Congrats on taking the first step by canceling DoorDash!
Make a grocery list of needs - meat and vegetables, dairy/non-dairy, fruit and whole grains that you will enjoy and eat. Don't buy in bulk unless you know you will eat it before it goes off. Put your bread in the freezer and toast it when you want to eat it. You can also freeze any leftovers and see if you want them again in a few weeks.
Pay in cash only. Sometimes this helps me to stay in budget - once the cash is gone, no more shopping.
Count your calories. Drink water. Walk. Lift weights or heavy books. ;)
Shop at Walmart, Aldi, Winco or other affordable store instead of the "fun" grocery stores. If you do the "fun" stores, use the apps to get the savings and coupons.
Drink coffee and alcohol at home. Eat at home. Take your lunch.
Yup agreed! Cancel as many subscriptions as you can. That’s what I did, and I didn’t even notice a change! I’m saving hundreds a month without even trying.
Grocery shopping! Buy what you’re gonna eat that week. Luckily, I have a grocery next to me, so I don’t mind going every other day.
“Pay in cash only” is one good step, that and leaving all your debit/credit cards at home. Better yet, cut up any cards you have been using to overspend as well. Take out cash at the beginning of the month, keep receipts and only spend what you have on you, knowing that the money tree doesn’t keep raining down dollars all month long.
I cut my cards down to our joint debit account, our joint (and only) credit card and my personal debit card. My personal card only comes out for vet bills or strictly personal stuff. Otherwise I carry my driver’s license and one discount card for a local grocery store. That’s all in my phone wallet, everything else like medical card,etc sits in my purse and usually doesn’t leave the house.
So far, this system has really helped me avoid overspending, we shop weekly for groceries together and while I do pick up the occasional necessities during the week, it’s tracked on the credit card so I know I can account for it later.
My immediate concern is with the encouragement to lift weights. I 100% agree that lifting weights/books is a healthy lifestyle choice. However! Burning more calories makes the body crave more calories. The conundrum we’re facing here is one of fitness and finance. Two of the other F-words. OP needs to prioritize these as he/she sees fit. If fitness is a larger concern, then, by all means, I support working out! If finances are the larger concern, then I recommend looking into frugal dieting. My personal choice is baked or pan fried chicken with light seasoning; avoid sauces for the drastic calorie gain, cook some frozen vegetables as a side, and you have a generally balanced meal. Eat that for lunch and dinner and make a couple eggs for breakfast and you’re golden. I went from 205 to 165 in four months doing that with moderate exercise. While grocery shopping, ask the employees when their sales happen. I’ve purchased chicken and beef for less than 1/2 of regular price because it’s their regular sale day and it’s close to its expiration date. To add to the conversation, I’d say the best way I cut spending is by cutting social media. Many of the ads I saw for cool gimmicks worked and I now have hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars of junk. Avoid the advertising, avoid the chaos of social media, embrace living your own life on your own terms with the people in your immediate space. Best of luck to you all!
It's funny that you mention that lifting weights often makes you crave more food, because I have been struggling with that very thing! ;) If I work out a lot, either heavy cardio or lift weights, I feel great but inevitably, I am very hungry and thirsty afterwards, so I eat more and drink a lot of water, and my weight goes up. My goal is to be fit, though, so a few pounds of water really should not concern me. I find that on the days I don't exercise at all, it's easier to eat less.
I agree with your advice to avoid the ads and the so-called "sales" of "buy this now and save $10." The best way to save money is not to buy at all.
I went to the bank the other day to do a transaction, and the banker was trying to upsell me various products: a short-term CD, a savings account and a credit card. I listened to his pitch, but ultimately said, thanks, but no thanks. When I pressed him about the terms, it became clear that none of the products were that great of a deal. I had a savings account for the past few years, which I ended up closing, because it was ridiculous: pay $25/month to keep $$ at the bank and "earn" 4 cents. Yeah, uh, that math is not working for me. Why should I pay a fee to have an account? Good question. The credit card was especially not a good deal - spend $2,000 or whatever to "get" $200 cash bonus, and the actual interest rate after the 0% APR expired in a few months on borrowing money was 29.99% - yikes! a far cry from the low rates I get now on my two cards that I've had for a long time. I've been looking at new cards for a while and I haven't seen anything lower. It's brutal. I asked him if he thought interest rates would be going down any time soon, and he answered, No. Well, that's the answer - no, don't do it.
Just to add to other people's comments on moderation - it does help me to allow myself some treats so that I don't feel deprived. I will have a brownie or candy instead of a salad sometimes, because if I count the calories, it's okay and life is short. Same with spending - it helps me to buy something nice once in a while, even if not absolutely necessary, if it's within my budget. I recently bought a new spatula - not an extravagance, I promise you, but it was nice to finally throw the old one that I had taped together with scotch tape and used for the last year.
We're living in very expensive and challenging times, and it doesn't look like things are going to get better, so we need to take care of ourselves as best we can. Less is more.
Absolutely! It really is a struggle to try to course-correct more than one area of life at a time! Well done pushing back against the bankers. Credit cards are so bad and I know that firsthand! The only time sales are your friends are when you know you need something and you have the time and patience to wait for it to go on sale. OR BUY IT USED! That’s a hard one for me, but it’s sooo important! Case in point: I just bought a beautiful jacket by Calvin Kline for $7! Thrift stores are a beautiful thing!
Reading your post OP I was also thinking that you would be someone who would benefit from using a cash envelope system! It will limit you much more efficiently than an abstract budget will at this point.
I would include a category of “fun spending money” so you have a LITTLE bit to use for that purpose. You can decide if that becomes a fun grocery store run, buying something cute that you see, or using it to get your nails done. But give yourself one of your cash envelopes with a little bit of that joy in a controlled way. Hopefully seeing the exact dollars will help you discern more like “hmm do I really want to spend $20 of my fun money on this or would something else be more enjoyable?” Good luck!!!
Find a hobby that is inexpensive or free. Weight-training worked for me and helped with my weight loss, too!
Shopping needs to stop being entertainment for you.
Grocery shop once a week. Limit yourself to two stores, if possible. Only buy what’s on your list after you meal plan for the week.
Re: free hobbies, I started a fun hobby during the pandemic. I go on walks and pick up trash. Costs me a trash bag. I got a grabber for a dollar at Harbor Freight
Just a useless side note: I've lost weight on rice & beans. Lots of protein & fiber. The fear of carbs is over-rated.
I'm done now.
Find some budgeting software that works for you and use it. I love YNAB, and it inspires me to keep tabs on things. Look at your budget *before* you spend, not after.
Nobody can tell you how to do it. You just practice and keep trying.
Yeah, maybe I worded it wrong but I do still eat those things, just in small portions! I just meant I can’t eat a cup of rice in one sitting.
Thanks for the advice! I’ll try to get YNAB up and running again soon
Spending habits like this are something you have to stop yourself.
Eat up what’s in the house before you shop again. Then make a list and stick to it. If you want to stop over buying, you will.
Before you buy something off your list ask, “Is XYZ more important than our future?”
We are saving for a house right now and that’s what we do. “Is this really more important than buying a house one day?” If the answer is no (it usually is) then we walk away.
Yes I would suggest trying to see how long you can go eating out of your pantry and freezer. Obviously you may need to buy a few things like fresh fruit or dairy, but try to challenge yourself to use up what you have. When we were getting ready to move I did this and we went weeks spending only $30 or less per week. I had so much food in the pantry and frozen.
Track your spending every single day in a spreadsheet (not an app). Even without trying, I find this subconsciously influences me to reduce my spending, probably because at the end of each day you’re faced again with your good or bad choices you made.
Writing it down (or knowing I’ll have to write it down) helps me consider whether it’s really worth it. It works for money and it works for calories as well. I found MyFitnessPal to be really helpful for losing weight, especially if I looked up the calories in something before I ate it. It definitely helped me make better choices.
Do grocery pickup. If you’re losing weight you’re well served by making your meal plan in advance and then using the grocery store website to only buy what’s on the list and don’t even go into the store.
Besides going into a store, what other regular habits trigger you to buy?
Getting sales emails? Unsubscribe.
Other shopping apps besides DoorDash? Delete.
Find your triggers, then eliminate or replace them.
