not that will help.  Most places one shot = $4.57 to $5.50, by the time you have 3 or 4 shots you have spent $15 to $20.  If you eat out a couple of times a week like we do, then you have saved yourself $120 to $150 in a month.  I can buy a 750ml bottle of Dickel for about $25 bucks and get several shots out of it.

21 shots out of a .750

[Jumbo]

There's a difference?

Legally yes.

[AUTiger1]

Budgets are simple....just make enough money to cover everything you have to do and want to do.

The end.

Listen to this man, he is very wise!

[AWK]

You know what else saves a lot of money??????


Not having a wife.

I like the way you think.