We all have to eat, but we also need to make sure we have a roof over our heads. When deciding how much money you have to go grocery shopping most people pay "fixed" expenses first. Once they are paid, you should have somewhat of an idea how much you can spend on groceries.
Is a budget important? Absolutely, without it we wouldn't continue to have the ability to save as much as we do.
Why is a budget important, you ask? Well, even
before we started to budget, we thought we were budgeting in our heads. We
thought because we were using coupons, shopping sales, and not spending on
"crap", that we were budgeting. Boy were we mistaken! It wasn't until
we designed our own budget that we found we were in fact overspending on groceries every
month. Not by a little either, try a couple hundred dollars each month!
When we started documenting our shopping we were able to see our habits
over 3-4 months. We were better able to understand that although we were price
matching, using coupons, and scouring the cheap racks, we were in fact still spending
far too much. We have since realized that the $500-$600 a month we were
spending was unnecessary.
We were stockpiling, but at what expense? You have to ask
yourself if you are stockpiling, "is it worth it if you are using credit card?". If
so, how much are you really saving after paying credit card interest if it's not
paid off in full at the end of the month? Although we never held a
balance on our credit card, we had to take a step back and talk about "when
enough is enough". Some people don't know when to stop spending, even with
a coupon in hand.
We decided that it had to be free or near free, and
only if it will get used within the month, for it to make it into our stockpile. So although coupons are amazing to
use, you have to keep the end goal in mind and that's your budget. Don't get
side tracked in the SUPER Centre type stores either, stick to the list stay
away from sections you shouldn't be in!
We started The
Grocery Game Challenge weekly
along with weekly matchups from Save Big Live Better to challenge our fans to:
- Post
Their grocery budget ie: $100 per week
- Post
What they bought?
- Post
Where they purchased the items?
- Post How
much they saved using coupons/deals?
- Post
What was your total out-of-pocket?
- Post
Were you over or under budget?
- Post Why
were you over budget?
- Post How
will you improve for next shop?
Once we
started the game we also decided on a "no-shop week" once per month. This has helped
cut down our expenses tremendously as we simply ignore any shopping
that week. I know it may be difficult for some, and it's not for everyone, but it
does help us. The hard part is staying out of the stores for an entire week! The more stores you go in, the more enticed you may be to spend $$.
The first
couple of months we went over our $190 budget but have since found our groove.
With SBLB providing coupon match-ups to Canadian Budget Binder it has helped
cut down time spent scouring the flyers each week. We also have more and more
players which really makes us think while shopping. It's important to answer
your own questions and understand your motivation for shopping. Be Mindful!
- Do we
really need this?
- Will it
put us over budget?
You are
playing against yourself but at the same time are motivated to be better than
the next person. We all want to see what deals we were all able to get and how
much we all saved!
It's fun!
Come check it out.. come play... we also draw a winner each month to win
a prize. Each week you post your shop you earn 1 ballot in the draw. Stick to
the budget and you will come out ahead!
Ways To
Stick To The Grocery Budget
- Use Coupons and
get organized
- Coupon
Match-Ups- match your coupons to store flyer deals
- Cheap/Discount
Rack/% off stickers
- Buy in
Bulk when it's cheaper to do so
- Share/Split
with friends or family
- Grow
your own Vegetables,Fruits and Herbs
- Menu
Plan this will help set your budget and list
- Keep a Freezer
Inventory List so you
don't buy more than you need
- Stick to
an eating schedule and don't over eat
- Shop
when your are full
- Shop
when you have time, don't rush you will pay more $$
- Shop
later in the evening or early in the morning
- Ask for
discounts don't be shy, learn to negotiate
- Price
Match
- Shop at
local markets in the summer for cheaper produce and veg or pick yourself
Canadian Budget Binder is run by
Mr.CBB. We're your average married Canadian couple in our 30's budgeting
to live a comfortable life. We don't aspire to be Multi- Millionaires just to
save money the smart way:)
Thanks so much for all the great tips Mr. CBB!
HAPPY SAVING:)