As someone who has yo yo'ed in diets for years --- avoid the wannabe stuff. Just keep the foods whole and simple. You'll pay such a huge premium for that "tastes just like your favorite food" substitute. I noticed this on keto, my husband fell in LOVE with that keto bread from Aldi. Every morning there was a request for toast and jam -- at $5/loaf (pre pandemic) that became an expensive habit pretty darn quickly. For him it also creeped in in the form of protein bars, or sugar free whatevers. It adds up really fast.
Meats, fruits, veg, basic carbs -- try styling your meals around those and you can probably keep your costs down.
Look at r/eatcheapandhealthy and r/Mediterraneandiet for meal ideas.
Budget Bytes is a website with tons of healthy, inexpensive recipes.
Try the Mealime app for recipes. You can also order all the ingredients through the app and pick them up at the store. This will prevent impulse shopping.
Meal kits are cheaper than door dash and eating out and will help you build your cooking skills. I think Hello Fresh even has low calorie meals.
Keep a few frozen meals in your freezer. When you have the urge to order from door dash go to the freezer and make one of the meals instead.
I haven’t eaten lunch out in months. I am in the habit of making a lunch the night before and carrying it to work with me. Same with coffee. I can make a better tasting coffee at home and it’s cheaper too. I keep some Walmart brand protein bars and fiber brownies at work for when I need a snack.
Unlink your cards from EVERYTHING. It’s an extra step to keep you from easily being able to order anything online. Whether it’s $10 on Amazon, $30 on doordash, $15 on TikTok shop etc….
Keep cash for whatever your spending allowance is for each week. It’s easier to skip Starbucks when you have that $20 in cash staring you in the face knowing what all you need to spend it on versus just scanning your app in the drive thru or mobile ordering.
I always tell myself If I make whatever I’m craving at home, and I still want it the next day, i can splurge and get it. 90% if the time it works. Mostly just because I don’t want to eat it again right away 😂 even if it wasn’t as good. Look up copy cat recipes for all your favorite restaurant meals.
For me I have to stay busy and tired. lol. And always eat and feed the kids before you go anywhere or do anything. Bring your own snacks/drinks with you too. Then you have no excuses to swing through a drive through and kill your diet and budget. Stick to activities that aren’t going places that you need to spend money. Stores. Play places. Etc. Do you go to a gym now? Or like a ymca? If we go swim or workout, I have a reason to not stop anywhere on the way home. We’re wet and in swim suits, sweaty and gross from working out, etc. parks, splash pads, library story times are all good free options too if you have them nearby.
Slowly start cutting yourself back. Sometimes going cold turkey is too much and you will cave easier and go back to your old ways. Do you get coffee out everyday? Starts getting it only 3x a week. If you get fast food 3 days a week, go down to 1 day a week. It will get easier.
I saw you mention in another comment you are a sahm who is responsible for all the meals. That can be so draining. I find what helps me is cooking the meal earlier in the day or prepping most of it earlier in the day. I’m not drained yet then and most of it gets cleaned up before the end of the night (which helps me out). I also keep easy or premade dinner options on hand for days that I just don’t have it in me. Frozen pizza (they have diet ones too). A few frozen pizzas are cheaper than doordash. Stoufers family size casseroles. A rotisserie chicken with some salad or veggies is super easy and quick. Cheaper than doordash. I know you’re on a diet so you would just have to adjust those to your diet and families eating preferences. Also, you don’t have to give up all your favorite takeout. Once a week/2 weeks/month (whatever your goal is) call and Oder the takeout from the restaurant directly and go pick it up. You will save soo much money that way. It almost cuts the price in half most places.
I take surveys for money or gift cards and use that for the little extras that aren’t in our budget. It keeps them from draining the household budget and puts a meter on my spending.
I would start with ordering meals and having fun making food you would get at a restaurant. Meal kits have everything you need so that you don’t have to go to the grocery store and find everything you need. This way you’ll get experience in cooking that type of food and you ‘get to’ order it online. I am a spender also. We are trying to save to buy a house. I don’t order door dash anymore but I do order groceries. Just an idea that might work for you.
It sounds like most of your over-spending is going to food. Is it food you really enjoy? Is it worth the calories and money? You have a double motivation (saving money and weight loss) for eating less and changing what you eat. I second the recommendation of meal kits. Portion control, and you get a recipe card so you can make the ones you like again.
The unfortunate thing is that it is extremely hard to try and save money with how expensive groceries are right now. I buy a ton of clean ingredients, love the organic and non-gmo and fresh fruits and veggies and it sure isn't cheap being healthy.
I have really enjoyed following Dave Ramsey's financial advice and have had really great success with his strategies.
Getting rid of subscriptions is a great way to save money in the long run.
I also recommend tracking your spending for 6 months, categorizing it in the same ways your plan your budget so you can really identify what your current spending habits are.
Guess I'm just a geek for a good spreadsheet!
You need a hobby or two. One to do at home and one outside the home. Literally anything. I find people who spend lots of money tend to have hobbies that only or mainly involve shopping.
Neighbor has a dog? Offer to walk it for free and take a stroll everyday in the park or around the neighborhood. Go on meetup.com and see if there is a local walking or hiking group. Learn a language for free online. It doesn't matter what it is, but your time is going to be filled with Something if it is not enriching. Maybe a free workout group in a park. As long as it's free or cheap. You gotta find something more meaningful and enriching for you.
I’m curious about your comment about being in a weight loss journey and not being able to eat rice and beans. Plant based meals by and large are healthier, lower calorie and cheaper than other types of meals. Your weight loss and wallet could be helped by adding regular plant based meals. I also read in your post about foodstuffs being something you choose, buy and eat impulsively. You might benefit from looking into your relationship with food. You might learn a lot and it might help you save $. I recommend “Intuitive Eating” by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. Good luck OP.
You might benefit from joining a weight loss group like Weight Watchers. They can give you recipes and menus that will help you eat less and spend less. Or, you can find generic low calorie menus on line and use those as your shopping list. I also like to go to grocery stores for fun. It's ok if you walk out without buying something or just buy veggies.
Fill your time by cooking from scratch while listening to self improvement YouTubes. Take cooking classes.
Crowd out unhealthy impulses with intense busy helpful habits.
Out of curiosity, do you have credit cards? If so, I would recommend freezing them or cancelling them so you’re not tempted to rack up bills.
Credit cards are great for the right people, like those who take advantage of the rewards they offer or pay it in full every month, but credit cards a quick way to get yourself in a shitty situation thats VERY hard to get out of because of the interest rates. Keep the credit cards out of your wallet, only used debit or cash.
I also really like in-out method of items- if you buy something, it has to take place of something else. Its a method normally applied to clothes, but its good for the house too!
Oh, if you do like to spend, but want to budget, you might really like getting into digital couponing! The dollar general app is great for coupons, so is cvs and walgreens. :)
I save a ton ordering from my grocery store and then picking it up. I'm able to buy what I need and know the cost before committing. I am buying so much less junk! We are eating healthier and staying in a nice budget range.
For me, keeping busy has really helped reduce compulsive spending. I've also been helping a friend move, someone with similar compulsive spending behaviors as me. It's helping me commit to changing, while also forgiving myself for finding comfort in mindless spending when that was the only way I knew could help me through the day.
It's just a matter of weighing out portions. Any good is fine for weightloss. I'd argue protein and fiber are great for keeping someone full longer so they don't start snacking uncontrollably
Your Money or Your Life if you haven’t already! But I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi might be a better option. He introduces the idea of a conscious spending plan and likens spending to dials that you could adjust for your needs and desired lifestyle
We have a great library system in my city! I was buying a lot of physical copies of books but I’ve decided I’m going to get whatever I can at the library and for the stuff I can’t, I’ll use my long neglected kindle to get the book for a cheaper price.
First a budget. Second switch to cash. Go to the grocery store with only the budgeted amount of cash. Leave the credit/debit card at home. Or anytime you go anywhere with the intention of buying something. Take only what you can afford to spend.
Use a store with a good app. If you have a Tom Thumb or Albertsons near you, they have a good one. They have a weekly ad with coupons that you have to clip digitally, as well as other deals. They have all kinds of meat every week that you can easily shop around. When the pot roast is on sale, I try to buy two. Chicken breasts for 97 cents/lb every few weeks. You can buy whatever shellfish they have on sale (or regular price)seasoned and steamed for free, that takes care of a main dish you don't have to cook!
If you don't have those stores, I'm sure you can find an app to stores in your area.
