Do you stick to a budget when you are grocery shopping for are you a free range shopper? I don't necessarily mean buying free range products, but do you stick to a budget when you are shopping, or do you allow yourself more or less to search through the store buying what you want to the grocery store? I have an idea what I want to spend when I go to the store...however, I don't always stick to it.
Things are tight financially so I really do have to plan and stick to a budget every week. I don't mind this at all though, I quite often end up getting much more for my money just with a little planning.
I've done it both ways. I've shopped with meal plans in mind and have bought everything I've needed for two weeks but I did this out of necessity. I didn't have a car and my husband worked everyday (OK he had two days off like other people but it seemed like everyday) so he only took me to the store every two weeks. I find now that I can take myself and don't have to so stringent on what I buy, it is more economical because I can take advantage of in store specials that aren't' advertised and I can also take advantage of late dated goods. I plan my meals around what I bring home. Sure there was some advantage to planning every meal and buying for it. I never had to worry that things wouldn't be used up and I usually always had everything I needed on hand, but I find that going with an idea of what I want is enough now. As for how much I spend, I always have an idea of what I am willing to spend and can stick within ten to twenty dollars of it.
The majority of our foods are whole, so very cheap. We know how much we'll need and wing it.. it never comes near what we spent when we ate the typical diet, so no worries.
As grocery shopping is not one of my most favorite tasks and therefore something I like to get done as quickly as possibly - I'm not exactly what you might call a free range shopper - as even though I don't have a budget as such - mainly because my grocery bill is far from expensive and doesn't vary much from week to week - I do generally go armed with a list of what is needed - which as I live quite a considerable distance from any stores - is necessary - as not only does it help save time and money - but more importantly - avoids the possibility of running out of anything prior to the next shopping trip.
With my credit cards, I can be a free lancer in shopping. But you know husbands, they are the spoilers. Seriously though, I also care for my budget although sometimes I shop on whims and buy what I fancy with the idea that it is my money that I am spending. But I only do that spree when I receive our bonus in the office. I have several colleagues who encountered a problem with the credit cards for unabated shopping. That's a neat lesson for me to be careful.
I try as hard as I can to buy only the things I have on my shopping list. However I am always willing to make exceptions when circumstances demand so. If I find something on sale that can be stored for a while and I don't know if I'll stumble into such a good deal for a while, I'll buy whatever it is that on sale and make the appropriate adjustments to my budget in the coming weeks. At the end of the month I would have spent roughly the same amount of money I planned to.
I always have a list of things to buy and a budget when I go out and shop for groceries. This is my way to monitor my expenses and plan my budget weekly and monthly and stick to it. Sometimes there are additional buys during my grocery shopping, so I a lot a certain amount of allowance in the budget. I do not usually go free range shopping because it messes up my budget plans and I might overspend. I always plan ahead and have a list when shopping for groceries but for other stuff like clothes and shoes for example, I still have a budget but it is more like window shopping and looking for great deals and sales.
Oh yes, I have to draw a list and stick to it religiously each time I go shopping. I couldn't afford to do 'free range' shopping right now, because I've had to tighten the purse strings. I think since the financial crisis, we're all feeling the pinch really and we're watching the pennies a lot more now that ever before.
I usually have a specific dollar amount that I want to stay under overall, and at least make sure to get some of my "staple" ingredients, then whatever I have leftover I will shop with on a whim and get whatever I am in the mood for. But I generally try to keep everything under $100-$125 or so if possible, and have it last me for two weeks before I head out shopping again. I always make sure to at least get some eggs, bread, cheese, orange juice, several packs of fresh meats, potatoes - either a sack of them or some frozen fries, and a few packs of frozen vegetables. Thankfully some of the grocery stores around here have been offering these "Pick 5 for $19.99" specials on fresh meats. They're generally less expensive cuts to begin with, but the $4 a pack they average out to is still much less than what I would normally pay for any of them on their own. So that is saving me at least a good $5-$10 on meats each trip to the store. They also run a similar promotion with their fresh vegetables, they have them portioned into styrofoam containers at "Pick 5 for $9.95". So for $30 I've got all my fresh meats and veggies taken care of, without splurging on either.
