Grocery Shopping HELP! ;) & Continued Budget Info!!! LOL

[snowys]

Hey all;

Im trying to figure out this whole grocery bill thing. What I am
trying to figure out is how to grocery shop!!!! LOL Im horrible at
it. I try to do the "specials" but I always seem to spend so much!
For example, yesterday I go to Safeway (here in CA) and buy the
following:

3 x .67 = $2.01 Pedigree Little Champion Dinners
1 x 3.50 = $3.50 Snausages Dog Treats
1 x 4.50 = $4.50 Marie Claire Magazine
1 x 3.50 = $3.50 Motts Strawberry Harvest Apple Sauce 6 Pack
4 x 4.19 = $16.76 Canned White Chicken Breast
1 x 16.95 = $16.95 Tide

And bamm, I spent like $47 bucks on nothing.

My diet is somewhat regimented. I eat on the "Body for Life" plan
which consists of 5 to 6 small meals per day. What i usually do is
have breakfast of some kind. Then 3 times during the day I have a
small serving of protein (usually the cans of white chicken) and some
kind of small carb. Usually yoghurt or applesauce, etc. When I cook
for myself (which is rare). I LOVE to eat dinner out. If I do cook, I
tend to go the "prepared" food route. With maybe a frozen pizza. Or I
will buy those frozen season veggie packs and I will add chicken or
steak.

I tend to always have a lot of prepared foods in my freezer yet, or
even lots of pasta mizes etc in my cabinet. But I dont really eat @
home at night very often. I usually dine out which generally costs me
somewhere between $5 - $12 bucks. So Im buying all this food
intending to eat at home - but not.

Someone mentioned I must be single! LOL And I am. Ive got this
active, expensive lifestyle I really cant afford on my current
income. Like the Direct TV thing. I think I watch 1 show a week.
Gilmore Girls. Thats it. Unfortunetly for me I am locked into a one
year contract. *sigh*

I do like the idea of movie night. Or a "themed" night. Hawaii NIGHT!
I can already see that one happening.....*eyes widen* LOL

I usually buy my shoes @ Payless. But my clothes are from Abercrombie
& Fitch (Very expensive...)

Yes, my gasoline bill is very high. CA gas prices generally range
from 1.69 and upwards. I rarely see it below $1.69 a gallon. I drive
to and from work (round trip) about 30 miles. I also tend to visit my
parents on the weekend which results in driving abother 30 miles. I
could try to cut back on driving by walking when I go out to eat. Or
things like that. *ponders*

Oh yes, and about the credit cards & misc other bills. That is
towards paying them off. I no longer have cc's because I have FAR to
much debt. They are all cut up. Let me say that again FAR TO MUCH. I
am paying slightly above minimums. Also paying medical bills, etc.

So, wow, I typed a lot again. So hopefully that kind of lets you know
where my money goes. I know where it goes, its just a matter of
really sticking to and following the budget.....

Erin *learning, hopefully*

[Join us at Budget101.com]

> 3 x .67 = $2.01 Pedigree Little Champion Dinners
> 1 x 3.50 = $3.50 Snausages Dog Treats<

I think I'd start with cutting fluffy's bill down. There are over
200 Pet Food/Treat Recipes on my site www.budget101.com


> 1 x 4.50 = $4.50 Marie Claire Magazine<

Um.. Library Card.

> 1 x 3.50 = $3.50 Motts Strawberry Harvest Apple Sauce 6 Pack<

MYO and freeze it ahead of time. It will have a whole lot of flavor
and about 1/10 of the carbs (no corn syrup in Homemade applesauce)

> 4 x 4.19 = $16.76 Canned White Chicken Breast<

Good Gods, you could raise a whole flock of feathered critters to
eat at that price! All joking aside... you seriously could buy 7-8
lbs of boneless skinless chix breast at that price.

Take Care,
~Liss

[sflagg1014]

> Im trying to figure out this whole grocery bill thing. What I am
> trying to figure out is how to grocery shop!!!! LOL Im horrible at
> it. I try to do the "specials" but I always seem to spend so much!

Erin,

First thing you need to fix is your attitude... you're not horrible
at it, you just probably never learned how to do price comparisons,
make grocery lists, etc. There's nothing wrong with it! I'm 34 and
I'm *still* learning! =)

Take it in baby steps and don't try to solve your problems over
night - you didn't get in your situation that way, and it's not going
to be fixed that way. And while many of the budgeting/financial help
sites will tell you the same basic information, you need to have it
work for YOU or it won't work at all. So try this for 1 week, that's
all... if it doesn't work, or needs tweaking, try again on next
week. For this week, starting today - keep track of what you eat,
and maybe make notes of what you liked a lot and what you really
don't care for. Just do that every day (I don't know if you're doing
a food diary or not) Now, I know in the Body For Life books there's
sample meal plans for the week. On Sunday/Saturday/whatever day is
your 'relax' day, look at your 'journal' of what you've eaten. And
then look at the meal plan. Is there something that you can stand to
have 2 times a week, maybe for dinner one night and lunch a couple of
days later? Is there a snack you really like and can plan to have for
several days? Get out your calendar or just a piece of paper and
make a list for each day of the next week and map out what you may
want to eat for that week. [You're probably thinking "I don't know
what I want to eat next Thursday" but it'll get easier, trust me!] If
you know that you have plans one night with friends, be sure to
include that and not have a meal planned for yourself at home -
that's why the food goes bad because we fail to plan for those things.

Now that you have a list and a plan, check what you already have on
hand and then make your grocery list. One of the tough things is to
stick to your list and not deviate! It takes control, but YOU CAN DO
IT! I keep a magnent paper pad on my fridge and as I'm getting low
on other supplies - paper towels, toothpaste, etc., I write in on the
pad and use that for my grocery list.

When you get home keep your weekly meal plan posted somewhere so you
know roughly what you're going to have each day. Again, keep a list
of what you eat, and then come your planning day, you'll have
something to go from.

I know you can do this - heck, if you have the commitment to stick to
Body For Life, you have it in you to take control of your financial
life!

Stephanie