As we gear up for a busy food shopping season over the next couple of months, one BCP Reader shares tips on how to make a food budget and stick to it.
First of all, I think it’s important for women to be aware (at least somewhat) about their families finances and to understand how much they have to work with each month. In my house, I handle all of the “shopping” and errands so if I’m not aware of what we’re working with I’ll just buy whatever I “think” we “need” and not even have a clue if it’s too much.
We often complain about how expensive everything is–but groceries and deciding what we cook and serve to our familia is actually something we actually have control over. It’’s super empowering to be able to manage that aspect and make decisions that help my family achieve our financial goals (or at least pay tuition!).
I also find it’s amazing for shalom bayis. When you are aware of what your groceries are supposed to cost each month and you keep to it, you will find that your husband is very appreciative.
So why, then, do we focus so little on budgeting, especially when it comes to food, one of our biggest, most variable expenses? So few of the women in my neighborhood know how to budget. It terrifies me. And there are so many ways to feed your family on a budget, yet there are very few resources that teach a woman how to do it.
But really it’s very simple…
- Compromise is necessary. That might mean ‘No,’ to individual yogurts with crunchy toppings attached each morning (save them for special occasions).
- Menu plan!
- Do inventory before you shop. Before I shop I look at my pantry + freezer and see what I already have, and then I create my menu around what I have and see what I need to fill in.
- Making a list and actually sticking to your list (we’re all guilty of messing up on this one).
- Don’t assume we “need” everything. I think a common thread I hear amongst people when I talk about budgeting is that they’re never ever willing to give anything up because they “need” it or their kids “need” it…but actually they don’t.
- Delay your shopping. I find this to be a fun and very helpful tip. The longer you can go without walking into a grocery, the more you’ll save because we all know about the $50 bottle of milk. So sometimes, when I want to go, I’ll challenge myself to see if I can come up with a meal to tide us over using things I already have…so that’s actually fun.
- Even if you will extend yourself or go the extra mile for Shabbos, doesn’t mean you can’t make a budget there as well and decide what you will spend/splurge on for Shabbos.
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