Hello, my name is ziggy and I'm a grocery-shop a holic

[ziggystardust]

I am drastically trying to reduce my spending and while i've pretty much cut all the extras out of my budget, mint.com just told me i exceeded my grocery budget. Fine - no biggie, then i go look at the statement.

Jul 26 Stop & Shop Groceries –$15.75
Jul 24 Stop & Shop Groceries –$3.85
Jul 23 Waldbaum's Groceries –$24.52
Jul 22 Stop & Shop Groceries –$27.61
Jul 20 Waldbaum's Groceries –$16.66
Jul 19 Stop & Shop Groceries –$52.73
Jul 18 Stop & ShopGroceries –$9.30

Um, I was in the store almost DAILY! what is wrong with me!?!??! not to mention I spent $150 in 9 days (not counting and cash transactions I may have done)

Really need to start doing something else on my lunch breaks.

 

[kristenrice]

You and my DH need to form a support group. He stops into the grocery store about 3 times A WEEK!!! I am the one who pays the bills and when I tell him how much our CC bill is, he says, "HOW did we spend that much? WHERE did it go?". I politely point out that our family of 4 does not need to spend $600 a month at the grocery store! He says that because I don't do the shopping (why would I when he is at the store 3 times a week?) I just don't realize how much groceries cost. Well, I am still trying to convince him that he has to start buying what we NEED, not what he WANTS. I don't care that Chips Ahoy are on sale....we don't need 4 packages!! I agree with stocking up when things are on sale, to a point. DH goes crazy on the 10/$10 items...we don't need 10 packages of Hamburger Helper when we eat it less than once a month! I've gone shopping before...I checked the ads, cut coupons from the paper, checked coupons.com for more and made a list. Then, I went to the store, stuck to the list and bought what we needed for the next 2-3 days. I spent $20. I don't have a problem with the frequency of DH's grocery trips...it's what he buys that has my britches in a bind. Junk....never a vegetable, unless it's the Green Giant frozen ones...no fruit, unless it is the sliced apples for HIS lunches. It's all sweets...Little Debbies, Oreos, Chips Ahoy, and don't get me started on the candy bars. The thing is, HE doesn't eat any of it! The kids and I certainly don't need it, but we end up eating it because it is in the house. I have told him repeatedly to STOP buying it...he says he buys it because we like it...I told him we only eat it because he buys it! Ugh...

Sorry...vent over...

The only suggestion I would have is to do what I do...ask yourself, "Do I NEED it or do I want it?" If I don't need it, I don't buy it. I NEVER go to the grocery store just to kill time anymore. I used to do that on my breaks but found myself doing way too much impulse shopping.

The other suggestion is to buy yourself a store gift card at the beginning of the month and load it with your grocery budget. When it's gone, it's gone. If you have leftover, then you can buy a smaller card the next month. I think I am going to have to start doing this with DH.