Budget for eating (in and out)

[vishenda]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I think that if you are single eating out is a bigger part of your budget because it is more part of the lifestyle! It has been so long for me that maybe it is a stretch on my part!

Very well said, same boaty

[vishenda]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

oops please dont take my display image literally!

[cptacek]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I don't understand your numbers. Some months have four numbers, some have five. I don't think it formatted correctly in the post.

You are right. I didn't do it right...I'll try it again.
<table border="1">
<tr>
<td>Month</td>
<td>Restuarant</td>
<td>Bar</td>
<td>Groceries</td>
<td>Liquor</td>
<td>Total</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>January</td>
<td>404</td>
<td>61</td>
<td>129</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>594</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>February</td>
<td>455</td>
<td>116</td>
<td>103</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>674</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>March</td>
<td>414</td>
<td>82</td>
<td>104</td>
<td>57</td>
<td>657</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>April</td>
<td>353</td>
<td>63</td>
<td>250</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>648</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>May</td>
<td>277</td>
<td>129</td>
<td>200</td>
<td>42</td>
<td>648</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June</td>
<td>498</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>524</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1042</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>July</td>
<td>339</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>117</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>456</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>August</td>
<td>330</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>365</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>708</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>September</td>
<td>412</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>178</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>590</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>October</td>
<td>269</td>
<td>29</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>36</td>
<td>400</td>
</tr>
</table>

[Broken Arrow]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

Now there is a huge gap between your response and your table.

However... wow... those are some frighteningly large numbers!

[cptacek]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

A recap: My plan is to take out $150 every Friday to use for the week, and put anything that is left over from that money towards my loan with the highest interest. Well, I started by taking $100 out on Nov 18, and then $150 on Nov 27. The first week, I had $10 left over, and this week, I have $80 left over. So, $90 to put towards my loan! I wrote a check for $90 to myself and took out another $60...that way today I have $150 in cash and can send the check to my bank.

OH WAIT!!! I only took out $100 the first week, so I need to send an extra $50 to the loan. That means I've saved $140 in two weeks. (If you can call that saving...I mean I did "budget" $300 for two weeks).

My totals for November:
<table border=1>
<tr>
<td>Month</td>
<td>Restuarant</td>
<td>Bar</td>
<td>Groceries</td>
<td>Liquor</td>
<td>Total</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>November</td>
<td>228</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>206</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>455</td>
</tr>
</table>

Still high, but at least it is the lowest month so far this year. Ok, I can do this, and I'm glad it was lower, so I can see results.

[markio26]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

good job!!!

[tinapbeana]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

cptacek, glad to see you're efforts are generating results! i like the $150 a week aspect: an allowance can be really effective. plus when you come under you're using that money to pay off some bills, which is a BIG motivator to come under!

[Gruntina]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I find when I am single; I spend less food than I do when I am dating. When alone, I can eat right out of the can sometimes. I do need a well rounded dinner plate full of different food groups. Sometimes I just eat a salad. I chopped up all the veggies and things I put in my salads ahead of time to last me a few days and just sprinkle what ever I am in the mood for that day. There were times I ate only on 25 dollars per week (I don’t drink myself just water) due to some strict budget I had.

I love to cook gourmet dish and usually do it a lot more often when dating. It can get pricey that way. I need to reserve a few days of the month for specialty dish to make and treat it as a treat. Not something my bf wants to hear though lol!

[Broken Arrow]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

When alone, I can eat right out of the can sometimes.

Heh. For half of last year, Chef Boyardee was my best friend.

Unfortunately, I ate too much of it. Or tried to. Now, I really can't touch the stuff. I'm trying to eat more variety nowadays.

cptacek, you're doing good. I need to slim down my food spending as well.

[PRICEPLUS]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I too at one time was addicted to Spaghettios!

[tinapbeana]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

i get nauseated at the smell of ramen noodles. one guess as to why...

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

Congrats on a better month.

When I eat out I do drink water..no ice with lemon..something I never get at home (I so am not cutting a lemon just for a glass of water) so it IS a treat, just not one most humans enjoy....

On a useful note, for the days when you don't want to cook, often nuking a bowl of veggies and some premade (bought or homemade) chicken or fish is cheaper than a prepackaged meal or eating out, and takes less time than picking it up.

green peas and cheese (and bacon if you eat it) takes 3 minutes to nuke, put it on/with a roll and has all the food groups.

I hate to cook so I know lots of not really cooking meals, ones that can be made in minutes (cause that is all I have in between diapers and nursing many days!)

[cptacek]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I guess one thing I didn't take into account is that my boyfriend doesn't go to the grocery store much, so when I go see him on weekends I fill up his cabinets too...that way I can cook something other than hotdogs and chips. He did have a hog butchered recently (which is VERY cost effective), though, so we do have pork chops and bacon alot. So, if you look at the months after June, (when I moved closer) I am helping to feed two people.

With my cousin living with me, (since September) the grocery budget here at home is also feeding two people...I hate washing dishes, so I cook and she cleans up the kitchen after. I'm not really cooking that much more, though...before I would cook this much and then put it in the refrigerator until it turned green...I'm not much on leftovers. But now we both eat it and I'll maybe have one day's lunch that tastes good. I've found after that I don't like it much. She might eat the leftovers, and she buys food for her lunch. I'm just talking super.

Alright, then, my budget is really contributing to three people's good eating habits...I have introduced some vegetables none of us have eaten before (and found we like), and a lot less potatoes.

There is still no excuse for how much I was spending before June, though.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

cptacek, don't worry about it. Hate to say it but when your single eating out is usually a huge vice. It's hard to stop because it's lonely to sit at home and eat. And a lot of times other singles or couple friends who have a night off will easily invite you out to eat and do stuff knowing you are home alone. So then it's hard to turn down. My single BIL eats out about 5-6 times a week with friends, coworkers, players on the hockey team he's on, people he volunteers with etc. He'd be lonely otherwise and I'm not going to bash him at all. I hope this leads to him finding someone instead of sitting at home depressed out of his mind and calling us at 2 am because he's lonely. He's not in debt, and doesn't spend on anything else, so why not enjoy a little? Yes he could be saving $400/month but I'd rather have a sane BIL instead of a unibomber.

[sarah]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I am in exactly the same boat. I spent 402 in November on food, Household supplies and pet food. I am trying to get this number down to 300.00 with mixed success. Your plan sounds like a good one.