Cash in an envelope to the grocery store?

[journeymom]

Have you ever taken a pre determined amount of cash (not a check!) to the grocery store?

Do you keep a running total of how much you're spending, adding the price with each item you put in the cart?
-slip of paper?
-calculator?
-in your head?

Do you do this consistently, or just once in a while? Or, you tried it and didn't like it? Why?

[AngieB]

I do this sometimes ( and should do it a lot more!!!!) I usually just add it up on the back of my shopping list as I go. I tried using a calculator once but it kept getting clear or I would enter the wrong amount and I couldn't go back...paper just seems to work better for me.

[velcromom]

I used to shop with cash and add it up in my head as I went. But at that time I didn't do large trips, only around $50 or less at a time, so I could keep it all in my mind ... these days I would have to write it down, for sure!

[Stacey247]

I shop with cash. We budget by the month, so I usually do my "big" shop at the beginning of the month and just fill in the gaps towards the end (fresh fruit/veg and dairy usually). If for some reason I go over, I do have a credit card in my purse - but this hasn't happened (yet!).

[llamalluv]

Originally Posted by journeymom

Have you ever taken a pre determined amount of cash (not a check!) to the grocery store?

Do you keep a running total of how much you're spending, adding the price with each item you put in the cart?
-slip of paper?
-calculator?
-in your head?

Do you do this consistently, or just once in a while? Or, you tried it and didn't like it? Why?

We always take cash to the grocery store. I don't formally add it up, because we "overbudget" for food. I just keep a mental note and round everything up to the nearest $1 or half dollar.

However, when I was 12 and we were on food stamps, we DID add it up, and we did it on a calculator. We were inputting numbers so often that clearing wasn't really a problem. (When I was shopping with my mother and 2 small kids, I just wanted out of the store!)

[spring978]

I always use cash. I write list I write in prices on my list before I go, I then take that amount. At the store I make adjustments. I am always within a dollar or 2 of my set price

[JERENAUD]

Originally Posted by spring978

I always use cash. I write list I write in prices on my list before I go, I then take that amount. At the store I make adjustments. I am always within a dollar or 2 of my set price

That's basically what I do. I have a spreadsheet with everything I could possibly buy and an approximate price. When I'm planning my list, i just put in a quanitity for that item and the program keeps a running total. Then I write out my actual list, with prices, and just have to keep track of any glaring differences between my prices and the store prices. Clear as mud? It's easy to use, maybe not so much to explain!

Erica

[lilylove]

I used to use cash and keep a running tally in my head. I stopped doing this and stating spending way too much on groceries, so I need to get back to it. After a while of doing it I get a feel for things and don't have to worry about keeping the tally quite so much. I also have my debit card with me just in case.

[mchammill]

I really should try to do this because I consistently over spend at the Grocery store.

[angelcollector1]

I'm going to show my age here. This reminded me of those little handheld clicker things my mom used when I was a kid that you click the buttons on the top to add the price to the total you have.. anyone know what I"m talking about?

In answer to the original question, I usually only use my debit card when I shop, I hardly ever have cash on me. It doesn't help keep me in budget, which is something I need to work on starting September 1st.

[shanetedissac]

We use the envelope system with most of our spending beyond auto payment stuff. We have an envelope marked 'food' that pays for household groceries. When ever we need food we take that envelope. When it is empty there is no more money for food. We have been doing this for 1.5 years now and it works very well for us. We have a food budget of $485 per month at the moment. This amount also pays for our CSA that cost us $550 a year.

Enjoy!

[annethcz]

I've done this a few times, but I really don't like it.

When I do this, I use the calculator on my cell phone to keep a running total of my purchases.

[Madalyn]

I had to do this when we first moved down here because the commissary wasn't taking our debit card. I haaated it! We always got out too much money which would later get wasted and I was still paranoid we wouldn't have enough. DH tried to tag along behind me adding it all up on his phone but it was just very frustrating. Especially with the amount of people in there and how large the shopping carts are at commissaries. :

[gromero]

I don't bring cash with me, I use my debit card, but still the same concept. I make out a groccery list for that week (I shop once a week), and write the price of each item next to it. I also make my list by aisle, and that helps out a lot. I round up the nearest dollar with each item, and by doing this, I have never once been over my budget. We usually allow $150-200/week for food.

I don't use a caculator, I just make tally's on my list in $5 increments, $20 on each row....make sense? Lol...kinda hard to explain, but easy to do (they look like llll with a diagonal line through it for the 5th dollar)

[pnutS4us]

I take cash with me, putting the prices next to the items as I put them in the cart. Then when I have bought all the important items, I add everything up with a calculator and then see what I have left. Depending on what I have left, i will buy the ingredients for say, a batch of cookies, or a tub of good ice cream, or just tuck it away for an emergency. Works really well for us.

[lucyem]

Originally Posted by angelcollector1

I'm going to show my age here. This reminded me of those little handheld clicker things my mom used when I was a kid that you click the buttons on the top to add the price to the total you have.. anyone know what I"m talking about?

That rings a bell with me. I think I know what you are talking about.

When I have cash I round up the price in my head and add the rounded numbers. Usually that keeps me ahead with cash.

[ananas]

I might start trying this soon. I think it would help me limit spending.

[hellyaellen]

Originally Posted by angelcollector1

I'm going to show my age here. This reminded me of those little handheld clicker things my mom used when I was a kid that you click the buttons on the top to add the price to the total you have.. anyone know what I"m talking about?

In answer to the original question, I usually only use my debit card when I shop, I hardly ever have cash on me. It doesn't help keep me in budget, which is something I need to work on starting September 1st.

i've got one of those sitting on my desk right now that needs a small repair. scotch tape will fix it just fine. it only goes to twenty dollars though.

i rarely carry cash but i do keep a running total in my head most of the time. i don't really have a set amount most of the time.....but i do have a list (often mental as well) so i pretty much know how much i'm going to be spending......

[amynbebes]

Whether using cash or debit card I prefer to keep a running total in my head, rounding up anything around .40 or so and up and rounding down the rest. If I get toward the end and still have a few need to have things to get, I reevaluate what I have in my cart and put stuff back as necessary that we don't truly need.

[CameronsMama]

I always take cash to the grocery store, I usually take out the months grocery budget at the beginning of the month, and when it's gone, it's gone. I sometimes keep a running total as I shop, usually only at the end of the month if I'm worried about going over though. I kind of know how much stuff will cost, and I'm good at estimating if I'm going to have enough to cover it.