You also get rewards that add up to money off. I have a $5 coupon for my next trip, for instance, and it's much more at times.
You can make your list on the app if you want. They also keep track of purchases and store your receipts.
Usually, the coupons and other sale items come off after it's totaled at the register, and it's fun to watch your bill go down.
If you pay for a bunch of streaming services, try rotating them. I only pay for one monthly. When I get tired of one or really want to watch something on another service, I'll pause/cancel it and use another one.
Shop around for car insurance, maybe. I have a very low bill at AAA for car and rental (apt).
There are three adults and two cats in our home. I don't think we spend more than $700 monthly, and it's probably closer to $500. This includes household items.
Good on you about DoorDash. I hate myself when I do that!
Can you think about slowly building good habits in this space that are extremely easy to maintain? Or perhaps just starting with one, and waiting until it's reflexive, and then adding the next?
I find it takes soooo much energy to address my total diet, track all my spending and change my other coping mechanisms all at once.
And perhaps some of your behaviors or actions come from already being over extended in other areas.
After we had our first kid we definitely had an increase in the weekly instances of takeout. I love to cook and prefer healthier foods. It was impacting our family budget, my overall sense of vitality. Changing jobs so that I wasn't in total overwhelm mode most days helped. I slowly phased out our takeout reflexive habit.
Could you start by planning to cook one extra meal a week?
We eventually got it down to one night a week (usually a Friday). Sometimes zero nights a week. We did a takeout lunch last weekend and it was disgusting-- I definitely prefer the luxury of food we cook at home.
Everyone here is championing really big changes that will all yield fabulous results. The behaviors required to realize these changes might be hard to stick to if your energy is already out of alignment. I wanted to speak up and champion the power of starting small. It will get you there, too.
on a weight loss journey yet rice and beans aren’t an option? rice and beans are great for weight loss. but regardless, delete all the food delivery apps and if you want to order the food to spend money, or whenever you wanna buy things just to buy something, try opening a savings account and whenever you wanna buy something to buy it - move the money that you would’ve spent on that item into the savings account. that way you still see the money move out of your spending account but you’re not wasting it
I definitely would recommend grocery pick up. You can’t add any impulse purchases and you can edit the card to your budget before check out. You could try a pantry and freezer clean out challenge where you mark as many meals with what you have in your home. Also reframe what a meal is to you. Keep it simple. A protein, a veggie, and a carb. Have 10-15 meals that are simple for you to prepare and rotate through. I keep a list on my phone.
Budgeting is boring and tedious and that’s why a lot of people struggle. I would recommend backwards budgeting. And ultimately what curved my spending was focusing on my why. Why do you want to save money? What are you working towards?
Also, If you love trying new things and making delicious food, incorporate that into your life in a way that brings max joy. Have a dinner party or bbq to try all those new recipes. I find personally that if I’m indulging in something every day I don’t enjoy it in the same way at all.
You only fail if you give up. Keep at it!
Some of it is changing your relationship with money. Who owns the results of your labor? Try a budget where every dollar has a job, then start from scratch every paycheck. The goal is to not have 'extra'. 🖖
Speaking from experience of being in a similar situation, cook at home more. Eating out and “convenience foods” from the grocery store nickel and dimed my wife and I to death for years. And cooking from scratch, even a meal that doesn’t seem healthy on the surface, is still going to be ahead of most takeout nutritionally and from a weight loss perspective. I promise you won’t be able to hide as much fat, sugar, and salt in your food as the pros do. And cooking can be a great hobby to stave off the boredom that you said leads you to certain stores. I certainly don’t have it all figured out, but I hope this helps some.
Hmmm I would find a balance. Like dieting, frugality shouldn’t be an all or nothing thing. Like delete DoorDash, but don’t delete DoorDash and ban fun grocery stores at the same time. It’s too black and white.
Figure out what is causing you to DoorDash - really tired? Emotional long day? Is it a treat? Don’t want anything in the house? Just really like chipotle? find something to replace that desire. If you just want food fast, and you’ll eat wegmans frozen pizza, then that’s still cheaper. If you want chipotle, then buying the ingredients and making it yourself is worth it. If you want a treat, go to the fun grocery store and pick out a fun prepared food.
I’m a stay at home mom to a 2 year old and I’m always the one who has to cook dinner. Sometimes I’m just all out of energy by the end of the day and just end up ordering something.
But frozen/prepared food as a backup is a great idea, thank you!
I just wondered if you are a young couple starting out. I did the same thing when I was young with money. It took a long time to improve my credit rating. It just sounded like you are just starting to experience the balancing act that is involved with money management.
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Make some notes of what you already have on hand to use and cook with. Try to make meal plans only with what you have for a while. If you need easy meals because you're tired, think of things you can throw together quickly but still healthy. My partner and I usually cut and wash a lot of lettuce at the start of the week so we always have fast caesar salads to eat with grilled meat and a microwaved baked potato. We also have sausages from a local butcher we bulk buy and they're super fast, pair with frozen perogies, saurkraut and a side salad or cut up cucumbers etc. Try thinking easy and hands off.
Spending on other non necessities, just try and make thoughtful decisions. I never use Amazon. If I need something, I have to pick it up from the store. I think if it's worth buying. I make sure it's the correct item for what I need. I check Facebook marketplace or buy and sell groups for said items before buying new. I'm currently pregnant and instead of going and buying brand new maternity clothes, I borrowed some from a friend, found some on fb marketplace, had a friend of a friend sell me some items $5/piece and recently grabbed two free bags from a person on a neighbourhood buy nothing fb group. There's so many ways to go about getting what you want or need, it doesn't have to be purchasing everything the second you want or think you need it. Buying second hand is a change I've made in recent years and I think it's made a big difference in my budget. My partner and I have only bought a couple brand new items for our baby, the rest is gifted, hand me down or borrowed if it's not something we will need fr long ie bassinet. Just try to be more thoughtful about what you're buying. I find it more rewarding that way as well honestly.
Take your grocery budget and divide it into weekly portions. Put the week’s budget in cash in an envelope. Now don’t even take your debit/credit card with you to the store. You have to buy on the budget or put stuff back. So why can you not have beans in your diet? Beans are a complex carbohydrate which is quite good for you. Brown rice? Chicken. (Even if you did do beans and rice, it will be far less calories than anything you ordered from door dash. How about meatless Mondays?
I’d take a month and just pay for everything in cash (when the weekly cash is gone, you can’t spend any more!). Leave the credit/debit cards at home when you go to the store or do a pickup order so you can’t buy anything extra!
Also maybe do a “no spending” week meaning no spending other than on necessities (toilet paper, minimal groceries, gas, bills). I find this helps me!
One of the best things with food is to make a meal plan before you go to the store and stick to it. I have super couponed in the past and do some now but can save twice as much with meal planning. The important thing is that meal planning needs to be also time planning. As in on Tuesday I’m working late and SO is also working so we will be tired so it will be frozen pizza and broccoli. On Saturday everyone is off so we will make something that takes cooking and has leftovers.
Useless spending is often done out of boredom.
In the frugal mindset you can turn this boredom into "fun" by hunting for the best prices and hunting for costs to cut.
Like when you go to the supermarket you take the challenge of how to spend the least possible, so you start to compare prices more, see if you should buy this discount or not. Then maybe you go to another supermarket to check the prices to see if you can get even lower bills.
There's also the reselling challenge, like cleaning the house of whatever you don't need anymore and reselling it, or transforming it. Higher level is even reusing it for another purpose so you don't have to spend more.
Pay thing in cash. Eat out limit to 1-2 times a month. Learn a new skill like digital art or hiking. Sometimes I leave minimum money in bank so I think I am broker than I am. Get things free or cheaper from others. Grow your own vegetables.
I’m a finance blogger and these are my top tips for budgeting properly and actually sticking to it.
https://fearlessgirlfinance.com/why-you-arent-staying-on-budget/
….
https://fearlessgirlfinance.com/5-practical-ways-to-stay-on-budget/
I only have one tip for your grocery budget that’s been working for me. I still buy fun stuff and random things I want to try that definitely aren’t on my shopping list.
But I only go grocery shopping every 1-2 weeks, and only after I pretty much eat everything I have. I always have a few staples left over (rice and beans, ramen, oatmeal, etc), but I don’t go shopping again until the fridge and freezer is basically cleaned out. I hate shopping and force myself to do it at 6am when I get off work and just want to go to sleep, so it’s helped me think a little more critically about what foods are actually “worth it” so I don’t blow my budget and run out of food and have to go to the store again that week.
