It’s been 23 days, I allow lunch out once a week, my limit on each of those days for the last 2 weeks has been $6.59. I am doing amazing, by my standards anyway.
On my way home, I start thinking about what is for dinner and how I can turn it into leftovers. It is really startin to work.
The other day, I picked up Chinese for dinner. (Part of the budget) I just picked up the lunch buffet container, at dinner, $2.95 cheaper, and I can fit just as much food in the smaller container. My compromise was that I had to take lunch the next day.
Lunch became toast, noodle soup and two meats pies. They were the little mini ones, but still very good. Sobey’s had them on Sale for $5 for a box of 6. Shop Sobey’s on thier dollar days, you can get some amazing savings, but only if the items are on your list. Sobeys also has a membership card and you accumulate points that turn into dollars. Last year I saved all my redeeming dollars and it paid for my family’s Christmas dinner and all the fixings.
I will remind you again and again, you must make a list and it must be on the list. My list has an allowance for $10 for those items that I like that are on good sale specials.
One thing I have done lately, is make a list of all the grocery’s that I have in the fridge, freezer and cupboards. I then made that my grocery list from that list, but left spaces for items I had ran out off. Another early step is to write a list of your favorite (or not), but meals you regualarily make for your family and the ingredients that go with that list. These are the meals that you would put into the weekly planner
If you wish for me to convert and personalize your shopping lists, send me your lists, whether on scribble pieces of paper, a word or excel file, and I will be happy to make shopping easier for you, saving you money, paying off more bills or giving you the opoturnity to save for that long earned holiday.
I think I have even lost 1/2 pound from taking my lunch to work for the last 3 weeks. I knew eventually those tiny little clothes in the back of my closet might get to see daylight again.