This year we have a big savings goal and we were very successful in January! Which gives our family hope and fire for the year to come. My daughter was very excited to fill in our green boxes on our chart! The past year we have been using our credit card and then paying it off every month, but this just brought so much unnecessary spending. We will continue to do this but be way more organized. In my notes on my phone I have written out each category and the budget. Every time I purchase something I put a quick note of where money was spent and how much. Then I keep a running tally. Below are the categories.
Groceries
This month I shopped at Walmart, Sams Club, Costco and Smart & Final. Walmart curbside was super helpful because I would get a sticker shock before purchasing. Then I would go back and take out all the little extras we didn’t need. Sam’s Club was very difficult because I love that place and they had such cute things for Valentine’s Day. But I stayed firm! Their Scan and Go helps too because you can see your total as you shop. I ran to Costco when I saw that they A) actually had eggs and B) They were less than $6 a dozen!! I don’t think I have ever walked out with such an empty cart! The Smart & Final trip was a filler grocery trip and I wasn’t that impressed. I think the most impressive thing I got was cantaloupe for 77 cents a pound. Definitely won’t be adding that to my normal grocery run.
Budget: 800 Spent: 875
Eating Out
Oh this category is so fun! I can’t even tell you how much we spent last year on this one. It would be embarrassing. This month included two lunches with friends, treating my in laws to dinner and 2 Starbucks trips. One week we didn’t even eat out at all! We did go over budget and I think I was very low with it so next month I will up this one.
Budget: 100 (Ok you can stop laughing now..) Spent: 303
Gas
Thankfully with gas prices going down this category was a little easier than others. We drive to Roseville for hockey two days a week and have 4 kids to cart around which adds to using up so much gas. I really wish we could bike to places more but don’t feel comfortable with keeping track of several kids, maybe one day.
Budget: 350 Spent: 230
Other
We didn’t have too many unexpected purchases. The goal is to plan for all things coming up like birthdays, trips and clothing. I paid for softball for my daughter because she decided to play last minute, an unexpected auto purchase came through Amazon and I had to pay for a test for work. But overall I was very proud of myself in this category.
Budget: 400 Spent: 335
Meals
We try to keep some staples in the house so we can put together quick meals. If we have to think too hard we literally will get in the car and go grab food. So we keep things like tortillas, eggs, bread, a frozen pizza, and tequittos from Costco in the house. (those bad boys have saved us so many times!) We keep our breakfast pretty simple with eggs, breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal. Lunches are provided by our lovely school district…which means the kids come home hungry. Yet they want to continue to getting it! Dinners we enjoyed were meatloaf, tostadas, pho, and this Sicilian Rice Ball Casserole. February here we come!!
Elk Grove Families 