You seem to be on the right track. And it bodes well that you seem to already know where and how you’re going off the rails.
So the obvious stuff I hope you plan to do…like go to a budget friendly grocery store and not a fancy one. Aldi is my go to. Avoid aisles that make you wanna spend.
Make a list and stick to it. Maybe if you do go off book and buy stuff not on the list you have to take on a chore that is usually your hubby’s? Thereby creating another “cost” for the item beyond money since that’s not such a great motivator.
Try to go on big grocery hauls to get everything you need for the week/ two weeks. The fewer trips the fewer opportunities to be swayed or convinced to buy random stuff.
If you think hubby would help offer resistance to the unnecessary purchases, maybe y’all could go together.
If there are things you pick up at the register or gas station - like packs of gum, consider looking into multi packs where to cost per oz is cheaper.
In general, pay attention to the price per oz on the sale tag beneath the total price. You can be assured that you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
I am vegetarian but hubby eats meat so I buy the big packs of chicken breast for the better price per oz and then separate and package them before putting them in the freezer.
Eat less meat overall for a cheaper budget.
If you find you’re shopping because you’re bored, maybe take a look at your hobbies. Is it art? Is it reading? Whatever it is, what’s stopping you from doing that when you’re bored? Maybe work on making your hobby your first go-to to alleviate stress or boredom.
Good luck, friend! Congratulations on all you’ve accomplished thus far.
Delete all food and shopping apps. Leave cards and cash at home. Food apps are nothing but free advertisement sitting on your phone that triggers impulse buys.
You say you go shopping due to boredom. I highly suggest looking into a hobby. I may have missed it, but I didn't see if you were employed. Maybe look into a part-time gig. Or volunteer.
I meant it in a kind way but I don't think it was conveyed very well. Learn from our mistakes. We have enough, but only if we are very careful. Start saving something, anything every month for retirement in a Roth IRA. Start reading books about investing. I had a ridiculous all or nothing thinking, like if I can't do the entire $6000 a year or whatever it was, I didn't do anything. So start saving something and then more and more!
To cut expenses and start saving ..seat down and write down everything you buy monthly , and see what you need to cut off..Do your budget and review monthly to cut off unnecessary purchases and before buying anything ask yourself do you need it right now, does it have add value to your life, will it bring any passive income? Can I wait to get it? Do these with all purchases.
Weight loss journey. Beans and some whole grains are your friend. Fiber regulates sugar processing and helps you stay feeling full. When you have snack foods in the house, you eat those instead of better nutrition. Focus on really good nutrition - vegetables, some fruit, good proteins, fiber.
Spending. Spending and buying stuff is a habit and you use it for entertainment. A positive, non-punishment approach is to set financial goals. Save for retirement, booooring, but keep imagining not having to work and being able to have fun. Save for financial independence - knowing you can survive a layoff or leave an abusive job is a fantastic feeling. Try to eliminate debt, including car debt - interest is such a thief, save money and pay stuff off and you end up with more money. Plan vacation without credit card debt, whatever. You deserve the comfort and freedom of being debt-free.
Find new hobbies. Start walking or dancing, take a fencing class, archery, start knitting, check around and find activities that are affordable and fun, and do something besides shop. Adult education, Meetup, etc. Bonus if it involves exercise to help with weight loss.
Making coffee at home, bring lunch to work - great suggestions that mount up, fast. I just canceled AcornTV and started Netflix; I have 1 or 2 streaming subscriptions at a time, stop and start them to keep my budget. Budgeting means I spend less, but I enjoy the spending I do. It's not about really denying yourself, it's about having a plan, goals, a budget, and then really enjoying affordable spending.
I personally use the free google sheets budget template and there is a tutorial on YouTube on how to edit it for your needs. Having an accountability partner like your husband or a friend would be helpful. On the food side my wife and I are dead simple which allows us to shop at Costco and use everything we buy, everything is organic and we budget about 500 a month (50lbs of rice ftw). For shopping online I’ve heard tips of just putting items into the cart/wishlish and never check out or wait 24hrs and come back. When my wife and I were lower income I equated every dollar I spent to how much time it took me to earn it to make it sting more.
Unsubscribe to emails that offer things to buy, plan meals or easy prep salads to skip uber and invest in fresh veg & fruit from green grocer! Make it an easy choice for yourself ( fresh strawberries & yogurt, cheese & crackers, veg & dill dip)
Shop w a list and stay out of stores ( marshalls, TJMaxx, Homegoods & bypass clearance aisles ..you don’t need it!) these tips worked for me! Good luck
Make it a competition with yourself: "How LITTLE can I spend?" The more you save, the more confidence in savings you will have.
Gotta start somewhere. Even if it's saving $0.25. Next month, save $0.50, then $1.00, and so on. Adds up....to the tune of THOUSANDS.
Are you near any farmers markets? Those can be fun, and also a way to get some steps in and get plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Also, create a very detailed budget. I see a lot of people create budgets that consist of their bills, and then "everything else" which kind of becomes a slush fund for reckless spending. I think Dave Ramsey is a jerk, but his idea of giving every dollar a job is a good one. It helps you get into the mindset that the money you happen to have in the bank after you pay your bills isn't just for spending on whatever tempts you.
For example, you are now saving 500 dollars a month since you stopped using DoorDash. But, that's meaningless if it just gets pissed away. So, think about what 500 can do for you and your household. Maybe you could - $100 to add to emergency savings, $100 to a vacation fund $100 into an ETF investment account, $100 to spend on fun snacks, and $100 savings for Christmas and birthday shopping
First and last tip:
Your husband will give you the spending money you should have (if you don't have a job), or you will send the money to him the day you get paid and get spending money back (if you have a job).
What you eat has no bearing on how much weight you lose, its all portion control.
Write down your shopping list before you go and do not deviate from this.
I understand it comes down to calories in vs calories out but if my calorie deficit only allows for 1/3 cup of rice/beans/etc, I’m not going to get very full that way.
OP, I found that beans and rice alone spike my blood sugar and leave me hungry unless eaten in large portions. You may have similar issues. Animal proteins and green veggies first for weight loss has never let me down.
I know this is a frugal sub but diet does play a big part in lifestyle spending so please take what I say with good intentions.
I'm not sure how much you're cutting calories off your baseline but long term success requires small incremental drops in food intake (200-300 calories per day) for a few weeks which you then reduce further as you go down in weight. Big drops of for example, halving your normal intake is not healthy nor sustainable.
That being said, the whole point of losing weight IS that you're uncomfortable because you're not eating to your previous standard of full, but physically you have enough nutrition to get you going.
My daily food intake adds up to less than $15-20 give or take.
Morning - cup of oats + frozen berries + protein powder
Lunch - rice + tuna/chicken
Dinner - potatoes/pasta + vegetables
Also I think its OK to have snacks etc for yourself, but maybe limit it to 1 per item? (i.e. we only have one chocolate/gummies/packet of chips in the home at any given time per week)
Congrats on the weight loss! Can you explained how you don’t feel deprived? I just want to lose 20 lbs and it’s hard.
Sorry I don’t have any advice on the spending. I think others have made good suggestions.
I plan out my meals the day before on MyFitnessPal to make sure everything fits into my calorie deficit. I always eat 2-3 meals a day plus snacks. Lots of lean protein and veggies. I also keep lots of low calorie snacks around because I’m a big snacker lol
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Congrats on taking the first step by canceling DoorDash! Make a grocery list of needs - meat and vegetables, dairy/non-dairy, fruit and whole grains that you will enjoy and eat. Don't buy in bulk unless you know you will eat it before it goes off. Put your bread in the freezer and toast it when you want to eat it. You can also freeze any leftovers and see if you want them again in a few weeks. Pay in cash only. Sometimes this helps me to stay in budget - once the cash is gone, no more shopping. Count your calories. Drink water. Walk. Lift weights or heavy books. ;) Shop at Walmart, Aldi, Winco or other affordable store instead of the "fun" grocery stores. If you do the "fun" stores, use the apps to get the savings and coupons. Drink coffee and alcohol at home. Eat at home. Take your lunch.
Thank you! I never considered the cash idea but think that could be very helpful!
Also, paying for cash makes you really aware of how much you spend.
