Getting that grocery budget down.

The grocery budget finally seems to be under control.  Our 20 points for getting it right (for us anyway):

 Budget at the beginning of the month before you are paid.  We do it a few days before salary comes in.

1. The grocery budget then is divided over four weeks.
2. We only major shop once a month.  It makes a huge difference not to be popping into the shop every week.  You waste less money on things you should not buy in the first place. This also means our poor baby is not getting PnP animal cards.
3. Menu plan.  We menu plan and cook ahead so that there are good meals ready and waiting.  This avoids having to buy something you can cook quick, because most convenience meals tend to cost more. This also avoids the take away thing. (this is a post on its own)
4. As an aside, we have budgeted two take away meals a month, or one sit down meal at a restaurant.  We make the most of it, and because it is limited, we carefully pick what we want to do. We prefer the take away, because then we make it a family movie night thing.
5. We no longer sale shop (because we find that it actually wastes money more often than not.  I remember thinking that was nonsense, until we stopped doing it.
6. Our grocery budget includes non food items like dish washing liquid and toiletries. It also includes the cat food.
7. Yo do not have to buy everything at once. If there is something you want to buy that is not on the list, write it down for the next list.  Then the next time you will end up seeing if you really needed that, because the impulse is gone.
8. Some things we do buy in bulk:  Meat, because it is cheaper like that.  We eat loads of game meat, because it just has so much less fat than any other red meat we have come across. So if we bulk buy the game meat, then that is the meat.  We normally don’t use it all up in one month.  With the menu planning it is so much easier to balance the meals, because you know what you are eating over a long period.  We ensure all portions have enough veggies. Also, because starch cannot be frozen, we eat less of it.  Not because we believe in Banting, but because it is icky defrosted. So if we did the bulk game this month, next month is will be chicken.
9. We buy frozen veggies for cooking and only what fresh veggies are in season.  They just are much better quality and priced when you buy in season.  The same goes for fruit.
10. We only buy fruit once a week, and then it is one or two at a time.  We only get as much as can be eaten in one week.  I eat about two or more portions of fruit a day and HB two, and Hubby we have to force feed. Fruit is a huge money waster.  You buy too much because it looks yummy in the store, and then it ends up going bad at home.
11. We have an A4 white board and marker next to the fridge.  As soon as something is approaching finishing, we write it on the list. This is the only shopping list (other than the one menu planning weekend).  We stick by this list very strictly.  No deviations allowed.
12. HB and Hubby get lunch at work and school, so I am the only one needing lunch everyday…I tend to eat leftovers.  HB’s snack box is standard and stays mostly the same: Yoghurt, biltong, cheese, crackers,fruit, sandwich..and it varies only slightly.  We buy all the snack stuff monthly as well. (Not yoghurt, and I do homemade yoghurt for myself)
13. Breakfasts are also very standard in our house…oats or bread.  And then pancakes or eggs, etc over weekends.
14. We make our own burger patties, meatballs and planning sausages as well.  We are not super healthy earth types, but it just tastes better when we make our own.  A burger and chips is a good substitute for when the take away craving hits.
15. Like mentioned above, the biggest thing to reduce the grocery budget is the menu planning.  It so easily becomes a part of your life, that there is no other way.
16. On a weekend, we will cook something that has starch in it…like a breyani or curry that include potatoes or something like that.
17. DO not be afraid of leftovers, they are your friend.
18. We have a deep freezer, so we are able to freeze ready made meals and buy meat ahead.
19. You also have to make a hard decision, that you just cannot have some things.  Yes we can buy it, but it is not in the budget.  If we spend it all, there will be no money saved and nothing extra to the home loan.

This can only work if the whole family is committed to it.  You have to work at it together and make sure everyone is happy.  No one wants to feel like they cannot move an inch…so you need a tad bit of float in that budget to be human.