We tried to live within a budget, but we can't

[Dtail]

I budgeted $1500 but we are spending $2000.

I got you covered Corn18.

 

[Gumby]

You budgeted $1500 per month for food? That's crazy! $300 per month is plenty for all the groceries for my wife and me could possibly eat, and even includes leftover funds to eat out if desired. But we don't desire eating out--not at COVID-19 prices.

Figure out how to buy groceries & cook for yourselves and you'll save a ton over eating out every meal. I can't imagine how anyone could spent $1500 / mo just for food.

Or am I misunderstanding your numbers?

You budgeted $20.00 a month for razor blades? Are you insane? If you shaved with a straight razor as I do, you wouldn't spend anything.

See how that works? You spend how you want and let the OP spend how he wants.

 

[ivinsfan]

You budgeted $20.00 a month for razor blades? Are you insane? If you shaved with a straight razor as I do, you wouldn't spend anything.

See how that works? You spend how you want and let the OP spend how he wants.

You reckless spender, grow a beard. You won't need a razor or shaving cream. And so it goes...

 

[NW-Bound]

You reckless spender, grow a beard. You won't need a razor or shaving cream. And so it goes...

I think Gumby uses soap for shaving. And I remember that he made his own soap.

 

[CardsFan]

You reckless spender, grow a beard. You won't need a razor or shaving cream. And so it goes...

That's what I did, and now I can spend more on food and drink.

 

[RetiredHappy]

You budgeted $1500 per month for food? That's crazy! $300 per month is plenty for all the groceries for my wife and me could possibly eat, and even includes leftover funds to eat out if desired. But we don't desire eating out--not at COVID-19 prices.

Figure out how to buy groceries & cook for yourselves and you'll save a ton over eating out every meal. I can't imagine how anyone could spent $1500 / mo just for food.

Or am I misunderstanding your numbers?

Is that what I see you eating - Ramen noodles? Now, you can afford to have more than 1 bag of ramen noodles and keep it under $300 a month.

 

[Amethyst]

Ramen? Are you crazy?? All those carbs! All that sodium!

You'd better switch to squash noodles and cauliflower rice, if you don't want to spend your retirement on one leg from diabetes.

Is that what I see you eating - Ramen noodles? Now, you can afford to have more than 1 bag of ramen noodles and keep it under $300 a month.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Ramen? Are you crazy?? All those carbs! All that sodium!

You'd better switch to squash noodles and cauliflower rice, if you don't want to spend your retirement on one leg from diabetes.

...but... but... but... squash noodles and cauliflower rice are expensive and won't be able to keep the food budget under $300 per month!

 

[Gumby]

...but... but... but... squash noodles and cauliflower rice are expensive and won't be able to keep the food budget under $300 per month!

You're supposed to grow them yourself.

 

[Koolau]

I read your post again, and indeed you were talking about turning 1/2 sheet into 1/4 sheet.

And so, the 1/2 sheet is now the standard-size sheet.

I need to watch out to see when TP makers follow suit.

I hate to be the one to tell you this: TP HAS shrunk (at many stores.) It used to be 4.5 by 4.5 inches. Many suppliers now make it only 4 inches (roll width). In effect, you get 11% less. Now, it's true that some stores (notably Costco) have NOT gone this way - heh, heh, they've just raised prices - a lot! YMMV

 

[Dtail]

You budgeted $1500 per month for food? That's crazy! $300 per month is plenty for all the groceries for my wife and me could possibly eat, and even includes leftover funds to eat out if desired. But we don't desire eating out--not at COVID-19 prices.

Figure out how to buy groceries & cook for yourselves and you'll save a ton over eating out every meal. I can't imagine how anyone could spent $1500 / mo just for food.

Or am I misunderstanding your numbers?

So we are all fascinated on how each individual spends $5 daily on meals and by default sometimes spends less since you have leftover monies for eating out.
Perhaps we can learn on to save on food costs, as there are a lot of LBYM folks here.

 

[braumeister]

When it comes to questioning people's motives, the Spanish Inquisition had nothing on our forum members.

 

[finnski1]

ue

When it comes to questioning people's motives, the Spanish Inquisition had nothing on our forum members.

That may be true but NOBODY expected the Spanish Inquisition.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I have been on both sides of food spending. We are cleaning out the office papers this week and it has been like an archeological dig. I added up the groceries just from supermarkets one month from an old charge bill and got $1.8K in a month, not including groceries from places like Target and Amazon or eating out. DH read off the restaurants on one charge bill from another month and we just kind of cringed at the cost. So with kids at home we were probably spending $3K a month easy on food in a HCOL area. But this wasn't lobster or fancy restaurant food, just regular supermarket food and going out to places like local Chinese, Mexican and pizza.

We compared our budget to the Consumer Expenditure Survey before we retired and it was a big wake up call how much we were spending on groceries and dining out compared to an average household in the US. The biggest help for me was from the Tightwad Gazette - keeping a price book, looking at price per pound (or in my case price per nutrients), avoiding processed foods, and stockpiling the super bargains. I get my treasure hunt / cheap shopping thrills from grocery bargain hunting now and the excess goes to a food pantry. In hindsight I wish we had watched our grocery spending sooner as it would have meant ER sooner, but it is what it is now. We aren't really foodies so just try to eat lots of plants and what is considered healthy according to guidelines from longevity and cancer researchers. If we splurge on some items it is to buy superfoods like Goji berries and saffron threads.