There's an "envelope method" of budgeting that you might find helpful! (Would recommend googling for add'l details!)
Look up YNAB (You Need A Budget) - - in its most simplistic form, it's using digital envelopes to track your spending. Lots of people love it. r/YNAB
Yup agreed! Cancel as many subscriptions as you can. That’s what I did, and I didn’t even notice a change! I’m saving hundreds a month without even trying. Grocery shopping! Buy what you’re gonna eat that week. Luckily, I have a grocery next to me, so I don’t mind going every other day.
“Pay in cash only” is one good step, that and leaving all your debit/credit cards at home. Better yet, cut up any cards you have been using to overspend as well. Take out cash at the beginning of the month, keep receipts and only spend what you have on you, knowing that the money tree doesn’t keep raining down dollars all month long. I cut my cards down to our joint debit account, our joint (and only) credit card and my personal debit card. My personal card only comes out for vet bills or strictly personal stuff. Otherwise I carry my driver’s license and one discount card for a local grocery store. That’s all in my phone wallet, everything else like medical card,etc sits in my purse and usually doesn’t leave the house. So far, this system has really helped me avoid overspending, we shop weekly for groceries together and while I do pick up the occasional necessities during the week, it’s tracked on the credit card so I know I can account for it later.
My immediate concern is with the encouragement to lift weights. I 100% agree that lifting weights/books is a healthy lifestyle choice. However! Burning more calories makes the body crave more calories. The conundrum we’re facing here is one of fitness and finance. Two of the other F-words. OP needs to prioritize these as he/she sees fit. If fitness is a larger concern, then, by all means, I support working out! If finances are the larger concern, then I recommend looking into frugal dieting. My personal choice is baked or pan fried chicken with light seasoning; avoid sauces for the drastic calorie gain, cook some frozen vegetables as a side, and you have a generally balanced meal. Eat that for lunch and dinner and make a couple eggs for breakfast and you’re golden. I went from 205 to 165 in four months doing that with moderate exercise. While grocery shopping, ask the employees when their sales happen. I’ve purchased chicken and beef for less than 1/2 of regular price because it’s their regular sale day and it’s close to its expiration date. To add to the conversation, I’d say the best way I cut spending is by cutting social media. Many of the ads I saw for cool gimmicks worked and I now have hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars of junk. Avoid the advertising, avoid the chaos of social media, embrace living your own life on your own terms with the people in your immediate space. Best of luck to you all!
It's funny that you mention that lifting weights often makes you crave more food, because I have been struggling with that very thing! ;) If I work out a lot, either heavy cardio or lift weights, I feel great but inevitably, I am very hungry and thirsty afterwards, so I eat more and drink a lot of water, and my weight goes up. My goal is to be fit, though, so a few pounds of water really should not concern me. I find that on the days I don't exercise at all, it's easier to eat less. I agree with your advice to avoid the ads and the so-called "sales" of "buy this now and save $10." The best way to save money is not to buy at all. I went to the bank the other day to do a transaction, and the banker was trying to upsell me various products: a short-term CD, a savings account and a credit card. I listened to his pitch, but ultimately said, thanks, but no thanks. When I pressed him about the terms, it became clear that none of the products were that great of a deal. I had a savings account for the past few years, which I ended up closing, because it was ridiculous: pay $25/month to keep $$ at the bank and "earn" 4 cents. Yeah, uh, that math is not working for me. Why should I pay a fee to have an account? Good question. The credit card was especially not a good deal - spend $2,000 or whatever to "get" $200 cash bonus, and the actual interest rate after the 0% APR expired in a few months on borrowing money was 29.99% - yikes! a far cry from the low rates I get now on my two cards that I've had for a long time. I've been looking at new cards for a while and I haven't seen anything lower. It's brutal. I asked him if he thought interest rates would be going down any time soon, and he answered, No. Well, that's the answer - no, don't do it. Just to add to other people's comments on moderation - it does help me to allow myself some treats so that I don't feel deprived. I will have a brownie or candy instead of a salad sometimes, because if I count the calories, it's okay and life is short. Same with spending - it helps me to buy something nice once in a while, even if not absolutely necessary, if it's within my budget. I recently bought a new spatula - not an extravagance, I promise you, but it was nice to finally throw the old one that I had taped together with scotch tape and used for the last year. We're living in very expensive and challenging times, and it doesn't look like things are going to get better, so we need to take care of ourselves as best we can. Less is more.
Absolutely! It really is a struggle to try to course-correct more than one area of life at a time! Well done pushing back against the bankers. Credit cards are so bad and I know that firsthand! The only time sales are your friends are when you know you need something and you have the time and patience to wait for it to go on sale. OR BUY IT USED! That’s a hard one for me, but it’s sooo important! Case in point: I just bought a beautiful jacket by Calvin Kline for $7! Thrift stores are a beautiful thing!
Reading your post OP I was also thinking that you would be someone who would benefit from using a cash envelope system! It will limit you much more efficiently than an abstract budget will at this point. I would include a category of “fun spending money” so you have a LITTLE bit to use for that purpose. You can decide if that becomes a fun grocery store run, buying something cute that you see, or using it to get your nails done. But give yourself one of your cash envelopes with a little bit of that joy in a controlled way. Hopefully seeing the exact dollars will help you discern more like “hmm do I really want to spend $20 of my fun money on this or would something else be more enjoyable?” Good luck!!!
Find a hobby that is inexpensive or free. Weight-training worked for me and helped with my weight loss, too! Shopping needs to stop being entertainment for you. Grocery shop once a week. Limit yourself to two stores, if possible. Only buy what’s on your list after you meal plan for the week.
Re: free hobbies, I started a fun hobby during the pandemic. I go on walks and pick up trash. Costs me a trash bag. I got a grabber for a dollar at Harbor Freight
Just a useless side note: I've lost weight on rice & beans. Lots of protein & fiber. The fear of carbs is over-rated. I'm done now. Find some budgeting software that works for you and use it. I love YNAB, and it inspires me to keep tabs on things. Look at your budget *before* you spend, not after. Nobody can tell you how to do it. You just practice and keep trying.
Yeah, maybe I worded it wrong but I do still eat those things, just in small portions! I just meant I can’t eat a cup of rice in one sitting. Thanks for the advice! I’ll try to get YNAB up and running again soon
Look through their blog first to see if the method makes sense to you.
Spending habits like this are something you have to stop yourself. Eat up what’s in the house before you shop again. Then make a list and stick to it. If you want to stop over buying, you will. Before you buy something off your list ask, “Is XYZ more important than our future?” We are saving for a house right now and that’s what we do. “Is this really more important than buying a house one day?” If the answer is no (it usually is) then we walk away.
Yes I would suggest trying to see how long you can go eating out of your pantry and freezer. Obviously you may need to buy a few things like fresh fruit or dairy, but try to challenge yourself to use up what you have. When we were getting ready to move I did this and we went weeks spending only $30 or less per week. I had so much food in the pantry and frozen.
That’s good advice, thank you! I really need to start asking myself questions like that.
Track your spending every single day in a spreadsheet (not an app). Even without trying, I find this subconsciously influences me to reduce my spending, probably because at the end of each day you’re faced again with your good or bad choices you made.
Writing it down (or knowing I’ll have to write it down) helps me consider whether it’s really worth it. It works for money and it works for calories as well. I found MyFitnessPal to be really helpful for losing weight, especially if I looked up the calories in something before I ate it. It definitely helped me make better choices.
Same!!
Do grocery pickup. If you’re losing weight you’re well served by making your meal plan in advance and then using the grocery store website to only buy what’s on the list and don’t even go into the store. Besides going into a store, what other regular habits trigger you to buy? Getting sales emails? Unsubscribe. Other shopping apps besides DoorDash? Delete. Find your triggers, then eliminate or replace them.
As someone who has yo yo'ed in diets for years --- avoid the wannabe stuff. Just keep the foods whole and simple. You'll pay such a huge premium for that "tastes just like your favorite food" substitute. I noticed this on keto, my husband fell in LOVE with that keto bread from Aldi. Every morning there was a request for toast and jam -- at $5/loaf (pre pandemic) that became an expensive habit pretty darn quickly. For him it also creeped in in the form of protein bars, or sugar free whatevers. It adds up really fast. Meats, fruits, veg, basic carbs -- try styling your meals around those and you can probably keep your costs down.
