Sunday, October 1, 2017

October Grocery Budget

October is going to be an unusual month when it comes to grocery budgeting.  

I normally budget $75 per month for grocery spending.  However, I spent almost $71, practically a whole month's grocery budget, at the Sri Lankan store in August, when I stocked up on tea and other items.  Therefore, I participated in "Shelftember" in September, eating mostly from the freezer and pantry and buying only fresh produce, dairy, and bread, to make up part of what I had overspent.

I had hoped to keep my September spending to $40 and save $35.  However, I was able to keep my grocery spending to a little over $26 and saved almost $49 to make up a good portion of the $71 I had overspent in August.  I need to save another $22 in October to make up the whole amount.  I am quite confident I can do that.  In fact, I have decided to deduct the outstanding amount from my October budget at the beginning of the month.  

Therefore, my regular grocery budget for October will be $75 - $22 = $53.

But, October is also when I will host the monthly prayer gathering dinner.  In addition to my regular grocery budget, I also budget $25 per month for the rosary prayer gathering and meal that I host once a year, for a total budget of $300 for food, drinks, and any paper goods that will be used.  I usually cater for 25 people, including my daughter and me, and that's how I came up with the budgeted amount: $1 per person, per month, for a total of $12 per person.  In general, this is one of the few times when I plan a menu before hand and buy what is needed to prepare that meal without planning the menu around what is on sale, although I do try to buy things when they are on sale, etc., because I like a bargain and enjoy getting the most for my money.

Normally, I add the prayer gathering budget to the regular household grocery budget, because I use some of the items I have on hand (like oil, spices, etc.) and leftovers from the prayer gathering meal get incorporated into my regular meals.  I am going to do the same, again, for simplicity's sake, but I will try to account for the items I buy for the prayer gathering meal, separately, as much as possible.

So far, I have spent a total of $5.78 (in September) on items for the prayer gathering:

9/18:  $4.49 for smoked sausage
9/27: $1.29 for 2 cans of mixed nuts

I was considering extending the eating from the pantry concept to October, as well, for my own personal groceries, buying only fresh produce, dairy, and bread, but I don't know if I can manage to do so.  I have several pieces of fish, some sausage, and one package of beef in the freezer, but no chicken, other than the leftovers from what I cooked, yesterday, and no ground beef or any pork.  I don't necessarily want to use up all my frozen fish, either, as I am not planning to go back to the Sri Lankan store for more until at least late November.  I'll take it one week at a time and see how things work out.

Have you made your October grocery budget yet?  Are you planning to do a pantry challenge in October?

14 comments:

  1. Sounds like you have your food budget well under control. I'm not going to be doing any formal challenges, but the pantry needs a bit of organizing and using things up.

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    1. I think the October grocery budget will leave me with something leftover to carry forward to November (and the next trip to the SL store!)

      Fall is a good time to organize the pantry, before all the holiday preparations take place and we buy things for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I, too, want to do a pantry inventory. I have lots of canned soups and boxes of pasta, but not a lot of other items.

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  2. Bless, I think you did fantastic with your budget even considering you'd stocked up lots in August. The way you make your money stretch I find it hard to believe you'll actually end up spending $300 on the prayer meeting, so I have to ask, will you, or do you manage to come in under budget on that as well? xx

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    1. Suzanne, yes, I do come under budget on the prayer gathering, often. It all depends on what has to be bought for it, each year. Some years, I have served things like baked salmon which cost $8-9/lb.; other years, I've had to stock up on the alcoholic drinks (I don't drink anything alcoholic, but others want whisky, wine, and beer). Sometimes, I order Sri Lankan snacks from my friend who caters, and depending on the item, it can cost $.50 to $1 a piece, and I usually order 100 pieces of at least a couple of items. I can very easily spend upwards of $300 on this meal! :D

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  3. Bless you really have done so well making up the over spend in August. In my opinion if you need to please use more than $53.00 in October. You could even wait and make it up in November because you may well have quite a bit of food left over from hosting the Prayer Gathering to carry you thru. As you say "take it one week at a time".

    Windy and mild here today so laundry going outside on the line.

