Later on, I went back to my usual $75 for one adult. But, in October and November, I increased the regular grocery budget with funds I had allocated for special events (the prayer gathering in October and the almsgiving in November). These are funds I had set aside in my overall monthly budget for those purposes. I added $150 to the October grocery budget for the prayer gathering and added $125 to the November grocery budget for the almsgiving.
I did a December grocery spending for the first part of the month (December 1 grocery shopping and December 12 grocery shopping), but never did a post about the rest of the December grocery spending.
December 1 grocery spending = $33.67
December 12 grocery spending = $15.31
I also did a grocery shopping on December 20 = $34.41
 |
| 12/20 Groceries |
And again on December 22 - $7.42
 |
| December 22 Groceries |
Again on December 26 (no picture taken):
half & half = $1.79
bananas = $1.48
clementines = $3.97
Total = $7.24
And finally, on December 30: (again, no picture taken)
Half and half 16 oz. = $1.89
Quinoa, 12 oz. = $5.69
Yogurt, 16 oz. = $1.29
Tomatoes, $1.83 lbs. @ $.99/lb. = $1.81
Yellow Chili, 0.23 lb. @ $.79/lb = $.18
2 cans mackeral, 15 oz., @ $1.69 = $3.38
Chili powder, 6 oz. = $2.79
Sesame crackers = $2.48
Semolina, .99 lb @ $.69/lb = $.68
Total = $20.19
December grocery totals = $33.67 + $15.31 + $34.41 + $7.42 + $7.24 + $20.19 = $118.24
Back to my 2016 grocery spending totals. For the most part, I carried over any balances (positive or negative) to the next month.
So, without much further ado, here's what I spent on groceries during 2016:
|
Month
|
Budgeted $
|
Spent $
|
Balance (+) (-)
|
Carried Over
|
|
January
|
$150
|
$150
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
February
|
$150
|
$150
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
March
|
$150
|
$150
|
$0
|
$0
|
|
April
|
$150
|
$66.61
|
$83.39
|
$83.39
|
|
May
|
$75 (+$83.39 carried over) = $158.39
|
$162.13
|
-$3.74
|
-$3.74
|
|
June
|
$75 (- $3.74) =
$71.26
|
$69.62
|
$1.64
|
$1.64
|
|
July
|
$75 (+$1.64 = $76.64)
|
$61.79
|
$14.85
|
$14.85
|
|
August
|
$75 (+ $14.85 = $89.85)
|
$85.26
|
$4.59
|
$4.59
|
|
September
|
$75 (+ $4.59 = $79.59)
|
$41.36
|
$38.23
|
$38.23
|
|
October
|
$75 + $150 for prayer gathering (+ $38.23 = $263.23)
|
$218.25
|
$44.98
|
$44.98
|
|
November
|
$75 + $125 for almsgiving (+$44.98 = $244.98)
|
$202.43
|
$42.55
|
$42.55
|
|
December
|
$75 (+ $42.55 = $117.55)
|
$118.24
|
- $0.69
|
- $0.69
|
|
Totals
|
$1,475 (does not include carried over amounts)
|
$1,475.69
|
- $0.69
|
- $0.69
|
So, I went over my budget by $.69! I think I will not worry about that! I think, overall, I did well with sticking to my budget.
Of course, what this account of my grocery spending doesn't reflect are all the free groceries I received as various friends and family members brought me groceries and prepared meals throughout the year.
I am starting the year with a full freezer and pantry. I will continue to budget $75 for groceries each month in 2017, as well.
How did you do with your grocery budget in 2016? Will you keep to the same budget in 2017 as well? Or will you make some changes?
Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteGreat budget - wow 69cents over is great! I'm terrible at budgeting groceries. I am going to do better. I used to spend a lot - really a lot - on groceries when I was working. I was amazed and disgusted to see how much. I've cut down a lot - cooking our meals from scratch and rarely eating out but I still have a way to go.
Yes, I figured being over by less than one dollar was fine, all things considered. Well done on reducing your grocery spending. It takes a bit of effort and depends on many factors such as prevailing prices in the area. Groceries cost more where my daughter lives, so she budgets $100 per month, while I do fine with $75.
DeleteI am seriously impressed with your food budget Bless especially in light of the fact you weren't able to shop around as usual. I need to focus on my money this year - in all areas. It slips through my fingers like water, mostly on bits and bobs Amy and Thomas seem to need. I've just had to kit out Thomas with another full uniform and shoes because he's grown since September.