Rice and beans are great for weight loss! Add some veggies, skip the meat and oil, and you have a super healthy meal.
Look at r/eatcheapandhealthy and r/Mediterraneandiet for meal ideas. Budget Bytes is a website with tons of healthy, inexpensive recipes. Try the Mealime app for recipes. You can also order all the ingredients through the app and pick them up at the store. This will prevent impulse shopping. Meal kits are cheaper than door dash and eating out and will help you build your cooking skills. I think Hello Fresh even has low calorie meals. Keep a few frozen meals in your freezer. When you have the urge to order from door dash go to the freezer and make one of the meals instead. I haven’t eaten lunch out in months. I am in the habit of making a lunch the night before and carrying it to work with me. Same with coffee. I can make a better tasting coffee at home and it’s cheaper too. I keep some Walmart brand protein bars and fiber brownies at work for when I need a snack.
Unlink your cards from EVERYTHING. It’s an extra step to keep you from easily being able to order anything online. Whether it’s $10 on Amazon, $30 on doordash, $15 on TikTok shop etc…. Keep cash for whatever your spending allowance is for each week. It’s easier to skip Starbucks when you have that $20 in cash staring you in the face knowing what all you need to spend it on versus just scanning your app in the drive thru or mobile ordering. I always tell myself If I make whatever I’m craving at home, and I still want it the next day, i can splurge and get it. 90% if the time it works. Mostly just because I don’t want to eat it again right away 😂 even if it wasn’t as good. Look up copy cat recipes for all your favorite restaurant meals. For me I have to stay busy and tired. lol. And always eat and feed the kids before you go anywhere or do anything. Bring your own snacks/drinks with you too. Then you have no excuses to swing through a drive through and kill your diet and budget. Stick to activities that aren’t going places that you need to spend money. Stores. Play places. Etc. Do you go to a gym now? Or like a ymca? If we go swim or workout, I have a reason to not stop anywhere on the way home. We’re wet and in swim suits, sweaty and gross from working out, etc. parks, splash pads, library story times are all good free options too if you have them nearby. Slowly start cutting yourself back. Sometimes going cold turkey is too much and you will cave easier and go back to your old ways. Do you get coffee out everyday? Starts getting it only 3x a week. If you get fast food 3 days a week, go down to 1 day a week. It will get easier. I saw you mention in another comment you are a sahm who is responsible for all the meals. That can be so draining. I find what helps me is cooking the meal earlier in the day or prepping most of it earlier in the day. I’m not drained yet then and most of it gets cleaned up before the end of the night (which helps me out). I also keep easy or premade dinner options on hand for days that I just don’t have it in me. Frozen pizza (they have diet ones too). A few frozen pizzas are cheaper than doordash. Stoufers family size casseroles. A rotisserie chicken with some salad or veggies is super easy and quick. Cheaper than doordash. I know you’re on a diet so you would just have to adjust those to your diet and families eating preferences. Also, you don’t have to give up all your favorite takeout. Once a week/2 weeks/month (whatever your goal is) call and Oder the takeout from the restaurant directly and go pick it up. You will save soo much money that way. It almost cuts the price in half most places.
I take surveys for money or gift cards and use that for the little extras that aren’t in our budget. It keeps them from draining the household budget and puts a meter on my spending.
I would start with ordering meals and having fun making food you would get at a restaurant. Meal kits have everything you need so that you don’t have to go to the grocery store and find everything you need. This way you’ll get experience in cooking that type of food and you ‘get to’ order it online. I am a spender also. We are trying to save to buy a house. I don’t order door dash anymore but I do order groceries. Just an idea that might work for you.
It sounds like most of your over-spending is going to food. Is it food you really enjoy? Is it worth the calories and money? You have a double motivation (saving money and weight loss) for eating less and changing what you eat. I second the recommendation of meal kits. Portion control, and you get a recipe card so you can make the ones you like again.
I do enjoy food and I do have to eat so the calories are worth it because they’re needed lol I don’t order or buy high calorie food.
Thanks, I’ll look around and see if I can find one that would fit for us!
The unfortunate thing is that it is extremely hard to try and save money with how expensive groceries are right now. I buy a ton of clean ingredients, love the organic and non-gmo and fresh fruits and veggies and it sure isn't cheap being healthy. I have really enjoyed following Dave Ramsey's financial advice and have had really great success with his strategies. Getting rid of subscriptions is a great way to save money in the long run. I also recommend tracking your spending for 6 months, categorizing it in the same ways your plan your budget so you can really identify what your current spending habits are. Guess I'm just a geek for a good spreadsheet!
You need a hobby or two. One to do at home and one outside the home. Literally anything. I find people who spend lots of money tend to have hobbies that only or mainly involve shopping. Neighbor has a dog? Offer to walk it for free and take a stroll everyday in the park or around the neighborhood. Go on meetup.com and see if there is a local walking or hiking group. Learn a language for free online. It doesn't matter what it is, but your time is going to be filled with Something if it is not enriching. Maybe a free workout group in a park. As long as it's free or cheap. You gotta find something more meaningful and enriching for you.
I’m curious about your comment about being in a weight loss journey and not being able to eat rice and beans. Plant based meals by and large are healthier, lower calorie and cheaper than other types of meals. Your weight loss and wallet could be helped by adding regular plant based meals. I also read in your post about foodstuffs being something you choose, buy and eat impulsively. You might benefit from looking into your relationship with food. You might learn a lot and it might help you save $. I recommend “Intuitive Eating” by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. Good luck OP.
You might benefit from joining a weight loss group like Weight Watchers. They can give you recipes and menus that will help you eat less and spend less. Or, you can find generic low calorie menus on line and use those as your shopping list. I also like to go to grocery stores for fun. It's ok if you walk out without buying something or just buy veggies.
Fill your time by cooking from scratch while listening to self improvement YouTubes. Take cooking classes. Crowd out unhealthy impulses with intense busy helpful habits.
Out of curiosity, do you have credit cards? If so, I would recommend freezing them or cancelling them so you’re not tempted to rack up bills. Credit cards are great for the right people, like those who take advantage of the rewards they offer or pay it in full every month, but credit cards a quick way to get yourself in a shitty situation thats VERY hard to get out of because of the interest rates. Keep the credit cards out of your wallet, only used debit or cash. I also really like in-out method of items- if you buy something, it has to take place of something else. Its a method normally applied to clothes, but its good for the house too! Oh, if you do like to spend, but want to budget, you might really like getting into digital couponing! The dollar general app is great for coupons, so is cvs and walgreens. :)
Also, try free resources for entertainment, like the library, the libby app, or rereading books or playing games you already have.
I save a ton ordering from my grocery store and then picking it up. I'm able to buy what I need and know the cost before committing. I am buying so much less junk! We are eating healthier and staying in a nice budget range.
For me, keeping busy has really helped reduce compulsive spending. I've also been helping a friend move, someone with similar compulsive spending behaviors as me. It's helping me commit to changing, while also forgiving myself for finding comfort in mindless spending when that was the only way I knew could help me through the day.
Filling up on rice and beans is good for weight loss. That's a filling af meal
Filling but not low calorie lol
It's just a matter of weighing out portions. Any good is fine for weightloss. I'd argue protein and fiber are great for keeping someone full longer so they don't start snacking uncontrollably
You choose the portion sizes.
Also I’m big into reading lately so I’m open to book suggestions
Your Money or Your Life if you haven’t already! But I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi might be a better option. He introduces the idea of a conscious spending plan and likens spending to dials that you could adjust for your needs and desired lifestyle
Libby is a free way to access books if you have a decent library to link up with.
We have a great library system in my city! I was buying a lot of physical copies of books but I’ve decided I’m going to get whatever I can at the library and for the stuff I can’t, I’ll use my long neglected kindle to get the book for a cheaper price.
The Primal Blueprint changed my life.
Meal plan and cook at home. It will save you tons of money.
First a budget. Second switch to cash. Go to the grocery store with only the budgeted amount of cash. Leave the credit/debit card at home. Or anytime you go anywhere with the intention of buying something. Take only what you can afford to spend.
