Five Benefits of a Strict Grocery Budget

There are nine more days left in the month, and I have about $50 left in my grocery budget to feed my family of six.

This has been a tough year financially for us, with decreased income and unexpected medical expenses. We’re also sick and tired of spinning our wheels to get rid of our debt. So, over the summer, my husband and I came up with a strict budget. There’s no wiggle room. We’ve got to stick to it.

The biggest single expense that we have control over is our grocery budget. I’ve almost always had a grocery budget. But, more often than not, I’ve treated it as a ballpark figure to shoot for, not a hard and fast limit. Now, I need to treat that figure as an absolute, not just a guideline! It’s been a challenge, but one I’ve actually found I’m enjoying over the last couple of months! Instead of being frustrated by our lack of funds, I’m choosing to focus on the positives of a limited food budget.

So, I thought it would be fun to share five benefits of having to be so strict with our food dollars right now (besides the main benefit of staying within our means and paying all our bills, of course! 😉 )

1. Less waste!

When every dollar counts, I’m much less likely to let food go to waste. We’ve learned to eat even the little bits of of leftovers and are much less likely to just leave things sitting in the refrigerator and go buy something else because nothing we have sounds appealing. Many times I’ve planned meals and then we’ve decided to do something else – either eat out or make something different (often requiring a trip to the store to pick up a few ingredients). More often than not, items I purchased to make a particular meal would then sit and not get used. There’s been much less of the “buying things and never getting around to using them” syndrome.

2. My refrigerators stay so much cleaner!

This is a direct result of the first benefit! We’re eating things up instead of leaving containers of this and that sitting in the fridge until they’re unidentifiable! The shelves in both my refrigerators are staying clear and things are much easier to find!

3. It forces me to be creative.

I think this one is my favorite. It’s a fun challenge to try to find a filling meal to make with what I have on hand, instead of finding a meal I want to make and then going to buy what I’m lacking to make it. There have been several occasions where I needed to come up with dinner at the last minute and I was lacking one or two ingredients for some of my old standbys. In each case, I found something new and different that worked with what I had, and everyone enjoyed a change from the norm! This has been the case with breakfast and lunch too, which I don’t usually plan ahead. We’ve all gotten more creative about using what we have on hand to come up with a filling meal.

4. It makes my weekly meal planning even more intentional.

Instead of going through recipes, choosing what sounds appealing and making a grocery list based on that (i.e. “Spaghetti sounds good this week! What do I need to buy to make it?”), I take stock of what I have on hand first and then search out recipes that utilize those things, buying only what I have to. Maybe it sounds like a subtle change, but it makes a big difference in the bottom line!

5. It makes us realize how much food and money we tend to waste and how much less we can get by on.

When we eliminate the “out” of going to pick up take-out or “just a few things” at the store and force ourselves to use what’s on hand, it’s amazing how much less we spend, and how we’re able to feed ourselves on what’s in the pantry and freezer without going to the store! We’re getting by on much less than a typical budget for our family size, and we’re still able to purchase our good grassfed meat and raw dairy (see the links below for more thoughts on how we afford to eat “real food” on a small budget) ! I could easily spend nearly double what we do, and many do, without even blinking.

I know that this season is temporary, but even when things aren’t as tight as they are now, I’ll continue to be intentional and frugal with our food dollars and enjoy these benefits. Appreciating what we have and reducing wastefulness are good stewardship, no matter what your financial situation happens to be.

It does take planning, discipline, and creativity, but it’s worth it! 

More on eating healthy “real food” on a limited budget:

• A Surprising Way to Save on Your Grocery Budget
• Food Budgets, Menu Planning, and Healthy Eating
• Frugal and Healthy Make Ahead Meal Makings

Do you have a set grocery budget? How closely do you stick to it?

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