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    1. Thanks, Sandy. The $53 will be more than enough to buy all what I need. I can see myself spending another $25 or so, in October, for bread, produce, and dairy! It's just that I am not sure if I can restrict myself to only bread, dairy, and produce, given the amount of meat I have in the freezer. I might be tempted to buy some chicken or ground beef. I could still do that on the amount I've budgeted for October; it just won't be Shelftober then, that's all. But I don't think that would matter much, do you?

      Glad to hear that the weather is mild. I'm sure you are enjoying the cooler fall weather. :)

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  4. The way you budget for your annual party is brilliant!
    I am continuing the storage challenge a bit longer, only because I still have quite a bit of food in my freezer. I am restocking it when sales are at my stock up price point, but I have that on a totally different shelf so it will not get used as I clear out my pre-fall 2017 frozen items.

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    1. Thank you, Anne. $12 per person seemed like a reasonable amount and I like to budget throughout the year, so that the funds are there when needed, rather than try to come up with the funds at the last minute.

      I like your method of keeping the newer stock up items on a different shelf, separate from the older items. Do you have a deep freezer or a side-by-side fridge freezer like I do?

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  5. I have been reading some of your older posts, as well as the new one, so wanted you to know they were very interesting. I also find it beneficial to focus on the good things. There is much to be thankful for me, as well. Sometimes, I have to focus on it to see it better:)

    I have spent much time in September restocking the holes in my pantry and freezers, so as a result, the freezers are stuffed. The home canning and freezing are about done, which fills things up even more. When I add the many loaves of bread I got from a day-old rack for 59c/loaf for great bread, the freezers and cupboards are super full.

    I always want to have a stockpile. I never want to empty out all of it. It's how I buy at rock bottom prices and then don't buy again until the price goes back down again. But, I do want to stay in control of it--using up older things, being able to find what I want when I want it, etc. So, in October, I plan to grab things that have been there for a while and use them. I also plan to do some shelf organization as things have been shuffled by people looking for items. I like to keep things together that are the same......such as noodles near other noodles.....Some things are pretty mixed up and I may miss using them if I can't see them easily. Then, they aren't a bargain after all.

    I am still watching for butter at $2/box. That price may not reappear, as I haven't seen it for a long time now, but if it does, I will buy 10 or even 20 boxes and freeze them. Coffee pods are another thing I'm looking for on a good sale or at Grocery Outlet. If I can get them for about 25c/each, I consider it a good price. I will pay up to 33c/pod. I don't like or drink coffee, so these are for my husband. He's a good sport, but does like certain kinds better than others. He uses them sparingly. So, I'll see what I can find. Although those pods are expensive, when I get them for a low price, I KNOW it's less expensive to have him make his own coffee and take it in his Thermos, rather than buy a Starbucks each morning as many at his work do. So, I'm still looking, and have been for a month. I'll see if I can find what he likes for this price.

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    1. Thank you, Becky. As I mentioned before, I am reading your old posts, as well. I finished January 2017, today! :)

      I, too, have my stock-up prices - canned tuna, soup, vegetables, etc. when it is $.49/can. I have been waiting for butter at $2/lb. for more than a year! I finally gave up and stocked up when it went down to $2.50, earlier this year. It normally sells for $4 (well, $3.99). The store sent me a $.50 off coupon for their store brand butter, but even with the coupon, it will come to $3.49. Hope you find a good sale on the butter closer to the holidays, when baking supplies go on sale. Hope you find the coffee pods, too.

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  6. Hello my friend! It seems that there are at least 3 of us waiting for those amazing butter sales. I have stocked up when it comes down to $2.99 a pound this year. I am praying that it will come down even further here soon. I do hope you have leftovers from your prayer gathering to pad your pantry this month. I have no idea how you do it but you never cease to amaze me!

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    1. Debbie, we'll be the Butter Sale Trio! :D No sale on butter, this week, though. Store brand is $3.99 and Land O'Lakes butter is being advertised for $4.99! I'm glad I still have 3 lbs. in the freezer.

      I just try to take advantage of all the sales, Debbie. That's how I do it. Whole chicken is being advertised for $.87/lb. this week so I will buy 2 for the prayer gathering and keep in the freezer until needed. Then, I'll look for a good sale on the beef.

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