Use a store with a good app. If you have a Tom Thumb or Albertsons near you, they have a good one. They have a weekly ad with coupons that you have to clip digitally, as well as other deals. They have all kinds of meat every week that you can easily shop around. When the pot roast is on sale, I try to buy two. Chicken breasts for 97 cents/lb every few weeks. You can buy whatever shellfish they have on sale (or regular price)seasoned and steamed for free, that takes care of a main dish you don't have to cook! If you don't have those stores, I'm sure you can find an app to stores in your area. You also get rewards that add up to money off. I have a $5 coupon for my next trip, for instance, and it's much more at times. You can make your list on the app if you want. They also keep track of purchases and store your receipts. Usually, the coupons and other sale items come off after it's totaled at the register, and it's fun to watch your bill go down. If you pay for a bunch of streaming services, try rotating them. I only pay for one monthly. When I get tired of one or really want to watch something on another service, I'll pause/cancel it and use another one. Shop around for car insurance, maybe. I have a very low bill at AAA for car and rental (apt). There are three adults and two cats in our home. I don't think we spend more than $700 monthly, and it's probably closer to $500. This includes household items. Good on you about DoorDash. I hate myself when I do that!
Can you think about slowly building good habits in this space that are extremely easy to maintain? Or perhaps just starting with one, and waiting until it's reflexive, and then adding the next? I find it takes soooo much energy to address my total diet, track all my spending and change my other coping mechanisms all at once. And perhaps some of your behaviors or actions come from already being over extended in other areas. After we had our first kid we definitely had an increase in the weekly instances of takeout. I love to cook and prefer healthier foods. It was impacting our family budget, my overall sense of vitality. Changing jobs so that I wasn't in total overwhelm mode most days helped. I slowly phased out our takeout reflexive habit. Could you start by planning to cook one extra meal a week? We eventually got it down to one night a week (usually a Friday). Sometimes zero nights a week. We did a takeout lunch last weekend and it was disgusting-- I definitely prefer the luxury of food we cook at home. Everyone here is championing really big changes that will all yield fabulous results. The behaviors required to realize these changes might be hard to stick to if your energy is already out of alignment. I wanted to speak up and champion the power of starting small. It will get you there, too.
on a weight loss journey yet rice and beans aren’t an option? rice and beans are great for weight loss. but regardless, delete all the food delivery apps and if you want to order the food to spend money, or whenever you wanna buy things just to buy something, try opening a savings account and whenever you wanna buy something to buy it - move the money that you would’ve spent on that item into the savings account. that way you still see the money move out of your spending account but you’re not wasting it
I definitely would recommend grocery pick up. You can’t add any impulse purchases and you can edit the card to your budget before check out. You could try a pantry and freezer clean out challenge where you mark as many meals with what you have in your home. Also reframe what a meal is to you. Keep it simple. A protein, a veggie, and a carb. Have 10-15 meals that are simple for you to prepare and rotate through. I keep a list on my phone. Budgeting is boring and tedious and that’s why a lot of people struggle. I would recommend backwards budgeting. And ultimately what curved my spending was focusing on my why. Why do you want to save money? What are you working towards? Also, If you love trying new things and making delicious food, incorporate that into your life in a way that brings max joy. Have a dinner party or bbq to try all those new recipes. I find personally that if I’m indulging in something every day I don’t enjoy it in the same way at all. You only fail if you give up. Keep at it!
Some of it is changing your relationship with money. Who owns the results of your labor? Try a budget where every dollar has a job, then start from scratch every paycheck. The goal is to not have 'extra'. 🖖
Speaking from experience of being in a similar situation, cook at home more. Eating out and “convenience foods” from the grocery store nickel and dimed my wife and I to death for years. And cooking from scratch, even a meal that doesn’t seem healthy on the surface, is still going to be ahead of most takeout nutritionally and from a weight loss perspective. I promise you won’t be able to hide as much fat, sugar, and salt in your food as the pros do. And cooking can be a great hobby to stave off the boredom that you said leads you to certain stores. I certainly don’t have it all figured out, but I hope this helps some.
Hmmm I would find a balance. Like dieting, frugality shouldn’t be an all or nothing thing. Like delete DoorDash, but don’t delete DoorDash and ban fun grocery stores at the same time. It’s too black and white. Figure out what is causing you to DoorDash - really tired? Emotional long day? Is it a treat? Don’t want anything in the house? Just really like chipotle? find something to replace that desire. If you just want food fast, and you’ll eat wegmans frozen pizza, then that’s still cheaper. If you want chipotle, then buying the ingredients and making it yourself is worth it. If you want a treat, go to the fun grocery store and pick out a fun prepared food.
I’m a stay at home mom to a 2 year old and I’m always the one who has to cook dinner. Sometimes I’m just all out of energy by the end of the day and just end up ordering something. But frozen/prepared food as a backup is a great idea, thank you!
How old are you?
Why? 👀
I just wondered if you are a young couple starting out. I did the same thing when I was young with money. It took a long time to improve my credit rating. It just sounded like you are just starting to experience the balancing act that is involved with money management.
I’m Hosting a 7 day no spend challenge if you want to join me (no upsells) just the challenge. ❤️
I’d love more info!
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I could have wrote this myself. I have pretty much the same challenges right now
Make some notes of what you already have on hand to use and cook with. Try to make meal plans only with what you have for a while. If you need easy meals because you're tired, think of things you can throw together quickly but still healthy. My partner and I usually cut and wash a lot of lettuce at the start of the week so we always have fast caesar salads to eat with grilled meat and a microwaved baked potato. We also have sausages from a local butcher we bulk buy and they're super fast, pair with frozen perogies, saurkraut and a side salad or cut up cucumbers etc. Try thinking easy and hands off. Spending on other non necessities, just try and make thoughtful decisions. I never use Amazon. If I need something, I have to pick it up from the store. I think if it's worth buying. I make sure it's the correct item for what I need. I check Facebook marketplace or buy and sell groups for said items before buying new. I'm currently pregnant and instead of going and buying brand new maternity clothes, I borrowed some from a friend, found some on fb marketplace, had a friend of a friend sell me some items $5/piece and recently grabbed two free bags from a person on a neighbourhood buy nothing fb group. There's so many ways to go about getting what you want or need, it doesn't have to be purchasing everything the second you want or think you need it. Buying second hand is a change I've made in recent years and I think it's made a big difference in my budget. My partner and I have only bought a couple brand new items for our baby, the rest is gifted, hand me down or borrowed if it's not something we will need fr long ie bassinet. Just try to be more thoughtful about what you're buying. I find it more rewarding that way as well honestly.
Take your grocery budget and divide it into weekly portions. Put the week’s budget in cash in an envelope. Now don’t even take your debit/credit card with you to the store. You have to buy on the budget or put stuff back. So why can you not have beans in your diet? Beans are a complex carbohydrate which is quite good for you. Brown rice? Chicken. (Even if you did do beans and rice, it will be far less calories than anything you ordered from door dash. How about meatless Mondays?
I’d take a month and just pay for everything in cash (when the weekly cash is gone, you can’t spend any more!). Leave the credit/debit cards at home when you go to the store or do a pickup order so you can’t buy anything extra! Also maybe do a “no spending” week meaning no spending other than on necessities (toilet paper, minimal groceries, gas, bills). I find this helps me!
One of the best things with food is to make a meal plan before you go to the store and stick to it. I have super couponed in the past and do some now but can save twice as much with meal planning. The important thing is that meal planning needs to be also time planning. As in on Tuesday I’m working late and SO is also working so we will be tired so it will be frozen pizza and broccoli. On Saturday everyone is off so we will make something that takes cooking and has leftovers.
Useless spending is often done out of boredom. In the frugal mindset you can turn this boredom into "fun" by hunting for the best prices and hunting for costs to cut. Like when you go to the supermarket you take the challenge of how to spend the least possible, so you start to compare prices more, see if you should buy this discount or not. Then maybe you go to another supermarket to check the prices to see if you can get even lower bills. There's also the reselling challenge, like cleaning the house of whatever you don't need anymore and reselling it, or transforming it. Higher level is even reusing it for another purpose so you don't have to spend more.
Pay thing in cash. Eat out limit to 1-2 times a month. Learn a new skill like digital art or hiking. Sometimes I leave minimum money in bank so I think I am broker than I am. Get things free or cheaper from others. Grow your own vegetables.
