I always bring my lunch. For 5 years I was in the habit of eating out, or going to lunch with other staff, but I quickly realized that this indulgence was emptying my bank. Now, I make a big dish on Sunday night (large bean salad, large croc-pot soup) that I can take for lunch each day. Also, packing my lunch has helped me lose weight. If I run out of ideas, I will always take leftovers, or eat a bunch of random food left in the fridge.
I don't have to buy baby formula and I know that is quite expensive. I don't believe that every family's weekly budget is going to be the same, but I do think it's very useful to set a specific budget to aim for. I also don't buy _all_ organic.
We do eat out sometimes, and this is not included in the budget. We probably average about one take-out dinner (often a Friday night pizza) and one lunch out (often fast food) per week. Oh, also my oldest daughter takes hot lunch several times a week.
When my dad hunted, I think his highest expense was the tab at the tavern after the evening's hunting! These days, I'd worry about the cost of gas for fall hunting trips. But I bet it still works out to less than buying the meat.
I think the reason we are able to stay below average is my aggressive use of coupons and promotions. For example several months ago I was able to get 10-20 boxes of whole wheat and veggie pasta for free after coupon. That's the basis of an inexpensive meal right there. I definitely only buy ice cream treats when they are on a special offer, but we do indulge in evening wine ($2.99, Trader Joe).
Our dinners this week so far: Monday -- cucumber/tomato soup from my dad's garden, kale/hambone soup from the freezer and homemade whole wheat rolls. Tuesday -- spaghetti (free) with Italian sausage and sauce from a jar, plus garden vegetables. Wednesday -- pork chops, potatoes, pan gravy and garden vegetables. (Yes, we're really blessed with the vegetables at the moment! We give my parents lots of drugstore freebies.)
Keep in mind that my kids are still small so they don't eat that much. I would totally expect a family with 3 bigger kids to have a higher budget!
Contrary to the popular advice that animals need to eat the same thing every day, I feed them a variety of foods. In the morning they get an expensive dry food with water poured on it -- we're currently using Merrick Before Grain. The water on the food is to encourage them to consumer more water, which like most cats they don't drink much of. In the evening I give them each about a quarter can of cheap canned food, like Friskies or Trader Joe's Tuna for Cats. I prefered the Tuna for Cats because the ingredients are mainly just tuna and the protein is higher than other canned foods, but the cats seemed to stop liking it after awhile.
We also feed them meat scraps of all kinds in place of their canned food, when available. Their favorite seems to be cooked chicken livers and giblets, mashed up. Every time I roast a chicken I cook up the organs for the cats.
I spend $4-$5 a week on disposable diapers. I agree that cloth would be better for the planet, and I did go through a period of about six months with my second kid when I used cloth. But now that I work and am paying someone to help me with childcare and other household duties, I feel like it would actually add to our expenses to use cloth. Time is money. I DO feel guilty about it and I am in no way discouraging others from using cloth, but for me, I just don't feel I can handle the extra work that cloth diapering brings, nor do I want to ask my childcare provider to deal with it.
I always pack my lunch. If I had to try to decide what I wanted for lunch every day(Thai? Mexican? McDonalds? Wendy's? Arbys? 7-Eleven hot dog?) OMG, I would go insane. Leftovers it is. Or I'll make a big pot of coconut chicken curry or some other dish for a couple days out of the week. My lunch is always tasty. :)
My new habit, which I'm starting to love, is jot down notes that come to me during the evening on my ipad, then before bed, sending that off to my work email. this gives me a nice to-do list first thing in the morning when i get in the office, and cuts back on any downtime I would normally use to get up and going and into the swing of things.
Not so sure on Rent. I'm able to rent dirt cheap in a large city and save a ton of money per month. If I were to buy, I'd be in debt up to my eyeballs and living paycheck to paycheck. That section alone could be a post in itself.
With a family of 2 and most recipes making 4 servings, I generally pack my lunch from frozen or refrigerated leftovers. It helps with portion size and my budget.
I usually bring my lunch: two egg whites, carrots or tomatoes and an apple. I bring a cheese stick for my 3pm snack. My lunch is healthy and cheap just the way I like it!
Homemade empanadas and carrots for the adults, homemade sausages baked in a bun and carrots for the kids. The baked goods are made in the weekend, utilizing leftover when possible, and the carrots are peeled in the morning.
I buy books on amazon.com.
I always comparison shop. I also factor in gas and shipping expense.
I do not have a financial advisor.
I buy my music on iTunes.
I would not donate to the government. I would feel better if I knew where my money was going, similar to selecting a charity.
No, I'm not prepared.
The smartest investment that I've made is my education. It makes all the difference.
Dress for the position you want to have, not the position you are are in.
Thank you! My GF BFF Loved her "Friend-iversary" gift!
