Food Expenses Check
We are now trying to be more prudent in our spending (the operative word is try) and one of the things I try to be consistent with is listing our weekly grocery expenses and market expenses. This includes the necessities we buy on the grocery and the fresh produce we get from the market that goes into our weekly menu.
I was quite surprised that our food expenses is right on top of our monthly expenses. It even exceeds the total of all our utility bills (rent + electricity + water + internet). For a family of four, with one still on infant milk formula, I think our food expenses are still average – however I know there are things we can still save on.
1. For one thing, we actually eat out every weekend. Even if we only dine out mostly on fast food chains, it costs us Php500 each meal as we order a lot. That alone is 1/3 of our weekly menu budget for the market.
2. Our daily food expenses are over the roof. These are the food we buy from retail stores in the neighborhood. It mostly are just junk food and soda. We can buy at least two 1.5L of Coke Zero everyday – that is roughly Php80 and in a week, that’s another Php500 there! WOW!
Right now, to help us keep tab on our expenses, we charge everything to my husband’s credit card – and since I take care of the food bill, every 1st of the month, all my PayPal earnings go to its payment. It really helps since we were able to take care of outstanding credit card bills last month. Payday Loans were so much a part of our lives when I stopped working. Everytime we were short on cash, the husband would just avail of it and it would be paid everyday payday came. However, it really isnt that much of a help because it is a neverending cycle if you can’t get over the cash shortage.
I need more budgeting tips!