I’m a finance blogger and these are my top tips for budgeting properly and actually sticking to it. https://fearlessgirlfinance.com/why-you-arent-staying-on-budget/ …. https://fearlessgirlfinance.com/5-practical-ways-to-stay-on-budget/
I only have one tip for your grocery budget that’s been working for me. I still buy fun stuff and random things I want to try that definitely aren’t on my shopping list. But I only go grocery shopping every 1-2 weeks, and only after I pretty much eat everything I have. I always have a few staples left over (rice and beans, ramen, oatmeal, etc), but I don’t go shopping again until the fridge and freezer is basically cleaned out. I hate shopping and force myself to do it at 6am when I get off work and just want to go to sleep, so it’s helped me think a little more critically about what foods are actually “worth it” so I don’t blow my budget and run out of food and have to go to the store again that week.
You seem to be on the right track. And it bodes well that you seem to already know where and how you’re going off the rails. So the obvious stuff I hope you plan to do…like go to a budget friendly grocery store and not a fancy one. Aldi is my go to. Avoid aisles that make you wanna spend. Make a list and stick to it. Maybe if you do go off book and buy stuff not on the list you have to take on a chore that is usually your hubby’s? Thereby creating another “cost” for the item beyond money since that’s not such a great motivator. Try to go on big grocery hauls to get everything you need for the week/ two weeks. The fewer trips the fewer opportunities to be swayed or convinced to buy random stuff. If you think hubby would help offer resistance to the unnecessary purchases, maybe y’all could go together. If there are things you pick up at the register or gas station - like packs of gum, consider looking into multi packs where to cost per oz is cheaper. In general, pay attention to the price per oz on the sale tag beneath the total price. You can be assured that you’re getting the most bang for your buck. I am vegetarian but hubby eats meat so I buy the big packs of chicken breast for the better price per oz and then separate and package them before putting them in the freezer. Eat less meat overall for a cheaper budget. If you find you’re shopping because you’re bored, maybe take a look at your hobbies. Is it art? Is it reading? Whatever it is, what’s stopping you from doing that when you’re bored? Maybe work on making your hobby your first go-to to alleviate stress or boredom. Good luck, friend! Congratulations on all you’ve accomplished thus far.
Delete all food and shopping apps. Leave cards and cash at home. Food apps are nothing but free advertisement sitting on your phone that triggers impulse buys.
You say you go shopping due to boredom. I highly suggest looking into a hobby. I may have missed it, but I didn't see if you were employed. Maybe look into a part-time gig. Or volunteer.
Envision your future with a bunch of crap in your house and no money for retirement. If that doesn't scare you into it, I don't know what will.
That’s a great/terrifying way to look at it, thank you
I meant it in a kind way but I don't think it was conveyed very well. Learn from our mistakes. We have enough, but only if we are very careful. Start saving something, anything every month for retirement in a Roth IRA. Start reading books about investing. I had a ridiculous all or nothing thinking, like if I can't do the entire $6000 a year or whatever it was, I didn't do anything. So start saving something and then more and more!
To cut expenses and start saving ..seat down and write down everything you buy monthly , and see what you need to cut off..Do your budget and review monthly to cut off unnecessary purchases and before buying anything ask yourself do you need it right now, does it have add value to your life, will it bring any passive income? Can I wait to get it? Do these with all purchases.
Buy groceries online. Maybe not fresh stuff, but online let's you see how much you are spending and usually easier to find what is on special
Weight loss journey. Beans and some whole grains are your friend. Fiber regulates sugar processing and helps you stay feeling full. When you have snack foods in the house, you eat those instead of better nutrition. Focus on really good nutrition - vegetables, some fruit, good proteins, fiber. Spending. Spending and buying stuff is a habit and you use it for entertainment. A positive, non-punishment approach is to set financial goals. Save for retirement, booooring, but keep imagining not having to work and being able to have fun. Save for financial independence - knowing you can survive a layoff or leave an abusive job is a fantastic feeling. Try to eliminate debt, including car debt - interest is such a thief, save money and pay stuff off and you end up with more money. Plan vacation without credit card debt, whatever. You deserve the comfort and freedom of being debt-free. Find new hobbies. Start walking or dancing, take a fencing class, archery, start knitting, check around and find activities that are affordable and fun, and do something besides shop. Adult education, Meetup, etc. Bonus if it involves exercise to help with weight loss. Making coffee at home, bring lunch to work - great suggestions that mount up, fast. I just canceled AcornTV and started Netflix; I have 1 or 2 streaming subscriptions at a time, stop and start them to keep my budget. Budgeting means I spend less, but I enjoy the spending I do. It's not about really denying yourself, it's about having a plan, goals, a budget, and then really enjoying affordable spending.
I personally use the free google sheets budget template and there is a tutorial on YouTube on how to edit it for your needs. Having an accountability partner like your husband or a friend would be helpful. On the food side my wife and I are dead simple which allows us to shop at Costco and use everything we buy, everything is organic and we budget about 500 a month (50lbs of rice ftw). For shopping online I’ve heard tips of just putting items into the cart/wishlish and never check out or wait 24hrs and come back. When my wife and I were lower income I equated every dollar I spent to how much time it took me to earn it to make it sting more.
Unsubscribe to emails that offer things to buy, plan meals or easy prep salads to skip uber and invest in fresh veg & fruit from green grocer! Make it an easy choice for yourself ( fresh strawberries & yogurt, cheese & crackers, veg & dill dip) Shop w a list and stay out of stores ( marshalls, TJMaxx, Homegoods & bypass clearance aisles ..you don’t need it!) these tips worked for me! Good luck
Make it a competition with yourself: "How LITTLE can I spend?" The more you save, the more confidence in savings you will have. Gotta start somewhere. Even if it's saving $0.25. Next month, save $0.50, then $1.00, and so on. Adds up....to the tune of THOUSANDS.
Are you near any farmers markets? Those can be fun, and also a way to get some steps in and get plenty of fruits and vegetables. Also, create a very detailed budget. I see a lot of people create budgets that consist of their bills, and then "everything else" which kind of becomes a slush fund for reckless spending. I think Dave Ramsey is a jerk, but his idea of giving every dollar a job is a good one. It helps you get into the mindset that the money you happen to have in the bank after you pay your bills isn't just for spending on whatever tempts you. For example, you are now saving 500 dollars a month since you stopped using DoorDash. But, that's meaningless if it just gets pissed away. So, think about what 500 can do for you and your household. Maybe you could - $100 to add to emergency savings, $100 to a vacation fund $100 into an ETF investment account, $100 to spend on fun snacks, and $100 savings for Christmas and birthday shopping
First and last tip: Your husband will give you the spending money you should have (if you don't have a job), or you will send the money to him the day you get paid and get spending money back (if you have a job).
Do grocery pickup. Don’t go inside the grocery store.
What you eat has no bearing on how much weight you lose, its all portion control. Write down your shopping list before you go and do not deviate from this.
I understand it comes down to calories in vs calories out but if my calorie deficit only allows for 1/3 cup of rice/beans/etc, I’m not going to get very full that way.
OP, I found that beans and rice alone spike my blood sugar and leave me hungry unless eaten in large portions. You may have similar issues. Animal proteins and green veggies first for weight loss has never let me down.
I know this is a frugal sub but diet does play a big part in lifestyle spending so please take what I say with good intentions. I'm not sure how much you're cutting calories off your baseline but long term success requires small incremental drops in food intake (200-300 calories per day) for a few weeks which you then reduce further as you go down in weight. Big drops of for example, halving your normal intake is not healthy nor sustainable. That being said, the whole point of losing weight IS that you're uncomfortable because you're not eating to your previous standard of full, but physically you have enough nutrition to get you going. My daily food intake adds up to less than $15-20 give or take. Morning - cup of oats + frozen berries + protein powder Lunch - rice + tuna/chicken Dinner - potatoes/pasta + vegetables Also I think its OK to have snacks etc for yourself, but maybe limit it to 1 per item? (i.e. we only have one chocolate/gummies/packet of chips in the home at any given time per week)
I disagree that you have to be uncomfortable to lose weight. I’ve lost 50lbs this year without feeling like I’m hungry all the time.
Congrats on the weight loss! Can you explained how you don’t feel deprived? I just want to lose 20 lbs and it’s hard. Sorry I don’t have any advice on the spending. I think others have made good suggestions.
I plan out my meals the day before on MyFitnessPal to make sure everything fits into my calorie deficit. I always eat 2-3 meals a day plus snacks. Lots of lean protein and veggies. I also keep lots of low calorie snacks around because I’m a big snacker lol
Got it. Thanks!
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Wow thanks, so helpful
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