Anyone else guilty of over spending on food?

[NetSkyBlue]

I'm worse than I thought.

For this year, my food budget is $300/month. Last year, I spent that or less on food 2 months out of the year: January and November. Though interestingly enough, I averaged $299.45 a month over 12 months.

I averaged 3.1 restaurant meals a month, and 4.75 fast food meals a month. My average "eating out" ticket was $11.67. Seems cheap enough, but I ate 95 meals out in 2011.

My worst month, I'm ashamed to admit, was June. I spent $571.08 on groceries and $180.80 eating out. How could I possibly have spent so much on groceries when I ate out 12 times??

This year's goal: eat out one time or less per month. I've made it 1/3 through January without eating out, and having spent just under 1/3 my food budget!

[DeniseNTexas]

NetSkyBlue, the grocery budget is so easy to go crazy with, I know! Do you use cash for your grocery spending? I've gone back to meal planning, cash for groceries, and making sure the leftovers are eaten or planned for before preparing a new meal or eating out.

I got excited earlier because there were NO leftovers in my fridge! For me, that's a pretty good achievement.

[NetSkyBlue]

Originally Posted by DeniseNTexas

NetSkyBlue, the grocery budget is so easy to go crazy with, I know! Do you use cash for your grocery spending? I've gone back to meal planning, cash for groceries, and making sure the leftovers are eaten or planned for before preparing a new meal or eating out.

I got excited earlier because there were NO leftovers in my fridge! For me, that's a pretty good achievement.

No, if it weren't for my side job waitressing, I'd never see a paper bill. I did save over $150 last year by using my target RedCard debit card. Saves 5% off your bill, and that's where I do most grocery shopping.

The trouble I have right now is working 7 days a week between 3 jobs, most days 15 hours a day, all I want to do is stuff food in my mouth and fall asleep when I get home. And the last thing I want to do on one of my two evenings off per week is cook - there's too much housework to catch up on.

I've done pretty well with buying lunch stuff to keep at work, I try to stay under $2/lunch. Dinners are harder. Then I feel like I should splurge because "I work so hard, I deserve it." It's a vicious cycle.

[toysmall]

I always to cook at home, both delicious and inexpensive

[DeniseNTexas]

NetSkyBlue, that's a very busy schedule you have! It seems to me that setting a dollar limit for food (eating out and groceries) and using cash only works well. For me it does, anyway. I have a red card, too, and use it, but I save more than 5% when I use cash because I simply don't buy as much. lol If you're one who can set a dollar limit, and keep to it using a debit card, that would work. I won't stick to the dollar limit, though. I'll end up buying more because I'm using the card! Arrgh!

I understand about not wanting to cook when you're off. Sort of. But I love to cook and choose to do that when I'm off. Do you have a slow cooker? A pressure cooker? Both of those would be helpful to you, I'd think.

[MoneyMogul]

I hate cooking so I eat out a lot more than I should. I pick up something on my way home from work or call up friends to go out to eat with me.

[ms06880]

For starters, I am not a big fan of leftovers and I try everything possible to avoid eating them. One thing that has helped me (and perhaps help others as well?) is that when my husband or I are done cooking and about to plate it, I also dish a portion into a handy tupperware that goes straight to the fridge for lunch the next day. That way, I don't have to psych myself to make lunch the next day...it's all ready to go. In NYC, where lunch can easily cost $8-10, that's quite a savings...money I'd rather spend in a nice meal (and a couple of glasses of wine!)out on the weekend.

[toysmall]

I think maybe you haven't enjoyed the fun of cooking, cooking can bring you a lot of relaxation, let you relieve their pressure, of course, the situation would be bad, if you really have a very bad mood. if not ，try cooking, you will find that it is really fun