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your DD a Happy New Year. Hope it is a good one for both of you and that you continue to stay fit and healthy. With Love xx
Thank you, Suzanne. Wish you and your family a Happy New Year, too.
DeleteYes, growing children need new clothing and shoes all the time, don't they? It can't be helped.
One of the best ways to budget is keep track of every penny you spend for 3 months. Then, sit down with those spending logs and any other records you might have such as a check book or credit card statements which might show expenses that occur less frequently, and break down expenses into spending categories, such as house (mortgage if applicable,utilities, insurance, etc.), garden, car, children's expenses (school, clothing, extra curricular, etc.), food, clothing, and so forth, and based on what you spent in each category over those 3 months or longer, you can set a budget. The main thing is to be realistic. There are only a few areas where one can cut back - discretionary spending, such as food, clothing (at least for adults), home decor, books, hobbies, gifts, etc. Here is a link to a post I did in 2015 about how I set up my budget:
http://bless2cents.blogspot.com/2015/01/2015-financial-goals-and-budget.html
Maybe it's time to update and do another similar post!
Bless, you did so great! Congratulations, woohoo!
ReplyDeleteMy official budget (food and beverages ONLY) will continue to be $100 per week through the summer, and then I'll decrease it to $75 a week once my daughter goes to college. However, I'm going to try really hard to try and stick to $50 a week as much as I can since I start the year with really full freezers and pantry and with the help of Swagbucks gift cards (Walmart) and gift cards earned with our credit card rewards program. As you know my biggest enemy is how much we spend on eating out/ordering in and I have a plan for this as well so hopefully we can stick to it this year and have it be a part of the grocery budget without going over (too much) :)
Good luck in 2017! (grr, I typed 2016, it's already the 2nd time I do this today!).
Questions: How much is your daughter budgeting for herself? Is she able to take time to bargain hunt? Would she come back and live at home if she found a job closer to you? Would you keep separate budgets if so?
Oops, sorry, Nathalie, I replied to your comments, but it got posted as a comment, instead of a reply! My response to your questions is below my reply to Laura's comments.
DeleteIt's so amazing to me that you are able to maintain a $75/month grocery budget. When I look at what you eat, though, I see such abundance and am impressed by your ability to really know how much food you really need. This is a bit of an issue for me -- I know that we could probably spend much less per month, even with my desire to keep a decently stocked pantry. Somehow I am only this past year getting a grasp on how much we actually eat. I plan to stick to a $100 budget for January as I embark on a pantry challenge and it should be super doable. I'm not sure if $150 would work for us year round, but I am going to shoot for $200/month after January.
ReplyDeleteSorry to blather on...I've just really been considering my grocery budget the last few days and your posts are always inspirational to me!
It takes a little time to figure out grocery spending. Prices vary from place to place, store to store, etc. I also try to buy things when they are on sale and sometimes, that's a bit hard to do. Wish you well with the new budget - it'll be something to strive for in the new year. :)
DeleteI am resolving to write down exactly how much of my household budget goes to food, and how much goes to "other". I won't be making a change to increase or decrease my household budget until I have recorded the right information for a while. There are several budgetary changes that I can see happening in a short while, but I will need to put more thought and preparation into it first.
ReplyDeleteIt helps to keep track of the expenses for at least 3 months in order to know how much is spent on what. I did an analysis of my budget categories by percentages of my total budget, a few years ago. My daughter's college tuition and text books, etc., was actually the highest category, with mortgage/utilities/household coming next. Car/gas/auto insurance came third, if I recall. Some household expenses are more or less fixed, but there are a few that can be trimmed if necessary by cutting down on consumption (electric, water, etc.) Groceries is probably the easiest category to cut back on, but even then, one really can't go below a certain minimum.
DeleteGreat job on your 2016 grocery budget.
ReplyDeleteI allot $200 monthly for our grocery budget [this includes cleaning supplies too]. I will allot the same amount.. I really think groceries have decreased a little in prices lately [especially meat , milk and eggs??]
Have a great week.
Judy, that sounds like a very reasonable amount, or even quite low, for your family, especially with cleaning supplies included. I'm glad you'll be able to continue to allot the same amount. I have noticed that egg and milk prices have come down, but meat seems to be as costly as ever, over here.
