How "doable" is this budget amount? - Page 3

[mbhf]

Originally Posted by KayleeZoo

I need to start a price book and really compare food prices- we have memberships to Costco and Sam's Club, plus access to several grocery stores- I need to figure out price per whatever instead of just assuming it's cheaper at XYZ, for example. Going to make that a priority for this coming week.

If you want to do this, by all means, do! But I don't think it's necessary and for those of us that have trouble going into the store for just a few specific things it can actually be better to just go to one store for all of your groceries, even if some things are less expensive at a different store. Try to figure out where you can get the most things that your family needs, I picked my grocerey store because it has the most organic/local food and the best prices on those things. I would much rather go there and get better quality groceries in a nice store than spend a comparable amount at the grocery store up the road for lower quality groceries.

FTR, I meal plan, but only for dinners. Breakfasts, lunches, and snacks are one of a few options. Breakfast is usually either eggs and a bagel or yogurt and granola. Snacks are almost always fruit or veggies. Lunch is leftovers from the night before or sandwiches/salad. I stick to the outer aisles of my grocery store for health reasons but of course it helps with the budget too, we eat very little prepackaged stuff though I do buy popcicles and brownie mix.

[cappuccinosmom]

But I don't think it's necessary and for those of us that have trouble going into the store for just a few specific things it can actually be better to just go to one store for all of your groceries, even if some things are less expensive at a different store. Try to figure out where you can get the most things that your family needs, I picked my grocerey store because it has the most organic/local food and the best prices on those things.

I agree. I don't have a price book (and I don't coupon either).

But after several years I have a good idea of what the general prices are like in local stores. There is one chain that I won't set foot in because the prices are just outrageous, and there are very few worthwhile sales, ever. There's a "discount" grocery where I can get a lot of our staples for 25-50% less than other places. And there are a couple of stores that it's worth watching the sales flyers for, provided I have the self control to *only* buy the sale items.

[Polliwog]

I would LOVE to have your Gymboree budget. Actually, if I had something even close to that I'd do a combination of Gymbo, Lands Ends and Boden. I'm assuming that you use coupons combined with sales and earn/redeem Gymbucks. You can really maximize your clothing budget that way (if you didn't already do that.)

[KayleeZoo]

Thystle, you made a very interesting point. Some of my spending comes from just having no idea what we truly do own. And some of it has come during times when my depression has been unchecked (and exacerbated by chronic sleep deprivation). Now that baby DD is sleeping through the night (10-12 hours consistently), I am feeling balanced and healthy again and don't feel the need to shop to combat the depression, which was a way to make myself feel better, albeit temporarily.

Polliwog, I do a combo of Gymbo, Hanna, LE and Gap BUT I never pay full price and always use Gymbucks, coupons, etc. That's another thing- I find it next to impossible to walk away from something cute that is high-quality and a bargain. But, after counting my girls' short sleeved shirts and discovering that each one of them have 20+ that fit, I just can't imagine wanting to buy them shirts anytime soon. I'm feeling more and more confident about the budget idea. Especially now that I know that if I blow $150 on clothes for the kids just because I walked by a sale, we might be short money that we truly need later in the month.

[Kristine233]

Originally Posted by KayleeZoo

Kristine, evap cooling (or swamp coolers as some call it) basically takes a huge fan, a pad of straw like (or synthetic) material and a water hose- the pad gets soaked and the fan blows air through the wet pad. In hot, dry climates = cool air! It's not "cold" air like A/C, but it's literally pennies per day to run vs. dollars per day. And it does cool the house to a comfortable temperature in 100+ degree heat outdoors. We have a 2800sf home, 2 coolers and it barely increases our electric or water bills all summer long (and summer is LONG here, lol)

OK I get it! I've heard of swamp coolers but only just recently. I guess a lot of the businesses in town here use them because they are big old buildings with cold basements and can use that air to help cool the rest of the building. Neat idea! I wish we could do that, but with our steam heat/steam water system our basement heats up more than most.

[PenelopeJune]

Yes, $1650 is almost twice what we make each month. So it's definitely doable!

That swamp cooler thing sounds awesome. Too bad we live in such a high-humidity area!

My kids get a few new clothes for their birthday and Christmas, and maybe a few (extremely needed) items for back-to-school. That is it. Other than this, we don't really shop for clothes. I've never found it necessary to have a monthly clothing budget. When your kids need (NEED! not want!) new clothes, buy a few things then. If they've outgrown their jeans, that doesn't mean they need a whole new wardrobe. It's not a bargain if you don't need it.

I never coupon, (unless I happen upon a really good one) and there are a lot of things I refuse to buy generic versions of. Like dish soap, for one. I find that with generic dishsoap I have to use two or three times as much as I would use of Dawn. And Philly Cream Cheese is the only kind I'll buy because the rest is revolting. (Unless it's just going in recipes. Then the cheap stuff will do.) But we buy generic of most things.

Make your own soups and chilis and stuff. Skip cereal for breakfast. Oatmeal is much cheaper and more filling. There are a lot of REALLY simple meal ideas you can do for busy evenings. My family's favorite is pancakes for dinner. Tacos or taco salad is also really easy. Bean and cheese burritos make really simple snacks (or meals), and are much cheaper than the prepared version. (Just keep tortilla shells, canned refried beans, and some cheese and salsa on hand. Veggies if the kids will eat them.)

You definitely seem to have enough money that you don't need to completely go cold turkey on everything, or start making every single thing you eat from scratch, or whatever. If you are not in desperate financial times, then you are probably fine. But everyone could use more savings, and spending just to spend is silly. Good for you for taking this step!