A quick check with my Quicken reports tells me that the amount we spent on groceries (including cleaning supplies, health and beauty items, etc.) for April is down 25% from the amount spent in April, 2005. Even better, it’s down 33% from the amount spent in March. I’m especially pleased because I’ve been doing some stocking up when items are on sale so I wasn’t sure if my efforts would produce much of a result because of that.
What I’ve focused on this month is updating my price book, using coupons and watching sales. I’ve also tried to make meals out of items on hand and cook from scratch more. All of these have combined for the savings.
In addition to the amount spent on groceries, however, I’m trying to keep an eye on the amount of cash we go through (part of which is quick drive-through type meals) and the eating out portion of our entertainment budget (which consists of sit-down restaurant meals). When these three categories are combined we’re down considerably from last month and April of last year but we can do better, I think. Still, it’s fun to see some progress.
Now if only the amount spent on gasoline was down…
