Grocery Spending For April and May
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APRIL
Total spend for April was $515.25. Just a little over my goal of $500 but not too bad considering extras bought for Easter (not Easter Eggs but extra food, hot cross buns etc).
That works out to an average of $103.05 per week. I think my days of cracking under the $100 per week mark are well and truly gone.
Still, I’m pretty happy with that result and now have $84.75 to add to my BHAG total (an update on that coming soon….).
MAY
I’ve done an inventory of the freezer and we currently have around 30 or so meals of meat on hand. I say “or so” because some “meals” actually stretch to 2 depending on what I do with them and how much we have leftover at times.
The plan for May is to spend as little on groceries as possible and use up as much as we have on hand as possible.
It will be a challenge because I find it very hard NOT to pick up meat when it’s on special.
I want to go away with as little food left here as possible, particularly in the fridge/freezer. I’m not sure if I’ll leave them running and fill with cold water/ ice or whether I’ll actually turn them off while we’re away.
But the last thing we want to come home to is a freezer disaster so no meat is going to be left here, just in case.
Plans And Goals For May:
- Menu Plan!!!! I’m currently working on a menu plan for the entire month to help use up what needs to be used up.
- Buy NO meat. Zero. Nilch. Nada. Let’s see if I can make myself not buy any meat for a whole month??????
- Keep spending under $50 a week. With 4 shopping weeks in May, that should leave me with $400 out of my $600 budget to go towards my BHAG. How awesome would that be????
Wish me luck as I find it incredibly hard NOT to buy food.
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Good luck with it all.
I managed this weeks shop for $94 and I was pretty chuffed with that, but there was NO MEAT whatsoever in that.
What with being paid monthly I’m contemplating menu planning and shopping monthly, then doing 2 x milk, bread, F&V runs a week as needed. I wonder if that will help with the currently ballooning shopping I’m doing?
I totally identify with you!!! We usually bulk buy meat every second month, but this month (meat shopping month) I’ve managed to stretch it all out to last a third month - a saving of at least $100.
Wow, impressive! I need to do some serious work on my grocery shopping so that I can start to save some more money.
Kin - I do find shopping less often helps. The biggest trap is picking up extras in a milk/bread/f&v run.
Katy - go you! that’s awesome.
I love it when I manage to stretch the meat out. It’s getting harder with 3 growing kids fast approaching adult sized meals.
Tamsyn - Sometimes it can be a pain but most of the time it really is worth it. I regularly spend $100+ less than others I know with similar size families. Over 10 years, that’s enough to pay for our 3 month trip (including the caravan). Makes it all seem worth the effort then.
good luck!! We have tons of food in the pantry and freezer yet we still go to the store each week and buy more. I am slowly trying to use up what has been in the freezer forever. I did at the first of the year go thru and throw leftovers that had been in there away that was liberating. I look forward to hearing how you do groceries for 5 for under $200. It is a great challenge. We only shop for ourselves, no kids and can’t seem to get out less than $75 per week. Your personal challenges are making it easier for me to challenge myself. Right now I am trying to declutter keeping your blog in mind, while I chant less is more, less is more. Keep up the good work, and I know you will have tons of money saved up for your big trip.
I’m sure with a menu plan and your goal in sight you’ll do just great.
Libby
I would say definitely get a solid menu plan in place. We do this weekly at the moment and only buy what is needed for those meals. Before finalising the menu plan I do some scouting around on the internet to figure out what is on special. We’re limited in what meat we can have anyway due to hubby being restricted to red meat once a week.
I do like the idea of changing from weekly to at least fortnightly - just getting fruit and vegetables in between shops. Oh and milk.
I’ve cut down on how much fresh milk we go through by buying one litre a week then making up milk from milk powder when the bottle is empty. No-one in my house knows I do this and there have been no complaints or questions. I think it is hilarious and it has worked out so much cheaper than fresh milk. They all check the date on the bottle so I have to buy at least one bottle a week to get a new date stamp.
I’ve thrown my budget “out the window” and have not “shopped” as such for quite a while. L is insisting we save money and just eat what’s in the cupboards etc. So that’s what we’re doing, eked out by bits that I bring home after work, like milk, bread, a few veg. Saving quite a bit, but once the stores are used up, the savings will probably disappear in a huge shop.
very well done on your savings..its difficult to budget and as you are feeding a family I think you are doing a spectacular job! I suppose its how much you really want something that makes the difference, I spent years saying there was no way to afford a horse but here I am with one…and there is no budget left after her needs are met!!
Lynne - glad I’m not the only one with a “buy more groceries whether you need them or not” issue.
Thanks for the encouragement re the groceries and the decluttering. 
Libby - I hope so. Will need to keep Farmboy out of the supermarket though I think. LOL.
Kiwi Chick - I’ve been meaning to get back to doing that (adding powdered milk to the regular milk). Used to do it and got out of the habit. As for menu planning….it definitely does help but I really hate doing it.
River - sometimes the budget just needs to be thrown out the window. At least it’ll all be fresh again when you do a stock up.
Claire - thank you. Yes, it always helps if there is a goal in mind.