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I have a spending problem...

December 17th, 2009 at 05:41 pm

I went to the grocery store last week...bought $220 worth of groceries for $108. The freezer if full of roasts, chicken, pork chops. That is not the problem. I have had the opportunity to make dinner. Time is not the problem. The problem is that instead of waiting until we get home and cooking, I have been constantly eating out!!! I know I need to stop. But it is so much easier to pull through a drive through. I know it isn't healthy(either for us or for the budget) but I am weak and it is something I need to overcome. Any suggestions...that really work??? If I were to leave my debit card and check book at home, what options would I have for something that I need to get. If I plan ahead, than I will know I need them, but my concern is for the something I either forgot we needed or didn't know we needed. I would imagine that a few times of forgetting, having to drive home, and then go back out again(we are 10 miles from town) would be enough to make me plan ahead. That might be the way to go. I will have to consider that.

Ideas?? Suggestions???

Posted in Misc Thoughts and Updates | 8 Comments »

8 Responses to “I have a spending problem...”

  1. creditcardfree Says:
    December 17th, 2009 at 05:54 pm 1261072462
    1261072462

    Hmm...cash only? It at least limits the amount you can spend during one day or outing.

    Could you cook ahead? Make tomorrow's dinner tonight, put in fridge, heat and eat when you come home. After dinner make the next day's meal. You would need to thaw meat the day before cooking and two days before eating.

  2. ceejay74 Says:
    December 17th, 2009 at 06:17 pm 1261073856
    1261073856

    I have spending cash that I can spend on whatever I want, but the money in the checking account is budgeted to the penny. Thus if I really want to eat out, I use the money in my wallet. If I don't have enough money in my wallet, I know I'm not allowed to use my debit card, because that would mess up all my tidy categories of where the money in my checking account is supposed to go! So I wait until I get home to eat. Start thinking of your check card as untouchable except for what you've allotted for.

  3. Broken Arrow Says:
    December 17th, 2009 at 06:46 pm 1261075563
    1261075563

    Any way you can prep and may even thaw in advance?

    If I know there is stuff ready, or especially if I don't get home and do something about something before it potentially spoils, I'm more apt to just go home and get it done.

  4. fern Says:
    December 17th, 2009 at 07:22 pm 1261077768
    1261077768

    Type up a list of all the things you need to buy, the essentials, any credit card debt, etc. Tape it to your car dashboard to deter you from any unscheduled pit stops.

  5. DeniseNTexas Says:
    December 18th, 2009 at 01:04 am 1261098250
    1261098250

    Menu planning and keeping a limited amount of money on hand. I used to have the problem you write about and now and then it rears its ugly head but those two things keep it in check for me! And yep, having to drive out of my way to get a debit card or more cash actually prevents me from overspending. It's a win win thing!

  6. DeniseNTexas Says:
    December 18th, 2009 at 01:17 am 1261099028
    1261099028

    I meant to add something else that helps me. You might want to save in a jar or other container the money you normally spend when you eat out. If you average $10 a meal, every time you don't eat out when you really want to but shouldn't/don't need to/etc put that in a jar or other container where you can readily see it. That helps me a lot!

  7. campfrugal Says:
    December 18th, 2009 at 01:34 pm 1261143288
    1261143288

    Keep track of how much money you are spending when you eat out, this might deter you from pulling through the drive thru and help you head home to cook. I usually make a weekly menu plan, post it on my fridge and I stick to it. It just makes good sense. You save money and it is way healthier.

  8. Suzanne Says:
    December 29th, 2009 at 10:01 pm 1262124103
    1262124103

    Use a crockpot to start dinner before you go to work. If it's already cooking you won't be as tempted to stop for fast food.

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