ETA: After we FIRED, I joined a number of different seat filler memberships and bought passes for the local museums, gardens, parks, wine passports, etc. For entertainment now with the memberships it is actually cheaper for us to go places like wine tasting in Napa or see a symphony performance than it is to go out to eat, even some place like Denny's, plus I lost 30 pounds from eating healthier and not so many restaurant meals.

 

[tmm99]

I'm sure things are shrinking in size and we're paying more for the same thing, but strangely, my spending has been flat for the last five years. I try to buy things on sale, and maybe that's why? I don't go to fancier/more expensive grocery stores unless something is on sale.

What's also strange to me is that the prices of some things haven't gone up in those five years at all (not when I go for sales items.) Like a tub of blackberries, or a 1lb of Barilla pasta. I can see the prices of paper products going up as some mills have shut down due to the pandemic. And other things as well. I don't get it...

 

[ncbill]

You budgeted $1500 per month for food? That's crazy! $300 per month is plenty for all the groceries for my wife and me could possibly eat, and even includes leftover funds to eat out if desired. But we don't desire eating out--not at COVID-19 prices.

Figure out how to buy groceries & cook for yourselves and you'll save a ton over eating out every meal. I can't imagine how anyone could spent $1500 / mo just for food.

Or am I misunderstanding your numbers?

We all have our indulgences...I'm up to 8 vehicles in a household with 4 drivers.

Only bought two of them, though...relatives stop driving or pass away.

Newest ones will go to the kids over the next year or two.

 

[Teacher Terry]

It just occurred to me that many older people aren’t eating 3 meals a day so that accounts for lower grocery bills.

 

[Amethyst]

It's not that I can't imagine spending that much on groceries or eating out. Of course I can imagine it.

It's that I can't imagine spending that much on food, presumably commensurate amounts on other things, and not noticing the dent it is making in the monthly income. Did you never run up against "There's too much month at the end of my money"?

I added up the groceries just from supermarkets one month from an old charge bill and got $1.8K in a month, not including groceries from places like Target and Amazon or eating out. DH read off the restaurants on one charge bill from another month and we just kind of cringed at the cost. So with kids at home we were probably spending $3K a month easy on food in a HCOL area. .

 

[bolt]

It just occurred to me that many older people aren’t eating 3 meals a day so that accounts for lower grocery bills.

I agree. Id advocate a similar lifestyle once retired to stabilize expenses.

Eat to live, not live to eat, comes to mind.

Good luck & Best wishes....

 

[NW-Bound]

I hate to be the one to tell you this: TP HAS shrunk (at many stores.) It used to be 4.5 by 4.5 inches. Many suppliers now make it only 4 inches (roll width). In effect, you get 11% less. Now, it's true that some stores (notably Costco) have NOT gone this way - heh, heh, they've just raised prices - a lot! YMMV

Ah, it's not my imagination then. The TP roll did shrink. Not only that, I think it is shorter as well. The maker does this to maintain the right proportion of the roll, I am sure. Else, when stood on its end, the roll looks short and squat.

Then, it is not just 11%, but 21% less area. What to do, what to do? YMMV, indeed.

I know. You just eat less. Thus, go to the bathroom less, and do not have to buy more rolls. Problem solved.

 

[TheWizard]

I'm thinking this thread may have run its course...

 

[daylatedollarshort]

It's not that I can't imagine spending that much on groceries or eating out. Of course I can imagine it.

It's that I can't imagine spending that much on food, presumably commensurate amounts on other things, and not noticing the dent it is making in the monthly income. Did you never run up against "There's too much month at the end of my money"?

No, we had two tech incomes so actually so still could live mostly on one income and retired early. But I wish we'd watched recurring expenses like food and utilities closer and retired even earlier. We were good about price shopping items like cars, vacations and home repairs, but didn't realize how much the smaller recurring costs added up.

 

[Amethyst]

OK, that explains it. I learned to watch every dime from the time I was a kid.

Congratulations on earning such good pay and being able to retire early!

No, we had two tech incomes so actually so still could live mostly on one income and retired early. But I wish we'd watched recurring expenses like food and utilities closer and retired even earlier. We were good about price shopping items like cars, vacations and home repairs, but didn't realize how much the smaller recurring costs added up.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Ah, it's not my imagination then. The TP roll did shrink. Not only that, I think it is shorter as well. The maker does this to maintain the right proportion of the roll, I am sure. Else, when stood on its end, the roll looks short and squat.

Then, it is not just 11%, but 21% less area. What to do, what to do? YMMV, indeed.

I know. You just eat less. Thus, go to the bathroom less, and do not have to buy more rolls. Problem solved.

Or get a bidet. Oh wait…half the country is in a drought!

No matter what we do, including pooping and peeing, there is a way to make it wrong.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program…er, thread.

 

[pacergal]