8.25.2010

My personal challenge

I am challenging myself to feed our family on $200 worth of groceries for the month of September. FOOD ONLY, and formula isn't included in this $200 limit. I know it sounds ridiculous but I have done my homework. I know how much milk, bread, chicken, cans of veggies, etc. that we go through in a week. I've done lots of calculating. $200 isn't as crazy as it sounds, and I'm going to prove it. I'm doing this for a lot of reasons:
  • We want to have one last baby at some point next year, so if I can start cutting back now then we will be THAT much more prepared to bring our last bundle of joy into this world.
  • Jared and I both want to shed a few unwanted pounds. I'm giving up a few guilty pleasures not only to save on groceries but to help lose some weight as well. See ya later Dr. Pepper...thanks for helping me stay awake through the day. So long Blue Bell, I love you more than I love my husband sometimes.
  • I want to see just how little our family can survive on. I don't mean little amounts of food, just how little can we make our grocery bill. If I feel like I have cut back everywhere that I can and there just isn't enough to go around then I'm tossing that $200 limit out the window and we will just see how much is realistic for our family. But $200 is a start.
  • I don't work, I am so fortunate to be a stay at home mom. I'm not lucky, luck has nothing to do with me getting to stay home. We sacrifice a lot for me to raise our kids here at home and not send them to day care, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Since I don't bring home a pay check every two weeks I can do my part by saving our family as much money as I can, however I can.
  • Formula is NOT cheap, even the cheap kind isn't cheap. Russell is gonna cost us about $120 a month in formula. And that's just the start of it...once he starts eating more, that number obviously will go up.
If you have any tips for me, I'm all ears. Don't tell me to go to Aldi...there isn't one anywhere near Paris. My plan is buy the basics and keep the menu simple, which will help our wallets and our waistlines!...Right?

And just because a blog is stupidly boring without a picture....here are a few photos that are in no way relevant to my post but who cares because kids are fun to look at!
I don't where she would have learned to multitask like that...

Yeah, she's ready to be a stay at home mom for sure :)

Looks like someone has a future at NASA...and it also looks like someone else has a bit of a "phone problem"...I see a trend in these pictures.

6 comments:

Ashley@The Vanilla Tulip said...

ELAINE!!! Okay...we must be the same person..I too am doing a grocery challenge this month! Just sitting down to make my list for the weeek... can't wait to talk to you about it!

Good job you :)

Jennifer said...

you know, that's not crazy at all.....I can usually feed my family for about $200 a month.....lately, though, it's been costing more...just because I don't coupon(i don't understand how. I've tried, and it just doesn't make sense to me), we've been buying at cosco, and my husband goes through things faster than you can say "get a glass"....

I also have been very lax with making things from scratch---which is what saves us money. I usually make bread. If I made pasta at home, that would save us at least 20 dollars a month (I'm exaggerating a little, but only a little. we eat a LOT of pasta). We've also been eating out more than usual because I don't feel like cooking very much--i'm bored with it. On the plus side, I love fruit and vegetables, and for the last month or so, I've been able to get peaches, plums, and nectarines for $0.49/lb.

I hope you caught my advice? make things from scratch at home, don't eat out, buy produce in season.

Something I've been meaning to do--make a menu and store up a 3 month food supply, and eventually a year's supply----after that's built up, you don't have to spend a lot on food

Knox said...

GOOD for you, and let me know how it goes. And don't watch Food Inc., because then you'll feel the need to buy sustainably farmed, organic food. Which isn't cheap :) Which is what I do. But I buy only things on sale. This isn't good advice.

You better update this thing and let me know how it goes. I try and cut our grocery budget and we do the cash system, and my grocery budget is still over double what you're going to shoot for.

LOVE YOU!

Elizabeth & Chad said...

First I would say you should start couponing. Some people use the Grocery Game method and others just watch for coupons and sales and go from there. I know lots of LDS families that do this and its good for helping stock up on food. You can also use this website http://www.5dollardinners.com/.

Good Luck!

Bailey bits and pieces said...

Elaine..you are a girl after my own heart!! I have always been very "grocery list" aware cause I think thats one of the few places I can cut corners. I get paid every 2 weeks, therefore I grocery shop every 2 weeks. I typically spend around $150 a pay period....which does usually include formula and or diapers (parent's choice brand by the way). Anyway..I make my menu for 2 weeks, then make my shopping list from that. Of course I have to add in the extras we have to have like school lunch items, etc. I like having 2 weeks worth of meals to choose from. On my blog I have a link to a blog called The Organized Chef...check her out! I always includes some easies...like hot dogs...so if Im extra busy one night I have something quick to make. Sometimes I even schedule on my menu dinner out if I know we are having an eat on the run evening. I am one of the ladies you see at Walmart with my coupons and other store ads. My motto is if you dont like me doing it...get in another line! :)
My mission this summer was to make a little extra money...so I have been on the hunt for any kind of good deal I can find. My favorite websites are mydfwmommy, freesnatcher, and coupondiva. They all include weekly coupons and the best place to use them. Plus, if there is a good deal going on at a retail store they will let you know. Because of one of them I was recently able to purchase a movie ticket for $4 and print off a coupon for a free large bag of popcorn. Makes going to the movies a little more easy. Also I frequently check out www.findfocusgroups.com. They list all kinds od focus groups u can participate in...a lot which are conducted online. I got paid $30 to participate in a 30 minute taste test! Anyway...sorry this is long but this is something Im pretty passionate about these days! And I enjoy it! Good luck!

Kris said...

Be sure to report back on this.