I've noticed something about myself that I have a hard time changing. For some reason I have a hard time "adjusting to inflation". Mostly with groceries. When I was in college I spent $50 a month on food (when I had $50 to spend). Once we were married, I doubled it to $100 a month (when we had it). I worked really hard to stay under budget for groceries (mostly that meant not taking Matt to the store with me!). Fast forward 10 years and I still have it in my mind that I should be spending $100 on groceries per month. We have the money that we need budgeted, but when I go to the grocery store and my total is over $100 I get panicked thinking that I just spent all of our grocery money on that one trip. We have 6 people in our family (4 of whom are boys) and I really cannot expect to feed us all on $100 per month--that works out to about 55 cents per person per day--but I still hate spending more than $100 on groceries!
Am I the only one who does this? Are there things that you have carried over from earlier years that just aren't realistic anymore, but you just can't change??
7 comments:
I keep thinking I can be 'done'- like get the cleaning 'done' or the laundry 'done'! I keep telling myself it will never be done, but when I finish the last load and two minutes later the laundry basket is overflowing, I get really annoyed!
If you can shop and make fantastic meals for a $100 a week I need to know how you do it. We spend $200 a week. You add up six gallons of milk a week, meat of some kind every night and freash fruit. It seems like everything is getting more expensive and there is less in a package these days.
When I was in college and I was running short of money, I just wouldn't buy anything. Simple, right? Just don't spend one penny. It worked then when I had no car, could survive on canned soup and yogurt and walked everywhere. I still try to do that now sometimes when things are tight, but it is just not realistic. We still have to buy gas, groceries, etc. Then I get really stressed that we weren't supposed to spend any money, even though we bought essentials. And I am with Shanna - it seems as soon as I'm done with laundry, it needs to be done again!!
I think you need to bump up your grocery budget. When your family grows, they eat more. Grandpa Olsen used to say, "you either spend it at the grocery store or the doctor's office!"
Besides, you make me look bad when I think of how much I spend on food and there is just Dad and I!
I should note here that I do spend (and budget) more than $100 a month--it is more like $300-400 a month, but I feel like it should only be $100.
I'm with Kelleyn - I can't make even lame meals on $100 per week, let alone per month.
I don't like inflation as related to a soda at a restaurant. It used to be less than $1, now I'm happy if it's less than $2. It's only pennies, really, but it annoys me!
That, and paying $10 to get into the movies even in the afternoon (when did you have to go in the morning to get the "cheap tickets"?)
I shoot for $100 for our family of 6, but that rarely happens. It usually turns out to be $125 or so. It helps that my kids aren't snackers. My friend has 4 kids that won't stop eating. I'd hate to see her food bill.
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