Living on Less Series Part 3

This is the best part (I think) of this series. The food part. I am the sole food shopper in my family. I make the menu, write the list, cut the coupons, and shop for food. My husband on the other hand will go to the grocery store and buy based on what he is craving that day. So, we have agreed that I will shop for all the food. I do however ask him every week if there is anything specific he wants and try to buy it when money allows.

Living on Less Series
Part 3

Food:

For those who are familiar to my blog, you know I have a food budget. I think that is the key to living on less. You have to have a budget! I have come up with a dollar amount that works for my family of three. My food budget for low months is $50 a week. The higher months get $75 a week. For us, being on commission, there are always certain months that bring in more money. During those higher months, I try to stock up on things like soups, canned veggies, and meat that we can use during the lower months.

You may be wondering how I feed my family on only $50 a week. Well, I cook all our food! I don't buy those precooked meats, already made tossed salads, or premade pies and cookies. I buy the ingredients to make them myself. Yes, it is more work, but well worth keeping more money in the bank to pay bills. I also don't buy beef, pork, beer, or wine. These things are just too expensive. Every week I purchase whole chickens or turkeys, milk, eggs, cheese, whatever fresh fruits and veggies are on sale, and breakfast items. I only buy snack and desert items if I have money left over. We usually have Popsicles or hand popped popcorn. I also make a menu every week to make sure I have enough to keep every ones tummy fool.

I use coupons, don't stick to name brands, and love finding things on sale!! You have to be flexible if you want to save money!

Speaking of coupons......USE THEM! They are out there and they will save you loads of money. If you don't get the Sunday paper, buy it every week for the coupons. There is an average of $100 in coupons in the Sunday paper. I have heard that some cities have their coupons in the Saturday paper, so check first before purchasing. Also, ask your family, friends, and neighbors, for the coupons they don't use. My neighbor said she would buy me a paper every week if I shopped for great deals for her at CVS. The coupons I don't use for her I get to keep! Also, I go to my parents house on Sundays and we swap coupons. Trust me....it is well worth it to spend the extra time cutting and sorting coupons!

Don't have one of those handy dandy coupon organizers? No problem! Go to Walmart or Target and purchase a box of letter envelopes. My Target store has a box of 100 for less than $2. Next, label them with the coupons you will put in them like dairy, meat, snacks, cans, shampoo, razors, etc. When you cut your coupons put them in the envelopes, then put a rubber band or ribbon around them and stick them in your purse. Make sure you have them every time you go to the store.

Use as many coupons as you can. I went to Target the other day and purchased a 3 pack of Kleenex tissues. They were on sale and I used a Target coupon and a manufacturer coupon. I saved $2.00! I did the same thing with Cottonelle toilet paper. It was on clearance and I used a Target coupon and manufacturer coupon. I saved $3.00! I also love using them on buy one get one free items. You can use 2 coupons. One for the one you are buying, and one for the free one!



Toiletries:

I have a budget of $20 a month for these things. That includes toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss, shampoo, bath soap, feminine items, dish soap, toilet paper, tissues, laundry soap, dryer sheets, and cleaning supplies. I think I listed them all! How do I get all this for $20 a month?? One little word.....

CVS

Get a CVS rewards card, read the ad in the Sunday paper, get your coupons, and save lots of money!! You can read more about how I save at CVS by clicking the CVS link in the tags section of this blog. I have saved hundreds of dollars this year by using my CVS rewards card. I get things I need for nothing or for a few cents. It is well worth the time to do the math and get things for free!!


Eating Out:

Let me start by saying.....we Love to eat out. When my husband and I got married, we ate out 3 to 4 times a week. We would go to Longhorn Steak House, Outback, Carrabas, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, etc. But, now that our life and budget has changed, we just can't do that anymore.

My husband and I have date night every week on Fridays. This is the only day we eat out. If we are low on money, we skip it and eat at home. When we do eat out, we stay under $20. Our new favorite places are Panera Bread, Ruby Tuesday, Subway, Moe's, and our favorite Chinese takeout place. And yes sometimes we use a coupon! There is no shame in saving money!! If restaurants are going to give out coupons, why not use them!

The key to eating out is to set a dollar amount on how much you can spend. There have been some weeks when we have gone to Taco Bell and eaten for under $10 to save some money. If you don't have the money to eat out DON'T CHARGE IT!!! This is a bad idea. Do not use your credit card to eat out. You will only pay for it over and over again with all the finance charges.

A great way to eat out and save money is to order one appetizer and one meal. Ask the waiter to bring all the food at the same time, and ask for an extra plate. When the food comes, split it between the two of you. We often do this when we eat at the Olive Garden and Ruby Tuesday.


This is the end of part 3 of the series.

If there are 2 things I would like you take from this part of the series it's to make a budget, and use coupons. Using these 2 things can save you LOTS of money.


I will post part 4 of this series on Monday.

Have a great weekend...and happy saving!!