I always bring my lunch. For 5 years I was in the habit of eating out, or going to lunch with other staff, but I quickly realized that this indulgence was emptying my bank. Now, I make a big dish on Sunday night (large bean salad, large croc-pot soup) that I can take for lunch each day. Also, packing my lunch has helped me lose weight. If I run out of ideas, I will always take leftovers, or eat a bunch of random food left in the fridge.
Hi Vanessa,
I will be blogging my actual shopping trips and weekly menus on this page of my blog (I start next week): http://chicago.frugalisticmom.com/category/feeding-5-on-100-a-week/
I don't have to buy baby formula and I know that is quite expensive. I don't believe that every family's weekly budget is going to be the same, but I do think it's very useful to set a specific budget to aim for. I also don't buy _all_ organic.
We do eat out sometimes, and this is not included in the budget. We probably average about one take-out dinner (often a Friday night pizza) and one lunch out (often fast food) per week. Oh, also my oldest daughter takes hot lunch several times a week.
When my dad hunted, I think his highest expense was the tab at the tavern after the evening's hunting! These days, I'd worry about the cost of gas for fall hunting trips. But I bet it still works out to less than buying the meat.
I think the reason we are able to stay below average is my aggressive use of coupons and promotions. For example several months ago I was able to get 10-20 boxes of whole wheat and veggie pasta for free after coupon. That's the basis of an inexpensive meal right there. I definitely only buy ice cream treats when they are on a special offer, but we do indulge in evening wine ($2.99, Trader Joe).
Our dinners this week so far: Monday -- cucumber/tomato soup from my dad's garden, kale/hambone soup from the freezer and homemade whole wheat rolls. Tuesday -- spaghetti (free) with Italian sausage and sauce from a jar, plus garden vegetables. Wednesday -- pork chops, potatoes, pan gravy and garden vegetables. (Yes, we're really blessed with the vegetables at the moment! We give my parents lots of drugstore freebies.)
Keep in mind that my kids are still small so they don't eat that much. I would totally expect a family with 3 bigger kids to have a higher budget!
Contrary to the popular advice that animals need to eat the same thing every day, I feed them a variety of foods. In the morning they get an expensive dry food with water poured on it -- we're currently using Merrick Before Grain. The water on the food is to encourage them to consumer more water, which like most cats they don't drink much of. In the evening I give them each about a quarter can of cheap canned food, like Friskies or Trader Joe's Tuna for Cats. I prefered the Tuna for Cats because the ingredients are mainly just tuna and the protein is higher than other canned foods, but the cats seemed to stop liking it after awhile.
We also feed them meat scraps of all kinds in place of their canned food, when available. Their favorite seems to be cooked chicken livers and giblets, mashed up. Every time I roast a chicken I cook up the organs for the cats.
I spend $4-$5 a week on disposable diapers. I agree that cloth would be better for the planet, and I did go through a period of about six months with my second kid when I used cloth. But now that I work and am paying someone to help me with childcare and other household duties, I feel like it would actually add to our expenses to use cloth. Time is money. I DO feel guilty about it and I am in no way discouraging others from using cloth, but for me, I just don't feel I can handle the extra work that cloth diapering brings, nor do I want to ask my childcare provider to deal with it.
Pack of course!
You can also do a version of Brown Betty where you replace the breadcrumbs with corn flakes!
I always pack my lunch. If I had to try to decide what I wanted for lunch every day(Thai? Mexican? McDonalds? Wendy's? Arbys? 7-Eleven hot dog?) OMG, I would go insane. Leftovers it is. Or I'll make a big pot of coconut chicken curry or some other dish for a couple days out of the week. My lunch is always tasty. :)
My new habit, which I'm starting to love, is jot down notes that come to me during the evening on my ipad, then before bed, sending that off to my work email. this gives me a nice to-do list first thing in the morning when i get in the office, and cuts back on any downtime I would normally use to get up and going and into the swing of things.
formula free looks awesome, wish that was around when I was in school.. shoot, wish an iphone was around when i was in school...
Not so sure on Rent. I'm able to rent dirt cheap in a large city and save a ton of money per month. If I were to buy, I'd be in debt up to my eyeballs and living paycheck to paycheck. That section alone could be a post in itself.
With a family of 2 and most recipes making 4 servings, I generally pack my lunch from frozen or refrigerated leftovers. It helps with portion size and my budget.
Clark Howard: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/clark.howard/
Sandra's Money Saving Meals: http://www.foodnetwork.com/sandras-money-saving-meals/recipes/index.html
I usually bring my lunch: two egg whites, carrots or tomatoes and an apple. I bring a cheese stick for my 3pm snack. My lunch is healthy and cheap just the way I like it!
Homemade empanadas and carrots for the adults, homemade sausages baked in a bun and carrots for the kids. The baked goods are made in the weekend, utilizing leftover when possible, and the carrots are peeled in the morning.