DeleteI hope you, too, have a lovely start to your new year.
My goodness you did so well to stick to your budget like that!
ReplyDeleteI was hoping to see a photo or more details about the love cake, but I'm sure you made one a year ago that I've forgotten about!
Happy and Healthy New Year to you and your DD.
Bushlady
Thank you, Bushlady. The love cake post will follow in the next day or so! I took some pictures. It turned out to be a bit of an emotional experience for me (everything seems to be an emotional experience for me, these days!) as I remembered how my mother would hover, so anxiously helpful, when I used to make it and reminisce about how her mother used to make it. I was being the same way with my daughter, this time! I think both my Granny and my mother would be happy to know that the tradition continues! :D
DeleteThanks, Nathalie. :) Wish you all the best with keeping the eating out to a reasonable level.
ReplyDeleteDaughter budgets $100 per month, for groceries only. Occasionally, if she does a stock up, she might go up to $125, she says, but unlike me, she doesn't carry over any leftover amounts; she starts each month with a new budget. If there is anything leftover in her grocery budget, she just leaves it in her account as savings. For example, she only spent $43 in December; partly because she was up there only for 3 weeks; but, even if she stayed in Berkeley over Christmas, she said all she would have needed to buy was half and half and maybe some fresh fruit, so would have spent less than $10.
She doesn't have a lot of time to bargain hunt, especially since she doesn't have a car. She does her weekly shopping at Trader Joe's, which is near the bus stop on her way home from work; orders a box of fresh produce through something called "Imperfect Produce" every 3 weeks (they deliver imperfect and surplus fruits and vegetables at a reduced cost; she found a box every 2 weeks to be too much for her), stocks up at Safeway about once a month (usually on a Friday because they have their Friday specials), and goes to a different grocery store for Asian items once every 3 months, or so, on a Saturday.
If she comes home, she'll live with me if the commute to her job won't take too long (time, more than distance, because our freeways are so congested; takes me 1 hr. to drive to my job that is 20 miles away). If not, she'll look for an apartment closer to her new job.
If she does live at home, she'll live rent free and I'll increase my grocery budget to include her. That is just our cultural way. We actually expect our children to live in the parental home until they get married and we generally don't expect them to contribute to household expenses; in return, we expect to live with them when we are old. :) I never paid rent or utilities when I lived with my mother before my marriage and she didn't expect me to. Daughter will just pay for any extras that she might want when it comes to groceries and for her own clothes, car (if she gets one and insurance for that car, etc.), entertainment, etc. She'll be able to save the majority of her salary.
That is so interesting. Thanks for sharing this with us! It sounds like your daughter has a good system for shopping and getting good prices even though she doesn't have a car.
DeleteDo Sri Lankans parents arrange marriage for their children or are the children able to choose whoever they want to marry?
Traditionally, Sri Lankan parents arrange the marriages, although, these days especially, the children often find their own partners. Mine was an arranged marriage; but I wouldn't try to arrange one for my daughter! :)
DeleteHappy New Year Bless! You amaze me with your food budget for the month. I don't know how you do it. Do you include food for your Dancer in that budget or is that a separate line item?
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you, too, Debbie! My food budget includes only people food. No cleaning supplies, toiletries, household items, or Dancer's food, etc. Dancer's food, and the food for the stray cats who come regularly to my door, is a separate line item under Pet Food/Supplies. :)
DeleteOur grocery budget is similar to yours in that it's only for people food. Anything for the kitties comes under pet expenses. Same with cleaning supplies. To me this is much more clear because I really know how much I'm spending on each. We don't do a strict monthly budget for groceries. I track the spending but don't worry if we go over due to stocking up. We do stock up trips to Costco once a month or so and of course that can be a big expense at the time, especially if we are out of something like rice or sugar that takes us quite a while to use up. Right now I have a lot in the freezer and pantry so my grocery bills should be fairly limited for the next couple of months.
ReplyDeleteYes, I budget separately for pet food, cleaning supplies, other household items, etc. This way, I know exactly how much in each category. Stock up trips to Costco, etc., can really send the budget out of whack, but it evens out in the long run, I think. I didn't go to Costco, at all, in 2016 - I had stocked up before I started chemo and if I ran out of something, I just bought it at the grocery stores. Thinking hard about renewing my membership.
Delete