No more family grocery shopping/extra cost of DH

[Caneel]

November was the first time ever (well since graduating college) that I kept track of our food costs. I was inspired by this forum - thanks all!

December went well, I shaved at least 15% by just being more aware. I didn't make plenty of purchases because I forced myself to think about the cost/waste.

Normally, because of our work schedules, I do all the food shopping. On Sunday, we all 3 went together. I just looked at the receipt and totalled all the non-planned, unneeded items placed into the cart by DH. These things added 23% or $30 to the weekly bill.

Back to solo shopping.....

[Starr]

I'm the same way...

[katheek77]

I just ask my DH to tell me a specific meal he wants that week, and if there's anything else he wants. I don't mind throwing things on the list, even if I wouldn't put it on myself; but if he goes in the supermarket, there's going to be TONS of stuff he didn't realize he "wanted" until he saw it.

[my2girlz]

Definitely solo shopping! That and not sending dh to the store by himself! If he is the only option send him with a VERY detailed list.

[Usually Curious]

ITA - we are the same way.

[jessemoon]

Us too!

[msjd123]

Oh heck yeah, but my DH is worse; he'd easily add $45. In fact, I try to discourage him from running to the grocery store mid-week, even when we need something, because he ALWAYS comes back with more. I know he's trying to be helpful, but I'd rather go myself and know I'm only getting milk than send him and brace myself for everything else he's going to come back with in addition to the milk.

[Emmeline II]

Us too! One time dh came with us when dd was a newborn. Among the other things he tossed in was $16 worth of razors! To him they were a bargain but to me they were a budget buster and I rather pay a little more to get them separately. Dh is much better about only coming home with what I ask if I ask him to pick up on the way home from work, now.

[lovesdaffodils]

The same thing happens here! I end up with a much larger bill and a lot more junk food if DP comes. If he goes to the store to pick up a couple of things, he also comes back with a lot extra (usually treats and convenience items). He does mean well though, but it's a killer for the budget.

[Jane]

Same here + my dh takes foreveeeeeer to shop. Drives me a little nutty to shop with him. He never just grabs anything, it's always a Dilemma.

[Caneel]

So he isn't the only one!

It isn't just the cost - it is the food clutter. Our cupboards and fridge are jammed full of stuff, which I think annoys me as much (maybe more) than the money.

[superstella]

Oh wow, I absolutely can NOT take my dh to the grocery store with me. He teases me now when we do go and says for everything I pick up and put in the cart, "Is that on your list?" because I keep putting all of his stuff back and saying "NOT on my list!" Now he's started asking me before we go if his favorites are on my list.

So yeah, I understand. Dh + grocery store = blown budget.

[kdabbler]

It's a known fact in our house that if dh goes along shopping, the bill is $30 - $50 higher

If I bring dd#1 along, I can keep it to less than $10 (usually it's a special ice cream or cereal).

[Nankay]

I was just going to post this! I had a stomach bug for a day or 2 and we needed our mid month fill-in-the-gaps- shopping run (milk, bread, eggs etc.) I had budgeted 50.00. DH shopped for me when I was down and out and came back with groceries totalling....


$137.00!!!!!!


If I wasn't so sick I would have strangled him!

[IlluminatedAttic]

Same issues here! Dh isn't much of a snack food addict though, he goes for the gourmet stuff. So he puts things in the cart like pickled asparagus, eggplant bruschetta, smoked salmon, gourmet cheese (okay, this one I have a hard time taking back out of the cart!) etc. If he is with me at Whole Foods on tasting day watch out! He'll blow my budget for the entire next week if I don't watch him carefully!

He also is horrible at restaurants! He must order a drink, an appetizer and dessert. The other night we found ourselves running late and having to do some evening errands, so I suggested we grab a quick dinner. I even reminded him that we have plans for a nice dinner out this weekend so we want to keep the tab low. No dice, the final bill was $60 including the tip. Now he is upset because I said we cannot go out this weekend as planned, there's not enough left in the budget.:

[rsummer]

Originally Posted by ZFooFoo

Same issues here! Dh isn't much of a snack food addict though, he goes for the gourmet stuff. So he puts things in the cart like pickled asparagus, eggplant bruschetta, smoked salmon, gourmet cheese (okay, this one I have a hard time taking back out of the cart!) etc. If he is with me at Whole Foods on tasting day watch out! He'll blow my budget for the entire next week if I don't watch him carefully!

He also is horrible at restaurants! He must order a drink, an appetizer and dessert. The other night we found ourselves running late and having to do some evening errands, so I suggested we grab a quick dinner. I even reminded him that we have plans for a nice dinner out this weekend so we want to keep the tab low. No dice, the final bill was $60 including the tip. Now he is upset because I said we cannot go out this weekend as planned, there's not enough left in the budget.:

Umm are you married to my husband too??? Seriously DH is exact same way. He just seriously loves fine food and aged scotch. Yeah and none of the garbage. Although he does 90% of the cooking, so technically I may just be paying a higher food bill for a personal chef.

And to give him credit, while I was in school, he was super budget gourmet chef. We used our indian food cookbook a lot back then

[Caneel]

Originally Posted by rsummer

Umm are you married to my husband too??? Seriously DH is exact same way. He just seriously loves fine food and aged scotch. Yeah and none of the garbage. Although he does 90% of the cooking, so technically I may just be paying a higher food bill for a personal chef.

And to give him credit, while I was in school, he was super budget gourmet chef. We used our indian food cookbook a lot back then

Wait a minute, are all three of us married to the same man? Our maybe mine has two brothers out there that he doesn't know about!

Mine doesn't cook much anymore because I am a much better cook (he will be the first to say it) and isn't too much into snack food aside from ice cream and oreos, which I never buy

It is the gourmet stuff with dh too. $9 for a small wedge of cheese, $4.5 for bakery bread? To him, that is a Friday evening nibble before dinner. Our closest thing to a gourmet store is Wegman's and he could easily spend $200 per trip. Fortunately, we rarely shop there.

He will be the first to admit his love of good food and giving no consideration to cost comes from being feed, in his words, cr_ppy food as a child. Because we can technically afford it, he has no desire to curb his pleasure.

[Maddy123]

My DH is definitely a budget buster at the grocery store. He's worse than the kids! At least they only want a donut or some snack foods. He buys the expensive meats, cheeses, etc. And the same as OPs have mentioned as far as going out to a restaurant. Drinks, appetizers, the whole works.

I would love to have him go to the store more often. He doesn't mind grocery shopping (and I kind of dislike it). But I prefer to keep a handle on the spending! So I try not to send him. We just need to make a lot more money, and then I could delegate.

[Piglet68]

I guess that makes me the female version of your husbands!

I used to be really bad at getting things that weren't really needed. It's DH who sticks to the list, but since he rarely does the shopping I was generating a huge bill each month. Now that I'm more aware, and I do stick to the list now, things are much much better!