First off: what a snowstorm we’re having in the DC area! I was going to leave for my parents’ house today, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. In fact, I was driving home from a party at a co-worker’s house last night and a normally 45-minute drive took almost two hours. So, today I’m going to do my laundry, clean my apartment, and relax with a book. I’ve also been thinking more about my 2010 goals, and I really need to zero in on fixing one of my major budget leaks: grocery expenses.
Unlike some other PF bloggers, eating out expenses aren’t too much of an issue for me. Eating out in my area is so outrageously expensive, I’ve learned to cook pretty well. But my grocery spending is totally out of control. The reasons for this are:
– I’m really bad about clipping coupons and looking for deals. It’s a major weakness on my part. The prospect of scouring the newspapers and Internet for food coupons and specials just seems so time-consuming to me.
– I’m an impulse eater. I like to eat what I’m in the mood for at a given moment, rather than planning in advance. I’m sort of reluctant to change this, because I’ve had some problems in the past with eating disorders, and learning to eat what you like and want rather than obsessively planning and counting your food is an important obstacle to overcome when establishing a healthy relationship with food. But I’ve got to find some way to balance my health with my budget. One way might be to stock up on a variety of foods I like when they’re on sale, so that I can still pick what I’m in the mood for, without having to go out and buy ingredients when they’re full-priced.
– I try to eat healthy foods, and the hard truth is that healthy foods are expensive.
So I’ve decided that one of my 2010 goals is to keep my grocery expenses below $200 per month. This is going to be a huge challenge for me, and it’s going to require some big-time changes in how I shop for food. Plus, for the first time, I’m going to have to be diligently tracking my grocery spending.
I still need to flesh out exactly what steps I’m going to take to accomplish this goal, but if anyone has ideas or suggestions about saving on groceries, I’d love to hear them! Enjoy the weekend!
